Editing Epcot (section)

== Park layout and attractions ==
{{See also|List of Epcot attractions}}
[[File:Walt Disney World Epcot Spaceship Earth (50099802977).jpg|thumb|The [[Walt Disney World Monorail System]] passes through World Celebration—providing transport between the park, [[Magic Kingdom]], and the [[Transportation and Ticket Center]].]]
EPCOT is divided into four themed areas, known as "neighborhoods": World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase.

World Celebration, Discovery, and Nature house a variety of [[avant-garde]] [[pavilion]]s that explore innovative aspects and applications including technology and science, with each pavilion featuring self-contained attractions and distinct architecture in its design. Currently, the park features nine major pavilions: Galaxy, Imagination, Journey, Land, Motion, Odyssey, Seas, Space, and Spaceship Earth. World Showcase has eleven individual nation pavilions.<ref name="Besand 2023">{{Cite web |last=Besand |first=Catherine |date=September 15, 2023 |title=First Look: 11 Must-Have Items in New EPCOT Reimagined Merch Collection |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/09/first-look-11-must-have-items-in-new-epcot-reimagined-merch-collection/ |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=disneyparksblog.com |archive-date=February 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208214643/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2023/09/first-look-11-must-have-items-in-new-epcot-reimagined-merch-collection/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

World Celebration, Discovery, and Nature were originally grouped as one area called Future World, which debuted with six pavilions: Spaceship Earth, [[CommuniCore]], Imagination!, The Land, [[Universe of Energy]], and [[World of Motion]]. The [[Horizons (Epcot)|Horizons]] pavilion opened the following year, and [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends|The Living Seas]] and [[Wonders of Life]] pavilions were added in 1986 and 1989, respectively, bringing the lineup to nine. CommuniCore, World of Motion, Horizons, Wonders of Life, Universe of Energy, and [[Innoventions (Epcot)|Innoventions]] closed in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2007, 2017, and 2019, respectively. The [[Fountain of Nations]], a large circular [[musical fountain]] which debuted with the park, was removed in 2019 as well. Each pavilion was initially sponsored by a corporation which helped fund its construction and maintenance in return for the corporation's logos and some marketing elements appearing throughout the pavilion.

Additionally, each pavilion of Future World featured a unique circular logo designed by Norm Inouye (except for the Wonders of Life logo due to its later introduction), which was featured on [[Marquee (structure)|park signage]] and throughout the attractions themselves.<ref name="D23 Epcot symbols">{{cite web|last=Crawford|first=Michael|title=The Symbolism Behind Epcot's Symbols|url=https://d23.com/the-symbolism-behind-epcots-symbols/|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|access-date=April 23, 2023|date=October 30, 2017}}</ref> The pavilion logos were gradually phased out in the early 2000s, as the pavilions instead were identified by name and recognized by the main attraction(s) housed inside. Several homages remained scattered throughout the park, including merchandising. However, in 2019, the circular pavilion logos were revived as part of the park's transformation, with both classic logos reprised and refreshed and newer logos introduced.<ref name="Epcot pavilion logos revival">{{cite web|last=Figueroa|first=Jessica|date=August 24, 2019|title=PHOTOS: New Epcot Pavilion Logos Revealed as Part of Exclusive Merchandise Line at D23 Expo 2019|url=https://wdwnt.com/2019/08/photos-new-epcot-pavilion-logos-revealed-as-part-of-exclusive-merchandise-line-at-d23-expo-2019/|access-date=October 5, 2019|website=WDW News Today}}</ref>

=== World Celebration ===
{{Gallery
| align = center
| mode = packed
| File:Spaceship Earth 2021 night lighting.jpg
| [[Spaceship Earth (Epcot)|Spaceship Earth]] 
| File:EpcotImagination.JPG
| [[Imagination! (Epcot)|Imagination!]] <br />(formerly Journey Into Imagination)
| File:Odyssey Pavilion, EPCOT.jpg
| Odyssey
}}

