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18 May 2005: Crowd flow through the new-look Land pavilion
The previous layout of the Land suffered from a lot of guest congestion, as the open seating area cluttered provided no obvious walkway from one side of the pavilion to the other. The new Land layout however, appears to be handling the flow of traffic through the pavilion very well. As can be seen from the photos below, the restaurant seating which is segmented, allows a clear path for guests to travel from the escalators to Soarin and Living with the Land. The true test of course will be in the peak periods of the year. (Thanks to ScottJ for the photos)
5 May 2005: Officially open!
23 April 2005: Operational update
The Land pavilion, Soarin', Living with the Land, Circle of Life
will be from 9am-7pm from 24th April.
Sunshine Seasons food court opens on Friday 29th April.
Behind the Seeds tour opens Friday 29th April, 9:45am to 4:30pm;
every 45 minutes.
The Land Kidcot Funstop opens 9am-7pm daily.
17 April 2005: Sunshine Seasons menu details
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Hungry Walt Disney World guests at the
new Soarin' attraction have a brand-new venue for dining in The Land
pavilion at Epcot. Sunshine Seasons, in the giant atrium of the
pavilion, has a new look and a new "fast casual" menu.
Four shops offer a diverse selection of fresh eats, explained Chef
Michael LaDuke, executive chef for Epcot. "We're taking fast-casual
cuisine to the next level," he said. "There is no fried food or
pizza, no burgers -- everything is prepared as you watch. It's
designed to excite the senses."
The décor has been re-imagined, with -- fittingly for The Land --
colors and textures inspired by nature and Earth's natural
environments. The center of the space is an abstract representation
of sky with blue background and long golden sweeps of sunshine. Five
balloons are suspended in the atrium, four to represent the four
seasons, the fifth balloon in the center representing Earth. Large
green abstract tree trunks reach up the building's columns.
Wood-Fired Grill Shop
Wood-fired grills and rotisseries are center stage with fresh
vegetables inspired by autumn. Hearty, earthy flavors include
rotisserie chicken on wild green tabbouleh with tzatziki
(cucumber-yogurt sauce) and grilled flatbread; rotisserie beef
chimichurri with wild green tabbouleh and grilled flatbread, and
wood-grilled Atlantic salmon with mashed potatoes and kalamata olive
pesto.
Sandwich Shop
Made-to-order sandwiches are served on artisan breads inspired by
baking traditions of the winter months. Sandwich choices include
grilled vegetable Cuban, Black Forest ham and salami grinder with
arugula on ciabatta, and smoked turkey and Munster on Asiago
foccacia with spring greens.
Asian Shop
Wrapped around a 6-foot-long Mongolian barbecue and wok station,
this area serves noodle bowls and stir-fries inspired by crisp,
spicy flavors of summertime. Dishes are light, healthy and flavorful,
like spicy Mongolian stir-fry beef with Asian vegetables; tofu
noodle bowl with lime ginger broth, and a garlic-chile noodle bowl
with chicken.
Soup/Salad Shop
Inspired by the abundance of growth and the celebration of the
spring, fresh salads are prepared on stage. Distinct flavor
combinations include seared tuna on mixed greens with sesame
rice-wine vinaigrette; roasted beet and goat cheese salad with
cilantro-lime vinaigrette, and grilled chicken and rocket salad with
pumpkin seed vinaigrette.
"You will smell the grill and the wood, see the vibrant salads and
fresh pastries, hear the sizzle of the wok -- the senses are all
engaged," said LaDuke.
16 April 2005: The making of Soarin' - facts and info
Location: Epcot, The Land presented by Nestlé USA
Area of attraction: 59,895 square feet (includes ticketing
area, Great Hall, skyway, Concourses 1 and 2, gate areas and two
flight theaters)
Great Hall: Before boarding, guests pass through the Great
Hall where five of Earth's biomes are depicted in 20-foot-wide
panoramas, along with interesting facts and quizzes displayed on
large flat-screen monitors. The featured environments are: polar
ecosystem, mountain ecosystem, desert ecosystem, rain forest
ecosystem, temperate (deciduous) forest ecosystem.
Flight experience: A breathtaking glide over the majestic and
diverse natural wonders of California
Duration of ride: The Soarin' experience, including
pre-flight briefing, is ten minutes. The Soarin' flight lasts
approximately five minutes.
