EPCOT will celebrate Walt Disney’s birthday this year with the official debut of Dreamers Point and the new Walt the Dreamer statue, which will become accessible to guests on December 5. Though not yet open to all parkgoers, we were able to get a first look at the new sculpture on December 4.

First Look at Dreamers Point, Walt the Dreamer Statue at EPCOT

The Walt the Dreamer statue serves as the marquee offering of Dreamers Point, which itself is part of the new World Celebration neighborhood which also includes World Celebration Gardens (also opening on December 5) and CommuniCore Hall and Plaza (which do not have confirmed opening dates as of the time of publication). The Walt the Dreamer statue was introduced via concept art several years ago and was on display at D23 Expo 2022; the final sculpture, shown off by Disney last week, is slightly different from the concept art, sitting on a bench as opposed to on a staircase.

The statue sits on a bench in front of a mostly-obscured view of Spaceship Earth. It depicts Walt in the later years of his life; he sits on the bench with clasped hands and a smile on his face.

The back of the bench features detailing that emulates the proposed design and layout of Walt’s EPCOT, an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow that would have been an inhabited and functional city as opposed to a theme park. The community was the centerpiece of Walt’s ‘Florida Project;’ plans were greatly altered after his death in 1966.

The design continues onto the concrete in front of the statue.

Sitting next to the statue allows for a scenic view of the rest of World Celebration Gardens.

According to Disney, Dreamers Point is “named not only for the dreamer that has and continues to inspire us (Walt), but also for all of us who visit EPCOT every day to celebrate the endless potential and possibility of our world.” The statue was installed late last month; we spotted it from the Walt Disney World Monorail on November 29.

Though not yet officially accessible by parkgoers, EPCOT guests have been able to take a version of the Walt the Dreamer statue home with them for quite some time. A sculpture-inspired merchandise collection debuted at Creations Shop in September.

The remainder of the area at Dreamer’s Point have rusted benches with drains to provide a place for guests to sit and enjoy the park.

We would recommend checking that the oxidized metal (or applied distressing material) won’t brush off on your clothing if you’re visiting in the first few days; our reporter got rust staining on their clothes when they sat here.

Dreamers Point, the Walt the Dreamer statue, and the larger World Celebration neighborhood, in general, are among the last additions to open at EPCOT as part of a multi-year reimagining that also saw the openings of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure inside the France Pavilion, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in the World Discovery neighborhood, and the Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana walkthrough attraction in the World Nature neighborhood.

What do you think of the new Dreamers Point and Walt the Dreamer statue at EPCOT? Will you be checking the location out when it officially opens on December 5? Let us know in the comments.

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Kyle Silagyi