'''World Celebration''' serves as the park's main entrance and a central hub that honors global human interaction and connection, including communication, imagination, creativity, and [[The arts|the visual and culinary arts]].<ref name="Epcot-D23-201922">{{cite web |date=August 25, 2019 |title=Major changes, new attractions coming to Epcot, Disney announces |url=http://www.fox13news.com/entertainment/epcot-to-undergo-multi-year-transformation-disney-announces-at-d23-expo |url-status=dead |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 |work=fox13news.com |publisher=New World Communications of Tampa, Inc.}}</ref> The neighborhood features four major pavilions—Spaceship Earth, Imagination, Odyssey, and CommuniCore—as well as additional attractions, shops, and restaurants.<ref name="Besand 2023" />

Guests enter through the main entrance and walk underneath [[Spaceship Earth (Epcot)|Spaceship Earth]], an eighteen-story-tall [[geodesic dome|geodesic sphere]] structure and the anchor pavilion, which also houses an eponymous [[dark ride]] attraction that depicts the history of [[communication]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pedersen |first1=R. A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IFyUx8XEE78C&pg=PA16 |title=The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia |date=2011 |publisher=R. A. Pedersen |isbn=978-1-4565-8966-0 |page=16 |access-date=May 12, 2020}}</ref> Directly behind Spaceship Earth are the World Celebration Gardens and Dreamers Point, featuring lush interactive gardens, lighting fixtures and ''Walt the Dreamer—''a bronze statue commemorating [[Walt Disney]]. The [[Imagination! (Epcot)|Imagination!]] pavilion celebrates the concept of [[imagination]] and features [[Journey into Imagination with Figment]], a dark ride starring [[Figment (Disney)|Figment]] that explores [[Sensory nervous system|the senses]].  CommuniCore Hall and Plaza is a multi-use pavilion used for exhibitions, gallery space, a mixology bar, a [[demonstration kitchen]], and music performances, as well as meet-and-greets with Disney characters.<ref name="Haring 2019">{{Cite news |last=Haring |first=Bruce |date=August 25, 2019 |title=New Disney Theme Park Attractions, Restaurants And Parade Outlined At D23 |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/disney-theme-park-attractioins-previewed-at-d23-1202703922/ |access-date=September 6, 2019 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> The Odyssey Pavilion is an exhibition space during the park's annual festivals.

World Celebration is also home to Creations Shop, the park's main [[gift shop]]; Connections Eatery & Cafe, a quick-service restaurant and [[Starbucks]] themed to [[Food history|global food history]]; and [[Club Cool]], a [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]]-themed attraction and shop featuring complimentary samples of Coca-Cola [[soft drink]]s from around the world.

=== World Discovery ===
{{Gallery
| align = center
| mode = packed
| File:Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT.jpg
| [[Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind]]<br />(formerly [[Universe of Energy]])
| File:Mission Space Epcot.jpg
| [[Mission: Space|Mission: SPACE]]<br />(former site of [[Horizons (Epcot)|Horizons]])
| File:Test Track, EPCOT (2024).jpg
| [[Test Track]] <br/>(formerly [[World of Motion]])
}}

'''World Discovery''' centers on space, science, technology and intergalactic exploration. Lying on the east side of World Celebration, the Discovery neighborhood currently features three major pavilions in clockwise layout.<ref name="Besand 2023" />

[[Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind]], an enclosed spinning [[roller coaster]] based on the [[Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team)|superhero team of the same name]]. The building originally opened as [[Universe of Energy]].

[[Mission: Space|Mission: SPACE]] is a [[Centrifuge|centrifugal]] [[motion simulator]] thrill ride that replicates a [[Spaceflight|space flight]] experience to [[Mars]] and a [[Geocentric orbit|low orbit]] tour over the surface of Earth. Next to it is [[Space 220 Restaurant|Space 220]], a [[Theme restaurant|themed restaurant]] simulating dining aboard a space station located 220 miles above Earth.<ref name="Epcot-D23-20192" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Space-Themed Restaurant Lands in Future World at Epcot |url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/05/space-themed-restaurant-lands-in-future-world-at-epcot/ |access-date=February 24, 2019 |website=Disney Parks Blog |language=en-US |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515223842/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/05/space-themed-restaurant-lands-in-future-world-at-epcot/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The building is located on the original plot site of [[Horizons (Epcot)|Horizons]].

[[Test Track]] is a high-speed [[slot car ride]] inspired by the [[Automotive engineering|automobile testing]] procedures that [[Chevrolet]] uses to evaluate concept cars. The Motion Pavilion was one of the original pavilions of EPCOT and has always housed an attraction sponsored by [[General Motors]].

