The Changes Coming to Epcot

At the D23 Expo in August a lot of information was released that has to do with the Disney Parks across the planet. One of the main topics of conversation leading up to the Parks Panel was what would be announced as far as Epcot was concerned. We already knew that some changes were on the way, and rumors were buzzing.

I am not going to spell out each announcement that was made. You can read all about that in the Disney Parks Blog post here. Instead, I’ll just hit a couple of the highlights.

One of the biggest rumors was that a new pavilion was coming to World Showcase. That was not what was announced. Instead, we learned that there will be a change coming to the United Kingdom Pavilion. Cherry Tree Lane is going to be added. What exactly Cherry Tree Lane is going to be is causing some confusion. The word “attraction” is used in the Disney Parks Blog post, but that doesn’t really tell us much. Whatever it is, I’m sure that it’s going to be incredible. We need more Mary Poppins at Walt Disney World.

We also learned that Epcot will be divided into four neighborhoods. In addition to World Showcase you will find World Celebration, World Nature, and World Discovery. World Celebration will house Spaceship Earth. There will also be a new statue of Walt Disney. World Nation will feature Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. World Discovery will be home to the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster. We also learned that the new ride will be called Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

A few other small bits of Epcot news. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will open next summer. In January we will see the debut of Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. Both will be in the France Pavilion. A new film in Canada will also debut in January. We also learned that the fireworks show that is on the way will be called HarmonioUS. That will debut sometime next year. Remember, Epcot Forever is a temporary replacement for IllumiNations. HarmonioUS will be the permanent show.

These are a few of the highlights of the changes that are coming to Epcot. To learn more, read the entire Disney Parks Blog post. When I have more information about Epcot’s transformation, I will let you know.