Memories of Epcot – How Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow Saved My Marriage

Today, October 1, 2012 is Epcot’s 30^th Anniversary.  I’m a recent entrant to the Disney Community, within the last 5 years, but have fallen so madly in love with the place; I’ve spent more money and time going to, dreaming about, and blogging, that it’s not even funny…  But it all started, for me at least, at Epcot.

My wife and I had been struggling newlyweds suffering from multiple moves, job changes, and the passing of one of our parents,  and we desperately needed a miracle to save our fledgling marriage…or some magic.  And a friend encouraged us to purchase Annual Passes, which we did, with some trepidation. 

And the first time my wife and I ventured into a park was a cool autumn evening at Epcot, Walt Disney World’s Experiment Prototype Community of Tomorrow.  We had no idea that night that we would forever be changed.

We entered through the turnstiles to the sights and sounds of this amazing cacophony of people, music, smells, flowers, giant stone walls, and a golf ball the size of an 18-story building!  As we ventured further into ‘Future World’, we saw dancing water fountains and Electric Umbrellas and everywhere, smiling people vacationing from reality, just like we were, if only for one evening. 

As we continued further into the heart of Epcot, World Showcase opened up before us, welcoming us as if with outstretched arms…we were home even before we realized it.

As we began our World Showcase trek (we started in Mexico and worked our way towards the American Pavilion) we sampled food and beverages from margaritas to egg rolls and plum wine.  We landed in Germany and found a table right on the edge of the water where we stayed for a fireworks show called Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.  

My wife and I took turns running to grab refills of food or bratwursts…it was amazing to have all these choices of different tastes within steps… We had not yet heard of the International Food and Wine Festival.

And then the lights dimmed, and the bodiless voice welcomed us to Illuminations and then blew out the giant fires around the lake…we were hooked.  And what followed for the next 20 minutes made us laugh and cry at the beauty, the creativity, technology…it was everything we were both passionate about.

And at the end of it all, we could not wait to come back…and we did…often.

Happy Birthday Epcot!!  We look forward to 30 more years…together.