EPCOT Center Media

seacastlexstech: The cosmos….a universe of good and evil, where...

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:14:57 -0400

The cosmos….a universe of good and evil, where a small group struggles to bring freedom to the countless worlds of despair. A ragtag band led by the infamous CAPTAIN EO.

imwithkanye: Make ‘Em Scream. Mike and Sully took over...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:52:15 -0400

imwithkanye:

Make ‘Em Scream. Mike and Sully took over Epcot.

I mean, seriously. If this is what our grand Spaceship Earth is used for now, imma take a stroll on over to Mission: Space and just go live on Mars.

(See previous post for context)

First 3 Park All-Nighter Kicks Off Monstrous Summer at Walt...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:14:38 -0400

First 3 Park All-Nighter Kicks Off Monstrous Summer at Walt Disney World, Disneyland (by DisneyParks)

I don’t like this because:

The parks are becoming franchise dumps for promos.
It is terrifying.

(no, actually, it’s really cool but you get my unease, right?)

‘Corpses’ of the characters from Food Rocks at EPCOT. Avert...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:15:23 -0400

‘Corpses’ of the characters from Food Rocks at EPCOT.

Avert your eyes!

Photo

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:44:07 -0500

My day was just made. Ladies and gentleman of Tumblr, may I...

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:23:00 -0500

My day was just made. Ladies and gentleman of Tumblr, may I present “Captain Eeyore,” a cast member remake of Captain Eo.

epcotexplorer: Happy 25th Anniversary, IllumiNations! On this...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:30:47 -0500

epcotexplorer:

Happy 25th Anniversary, IllumiNations!

On this night in 1988, the first iteration of IllumiNations premiered on EPCOT Center’s World Showcase Lagoon.

While not the first show to grace the skies above EPCOT, this presentation was the first to use synchronized spot lights on the pavilions, a classical score, and a central laser barge. IllumiNations 88 was the first “all inclusive” show, as the pavilion’s pin lighting was featured heavily, and were used to surround guests on the promenade in light and imagery. Featured heavily during the show, the pavilions would each be featured, individually, set to the refrains of classical music from their country of origin. This major sequence of the show was called the “pavilion chase” and is one of the more fondly remembered aspects of the first IllumiNations. Massive spotlights were used to sweep across the promenade directing guest’s attention to the pavilion currently being featured. Each pavilion, at this point, had its own unique special effect to show off to guests. France had a massive neon sign, Germany had projection mapped (Much like today’s Magic Kingdom “Celebrate The Magic” show) banners and murals magically appear, and the American Adventure was transformed from Federal architecture to our Neoclassical US Capitol. This culminated in a dazzling pyrotechnic display.

Previous to this, fireworks in EPCOT Center were not such a grand event. The inaugural show, Carnival De Lumiere and it’s successor, A New World Fantasy, were executed on a much smaller scale. These preformances only took place facing World Showcase Plaza, the entrance from Future World. They did, however, boast the first iterations of mist screens, used for projecting seamless videos on sheets of falling water. In 1984, Laserphonic Fantasy debuted, adding the spectacle of beams of laser light to EPCOT’s grand finale.

IllumiNations’ debut in 1988 brought forth the technology and show infrastructure that we still enjoy today on the pavilions and structures of World Showcase. In 1996, however, this hardware was put to a new use and a new show. Walt Disney World celebrated 25 years, and ushered in IllumiNations 25. This new show dropped the afore mentioned pavilion chase” and focused on celebrating Disney’s momentous anniversary. In 1998, when the celebration wrapped up, classical music and ceremony returned to the shores of World Showcase lagoon with IllumiNations 98 and a return to a traditional show.

1999 saw the most radical changes to IllumiNations. Rebranded as “IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth”, the new show was given an wholly unique score and abstract narrative meant to evoke the passage of time, Earth’s history, and the humanistic triumph as recorded history entered the third millennium. In addition to sweeping thematic changes, the show underwent a physical transformation as well. A new “Inferno Barge” was built for the undertaking, designed to spew and spit flames 50 feet high, so as to illustrate the chaotic Big Bang at the beginning of time in the show’s new narrative. An “Earth Barge” was also built to be the centerpiece of the show, and is the first spherical video display to utilize LEDs in High Definition. At the finale of Reflections of Earth, the “Earth” unfurls in the shape of a lotus blossom, adrift on the water, and ignites a torch symbolizing the dawn of the 21st century.

Now a nightly tradition, IllumiNations still concludes each day at EPCOT. Although different from the pageant that debuted in 1988, IllumiNations continues to draw upon the pathos of EPCOT and World Showcase, exciting guest with a celebratory and unifying capstone to their international and cultural experience.

epcotexplorer: Geodesic Chromatic (at Epcot)

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:27:54 -0500

epcotexplorer:

Geodesic Chromatic (at Epcot)

This just made me sad, but a creative post! (via Vintage Walt...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:19:08 -0500

This just made me sad, but a creative post!

