Sheraton Hotels and Resorts is an American international hotel chain owned by Marriott International . As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean, in addition to 84 hotels with 23,092 rooms in the pipeline.
85-665: The Walt Disney World Dolphin is a resort hotel located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida , and across from its sister resort, the Walt Disney World Swan , both of which are operated by Marriott International . It is one of the few resorts inside Walt Disney World that is not owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company . The resort opened on June 4, 1990, partially in response to
170-534: A utopian city of the future by Walt Disney in the 1960s. The concept was an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow , often interchanging "city" and "community." In Walt Disney's words in 1966: "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems. And EPCOT will always be
255-1021: A "Highway Hotel," the Sheraton Inn, located in Binghamton, New York. The early 1960s saw the arrival of the first Sheraton hotels outside the US and Canada, with the opening of the Sheraton-Tel Aviv Hotel in Israel in March 1961 and two Caribbean properties in 1962 - the Sheraton-Kingston Hotel in Jamaica and the British Colonial Hilton Nassau in Nassau, Bahamas . In 1962, Sheraton created
340-846: A chain of six properties in Ontario and Quebec. In April 1951, the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City would host the 1951 NBA draft , which was the second ever draft under the NBA name and fifth overall NBA draft in existence by that time. In 1956, Sheraton paid $ 30 million to buy the Eppley Hotel Company , which was then the largest privately held hotel business in the United States, with 22 properties across six Midwestern states. Sheraton retained ten of
425-1042: A computer system for personalized reservations. That same year, Sheraton opened its first hotel in Asia, the Sheraton-Philippines Hotel in Manila; its first hotel in Europe, the Sheraton-Du Cap Hotel on the island of Corsica in France; and its first hotels in Australia, two Sheraton Motor Hotels in Melbourne and Sydney. In 1968, the multinational conglomerate ITT Corporation purchased the chain and immediately sold eighteen aging Sheraton properties. Under ITT's ownership, Sheraton quickly moved away from ownership and operation of its properties to
510-458: A dark ride starring Figment that explores the senses . CommuniCore Hall and Plaza is a multi-use pavilion used for exhibitions, gallery space, a mixology bar, a demonstration kitchen , and music performances, as well as meet-and-greets with Disney characters. The Odyssey Pavilion is an exhibition space during the park's annual festivals. World Celebration is also home to Creations Shop, the park's main gift shop ; Connections Eatery & Cafe,
595-712: A franchise division, primarily to operate Sheraton Motor Inns, large highway motels providing free parking. In 1963 Sheraton opened its first hotel in South America, the Macuto-Sheraton Hotel, outside Caracas, Venezuela . In 1965 the 100th Sheraton property, the Sheraton-Boston Hotel, opened. In 1966 Sheraton opened its first hotel in an Arab country, the Kuwait-Sheraton Hotel. In 1967 Sheraton unveiled Reservatron II ,
680-529: A lack of convention center space inside Walt Disney World. Both the Swan and Dolphin were designed by Michael Graves and are connected by a covered walkway crossing a lagoon. The hotels were developed as part of a joint venture between Disney, the developer Tishman , insurance company MetLife , and Starwood Hotels and Resorts , which was bought by Marriott in 2016. It is operated by Marriott's Sheraton Hotels and Resorts brand. The Swan and Dolphin are part of
765-444: A model of the futuristic park was pushed together against a model of a World's Fair international theme, and the two were combined. The park was originally named EPCOT Center to reflect the ideals and values of the city. It was constructed for an estimated $ 800 million to $ 1.4 billion and took three years to build, at the time the largest construction project on Earth. The park spans 305 acres (123 hectares), more than twice
850-400: A new green/Earth mission, and the original orange/Mars mission. In November 2016, Disney revealed that EPCOT would be receiving “a major transformation” that would help transition the park into being “more Disney, timeless, relevant, family-friendly”. In July 2017, the formal announcement came that EPCOT would undergo a multi-year redesign and expansion plan that would introduce Guardians of
935-462: A new model of franchising and management, as the chain expanded greatly both in the US and abroad. In late 1969, Sheraton introduced the hotel industry's first nationwide toll-free number , which displaced two hundred local Sheraton reservation numbers. The radio jingle for "Eight-Oh-Oh, Three-Two-Five, Three-Five Three-Five" "ran throughout the decade and into the eighties" but the jingle's lifespan went even beyond. In 1970, Sheraton introduced
