It’s hard to believe that the original MouseGear, EPCOT’s premier retail store, has been closed for a year now. Though it has a temporary location across the breezeway at Innoventions East, we’re missing our staple store! However, we are very excited that the transformation of EPCOT is moving swiftly along. The other day, we brought you the news that additional walls and windows have been installed at MouseGear. Today, we have another update to share on the space that is to become part of the World Celebration neighborhood.

With the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts running through February 22, the “Expression Section” paint-by-number mural is coming out beautifully! This mural offers a nice sight to see instead of black construction walls in Future World. Behind it, the barren Innoventions West still awaits demolition.

It’s interesting to see the true structure and framing of the building. You can see that it is almost completely gutted!

Hopefully, Disney will put the building out of its misery soon. Guests can often be heard audibly complaining about the eyesore as you pass by.

Over on the East side, we can see the progress on the new Starbucks and counter service locations in the former Electric Umbrella.

As this is a hefty project, lots of heavy machinery is to be expected. We can see that most of the new windows are now installed on MouseGear.

Just across the breezeway, the transformed MouseGear will be comprised of floor-to-ceiling exterior windows to give it a more open feel. This will make window shopping easier than ever!

Inside MouseGear, structures are starting to take form. Here is a circular shape starting to form from the ceiling.

The exterior framing also hints at the grand, cleaner appearance it will have once construction is completed.

World Celebration Concept Art Shared by Disney at the D23 Expo in 2019

Above is the original concept art by Disney of the World Celebration plaza and its gardens that lead into the Festival Area. How close the finished product will look to this remains to be seen.

Which area of EPCOT are you most excited to see transformed? Let us know below!