(via Vintage Walt Disney World: New Year’s Resolutions | Disney Parks Blog)

“Promised to exercise more? If only you could still hop on one of these Wondercycles. These video-enhanced exercise bikes allowed guests to enjoy a light workout when visiting the Wonders of Life Pavilion. (Apparently, walking around Epcot isn’t workout enough on vacation.)”

Merry Christmas straight from Epcot!

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:31:09 -0500

Merry Christmas straight from Epcot!

News! “Tapaz” Waterfront Restaurant May Be On The Horizon at...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:20:29 -0500

News! “Tapaz” Waterfront Restaurant May Be On The Horizon at Epcot’s Morocco in Walt Disney World
AJ, disneyfoodblog.com

We’ve got exclusive details from the operator of Disney World’s Morocco pavilion restaurants about a fantastic new development that has been green-lighted for Epcot’s World Showcase in 2013!We all know about that lovely waterfront event space next…

A new waterfront restaurant would be a nice compliment to Mexico’s across the lake, but would be another loss for firework viewings. Interesting idea to revitalize the pavilion though.

This is the first time I’ve read about this. Amazing...

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:19:06 -0500

This is the first time I’ve read about this. Amazing find!

epcotexplorer:

Son et Lumière: A Rare Look at EPCOT Center’s First Night Spectacular

These rare 1982 press shots gives us a rare insight to one of EPCOT Center’s shortest lived and obscurest shows: Carnival de Lumière.

The precursor to the now famous line of IllumiNations shows, Carnival was rather basic, in the fact that it only preformed on the entrance part of World Showcase Promenade. Instead of the quadrant of barges that form a loop in the center of World Showcase Lagoon, as in IllumiNations, Carnival had a fan of three barges that stretched from Mexico to Canada, much in the same way Disneyland’s World of Color is preformed today. The barges were solely for the purposes of projecting imagery onto large screens of misted water, a precursor to Laserphonic Fantasy employing actual lasers to paint bright shapes and images on larger curtains of water. Above, note the fountains positioned higher up, and being shot “down” into the lagoon, so as to be screens for the projections.

Pyrotechnics, meanwhile, were launched from smaller barges in between the fountain barges, and provided for a seamless line of spectacle across the northern shores of World Showcase Lagoon. The pyro effects weren’t as large as today’s presentations, but an assortment of comets, bursts, and streamers were used to accent the musical score.

Although there are no known recordings of the score, we can surmise that it was much like Laserphonic Fantasy’s: the original IllumiNations score, but under the guise of a heavy synthesizer.

However, despite all these negative qualifiers, this was the first! The first EPCOT Center night show that used the classical music of the nations of World Showcase, and the technical wizardry of Future World. A perfect synthesis for the grand and inspiring showcase that EPCOT Center is.

Lovely holiday card via DesignerLand: From me to you

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:26:02 -0500

Lovely holiday card via DesignerLand: From me to you

pureimagineering: My iPhone’s wallpaper. I can live with it.

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:05:37 -0500

pureimagineering:

My iPhone’s wallpaper.

I can live with it.

disneyhips: Best thing ever.

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 09:04:52 -0500

disneyhips:

Best thing ever.

The coolest Disney Tumblr post you’ll see all...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:29:45 -0500

The coolest Disney Tumblr post you’ll see all day…well, maybe except for those cool #BelieveinFantasy ones, but I swear this is wonderful:

keithlapinig:

Ever wanted to make your own “I’m Celebrating” button? I made a tutorial! Watch it, and share it! :D

disneyparksphotoproject: Whole New World photographer: Ben Van...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 09:14:15 -0500

disneyparksphotoproject:

Whole New World

photographer: Ben Van Hook

location: Epcot Morocco Pavilion

I would love to see more EPCOT on Disney Parks’ new photo project, “The Looking Glass.” Wouldn’t you?

fuckyeahepcot: Have you ever carved an Epcot-themed...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:41:55 -0400

fuckyeahepcot:

Have you ever carved an Epcot-themed pumpkin?

Amazing! I want one for each Retrocot symbol!

televandalist: Let there be music from regions beyond! Happy...

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:23:15 -0400

televandalist:

Let there be music from regions beyond!

Happy Halloween!

epcotexplorer: Dedication Day “To all who come to this place of...

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:19:41 -0400

epcotexplorer:

Dedication Day

“To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship—welcome. EPCOT is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere in the world.”

- E. Cardon Walker, October 25, 1982

“Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney… and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney’s dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place … a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together.”

-Roy Oliver Disney, October 25 1971

Today, October 25th, marks the day when both EPCOT Center and the Magic Kingdom were dedicated, 30, and 41 years ago, respectively.