Disney holds ceremony to celebrate Epcot’s 35th anniversary
Disney held a brief ceremony Sunday (Oct. 1, 2017) morning to mark the 35th anniversary of Epcot.
After a brief shower Sunday morning, the skies cleared for the 10 a.m. ceremony featuring performances by the Mariachi Cobre and the Voices of Liberty, as well as a brief remarks by Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Epcot and George A. Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort.
With the parks iconic Spaceship Earth as the backdrop, the ceremony starts with the Mariachi Cobre, who have been performing since the park opened in 1982. Valiquette welcomed the crowd and Kalogridis talked about the park’s future.
As a young cast member when Disney World first opened Kalogridis said he remembered questioning why the company was building a second park. After all, they already had the Magic Kingdom, filled with enough lands for everyone. He then said he realized the power of the Epcot (then known as Epcot Center).
“Epcot has always been, and always will be, an optimistic celebration of the real world – brought to life through the magic of Disney,” he said.
“I promise you the exciting plans we have on the horizon will honor Epcot’s rich legacy of creativity and innovation while continuing to exceed the expectations of our guests, for decades to come.”
Already announced as part of the expansion are a new restaurant for the Mission: SPACE pavilion; a Ratatouille-inspired attraction bowing in a new space in the France showcase; a Guardians of the Galaxy ride and an an updated Circle-Vision film for the China.
