These coins were given to Cast Members back in 1982 to celebrate Epcot's opening! I believe we all can agree that the opening of Epcot 30 years ago did indeed mark the beginning of a new Disney era. :)
I WENT. I WENT TO EPCOT TODAY. I GOT TO CELEBRATE IN ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY.
It was so beautiful, I almost cried during one of the presentations they did in the old millennium village conference area. They did a piece on the music of epcot and they played the old horizons music and the old imagination song.
It was so fun looking at all the different EPCOT shirts people were wearing today and almost everyone had an "EPCOTCENTER30" pin on their shirt.
It was pure magic, I tell you. I will be uploading my pictures here soon, but I had so much fun! I definitely spent a lot of money on shirts and pins but it was so worth it. I definitely suggest going on a parks major birthday, everything just seems extra special <3
EPCOT is a strange park... I've never seen a more clumsy fall from a higher place. When EPCOT was in it's heyday, I believe it could be considered a new world wonder. There really isn't anyway to describe the perfect blend of creativity, technology, education, and pure magic. Let me try to explain what EPCOT was like 30 or so years ago... (Can't skip Horizons. I know it wasn't there opening day...)
Spaceship Earth was the worlds largest freestanding geosphere. It was an engineering marvel, and not only was the structure amazing, but so was the ride. Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America, was the narrator of a massive ride that traced the history of human communication. From cave paintings, to futuristic video calls. The animatronics were groundbreaking. The message was inspiring. Even the end of the ride was amazing. The exit had a series of computers called the World Key system. They were touch screen kiosks where guests could make reservations and get information about the park from a cast member via video phone.
The Living Seas was home to the worlds largest aquarium. It contained an awe inspiring pre-show with the always fun Hydrolators, simulated elevators that would take you under the sea to Sea Base Delta. There was even a ride that took you straight through the massive tanks. This pavilion was designed to handle massive crowds, being able to cycle through thousands people a day without breaking a sweat or making "people blobs".
The Land pavilion, like most EPCOT pavilions at the time, contained several attractions. The Land boat ride is probably one of the least changed rides in all of EPCOT. The only real change is the loss of live narrators. The Land also contained a show called Kitchen Kabaret, a show on nutrition with a fully audio animatronic cast.
The Wonders Of Life focused on the wonders of the human body. It contained a simulated ride through the body called Body Wars and a show from the point of view of a young boys brain called Cranium Command. There were also several exhibits displaying the functions of the human body.
The Universe Of Energy was a massive pavilion. The ride inside was nearly 45 minutes long. The pre show was one of a kind and can never be recreated. It was a special series of projections that were projected onto sets of 4 by 4 rotating cubes that alternated between black and white on each side. It was indescribable. Even the sound the motors made on the cubes was memorable. The ride itself was a mixture of film and diorama all in a moving theater that could carry hundreds. The dinosaur section used lighting and visual effects that had never before been seen. The finale of the show was a single tiny screen at the tip of a cone shaped room, reflected onto all the other walls to make intricate patterns and surround you with color.
Journey Into Imagination was probably the most memorable of the rides and pavilions. The characters of The Dreamfinder and Figment the dragon were unforgettable. The ride combined advanced technology with the most creative concepts ever imagined by the Walt Disney Company. It explored every facet of the imagination, from fear to science. If I had to give one example of what "Disney Magic" is, it would be Journey Into Imagination. Every scene of the ride really did capture the imagination. The ride itself was housed in a massive show building, topped with triangular glass pyramids. The pyramids are still there, but they are off limits to guests, and the displays and exhibits inside have been gutted out.
World Of Motion was probably the most humorous of all the EPCOT attractions. It was a comedic look at transportation through the ages, with ridiculous visuals, and a dead serious narration. It was an elegant show building, shaped like a wheel. Fitting for the transportation pavilion.
Horizons. It wasn't there opening day, but that was okay. It was worth the wait. It encompassed everything Future World was about. It was literally about the new horizons waiting for us all in the future. It had a unique suspended omnimover system and told the story of the future. It began with the future as see from the past and moved on from there. It was unique in having multiple endings and you could pick your own. That may not seem like much now, but imagine it in the mid eighties! Being able to alter your ride experience to take you into space, into the desert, or under water with the touch of a screen. Not to mention that there was no digital projection then. This was all done on Film strips. It was truly an attraction that pushed the limits.
World Showcase was pretty much as it is now, minus a few pavilions like Morocco. The American Adventure is virtually unchanged.
Instead of Innoventions, there was Comunicore, a look at the inner brain of EPCOT. It took you under ground to look at the computers that ran all the attractions, with holographic guides to explain everything.
EPCOT was also the first Disney park that wasn't the Magic Kingdom. It sounds weird now, but before EPCOT, there was Disneyland Magic Kingdom, and Disney World Magic Kingdom. Nobody had ever thought of a Disney park that didn't have a castle and an Adventureland.
EPCOT may not have been an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow like Walt had envisioned, but even without his guidance, the Imagineers created the closest thing to an eternal World's Fair we could have hoped for.
Now, we come to the present. All but one of the attractions I have mentioned are no longer here. Several still have similar names, but have gone under radical refurbishment. The Horizons pavilion was bulldozed to make way for Mission Space. World of Motion was gutted for Test Track. Kitchen Kabaret is now Sorin'. Journey Into Imagination is a shadow of it's former self. Universe of Energy now stare Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye and revolves around a game of Jeopardy. Spaceship Earth has changed sponsors, narrators, and themes. Wonders Of Life is closed all year, except during seasonal events, where it is used to host gardening seminars and wine tastings. All the attractions within are gutted.
A lot has changed since 1982. I mean a LOT. But, we can still hope and dream of a future that is as inventive and fun as EPCOT predicted it would be 30 years ago. Maybe someday, we will take Century 3 into outer space. Maybe our dreams really are collected by a man in a balloon and his pet dragon.
But hey... Who really knows?
I had better stop now before I begin to full on weep on my keyboard. Instead of my usual farewell of Have A Magical Day, I think I'll change it up in honor of the day.
