NEWS: Opening Date Announced for ‘Walt the Dreamer’ Statue, World Celebration Gardens at EPCOT
Exciting news! Although originally set to open in “late December,” Disney has announced that the new Dreamers Point will open on December 5, 2023! Learn more about what is coming below.
Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Will Baggett:
In celebration of Walt Disney’s birthday on Dec. 5, guests visiting EPCOT will be able to visit Dreamers Point in the newly-opened World Celebration neighborhood and see our company’s original dreamer in a completely new light. Everyone is invited to imagine alongside Walt himself and look out over World Celebration Gardens together.
This new statue, entitled “Walt the Dreamer,” represents Walt later in his life when he was dreaming up the overall Florida Project and the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. He sits with a sense of fulfillment, enjoying the beauty of his realized dream: a park that represents pure optimism and truly celebrates the magic of possibility.
This new statue of Walt is one of many areas to visit as a part of World Celebration Gardens where guests will be able to relax, unwind, and connect – to EPCOT, to nature and to each other. Each of the gardens found in the center of World Celebration, including Dreamers Point, will connect back to the areas surrounding them, drawing on the architectural legacy of EPCOT, modern lighting elements and a variety of natural textures.
Dreamers Point is named not only for the dreamer that has and continues to inspire us, but also for all of us who visit EPCOT every day to celebrate the endless potential and possibility of our world.
RELATED ARTICLE: EPCOT: What’s New & Coming – The Historic Transformation Continues at Disney World
by Chad and Cindy Nykamp
Walt Disney once said EPCOT “would always be in a state of becoming” as a place that changes with the times. The Walt Disney World Resort theme park is delivering on that promise in a whole new way as it continues the biggest transformation in its history, bringing the next generation of immersive storytelling to life. Since 2019, Disney has been hard at work working on bringing this new EPCOT to life, with many projects now completed and more yet to come. Learn more about what’s new and what’s still to come below.
1 – Goodbye Future World
As of October 1, 2021, Future World is no longer a part of EPCOT. Instead, the park is unified with four neighborhoods that each speak to important aspects of the world and its people: World Showcase, World Celebration, World Nature, and World Discovery. These neighborhoods are filled with new experiences rooted in authenticity and innovation that take guests to new destinations, where the real is made fantastic in a celebration of curiosity, discovery, and the magic of possibility.
2 – World Celebration
World Celebration offers new experiences that connect guests to one another and the world around them.
Redesigned Entrance Plaza (complete)
The EPCOT entrance plaza welcomes guests with open pathways and sweeping green spaces that beautify the entryway. Bridging the past, present, and future of EPCOT is a new fountain at the base of Spaceship Earth with three majestic pylons. The entrance plaza also features new lighting and music, as well as flags flanking the fountain featuring six original EPCOT icons.
Spaceship Earth transforms at night into a Beacon of Magic with new lights shining across the reflective panels of the geodesic sphere. These lights connect to one another, symbolizing optimism resembling stars in a nighttime sky.
Connections Cafe & Eatery (now open)
The new Connections Café and Eatery is home to a quick-service dining location as well as Starbucks coffee. With show kitchens and a variety of seating options, this new dining option encourages guests to connect with one another over food and drinks. Adding to the park’s rich legacy of original art displays, Connections Eatery features a hand-painted mural stretching more than 160 feet along the back wall, celebrating how food is cultivated around the world.
Creations Shop (now open)
Creations Shop invites guests to explore and celebrate Disney creativity, inspired by Mickey Mouse. The merchandise location features a bold, sleek design for an open, bright, welcoming environment with large glass walls allowing sunlight to pour in. Artistic homages to Mickey are throughout the shop, including large, dynamic murals that tap into the park’s original artistic spirit.
Click here to learn about the new flagship shopping location at EPCOT – Creations Shop.
