EPCOT will officially drop the Future World name from October 1 as the park becomes comprised of four neighborhoods

Sep 27, 2021 in "EPCOT"

Posted: Monday September 27, 2021 1:34pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has announced that the new neighborhoods of EPCOT will officially debut beginning October 1 2021.

Future World will be replaced with World Nature, World Discovery, and World Nature, while World Showcase lives on unchanged.

While we have known about the new names since the EPCOT overhaul was announced in 2019, the exact date of the changeover was unknown until now.

Here is how Disney describes each of the EPCOT neighborhoods.

World Celebration

  • World Celebration offers new experiences that connect guests to one another and the world around them.

  • The EPCOT entrance plaza welcomes guests with open pathways and sweeping green spaces that beautify the entryway. Bridging the past, present and future of EPCOT is a new fountain at the base of Spaceship Earth with three majestic pylons. The entrance plaza also features new lighting and music, as well as flags flanking the fountain featuring six original EPCOT icons.

  • Beginning October 1, 2021, Spaceship Earth transforms at night into a Beacon of Magic with new lights shining across the geodesic sphere’s reflective panels.* These lights connect to one another in a symbol of optimism resembling stars in a nighttime sky.

  • Creations Shop invites guests to explore and celebrate Disney creativity, inspired by Mickey Mouse. The merchandise location features a bold, sleek design for an open, bright, welcoming environment with large glass walls allowing sunlight to pour in. Artistic homages to Mickey are throughout the shop, including large, dynamic murals that tap into the park’s original artistic spirit.

  • Adjacent to Creations Shop is a revitalized Club Cool Hosted by Coca-Cola. Celebrating Coca-Cola in a fresh new way, Club Cool invites guests to explore tasty drinks from around the world, bringing the global experience of Coca-Cola to life through new magic and classic flavor.

  • As guests pass Spaceship Earth, in the future they will discover a breathtaking new view of World Showcase from Dreamers Point. World Celebration will also feature a new statue honoring the legacy of the original dreamer, Walt Disney, plus beautiful natural environments and global design elements filled with Disney magic.

  • Surrounding this enchanted garden will be new merchandise and dining locations, along with a newly reimagined festival area that will be home to ever-changing events in a unique new environment.

World Nature

  • World Nature is dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty, awe and balance of the natural world. It includes The Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilions, as well as the forthcoming Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.

  • The Land pavilion film “Awesome Planet” showcases the beauty, diversity and dynamic story of Earth. The 10-minute show features in-theater effects and an original musical score from Academy Award®-winning composer Steven Price.

  • Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana will be the first Disney Parks experience evoking the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film. This lush exploration trail will invite guests to meet and play with magical, living water. Just like Moana’s friend the ocean, water will have a personality of its own, helping guests learn how to protect the natural water cycle in a fun and engaging way.

World Discovery

  • In World Discovery, stories about science, technology and intergalactic adventure come to life.

  • In an expansion of the Mission: SPACE pavilion, the new Space 220 Restaurant is a culinary experience offering the celestial panorama of a space station, including virtual daytime and nighttime views of Earth from 220 miles above the planet’s surface. Guests board a space elevator for a simulated journey to the Centauri Space Station, where they experience the “height of dining.” Once they arrive, guests enjoy meals and drinks while taking in views that are truly out of this world. Space 220 is operated by the Patina Restaurant Group.

  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at EPCOT. The family-friendly adventure starts in the Galaxarium, a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar. Guests will learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share – until the moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, and guests go on an intergalactic chase through space and time. The attraction will feature a new innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering – a storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus guests on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.

World Showcase

  • World Showcase continues to be a celebration of culture, cuisine, architecture and traditions – infused with new magic.

  • With a grand opening set for October 1, 2021, an expanded France pavilion features the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction, where guests feel as if they shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant. Joining this family-friendly experience October 1 in the France pavilion is a delicious new restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options and a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.

  • Also in the France pavilion, the classic “Impressions de France” film is joined by “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along,” directed by Don Hahn, producer of both the animated and live-action versions of this tale as old as time.