Locations featured: San Francisco, Monterey Coast, Yosemite
National Park, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs, San Diego,
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Los Angeles, Malibu and Disneyland
in Anaheim
Scents experienced: Orange blossoms, pine forests and ocean
spray
Music: Orchestral musical score created by renowned film and
television composer Jerry Goldsmith ("Mulan," "Air Force One," "Star
Trek: First Contact")
Projection system: IMAX projection system, with high-speed
(48fps) high definition Omni-max film projectors (twice the speed of
normal motion picture film)
Size of projection screen dome: 80-foot diameter
Ride system: Walt Disney Imagineering-developed motion-based
technology, the original ride inception was based on an erector set
model created by Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel
provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride
cycle.
Height guests are lifted into screen: 40 feet
Total number of guests per each ride cycle: 87
Queuing options: Standby line, singles line, FASTPASS
Minimum guest height requirement: 40 inches
Accessible: Guests in wheelchairs must transfer from their
wheelchairs to experience this attraction.
Producing the Film
· The Soarin' film uses IMAX projection systems, with high-speed
(48 fps) high definition Omni-max film projectors. That's twice the
speed of normal motion picture film.
· Because airspace inside national park boundaries is protected, it
took several months for the film crew to obtain permission to fly a
helicopter into Yosemite National Park. The last time a helicopter
was permitted to fly through Yosemite was in the mid-1900s, when a
flood had closed the park to visitors.
· Though it may be hard to see them, mountain climbers in the
Yosemite sequence are making their way along a cliff face before the
waterfall comes into view. The six members of the Yosemite
Mountaineering School spent an entire day before the shoot placing
pitons for handholds and footholds during filming. While the shot
was being set up, and in between takes, the climbers literally "hung
around," suspended from the cliff by ropes. One climber clung to the
cliff for about six hours before the shot was ready to go.
· Because of the status of Monterey/Point Lobos as a marine
sanctuary, it took a year to obtain all of the necessary permits to
film that sequence. One of the boats in this shot is a NOAA
(National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration) boat, whose job it
was to monitor marine animal and bird activity during filming.
Fortunately for the animals and the film crew, the shot was pulled
off without disturbing any of the protected sea otters, sea lions or
brown pelicans.
· The scene in which guests go soaring over the USS Stennis aircraft
carrier as it heads out of the San Diego port is unusual in that all
of the Navy jets and helicopters can be seen on the carrier.
Normally the carrier offloads all of the aircraft as soon as it
comes into port. When this scene of the film was shot, the vessel
happened to be making a quick turn-around and had not had time to
offload the aircraft. The USS Stennis is the largest aircraft
carrier in the Navy's fleet weighing in at 97,000 tons with a flight
deck area of 4.5 acres.
· There is a scene in the film in which horses and riders gallop
through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Prior to filming this scene,
the crew was required to hire an archaeological team to perform a
biological and paleontological resource assessment. In other words,
the team hand-dusted the area from Fonts Wash to Fonts Point -- a
four-mile stretch of trail -- in order to be sure no artifacts would
be disturbed by the horses and riders.
· In the Anza-Borrego shot, the Thunderbirds fly over the horseback
riders. Many meetings with Air Force personnel were required to set
up this shot. Flight paths for both the Thunderbirds and the
helicopter film crew had to be carefully charted and arranged. The
jets travel so fast that they would not be able to see the
helicopter in time to avoid intercepting its flight path. Timing its
departure and GPS location very precisely, the helicopter departed
only a few miles from the filming rendezvous point, while the
Thunderbirds took off from Nellis Air Force base, near Las Vegas,
more than 200 miles away.
· Lt. Col. Brian Bishop, the Thunderbirds' lead pilot, uses the code
name Be-Bop. The lead pilot for the Thunderbirds may hold his or her
position for no more than three years, and Lt. Col. Bishop's
participation in the filming of this sequence for Soarin'
constituted his final flight as commander of the Thunderbirds.
