The television special EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration aired on CBS October 23, 1982 (the night before the park's official dedication). It was hosted by legendary actor-singer-comic Danny Kaye.
Epcot the first couple of years (when Figment arrived) was so gleaming and new and 80's. The colors all purple and orange and silver. All the rides and pavilions smelled like new carpet and fresh paint. The concrete what white at clean. And at the end of the day a freaking laser beam drew the continents spinning on Spaceship Earth. A stunning billion dollar park probably the first ever to blow past the billion dollar mark.
I first made it there in 1986. The times moved so quickly. It didn’t take 10 years before there was so much talk about it being outdated. I guess I’ve always wanted to go back and see it look like it did when it was new.
I remember fondly being hired on at Epcot in Feb of 1983. I was surprised to find that I had to shave my mustache to conform to the "Disney clean-cut look", (even though Walt had one). All of us new hires went through Disney "orientation ", this was to familiarize ourselves with the company "culture". (This was when Ron Miller was still in charge). During this time, the employees were treated like family. It was wonderful while it lasted. Things changed after the 1984 takeover by Saul Steinberg. The rumors at the time, were that the theme parks would be sold off and the film production would be kept. Very unsettling times. But all of us new hires were still excited about the new park. You have to remember, Epcot in 1982 was all run on 2 inch magnetic tape, 3-gun video projectors and 35mm film projection. These were exciting times for me, instead of one film projection room, I was in charge of an entire pavilion, Journey into Imagination, sponsored by Kodak! Those were the days when film was still king. Quite exciting for a 27 year old! I remember in the early days that a show would go down because of a "bin-loop jam". At the time, all of the shows would run on a 2 inch magnetic tape that would provide the synchronization time code, and the audio. These bin loops were 2 inch magnetic tape, captstan-drive and compressed air driven, quite state-of-the-art for it's day. But, they would occasionally bunch up, causing a disruption of the time-code, thus interrupting the show. All of the techs out in the field would have to respond and restart the show. I was amazed by all of the special effects in the Imagination pavilion. The Disney engineering division, "Imagineering" had an enormous talent for designing clever show elements for each of Epcot's pavilions. The best example was the Imagination pavilion. They employed, fiber optics, lasers, polarized light, pulsing strobes and many other optical illusions to create fantastic story elements. I have great memories of maintaining all of this marvelous effects. Those were great days, I remember them well.
Disney has lost its original purpose. With dollars rising and now extras that use to be included getting price tagged. It’s so sad. Walt wanted a place where everyone could visit and feel like a VIP corporate America has turned it into only the rich can visit. So sad
⚡🌐 or🧚🏻♀✨ 🏰❓...I was in Walt Disney World on the day EPCOT opened in 1982, 40 years ago today...My college friends and I, elected rather to visit the Magic Kingdom instead ...to avoid crowds...I've never regretted it...basically every ride in the Kingdom was a walk on...
I enjoyed this so much. I went to Epcot right after it opened in 1982 when I was 18. Later I worked at WDW as a switchboard operator. Danny Kaye is an amazing entertainer. RIP Mr. K..
I remember when Epcot opened I think they had just been constructing spaceship earth at that time, the park was quite different than than to be expected that's the way new things are , even now and tomorrow are new and old cause time passes on by, it waits for no one nobody can foresee what the future holds only the imagery of things to come , It is what Epcot is all about our future😅 indeed😅
I was born in 1985 so I can't talk about its initial opening, but I do miss the epcot of the late 80s and early 90s. Now it is becoming less and less about learning and the promise of tomorow as it is about cartoons and fun rides. Horizons and World of Motion have become mission space and test track: rides that lasted 15-20 minutes with little to no wait time because the cars never stopped are now rides where you learn nothing, and they are over in 5 minutes with average half hour to outrageous 3 hour wait times. Maelstrom, probably my favorite disney ride of all time, is now becoming a frozen ride, which is simply a cartoon, and while it is set in norway, it will just be another magic kingdom kiddie ride. They should have left Maelstrom alone and put frozen in magic kingdom or hollywood studios. Girls from my generation had to wait 20+ years for a little mermaid ride, but when frozen came out they just bulldozed the oldest thing they could find to cram it in wherever it fit. During the troll scene in Frozen, I felt this horrible sense of dread as I totally called, out loud, the fact they would tear down maelstrom. One of the most relaxing bits at Epcot was the backwards return journey on spaceship earth, but now they have that dumb touch screen glaring in your face with a game for you to play, WHILE ON A RIDE, as if we don't stare at a touch screen every other minute of our lives anyway. Even the relaxing boat ride in Mexico is now obnoxious with the three caballeros on permantent loop for 10 minutes. Also I feel like the sense of wonder and the promise of tommorow will never be the same at epcot, as technology advances so fast, its impossible to create attractions about them anymore. When I was young, the idea of face chat was unbelievable, and now i can do it on my phone and I don't because it is a waste of data and battery. Flying cars will never happen, homes don't look any different than they did in the 80s, home decor has backtracked as everyone builds all their furniture out of wooden pallets, and instead of all these awesome advances in vehicles, homes, and travel or even space travel, we get new iphones and fit bits every 25 minutes, and that's about it. Epcot is still my favorite park merely for nostalgia's sake, but I find that most of my favorite moments in Epcot can never be relived, except maybe the greenhouse ride in the Land, and the smell of the Spaceship Earth ride. I miss the old Epcot.
