Editing Epcot (section)

== History ==
=== 1960s: Experimental concept ===
{{Main|EPCOT (concept)}}
[[File:Progress City Model 2024 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|The remaining portion of the Progress City model, the original concept for the city of EPCOT, seen on display from the [[PeopleMover (Magic Kingdom)|PeopleMover]] at Magic Kingdom in 2025]]
The genesis for EPCOT was originally conceived as a [[utopia]]n city of the future by [[Walt Disney]] in the 1960s. The concept was an acronym for [[EPCOT (concept)|Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow]], often interchanging "city" and "community."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Patches |first1=Matt |title=Inside Walt Disney's Ambitious, Failed Plan to Build the City of Tomorrow |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/news/a35104/walt-disney-epcot-history-city-of-tomorrow/ |website=esquire.com |date=May 20, 2015 |access-date=May 12, 2020}}</ref> In Walt Disney's words in 1966: "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise."

Walt Disney's original vision, sometimes called Progress City, would have been home to 20,000 residents and would be a living laboratory showcasing cutting-edge technology and [[urban planning]]. It was to be built in the shape of a circle with an urban city center in the center with community buildings, schools, and recreational complexes. It would be surrounded by rings of residential areas and industrial areas, all connected by [[monorails|monorail]] and [[PeopleMover]] lines. Automobile traffic would be kept underground, leaving pedestrians safe above ground. This [[radial plan]] concept is strongly influenced by British planner [[Ebenezer Howard]] and his [[Garden Cities of To-morrow]].

Disney went as far as petitioning the [[Florida State Legislature]] for the creation of the [[Reedy Creek Improvement District]] (RCID), with the authority of a governmental body over the Walt Disney World land. The RCID was established in 1967. However, Walt Disney was not able to obtain funding and permission to start work on his Florida property until he agreed to first build the [[Magic Kingdom]] theme park. He died in 1966, nearly five years before Magic Kingdom opened.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 1, 2017 |title=35 incredible facts about Disney's EPCOT theme park |url=https://abc13.com/happy-birthday-epcot-disney-theme-park-turns-35/2475648/ |access-date=March 14, 2022 |website=ABC13 Houston |language=en}}</ref>

=== 1970s: Concept evolves into park ===
After Walt Disney's death, the company decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city without Walt's guidance. The original plans for the park showed indecision over the park's purpose. Some [[Walt Disney Imagineering|Imagineers]] wanted it to represent the cutting edge of [[emerging technologies]], while others wanted it to showcase international cultures and customs. At one point, a model of the futuristic park was pushed together against a model of a [[World's Fair]] international theme, and the two were combined.

The park was originally named EPCOT Center to reflect the ideals and values of the city. It was constructed for an estimated $800&nbsp;million to $1.4&nbsp;billion and took three years to build, at the time the largest construction project on Earth.<ref name="Kurtti">{{cite book |title=Since the World Began: Walt Disney World, The First 25 Years |last=Kurtti |first=Jeff |year=1996 |publisher=[[Disney Hyperion|Hyperion]] |location=New York, New York |isbn=0-7868-6248-3 |page=89 |ref=kur96}}</ref> The park spans {{convert|305|acres|ha|abbr=off}}, more than twice the size of [[Magic Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Epcot Fact Sheet |url=http://wdwnews.com/fact-sheets/2016/07/01/epcot-fact-sheet/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616203956/http://wdwnews.com/fact-sheets/2016/07/01/epcot-fact-sheet/ |archive-date=June 16, 2018 |access-date=January 8, 2018 |website=wdwnews.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Epcot Theme Park {{pipe}} Walt Disney World Resort |url=http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123032515/http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/ |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |access-date=October 4, 2014 |publisher=Walt Disney World Resort}}</ref> The parking lot serving the park is {{convert|141|acres}} (including bus area) and can accommodate 11,211 vehicles.

