Epcot

Short for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Epcot presently is a theme park opened in 1981 within Walt Disney World. However, the original vision of Epcot by Walt Disney was that of an actual model community which would be a laboratory for city planning and functioning. The idea of Epcot helped prompt the state of Florida to create the Reedy Creek Improvement Distict which allowed the Walt Disney Company to exercise quasi-governmental powers over Walt Disney World.

Much of the motivation of Epcot in creating an idea city has was implemented in the city of Celebration, Florida. However, Celebration and the original idea for Epcot differ in that the vision of Epcot was based in 1950s futurism with skyscrapers and prefabricated houses while Celebration is rooted in 1990s suburbanism.

Park Layout

The park is broken into two distinct sections, Future World and World Showcase.

• Future World consists of a variety of pavilions that explore different aspects and applications of technology.
  • Spaceship Earth, which almost resembles a large gray golf ball, is a ride focusing on human communication, starting with prehistoric man, continuing on to the Renaissance, and finishing with predictions for the future.
  • Universe of Energy is a combination ride and show starring Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Nye, and Alex Trebek (of Jeopardy fame); the topic is, of course, energy: how humans use it, and also how we misuse it.
  • Wonders of Life is a pavilion that houses a number of seperate mini-attractions: Body Wars is a motion simulator ride "through the human body", and there are a variety of other movies and shows, all focusing on the human body and how to keep it in good health.
  • Test Track is a ride in which guests sit in six-seater cars and experience the wide range of testing that automobiles must go through before they are released onto the market: e.g., their car passes through extreme temperatures and over rough surfaces.
  • The Living Seas is one of the largest (the largest?) indoor aquariums in the world. Guests can view many different animals, including manatees, as well as learn about the preservation of the Earth's oceans.
  • The Land is a pavilion focusing on the Earth and how we interact with our natural environment. It contains many different attractions, including a boat ride through a working greenhouse and a couple of shows.
  • Journey Into Your Imagination is a light-hearted ride starring Eric Idle and the Epcot mascot, Figment. Guests travel through a series of sensory-enhancing environments in an effort to "be more imaginative."