In between Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Mission: SPACE is one standing but [[Play! Pavilion|unused pavilion]] that once housed [[Wonders of Life]].

=== World Nature ===
{{Gallery
| align = center
| mode = packed
| File:The Seas at EPCOT 2024.jpg
| [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends]]<br />(former The Living Seas)
| File:Journey of Water, EPCOT (2014).jpg
| [[Journey of Water|Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana]]
| File:The Land entrance.jpg
| [[The Land (Epcot)|The Land]]
}}

'''World Nature''' focuses on understanding and preserving the beauty, awe and balance of the natural world.<ref name="Epcot-D23-20192" /> Located on the west side of World Celebration, the Nature neighborhood features three major pavilions in counterclockwise layout—inspired by [[Human impact on the environment|human interaction with the Earth]], specifically themes of [[ocean exploration]], [[hydrology]], [[agriculture]], [[horticulture]], [[ecology]], [[ecotourism]], and travel.<ref name="Besand 2023" />

Based on ocean exploration and inspired by the ''[[Finding Nemo (franchise)|Finding Nemo]]'' series, [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends|The Seas]] pavilion features the [[List of largest aquaria#In operation|sixth-largest aquarium in the world]] with marine life exhibits; an [[Omnimover]] attraction inspired by ''[[Finding Nemo]];'' and [[Turtle Talk with Crush]], an interactive show hosted by [[Crusher|Crush]] from ''Finding Nemo''. Connected to the building is the [[Coral Reef Restaurant]], a themed seafood restaurant that provides views into the aquarium. Nearby is [[Journey of Water]], an outdoor [[Splash pad|walkthrough water attraction]] depicting the Earth's [[water cycle]], inspired by ''[[Moana (2016 film)|Moana]]''.<ref name="Haring 2019" /> Finally, [[The Land (Epcot)|the Land]] pavilion features three attractions; [[Soarin'|Soarin' Around the World]], an attraction that simulates a [[hang gliding]] flight over various regions of the world; [[Living with the Land]], a narrated boat tour through [[Audio-Animatronics]] scenes, a greenhouse and [[hydroponics]] lab; and ''[[The Land (Epcot)|Awesome Planet]]'', a short documentary film presented in the pavilion's Harvest Theater about the Earth's biomes and the perils of [[Global warming|climate change]].

=== World Showcase ===
{{Gallery
| align = center
| mode = packed
| File:Canada Pavilion (43268891311).jpg
| [[Canada Pavilion at Epcot|Canada]]
| United Kingdom street at Epcot (cropped).jpg
| [[United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot|United Kingdom]]
| File:France Pavilion (41459076110).jpg
| [[France Pavilion at Epcot|France]]
| File:Morocco Pavilion (cropped).jpg
| [[Morocco Pavilion at Epcot|Morocco]]
| File:Japanese pagoda at Epcot.jpg
| [[Japan Pavilion at Epcot|Japan]]
| File:The American Adventure (23860705608).jpg
| [[The American Adventure (Epcot)|The American Adventure]]
| File:Italy, Epcot en janvier 2022 (2).JPG
| [[Italy Pavilion at Epcot|Italy]]
| File:Epcot-Deutschland (cropped).jpg
| [[Germany Pavilion at Epcot|Germany]]
| File:China pavilion at Epcot.jpg
| [[China Pavilion at Epcot|China]]
| File:Norway, Epcot en janvier 2022JPG.jpeg
| [[Norway Pavilion at Epcot|Norway]]
| File:Mexico at EPCOT (cropped).jpg
| [[Mexico Pavilion at Epcot|Mexico]]
}}

[[File:Epcot World Showcase Logo.svg | frameless | right ]]
'''World Showcase''' is the park's largest neighborhood, dedicated to representing the culture, history, cuisine, architecture, and traditions of 11 nations from across four continents—[[North America]], [[Europe]], [[Asia]], and [[Africa]]. Each nation pavilion features attractions, shops, restaurants, and landscaping that celebrate or portray authentic settings from each country—several pavilions also contain recreations inspired by existing buildings and landmarks, such as the [[Eiffel Tower]], [[Itsukushima Shrine]], [[Hampton Court Palace]], [[Château Laurier]], [[Gol Stave Church]], [[St Mark's Campanile]], and the [[Kutubiyya Mosque]]. Of the 11 pavilions, only [[Morocco Pavilion at Epcot|Morocco]] and [[Norway Pavilion at Epcot|Norway]] were not present at the park's opening, as they were added in 1984 and 1988 respectively.<ref name="World Showcase theoretical expansion" /> 