  • “Harmonious” is one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney theme park. Debuting October 1, 2021, over World Showcase Lagoon, the show celebrates the way Disney music inspires people the world over, carrying them away on a stream of familiar songs reinterpreted by a culturally diverse group of 240 artists from around the globe. “Harmonious” features massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more.

  • Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue is a fast-casual restaurant at The American Adventure pavilion, serving classic American backyard barbecue and home-style craft brews. The restaurant takes its name from Sam Eagle; the beloved Muppet hosts a centennial cook-off – a salute to all cook-offs … but mostly barbecue.
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    Chef idea Mickey`=1 hour ago

    If only...there is one coming...

    Chef idea Mickey`=1 hour ago

    Absolutely not, it would be cheesy, innoventions loop is too good for the Communic Flustor! 😝

    Cmdr_Crimson2 hours ago

    A " Future World" If you will..😉

    Jayspency5 hours ago

    My idea is if they really want world discovery to be the more futuristic side of the park compared to celebration and nature they could just play the innoventions loop there ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    mikejs786 hours ago

    100% this. I love the new theme but it is *everywhere*. One of the things that makes Disney for me is the different thematic music and the seamless transitions. Epcot needs more variety in this area.

    Epcot82Guy7 hours ago

    It would be really cool if they had a lounge overlooking EPCOT's spine that played old music on loop and showcased the park's history and ideas... If only...

    ToTBellHop7 hours ago

    They should play the Innoventions loop inside Communicore Hall. Might convince me to go in. I like the new loop but it should not play everywhere.

    Disstevefan19 hours ago

    I do not understand why they change the background music, they have their reasons. How cool would it be for Thursday be "Throwback Thursdays" and they play all the old background music on Thursdays this way they can still have their new background music for reasons and we can have the good old background music on Thursdays. Once word gets around EPCOT may even get a little bump in Thursday attendance :)

    Cmdr_Crimson9 hours ago

    mikejs7812 hours ago

    I just spent a week at Disney... As someone who was excited for the changes to Epcot: I like what they did with East - Connections is, IMO, a *vast* improvement over Electric Umbrella, and Creations is bright and pleasant in a way MouseGear wasn't. The only thing I'd say is these need their own BGM. They had it before the new score debuted, but now that score (which in general I like) is virtually *everywhere*. Give them their own themes. Tearing down West is still a travesty, although I enjoy JoW more than I thought I would - it does fit the park. Communicore Hall is...meh. I don't see why it was needed, it doesn't feel like a festival center. Still, what the have now is better than the pictures that were there on opening... The stage is just weird. The gardens.... Oh the gardens. I wanted to like this. But it just seems so disjointed and thrown together. I was expecting beautifully manicured flowers, much like the rest of Epcot has right now (April to June) for F&G. But it's just random greenery with no color and does not at all seem well planned or taken care of. The greenery as a whole is a step up from the concrete slab that was the post-94 iteration of the spine, but it loses that bump by the lack of kinetics and especially the removal of the FoN, which is almost as much of a travesty as losing Communicore East. Add the shoddy lightning and it's a definite downgrade from the 94 version, and a significant downgrade from the original. Bring back a fountain and throw in some other kinetics (like the spinning fixtures that were there previously), fix the lighting, give the area it's own BGM, and make the planters a showpiece rather than just random greenery and it could be a very nice area. Oh how I miss that BGM... I think I'll go listen to it now. Seriously, bring back that music, have the new score be the park entrance music, give connections, creations, World Discovery and World Nature their own themes... The BGM needs more variety.

    Chef idea Mickey`=1 day ago

    How could I forgot this! xD

    James Alucobond1 day ago

    ☝️ This. They were going to cut down the rear structure behind Spaceship Earth significantly, with the new exit spilling out onto a much larger Dreamers Point. Original site plan: Original revamped Spaceship Earth exit: Original statue placement:

    Agent H1 day ago

    Project tomorrow is the name of the interactive area at the exit of spaceship earth.

    Chef idea Mickey`=1 day ago

    Is the Project Tomorrow building the two story building? I had no idea at the some point the building was considered reducing size...!

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