How much of the original Epcot was paid for by sponsors?

[MK-fan]

Very curious about how the park came to be. I know it was a massive park and very expensive. Did each country in World Showcase have to pay for their plot of land? Did each Future World Pavillon sponsor have to pay for their attraction in full or partial?

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

I don’t know much on this subject, but something interesting to note is that most pavilions were sponsored by a brand rather than a country. For instance, the Japan pavilion was sponsored by a department store in Japan called “Mitsukoshi”. Hence why their store is the retail location at the pavilion. They seem to have gotten a decent return on investment…

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

Very curious about how the park came to be. I know it was a massive park and very expensive. Did each country in World Showcase have to pay for their plot of land? Did each Future World Pavillon sponsor have to pay for their attraction in full or partial?

This should should answer most of you base-level questions: https://www.themeparktourist.com/fe...owcase-hasnt-changed-decades-heres-why?page=3

 

[Goofyernmost]

I really cannot think of many in EPCOT Ctr. that weren't, at the very least, heavily sponsored. The only one I don't seem to remember at all is "The Seas". Even that might have been, I just don't remember who it might have been. At the time, I don't think Disney had any intention to finance the project on their own, nor the ability. EPCOT was an example of lucky timing. Just a few years later the internet sprouted making that expensive promotional option quite a bit less attractive or even possible.

 

[AndyS2992]

I really cannot think of many in EPCOT Ctr. that weren't, at the very least, heavily sponsored. The only one I don't seem to remember at all is "The Seas". Even that might have been, I just don't remember who it might have been. At the time, I don't think Disney had any intention to finance the project on their own, nor the ability. EPCOT was an example of lucky timing. Just a few years later the internet sprouted making that expensive promotional option quite a bit less attractive.

United Technologies sponsored the Living Seas from opening until 1998.

 

[FettFan]

Very curious about how the park came to be. I know it was a massive park and very expensive. Did each country in World Showcase have to pay for their plot of land? Did each Future World Pavillon sponsor have to pay for their attraction in full or partial?

Almost all of it.
Spaceship Earth (and Communicore?) sponsored by Bell System.
Living Seas was United Technologies
The Land was Kraft Foods
Imagination was Kodak
World of Motion was GM
Horizons was General Electric
Universe of Energy was Exxon

World Showcase was sponsored by corporations and consortiums from each country…hence why Maelstrom’s finale featured an an offshore drilling platform, as it was sponsored by a group of Norwegian oil companies. This is also why so much of Japan is dominated by the Mitsukoshi department store.

The only country I know of that was directly sponsored by their home government was Morocco, paid for by the Moroccan royal family until 2020.

 

[JoeCamel]

Almost all of it.
Spaceship Earth (and Communicore?) sponsored by Bell System.
Living Seas was United Technologies
The Land was Kraft Foods
Imagination was Kodak
World of Motion was GM
Horizons was General Electric
Universe of Energy was Exxon

World Showcase was sponsored by corporations and consortiums from each country…hence why Maelstrom’s finale featured an an offshore drilling platform, as it was sponsored by a group of Norwegian oil companies. This is also why so much of Japan is dominated by the Mitsukoshi department store.

The only country I know of that was directly sponsored by their home government was Morocco, paid for by the Moroccan royal family until 2020.

Very much in keeping with the "world's fair" model that was very popular through the 20th century

 

[Goofyernmost]

Very much in keeping with the "world's fair" model that was very popular through the 20th century

The internet killed the World Fair's, but no one created a song about it. I loved the Worlds fairs even though I only got to go to two of them Montreal Expo 67 and Osaka, Japan 1970. By the time the next one came around I was married and subsequently broke. No more travel for a decade. At that time we had a brand new EPCOT so it kind of made up for it. Any subsequent fairs were still not in our price range to go too. I lived only 65 miles from Expo 67 and went to Osaka on R&R from Vietnam.