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#17327933639441020-507: A perimeter of 1.2 miles (1.9 km), which is the site of the park's nighttime fireworks display, Luminous: The Symphony of Us . In counter-clockwise order, the 11 pavilions are: The American Adventure is the host pavilion of World Showcase, sharing its name with its marquee attraction: a stage show detailing American history and hosted by Audio-Animatronics versions of Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain . The pavilion also includes
1105-578: A permanent installation for such features as themed restaurants and shops, product exhibits, industrial displays, cultural presentations, a trade center, and even special facilities for business meetings. Sheraton Hotels and Resorts The origins of Sheraton Hotels date to 1933, when Harvard classmates Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore purchased the Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1937, Henderson and Moore purchased
1190-562: A quick-service restaurant and Starbucks themed to global food history ; and Club Cool , an Coca-Cola - themed attraction and shop featuring complimentary samples of Coca-Cola soft drinks from around the world. World Discovery centers on space, science, technology and intergalactic exploration. Lying on the east side of World Celebration, the Discovery neighborhood currently features three major pavilions in clockwise layout: Galaxy, Space, and Motion. The Galaxy Pavilion, also known as
1275-430: A settlement, Disney and Tishman would form a joint venture with hotel operator Starwood and investors Aoki and MetLife to build two large hotels with convention facilities. As part of the deal, no damages would be paid, Disney would receive more say over the design of the complex and a share of revenues, while Tishman would be given a 99-year lease on a much more desirable location within walking distance of Epcot and
1360-667: A showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." Walt Disney's original vision, sometimes called Progress City, would have been home to 20,000 residents and would be a living laboratory showcasing cutting-edge technology and urban planning . It was to be built in the shape of a circle with an urban city center in the center with community buildings, schools, and recreational complexes. It would be surrounded by rings of residential areas and industrial areas, all connected by monorail and PeopleMover lines. Automobile traffic would be kept underground, leaving pedestrians safe above ground. This radial plan concept
1445-399: A walkthrough attraction, was also announced. At the same expo, Disney also announced that Pinar Toprak would be composing a new musical anthem for the park. Toprak's "EPCOT Anthem" was eventually used in various nighttime shows, such as Harmonious and Luminous , as well as featured in ambient music within the entrance plaza and throughout World Celebration. On October 1, 2019, it
1530-463: Is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida . It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences division. The park opened on October 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center —the second of four theme parks built at the resort. Often referred to as a "permanent world's fair ", EPCOT is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement , particularly technological innovation and international culture and
1615-454: Is known for its iconic landmark Spaceship Earth , a geodesic sphere . During early development of the Florida property, Walt Disney wanted to build an experimental planned community showcasing modern innovation, known as "EPCOT", an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow . After Disney's death in 1966, the company felt his grand vision was impractical. However, it laid
1700-592: Is located between the France and United Kingdom pavilions of World Showcase and is known as the International Gateway. The International Gateway is directly accessible to guests arriving from the Disney Skyliner and from watercraft transport , and by walkways from the nearby EPCOT Area Resorts and Disney's Hollywood Studios . Each pavilion contains themed architecture, landscapes, streetscapes, attractions, shops and restaurants representing
1785-445: Is package delivery from Disney theme park shops to the resort. There is a Walt Disney World guest services desk located in the lobby of each resort. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin guests can also use Extended Evening Hours, and can make dining reservations 60 days prior to their arrival at the resort. However, room charging (using hotel key as a credit card at Walt Disney World) is not available and hotel restaurants only participate in
