Disney (Finally!) Fixes EPCOT Centerpiece After a Year of Darkness

It’s been a long time coming, but Disney has finally fixed one of EPCOT’s newest features.

Pre-pandemic, Disney spent a long time hyping up its rejuvenation of EPCOT. Having been sorely neglected for years compared to the other three theme parks on property, it was announced at the 2019 D23 Expo that Walt Disney World Resort’s second-oldest park was set for a major boost ahead of its 40th anniversary in 2021.

But, obviously, COVID-19 had other plans. With its theme parks worldwide shuttered for months on end, Disney ended up pressing pause or totally axing several expensive pipeline projects.

Some of the axed elements of the original plan for EPCOT included the Festival Pavilion, a three-story high hub complete with a terrace for fireworks viewings, as well as a Mary Poppins (1964) ride for World Showcase’s United Kingdom Pavilion – where guests would “step in time down Cherry Tree Lane past Admiral Boom’s house, then enter Number 17, home of the Banks family” – and a Spaceship Earth update that would see new narration, a new story, and even new scenes added to the iconic attraction.

The Reality of EPCOT 2.0

Of course, none of these things happened. Instead, what EPCOT did get was the likes of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (which has faced its own share of issues lately), CommuniCore Hall (the less said about that the better), and World Celebration.

The latter has proven pretty divisive. While World Celebration Gardens received a relatively warm welcome when it debuted in late 2023, the land was criticized for its heavy use of concrete and wide, empty spaces. Even the positive attributes of World Celebration Gardens soon became a disappointment when its pathway floor lighting and light pillars began to malfunction.

These lights proved unreliable relatively soon after the area opened, with some breaking in a matter of days. For months now, the area has been largely dark come nightfall. However, that’s all changed as of this week, as EPCOT has apparently fixed the lights in World Celebration Gardens!

Update on World Celebration Gardens

Images shared by X, formerly known as Twitter, user @crazyparkguy show that the lights are officially back in action.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS PICTURE IS FROM RIGHT NOW IN EPCOT!!!!

The center area ground lights are BACK!!! The amount of excitement I felt as I approached the World Celebration area and I saw people illuminated 😭😭

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS PICTURE IS FROM RIGHT NOW IN EPCOT!!!!

The center area ground lights are BACK!!! The amount of excitement I felt as I approached the World Celebration area and I saw people illuminated 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5xZr8Vzxnz

— crazyparkguy (@crazyparkguy) December 10, 2024

We’d previously shared our suspicions that the lighting was set to receive an update. On a recent visit to EPCOT, we noticed that the once-opaque plastic covers blocking the lights were being replaced with translucent materials.

This change follows the recent update to Soarin’, which sparked some guests to call out the park for showing the lights in operation, despite the fact that they hadn’t worked properly for months.

They aren’t quite the same as their original version. Guests note the lights now display static block colors instead of the smooth transitions from before. Still, after such a prolonged blackout, a glow of any kind feels like a win.

What are your thoughts on the recent updates to EPCOT?