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Disney’s EPCOT Theme Park Welcomes New Addition

mickey mouse gesturing behind him to epcot
Credit: Disney, Canva

The Walt Disney Company does everything in its power to stay at the helm of innovation, utilizing technology to become an industry leader in theme park magic, entertainment, and immersion.

This is both to enhance guest experience and to stay true to Walt Disney’s legacy and his love of progress. This effort can be found all throughout Walt Disney World, but it’s most evident in Disney’s EPCOT theme park.

The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow

spaceship earth epcot

Credit: Nathan Langer on Unsplash

RELATED: A Brand-New Attraction Is Coming to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT

The Disney park recently underwent a historical transformation, adding multiple attractions and experiences and rearranging the entire vacation destination, going from two theme park areas to four.

What used to be the World Showcase and Future World (a theme park area entirely dedicated to innovation) turned into the World Showcase, World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature.

Spaceship Earth Entrance

Credit: Disney

RELATED: New Walt Disney World Addition Delayed Until Next Year, Progress Interrupted

While ‘Future World’ no longer exists, the spirit of progress and the race for a “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” remains in Walt Disney Imagineering’s revolutionary work.

Which is why it comes as no surprise to hear that the Disney park has just welcomed a brand new addition:

RELATED: “Eyesore” Attractions Have Guests Asking Themselves, “Has Disney Given Up?”

At the entrance of EPCOT’s Mission: SPACE ride lies a brand new addition: the Perseverance Mars rover’s tread marks made using a “borrowed prototype rover wheel,” according to Disney.

The Perseverance rover (affectionately nicknamed ‘Percy’) is about the size of a car, and was sent to Mars to gather evidence of ancient life on the dry, desert planet. As of October 2023, the nifty rover has been stationed on Mars for nearly three years!

It makes perfect sense that these tread marks would be displayed outside the Mission: SPACE attraction, as the more intense mission famously takes guests on a shuttle to Mars.

More Info on EPCOT’s Theme Park Areas

mission SPACE

Credit: Disney

RELATED: Walt Disney Company Intentionally Creating Flaws on Newer Attractions? Here’s What We Know.

EPCOT (the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”) first opened in October 1982. Over 40 years later and Walt Disney World’s second theme park boasts dozens of attractions, 12 different country pavilions, multiple festivals a year, and more.

Guests visiting the World Showcase can visit the Mexico pavilion, Norway pavilion, China pavilion, Outpost, Germany pavilion, Italy pavilion, American Adventure pavilion Japan pavilion, Morocco pavilion, France pavilion, United Kingdom pavilion, and the Canada pavilion.

guardians of the galaxy: cosmic rewind

Credit: Disney

RELATED: Disney World Announces a Brand-New Restaurant Coming to EPCOT

Before visiting the World Showcase, guests can also visit World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature. These theme park areas each offer different attractions such as Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Soarin’ Around the World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and more!

About Isabella Reimer

Isabella Reimer grew up visiting Walt Disney World and relocated to Central Florida to be even closer to The Most Magical Place on Earth. She earned her Bachelor’s from Florida State University, where she studied Creative Writing and Women’s Studies. Her biggest hobby is bonding with the ikran at Avatar Flight of Passage, and her retirement plan includes becoming the 1,000 Happy Haunt of the Haunted Mansion.