Tonight, we got a first look at CommuniCore Hall, the home to a new Mickey & Friends meet and greet, which is now open at EPCOT.
Outside CommuniCore Hall
All the construction walls are down, and CommuniCore Hall is set to open to the public on June 10, completing the years-long EPCOT reimagining.
The exterior of the building features Spaceship Earth-inspired paneling.
Mickey & Friends Meet and Greet
CommuniCore Hall will be home to a permanent Mickey & Friends meet and greet. Here, guests will have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite Disney characters, such as Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.
The walk in continues the EPCOT imagery from the mural outside. The hall to the meet and greet areas features the retired Universe of Energy pavilion and its dinosaurs. Ellen’s Energy Adventure, an attraction housed inside, and the rest of the pavilion closed in 2017 to make way for the Xandar pavilion and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
The Fountain of Nations, demolished to make way for the new World Celebration Gardens, is also featured on the wall inside.
Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy have their own areas. Mickey meets in a small alcove with Spaceship Earth and a Monorail in the background. On the wall to the left, as pictured above, is the Robot Butler from Horizons (which closed in 1999 and was replaced by Mission: SPACE).
Goofy meets to the right in a green section. The mural behind him features the Imagination Pavilion.
There’s a hidden Mickey in the flower bed.
During a later visit, we met Daisy Duck in this same spot.
Minnie’s meet and greet area is pink with another monorail crossing in front of The Land pavilion.
Guests will also find an EPCOT mural outside, inspired by the characters and locations that have come to define EPCOT and Walt Disney World Resort.
One section of the mural features Mickey and Minnie in their retro spacesuits.
To the right of Mickey is The Land pavilion, and Goofy flies in front of the former Wonders of Life pavilion.
In the section above, to the left, are the corner of the Wonders of Life pavilion and Horizons, with the Robot Butler making another appearance.
In the center is Mission: SPACE and The Seas With Nemo and Friends (formerly known as The Living Seas pavilion). A diver and Donald in a diving suit depict SeaBase, which is part of the pavilion.
The Universe of Energy pavilion is on the bottom right in the photo above. At the top left is a Nova Corps Star Blaster from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
In the center are the Jumping Fountains and Figment, with the Imagination Pavilion just behind.
On the left is the former World of Motion pavilion, which is now Test Track. An overhaul is coming soon to Test Track and will feature inspiration from World of Motion.
Inside CommuniCore Hall
Disney’s official website also states that CommuniCore will serve as a space where guests can relax and recharge during their day at EPCOT.
Small areas dedicated to each EPCOT neighborhood are marked by large, hanging banners.
The offerings inside CommuniCore Hall include a demo kitchen, a gallery space, and a mixology bar.
During the media event, the banners were instead replaced with giant hanging signs representing each neighborhood of EPCOT.
These permanent fixtures will change throughout the year, as the space transforms with the rotating festivals.
When not in use for festivals or other offerings, sets of tables and chairs are set up throughout the space.
There are also blue and orange couches available to lounge on.
Watch our video tour of CommuniCore Hall and Plaza below.
CommuniCore Hall is located in the World Celebration section of EPCOT, formerly known as Future World. It is near Imagination! Pavilion, The Land Pavilion, and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. The new space replaces Innoventions West, an attraction featuring evolving technologies, which closed on May 19, 2015.
CommuniCore Hall opens alongside CommuniCore Plaza, a new flexible outdoor space that will feature live entertainment, including “¡Celebración Encanto!” When visiting CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza, guests can also check out World Celebration Gardens and Dreamers Point, two more segments of the World Celebration reimagining.
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