Walt Disney’s original vision for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow – a real, working futuristic city – died with him in 1966. Still, the Epcot that dideventually emerge was still something pretty special – a combination of a theme park and a permanent World’s Fair that has entertained tens of millions of guests since its debut in 1982. Some of the structures and attractions in Epcot are mind-blowing in their scale and scope. Next time you visit the park, memorise these 20 fun facts to impress your friends and family with your knowledge!
20. Big…but not that big
Epcot sprawls across a massive 300 acres, making it almost three times as large as the Magic Kingdom. Despite this, it’s still not the largest theme park at Walt Disney World – that crown is taken by Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
19. The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower that stands over the France Pavilion was built at approximately 1/10 scale of the original, stretching 103feet into the air. The tower is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, to make it look taller than it actually is. A bird landing on top of it would ruin the illusion, so Disney uses natural bird deterrents to scare them away.
18. The giant golf ball
The iconic Spaceship Earth weighs some 16 million pounds, with its outer skin being made up of 11,324aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.
17. Bone dry
Stand under Spaceship Earth when it is raining, and you won’t get wet. The structure boasts a special drainage system designed to collect rainwater, funnel it through the support structure and let it eventually run off into the park’s lagoon.
16. Bring your walking boots
If you walk around the entire World Showcase lagoon, from Mexico to Canada, you’ve covered a distance of some 1.25 miles.
15. False heights
Image: Disney
The USA Pavilion is 5 stories tall, but enormous doors and windows are used to make it appear only 3 stories tall. The façade was created using 110,000 bricks handmade from Georgia red clay – each of which was aged to look authentic
Meanwhile, the Hotel du Canada in the Canada Pavilion is only 3 stories tall. To make it look larger, Imagineers added 5 stories of windows.
14. A lot of dirt
To build the park, some 54 millioncubic feet of dirt was excavated. Unlike at the Magic Kingdom, the park does not feature an extensive network of underground tunnels – instead, Cast Members can move around backstage via roads that run around the perimeter of the park.
13. A powerful fountain
The fountains in the Innoventions Plaza are based in a 180×120 foot oval. The fountains themselves are controlled by computers, which send 30,000 gallons of water down its walls every single minute. A total of 108,000 gallons of water circulate through the fountain system. The fountains were refurbished in 1993, and are able to shoot water up to 150 feet into the air. If all of the shooters were fired at once, some 2,000gallons of water would be propelled into the air.
12. Soarin’ overhead
The innovative hang-glider-style system employed by Soarin’ lifts riders’ seats into the air using a cantilever system, leaving their legs dangling freely beneath them. Some 37 tons are lifted in this way during each ride cycle, with 1 million pounds of steel supporting the ride structure.
11. Longest and fastest
Test Track’s circuit is 4,286 feet long, making it the longest ride and Walt Disney World. It is also the fastest, with the finale seeing the cars hit a top speed of 65 miles per hour.
10. Bring in the harvest
The plants in the Land Pavilion are not just for show. More than 30tons of fruits and vegetables grown in the pavilion are served at Walt Disney World restaurants every year.
9. A record-holder
A tomato tree in the Land Pavilion, which is visible from the Living with the Land boat ride, holds a Guiness World Record for a one-year yield of an amazing 32,000 tomatoes, with a total weight of 1,151 pounds.
8. A lot of water
The aquarium in the Seas with Nemo and Friends is filled with 5.7 million gallons of saltwater. Guests look into via 56 giant windows. The recipe for the artificial saltwater called for 27truckloads of common table salt.
7. A long way around
The sprawling World Showcase lagoon spans some 40acres.
6. The mosaic
The mosaic surrounding the entrance to The Land Pavilion spans 3,000 square feet. It features 150,000 tiles made in 131 colors, and took 3 monthsto install.
5. Not so solid
The marble statues in the Italy Pavilion are really hollow. Rods run through the center of them to keep them in place.
4. Bratwurst aplenty
Image: Disney
Every 60 days, the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion serves up 26.2 miles(a marathon’s worth) of bratwurst.
3. Swimming in food and drink
The annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival sees more than 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne being uncorked, 1.2 million hors d’oeuvre plates being served and 100,000 miniature desserts being devoured.
2. Lighting up World Showcase
To light up the pavilions in World Showcase during the nightly Illuminations: Reflections of Earth show, more than 26,000 feet of lights are used.
1. The Earth Globe
The Earth Globe that acts as the centerpiece of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth has a diameter of 28 feet and weight 350,000 pounds. The Inferno Barge used by the show can send balls of fire soaring 40 to 60 feet into the air from 37 nozzles, and uses 400 gallons of propane every night. Some 2,8000 fireworks shells are fired during each show.
