Magic Behind the Music: Epcot – Main Entrance – Area Loop (1982)
Sometimes it’s fun to take a look back at the way things used to be. As I look back over the history of Walt Disney World, perhaps the theme park that has undergone the most change over the years is Epcot. So, let’s tune into the D-COT Jukebox and listen to our title track, the Main Entrance Area Loop from 1982 and take a brief look at the way things used to be. For some, this will be a trip down memory lane. For others, a history lesson. This track was added to the D-COT Jukebox on March 12, 2009 (the early years of D-COT) allowing us to go back to opening day of this beloved theme park. Since then, it has been played 81,117 times, with 5 times for the week. 590 members have it in their Favorites, and Supporters have added it to 76 Custom Playlists. It gets a 4.5/5 average rating across 177 votes.
Epcot Center (as it was then called), opened on October 1, 1982, a theme park based loosely on the original concept for a city which Walt Disney had dreamed of called the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (E.P.C.O.T.). The Imagineers had abandoned the idea of running a city to make a kind-of permanent, but ever-changing combination World’s Fair and theme park. The park celebrated its opening with much fanfare, being presented by actor/singer, Danny Kaye who himself conducted an orchestra and choir for the dedication. The water of 25 of the world’s rivers, representing 29 nations was poured into the Fountain of Nations near the center of the park and so those waters would be forever mixed in unity. Some of that water remains in reserve despite the fountain’s closure a few years ago. The pavilions of Future World at that time included, Spaceship Earth, Communicore (later Innoventions), Imagination, the Land, Universe of Energy (now Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind), and the World of Motion (now Test Track). World Showcase pavilions included Canada, France, Japan, Mexico, China, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, and USA. The Seas, Horizons, Wonders of Life, Norway, and Morocco pavilions were not yet completed.
The neat thing about Epcot Center was that it existed to show us what all humankind has achieved over the years, what we were achieving now, and how much more we could accomplish in the future. As the merging of entertainment and education has become less popular for theme park attractions, Epcot has undergone so many changes between then and now, but some of its roots still remain. There literally are roots in the Land pavilion for instance, aquaculture is still on display in the Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion, and human communication is still on display in Spaceship Earth. There are still things to be learned at Epcot about space travel, automotive technology, and of course various international cultures, and even a little something about ourselves. Indeed, the name D-COT didn’t just come out of nowhere! See you around the Disney Community of Tomorrow!
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cth0511
steve
Another great article! This is one of my favorite EPCOT tracks!
Ferg
Fun article!
Eagle90
Great read, thanks!
warrsm
that was great!!!! the last paragraph is oh so true! C’ya around!!
jman410_89
Very nice article, makin memories.
RocketEAR99
Thank you, Pals!
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