16 April 2005: AP Holder Preview Photos (Thanks to ScottJ for the photos)
The Annual Passholder previews are underway this weekend, and whilst not complete, The Land has been opened up to allow guests to enter Soarin'. The Land has received a makeover, similar in style to the Soarin' queue area, with a fresh, modern feel. The main changes have been:
- New signage throughout
- New color scheme throughout, more in keeping with the Soarin' queue
- Metal railings around the upper levels
- Incorporation of the Soarin' queue
- New seating areas (the tables have yet to be installed)
- Sunshine Seasons food court has been changed to a modern Disney food court setup, where food from various stations is selected, and then paid for at a central location. Video screens (similar to the Mara at AKL) provide the menu selection.
WDI have done a great job of for providing a fresh update to The Land. Soarin' is an incredible ride, and combined with the new-look Land, this pavilion is going to be attracting some major crowds. It's good news for the Land and good news for Epcot.
8 April 2005: The Land reopening
The Land is now expected to reopen (soft) on April 29th 2005. As always, this information is not guaranteed until officially confirmed by Disney.
7 April 2005: Soarin' previews status
Yesterday was the last day for general guest previews for quite some time. The next few days will be cast previews and no guests will be in the building, only cast. Then Soarin will be completely blacked out for a couple of days to integrate Soarin into the rest of the Land pavilion, and after that is Annual Pass previews.
1 April 2005: Previews resumed
Soarin' has resumed previews today after a week of downtime for work. The attraction opened today from 3pm to 5pm, and preparations are underway for the private WDI party tonight.
1 April 2005: Signage now in place
The Soarin' sign has now been installed outside the entrance of the Land pavilion.
18 March 2005: Soft opening
As previously reported, Soarin' did begin guest previews this week. The limited previews are taking place in the late afternoon, using a side entrance near to the Imagination pavilion.
12 March 2005: The Land update
The new entry signage is under construction (Thanks to Eric G for the photo)
Photos below (by ScottJ) show the current state around The Land approach.
11 March 2005: Soft openings
Further to the recent Cast testing, it now appears that barring any problems, Soarin will begin guest soft openings on March 16 2005. The Land pavilion is still under major construction, so entrance will be via a side entry. Remember as with all soft openings, the are subject to change, and are not guaranteed.
6 March 2005: Sunshine Seasons
Details are emerging on the new counter service restaurant in The Land, replacing the old Sunshine Seasons Food Fair.
From the Cast Eyes and Ears:
This spring, Guests can celebrate the seasons at the new Sunshine
Seasons, a fast-paced, fast-casual restaurant at The Land at Epcot.
Fast-casual dining is a hybrid concept offering the convenience of a
quick-service establishment with unique menu offerings and
ingredients historically associated with more “casual” table-service
operations. Chefs will cook the restaurant’s food in an open,
onstage kitchen so Guests can see their selections being prepared.
“The senses should love this area because there is
something for each sense to enjoy,” said Chef de Cuisine Mike
Bersell. “Sunshine Seasons takes the open kitchen concept to a
bigger level.”
Guests will order food from five different stations, and then take their selections to a centralized cashier area. The food stations, which will feature video menu boards, will be themed to the different seasons of the year. The Wood-Fired Grill Shop will feature a wood-fired grill and rotisseries that produce items inspired by fall, with hearty, earthy flavors and unique presentations. Here, Guests will find ancho-rubbed beef with chimichurri sauce, Moroccan rotisserie chicken, grilled Atlantic salmon and more. At the Soup and Salad Shop, Guests will find unique soups and salads inspired by the abundance of growth and the celebration of springtime. Chefs will use the freshest of ingredients, utilizing fresh herbs and vegetables from The Land greenhouse. The Asian Wok Shop will serve noodle bowls and stir fry inspired by the crisp and intriguing flavors of Asia. This area will feature a Mongolian barbecue and wok station. The menu, inspired by summer, with a light, healthy and flavorful approach, will feature items such as Mongolian vegetable beef stir fry, vegetarian noodle bowl with tofu and more. The Sandwich Shop will feature hearty sandwiches served on artisan breads that are inspired by the great baking traditions of the winter months. Here, Guests will find a black forest ham and salami grinder, turkey muffuletta, grilled veggie Cuban sandwich and more. The area also will feature a Bakery serving muffins, bagels, croissants, danish, desserts, coffee and more. Each food station will offer vegetarian and children’s selections, as well as “grab ‘n’ go” items. “We’re committed to serving great food in a ‘fast-casual,’ friendly and exciting atmosphere,” Mike said. “Our team is committed to providing outstanding customer service and an extraordinary dining experience.”