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#17327933639441870-710: Is strongly influenced by British planner Ebenezer Howard and his Garden Cities of To-morrow . Disney went as far as petitioning the Florida State Legislature for the creation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), with the authority of a governmental body over the Walt Disney World land. The RCID was established in 1967. However, Walt Disney was not able to obtain funding and permission to start work on his Florida property until he agreed to first build
1955-704: The Aga Khan , by its creditors. The majority of these hotels were placed in the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection, though a few were placed in the Sheraton division. In April 1995, ITT Sheraton introduced a new, mid-range hotel brand, Four Points by Sheraton , to replace the designation of certain hotels as Sheraton Inns. In 1998, Starwood acquired ITT Sheraton for $ 13.3 billion, topping an offer by rival Hilton . Under Starwood's leadership, Sheraton began renovating many hotels and expanding
2040-703: The COVID-19 pandemic in Florida . Modified operations were established, including a pause on concerts and fireworks, in order to promote sufficient physical distancing . Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story , the attraction's fifth update, the Wondrous China film, the PLAY! pavilion in World Discovery, and the United Kingdom pavilion's Cherry Tree Lane expansion were indefinitely delayed due to
2125-615: The Eiffel Tower , Itsukushima Shrine , Hampton Court Palace , Château Laurier , Gol Stave Church , St Mark's Campanile , and the Kutubiyya Mosque . Of the 11 pavilions, only Morocco and Norway were not present at the park's opening, as they were added in 1984 and 1988 respectively. The nation pavilions surround the World Showcase Lagoon, a man-made lake located in the center of World Showcase with
2210-597: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection . The voluntary program encourages operators to adopt “green” practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin guests are provided complimentary transportation to all Walt Disney World theme parks and attractions on the Disney Transportation System, via boat (to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios). Length-of-stay park passes are available, as
2295-539: The Magic Kingdom theme park. He died in 1966, nearly five years before Magic Kingdom opened. After Walt Disney's death, the company decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city without Walt's guidance. The original plans for the park showed indecision over the park's purpose. Some Imagineers wanted it to represent the cutting edge of emerging technologies , while others wanted it to showcase international cultures and customs. At one point,
2380-580: The Millennium Celebration with the central focus of the event at EPCOT, and a 25-story "magic wand" structure was built next to Spaceship Earth. Millennium Village was closed on January 1, 2001, and was turned into the World Showplace festival center, which is frequently used for EPCOT festivals. Attraction changes continued into the new millennium. Journey into YOUR Imagination closed in 2001 due to strong negative reception and
2465-910: The Sheraton Stockholm Hotel and the Sheraton-Copenhagen Hotel. In 1972, Sheraton opened its first hotel in Sub-Saharan Africa , the Sheraton-Mont Febe Palace in Yaounde , Cameroon . From 1977 to 1997 the company was headquartered at 60 State Street in Boston. In 1985, Sheraton became the first western chain to operate a hotel bearing the name of an international company in the People's Republic of China , when it assumed management of
2550-489: The third hotel the pair acquired, in Boston, in 1939. It had a large lighted sign on the roof saying "Sheraton Hotel," which was too expensive to change. Instead, Henderson and Moore decided to call all of their hotels by that name. Henderson and Moore purchased Boston's famed Copley Plaza Hotel in 1941, and continued expanding rapidly, buying existing properties along the East Coast from Maine to Florida. In 1946,
2635-699: The American Heritage Gallery, a changing exhibition space. On the shores of the lagoon is the America Gardens Theatre, an outdoor amphitheater that hosts the park's festival concerts. The France Pavilion hosts Impressions de France in Palais du Cinéma, an 18-minute Cinerama -style film depicting the culture of France, and along with Beauty and the Beast: Sing-Along . Tucked behind the lagoon-facing portion of
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2720-670: The Arabella Hospitality Group in Germany to create ArabellaSheraton, a joint venture under which 14 Arabella Hotels in Germany, Switzerland and Spain were rebranded as ArabellaSheraton Hotels. In 1999, Sheraton bought the outstanding shares in CIGA, giving it complete ownership. In 2015, Starwood introduced the "Sheraton Grand" brand, higher-end Sheraton properties located in urban or resort destinations. In 2016, Marriott International purchased Starwood Hotels, and
