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At opening in 1982, was EPCOT Center a "full day" park for you?
- Thread starter co10064
- Start date
Good grief yes it was “full day”. And then some.
The first year's attractions offered around 4 hours 50 minutes of pure show excluding queuing, loading and unloading. Being generous and averaging 10 minutes queue (it was usually more) for each main attraction would add another 2 1/2 hours. Again being generous and adding another hour minimum for browsing the Communicore exhibits, a half hour minimum each for Transcenter and Image works, and you have around 9 1/2 hours - without walking, without browsing the international pavilions, without shopping and without eating.
Also, as someone who also visited DMGM in its first year, it was a full day park.
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muddyrivers
Well-Known Member
I wasn't there in 1982 but just think about what was there. Martin did a great job detailing the amount of time that could be spent and most of the attractions at both EPCOT Center and MGM when they opened were "longer" attractions. The attractions ate up much more time than a lot of the attractions that exist today where you queue forever for a 3.5 minute ride. Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy. Those two rides alone were about an hour of actually being on board the attraction.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
It was so unique at the time it opened that you could get lost for days in it.
The fact it is not viewed as such now by many is an indictment of Disney not committing to keeping it that way and a more frivolous, disposable mentality by the customer base
The fact it is not viewed as such now by many is an indictment of Disney not committing to keeping it that way and a more frivolous, disposable mentality by the customer base
osian
Well-Known Member
I haven't cast a vote because I wasn't there in 1982, the first time for me was age 23 in 1989 with my sister & husband and two nieces 17 and 12. We spent most time at EPCOT and it certainly made the biggest impression on all of us. First fime to Disney, of course we had all thought MK was what it was all about, but EPCOT blew our minds. Not just a full day but you would need 2 or 3. Everything was so detailed and involved and epic. It appealed to all members of the family. Not just children and not just adults.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
We were young adults when we first visited Epcot in May 1983.
We got there for opening and stayed until about 7-8 pm.
This when (if I remember correctly) you could only buy alcohol at the restaurants. Definitely no Drinking Around The World for us!
We took our time to experience everything and rode our favorites a couple of times.
It was in May before schools got out for the summer, so wait times were pretty short.
Definitely no time-consuming table service restaurants for us! We were sleeping in a tent at a nearby campground and were very budget conscious.
My general impression was that Epcot felt a lot more educational than the Magic Kingdom, a little too much for young adults who liked roller coasters.
We got there for opening and stayed until about 7-8 pm.
This when (if I remember correctly) you could only buy alcohol at the restaurants. Definitely no Drinking Around The World for us!
We took our time to experience everything and rode our favorites a couple of times.
It was in May before schools got out for the summer, so wait times were pretty short.
Definitely no time-consuming table service restaurants for us! We were sleeping in a tent at a nearby campground and were very budget conscious.
My general impression was that Epcot felt a lot more educational than the Magic Kingdom, a little too much for young adults who liked roller coasters.
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I visited in 1982; it was definitely a full day park. As @ParentsOf4 stated, you could only buy alcohol in restaurants.
I remember my mother saying, "This is like the MK for grown-ups."
It was also a full day park as far as hours go. If things were crowded in the front of the park, you could go straight to WS and have breathing room. I remember my daughter & I (probably around 1985 or 1986) having breakfast with Mickey at the American Pavilion - just the 3 of us!
I remember my mother saying, "This is like the MK for grown-ups."
It was also a full day park as far as hours go. If things were crowded in the front of the park, you could go straight to WS and have breathing room. I remember my daughter & I (probably around 1985 or 1986) having breakfast with Mickey at the American Pavilion - just the 3 of us!
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
My yardstick was the World's Fairs I had been to so I spent two days just in Epcot the first time I went. The hands on stuff was what kept me interested coming from Chicago where it was a minimum of three days to do the complete Museum of Science and Industry which was packed with hands on edutainment. I did not "do" the whole park in those two days and enjoyed coming back for more as much had great repeatability
Guests were also able to park hop without paying extra for it - you got a stamp when exiting a park. So I would frequently spend the day at MK and head over to WS for dinner. You could make your dinner reservations day of, although many restaurants filled early.
They also had merchandise that was specific to an area. I still have a hammered brass, leather, and wood fireplace bellows that I purchased in Morocco - that was made in Morocco.
They also had merchandise that was specific to an area. I still have a hammered brass, leather, and wood fireplace bellows that I purchased in Morocco - that was made in Morocco.
Fsunolekrw
Active Member
As pretty much everyone has stated it was a full day park and then some. Especially to a young boy like myself at the time who was fascinated by science, technology, and space travel.
Every FW pavilion had an elaborate, detailed, technical marvel of a ride with exhibits at the end that captivated and inspired. Just a year later you got Horizons with the then mind blowing ability to pick your own ending to the ride. Then The Living Seas came along that really made you feel like you were in an underwater sea base. You really could not tell you were in a building on dry land.
Communicore had so many exhibits you could get lost for hours trying all of them. I could not tell you how many virtual roller coasters I built on those touch screen monitors. Actually pretty much everything we are most likely doing right now using this website from the palm of our hand was demonstrated although in their infancy in those attractions. The Communicore buildings themselves with their levels, elevation changes, nooks, and crannies to be explored fascinated the mind.
My only regret at the time was not appreciating the WS as I thought the countries were so boring and I remember telling my brother while leaving the park one day “they should just throw the WS away and build another FW.” Lucky for me though there have been changes to it, WS is still in essence as close to its original incarnation as anything on property and I have grown to appreciate the unique experience that it is.