5 March 2005: CM testing underway
Yesterday saw the first large scale Cast testing of the ride. Read some first hand experiences on our forum at http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=52034
19 February 2005: Land reopening date pushed back
Disney have moved the reopening of the Land pavilion from April 1 to April 6 2005.
6 February 2005: Latest construction photos (Thanks to Goofyfan13)
Work on the entrance area to the pavilion continues.
2 February 2005: AP Holder previews
Disney have announced that Soarin' will have Annual Passholder previews on Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17 during regular Park hours.
31 January 2005: Latest construction photos (thanks to NemoRocks)
26 January 2005: Latest construction photos (Thanks to Seiege898)
Work continues on the entrance area to the Land Pavilion
12 January 2005: Latest construction photos (Thanks to Goofyfan13)
Widening of the walkways is well underway on the entrance area to the Land.
9 January 2005: Land rehab underway
On schedule, the Land closed on Sunday 2nd January to begin the work on modifying the entire pavilion to accommodate Soarin'. Immediately after closing, crews began removing the contents of the food court area, ready for construction crews to begin work. The exterior of the building is fully walled-off, and work has begun on removing concrete on the ground in front of the pavilion, so the rehab work is not just limited to inside the building. Most of the work is geared towards increasing guest flow capacity into, around, and out of the pavilion to handle the large number of guests expected to be riding Soarin' each hour.
10 December 2004: New concept art
Some new concept art for the attraction has been released.
5 November 2004: Land Pavilion closing for Soarin' work
As expected, the Land pavilion is now confirmed to be closing Sunday, January 2, 2005 through Thursday, March 31, reopening Friday, April 1, 2005. During this time, modifications will be made in preparation for hosting the queue and increased guest flow through the pavilion, ready for the opening of Soarin'.
4 October 2004: Soarin' ride system photo
These photos show the working ride system of Soarin'. The huge suspended seating motion base sweeps around effortlessly, giving a great impression of flight.
Copyright 2004. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
3 October 2004: Soarin' details from an official WDW release
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Fascination with human flight has been
sending thrill-seeking Epcot guests on a skin-tautening rocket ride
to Mars. Next adventure: a breathtaking glide over the wonders of
California.
As part of "The Happiest Celebration on Earth," Walt Disney World
Resort will launch "Soarin' " in May 2005, beckoning Epcot guests to
experience a magical journey that sweeps them up, over and across
the landscape of the Golden State.
Based on the hit Anaheim show "Soarin' Over California" -- deemed
"the most technologically advanced attraction at Disney's California
Adventure park" -- "Soarin' " will join Mission: SPACE presented by
HP on the flight plan of Epcot guests. The attraction will be
located in The Land presented by Nestlé USA.
"We thought the attraction was perfect for Epcot because of its
spirit of exploration and discovery -- and that The Land is a
natural fit since the pavilion is about the appreciation of the rich
bounty and awesome beauty of the Earth," says Kathy Mangum, Walt
Disney Imagineering executive producer/vice president.
"Soarin' " is an exhilarating flight over California's diverse
terrain -- mountains, deserts, the ocean. "We try to reinforce this
story in the pre-show," Mangum says, "by having guests pass by huge
panoramas of five of the Earth's biospheres."
And because the experience involves flight, the entry to the
attraction is designed to be reminiscent of an airport, with cast
members dressed as though they are part of a flight crew.
Using amazing cinematic artistry and state-of-the-art motion base
technology, "Soarin' " literally lifts eighty-seven guests at a time
40 feet aloft inside a giant projection screen dome. From all sides
-- up, down, left and right -- their field of vision is completely
surrounded and filled with the beauty and wonder of the state of
California as their flying theater seats take them on an
unforgettable journey.
Never before has anyone had the opportunity to view the Golden State
from such a birds-eye view with such an extraordinary sensation of
free flight. Among the many sights on view during the exhilarating
fly-over are the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests, Napa
Valley, Palm Springs, Yosemite and San Diego, among other locations.
