VIDEO: The EPCOT Experience at Odyssey Pavilion – Full Tour

Back at the D23 Expo, Disney announced a new EPCOT Experience coming to the Odyssey pavilion which would showcase all the changes taking place in the park in the coming years. We’re going to share with you all the details for it and give you a full tour.

The Epcot Experience Overview:

• Location: EPCOT – Odyssey Pavilion
• Status: Now Open (Closing March 14,2022)
• Attraction Type: Exhibit
• Genie+: Not needed
• Attraction Length: Self-guided
• Capacity: 100?

Before we get started, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. We will share the latest EPCOT updates and the latest Disney vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

(UPDATE) – EPCOT Experience Closing on March 14

After being open for more than 2 years, Walt Disney Imagineering Presents the EPCOT Experience is closing on March 14, 2022, in the Odyssey Pavilion.

Disney created the EPCOT Experience to showcase all of the new projects that were being developed for the park’s historic renovation. However, with many of those projects either completed or near completion, the need for this attraction is waning.

The announcement of its closure was made on Instagram by Disney Imagineer Zach Riddley. Here is what he said:

“Since its 2019 debut, Walt Disney Imagineering presents the EPCOT Experience has welcomed more than two million guests, as travelers from around the world enjoyed an immersive look at the past, present and future of this beloved park.

This attraction gave our team a chance to share a first-person view of the vision coming to life during this ongoing “state of becoming.” It’s a rare moment to see these milestones unfold, and we’ve been inspired and deeply grateful to have this opportunity to pull back the curtain on our thinking.

With the transformation now well under way and many of those projects now open – including Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Harmonious and the upcoming debut of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind this summer – we have decided it is time to close the EPCOT Experience on March 14 and make way for exciting new activations of the Odyssey pavilion to create a great experience for our guests.

I’m proud of the work and storytelling that our Imagineers put into this incredible 360-degree presentation, as it beautifully set the stage for the largest transformation in the history of EPCOT, and provided an in-depth look at the exciting attractions and experiences being developed for this beloved park.

I always like to say to our team that EPCOT is a park about people – our dreams, our curiosity and our ability to make magic possible when we work together. The EPCOT Experience was a showcase of all those things, inviting each of you to dream with us as we create the future of EPCOT together.

We have a lot more to share in the weeks and months ahead, and I am grateful for the opportunity to provide an in-depth look at the process through our Imagineering lens. Follow along with me here as we share more exciting details about this historic EPCOT transformation, including Journey of Water inspired by Moana, the ongoing evolution of World Celebration, and more!”

We are sad to see it go, but it makes sense seeing that most of the attractions are done or very close to being done. Others that were originally included in the presentation, have been put on hold, or eliminated altogether.

At this point in time, we don’t know what Disney will be doing with this space now that the EPCOT Experience is closing. Riddley only mentioned “exciting new activations of the Odyssey pavilion to create a great experience for our guests,” but he didn’t expand on just what those might be. The space in the building is limited so it can’t really fit a full attraction but it can easily be used for more displays similar to the EPCOT Experience.

We’ll update you as soon as we know more. In the meantime, check out our full tour of the EPCOT Experience below…

What is The Epcot Experience?

Starting October 1, guests visiting Epcot can now see all the exciting new plans for the park in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. This will be done in a separate section inside the Odyssey called: “Walt Disney Imagineering presents the Epcot Experience.”

Have you noticed all the construction going on in Epcot? This is where guests can find out more information about the projects currently under construction and more to come. These displays show the relentless innovation, energy, excitement, and some never-before-revealed details driving the future of Epcot during this historic period of transformation.

There is also special limited-edition merchandise celebrating the old and new versions of Epcot.

Models, artwork, and displays are available for attractions such as:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Mary Poppins Attraction
• Journey of Water
• Disney Harmonious
• and more

You also can see a huge model of Epcot as a whole with a birds-eye-view of each pavilion, and the changes coming there.

Maybe the cherry on top however is the giant 360-degree projection display which shows concept art for the new EPCOT, its attractions, and a sneak preview of the new Harmonious nighttime spectacular.

This will be a useful place to help guests see past all the construction that will be taking place in Epcot over the coming years and give them something to look forward to.

Now that you know what the Epcot Experience is all about, it’s time to go inside and take a tour of the place! Make sure to scroll down for the Full Video of the Epcot Experience Film!!

Outside/Entrance

Before we actually go inside the Odyssey, it’s important to note the changes that have been taking place outside first.

The whole building has gotten a brighter paint scheme which will play into the rest of the theming later on:

A nice look at the old-school Odyssey Sign:

Colorful chevrons are painted on the wall on the side of the building down to the water:

The entrance to Odyssey from World Showcase got a whole new paint job in a light blue and white:

The white color continues around the building:

A look near the doors reveals the new Epcot logo painted on the wall. It goes along with the new color scheme for the building with its dark blue and white symbol. It also nicely wraps around the side of the wall:

You’ll even notice the cool new white and blue trash cans with the new Epcot symbol on them too!

