Partly for morale and PR purposes, and partly because we were proud of it, a tremendous amount of memorabilia was generated during the construction and opening of Epcot. Here is some of the best. Artwork (c) Disney.
Epcot Memorabilia
The license plates were issued starting in about 1980 to build anticipation for the Epcot opening.As if we weren’t busy enough, for several weeks running we got up at 4:30 in the morning and went to the Magic Kingdom to compete in the annual canoeing contest. We won a golden oar for coming in second. Since we were working in the American Adventure Pit, and rowing is called “crew”, we called our rowing team “The Pit Crew”.This cartoon was posted outside Linda’s office for several years. It summed up the attitude of the engineers of Department 510 (Electronic Engineering) toward Epcot. The average age of the engineers was probably something like 25. It was a tremendous responsibility for a bunch of kids.To boost morale, Miller Andress, head of Resident Engineering, organized a “Casino Night” at a local hotel. This was the currency of the evening. I cleaned up. Too bad it wasn’t real money.Everyone knows that building Epcot was a lot of work, but it’s easy to forget just how much. This memo from Glenn Birket to the American Adventure crew lays out everyone’s shifts: 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. The most amazing thing is that it was just business as usual.The first time Epcot opened was a preview held for construction workers and their families, on September 8, 1982. Six whole attractions were operating by that day. Four of them were Linda’s: China, France, Canada and World of Motion.Epcot also opened for previews the last week of September.A bronze commemorative paperweight replica of an opening day ticket, serialized. I wonder if this would work in their new card readers?The American Adventure “official” opening ceremony was October 11, 1982. The attraction had been limping along since the last week of September. Every night we struggled to improve and fix the system. I missed the opening day ceremonies because I spent the night in the pit trying to keep the hydraulic oil warm.The ticket to the “Spaceship Earth Gala”, a private black tie, grand opening celebration.
Building a Better Mouse
The Story of the Electronic Imagineers Who Built EPCOT — Steve Alcorn and David Green were there, as employees of Disney’s WED Imagineering. This 40th anniversary edition tells the tale of what it was like to be in the trenches.
Leading up to opening on October 1, 1982, WED issued calendars each month with construction or conceptual pictures on them. Artwork (c) Disney.
January 1982 – This calendar was the first one. It has an embossed Epcot logo on it which you can’t see.February 1982 – “We Are Doing It”. WED also issued “We Can Do It” bumper stickers, but they were quickly cut apart and rearranged to read “WED did it to me”.March 1982 – Spaceship Earth’s framework reflected in the mirrored tiles of the Energy pavilion.April 1982 – More of the “We Are Doing It”, this time with visual proof. Years later I was contacted by the son of the man who drew this picture. He claimed WED didn’t actually have the rights to use it.May 1982 – The clock is ticking.June 1982July 1982 – The American Adventure, of course.August 1982September 1982October 1982 – We Did It!December 1982 – The emphasis changes to Tokyo Disneyland, opening April 1983.January 1983 – The last one I have.
Theme Park Design
Behind the Scenes with an Engineer — Have you ever gone to a theme park and wondered, “How did they do that?” This book reveals the secrets behind some of the world’s greatest attractions.
RetroMagic 2023, Convention at Disney’s Yacht Club celebrating Epcot’s 41st birthdayThey recreated Imagination’s Neon Corridor with LEDs – much easier to control!Download the Official RetroMagic 2023 Event Guide (PDF)
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