Epcot had a wild weekend, with quite a large chunk of Future World going behind walls so that the big redesign of the central area of the park can kick in to high gear. And though we’re still waiting on a timeframe for the closure of Spaceship Earth ( the last big piece of the Future World reimagining) to be announced in the meantime Disney has made some interesting changes at Epcot that will take effect very soon. If you’re planning on visiting in the park in the near future, here’s everything you need to know
1. Hours cut at several attractions
Though hours are being extended like crazy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom, it looks like things are tapering down at Epcot, as hours are being reduced at several attractions, the majority of which are in the World Showcase:
- All Kidcot locations will close at 8:00 PM, an hour before closing
- The final show for The American Adventure will now take place at 8:15 PM
- Awesome Planet will have its final show of the day an hour before closing at 8:00 PM
- Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along will now have its final show at 6:00 PM, with Impressions de France now taking over from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
- Canada Far and Wide will now have its last show at 8:00 PM
- Reflections of China will have its last show at 8:10 PM
2. Attraction availability reduced during Extra Magic Hours
In addition to all of the early closures listed above, several of the attractions listed above will no longer be included in evening Extra Magic Hours at Epcot beginning next week, including the following:
- The American Adventure
- Awesome Planet
- Canada Far and Wide
3. Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Live! to return this summer
Though there are a lot of cuts being made at Epcot, it looks like there’s at least one addition coming soon, as it has been confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live! will be returning to Epcot this summer. This show, which features Star-Lord and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy films taking guests on a musical journey through the cosmos featuring hits from Star-Lord’s Awesome Mix tapes, will debut just in time for the summer travel season (likely in June) and will run right up until The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is set to return in August.
4. Taste Track and Regal Eagle Smokehouse opening this week
Though quick service restaurant the Electric Umbrella served its last guest last week, Disney has confirmed that the Regal Eagle Smokehouse quick service restaurant at the American Adventure pavilion will be open sometime this week, and has been running the outdoor smoker intermittently over the weekend to get this restaurant ready for prime time.
In addition, the Taste Track kiosk will also reopen in Future World this week, serving sandwiches, french fries, and other fast fare. Some new pathways are currently being installed to help get guests to and from this reopened dining location, but we’re not sure if any additional seating will be installed near this kiosk.
