Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-80891.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Epcot's 30th Anniversary Events Announced</b></a> <p>Disney has announced a schedule of events for Epcot's 30th anniversary on October 1st:</p> <p> <p>Throughout the day on October 1, guests can attend Epcot history presentations in World Showplace courtesy of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. These presentations are included in park admission and are limited in seating.</p> <ul> <li>1-2 p.m. – Designing the Future – Past and Present: A panel of Disney Imagineers remembers 30 years of building tomorrow!</li> <li>4:30–6 p.m. – Epcot: How it Changed the World with Marty Sklar</li> <li>6:30–8 p.m. – Epcot: How it Changed the World with Marty Sklar</li> </ul> <p>Guests can also attend an anniversary moment at the America Gardens Theatre at 3 p.m., which will feature appearances by Disney leaders and include performances by Mariachi Cobre and Voices of Liberty. (Seating for this presentation is also limited.)</p> <p>That evening, the October 1 presentation of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” will feature a special 30th anniversary tag.</p> <p> </p> </p>
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn I was in 5th grade when it opened. I couldn't wait since 4th. What an awesome inspiration to this day.
Originally Posted By Blueusion I went to WDW in 1982 and got to see the building of Epcot Center at the preview center at the front of the monorail station. I still have my free ticket they gave me for Florida residents. I went back in 1985 and it was the best experiance of seeing what was possiable. What happen to that spirit ?
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn Credit Disney for the invention of the underwater iPhone <a href="http://progresscityusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/delaney_seas.jpg" target="_blank">http://progresscityusa.com/wp-...seas.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn Look kids... This is what we saw at the Walt Disney Story Theater on Main Street a year and a half before EPCOT Center opened... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amh4wmi7OCA&feature=relmfu" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...e=relmfu</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZhPt7ievyc&feature=relmfu" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...e=relmfu</a> We were THRILLED a whole new theme park was coming. We (who lived through that era) still feel that magic.
Originally Posted By tonyanton I remember that from my first (well second, but I was only 11 months old on my first trip!) to WDW in summer '81. I remember my parents having to explain to me that WDW was actually very big and there was plenty of space to build EPCOT.
Originally Posted By standor Too bad that they got away from this concept. Now everything is a thrill experience.
Originally Posted By CMDad <Too bad that they got away from this concept. Now everything is a thrill experience.> While I agree that the feel of WDW in general and EPCOT specifically has changed in the days since 1982, and I prefer the old-school ways, you have to understand a few things. First of all, as much as we want to not think about it, TDC is a public company with a legal and moral obligation to maximize profits. It's not Walt's private playground as DL was before his death. Society's attitudes have gone through many changes since 1982. There was a while that thrill rides were the end all and be all of the theme park experience to many. Happily, that seems to have leveled off quite a bit today. Although even when we first visited EPCOT shortly after it opened, and it quickly became my and my kids (and they WERE kids back then) favorite park, many did not "get" EPCOT. They were in WDW and while FutureWorld fairly reeked "Disney" by way of story telling and imaginative attractions, Mickey and the gang were nowhere to be seen. It was indeed, as many said, a World's Fair, and world's fairs were still happening in the world of 1982. In fact, there was one currently in Knoxville, TN. Yes, I miss Horizons, and enjoyed World of Motion more than Test Track, but while the lines were crazy long when EPCOT first opened for FutureWorld attractions, it wasn't very long until almost everything was virtually a walk-on. Not being an apologist for the situation - I would much prefer it to be the way it was, but things are what they are and unless a very wealthy individual buys TDC and feels about history and tradition as we do, don't expect things to change in the future. <getting off of my soap box now>
Originally Posted By standor WDW used to be a place where the whole family could enjoy it together. It's not that way anymore.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>...and world's fairs were still happening in the world of 1982.<< They still do happen, they just call them World Expos. I think that Knoxville was the last one held in the US, and with the relative ease of travel to foreign countries these days, most Americans would prefer to visit the actual sites represented in a World's Fair, rather than traveling internationally to go to the fair itself. In 2010, the biggest one ever was held in Shanghai, and had over 73 million guests in attendence during it's 6 month run (several individual days had over 1 million guests). There was also one earlier this year in Yeosu, Korea (though it seems 'only' 8 million people attended), and another planned for 2015 in Milan.
Originally Posted By CMDad World's Fairs had to be sanctioned by the internation World's Fair organization. While World Expos might be the same things, they technically are not World's Fairs. Nit picking, I know.
Originally Posted By CMDad <WDW used to be a place where the whole family could enjoy it together. It's not that way anymore.> I am sorry, but I disagree strongly. While things have changed, they still are extremely family oriented and families can all enjoy the parks together.