 

[Ayla]

The internet killed the World Fair's, but no one created a song about it. I loved the Worlds fairs even though I only got to go to two of them Montreal Expo 67 and Osaka, Japan 1970. By the time the next one came around I was married and subsequently broke. No more travel for a decade. At that time we had a brand new EPCOT so it kind of made up for it. Any subsequent fairs were still not in our price range to go too. I lived only 65 miles from Expo 67 and went to Osaka on R&R from Vietnam.

You better tell the countries across the globe that continue to host them every year.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You better tell the countries across the globe that continue to host them every year.

I don't live across the globe nor do I have enough incentive to travel to them. If they were so good, like before, one would hear about them all the time. They are pretty much a localized event now and if one happens to be close then one goes if not they don't. The last one I even heard about was in New Orleans and that was a long time ago. (and close to 2000 miles away from where I lived at the time) There might have been one every other week for all I know, but if so they weren't very well promoted. My point is that they had a real purpose back 50 years ago before we all got connected electronically, now, not so much and I'm sure not the spectacular events they were back then.

 

[Ayla]

I don't live across the globe nor do I have enough incentive to travel to them. If they were so good, like before, one would hear about them all the time. They are pretty much a localized event now and if one happens to be close then one goes if not they don't. The last one I even heard about was in New Orleans and that was a long time ago. (and close to 2000 miles away from where I lived at the time) There might have been one every other week for all I know, but if so they weren't very well promoted. My point is that they had a real purpose back 50 years ago before we all got connected electronically, now, not so much and I'm sure not the spectacular events they were back then.

Ah, so because you haven't heard about them, they cease to exist. Got it.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

Ah, so because you haven't heard about them, they cease to exist. Got it.

He never said they don’t exist any more, just that they are not a big event any more. The Worlds Fair used to be a MAJOR event, and nearly every news channel would cover it, everyone was talking about, everyone wanted to travel to it, etc. It is no longer that big of a deal.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Ah, so because you haven't heard about them, they cease to exist. Got it.

Thanks for leaping to conclusions. I said that I haven't seen them or heard of them but back in their heyday, everyone knew about them wherever they were. All I am saying is that they could still exist but they are just not the draw that they once were, not necessarily for the loss of public willingness, but for companies and countries to invest that much to get their name out when they can do it a whole lot cheaper via the Internet. That would be why all of those adds pop up on random websites. I'm also not sure why you are insisting on making this a argument. I expressed my experience that isn't up for debate. If you still attend them and know about them good on you. And with that I am out.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Very curious about how the park came to be. I know it was a massive park and very expensive. Did each country in World Showcase have to pay for their plot of land? Did each Future World Pavillon sponsor have to pay for their attraction in full or partial?

If you can find them…PROJECT FUTURE and MARRIED TO THE MOUSE are excellent books that provide alot of Epcot insight

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Thanks for leaping to conclusions. I said that I haven't seen them or heard of them but back in their heyday, everyone knew about them wherever they were. All I am saying is that they could still exist but they are just not the draw that they once were, not necessarily for the loss of public willingness, but for companies and countries to invest that much to get their name out when they can do it a whole lot cheaper via the Internet. That would be why all of those adds pop up on random websites. I'm also not sure why you are insisting on making this a argument. I expressed my experience that isn't up for debate. If you still attend them and know about them good on you. And with that I am out.

The internet really killed the sponsorship model.
It took the “mystery”
Out of a lot Epcot had to offer. No awe factor when everything is available in 2 seconds to see.

 

[ChrisFL]

That was the irony, EPCOT Center was the first place many of us saw what would become "the internet".

 

[Goofyernmost]

That was the irony, EPCOT Center was the first place many of us saw what would become "the internet".

That's why I am happy that they built EPCOT when they did. Just before and as the technological age bloomed. It was as fancy as it was because Disney has always been good at spending other peoples money. Tokyo Disneyland is a prime example.

 

[esskay]

Out of curiosity, who (if anyone) sponsored Mexico? I don't recall ever seeing any brand sponsor there.

 

[MK-fan]

The Mexico pavilion was sponsored by Montezuma Brewing.