We live in a theme park universe. Designers, engineers, and architects mold public spaces to create specific moods. Tactics that Walt Disney and his artists used to shape Disneyland in the ‘50s and ‘60s are everywhere. Museums and zoos have moved beyond educating the public and become themed entertainment. Large conglomerates have brought a similar mentality to many platforms, including their parks. It’s a great time to be a theme park fan.
My name is Dan Heaton, and I’ll be your guide on this journey. I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World and other theme parks since I was a kid. One of my earliest memories is staying at the Polynesian Resort as a four-year-old in 1980. Annual trips to Orlando were common during the ‘80s and early ‘90s, and I witnessed the resort’s massive growth firsthand. We’ve continued the family tradition by taking our family to Walt Disney World and other parks.
My Favorite Things
Theme Park: EPCOT, especially its original attractions
All-Time Attraction: Horizons
Roller coaster (theming): Expedition Everest
Roller coaster (thrills): The Voyage, Holiday World
Show: Happily Ever After
Non-Disney Park: Islands of Adventure
Regional Park: Silver Dollar City
Universal Attraction: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Favorite Park Era: EPCOT Center, 1989
Podcast Introduction
Want to learn even more? Check out the first episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast!
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Hi Dan, nice to see there are others with the same mindset when it comes to theme parks , entertainment and futurism. I grew up 15 minutes away from Disneyland and made my first trip to WDW in early 1994. While I enjoyed both the Magic Kingdom and Disney-MGM Studios, it was EPCOT Center really resonated with me. In ’94 all of the original Future World attractions were still intact except for Communicore. Horizons, World of Motion and Journey Into Imagination will live forever in my memory.
Ron, I’m jealous that you grew up so close to Disneyland. I really want to get out there again soon. EPCOT in 1994 is one of the best eras and only had a few slight tweaks to the format. Five years later, a lot of the rides were different or gone. I’m glad you were able to connect with it before the changes. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Dan,
Great blog! Thank you. The more I look on line for Disney interests, the more it confirms how much I love that place and how fortunate I am to have lived in Florida my entire life. I never thought much about how blessed I am since I was fortunate to have my parents bring my sisters and me there almost monthly. I am so happy to have been able to see all the developments of the WDW from my first pieces of memories in the mid-late 70’s (born 1973) up to the present day changes. I share the strong love for this place with you and look forward to hearing and seeing your posts on it.
Epcot is the top for me as well and I always felt that way because of the science, innovation and positive future that it represented. I was fortunate to preview its opening probably 6 months to a year before it opened and visited the park through various ages and changes…as a kid/teenager with family in the 80’s/90’s, as a young adult with friends on countless trips in the 90’s and now as an “adult” (loosely termed lol) with friends AND family. Food & Wine Festival and Flower & Garden are annual trips with many more inbetween.
I like the era you mentioned as well, late-80’s to mid-90’s, because technology of daily life wasn’t where it is now and we were seeing what might and likely would be whenever you went to Epcot. Now when you go, the innovation that they used to display fits on our smart phones and in our homes. I guess the next thing that would impress me at Epcot would be anti-gravity or teleportation! lol
In any case, it’s still my favorite park for the variety of food, countries, the festivals, landscaping, the architecture and the idea it represents. I would like to see more innovation and it is obvious to our disappointment, that it has been the most neglected park although it is arguably one of the most popular.
Keep up the good work and keep sharing your thoughts, memories and experiences. I think you have motivated me to try something creative like this since I have a treasure trove of Disney history in boxes. I learned of your blog through “Widen Your World” which is a good one to check out too.
Thank you Dan and see you at Epcot!
Hi Craig. Thanks so much for the great comment! It’s always cool to hear from Epcot fans, particularly ones who were able to visit during the park’s golden age. I still love going there; it’s still an incredible place to just walk around and experience. I’ve been disappointed by Disney’s lack of attention on Future World, and I doubt that will change soon. There just seems to be so much potential for the park to be even better.
It sounds like we visited Disney World as kids in a similar era (I was born in 1976). I’m jealous that you were able to preview Epcot. My first visit was 1984 when I was eight, and that trip really sticks with me. Thanks again!