I was born in 1984, and I don't remember much about the 80's, but the 90's was exciting for me as a kid. I found out that I actually enjoy the Disney parks just recently.
@Peter Boykin Its not about what time period we're born in. Everyone in the 50s thought the same shit too. When the Gulf War and 9/11 happened, that signified the end of fun.
WOW!!!! I was there live for the grand opening and the tv special taping!!!! It was a remarkable time to be there. The park actually stayed open till 2am during those first two weeks!!! Cant believe how time flies. Seems like yesterday!!!!
I believe Disney Parks have underestimated the uniqueness of EPCOT. They're turning it into just another IP overload theme park. It was such a one off in what it offered and this line is sadly beung blurred and removed with the new updates. Disney once believed in its Imagineers now there is the perception that without characters they cannot sell it.
I 100 percent agree. The park today has lost all its charm and is actually less compelling. I don’t think it’s too late for Disney to fix this but I doubt they will. It’s really sad.
I was there during the opening of Epcot Center...My main location was in the Magic Kingdom at the Crystal Palace on main street, I was chosen to work extra shifts at the new theme park. so... I actually drove a golf cart around the park delivering coffee to the various television network news team/outlets that covered the opening celebration of the then newest Disney theme park Epcot Center... I happened to be at the Entrance as the first family entered.
I heard the pay wasn’t great working there..but..considering the incredible experience you had that you can hold onto and talk about your whole life...I’m guessing the pay was never the real reason you took the job... must have been a great time in your life.
I heard the pay wasn’t great working there..but..considering the incredible experience you had that you can hold onto and talk about your whole life...I’m guessing the pay was never the real reason you took the job... must have been a great time in your life.
This looks so cool. I know it keeps changing but the spirit of the Epcot center will always be there. In love with Danny Kaye because of my yearly tradition of watching White Xmas.
@@Drewskizzy She got really into drugs and stuff from a very young age, like she was an alcoholic by the time she was 9. She wrote a book about it, actually, called Little Girl Lost.
Being one of those guys in uniform at the 46:30 min point, it was a truly amazing event. The best of the best from around the world. And then, when there was a lighting issue, Danny Kaye entertained us by dropping his trousers to pink poka-dot undies, like a clown prepared for such an occasion. Once there was rain. Disney had prepared for the eventuality with a circus tent. As we waited with musical groups from dozens of nations we each took turns performing the real stuff for each other, not the national television stuff. It was great.
Thanks for uploading! I have this on video tape, but never got a chance to convert it! Fantastic program and Danny Kaye is awesome! Brought tears to my eyes! Thanks!!!
I was a teenager my self when I was at Epcot so I was young enough to see the fun in it but now At age 61 I see something more than fun it is about you and me and what we can do for the world in the near future this is truly the greatest part of life you can be a part of .Thank you WDW for now and tommorrow and forever😮😅
⚛⚡🌐 or🧚🏻♀✨ 🏰❓...I was in Walt Disney World on the day EPCOT opened in 1982, 40 years ago today...My college friends and I, elected rather to visit the Magic Kingdom instead ...to avoid crowds...I've never regretted it...basically every ride in the Kingdom was a walk on...