Club Cool (now open)
Adjacent to Creations Shop is a revitalized Club Cool Hosted by Coca-Cola. Celebrating Coca-Cola in a fresh new way, Club Cool invites guests to explore tasty drinks from around the world, bringing the global experience of Coca-Cola to life through new magic and classic flavor.
Click here for details on the all-new Club Cool at EPCOT.
Dreamer’s Point (December 5, 2023)
As guests pass Spaceship Earth in the future, they will discover a breathtaking new view of World Showcase from Dreamers Point. World Celebration will also feature a new statue honoring the legacy of the original dreamer, Walt Disney, plus beautiful natural environments and global design elements filled with Disney magic.
ComuniCore Plaza and CommuniCore Hall (coming late December 2023)
World Celebration, as the hub of the park, will feature different gardens that change with the seasons. It will also be home to the new Communicore Plaza and the new Communicore Hall. Communicore Hall will be the new home to a new character greeting location called Mickey & Friends. You’ll be able to meet Mickey Mouse and some of his best pals in this colorful space.
CommuniCore Hall will also be the home of an exhibition space that will change with each festival throughout the year. In the concept art below, you can see one possibility that was imagined for EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. Walt Disney Imagineering designed the architecture of this building to celebrate the legacy of EPCOT and the original CommuniCore buildings.
3 – World Discovery
In World Discovery, stories about science, technology, and intergalactic adventure come to life.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (now open)
Now open, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the first “other- world” showcase pavilion at EPCOT. The family-thrill coaster adventure starts in the Galaxarium, a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar. Guests learn more about the technologies Xandar has to share – until Eson the Celestial arrives and guests must help the Guardians of the Galaxy save the universe on an intergalactic chase through time and space. The attraction is one of the longest fully enclosed coasters in the world, and each vehicle rotates 360 degrees to focus guests on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.
Space 220 (now open)
In an expansion of the Mission: SPACE pavilion, the new Space 220 Restaurant is a culinary experience offering the celestial panorama of a space station, including virtual daytime and nighttime views of Earth from 220 miles above the planet’s surface. Guests board a space elevator for a simulated journey to the Centauri Space Station, where they experience the “height of dining.” Once they arrive, guests enjoy meals and drinks while taking in views that are truly out of this world. Space 220 is operated by the Patina Restaurant Group.
4 – World Showcase
World Showcase continues to be a celebration of culture, cuisine, architecture, and traditions – infused with new magic.
Expanded France Pavilion (now open)
An expanded France pavilion is now open and features the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction, where guests feel as if they shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant. Joining this family-friendly experience in the France pavilion is a delicious new restaurant, La Crêperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options and a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.
Click here for our review and what you need to know about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Also in the France pavilion, the classic “Impressions de France” film is joined by “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along,” directed by Don Hahn, producer of both the animated and live-action versions of this tale as old as time.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse (now open)
Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue is a fast-casual restaurant at The American Adventure pavilion, serving classic American backyard barbecue and home-style craft brews. The restaurant takes its name from Sam Eagle; the beloved Muppet hosts a centennial cook-off – a salute to all cook-offs … but mostly barbecue. Read our Regal Eagle review by clicking here.
5 – World Nature
World Nature is dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty, awe, and balance of the natural world. It includes The Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilions, as well as the forthcoming Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.
Awesome Planet (now open)
The Land Pavilion film “Awesome Planet” showcases the beauty, diversity, and dynamic story of Earth. The 10-minute show features in-theater effects and an original musical score from Academy Award®-winning composer Steven Price.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana (now open)
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, will be the first Disney Parks experience evoking the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film. This lush exploration trail will invite guests to meet and play with magical, living water. Just like Moana’s friend the ocean, water will have a personality of its own, helping guests learn how to protect the natural water cycle in a fun and engaging way.
For a no obligation, FREE Quote on a Disney vacation package, please contact our travel partner Magical Vacation Planner at 407-442-0227 (407-442-0215 for Spanish). You can also request a FREE quote online by Clicking HERE.