Heads up, EPCOT regulars: World Showcase is in motion. In Germany, a new permit points to signage work after months of projects. In France, a film that’s been at EPCOT since 1982 is losing its evening showings when the calendar flips to 2027.
Here’s the full rundown. We’ve kept what’s confirmed apart from what isn’t, and we’ve flagged a few spots where the details don’t quite add up. Let’s walk the loop.
The Cheat Sheet
- Germany: New Notice of Commencement permit filed by Walt Disney Imagineering, contractor Kentavo, scope of work to install signage
- France: Impressions de France loses its 7:00pm to 8:45pm showings starting January 1, 2027
- Morning showing in 2027: 9:00am to 9:30am
- Open question: Whether the missing evening showtimes are an error
Germany: The Permit
Walt Disney Imagineering has filed a new Notice of Commencement permit for the Germany pavilion. The permit lists Kentavo as the contractor, with a scope of work to install signage.
The filing doesn’t say what signage is being installed or where it will go. Disney hasn’t shared details.
Germany: The Run of Projects
The permit is the latest in a series of projects at the pavilion over the past few months:
- Restroom renovations
- New roofing on pavilion buildings
- New banners around the pavilion
- Updates to the model railway display
The signage permit could tie in with these changes, but nothing confirms it.
Germany: The Banners
The new banners are already up, including outside Biergarten Restaurant. One reads “Celebrating Oktoberfest Every Day” and hangs on a lamp post overlooking the outdoor seating area, among the stone archways and lamp posts and near the Das Kaufhaus sign.
France: The Big Change
Impressions de France has been part of EPCOT since the park opened in 1982. Beginning January 1, the My Disney Experience app only lists showtimes in the morning. Fans who like ending a World Showcase loop with a trip across the French countryside have a few weeks left to do it.
The Palais du Cinéma in the France pavilion splits its operating day between two films. Right now, Impressions de France opens and closes the day, and the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along fills the hours in between.
France: The Schedule Now
Through December 31, the film shows from 9:00am to 9:30am and again from 7:00pm to 8:45pm. Those are the hours the theater returned with in May, as we shared when Disney set the reopening date for the France pavilion films. The app shows the evening window on every date through December 31, including New Year’s Eve.
France: The Schedule in 2027
Starting January 1, only the morning window remains: 9:00am to 9:30am each day. The 7:00pm to 8:45pm block is gone from every 2027 date currently listed, and the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along keeps its 10:00am to 6:30pm hours.
On January 7, 9, and 10, EPCOT opens at 10:00am, and Impressions de France has no hours. On those dates, the Sing-Along starts at 11:00am.
The Fine Print on “Every 2027 Date”
Here’s a catch. Schedules past January 12 aren’t available yet, so “every 2027 date” means every date listed so far. Disney could still bring evening showings back later in 2027.
Haven’t We Seen This Before?
Yes. In March 2023, Disney cut the film to a single 9:00am to 9:30am window while the Sing-Along took over the theater until 8:45pm. Three days later, the evening showtimes came back, with the Sing-Along closing at 6:30pm and the film returning to its 7:00pm slot.
That split held until the theater closed for refurbishment in February, and it returned in May without changes. The film has shared the theater since the Sing-Along debuted in January 2020, and even then, it kept a spot at the end of the day.
The Plot Twist: No Backfill
In 2023, the Sing-Along took over the evening hours the film gave up. The 2027 schedule leaves those hours empty, with no films listed in the Palais du Cinéma after 6:30pm.
It’s possible that the lack of evening showtimes and no backfill points to an error. We reached out to Disney World for clarification but haven’t heard back.
How to Catch It in 2027
Head to the France pavilion first thing. The 9:00am window lines up with EPCOT’s standard opening time on most dates. With an 18-minute film and a 30-minute window, there’s little wiggle room, so aim for rope drop.
Evenings through the end of the year are the last chance, for now, to pair dinner in the France pavilion with the film.
The Timeline
- September 30, 2019: Disney announced the film would close October 2 for Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along upgrades.
- January 17, 2020: The Sing-Along debuted and took over most of the theater’s hours.
- March 7, 2023: Disney cut the film to a 9:00am to 9:30am window.
- March 10, 2023: The 7:00pm to 8:45pm showtimes returned.
- November 2, 2026: The app shows the evening showtimes dropping starting January 1, 2027.
Connecting the Dots
Germany’s changes are physical and underway, while France’s is a schedule change set for the new year. Nothing we’ve seen connects them. Still, between roofs, restrooms, banners, a model railway, a signage permit, and a film’s evening slot, World Showcase has a lot in motion.
Your Turn
Have you noticed the new banners in Germany, or do you have a favorite memory of Impressions de France? Tell us in the comments what you’d like to see around World Showcase, and whether you’re planning a last evening showing before the new year.