2805-650: The COVID-19 pandemic, and the CommuniCore Hall exhibit space and the CommuniCore Plaza festival stage was built instead of a three-level festival pavilion. On September 29, 2021, the nighttime spectacular Harmonious replaced EPCOT Forever as part of the resort's 50th anniversary celebration. The show ended its run on March 31, 2023, in preparation for Luminous: The Symphony of Us which debuted later that year; EPCOT Forever returned during
2890-785: The CommuniCore Plaza Stage, and the stage will be the home of JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season , as a seasonal entertainment offering during the 2024 annual EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. EPCOT is divided into four themed areas, known as "neighborhoods": World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase. The park consists of a variety of avant-garde pavilions that explore innovative aspects and applications including technology and science, with each pavilion featuring self-contained attractions and distinct architecture in its design. Currently,
2975-454: The EPCOT theme park from Walt Disney's EPCOT concept by making the park's name a word rather than a acronym—spelling it in lowercase as a proper noun: "Epcot". Walt Disney World then added the current year to the park's name, emulating the naming scheme for expos and world's fairs like Expo 67 . The park became Epcot '94 and Epcot '95 before Disney quietly abandoned the naming concept in 1996 and
3060-554: The Earth , specifically ocean exploration , hydrology , agriculture , horticulture , ecology , and travel. Based on ocean exploration and inspired by the Finding Nemo series, The Seas pavilion features the sixth-largest aquarium in the world with marine life exhibits; an Omnimover attraction inspired by Finding Nemo ; and Turtle Talk with Crush , an interactive show hosted by Crush from Finding Nemo . Connected to
3145-625: The Galaxy and Ratatouille attractions to Future World and World Showcase, respectively, as well as maintaining the original vision and spirit for the park. As part of the announcement, Ellen's Energy Adventure closed the following month, and the pavilion's show building was reused for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , while the EPCOT 35 Legacy Showcase exhibition opened in the Odyssey Pavilion. That same year,
3230-610: The Great Wall Hotel in Beijing , a financially troubled two-year-old Chinese-American joint venture, which became the Great Wall Sheraton. By 1987, The New York Times described it as "50 years old, the world's largest hotel chain, and consumer-driven." On October 24, 1989, Sheraton was officially rebranded as ITT Sheraton. On January 13, 1992, ITT Sheraton designated 28 of its premier hotels and 33 of
3315-705: The Sheraton Towers as the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection. The flagship of the division was The St Regis in New York City. In 1994, ITT Sheraton purchased a controlling interest in the Italian CIGA chain, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotels Company. The chain had begun by operating hotels in Italy, but over-expanded across Europe just as a recession hit, and had been seized from its previous owner,
3400-634: The Sheraton Towers concept, a line of luxury "hotel-within-a-hotel" facilities designed for business travelers and located within Sheraton's largest and most exclusive hotels. The first Sheraton Towers to open was in the chain's flagship Sheraton-Boston Hotel. That same year, Sheraton opened its first hotel in North Africa , the Cario-Sheraton Hotel & Casino. In 1971 Sheraton opened its first hotels in Continental Europe ,
3485-942: The Standard Equities Corporation merged with the United States Realty and Improvement Corporation, forming the Sheraton Corporation of America, which became the first hotel chain to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1947. In 1949, Sheraton expanded internationally, buying the Ford Hotels chain, with three properties in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. They quickly resold the Toronto and Ottawa properties to finance their continued Canadian expansion in 1950, paying $ 4.8 million to purchase Cardy Hotels,
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3570-483: The Standard Investing Corporation and the International Equities Corporation, combining them into the Standard Equities Corporation, the company through which they would run their hotels. Also in 1937, they purchased their second hotel, and the first as part of the new company, the Stonehaven Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts , a converted apartment building. Sheraton dates its founding to that year and considers that property its first hotel. The chain got its name from
3655-459: The Tables in Wonderland Dining Plan, not the Disney Dining Plan. Room charging within the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort Complex is available. Also, guests staying at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin have free theme park parking and priority access to the Disney theme parks during sell out situations. 28°22′02″N 81°33′38″W / 28.36722°N 81.56056°W / 28.36722; -81.56056 Epcot EPCOT
