Happy October 22nd! Today is the anniversary of a big day in Walt Disney World history; let's dive right in!
1982: The Formal Grand Opening of Epcot!
EPCOT Center officially opened to the public on October 1st, 1982, the name an homage to Walt Disney's planned community. The acronym stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (though if you're talking to a cast member who works in Epcot, they may tell you that it stands for every paycheck comes on Thursday!). Walt's original vision for this community was to serve as a test for planned neighborhoods, filled with homes and businesses.
While Walt's exact vision wouldn't come to fruition, the original EPCOT Center did. It consisted of two lands, Future World and World Showcase. Opening day pavilions included Journey into Imagination; the Land Pavilion; Communicore East; Communicore West; Spaceship Earth; Earth Station; World of Motion; and the Universe of Energy. World Showcase opened with 9 countries, with each having their own dedication ceremony: Canada, China, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, Mexico, U.K., and the U.S.A.
The formal grand opening ceremonies for EPCOT Center began on October 22nd, 1982. The official Future World dedication took place on this evening near Spaceship Earth. Cast members dressed in tuxedos served champagne and seven big bands played throughout the evening. The Goodyear blimp floated overhead, flashing "Saluting Walt Disney World, Epcot Center" on its display.
Ceremonies would continue over the next three days.
And this is just a small sample of the events that have occurred on this day in Disney history! With over a 100 years to their name, you can find an important or interesting Disney event on almost every day of the year. My source for this, and every Today in Disney History article can be found here: This Day in Disney History.com
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