The nation pavilions surround the World Showcase Lagoon, a man-made lake located in the center of World Showcase with a perimeter of {{convert|1.2|mi|km}}, which is the site of the park's nighttime fireworks display, ''[[Luminous: The Symphony of Us]]''. In counter-clockwise order, the 11 pavilions are:

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
* {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada Pavilion at Epcot|Canada]]
* {{flagicon|UK}} [[United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot|United Kingdom]]
* {{flagicon|France}} [[France Pavilion at Epcot|France]]
* {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Morocco Pavilion at Epcot|Morocco]]
* {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan Pavilion at Epcot|Japan]]
* {{flagicon|US}} [[The American Adventure (Epcot)|United States]]
* {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Italy Pavilion at Epcot|Italy]]
* {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany Pavilion at Epcot|Germany]]
* {{flagicon|China}} [[China Pavilion at Epcot|China]]
* {{flagicon|Norway}} [[Norway Pavilion at Epcot|Norway]]
* {{flagicon|Mexico|1934}} [[Mexico Pavilion at Epcot|Mexico]]
{{div col end}}

[[The American Adventure (Epcot)|The American Adventure]] is the host pavilion of World Showcase, sharing its name with its marquee attraction: Liberty Theater, as a stage show detailing [[American history]] and hosted by [[Audio-Animatronics]] versions of [[Benjamin Franklin]] and [[Mark Twain]]. The pavilion also includes the American Heritage Gallery, a changing exhibition space. On the shores of the lagoon is the America Gardens Theatre, an outdoor [[amphitheater]] that hosts the park's festival concerts.

The France Pavilion hosts ''[[Impressions de France]]'' in Palais du Cinéma, an 18-minute [[Cinerama]]-style film depicting the culture of France, and along with ''Beauty and the Beast: Sing-Along''. Tucked behind the lagoon-facing portion of the pavilion is [[Remy's Ratatouille Adventure]], a 3D dark ride inspired by [[Pixar]]’s ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]''.

The Canada and China Pavilions each host [[Circle-Vision 360°]] [[film]]s—''[[Canada Far and Wide]]'' and ''[[Reflections of China]]''—that depict the diverse cultures and countrysides of their respective countries. Two dark boat rides reside within the Norway and Mexico Pavilions—[[Frozen Ever After]] and [[Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros]], respectively—inspired by ''[[Frozen (franchise)|Frozen]]'' and ''[[The Three Caballeros]]''.

A secondary park gate is located between the France and United Kingdom pavilions of World Showcase and is known as the International Gateway. The International Gateway is directly accessible to guests arriving from the [[Disney Skyliner]] and from [[Disney Transport#Watercraft|watercraft transport]], and by walkways from the nearby [[Epcot Area Resorts|EPCOT Area Resorts]] and [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]].<ref name="Disney History">{{cite web |title=Disney History – D23 |url=https://d23.com/disney-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003643/https://d23.com/disney-history/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=December 21, 2015 |publisher=The Walt Disney Corporation}}</ref>

Each pavilion contains themed architecture, landscapes, streetscapes, attractions, shops and restaurants representing the respective country's culture and cuisine. In an effort to maintain the authenticity of the represented countries, the pavilions are primarily staffed by citizens of the respective countries as part of Disney's [[Disney Cultural Representative Program|Cultural Representative Program]] through [[Q1 visa]] agreements. Some pavilions also contain themed [[List of Epcot attractions#World Showcase|rides, shows, and live entertainment]] representative of the respective country. The Morocco pavilion was directly sponsored by the Moroccan government until 2020, when Disney took ownership of the pavilion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 21, 2020 |title=BREAKING: Disney Officially Taking Ownership of All Morocco Pavilion Businesses at EPCOT – WDW News Today |url=https://wdwnt.com/2020/10/breaking-disney-officially-taking-ownership-of-all-morocco-pavilion-businesses-at-epcot/ |access-date=December 12, 2022 |website=wdwnt.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The remaining pavilions are primarily sponsored by private companies with affiliations to the represented countries.

