Epcot

EPCOT

Spaceship Earth, the landmark of Epcot
Location	Walt Disney World, Bay Lake, Florida, United States
Coordinates	28°22′16″N 81°33′00″W / 28.371°N 81.550°W / 28.371; -81.550
Status	Operating
Opened	October 1, 1982 (41 years ago) (1982-10-01)
Owner	Disney Experiences (The Walt Disney Company)
Operated by	Walt Disney World Key people: Kartika Rodriguez (VP)[1] Javier Rossy (GM, Operations)[2]
Theme	Human achievement Technological innovation International culture
Slogan	The magic of possibility
Operating season	Year-round
Website	disneyworld.com/epcot

Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences division. The park opened on October 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center, the second of four theme parks built at the resort. Often referred to as a "permanent world's fair", Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, particularly technological innovation and international culture and is known for its iconic landmark Spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere.

During early development of the Florida property, Walt Disney wanted to build an experimental planned community showcasing modern innovation, known as "EPCOT", an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. After Disney's death in 1966, the company felt his grand vision was impractical. However, it laid the groundwork for EPCOT Center, a theme park that retained the core spirit of Disney's vision. The park was divided into two distinct areas, Future World reprises the idea of showcasing modern innovation through educational entertainment attractions inside avant-garde pavilions, while World Showcase highlights the cultures of various nations. From the late 2010s to the early 2020s, the park underwent a major overhaul, adding new attractions and Future World was restructured into three areas: World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature.

The park spans 305 acres (123 hectares), more than twice the size of Magic Kingdom. In 2023, the park attracted 11.98 million guests, making it the eighth-most visited theme park in the world.^[3]