Epcot's 40th Anniversary

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
by "food" you mean a painted white chocolate sliver on a cupcake?
When you set the bar low, you can rarely be disappointed. 😉 Insidious would be to release a popcorn bucket that day just to keep lots of people occupied and unaware of the disappointment.
 

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
Very true.

Anyways, I'll be there. Ready to take various weirdos (fans) up to the Imagination lounge. Kind of like Epcot 37.

Hoping some friends make unnanounced appearances. Would like to say hi again!

Hope you enjoy. It's been over a year since I've been to the parks, and really don't go on property much at all any more. And, no intent of giving them ticket or pass money. But, I'll be there with you in spirit!
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
This really is going to be Epcot 25 all over again, isn't it?

Actually, that would be quite nice!

Disney didn't plan on doing anything to honor the Parks' 25th until a certain purple dragon ( cough....not naming names...) decided to rally the fans here on this very forum.
Our little group grew into a certified fan movement, and snowballed into a major 'uprising' that changed history.
Disney did a complete turnaround...and it was a great day.
Anyone who was there October 1st 2007 knows what I'm talking about.
The fans banding together truly made it happen.

Still remember Marty Sklar shaking my hand that day and saying : "Thanks for kicking them ( Disney ) in the *** to get going on this"...!

Did I not already suggest earlier in this thread that ya'all need to just show up and make your own celebration?
Hop to it, people!

-
 

trainplane3

Well-Known Member
Actually, that would be quite nice!

Disney didn't plan on doing anything to honor the Parks' 25th until a certain purple dragon ( cough....not naming names...) decided to rally the fans here on this very forum.
Our little group grew into a certified fan movement, and snowballed into a major 'uprising' that changed history.
Disney did a complete turnaround...and it was a great day.
Anyone who was there October 1st 2007 knows what I'm talking about.
The fans banding together truly made it happen.

Still remember Marty Sklar shaking my hand that day and saying : "Thanks for kicking them ( Disney ) in the *** to get going on this"...!

Did I not already suggest earlier in this thread that ya'all need to just show up and make your own celebration?
Hop to it, people!

-
It's more of a "company should know better" but then you look at the absolute disaster of the 50th and well...yeesh. You and I both know there are people that truly care inside the company but sadly they get buried below the decision makers.

I know it'll still be fun regardless of how much of a flop it is. The fans will make it fun.

I'll sure we'll get lots of Instagram pictures from Zach on that day while he's buried with plaid shirts because why'd they let ranking executives just mingle with regular guests.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
It's more of a "company should know better" but then you look at the absolute disaster of the 50th and well...yeesh. You and I both know there are people that truly care inside the company but sadly they get buried below the decision makers.

I know it'll still be fun regardless of how much of a flop it is. The fans will make it fun.

I'll sure we'll get lots of Instagram pictures from Zach on that day while he's buried with plaid shirts because why'd they let ranking executives just mingle with regular guests.

Oh I bet the platitudes from THEZach will plentiful and flowing that day. He'll even wear an authentic retro reprint t-shirt to show how he gets it! :rolleyes:

Personally, and I'm not alone on this, I'd prefer the company did nothing that day. They've already shown they can't stand the park and want to continue its descent into MK 2.0, why desecrate it further with some fake ceremony and PR-approved speech?
 

hopemax

Well-Known Member
Today was the first day of the yearly Epcot Pin event. They had previews of some Epcot 40th anniversary pins. Disney Pins Blog had a video of all the pins, but the Epcot 40th stuff is at the 4:10 mark. There will be a set of pavilion pins and the map is indicative of a new Tiny Kingdom type set.

 

Figment82

Well-Known Member
Actually, that would be quite nice!

Disney didn't plan on doing anything to honor the Parks' 25th until a certain purple dragon ( cough....not naming names...) decided to rally the fans here on this very forum.
Our little group grew into a certified fan movement, and snowballed into a major 'uprising' that changed history.
Disney did a complete turnaround...and it was a great day.
Anyone who was there October 1st 2007 knows what I'm talking about.
The fans banding together truly made it happen.

Still remember Marty Sklar shaking my hand that day and saying : "Thanks for kicking them ( Disney ) in the *** to get going on this"...!

Did I not already suggest earlier in this thread that ya'all need to just show up and make your own celebration?
Hop to it, people!

-
My mom and I still refer to the 25th as our favorite Disney memory, and just one of our best days ever. We were one of the first to arrive at the park that morning, and were amongst the “Inferno Barge Burn-Off Sing-Along” group to be escorted out well after closing. It was a long, but absolutely fantastic day, regardless of the Disney executive team’s level of involvement/commitment. 😉
 

DreamfinderGuy

Well-Known Member
Today was the first day of the yearly Epcot Pin event. They had previews of some Epcot 40th anniversary pins. Disney Pins Blog had a video of all the pins, but the Epcot 40th stuff is at the 4:10 mark. There will be a set of pavilion pins and the map is indicative of a new Tiny Kingdom type set.


Wow these are…not great. Just what we needed for the 40th, pins that have less to do with EPCOT than they do with whatever IP is in front. These look like they could be open edition pins on shelves for the next decade, not something to be attached to an anniversary. Hopefully this isn’t it.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
My mom and I still refer to the 25th as our favorite Disney memory, and just one of our best days ever. We were one of the first to arrive at the park that morning, and were amongst the “Inferno Barge Burn-Off Sing-Along” group to be escorted out well after closing. It was a long, but absolutely fantastic day, regardless of the Disney executive team’s level of involvement/commitment. 😉
Fantastic.
Thank you for sharing this.