The experience is intensified as guests feel the sweeping winds and
smell the fragrance of orange blossoms and pine trees all around
them. An orchestral musical score created by renowned composer Jerry
Goldsmith ("Mulan," "Air Force One," "Star Trek," "First Contact")
heightens the thrill.
"The genesis of the idea goes back to the simple observation that
one of the things that is most impressive about California is that
it's just drop-dead beautiful," said Barry Braverman of Walt Disney
Imagineering. "We have the ocean, we have Big Sur and we have the
mountains and desert -- an unbelievable variety of terrain and
spectacular topography. Clearly we wanted to use film to capture the
beauty of all that but how do you do it in a way that's never been
done before?"
The challenge was a formidable one. "One of the early designs ... we
used to refer to as 'the dry cleaning idea,' " explained Braverman.
"We had a series of little hang gliders on a conveyer belt system
that went around, but it had all kinds of problems." Several other
concepts also fell by the wayside for a variety of reasons.
It wasn't until Mark Sumner, a Walt Disney Imagineering ride
engineer, decided to take the problem home over the weekend that the
issue was overcome. "Mark built a concept model with an erector set
he had at home," said Braverman. "He brought it in Monday morning,
we all looked at it and said, 'Now that might work!' "
A tremendous amount of research and development followed to achieve
the remarkable technological result of what literally started with a
simple erector set.
The counterpart to the engineering complexity of the attraction was
the cinematic challenge of generating film that would immerse guests
in the visual aspect of the ride. "We filmed everything from a
helicopter," explained Alec Scribner, Walt Disney Imagineering show
producer. "We used an IMAX camera with a special lens that's
basically a take-in lens -- meaning it captures everything within a
person's visual periphery."
Shooting in a variety of locations around the state was not always
an easy task, particularly in a place like Yosemite National Park
where governmental restrictions usually prohibit flying inside the
park's valley.
"We were fortunate to be able to make an agreement with the
Department of the Interior to acquire a four-hour window on a
specific date to get our shots," said Scribner. "That meant no
changes to the schedule no matter what kind of weather we had on
that day. As it turned out, it was one of those clear and pristine
blue-sky California days, and we got incredible footage of the
valley, Bridalveil Fall and Half-Dome."
Each location in the film brings to life the beauty and diversity of
California, whether it's soaring over the mountaintops of Lake Tahoe
or gliding across the desert sands of Death Valley. "And don't
forget that your other senses are involved as well," remarked
Scribner. "You're totally immersed -- you feel, hear and smell
things at the same time that you're enjoying all the visual wonders
as you fly within the film that surrounds you."
To further enhance the experience, the film is projected at 48
frames per second, twice the speed of normal motion picture film.
The result is a crisp, clear image with extraordinary definition.
Just as clear: "Soarin' " will offer guests a first-of-its-kind
experience at Walt Disney World Resort. While Epcot guests have been
able to blast off like an astronaut, they've never before been able
to soar with the eagles.
That all changes in May 2005 when "Soarin' " opens as part of a
worldwide Disney theme park celebration marking the 50th anniversary
of Disneyland in Southern California.
"The Happiest Celebration on Earth" pays tribute to Walt Disney's
dream of Disneyland, the original park that introduced an entirely
new genre of family entertainment that now spans the globe and
continues to offer the most visited attractions in the world,
drawing 100 million visitors on three continents every year -- and
still growing.
30 August 2004: Update
Latest information suggests that the ride system is making very good progress and may very well be undergoing testing within the next 2 months. Whilst the ride system is nearly ready, the pavilion as a whole is not near to being ready for guests. The restructuring of the Land pavilion for the queue area is rumoured to be taking place around January 2005, so with all being well, some kind of openings may be taking place around Quarter 2 of 2005.
19 May 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photos
The exterior of the ride building is now close on completion, with most of the facade work in place. Thanks CavinM for the photo below.
On the inside of the Land, the wall around the Soarin' queue area has now extended further into the food court area. Thanks to OrlPassholder for the photo.
19 May 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photos (Thanks ScottJ)
3 May 2004: Greenhouse shop closed (Thanks Orlpassholder)
The Greenhouse shop area has now closed and been boarded up. It isn't clear if this is for a general rehab of the shop, or if it is to clear way for more of the Soain' queue or gift shop.
20 April 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photo (Thanks Hi-Liter)
7 April 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photo
24 March 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photo (thanks Dan)
The show building is almost completely enclosed now, with roofing panels currently being installed.