I am related to most of the people that hosted this show (Including Walt Disney) (except Drew Barrymore) and I am very sad of what Disney has done with EPCOT Center, 1982- Open and celebrating the EPCOT pavilions 1983- Open the best ride at Disney-Horizons 1990s- Destroy Horizons, Journey Into Imagination, Living Seas, Wonders of Life (except Body Wars and Cranium Command), Communcore and Innoventions, World of Motion, Universe of Energy and replace them with IP and other things that don’t even have to do with the future. As Walt would have said to us, “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day”. I believe that Disney should start to realize for what my relative (Walt) would be saying- that EPCOT is my Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow and that if may forever reflect on to the future, dedication of the park, and the understanding of mistakes. I love EPCOT Center forever.
36:16 the African pavilion (to open in one year) was apparently downsized... to a gift shop selling Drums. Whoops, luckily they got their own park in 1998.
I have to agree with you on this. Back when Epcot was first designed, instant communication around the world was still very expensive, inefficient, and frankly, scarce. Now that the internet has become such commonplace, where else do we go on the communication place? I can get that on my smartphone. Communication technologies is easy now. What's next?
I just rode the Journey into Imagination ride today and by the end of it I was using my imagination to think of all the things I would like to use to beat Figment to death with.
The dream of the future The dream of today and the dream of the past When the day was today And everyone loves this place Or everyone will And look over there There’s a big giant ball And look there some gum On the ground over there It looks like Big Red And the rockets red glare I once was in movies And now I do this Uh duh duh duh dum Merry Christmas to me
Danny Kaye (to Drew Barrymore): In the future my dear you will marry THIS man (Tom Green), show your naughty parts to THIS man (David Letterman) and play this love interest of THIS man (Adam Sandler) three times! (The Wedding Singer), (50 First Dates) (Blended).
The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates are easily some of adam sandler's better films. And I'm pretty sure that 'showing her jugulars' to David Letterman bit was pre-planned, he had a penchant for doing stunts like that. But yeah there is absolutely nothing that justifies marrying Tom Green, that one still baffles me any time I think about it.
never heard of Danny Kaye before but then again he died two years before I was born, and so thats what the real version of "this land" sounds like, I have only ever heard the Jibjab bush kerry version
Epcot needs a total visual update. It's starting to "feel" like cheesy worlds fair as oppose to an exciting exhibit of what's possible in the future. I understand technology is moving at a fast pace, so why not focus on how that technology can and will benefit us today. There is just so much potential. ...
Ruben R. Almost shocking how much has not changed since 1982... and with that song towards the beginning, sounds like the 21st century didn't begin in 2000, more like 1982 lol. Both Epcot and Studios are quite dated now.
future world needs to update maybe by just not having exhibits, but rather to have futuristic rides.. just like the harry potter ride is such a huge technological advancement.
Epcot is and always has been my favorite of the Disney parks, and it probably always will be. I'd love to have been able to see it when it was all fresh and new, but even in a state of change, the sense of discovery and optimism still permeates the place. It's different now, yes, but that doesn't make it any less great. That being said, the implication at around 6:00 that all of Walt Disney World is "Epcot" and this is only the center is BONKERS. Like, who are you FOOLING.
49:15, “Tomorrow, join Brent Musburger, Irv Cross, Phyllis George and Jimmy the Greek for all the news and pregame action on The NFL Today, followed by exciting NFL Doubleheader action with the Dallas Cowboys meeting the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers meeting the Minnesota Vikings, or other regional action. Now, stay tuned as Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn star in Mel Brooks’ ‘Blazing Saddles,’ the CBS Saturday Night Movie, next!”-CBS Staff Announcer Norman Stevens.
So was the editor for the opening number trolling Danny Kaye/ Disney with what they are cutting too? "The most thrilling site one could see": A Tree "The visions of yet to be" " cuts to Dinosaurs :With Fantasy you can touch" cuts to impoverished black people
It must have been a pain to time every opening shot with Danny so that a monorail was passing in the background... just saying, they only go by every few minutes.
Having had some time to think about it. Maybe they need to do a total re-think and retool on the Wonders of Life to anchor a new Future World...most of the huge advances in technology in the past decade have been in health sciences and it's something that interests people.
ecoRfan The theme behind Appalachian Spring of communality (much of the melodies are from Shaker hymns) really tied in well with the concept of the park. Not sure all of the special did, though haha
I wish Disney Plus had the entire Vault Disney collection, including the promos. I was upset when Disney decided to discontinued the evening block which was essentially for adults.
How would you fix Future World? The "problem" is that communication is so much faster than it was in 1982. What forward looking exhibits could you put in Future World that people haven't already seen on the internet? By the time the imagineers got finished with a Disney worthy exhibit of a new technology, it would already be appearing in people's homes. They need a *radical* rethink.
