We all know that for many reasons Disney Parks have to evolve. As technology improves and demands change, Disney Parks must keep up with the times. However, every now and then, it’s nice to get a glimpse of what early Walt Disney World looked liked and think back on what used to be.
Please note the volume on these videos is soft. Adjust your speakers accordingly.
Restored 16mm Home Movie – EPCOT Center 1982
Back in 2015, YouTube channel RetroWDW acquired an old 16mm home movie of EPCOT Center from 1982. The Park was in its infancy when this movie was made and features a moderate level of crowds unlike the park videos of today. The videographer talks in detail about World Showcase and Future World and gives a great overview of the EPCOT that came to be inspired by Walt’s vision of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
As you watch, be on the lookout for these things you won’t see at EPCOT any more:
The double-decker bus that used to drive around World Showcase
Costumed figures/characters representing the different countries around World Showcase
The rainbow bridge on the second level of the Journey into Imagination pavilion
Horizons (now Mission: SPACE)
World Showcase Lagoon without the covered America Gardens Theater
Organ Grinder Cast Members at the France Pavilion
Guests wearing super short shorts and three-stripe athletic socks
1984 EPCOT Center WorldKey Information Documentary
A long time ago, before MagicBands and My Disney Experience came into existence, guests had to rely on humans for their essential WDW information. In 1984 Walt Disney World Resort was still quite young and with Magic Kingdom taking guests on fantastical imaginative journeys, EPCOT focused on the future of communication and technology. Diz Avenue’s YouTube channel shared this 1894 documentary about EPCOT’s WorldKey Information System that guests could use to book dining reservations and more during a visit to the Park. Silly acting aside, for those of us who’ve grown up in a world where nearly everything is at our fingertips, this documentary shows just how futuristic EPCOT was for its time, and how far technology has taken us.
Did you have a chance to visit EPCOT Center in the early days? What surprised you those most about these videos? Let us know!