Welcome to the-original-epcot.com

Walt Disney's original plans for EPCOT, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" in Florida with rare documents, photos and transcripts of this great project.

Today Walt Disney World in Florida is the most popular vacation destination in the world. Walt Disney World includes more than 20 resort hotels, 2 water parks, 1 night-time entertainment district and of course 4 theme parks: Magic Kingdom, opened in 1971, Epcot, opened in 1982, Hollywood Studios, opened in 1989 and Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.
Even if the original project of Walt Disney did include a Disneyland-like theme park (the Magic Kingdom as it was eventually called), the reason to build Walt Disney World was Epcot. But not Epcot as we know it today (a theme park), but Walt's Epcot, a one of kind project composed of several elements: a prototype community, an industrial park, an airport of the future and much much more... All these elements were imagined by Walt Disney and his staff with new and advanced designs and technologies. This project was conceived between 1962 and 1966 and was stopped after Walt Disney's death. Some elements did survive in the Walt Disney World resort as we know it today but so much more was planned. Unfortunately, the project has lost its main energy: Walt.

Recent Updates:
13. The Legacy: Epcot, the themepark
14. A commodified utopia (essay)
15. Epcot: living up to Walt's dream (essay)
20. Gallery IV: Walt Disney
22. Links

© 2002 - 2009 Sebastien Barthe.
Founding member of The Walt Disney Family Museum
Member of The Carolwood Historical Society