EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration
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- čas přidán 11. 01. 2012
- The television special EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration aired on CBS October 23, 1982 (the night before the park's official dedication). It was hosted by legendary actor-singer-comic Danny Kaye.
![Spaceship Earth [Its Creation and Design]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iGdYf9eOwbE/mqdefault.jpg)
I really love the original purpose of Epcot. I wish that was all back.
I opened Epcot Center - Was one of the most memorable times of my life.
I’m so jealous of you
⚡🌐 or🧚🏻♀✨ 🏰❓...I was in Walt Disney World on the day EPCOT opened in 1982, 40 years ago today...My college friends and I, elected rather to visit the Magic Kingdom instead ...to avoid crowds...I've never regretted it...basically every ride in the Kingdom was a walk on...
...I'm curious ...do you remember seeing this Danny Kaye special being filmed on that day?...
I have to admit, I appreciate Epcot a lot more as an adult, then when I was a kid..
I've never been there.tha mmm is to unaffordable prices.
Exactly the way I feel. I would spend every penny I have to visit 80's-era Epcot, but I actually did visit as a kid, and I didn't appreciate it.
@@LiberalSquared I'd kill for 80s-era EPCOT. 2016 EPCOT is crap.
@@LogoMan7777 nah
"Epcot would be the place where the parents drag the kids, not the other way around."
Epcot the first couple of years (when Figment arrived) was so gleaming and new and 80's. The colors all purple and orange and silver. All the rides and pavilions smelled like new carpet and fresh paint. The concrete what white at clean. And at the end of the day a freaking laser beam drew the continents spinning on Spaceship Earth. A stunning billion dollar park probably the first ever to blow past the billion dollar mark.
My family didn't visit until late 1988 but it still seemed brand new at that time. We didn't know it had already been open for 6 years.
I forgot about the continents on Spaceship Earth. Sooo magical.
I first made it there in 1986. The times moved so quickly. It didn’t take 10 years before there was so much talk about it being outdated. I guess I’ve always wanted to go back and see it look like it did when it was new.
I remember fondly being hired on at Epcot in Feb of 1983. I was surprised to find that I had to shave my mustache to conform to the "Disney clean-cut look", (even though Walt had one). All of us new hires went through Disney "orientation ", this was to familiarize ourselves with the company "culture". (This was when Ron Miller was still in charge). During this time, the employees were treated like family. It was wonderful while it lasted. Things changed after the 1984 takeover by Saul Steinberg. The rumors at the time, were that the theme parks would be sold off and the film production would be kept. Very unsettling times. But all of us new hires were still excited about the new park. You have to remember, Epcot in 1982 was all run on 2 inch magnetic tape, 3-gun video projectors and 35mm film projection. These were exciting times for me, instead of one film projection room, I was in charge of an entire pavilion, Journey into Imagination, sponsored by Kodak! Those were the days when film was still king. Quite exciting for a 27 year old! I remember in the early days that a show would go down because of a "bin-loop jam". At the time, all of the shows would run on a 2 inch magnetic tape that would provide the synchronization time code, and the audio. These bin loops were 2 inch magnetic tape, captstan-drive and compressed air driven, quite state-of-the-art for it's day. But, they would occasionally bunch up, causing a disruption of the time-code, thus interrupting the show. All of the techs out in the field would have to respond and restart the show. I was amazed by all of the special effects in the Imagination pavilion. The Disney engineering division, "Imagineering" had an enormous talent for designing clever show elements for each of Epcot's pavilions. The best example was the Imagination pavilion. They employed, fiber optics, lasers, polarized light, pulsing strobes and many other optical illusions to create fantastic story elements. I have great memories of maintaining all of this marvelous effects. Those were great days, I remember them well.
Now it smells like vomit and vinegar
This is heaven. I could watch this all day. Sad to see Epcot has lost it's original purpose.
yeah it looked kind of cool back then
@@iHeartsNostalgiaPit Its still looks cool even in every year
And epcot didnt lose its original purpose
Disney has lost its original purpose. With dollars rising and now extras that use to be included getting price tagged. It’s so sad. Walt wanted a place where everyone could visit and feel like a VIP corporate America has turned it into only the rich can visit. So sad
@@Thearruadatravelers Your wrong, Disney had never lost it's original purpose.