3740-429: The Walt Disney Collection of resorts, so guests have access to benefits typically available to Disney Resort Hotel guests only, such as early entry. The Dolphin and Swan share similar elements, but each has a distinctive appearance. The Dolphin is composed of a 257-foot (78 m) tall triangular tower bisecting a 12-story rectangular mass with four 9-story wings on the Swan-side of the structure. The roof of each half of
3825-426: The Walt Disney World Resort was losing business to other hotels in the Orlando area that catered to conventions and large meetings. Tishman, worried that Disney may sign a deal with another developer to build a convention hotel at Walt Disney World during its exclusivity period, filed a lawsuit in 1986 seeking US$ 1.3 billion in damages and canceled the Sheraton and Holiday Inn. The two-year legal battle ended in 1988 with
3910-412: The Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, houses Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , an enclosed spinning roller coaster based on the superhero team of the same name . The building originally opened as the Universe of Energy Pavilion. The Space Pavilion houses Mission: SPACE is a centrifugal motion simulator thrill ride that replicates a space flight experience to Mars and a low orbit tour over
3995-450: The anchor pavilion, which also houses an eponymous dark ride attraction that depicts the history of communication . Directly behind Spaceship Earth are the World Celebration Gardens and Dreamers Point, featuring lush interactive gardens, lighting fixtures and Walt the Dreamer— a bronze statue commemorating Walt Disney . The Imagination! pavilion celebrates the concept of imagination and features Journey into Imagination with Figment ,
4080-484: The attractions themselves. The pavilion logos were gradually phased out in the early 2000s, as the pavilions instead were identified by name and recognized by the main attraction(s) housed inside. Several homages remained scattered throughout the park, including merchandising. However, in 2019, the circular pavilion logos were revived as part of the park's transformation, with both classic logos reprised and refreshed and newer logos introduced. World Celebration serves as
4165-455: The brand's footprint. Starwood also began marketing The Luxury Collection as a completely separate brand, even though it contained a large number of hotels still named Sheraton. Most of those properties have since been renamed. Only three such hotels remain today - Sheraton Addis in ( Addis Ababa , Ethiopia ), Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in ( Bangkok , Thailand ), and Sheraton Kuwait in ( Kuwait City , Kuwait ). Also in 1998, Sheraton joined with
4250-419: The building is the Coral Reef Restaurant , a themed seafood restaurant that provides views into the aquarium. Nearby is the Journey of Water pavilion, an outdoor walkthrough water attraction depicting the Earth's water cycle , inspired by Moana . Finally, the Land pavilion features three attractions; Soarin' Around the World , an attraction that simulates a hang gliding flight over various regions of
4335-409: The deal, Tishman would build a Sheraton and a Crowne Plaza on the outskirts of the Walt Disney World complex, near Walt Disney World Village . In order to protect Tishman’s investment, Disney agreed that no new hotels would be built at Walt Disney World during an exclusivity period. However, by the mid-1980s, Disney's financial fortunes had improved, and CEO Michael Eisner was growing frustrated that
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#17327933639444420-418: The early 1980s, The Walt Disney Company was facing a cash crunch. Company leadership decided that when it decided to add more resorts to Walt Disney World, it would partner with property developers and hotel companies, who would take on the costs and risks of building and managing a hotel. The first of these deals came together in 1985 with developer Tishman , who had been the general contractor of Epcot . Under
4505-440: The following year, and The Living Seas and Wonders of Life pavilions were added in 1986 and 1989, respectively, bringing the lineup to nine. CommuniCore, World of Motion, Horizons, Wonders of Life, Universe of Energy, and Innoventions closed in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2007, 2017, and 2019, respectively. The Fountain of Nations , a large circular musical fountain which debuted with the park, was removed in 2019 as well. Each pavilion
4590-411: The former Future World pavilion, opened to the general public on June 10, 2024. Test Track closed for refurbishment on June 17 to make way for the attraction's third iteration. At D23 2024, it was announced that this lounge will take the place of the former Siemens lounge attached to Spaceship Earth and will open in 2025. On November 21, 2024, it was announced that the second stage has been installed in