Every FW pavilion had an elaborate, detailed, technical marvel of a ride with exhibits at the end that captivated and inspired. Just a year later you got Horizons with the then mind blowing ability to pick your own ending to the ride. Then The Living Seas came along that really made you feel like you were in an underwater sea base. You really could not tell you were in a building on dry land.
Communicore had so many exhibits you could get lost for hours trying all of them. I could not tell you how many virtual roller coasters I built on those touch screen monitors. Actually pretty much everything we are most likely doing right now using this website from the palm of our hand was demonstrated although in their infancy in those attractions. The Communicore buildings themselves with their levels, elevation changes, nooks, and crannies to be explored fascinated the mind.
My only regret at the time was not appreciating the WS as I thought the countries were so boring and I remember telling my brother while leaving the park one day “they should just throw the WS away and build another FW.” Lucky for me though there have been changes to it, WS is still in essence as close to its original incarnation as anything on property and I have grown to appreciate the unique experience that it is.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
I've known EPCOT since it was a construction site.
Was it a full day park in the summer of 1983, when I visited? Horizons wasn't there yet. The real, honest answer is that it was a full lifetime park. I didn't nor ever would I run out of things to see and do. For a thirteen year old boy there was no better place in the entire world. I stayed for three weeks and went home fighting and crying - yes, I would have sustained myself on roadkill and assorted berries and could sleep in a treehut and so just leave me here with my AP and see you next summer.
For the less smitten visitor, yes, also and easily a multiple day park. EPCOT is big. And never built out much from what was there within opening year. Mainly Morocco, Seas, WoL and Norway weren't there yet. Whereas much that was there disappeared over the years - for example, the real question is: 'was CommuniCore a full day experience?'
Energy had a large post-show exhibit. WoM the ride was longer and had a phenomenol post-show, complete with bird and robot show. Imagination was longer and had the superb Image works, both adding easily 45 minutes more Imagination pavilion time than today. All three pavilions also were infinitely more engrossing and re-doable than what came later.
WS had live entertainment, everywhere. And an upstairs Canada and even France - for everything that was added later, much was also lost. WS did feel a bit devoid of attractions. Just one more actual ride there is what I craved. Back then FW was the heart of EPCOT, WS the afterthought. For many visitors in the past two decades this appears to be the reverse.
EPCOT Center was different from the later park, that had a layer that was all about food booths, festivals, alcohol, cartoon characters, thrill rides. Back then there was none of that. But that didn't make it an empty park. Instead, the park could breathe. EPCOT was a spiritual experience, it didn't seek to make you escape the world through cartoon fantasy worlds or numbing the mind through thrill or intoxication, but to uplift the soul and show you the wonders and beauty of the world about you. A thrill only lasts a minute, intoxication an evening, but enchantment and wonder are without end.
Was it a full day park in the summer of 1983, when I visited? Horizons wasn't there yet. The real, honest answer is that it was a full lifetime park. I didn't nor ever would I run out of things to see and do. For a thirteen year old boy there was no better place in the entire world. I stayed for three weeks and went home fighting and crying - yes, I would have sustained myself on roadkill and assorted berries and could sleep in a treehut and so just leave me here with my AP and see you next summer.
For the less smitten visitor, yes, also and easily a multiple day park. EPCOT is big. And never built out much from what was there within opening year. Mainly Morocco, Seas, WoL and Norway weren't there yet. Whereas much that was there disappeared over the years - for example, the real question is: 'was CommuniCore a full day experience?'
Energy had a large post-show exhibit. WoM the ride was longer and had a phenomenol post-show, complete with bird and robot show. Imagination was longer and had the superb Image works, both adding easily 45 minutes more Imagination pavilion time than today. All three pavilions also were infinitely more engrossing and re-doable than what came later.
WS had live entertainment, everywhere. And an upstairs Canada and even France - for everything that was added later, much was also lost. WS did feel a bit devoid of attractions. Just one more actual ride there is what I craved. Back then FW was the heart of EPCOT, WS the afterthought. For many visitors in the past two decades this appears to be the reverse.
EPCOT Center was different from the later park, that had a layer that was all about food booths, festivals, alcohol, cartoon characters, thrill rides. Back then there was none of that. But that didn't make it an empty park. Instead, the park could breathe. EPCOT was a spiritual experience, it didn't seek to make you escape the world through cartoon fantasy worlds or numbing the mind through thrill or intoxication, but to uplift the soul and show you the wonders and beauty of the world about you. A thrill only lasts a minute, intoxication an evening, but enchantment and wonder are without end.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
The correct answer.
Agree 150%.
Everything about EPCOT Center back at that time inspired you for life.
I am living proof.
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Epcot81Fan
Well-Known Member
We’ve gone from this incredible sentiment to people exclaiming this to be “absolutely remarkable”. Just pathetic and sad.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
I went in 82 and it was amazing spent the entire day there.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
I was so young. I completely forgot about the stamps for park hoping. We did the same.... MK in the morning and go eat at China (Which was "exotic" for a kid from upstate NH in the 80s) or go eat at Italy and listen to the guy walking around playing the accordion
AdventureHasAName
Well-Known Member
My family went to EPCOT Center in the summer of 1983 and it was definitely a full day park. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, people spent a ridiculous amount of time at the post-show exhibits (and especially Communicore) mostly because they were featuring the latest technology. These Future World post-show exhibits were intended to be constantly updated; it was the design of the park. WDW stopped putting effort into these post-shows (for a variety of reasons - execs didn't understand the park was a series of museums, bean counters took over and were cheap, sponsorships dried up, technology outpaced the park, etc) and it seriously diminished the park's re-visit-ability for a lot of people.
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Worldlover71
Well-Known Member
We didn't go until 1986, at which point, for us at least, it was a two-full-day park. There was so much live entertainment in World Showcase you could spend a full day just watching it.