I enjoyed this so much. I went to Epcot right after it opened in 1982 when I was 18. Later I worked at WDW as a switchboard operator. Danny Kaye is an amazing entertainer. RIP Mr. K..
slc crayzis awesome
I remember when Epcot opened I think they had just been constructing spaceship earth at that time, the park was quite different than than to be expected that's the way new things are , even now and tomorrow are new and old cause time passes on by, it waits for no one nobody can foresee what the future holds only the imagery of things to come , It is what Epcot is all about our future😅 indeed😅
I was born in 1985 so I can't talk about its initial opening, but I do miss the epcot of the late 80s and early 90s. Now it is becoming less and less about learning and the promise of tomorow as it is about cartoons and fun rides. Horizons and World of Motion have become mission space and test track: rides that lasted 15-20 minutes with little to no wait time because the cars never stopped are now rides where you learn nothing, and they are over in 5 minutes with average half hour to outrageous 3 hour wait times. Maelstrom, probably my favorite disney ride of all time, is now becoming a frozen ride, which is simply a cartoon, and while it is set in norway, it will just be another magic kingdom kiddie ride. They should have left Maelstrom alone and put frozen in magic kingdom or hollywood studios. Girls from my generation had to wait 20+ years for a little mermaid ride, but when frozen came out they just bulldozed the oldest thing they could find to cram it in wherever it fit. During the troll scene in Frozen, I felt this horrible sense of dread as I totally called, out loud, the fact they would tear down maelstrom.
One of the most relaxing bits at Epcot was the backwards return journey on spaceship earth, but now they have that dumb touch screen glaring in your face with a game for you to play, WHILE ON A RIDE, as if we don't stare at a touch screen every other minute of our lives anyway. Even the relaxing boat ride in Mexico is now obnoxious with the three caballeros on permantent loop for 10 minutes.
Also I feel like the sense of wonder and the promise of tommorow will never be the same at epcot, as technology advances so fast, its impossible to create attractions about them anymore. When I was young, the idea of face chat was unbelievable, and now i can do it on my phone and I don't because it is a waste of data and battery. Flying cars will never happen, homes don't look any different than they did in the 80s, home decor has backtracked as everyone builds all their furniture out of wooden pallets, and instead of all these awesome advances in vehicles, homes, and travel or even space travel, we get new iphones and fit bits every 25 minutes, and that's about it.
Epcot is still my favorite park merely for nostalgia's sake, but I find that most of my favorite moments in Epcot can never be relived, except maybe the greenhouse ride in the Land, and the smell of the Spaceship Earth ride.
I miss the old Epcot.
All I can ask Disney in regards to how Epcot has been forced to change is this:
What the hell went wrong?
youhartley Preach! Well said!
I was born in 1984, and I don't remember much about the 80's, but the 90's was exciting for me as a kid. I found out that I actually enjoy the Disney parks just recently.
@Peter Boykin Its not about what time period we're born in. Everyone in the 50s thought the same shit too. When the Gulf War and 9/11 happened, that signified the end of fun.
Transhumanism is still a thing. So I wouldn't say we lost interests in technology and changing the human species.
I was there during the opening of Epcot Center...My main location was in the Magic Kingdom at the Crystal Palace on main street, I was chosen to work extra shifts at the new theme park. so... I actually drove a golf cart around the park delivering coffee to the various television network news team/outlets that covered the opening celebration of the then newest Disney theme park Epcot Center... I happened to be at the Entrance as the first family entered.
Rapheal Rawlings awesome
I heard the pay wasn’t great working there..but..considering the incredible experience you had that you can hold onto and talk about your whole life...I’m guessing the pay was never the real reason you took the job... must have been a great time in your life.
I heard the pay wasn’t great working there..but..considering the incredible experience you had that you can hold onto and talk about your whole life...I’m guessing the pay was never the real reason you took the job... must have been a great time in your life.
What a cool memory! Thanks for the share.
