Disney Officially Renames Iconic Park Area

Future World is no more at EPCOT. Disney Parks has begun the rebranding of EPCOT's Future World, with the front half of the park now split into three distinct neighborhoods. The front half of the park now consists of "World Celebration" (the area containing Spaceship Earth), "World Discovery" (the area with Test Track and Mission: Space), and "World Nature" (the area with Soarin'.) The neighborhoods technically will debut on October 1st as part of Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary, but various EPCOT rides and attractions already have the new neighborhoods listed on their respective webpages on Disney's website.

The new neighborhoods reflect the ongoing evolution of EPCOT since its opening in 1982. EPCOT was originally conceived by Walt Disney as an experimental planned community that showcased modern innovation. While those plans were scrapped after Disney's death, Disney Parks revisited the concept of "modern innovation" when planning its second park at the Walt Disney World resort. The original idea for the "Future World" area of the park was to show off the latest in technology and innovation, but EPCOT struggled to stay relevant as technology quickly outpaced the "futuristic" ideas showed off in various pavilions. In 2016, Disney announced that it would overhaul EPCOT to make the park feel more timeless, which would result in an overhaul of the front half of the park. As part of the new overhaul, EPCOT is getting several new attractions, including a new Guardians of the Galaxy ride and a new ride based on Ratatouille, along with the opening of a new top-tier restaurant. A new nighttime spectacular is also due to open this week at EPCOT.

Disney World's 50th Anniversary formally kicks off on October 1st and all four parks at the resort are gearing up to celebrate with new rides, new shows, and new attractions. In addition to two new nighttime shows at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Other attractions opening during the celebration include the new KiteTails show at Animal Kingdom. Several classic shows closed down during the COVID pandemic are also reopening. All four parks have also received an extensive makeover, with 50th anniversary banners and decorations placed throughout the parks.