When Walt Disney envisioned the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow – better known as Epcot – he hoped to create a forward-thinking, small-scale city to counter the inefficient infrastructure created by 1960s urban sprawl. But after his death in 1966, when it was realized it wouldn’t be easy to run and govern an actual city, the Epcot concept was scrapped. So in 1982 Epcot opened as a theme park instead.
Spaceship Earth stands as the park’s symbolic icon, and the park is divided into four neighborhoods. World Showcase and World Celebration bring the world to Florida, with 11 pavilions representing various countries, including Norway (where Frozen Ever After guides guests on a boat through Elsa’s snowy kingdom) and France (where you can hop inside Ratatouille and spin through a Parisian restaurant). World Nature and World Discovery have natural-world and STEM-focused rides and interactive exhibits: don’t miss Test Track, a high-octane simulated concept-car testing experience, and Disney's sustainable, food-producing garden called Living with the Land.