To be honest this video is really helping me get through 2020.
I was there in 1982 ....so long ago.....the good old days.....
Not on opening day but right afterwards
Jeff Don cool
I forgot Epcot opened without the Morocco and Norway Pavilions
Plus, the never built African Pavilion
Same, and I heard the food and entertainment in the Morocco pavilion is amazing! I’m 🤤 tonight because I want to go tomorrow but I’m in nyc!
The old disney channel movie entrance!
I believe Disney Parks have underestimated the uniqueness of EPCOT. They're turning it into just another IP overload theme park. It was such a one off in what it offered and this line is sadly beung blurred and removed with the new updates. Disney once believed in its Imagineers now there is the perception that without characters they cannot sell it.
I 100 percent agree. The park today has lost all its charm and is actually less compelling. I don’t think it’s too late for Disney to fix this but I doubt they will. It’s really sad.
CBS-TV Schedule for 23 October, 1982 on WKYT:
6:00pm: NewsCenter 27
6:30pm: CBS Evening News Weekend Edition with Bob Schieffer
7:00pm: Hee Haw
8:00pm: Walt Disney: EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration
9:00pm: Blazing Saddles
11:00pm: NewsCenter 27
The announcer heard here is the late John Harlan, known for his announcing stints on (The $100,000) Name That Tune and American Gladiators.
WOW!!!! I was there live for the grand opening and the tv special taping!!!! It was a remarkable time to be there. The park actually stayed open till 2am during those first two weeks!!! Cant believe how time flies. Seems like yesterday!!!!
That song Danny sings to Drew about staying innocent hits a lot harder with the hindsight of what actually happened to her taken to mind.
What happened to her
@@Skitjamo She got really into drugs and stuff from a very young age, like she was an alcoholic by the time she was 9. She wrote a book about it, actually, called Little Girl Lost.
Being one of those guys in uniform at the 46:30 min point, it was a truly amazing event. The best of the best from around the world. And then, when there was a lighting issue, Danny Kaye entertained us by dropping his trousers to pink poka-dot undies, like a clown prepared for such an occasion. Once there was rain. Disney had prepared for the eventuality with a circus tent. As we waited with musical groups from dozens of nations we each took turns performing the real stuff for each other, not the national television stuff. It was great.
This looks so cool. I know it keeps changing but the spirit of the Epcot center will always be there. In love with Danny Kaye because of my yearly tradition of watching White Xmas.
This is what TV today is missing.
Matthew Bellis no kidding
For real!
I love epcot and walt disney world. I can't wait to go back.
TAYLOR Shelton same
Epcot center: the opening celebration has been the Disney's special presentation from CBS TV
Old 3D Animation, is just so good and impressive for back then.
I miss the old Epcot!
that intro tho, 90's Disney channel
Thanks for uploading! I have this on video tape, but never got a chance to convert it! Fantastic program and Danny Kaye is awesome! Brought tears to my eyes! Thanks!!!
Happy 40th anniversary EPCOT.
HaPpY 38th anniversary!!! (1982-2020) EPCOT
40th years Anniversary of Epcot
We love Epcot...very excited about upcoming changes.
36:16 the African pavilion (to open in one year) was apparently downsized... to a gift shop selling Drums. Whoops, luckily they got their own park in 1998.
+Keith Rogers Israel did not even make it that far. Whoops.
Keith Rogers went to the AK in May 1998 when it was brand new; first time I ever went to WDW.
The Africa pavilion never opened because the only country that would sponsor it was South Africa, and the Disney company didn’t support Apartheid.
Remember we got Africa location in animal kingdom
Justin David Goujon good
This is a great treat. I'm so glad this video was posted to the web.
I was a teenager my self when I was at Epcot so I was young enough to see the fun in it but now At age 61 I see something more than fun it is about you and me and what we can do for the world in the near future this is truly the greatest part of life you can be a part of .Thank you WDW for now and tommorrow and forever😮😅
Keep your eyesight on the future other's may overlook what is coming just ahead of us😮.
GREAT HOST
14:33 “well, the future is always exciting” 35 years later.......