=== 1980s: Opening and operation ===
The grand opening festivities for EPCOT Center took place over three weeks in October 1982—supervised and directed by Disney Legend [[Bob Jani]]. The park officially opened to the public on October 1, with a dedication ceremony in front of [[Spaceship Earth (Epcot)|Spaceship Earth]] that served as both the kick-off ceremony as well as the dedication of the Spaceship Earth attraction itself. Presiding over the ceremony was Walt Disney Productions chairman and CEO [[Card Walker]], Florida Governor [[Bob Graham]], and president of AT&T (the sponsor of Spaceship Earth at opening) [[William M. Ellinghaus|William Ellinghaus]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=October 1, 2022 |title=The Opening of EPCOT: Part One |url=https://sparkcatcherblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/the-opening-of-epcot-part-1/ |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=Sparkcatcher |language=en}}</ref>

On opening day, Future World featured six pavilions: Spaceship Earth, [[CommuniCore]], [[Imagination! (Epcot)|Journey Into Imagination]], [[The Land (Epcot)|The Land]], [[Universe of Energy]], and [[World of Motion]]. World Showcase featured nine pavilions: [[Mexico Pavilion at Epcot|Mexico]], [[China Pavilion at Epcot|China]], [[Germany Pavilion at Epcot|Germany]], [[Italy Pavilion at Epcot|Italy]], [[The American Adventure (Epcot)|The American Adventure]], [[Japan Pavilion at Epcot|Japan]], [[France Pavilion at Epcot|France]], [[United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot|United Kingdom]], and [[Canada Pavilion at Epcot|Canada]]. 

Each pavilion had its own custom opening ceremony throughout the next three weeks—culminating in the three-day grand opening event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 10, 1982 |title=Opening Ceremonies Set for October |url=https://www.epcotlegacy.com/newsbriefs/9-10-82 |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=E82 {{!}} The Epcot Legacy |language=en-US}}</ref> On October 24, 1982, EPCOT Center was officially dedicated by Walt Disney Productions executive chairman Donn Tatum and Card Walker.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=October 29, 2022 |title=The Opening of EPCOT: Part Five |url=https://sparkcatcherblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/29/the-opening-of-epcot-part-five/ |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=Sparkcatcher |language=en}}</ref> A 450-piece marching band made up of players from college bands all over the country performed several songs including "We've Just Begun to Dream" and "The World Showcase March"—the latter written exclusively for the opening events by the Sherman Brothers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Veness |first1=Susan |title=The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom |date=2015 |publisher=Adams Media |page=143 |isbn=978-1-4405-8781-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUXsDQAAQBAJ&q=we%27ve+just+begun+to+dream+epcot+opening&pg=PA143 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Official Grand Opening Ceremonies for EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World |url=https://d23.com/this-day/official-grand-opening-ceremonies-for-epcot-center-at-walt-disney-world/ |website=d23.com |date=October 22, 1982 |publisher=D23 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref> Water was gathered from major rivers, lakes, and seas from across the globe and emptied into the park's Fountain of Nations to mark the opening.<ref name=":0" />

During the 1980s, several additional pavilions opened: [[Horizons (Epcot)|Horizons]] in 1983, [[Morocco Pavilion at Epcot|Morocco]] in 1984, [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends|The Living Seas]] in 1986, [[Norway Pavilion at Epcot|Norway]] in 1988, and [[Wonders of Life]] in 1989.

=== 1990s–2000s: Change in vision ===
[[File:Epcot1996.jpg|thumb|EPCOT in 1996]]
Despite its initial success, EPCOT was constantly faced with the challenges of evolving with worldwide progress, an issue that caused the park to lose relevance and become outdated in the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2019-08-25/disney-theme-parks-marvel-star-wars-epcot|title=D23 Expo: Is Disney's intellectual property squeezing the theme out of our theme parks?|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=August 25, 2019|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref> To maintain attendance levels, Disney introduced seasonal events such as the [[Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival|International Flower & Garden Festival]] and the [[Epcot International Food & Wine Festival|International Food & Wine Festival]] in 1994 and 1995, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Craig |first1=Dezern |title=DISNEY FLOWER POWER |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-04-23-9404261039-story.html |access-date=May 12, 2020 |work=orlandosentinel.com |date=April 23, 1994}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Friend |first1=Samantha |title=Photos of People Getting Happily Drunk in Disney World |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/disneys-food-and-wine-fetival/ |website=vice.com |date=December 6, 2016 |publisher=Vice |access-date=May 12, 2020}}</ref> 