4675-410: The groundwork for EPCOT Center, a theme park that retained the core spirit of Disney's vision. The park was divided into two distinct areas: Future World reprises the idea of showcasing modern innovation through educational entertainment attractions within avant-garde pavilions, while World Showcase highlights the diversity of human cultures from various nations. From the late 2010s to the early 2020s,
4760-415: The hotel industry's first automatic electronic reservations system. In 1959, Sheraton acquired its first properties outside North America, purchasing four hotels owned by the Matson Lines on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu , Hawaii - the Moana Hotel , the Royal Hawaiian Hotel , the SurfRider Hotel, and the Princess Kaiulani Hotel . That same year Sheraton opened its first newly built motel, marketed as
4845-622: The interim period. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (duplicated from Disneyland Paris ) opened in the France pavilion on October 1 as part of the same celebrations. The EPCOT Experience Center closed in 2022, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , part of the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, opened on May 27. Journey of Water opened in World Nature opened on October 16, 2023, and World Celebration Gardens, divided into five sections (Inspiration Gardens, CommuniCore Gardens, Connections Gardens, Creations Gardens, and Dreamers Point) opened on December 5 of that year. CommuniCore Hall and Plaza, named after
4930-774: The kick-off ceremony as well as the dedication of the Spaceship Earth attraction itself. Presiding over the ceremony was Walt Disney Productions chairman and CEO Card Walker , Florida Governor Bob Graham , and president of AT&T (the sponsor of Spaceship Earth at opening) William Ellinghaus . On opening day, Future World featured six pavilions: Spaceship Earth, CommuniCore , Journey Into Imagination , The Land , Universe of Energy , and World of Motion . World Showcase featured nine pavilions: Mexico Pavilion , China Pavilion , Germany Pavilion , Italy Pavilion , The American Adventure Pavilion , Japan Pavilion , France Pavilion , United Kingdom Pavilion , and Canada Pavilion . Each pavilion had its own custom opening ceremony throughout
5015-452: The largest hotels and immediately resold the other twelve. That same year, Sheraton acquired its first motels, purchasing two properties in the suburbs of Syracuse, New York. In 1957, Sheraton, which had previously focused on acquiring existing hotels, opened its first newly built hotel, the Philadelphia Sheraton Hotel. In 1958, Sheraton became the first hotel chain to centralize and computerize its reservations when it introduced Reservatron ,
5100-427: The main mass is adorned with a 56-foot (17 m) tall Dolphin statue. On the main colored facade , there is a turquoise banana-leaf pattern echoed by a similar wave pattern on the Swan. The statues on top of the Dolphin Hotel are not mammalian dolphins but a stylized version of a nautical dolphin, a common symbol used on old-world nautical maps. The design of the creatures is based on Triton Fountain in Rome. In
5185-463: The newly merged company again became the world's largest hotel and resort company. Although the Sheraton brand expresses quality in Asia, aging properties have made the US market more problematic. In 2023, Marriott announced a new spinoff brand of Four Points by Sheraton, called Four Points Express by Sheraton, targeting the mid-range market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Its first property opened in Nilüfer, Bursa , Turkey that fall. In 2024,
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#17327933639445270-411: The next three weeks—culminating in the three-day grand opening event. On October 24, 1982, EPCOT was officially dedicated by Walt Disney Productions executive chairman Donn Tatum and Card Walker. A 450-piece marching band made up of players from college bands all over the country performed several songs including "We've Just Begun to Dream" and "The World Showcase March"—the latter written exclusively for
5355-419: The opening events by the Sherman Brothers. Water was gathered from major rivers, lakes, and seas from across the globe and emptied into the park's Fountain of Nations to mark the opening. During the 1980s, several additional pavilions opened: Horizons in 1983, Morocco Pavilion in 1984, The Living Seas in 1986, Norway Pavilion in 1988, and Wonders of Life in 1989. Despite its initial success, EPCOT
5440-461: The park features ten major pavilions: Galaxy, Imagination, Journey, Land, Motion, Odyssey, Seas, Space, Spaceship Earth, and World Showcase, which itself has eleven individual nation pavilions. World Celebration, Discovery, and Nature were originally grouped as one area called Future World, which debuted with six pavilions: Spaceship Earth, CommuniCore , Imagination!, The Land, Universe of Energy , and World of Motion . The Horizons pavilion opened