I am related to most of the people that hosted this show (Including Walt Disney) (except Drew Barrymore) and I am very sad of what Disney has done with EPCOT Center, 1982- Open and celebrating the EPCOT pavilions 1983- Open the best ride at Disney-Horizons 1990s- Destroy Horizons, Journey Into Imagination, Living Seas, Wonders of Life (except Body Wars and Cranium Command), Communcore and Innoventions, World of Motion, Universe of Energy and replace them with IP and other things that don’t even have to do with the future. As Walt would have said to us, “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day”. I believe that Disney should start to realize for what my relative (Walt) would be saying- that EPCOT is my Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow and that if may forever reflect on to the future, dedication of the park, and the understanding of mistakes. I love EPCOT Center forever.
Makes me want a time machine
⚛⚡🌐 or🧚🏻♀✨ 🏰❓...I was in Walt Disney World on the day EPCOT opened in 1982, 40 years ago today...My college friends and I, elected rather to visit the Magic Kingdom instead ...to avoid crowds...I've never regretted it...basically every ride in the Kingdom was a walk on...
Danny Kaye was the best ! We sure miss him, singer,dancer, a real showman and genius.
I forgot how the old intro was like a dark ride.
This is such a great special with such an underrated soundtrack! Danny Kaye brings it home with Hooray for the 21st Century and The World Showcase.
I just rode the Journey into Imagination ride today and by the end of it I was using my imagination to think of all the things I would like to use to beat Figment to death with.
Here now that Epcot is being changed. Not sure how to feel.
"One little spark" is all it takes to reconnect with our unique and always full of innovations Park of tomorrow. Stay safe everyone!
18:30 - it's Sico the robot from Rocky 4! And a sassy young Drew Barrymore!
I like how Dreamfindee runs past one of the backgrounds for Horizons 19:13
That was actually footage intended for an introduction for a preview of Magic Journeys.
Poor EPCOT Center, what have they done to you?
what they do?
***** Have you ever been to EPCOT Center?
yeah i went twice in 80s and again around 2000 or so.
i agree, they got rid of a bunch of attractions i liked.
***** That is pretty much what I meant. Imagination especially.
Happy 35th Birthday EPCOT!
Went there in September 1988.
1:08, “Walt Disney... sponsored by GE! (Cue General Electric “We Bring Good Things To Life” jingle)”
Happy 33rd Birthday Epcot!
I have to agree with you on this. Back when Epcot was first designed, instant communication around the world was still very expensive, inefficient, and frankly, scarce. Now that the internet has become such commonplace, where else do we go on the communication place? I can get that on my smartphone. Communication technologies is easy now. What's next?
Morroco opened September 7, 1984. Norway Soft Opened May 6, 1988 and had there Grand Opening in June of 1988.
The pure joy on Danny's face during the finale, like a little kid
it is unfortune that most of this has been abandoned Jb
Jamie Beattie it’s coming Back
Or bulldozed....looking at you mission space
My family was like "Epcot is where the people get drunk"
i really like this
Sadly, Danny Kaye died only 5 years after this airing.
Danny Kaye (to Drew Barrymore): In the future my dear you will marry THIS man (Tom Green), show your naughty parts to THIS man (David Letterman) and play this love interest of THIS man (Adam Sandler) three times! (The Wedding Singer), (50 First Dates) (Blended).
The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates are easily some of adam sandler's better films. And I'm pretty sure that 'showing her jugulars' to David Letterman bit was pre-planned, he had a penchant for doing stunts like that.
But yeah there is absolutely nothing that justifies marrying Tom Green, that one still baffles me any time I think about it.
KILL ME NOW!!!
lol 😂
Jack Carroll yess
See the young Drew Barrymore at the 10-minute point. The West Point Cadet Glee Club is at 46 minutes (me at 47 minutes, thank you very much).
The dream of the future
The dream of today
and the dream of the past
When the day was today
And everyone loves this place
Or everyone will
And look over there
There’s a big giant ball
And look there some gum
On the ground over there
It looks like Big Red
And the rockets red glare
I once was in movies
And now I do this
Uh duh duh duh dum
Merry Christmas to me
I love Some Jerk with a Camera
This video made my day :)
EPCOT Center - What people in 1965 thought 1987 would look like....