It was during this era that Disney sought to differentiate the EPCOT theme park from Walt Disney's EPCOT concept by making the park's name a word rather than a acronym—spelling it in lowercase as a proper noun: "Epcot". Walt Disney World then added the current year to the park's name, emulating the naming scheme for expos and world's fairs like [[Expo 67]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-28 |title=A Look Back at the EPCOT '94 Guidemap |url=https://touringplans.com/blog/a-look-back-at-the-epcot-94-guidemap/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=TouringPlans.com Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> The park became Epcot '94 and Epcot '95 before Disney quietly abandoned the naming concept in 1996 and the park simply became Epcot.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Figueroa |first=Jessica |date=2020-02-20 |title=Walt Disney World Officially Confirms Epcot Name Change to EPCOT as Part of Park's Transformation |url=https://wdwnt.com/2020/02/walt-disney-world-officially-confirms-epcot-name-change-to-epcot-as-part-of-parks-transformation/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=WDW News Today |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the mid-1990s, Disney also began to gradually phase out the park's [[Educational entertainment|edutainment]] attractions in favor of more modern and thrilling attractions.<ref name="Martin 2019">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/08/epcot-changes.html|title=Epcot's Midlife Crisis: Disney Reveals a Huge Makeover for the Park's 40th Birthday|last=Martin|first=Garrett|date=August 29, 2019|work=Paste Magazine|access-date=September 9, 2019}}</ref> As a result, many of the attractions within the Future World pavilions, were either overhauled or replaced entirely. [[The Land (Epcot)|The Land]] pavilion saw its attractions replaced under new sponsor [[Nestlé]] between late 1993 and January 1995, and Spaceship Earth was updated with music by Edo Guidotti and narration from [[Jeremy Irons]] in 1994. [[Universe of Energy]] was reconfigured as [[Universe of Energy|Ellen's Energy Adventure]] in 1996. [[Journey into Imagination with Figment#Journey into Imagination|Journey Into Imagination]] closed in 1998 and was replaced with [[Journey into Imagination with Figment#Journey into YOUR Imagination|Journey into YOUR Imagination]] the following year, [[World of Motion]] was replaced with [[Test Track]], and [[Horizons (Epcot)|Horizons]] was demolished in 1999 and replaced with [[Mission: Space|Mission: SPACE]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Epcot's World of Motion Became Test Track |date=March 16, 2018 |url=https://thenewswheel.com/how-epcots-world-of-motion-became-test-track/ |website=The News Wheel |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Horizons |url=https://www.extinctdisney.com/horizons/ |website=extinctdisney.com |date=January 6, 2020 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref> 

In 2000, Walt Disney World held the [[Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration|Millennium Celebration]] with the central focus of the event at EPCOT, and a 25-story "magic wand" structure was built next to Spaceship Earth. [[Millennium Village]] was closed on January 1, 2001, and was turned into the World Showplace festival center, which is frequently used for EPCOT festivals. 

Attraction changes continued into the new millennium. Journey into YOUR Imagination closed in 2001 due to strong negative reception and was replaced with [[Journey into Imagination with Figment]] in 2002. The Living Seas was closed in 2005, and rethemed with the introduction of characters from ''[[Finding Nemo (franchise)|Finding Nemo]]'', as [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends]]. That same year, [[Soarin']], a flight simulator ride originally developed for [[Disney California Adventure|Disney California Adventure Park]], was added to [[The Land (Epcot)|The Land]] (replacing [[Food Rocks]]) following its massive popularity in California. The [[Wonders of Life]] pavilion closed in 2007, with the pavilion being occasionally used for the park's annual festivals until permanent closure. The Mexico pavilion's [[El Rio del Tiempo]] attraction closed on January 2, and [[Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros]] opened in its space a few months later. After the "magic wand" structure was removed from Spaceship Earth, the attraction's fourth version, narrated by [[Judi Dench]], soft-opened on December 8. ''Kim Possible'' World Showcase Adventure, an interactive scavenger hunt, opened at EPCOT in 2009.

