Construction work continues across EPCOT, from the parking lot to the World Showcase lagoon. Now that we’re halfway through August, a lot of construction has made major progress throughout the park.
Ride Share Area in EPCOT Parking Lot
A new ride-share loop is under construction in the EPCOT parking lot. Crews have started laying pavement for a sidewalk that wraps around and through the loop.
Small poles line the sidewalk edge that will be next to the road. Currently, the road is just dirt.
World Celebration & CommuniCore Hall
Construction continues at World Celebration and CommuniCore Hall, as the two areas get closer to completion.
The yellow sheathing added to CommuniCore Hall back in April is now no longer visible on much of the structure.
Now, metal pipes have been installed going across all sides of the building.
Scaffolding is still present on the left side of the building, though work in this section seemed to have picked up. The yellow sheathing on this side is also no longer visible.
It also looks like show lighting is starting to be installed on the CommuniCore Hall spires, which feature a triangle pattern similar to that of Spaceship Earth.
The metal pipes are also present along the back of the building, covering up the yellow sheathing.
You can really see the show lighting added to the spires from this angle.
At night, these spires will be illuminated.
Journey of Water Inspired by ‘Moana’
With more Cast Member previews coming up for Journey of Water Inspired by “Moana,” this new attraction looks nearly complete.
We didn’t see any effects testing during our visit, though fog, music, and dancing water effects were being tested just last month.
One lone cone still sits in part of the new attraction by a railing overlooking the water.
A cherry picker has moved into part of the attraction’s walkways, likely to fix some last minute work before Cast Member previews open up past the initial limited invitations.
More trees have been planted in front of the water treatment facility for Journey of Water. These will grow in and fill out over time, eventually obscuring the building from guests’ view completely.
Hay has now been laid across the ground, which is a common construction practice to mitigate erosion and issues related to mud.
With the constant rain Central Florida has been getting, it’s no surprise that it could be an issue for construction crews in an area that is mostly still dirt.
The dirt mounds that were previously here have also been completely flattened out.
On the far side of this area, there’s a large pile of tools, materials, gravel and more.
The concrete being replaced in front of Journey of Water also appears to be complete.
The difference between this terrazzo-esque concrete versus the pink concrete in the rest of the area is quite stark.
There is significantly less patch work present in this area, though it is still visible here.
The concrete work looks cleaned up on this side of the walkway, as well.
Here’s a glimpse at the completed concrete walkway between Journey of Water and its water treatment facility.
Mission: SPACE & Space 220
Most of the rolling planters have been removed, showing off all the new plaza pavement work.
The crimson orb outside of the attraction still shows heavy wear and tear, revealing the gray material underneath.
Here’s a look at some of that new pavement, with the framing still in place.
The edges of the old and new pavement look a bit messy, though this will hopefully be cleaned up.
This area also has new mosaic-style pavement, like that of the planetary-themed installations we reported on earlier this month.
This mosaic pattern leads the path to Mission: SPACE and Space 220.
Here is a look at those new planetary mosaics that were recently added.
These replace the tracks for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars, which were once located here. It is possible they were preserved and will be returning, though there is no conformation or word as of yet.
Much of the updated pavement still has wooden supports in place.
Here a circle connects two concrete lines. Wooden supports are still in place.
It is possible that these circular cut outs could be the location of new planet mosaics.
Rolling planters are still present in this area by Space 220.
This area in front of the attraction also has new planetary installations in the pavement.
This new addition adds a lot of color and texture to this part of World Discovery.
The planets continue on the right side of the attraction entrance.
These blank circles continue through the area, possibly placeholders for new installations
Test Track
A support pole at Test Track is still covered with scrim.
We first noticed this scrim go up last month, though no real changes have taken place since then.
World Showcase Lagoon
Lagoon Update there is now a green box and taller pillars
Over at the World Showcase Lagoon, a green box has popped up along the railing of the lagoon viewing area.
It is unclear what this green box could be covering.
Taller pillars have also appeared in the World Showcase lagoon, as construction continues to prepare for the new nighttime spectacular.
These pillars are also present in front of the Norway and China Pavilions. These will provide a new foundation for under- or above-water equipment for the future fireworks show.
Morocco Pavilion
In the Morocco Pavilion, the cherry pickers have been relocated from the front to the back of the pavilion. However, this boom lift box utilized for the cherry picker is still present and covered in green scrim.
Rolling planters in this area were also relocated, opening up the area in front of the Tangierine Café.
A green scrim box is still present on one of the planters outside the restaurant, presumably while guest-related damage is being repaired.
The sign for Tangierine Café is now fully visible with the rolling planters and cherry picker removed.
The cherry picker is now parked in the back of the pavilion, by the Nejjarine fountain replica.
The cherry picker is hidden entirely behind these rolling planters.
This brown wooden box is also in the back of the pavilion, though it is unclear why.
World Celebration Playground
Work continues on the former EPCOT playground area by Journey Into Imagination with Figment.
New wooden supports have been placed in the ground along the construction walls, with caution tape wrapped around the perimeter.
Large dirt piles are starting to be formed as well, and the entire area has been sectioned off with caution tape.
A large teal pipe can also be seen coming out of the ground.
What do you think of all this progress on EPCOT’s many construction projects? Are you excited for the day that there won’t be a construction wall in sight? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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