5525-524: The park reported the first drop in overall attendance ranking among the four Walt Disney World Resort parks, dropping from second to third place, the first in its history. On August 25, 2019, at the 2019 D23 Expo , Disney expanded on the plans for the improvements to EPCOT. One of the most significant changes announced was the creation of four distinct "neighborhoods"; the subdivision of Future World into three areas (World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature). Journey of Water—Inspired by Moana ,
5610-429: The park simply became Epcot. In the mid-1990s, Disney also began to gradually phase out the park's edutainment attractions in favor of more modern and thrilling attractions. As a result, many of the attractions within the Future World pavilions, were either overhauled or replaced entirely. The Land pavilion saw its attractions replaced under new sponsor Nestlé between late 1993 and January 1995, and Spaceship Earth
5695-419: The park underwent a major overhaul, adding new attractions and Future World was restructured into three areas: World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature. The park spans 305 acres (123 hectares), more than twice the size of Magic Kingdom Park . In 2023, the park attracted 11.98 million guests, making it the eighth-most visited theme park in the world. The genesis for EPCOT was originally conceived as
5780-479: The park's main entrance and a central hub that honors global human interaction and connection, including communication, imagination, creativity, and the visual and culinary arts . The neighborhood features four major pavilions—Spaceship Earth, Imagination, Odyssey, and CommuniCore—as well as additional attractions, shops, and restaurants. Guests enter through the main entrance and walk underneath Spaceship Earth , an eighteen-story-tall geodesic sphere structure and
5865-521: The pavilion being occasionally used for the park's annual festivals until permanent closure. The Mexico pavilion's El Rio del Tiempo attraction closed on January 2, and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros opened in its space a few months later. After the "magic wand" structure was removed from Spaceship Earth, the attraction's fourth version, narrated by Judi Dench , soft-opened on December 8. Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, an interactive scavenger hunt, opened at EPCOT in 2009. Test Track
5950-537: The pavilion is Remy's Ratatouille Adventure , a 3D dark ride inspired by Pixar ’s Ratatouille . The Canada and China Pavilions each host Circle-Vision 360° films — Canada Far and Wide and Reflections of China —that depict the diverse cultures and countrysides of their respective countries. Two dark boat rides reside within the Norway and Mexico Pavilions— Frozen Ever After and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros , respectively—inspired by Frozen and The Three Caballeros . A secondary park gate
6035-409: The respective country's culture and cuisine. In an effort to maintain the authenticity of the represented countries, the pavilions are primarily staffed by citizens of the respective countries as part of the Cultural Representative Program through Q1 visa agreements. Some pavilions also contain themed rides, shows, and live entertainment representative of the respective country. The Morocco pavilion
6120-473: The size of Magic Kingdom . The parking lot serving the park is 141 acres (57 ha) (including bus area) and can accommodate 11,211 vehicles. The grand opening festivities for EPCOT took place over three weeks in October 1982—supervised and directed by Disney Legend Bob Jani . The park officially opened to the public on October 1, with a dedication ceremony in front of Spaceship Earth that served as both
6205-479: The surface of Earth. Next to it is Space 220 , a themed restaurant simulating dining aboard a space station located 220 miles above Earth. The building is located on the original plot site of the Horizons Pavilion. The Motion Pavilion houses Test Track is a high-speed slot car ride inspired by the automobile testing procedures that Chevrolet uses to evaluate concept cars. The Motion Pavilion
6290-804: The world; Living with the Land , a narrated boat tour through Audio-Animatronics scenes, a greenhouse and hydroponics lab; and Awesome Planet , a short documentary film presented in the pavilion's Harvest Theater about the Earth's biomes and the perils of climate change . World Showcase is the park's largest neighborhood, dedicated to representing the culture, history, cuisine, architecture, and traditions of 11 nations from across four continents— North America , Europe , Asia , and Africa . Each nation pavilion features attractions, shops, restaurants, and landscaping that celebrate or portray authentic settings from each country—several pavilions also contain recreations inspired by existing buildings and landmarks, such as