=== 2010s–present: Transformation and redesign ===
[[File:Connections Cafe, EPCOT.jpg|thumb|As part of Future World's overhaul from 2019 to 2024, several original structures were reutilized, such as the [[CommuniCore]] Pavilion being repurposed as Connections Cafe.]]
In 2011, it was reported that the building was being converted to the first office space for [[Walt Disney Imagineering]]'s upcoming theme park projects, such as Magic Kingdom's [[Fantasyland]], and take place in the former STOLport area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Walt Disney Imagineering building new project office in the former STOLport area |url=https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/fantasyland/news/21jul2011-walt-disney-imagineering-building-new-project-office-in-the-former-stolport-area.htm |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=www.wdwmagic.com}}</ref> Test Track was refurbished into a new version presented by [[Chevrolet]] in 2012, and Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure was rethemed to [[Perry the Platypus|Agent P]]'s World Showcase Adventure the same year. The Norway pavilion's [[Maelstrom (ride)|Maelstrom]] attraction closed in 2014 and replaced two years later by [[Frozen Ever After]]. Soarin' was also temporarily closed while a new film was added to the attraction. In 2017, Mission: SPACE was divided into a new green/Earth mission, and the original orange/Mars mission.

In November 2016, Disney revealed that EPCOT would be receiving “a major transformation” that would help transition the park into being “more Disney, timeless, relevant, family-friendly”.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2016/11/22/disney-confirms-major-transformation-at-epcot-and-rumors-are-flying|title=Disney confirms major transformation at Epcot and rumors are flying|last1=Storey|first1=Ken|date=November 22, 2016|work=Orlando Weekly|access-date=March 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314152525/http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2016/11/22/disney-confirms-major-transformation-at-epcot-and-rumors-are-flying|archive-date=March 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2017, the formal announcement came that EPCOT would undergo a multi-year redesign and expansion plan that would introduce ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy (film)|Guardians of the Galaxy]]'' and ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]'' attractions to Future World and World Showcase, respectively, as well as maintaining the original vision and spirit for the park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/business/media/disney-epcot-theme-parks.html|title=Disney Vows to Give Epcot a Magical, Long-Overdue Makeover|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|date=July 15, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715181742/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/business/media/disney-epcot-theme-parks.html|archive-date=July 15, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> As part of the announcement, [[Universe of Energy|Ellen's Energy Adventure]] closed the following month, and the pavilion's show building was reused for [[Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-blog/os-et-s4-disney-epcot-construction-20180731-story.html|title=Disney World: Look at latest Epcot construction|last=Bevil|first=Dewayne|date=August 1, 2018|work=Orlando Sentinel|access-date=March 21, 2019}}</ref> while the EPCOT 35 Legacy Showcase exhibition opened in the Odyssey Pavilion. That same year, the park reported the first drop in overall attendance ranking among the four Walt Disney World Resort parks, dropping from second to third place, the first in its history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/08/24/disney-world-needs-to-fix-its-fading-theme-park.aspx|title=Disney World Needs to Fix Its Fading Theme Park|last=Munarriz|first=Rick|date=August 24, 2019|website=The Motley Fool|access-date=September 9, 2019}}</ref>

