By Keith Mahne |
Although the original plans for Walt Disney World were to include a Magic Kingdom theme park, Walt Disney's entire reason for taking his next dream to Florida was EPCOT. Not the Epcot theme park we know today, but something that had never been done before. EPCOT the city, a one of kind project composed of a prototype community, an industrial park, an airport of the future, and so much more, that was going to change the way we live. Join us today for a very special, 360° virtual view of the original EPCOT City and see what it would have been like to stand in the middle of Walt Disney's latest and greatest dream...
Walt Disney preparing to shoot the EPCOT film - 1966 |
Walt filming his introduction to the EPCOT film - 1966 |
EPCOT the city was imagined by Walt Disney and his staff with new and advanced designs and technologies the world had never seen. The project was conceived between 1962 and 1966 and although it did survive a few years after Walt's death and into the mid 1970's, the enthusiastic project never developed into a reality.
Film strips of Walt Disney during the shooting of the various EPCOT film scenes - 1966 |
Script for the EPCOT film written by Marty Sklar gets Walt Disney's approval - November 6, 1966 |
Some elements of Walt's original plans for Florida did survive, such as the World Showcase concept, but so much more was planned. Unfortunately, the project had lost its main source of energy: Walt.
I have always dreamed of what the world would be like now had the Disney Company continued with Walt's plans for E.P.C.O.T. (the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow). How would our lives have changed because of it today? Would it have worked and would our cities be utilizing Walt's ideas currently? And, better yet, what would it be like to stand in the very middle of EPCOT City and take in the view? Well friends, thanks to a 360° virtual-reality view created in 1998 for the Walt Disney Family Museum, we can get an idea what Walt's latest and greatest dream would have looked like if we were standing in the center and looking out at its beauty and wonder. Using the 360° virtual view of EPCOT City, I put together a video tribute to Walt and his dream of EPCOT. After Walt explains his plans for E.P.C.O.T. personally, you will see the 360° virtual view of the city. I hope you enjoy...
(For your viewing pleasure, be sure to pause the Disney Avenue Music Player located above prior to starting the video below if you are on a desktop computer.)
The photos used in today's article comes to us from the FANTASTIC website The Original EPCOT Project by
Sebastien Barthe. Sebastian's hard work really shines through as
seen from his elaborate articles. If you enjoyed what you've seen here, head on over
to The Original EPCOT Project and get lost in tons of material on Walt's original EPCOT project.
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Keith Michael Mahne is the owner and editor of Disney Avenue and the host of the Disney Avenue Podcast. He has made countless trips to the Walt Disney World resort since his first trip in 1989 at the age of four. Keith has a strong passion and respect for Walt Disney, the parks and resorts, and the men and women who help create them. He started Disney Avenue as a way to inform and entertain readers and to repay all those who make dreams come true every day.
You can find all of Keith's articles here.
Wow, this really touched my heart. If only Walt and us here at the Disney Company had 10 more years with him, his dream of EPCOT would be a reality today. I can only imagine what our communities would be like now-a-days because of him. We sure could use that same creative spirt today. Another fantastic article here on Disney Avenue. Thank you Keith!
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