Tomorrow Epcot will have its 30th birthday but the Epcot project, it's the least we can say had many changes since Walt's original vision, so today we will remember this "Epcot that never was".
On October 27, 1966, two months before his death, Walt Disney recorded his last TV presentation. To the american audience he was introducing his vision of Epcot, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow".
So, today, let's go back in time with pictures, concept arts and the video of the original TV show to have a look at this Epcot who, as we know, finally never was.
Here is Walt recording his last show, his obvious excitement about his new project is "pure Walt".
Walt began by showing the audience a Florida map...
And then came the famous shot on the Disney World project map...
Here is a concept art of Epcot as Walt's envisioned it, with a cosmopolitan hotel in its center. Click on each picture to see them in bigger size.
And here are two others, including one of Epcot's city at night.
Located beneath the hotel, the transportation lobby was fantastic. Different kind of transportation would have been possible, with a choice between the monorail or the famous WEDway people mover.
Inside the indoor international shopping area guests would have found food experience, shows and items from many countries - the World Showcase, on a certain point of view is coming from this original concept.
The Industrial complex was a place where Disney staff would have work with individual corporations to create a showcase of industry.
Here is a last view of the center of Walt's vision of Epcot.
If you want to know much more about this fantastic project , i strongly suggest you to discover the great Waltopia web site where some of these renderings and pictures are coming from.
It's one of the best site i've seen about Walt's original vision of Epcot, and it is full of documents about it.
And now it's time to watch the 1966 video where Walt himself will explain to you his vision of this "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow". It's in three parts and it last 26 minutes. The movie begin by some shots of Disneyland, but don't worry, it is the right one and Walt will appear soon.
Photos, artwork and videos: copyright Disney
Thanks to Waltopia for the photos and artwork and to freedogshampoo for the youtube links.
It's really amazing that Walt and his team made such concepts in 1966! I don't know if he would have been able to do this EPCOT if he had not died so soon, but it shows how incredibly talented and versatile this man was, a true visionary genius!
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