Though we’ve known about it for almost two years, it looks like, in addition to the 14 new additions coming to Epcot over the next 3 years, Disney is also redesigning the central hub of Future World to resemble something like this concept art, which was shared several years ago:
And though we noted that the image above has some notable structures missing, Disney had yet to confirm that they were moving forward with this redesign in recent months. However, news broke this week that the following locations will be closing at the end of the summer on September 8, 2019:
- Club Cool
- Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto meet and greet
- Joy and Sadness character meet and greet
- Baymax character meet and greet
- FountainView Starbucks
- Colortopia (Innoventions)
- UPDATE: Fountain of Nations
- UPDATE:Art of Disney
- UPDATE: Pin Central
The future of Club Cool
Shuffling Characters around
Image: Disney
In the wake of all these closures, Disney is making a few adjustments to its character lineup, including the following:
- Minnie Mouse will move to the World Showcase Gazebo
- Daisy Duck will move to the American Adventure
- Mickey and Goofy will meet temporarily in Innoventions West, but will have a permanent location in the Imagination Pavilion
- Winnie the Pooh is returning to the UK Pavilion
Sadly, even though a lot of characters are moving to new areas, it looks like September 8th may be the end of the line for Joy, Sadness and Baymax, who have not been relocated yet.
Temporary Starbucks location coming to the Epcot Experience Center
Image: Disney
Construction has already begun inside the former Odyssey building which is turning into the Epcot Experience Center, opening this fall. And it looks like Disney will be using the quick service counter space inside this location as a pop-up Starbucks for guests who are looking to get their premium coffee fix while Epcot is undergoing its transformation.
The Future of MouseGear
Image: Disney
Though in the original concept art the MouseGear building is missing, it looks like Disney is doing something a little different with this structure, closing it for an extensive refurbishment later this year. While this store is closed a pop-up shop at Epcot will be available for guests wanting to shop in this part of Future World. There is no current timeframe for the refurbishment, but it is expected to last quite a while and include an extensive overhaul of the inside of the shop.
Though there are definitely a lot of closures happening right now at Epcot, there are a lot of new things opening at the same time as well, with Disney really ramping up their plans for this park’s reinvention as we move closer to the 2021 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World.
