Disney has listened to EPCOT fans — or so it seems.
Walt Disney World has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with new attractions arriving across its four Florida theme parks. EPCOT, in particular, has seen several major additions, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.
While these projects have expanded the park’s offerings, relatively few attractions remain from EPCOT’s opening day in October 1982. Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land are among the survivors, alongside several original films in World Showcase.
One of these is Impressions de France, an 18-minute film that takes guests through the country’s landscapes, cities, and historic landmarks. Located in the France pavilion, the attraction uses five screens to create a 200-degree panoramic view, accompanied by a soundtrack featuring classical French music.
However, the film’s operating hours have become a recurring source of frustration for EPCOT regulars. This week, Disney appeared poised to make the situation worse — before abruptly changing course.
Disney Brings Back Evening Performances at EPCOT
Walt Disney World has restored evening performances of Impressions de France to its January 2027 operating calendar, just one day after the attraction appeared set to lose them.
On November 2, guests checking the My Disney Experience app discovered that the film was only scheduled to operate from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. beginning January 1, 2027.
The change would have eliminated its existing evening performances, which currently run from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., leaving just half an hour each morning for guests to experience the classic EPCOT attraction.
However, by November 3, those evening showtimes had returned.
According to Disney’s updated operating schedule, Impressions de France is once again scheduled to operate during both its usual morning and evening windows.
The restored hours are currently listed through January 13, 2027, with later dates yet to be published.
The update is particularly significant for guests visiting during Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. EPCOT is scheduled to open at 10 a.m. rather than 9 a.m. on January 7, 9, and 10.
Under the original schedule, those dates had no available Impressions de France performances whatsoever.
The revised calendar now includes evening screenings on all three dates, although it also lists morning performances before the park opens to regular guests.
Disney has not publicly explained why the evening performances disappeared from the calendar or whether their restoration was prompted by complaints.
It’s possible that the initial reduction was simply a scheduling error. Nevertheless, longtime EPCOT fans have welcomed the change, particularly given the attraction’s recent history.
Fans Celebrate Disney’s Latest Reversal
Impressions de France has faced an uncertain schedule since January 2020, when Disney introduced the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along to the same theater.
The newer attraction occupies the Palais du Cinéma between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on regular operating days, leaving the original film with limited opportunities to entertain guests.
The arrangement has remained largely unchanged, even after the theater underwent an extensive refurbishment earlier this year.
Both films temporarily closed in February 2026 before returning in May. The refurbishment included new upholstered seating and decorative panels with integrated lighting, giving the 44-year-old attraction an updated home.
When Disney appeared to be cutting the film’s hours again, fans were quick to voice their frustration.
“Disney just completed a multi-month refurb on Palais du Cinéma, only to screw over Impressions de France yet again. The theater has never looked better, and somehow they can’t manage to show its feature film for more than 30 minutes a day,” complained one X user.
Bullying works https://t.co/ABedgg5LRa
— DreamfinderGuy (@DreamfinderGuy) November 3, 2026
Another wrote, “It’s a terrible tragedy that Impressions de France has had its evening hours cut. It’s a true EPCOT Center classic.”
They continued, “and it already had atrocious hours prior to this ONE showing is not acceptable, I’ve already let guest relations know & I encourage everyone else to as well!”
Following the schedule’s restoration, some fans jokingly suggested their complaints had persuaded Disney to reconsider.
“Bullying works,” wrote one X user.
“Well, I guess it worked,” added another.
This isn’t the first time Disney has restored Impressions de France’s evening performances shortly after removing them.
In March 2023, Disney similarly reduced the film’s operating hours to just 30 minutes each morning. The decision was reversed three days later, with evening screenings returning to the schedule.
The latest development means guests will still be able to experience one of EPCOT’s oldest attractions after dark, at least for the January dates currently published.
Impressions de France remains one of the few surviving pieces of EPCOT’s original World Showcase lineup. The film also received a 4K remaster in 2020, preserving its panoramic footage for another generation of Disney World visitors.
For now, the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along will continue operating during the day, while Impressions de France retains its morning and evening performances.
Although Disney has not confirmed whether fan feedback played any role in the schedule change, guests who called for the film’s evening screenings to return have received exactly what they wanted.
Do you think Disney should give Impressions de France more operating hours?
