Disney announced on Tuesday that the new World Celebration Gardens and Dreamers Point featuring the Walt the Dreamer statue will open at EPCOT on December 5, Walt’s birthday. Disney did not share an opening date for CommuniCore Hall & Plaza, which are also part of the new EPCOT neighborhood.
Disney shared the first photos of the Walt the Dreamer statue in place at Dreamers Point, directly behind Spaceship Earth.
According to Disney Parks Blog, Walt the Dreamer “represents Walt later in his life when he was dreaming up the overall Florida Project and the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. He sits with a sense of fulfillment, enjoying the beauty of his realized dream: a park that represents pure optimism and truly celebrates the magic of possibility.”
The statue was previously on display at D23 Expo 2022. New merchandise commemorating the statue was released online and at Creations Shop in EPCOT this summer. The crate containing the statue arrived at EPCOT in October.
Each of the gardens found in the center of World Celebration “will connect back to the areas surrounding them, drawing on the architectural legacy of EPCOT, modern lighting elements and a variety of natural textures.”
Dreamers Point is named not only for Walt, the dreamer that inspired EPCOT, but also for those who are inspired by EPCOT every day.
“Luminous: The Symphony of Us,” the new EPCOT nighttime spectacular, will debut on December 5, too.
CommuniCore Hall was not mentioned in the new Parks Blog post. We theorized in our latest construction update that it might not be ready with the rest of the land, and it seems that is the case. It’s not clear if it will open later next month, as originally implied by the announcement that World Celebration would open in December, or in 2024. CommuniCore Hall will include a permanent Mickey & Friends meet and greet space and more.
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