On August 25, 2019, at the 2019 [[D23 Expo]], Disney expanded on the plans for the improvements to EPCOT.<ref name="Epcot-D23-20192">{{cite web|url=http://www.fox13news.com/entertainment/epcot-to-undergo-multi-year-transformation-disney-announces-at-d23-expo|title=Major changes, new attractions coming to Epcot, Disney announces|date=August 25, 2019|work=fox13news.com|publisher=New World Communications of Tampa, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827175619/http://www.fox13news.com/entertainment/epcot-to-undergo-multi-year-transformation-disney-announces-at-d23-expo |archive-date=August 27, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> One of the most significant changes announced was the creation of four distinct "neighborhoods"; the subdivision of Future World into three areas (World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature).<ref name="Epcot-D23-20192" /> [[Journey of Water|Journey of Water—Inspired by ''Moana'']]'','' a walkthrough attraction, was also announced.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haller |first=Sonja |title=Disney World is getting a 'Moana' attraction and there's no telling how far we'll go to get there |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2019/08/26/moana-journey-water-attraction-coming-disney-worlds-epcot-finally/2122470001/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> At the same expo, Disney also announced that [[Pinar Toprak]] would be composing a new [[Anthem|musical anthem]] for the park. Toprak's "EPCOT Anthem" was eventually used in various nighttime shows, such as ''[[Harmonious (Epcot)|Harmonious]]'' and ''[[Luminous: The Symphony of Us|Luminous]],'' as well as featured in [[ambient music]] within the entrance plaza and throughout World Celebration.

On October 1, 2019, it was announced that a new nighttime fireworks show, ''[[Epcot Forever|EPCOT Forever]]'', and The EPCOT Experience Center, a preview space for the park's expansion project, would replace ''[[IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth]]'' and EPCOT 35 Legacy Showcase. In late 2019, EPCOT installed new directory signage in Seabase Alpha, restoring the former Living Seas logo, as the pavilion was renamed to The Seas Pavilion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wdwnt.com/2019/10/photos-the-living-seas-pavilion-logo-returns-on-sleek-new-directional-signage-inside-the-seas-at-epcot/|title=PHOTOS: The Living Seas Pavilion Logo Returns on Sleek New...|last=Figueroa|first=Jessica|date=October 11, 2019|website=WDW News Today|language=en-US|access-date=October 24, 2019}}</ref> Agent P's World Showcase Adventure closed on February 23, 2020; it was slated to be replaced with ''DuckTales'' World Showcase Adventure, which did not open until 2022.

In early 2020, Disney officially announced that the park's name would revert back to all-uppercase (from Epcot to EPCOT) as an homage to both the park's original name and Walt Disney's original concept—although the name is still not an acronym.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Martin 2019" />

EPCOT [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on The Walt Disney Company|was closed]] from March 16 to July 15, 2020, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Florida]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/12/media/disney-world-close-coronavirus/index.html|title=Walt Disney World closes, paralyzing the company's tourism empire|author=Frank Pallotta|work=CNN|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=July 17, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2020/05/27/live-blog-walt-disney-world-reopening-plans-presentation/|title=Live Blog: Walt Disney World Presents Reopening Plans to Orange County Economic Recovery Taskforce|author=Laughing Place Staff|work=Laughing Place|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref> Modified operations were established, including a pause on concerts and fireworks, in order to promote sufficient [[Social distancing|physical distancing]]. ''[[Spaceship Earth (Epcot)|Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story]]'', the attraction's fifth update, the ''Wondrous China'' film, the PLAY! pavilion in World Discovery, and the United Kingdom pavilion's Cherry Tree Lane expansion were indefinitely delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CommuniCore Hall exhibit space and the CommuniCore Plaza festival stage was built instead of a three-level festival pavilion.