Originally, the showcase was to include partnerships with the governments of the different countries. According to Disney's 1975 Annual Report, the Showcase would:

{{blockquote|...offer participating countries a permanent installation for such features as themed restaurants and shops, product exhibits, industrial displays, cultural presentations, a trade center, and even special facilities for business meetings.

Major sponsorships for each participating nation will be asked to provide the capital to cover the cost of designing, developing and constructing its attraction and/or ride and all exhibits, as well as the Pavilion itself. It will also have the responsibility for funding the housing for its employees in the International Village. Its land lease will cover the cost of maintaining the attraction for a minimum of ten years.

The Disney organization will be responsible for area development, including the construction of transportation systems and utilities. We will also build and operate the internal people moving system, the Courtyard of Nations and central theater facility.<ref name="World Showcase theoretical expansion" />}}

==== Proposed pavilions and unused locations ====
There are currently seven undeveloped spots for countries around the World Showcase in between the locations of the current countries. Two sites are located on either side of the United Kingdom, one between France and Morocco, one between Morocco and Japan, one between Italy and Germany, and two between Germany and China.<ref name="World Showcase theoretical expansion">{{cite web|last1=Weiss|first1=Werner|title=Two Myths about World Showcase at Epcot|url=http://www.yesterland.com/worldshowcase.html |website=Yesterland.com|publisher=Yesterland|access-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref>

In 1982, Disney announced three pavilions were "coming soon": [[Israel]], [[Spain]] and [[Equatorial Africa]], blending elements of the cultures of countries such as [[Kenya]] and [[Zaire]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alarcon |first=Daniel  |date=January 20, 1982 |title=Disney to offer liquor at new EPCOT center |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/333800571/ |work=[[Tampa Times]] |pages=11}}</ref> A model of the Equatorial Africa pavilions was also shown on the opening day telecast. However, the pavilions were never built. Instead, a small African themed refreshment shop known as the "Outpost" currently resides in the area between China and Germany, where the Equatorial Africa pavilion was to be located.<ref name="World Showcase theoretical expansion" /><ref>{{cite web |author=Kristin |title=The Outpost in Epcot |url=https://www.couponingtodisney.com/outpost-epcot/ |website=couponingtodisney.com |date=June 13, 2014 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref>

More than 50 nations, among them, [[Brazil]], [[Chile]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Israel]], [[New Zealand]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Sweden]] and five African countries ([[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Kenya]], [[Namibia]], and [[South Africa]]), took part in the [[Millennium Village]], a project that took place in EPCOT during [[Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration|Millennium Celebration]] from 1999 to 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/millennium-village.htm |title=Millennium Village |access-date=March 2, 2020 |work=WDWmagic.com}}</ref> The Millennium Village was located inside a temporary structure built behind the United Kingdom pavilions that remains in use as [[Millennium Village|World ShowPlace]].

==== Alcohol policy ====
Unlike Magic Kingdom, which up until 2012 did not serve alcohol,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Genevieve Shaw|title=Magic Kingdom Now Offers Beer|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/beer-wine-now-disneys-magic-kingdom/story?id=17236828|work=ABC News|access-date=January 21, 2017|date=September 14, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621233520/https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/beer-wine-now-disneys-magic-kingdom/story?id=17236828|archive-date=June 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Nall|first1=McGee|title=Disney's Magic Kingdom Adds Alcohol to Menus|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/12/disneys-magic-kingdom-adds-alcohol-to-menus.html|access-date=January 21, 2017|work=pastemagazine.com|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002321/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/12/disneys-magic-kingdom-adds-alcohol-to-menus.html|archive-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> most stores and restaurants at EPCOT, especially in the World Showcase, serve and sell a variety of alcoholic beverages including specialty drinks, craft beers, wines, and spirits reflective of the respective countries. The park also hosts the [[Epcot International Food & Wine Festival|EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival]], an annual event featuring food and drink samplings from all over the world, along with live entertainment and special exhibits.