Who went to Epcot when it first opened?

[Diane♥Disney]

My first time in EPCOT was in October 1982 after it had just opened. I was 13 years old. I remember they were filming a TV special with Danny Kaye and we got to watch. It was pretty cool, but I had no idea who Danny Kaye was. I think it had something to do with the grand opening of EPCOT.

 

[LadyGracey]

I didn't want to do it but you made me!

Sunrise Terrace in CommuniCore West
Le Cellier in Canada (can you believe it - no reservations at Le Cellier?????)
Stargate in CommuniCore East
QUOTE]


Oh I'd forgotten about the Stargate!
We used to eat at Stargate and Odyssey all the time. My mother HATED the Odyssey--she still reminds me every time we walk past

And I just remembered--when MouseGear was still the Centorium, they had an upstairs level, and at one point it was like an Art of Disney gallery (only with more animation cels).
Now Dreamfinder's flying machine is nailed to the wall up there they put a new coat of paint on it and call it decoration.

 

[TLinden16]

This type of thread is a better fit on the theme parks community board, so I'm going to move it over there now.

 

[Atotty]

Le Cellier in Canada (can you believe it - no reservations at Le Cellier?????)

And it was a buffet type restaurant.

All I remember from the opening was that I didn't like EPCOT. I was in college and wanted to go to MK to ride stuff, not watch a lot of movies in the WS.

I do remember I loved Figment, though.

I disliked it so much that on our first family trip in 2003 we only spent part of an afternoon there and then only because we went to the Garden Grill for the rehitching ceremony.

Now, though, it's one of our favorite parks.

 

[Disneyfan71]

WOW..awesome responses.

I was thinking back to my first trip to Epcot--it was a big deal and something entirely different. But it was so much smaller than it is. And I was really bored. Well I did like Journey Into Imagination and Universe Of Energy (the dinosaurs) but that's about it.

I do remember communicore and they had this game where you could design your own coaster and ride it

Now though it's changed so much I probably won't recognize it. I'm looking forward to going back in June.

 

[wdwiala]

It did--and it was called Magic Journeys
I have that oddly-soothing theme song on my iPod...it was a good movie.

Magic Journeys - somebody was stoned when they wrote/arranged that song. I love it. Got the soundtrack as well. Magic Journeys.....Magic Journeys.....

 

[LadyGracey]

Magic Journeys - somebody was stoned when they wrote/arranged that song. I love it. Got the soundtrack as well. Magic Journeys.....Magic Journeys.....

My best friend was a castle show performer in the late 1980s and their break room was right behind that theater and they could hear it through the wall...he says he has nightmares about that song!

I was just impressed that he still knew all the words...20 years later... I knew then we were destined for friendship

 

[Dznefreek]

Remember the Odyssey restaurant with the stage rising from the floor and the characters coming in to greet the crowd. They were all dressed in space suits.

 

[rick1235]

I was 13 years old. That is my favorite park.

 

[we3peas]

I was in Winter Park's High School band and we were on the tarmac with the marching band at Orlando International Airport when the Air France and British Airways Concordes landed to celebrate the opening of EPCOT in October 18, 1982. Thought it was exciting until Air France had some mechanical problem and didn't shut down their engines. I don't think I could hear correctly for a week. Disney gave each person in the band tickets to EPCOT for the next day. So we got out of 2 days of school to goof off at Disney's expense. Doesn't get much better than that.

 

[we3peas]

I was in Winter Park's High School band and we were on the tarmac with the marching band at Orlando International Airport when the Air France and British Airways Concordes landed to celebrate the opening of EPCOT in October 18, 1982. Thought it was exciting until Air France had some mechanical problem and didn't shut down their engines. I don't think I could hear correctly for a week. Disney gave each person in the band tickets to EPCOT for the next day. So we got out of 2 days of school to goof off at Disney's expense. Doesn't get much better than that.