Yes, it was a awesome day despite the heavy periods of rain later on ( 'The Deluge"...! )

Walking out of the Park around midnight with those that remained until the absolute very end of everything will always be one of my favorite memories of the evening.
Singing the old Pavilion theme songs as we walked around World Showcase and then Future World was terrific.
Third Shift Cast who were busy doing landscaping duties that night were rather entertained and some maybe confused....ha ha!

Another good one :
Watching our own @marni1971 be the very last Guest to exit the Park that evening.
Yes, that was memorable too!
:)

-
 

Figment82

Well-Known Member
Fantastic.
Thank you for sharing this.

Yes, it was a awesome day despite the heavy periods of rain later on ( 'The Deluge"...! )

Walking out of the Park around midnight with those that remained until the absolute very end of everything will always be one of my favorite memories of the evening.
Singing the old Pavilion theme songs as we walked around World Showcase and then Future World was terrific.
Third Shift Cast who were busy doing landscaping duties that night were rather entertained and some maybe confused....ha ha!

Another good one :
Watching our own @marni1971 be the very last Guest to exit the Park that evening.
Yes, that was memorable too!
:)

-
Oh gosh, the deluge - I think we were around the African Outpost when it started? “Do you feel raindrops?” *Floodgates from above pour down instantly* 😂

I feel like I might have been one of the ones to plant the idea early on in the planning stages of sticking around for the burn-off, I remember feeling so bad when the team had such a delay in getting the equipment off of the lagoon. But we had received permission to stay, and surprisingly, the events team stayed true to their word! So much crazy fun!

I still have my homemade SSE ear hat too, might need to make a new one for the 40th. 😊
 

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
Ditto

Nothing is going to take place of any significance.
Nothing.

If Disney can't get off its duff to do something significant on the day Magic Kingdom and the entire WDW property turned 50, there is no way in Hades' heck that anything meaningful will be done for Epcot's 40th.

Expect merchandise only.
And official Disney Blog posts.

After experiencing October 1st at MK last week for myself in person...it is clearer to me now then ever before that those two elements are all that really matter to the company now.
And yes, it is very sad indeed.

BUT......

Having said all that......

There is nothing stopping us fans from just showing up in the Park on Epcot's 40th and celebrating the day ourselves.
I said the same thing in 2007, when Disney was planning nothing for the 25th.....and look what happened!
We rallied the fans HERE on this very website, thanks to a thread that I began, and it snowballed into a major movement that changed history.
Disney did a complete turnaround.
Epcot's 25th Annivesary was made to become more then just a few paper giveaways and limited edition merch.
WE made it happen, and 'WE DID IT'!
Now it's your turn....

:)

-
It seems.like that was.not so long ago. I have fond memories of that thread, and my husband thinking I was a wacko for joining in an online community / event. What a great day it was.

I refuse to believe that was almost 15 years ago. 😲
 

Figment82

Well-Known Member
It seems.like that was.not so long ago. I have fond memories of that thread, and my husband thinking I was a wacko for joining in an online community / event. What a great day it was.

I refuse to believe that was almost 15 years ago. 😲
Right?! That original planning thread was my reason for joining these boards. I hadn’t yet met my husband at that point, but he would have thought I was a wacko too. 😂 Thankfully my mom was totally game for all the crazy fun.

I also don’t want to believe it’s been 15 years - where has the time gone?
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
It seems.like that was.not so long ago. I have fond memories of that thread, and my husband thinking I was a wacko for joining in an online community / event. What a great day it was.

I refuse to believe that was almost 15 years ago. 😲
That thread is still here!
I began it February 2, 2007.
The day after Tony Baxter's Birthday.
:)

We had well over 1600+ people 'register' in advance for our '25th' gathering of forces.
Many more joined us, including former / current Cast, Disney celebrities, and even a couple of famous folks who actually had a hand in creating the Park.

Disney doing a complete turnaround after they realized what a huge thing this was becoming a few months before it was to take place was fantastic.
Especially after they had decided earlier that year to basically ignore the anniversary, and had no plans.
It had never been done before on that scale at the time....a 'bunch of fans' turning
things completely around.
It was awesome...and it all started here with one post to rally the troops.

As the old WED / WDI slogan said on Opening Day :
" WE DID IT!"

ALL of us did, who were there that day.
✨
-
 
Last edited:

Tiggerish

Resident Redhead
Premium Member
That thread is still here!
I began it February 2nd, 2007.
The day after Tony Baxter's Birthday.
:)

We had well over 1600+ people 'register' in advance for our '25th' gathering of forces.
Many more joined us, including former / current Cast, Disney celebrities, and even a couple of famous folks who actually had a hand in creating the Park.

Disney doing a complete turnaround after they realized what a huge thing this was becoming a few months before it was to take place was fantastic.
Especially after they had decided earlier that year to basically ignore the anniversary, and had no plans.
It had never been done before on that scale at the time....a 'bunch of fans' turning
things completely around.
It was awesome...and it all started here with one post to rally the troops.

As the old WED / WDI slogan said on Opening Day :
" WE DID IT!"

ALL of us did, who were there that day.
✨
-
I remember it all very well.

Stupidly, I missed the WDWMagic group photo because I was attending a F&W seminar on Bellinis. :rolleyes: But I attended the ceremony at the Fountain of Nations, and at least the group "ride" at American Adventure. I met so many great people that day, including @wannabeBelle and "the big guy" @marni1971.

Sadly cannot be onsite October 1 this year, but will hope that you all will carry the torch and remind TWDC (or whatever corporate entity is now in charge) that they should recognize, remember, and salute the past.
 

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