Epcot
Theme park at Walt Disney World / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences division. The park opened on October 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center, the second of four theme parks built at the resort. Often referred to as a "permanent world's fair", Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, particularly technological innovation and international culture.
Location | Walt Disney World, Bay Lake, Florida, United States |
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Coordinates | 28°22′16″N 81°33′00″W |
Status | Operating |
Opened | October 1, 1982 (41 years ago) (1982-10-01) |
Owner | Disney Experiences (The Walt Disney Company) |
Operated by | Walt Disney World Key people: Kartika Rodriguez (VP)[1] Javier Rossy (GM, Operations)[2] |
Theme |
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Slogan | The magic of possibility |
Operating season | Year-round |
Website | disneyworld |
During early development of the Florida property, Walt Disney wanted to build an experimental planned community showcasing modern innovation, known as "EPCOT", an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. After Disney's death in 1966, the company felt his grand vision was impractical. However, it laid the groundwork for EPCOT Center, a theme park that retained the core spirit of Disney's vision. The park was divided into two distinct areas, Future World reprises the idea of showcasing modern innovation through educational entertainment attractions inside avant-garde pavilions, while World Showcase highlights the cultures of various nations. From the late 2010s to the early 2020s, the park underwent a major overhaul, adding new attractions and Future World was restructured into three areas: World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature.
The park spans 305 acres (123 hectares), more than twice the size of Magic Kingdom. Attracting over 12 million guests in 2019,[3] Epcot remains a popular destination, with Spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere, serving as its iconic landmark.