As you approach the door you can see the new pink color painted on one of the walls:

Inside

As cool as it is inside the best part is beyond those doors…

As you enter the Odyssey building you see the food and beverage counter ready where you can buy some snacks like chips, soda, popcorn, etc.

As for now, they aren’t selling anything really extraordinary, just your basic snacks.

Epcot Pavilion Posters

Around the inside of the building, you’ll find the retro-style posters lining the walls, one for each Epcot pavilion, attraction, and neighborhood. These are very similar to the ones from the D23 Expo this past summer. You can see some of the ones here past and present: World of Motion, Turtle Talk, Japan, Space 220:

Journey of Water, World Celebration and Horizons:

There’s even one pointing towards the future of Epcot as a whole:

Some more posters:

Merchandise

As you know, Epcot has a new logo and font which will be used from now going forward in the park. Now you can get some new merchandise like shirts and hats with the new Epcot logo on it.

There were a few things on display:

Epcot Model

Directly in front of the snack counters is the entrance to the main showroom, complete with a fancy new sign for the Epcot Experience:

Let’s go in!

This is the main attraction of the Epcot Experience. Enter and take it all in, it’s breathtaking:

This is very similar to the model we had at the D23 Expo of Epcot, and showing the changes coming to some of the pavilions. The nice thing about this version here is that it uses projection mapping to display effects on top of the model, giving you a truly awesome experience.

There is a 12-minute video showing all the changes, again like at D23 Expo, but different and concentrating more on each pavilion at a time. There was also less time spent showing off the entrance and changes around the Epcot neighborhoods in general, and more focused individually.

First up is a look at the World Celebration part of the park:

Next is Journey of Water with Moana:

The graphics on this were stunning, and pretty much all of the different mappings for that matter.

Play Pavilion:

Guardians of the Galaxy: Galactic Rewind

This was one of the highlights for me because it had Rocket come in with a very funny intro and similar to what you find in Mission: BREAKOUT! in Disney California Adventure:

Spaceship Earth:

This part was very different and we are going to get a very different ride, with some Disney animation things thrown into the mix:

Next, they talked about the new films including a sneak peek at the new China film:

A cool effect was when they were showing each video, a different projection mapping overlay would be displayed on the model:

Here is the Mexico Pavilion with a Ratatouille projection mapping:

They didn’t really mention Mexico, but Miguel’s guitar from Coco still looms large…

China:

The UK pavilion with its Mary Poppins attraction:

Behind Spaceship Earth where the Festival Center will be:

Changes to the France Pavilion with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and the Crepes restaurant coming:

Mission: SPACE

The Guardians of the Galaxy pavilion has a whole new look to it with pools of water on both sides and a spaceship in front which you will be riding:

Imagination Pavilion is alive and well. The rainbow seems to indicate Figment’s presence will still be felt:

The Play Pavilion:

Watch the Full Video of the Epcot Experience Here:

Window Displays

Besides the huge model in the other room, there are displays in glass boxes with props from 4 of the different attractions coming to Epcot. Mary Poppins, Guardians of the Galaxy: Galactic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and the Festival Pavilion.

Let’s take a look at them:

Mary Poppins Attraction:

There are some cool props from the Mary Poppins films like the Certificate of Shares, Mary’s umbrella and bag, and some concept art from the film and attraction location in the UK pavilion:

Guardians of the Galaxy:

Some props from the Guardians of the Galaxy ride:

Ratatouille:

Festival Center Pavilion:

Here is a model of the new Festival Center pavilion behind Spaceship Earth heading into World Showcase:

You can get a good look at its multi-level platforms:

A look underneath shows people walking in the levels:

People can walk all around it and inside as you can see in the back here. It also looks like there is an escalator and stairs that people can take up and down:

There are even some great memorabilia like an opening day ticket to Epcot from 1982:

And an opening day Guide Map:

Photo Opportunities

On one side are some cool photo opportunities you can step into and get your photo taken:

Guardians of the Galaxy:

Mary Poppins:

Epcot:

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure:

Epcot Mural and Concept Art

Lastly, on the back wall of the pavilion, there is a huge mural with concept art of an aerial view of the new Epcot: There are a lot of hidden gems in there we’ll be looking at over the next couple of days.

Take a look:

In the back you can see World Showcase:

Here is a good look at World Nature:

In the center of the art is a look at the area behind Spaceship Earth and the Festival Center pavilion. You can also see HarmonioUS going on in the middle of the lake:

Here you can see the entrance to Epcot, complete with gardens and a new fountain:

On this side is World Discovery:

Overall we think they did a good job with the Odyssey building and making a pretty cool glimpse into the future of Epcot. I hope they continue to update it as new things continue to get announced for the park in the next few years.

My only concern is that it’s a little hard to get to and find, and I don’t think the majority of guests will realize what’s over there right away. It should get people excited about what’s coming for whoever takes the time to look at it.

Need help planning your Disney Vacation? Contact René from Show You the World Travel for all your trip planning needs. All of the agents there are certified Disney Travel Agents and are super helpful with all your planning needs. I highly recommend them and the best part about it is they are FREE to use!

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the new Epcot Experience at the Odyssey?

• Do you like the new preview show space ?
• Which display is your favorite?

Let us know in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media.  I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