It was at the D23 Expo in August 2019 that a major overhaul of Epcot was first revealed. It would include no less than four brand-new attractions, an overhaul of Spaceship Earth, and a complete reinvention of the front half of the park. While quite a few things have happened since then, and not everything that was promised was ever built, today we learned that the massive Epcot project will finally end this summer. Namely because the final piece that had not been completed, Communicore Hall and Communicore Plaza are set to open June 10.
Over the past three years, most of what's new at Disney World has been at Epcot as we’ve seen the massive project slowly produce its results one piece at a time. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opened in August 2021, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind became real in May 2022. Journey of Water Inspired by Moana and Dreamer’s Point arrived late last year. Each step forward was welcome but each step also made the fact that the job still wasn’t done that much more apparent. People are tired of seeing construction walls at Epcot.
Most if not all these new additions were planned to be done by 2021, in time for Disney World’s 50th anniversary. Of course, that didn’t happen. It can’t be ignored that a little thing called a global pandemic caused Disney World to shut down for months, and caused construction on Epcot to shut down even longer. In fact, two of the attractions we were expecting a part of the massive Epcot project, a Mary Poppins attraction in the U.K. pavilion, and a total reimagining of the attraction inside Spaceship Earth, were canceled entirely.
Even the area that will mark the culmination of the Epcot project isn’t what it was originally supposed to be. Communicore Plaza and Communicore Hall replaced a multi-story pavilion space that was supposed to be a great place to watch the nighttime spectaculars and make for a perfect home for the park’s regular festivals. The new location will still be Epcot’s festival home, but it’s very different from what was originally announced. This was the concept art of the original area.
As an unapologetic Epcot fan, I can’t wait to visit my favorite Disney World park, for food if nothing else, on June 10 or after and simply enjoy everything that the (for now) finished park has to offer. It will be wonderful to simply walk the park without parts of it unavailable due to construction.
And hopefully, the job being done here means Disney World will now focus its redevelopment energy elsewhere. Two very significant projects have been announced, but no work has started yet. Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is on the list of what's set to close at Disney World as it is getting ready to be transformed into a Tropical Americas-themed land, which has teased Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions. There’s also the even more mysterious “Beyond Thunder Mountain” project, a new land at Magic Kingdom that we’ve been assured is happening, but just what it will be remains to be seen.
