Herb LeibacherOn Sunday, October 1, 2017, Disney celebrated the 35th anniversary of the opening of Epcot. Where has the time gone?
Let’s look at some of the fun events of the day, which brought in big crowds and big lines.
Happy 35 years Epcot!
Anniversary Ceremony
Rain was pouring from the sky until just a few minutes before the ceremony began, but right on queue, the rain stopped before the ceremony at 10:10am.
Disney execs made a few short speeches, appropriately honoring Disney Cast Members, honoring the history of the park, and looking toward the future (hello Ratatouille and Guardians of the Galaxy).
Mariachi Cobre has been entertaining guests at the Epcot Mexico pavilion for 35 years.
George Kalogridis, President of the Walt Disney World Resort, gave a short speech along with a few others.
The always-amazing Voices of Liberty sang a special melody of Epcot songs.
The show wrapped up with plenty of Disney characters and some streamers.
Merchandise
Disney offered plenty of “one day only” merchandise – much of it featuring Figment and some of the colors and designs that reflect back to 1982 and the opening of the park.
Special “I was there” t-shirt featuring Figment and the anniversary date.
More Figment, plus an old-school Epcot logo.
Anniversary shirt for Disney Annual Passholders.
Yellow and orange were big colors in the 1980s, right?
Fireworks
Disney wrapped up the day with a special tag on Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.
Illuminations is always amazing – but all the more so when Disney adds a special ending.
It was a warm and crowded day, but there was a special excitement in the air. People seemed to have a great time enjoying all that Epcot was and is, and perhaps dreaming a bit of what might come to be.
Epcot after 35 years: Are you still a fan of the park?