6375-490: The yet-to-be-built Hollywood Studios and also connected by a waterway with ferry boats. The $ 375 million project was to include the 1,514-room Dolphin Resort, the 756-room Swan Resort and 200,000 square feet (19,000 m) of meeting space. Disney and Tishman hired architect Michael Graves to design the hotels. Eisner had used Graves for other Disney projects and wanted to continue to build striking, unique buildings. The Dolphin
6460-526: Was announced that a new nighttime fireworks show, EPCOT Forever , and The EPCOT Experience Center, a preview space for the park's expansion project, would replace IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth and EPCOT 35 Legacy Showcase. In late 2019, EPCOT installed new directory signage in Seabase Alpha, restoring the former Living Seas logo, as the pavilion was renamed to The Seas Pavilion. Agent P's World Showcase Adventure closed on February 23, 2020; it
6545-583: Was constantly faced with the challenges of evolving with worldwide progress, an issue that caused the park to lose relevance and become outdated in the 1990s. To maintain attendance levels, Disney introduced seasonal events such as the International Flower & Garden Festival and the International Food & Wine Festival in 1994 and 1995, respectively. It was during this era that The Walt Disney Company sought to differentiate
6630-536: Was directly sponsored by the Moroccan government until 2020, when Disney took ownership of the pavilion. The remaining pavilions are primarily sponsored by private companies with affiliations to the represented countries. Originally, the showcase was to include partnerships with the governments of the different countries. According to Disney's 1975 Annual Report, the Showcase would: ...offer participating countries
6715-470: Was initially sponsored by a corporation which helped fund its construction and maintenance in return for the corporation's logos and some marketing elements appearing throughout the pavilion. Additionally, each pavilion of Future World featured a unique circular logo designed by Norm Inouye (except for the Wonders of Life logo due to its later introduction), which was featured on park signage and throughout
6800-645: Was one of the original pavilions of EPCOT and has always housed an attraction sponsored by General Motors . In between the Galaxy and Space pavilions, is one standing but unused pavilion that once housed the Wonders of Life attraction. World Nature focuses on understanding and preserving the beauty, awe and balance of the natural world. Located on the west side of World Celebration, the Nature neighborhood features three major pavilions in counterclockwise layout—Seas, Water, and Land—inspired by human interaction with
6885-412: Was refurbished into a new version presented by Chevrolet in 2012, and Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure was rethemed to Agent P's World Showcase Adventure the same year. The Norway pavilion's Maelstrom attraction closed in 2014 and replaced two years later by Frozen Ever After . Soarin' was also temporarily closed while a new film was added to the attraction. In 2017, Mission: SPACE was divided into
6970-533: Was replaced with Journey into Imagination with Figment in 2002. The Living Seas was closed in 2005, and rethemed with the introduction of characters from Finding Nemo , as The Seas with Nemo & Friends . That same year, Soarin' , a flight simulator ride originally developed for Disney California Adventure Park , was added to The Land (replacing Food Rocks ) following its massive popularity in California. The Wonders of Life pavilion closed in 2007, with
7055-409: Was slated to be replaced with DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, which did not open until 2022. In early 2020, Disney officially announced that the park's name would revery back to all-uppercase (from Epcot to EPCOT) as an homage to both the park's original name and Walt Disney's original concept—although the name is still not an acronym. EPCOT was closed from March 16 to July 15, 2020, due to
7140-487: Was the largest of the two hotels and, at the time of its construction, was the largest in Florida, edging out the 1,500-room Orlando World Center Marriott . The Dolphin was the second of the two hotels to open and would be operated under Starwood's Sheraton brand. In 2008, The Walt Disney Dolphin Resort was awarded a One Palm designation through the Florida Green Lodging Program established by
7225-443: Was updated with music by Edo Guidotti and narration from Jeremy Irons in 1994. Universe of Energy was reconfigured as Ellen's Energy Adventure in 1996. Journey Into Imagination closed in 1998 and was replaced with Journey into YOUR Imagination the following year, World of Motion was replaced with Test Track , and Horizons was demolished in 1999 and replaced with Mission: SPACE in 2003. In 2000, Walt Disney World held
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