At the beginning of June, the Rose Walk pathway in Epcot that connects Future World and World Showcase closed to be widened. Walls initially went up just on either side of the area to be expanded. Now, walls have been extended all the way back to the main path, essentially blocking off a large chunk of south-western Future World.

The walls now go all the way up to this pathway that leads from Innoventions to Imagination.

The area behind the wall is used for the butterfly garden during the Flower and Garden Festival, and a series of booths during the Food and Wine Festival.

If you want to get from Imagination to the main pathway beyond the Fountain of Nations, your only choice now is to travel through Innoventions.

Walls were also erected along the main path, near Club Cool.

The entrance to the path from World Showcase is still blocked as it was.

I believe all of this is to make the process simpler for crews as they continue widening the pathways and preparing several of these parcels for the 2019 Food and Wine Festival at the end of August.

They’re clearing the land here for whatever they decide to put in this spot for the season.

If you compare this to the photo below, taken in early June, you can see what kind of progress they’re making. I’d say the new path is easily 30% wider. Every little bit helps.

All of this is being done in preparation for both the 2019 Food and Wine Festival, but more importantly it’s the first step in Project Gamma, a series of major improvements to Future World. The widening of this path is important for when other pathways start closing in the next few months to accommodate construction and other changes.

There’s no official time line for its completion, but one can assume all of most of the path will be finished in time for the Food and Wine Festival. We’ll keep you updated as this project continues.