8 March 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photo (thanks TrendyMagic)
23 February 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photos (thanks KevinP)
The show building is now clearly visible from around Epcot.
26 January 2004: Latest Soarin' construction photos (thanks HI Liter)
19 January 2004: Soarin' Posters (Thanks to OrlPassholder)
Below you can see the now closed entrance area to the former Food Rocks attraction. Either side of the entrance there are numerous posters giving a teaser of the new attraction.
12 January 2004: Overhead construction photo (Thanks CavinM)
You can see the Land pavilion at the bottom of the photo, Soarin under construction in the centre-right position, and Imagination pavilion at the top.
5 January
2004: Latest construction photos
(thanks Orlpassholder)
The photo below shows the show building now in view
from inside the park
(thanks hmppan)
12 December 2003: Latest construction photos
19 November 2003: Location
This overhead shot of Epcot shows the construction location of the Soarin' building between The Land and Imagination.
19 November 2003: Construction and Ground Preparation continues
30 October 2003: Construction and Ground Preparation underway (Thanks DonickCo)
The photos below clearly show ground preparation behind the construction walls, and the continued presence of the large crane working on the site.
10 October 2003: Officially Announced!
Here is the official announcement for Soarin!
Copyright 2003. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
Soarin’ Attraction Lands at Epcot
The popular “Soarin’ Over California” attraction at Disney’s California Adventure will take Walt Disney World guests on an eye-filling journey when it opens at Epcot in 2005.
The new attraction sends guests on a sweeping flyover above the wondrous Golden State for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography. “Soarin’ Over California” will be the newest addition to The Land pavilion at Epcot, complementing the popular pavilion’s agriculture and ecology theme.
The unforgettable experience combines cinematic artistry and state-of-the-art motion base technology. Guests are literally lifted 40 feet inside a giant projection screen dome and completely surrounded with the beauty and wonder of the state of California as their elevated theater seats take them on a scenic tour over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests, Napa Valley, Yosemite and more. The free-flight experience intensifies as guests feel the sweeping winds and smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine trees around them.
Discuss this announcement on the WDWMAGIC Forum - CLICK HERE
6 October 2003: Crane onsite! (Thanks OrlPassholder)
A crane has appeared near to The Land in the likely spot for the Soarin' attraction. It is visible from inside the park.
22 August 2003: Construction about to begin!
Big news here.. Imagineering have just installed project trailers in between The Land and Imagination, which looks a good indication that Soarin' construction is about to begin.
25 July 2003: Soarin' set to go?
According to some Epcot cast, they are being internally told that construction will begin in August 2003 on a clone of DCA's very successful Soarin' attraction. Current information suggests that the attraction will be built in-between The Land and Imagination, and using Food Rocks as the preshow/queue area. The entry to the attraction would be from inside The Land. Opening date is set for 2005. Remember this information has not been officially announced yet, and as always is subject to change.
12 February 2003: Update
Further to the info below, there is very recent news to indicate that there remains a core of 3 projects for Epcot's rehab.
- Rehab of Spaceship Earth. This new attraction, as hard as it is to believe, is being talked about as being a "coaster" type ride. It's budget is in excess of that for Rock n Roller Coaster.
- A DCA Soarin' Clone
- An unspecified third attraction
The budgets are around the $100 million mark for each, with the Spaceship Earth project having the largest of the three.
Opening dates remain around late 2006.
The likelihood of the above opening, will depend to some extent on the success of Mission Space opening this year.
26 September 2002: Project Gemini Update
Project Gemini now has the backing of Michael Eisner and Paul Pressler, and budgets have been assigned, they are healthy. The concept of the project is a mass rebranding of Epcot, to inject the excitement back that the park once had. The much rumored splitting of the park into 2 separate gates appears to be unlikely at this stage. The grand reopening of the park is set to be December 2006, however parts of the new project will open before that time.
Two signature attractions for the new Epcot are a Soarin' Over attraction from DCA, and another ETicket attraction called "Time Racers".
29 August 2001: News and Rumors
Disney are very keen to add a DCA style "Soarin' over" attraction to World Showcase. The specific country is yet to be determined, while they are awaiting sponsor and content agreements.