On September 29, 2021, the nighttime spectacular ''[[Harmonious (Epcot)|Harmonious]]'' replaced ''EPCOT Forever'' as part of the resort's 50th anniversary celebration.<ref>{{Cite web |title='Harmonious' Will Tell a Story of Global Connection When it Debuts October 1 at EPCOT as Part of 'The World's Most Magical Celebration' |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/07/harmonious-will-tell-a-story-of-global-connection-when-it-debuts-october-1-at-epcot-as-part-of-the-worlds-most-magical-celebration/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=Disney Parks Blog |language=en-US |archive-date=September 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909155748/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/07/harmonious-will-tell-a-story-of-global-connection-when-it-debuts-october-1-at-epcot-as-part-of-the-worlds-most-magical-celebration/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The show ended its run on March 31, 2023, in preparation for ''[[Luminous: The Symphony of Us]]'' which debuted later that year; ''EPCOT Forever'' returned during the interim period. [[Remy's Ratatouille Adventure]] (duplicated from [[Disneyland Paris]]) opened in the France pavilion on October 1 as part of the same celebrations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Just Announced! Remy's Ratatouille Adventure Grand Opening at EPCOT Set for Oct. 1, 2021, in Honor of Walt Disney World Resort's 50th Anniversary |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/03/just-announced-remys-ratatouille-adventure-grand-opening-at-epcot-set-for-oct-1-2021-in-honor-of-walt-disney-world-resorts-50th-anniversary/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=Disney Parks Blog |language=en-US |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310235900/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/03/just-announced-remys-ratatouille-adventure-grand-opening-at-epcot-set-for-oct-1-2021-in-honor-of-walt-disney-world-resorts-50th-anniversary/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The EPCOT Experience Center closed in 2022, and [[Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind]] opened on May 27.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Opens May 27 at EPCOT! |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/04/guardians-of-the-galaxy-cosmic-rewind-opens-may-27-at-epcot/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=Disney Parks Blog |language=en-US |archive-date=April 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404193613/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/04/guardians-of-the-galaxy-cosmic-rewind-opens-may-27-at-epcot/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Journey of Water|Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana]] opened in World Nature opened on October 16, 2023, and World Celebration Gardens, divided into five sections (Inspiration Gardens, CommuniCore Gardens, Connections Gardens, Creations Gardens, and Dreamers Point) opened on December 5 of that year. CommuniCore Hall and Plaza, named after the former Future World pavilion, opened to the general public on June 10, 2024. Test Track, closed for refurbishment on June 17 to make way for the attraction's third iteration, is expected to open in late Summer 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First look at EPCOT's new Test Track |url=https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202404/10144/ |access-date=April 5, 2024 |website=Theme Park Insider}}</ref> At D23 2024, it was announced that a new lounge, '''Geo–82''' and  '''Geo–82 Fireworks Experience''', which will take the place of the former Siemens lounge attached to Spaceship Earth and will open on June 4, with reservations, which will opening on May 6, 2025, <ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2024 |title=New Spaceship Earth Lounge Coming to EPCOT - WDW News Today |url=https://wdwnt.com/2024/08/new-spaceship-earth-lounge-coming-to-epcot/ |access-date=August 17, 2024 |website=wdwnt.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |date=2024-12-03 |title=New Details About What's Coming to Walt Disney World in 2025 |url=https://disneyparksblog.com/wdw/new-details-about-whats-coming-to-walt-disney-world-in-2025/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Disney Parks Blog |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-28 |title=BREAKING: Spaceship Earth Lounge GEO-82 Opening Date and Menu Revealed |url=https://wdwnt.com/2025/04/breaking-spaceship-earth-lounge-geo-82-opening-date-and-menu-revealed/ |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=WDW News Today |language=en-US}}</ref> and it was reserved for adults only.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-17 |title=BREAKING: New Spaceship Earth Lounge Name Announced, Reserved for Adults Only |url=https://wdwnt.com/2025/03/new-spaceship-earth-lounge-name-announced-reserved-for-adults-only/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=WDW News Today |language=en-US}}</ref>

On November 21, 2024, it was announced that the second stage has been installed in the CommuniCore Plaza Stage, and the stage will be the home of '''JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season''', as a seasonal entertainment offering during the 2024 annual EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. On March 23, 2025, a fire broke out near the area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mike |date=2024-11-21 |title=A Second Stage Has Arrived in CommuniCore Plaza at EPCOT |url=https://blogmickey.com/2024/11/second-stage-communicore-plaza-epcot/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=BlogMickey.com - Disney World News, Photos, and Info |language=en-US}}</ref>