RIP Roy Clark
I remember this song and it's famous. I love this song because I remember singing it when I was a little girl.
never heard of Danny Kaye before but then again he died two years before I was born, and so thats what the real version of "this land" sounds like, I have only ever heard the Jibjab bush kerry version
I was one of the West Point cadets singing. We worked our butts off, and Danny Kaye was not a nice man to work with. lol
@@mattadams887 thanks for that bit of behind the scenes information.
@@MaryS2022 you are welcome. It was a great experience and I still look back fondly, except for Danny Kaye! Lol
@@mattadams887 I also was in one of the musical numbers..."not a nice man" is putting it mildly...
49:15, “Tomorrow, join Brent Musburger, Irv Cross, Phyllis George and Jimmy the Greek for all the news and pregame action on The NFL Today, followed by exciting NFL Doubleheader action with the Dallas Cowboys meeting the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers meeting the Minnesota Vikings, or other regional action. Now, stay tuned as Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn star in Mel Brooks’ ‘Blazing Saddles,’ the CBS Saturday Night Movie, next!”-CBS Staff Announcer Norman Stevens.
They took out most of Walt's rides and turned it into a corporate monster.. It should not even be called Walt Disney World..
Happy 40th EPCOT CENTER!!!!
Danny is so excited to lead the choir
I was there Opening day!
when a Disney owned world seemed like a good idea.
young Drew Barrymore, she was such an adorable little superstar at that time, we need more child actresses like Drew Barrymore
14:40 She learned the same thing in Babes In Toyland 4 years later!
This so sweet and airy and delightful. None of interaction between the chatacters would fly nowadays.
00:43
a e s t h e t i c
Epcot is and always has been my favorite of the Disney parks, and it probably always will be. I'd love to have been able to see it when it was all fresh and new, but even in a state of change, the sense of discovery and optimism still permeates the place. It's different now, yes, but that doesn't make it any less great.
That being said, the implication at around 6:00 that all of Walt Disney World is "Epcot" and this is only the center is BONKERS. Like, who are you FOOLING.
This is the secens about part of the section of the World Showcase: Equatorial Africa 36:17
Epcot needs a total visual update. It's starting to "feel" like cheesy worlds fair as oppose to an exciting exhibit of what's possible in the future. I understand technology is moving at a fast pace, so why not focus on how that technology can and will benefit us today. There is just so much potential. ...
Ruben R. Almost shocking how much has not changed since 1982... and with that song towards the beginning, sounds like the 21st century didn't begin in 2000, more like 1982 lol. Both Epcot and Studios are quite dated now.
And both will be fully renovated within the next decade
Ruben R. That’s what going on now
@@nickthedreamer4434 If you go there now, it’s a construction site with a few exhibits scattered inside
future world needs to update maybe by just not having exhibits, but rather to have futuristic rides.. just like the harry potter ride is such a huge technological advancement.
3:48 oh for a second there I thought it was going to cut to some jerk with a camera
The “People of the World” doll-like characters are creepy but I would like to see them again, maybe in some special appearance/occasion??
They originally created for America on Parade🇺🇸
The 21st century was 2000
Vault Disney, aw I remember that!
Having had some time to think about it. Maybe they need to do a total re-think and retool on the Wonders of Life to anchor a new Future World...most of the huge advances in technology in the past decade have been in health sciences and it's something that interests people.
George Potter irs returning
So was the editor for the opening number trolling Danny Kaye/ Disney with what they are cutting too?
"The most thrilling site one could see": A Tree
"The visions of yet to be" " cuts to Dinosaurs
:With Fantasy you can touch" cuts to impoverished black people
28:43 part of Symphony from the New World plays when he talks about Columbus finding the New World. Also Appalachian Spring is heard at 24:30.
ecoRfan The theme behind Appalachian Spring of communality (much of the melodies are from Shaker hymns) really tied in well with the concept of the park. Not sure all of the special did, though haha
It must have been a pain to time every opening shot with Danny so that a monorail was passing in the background... just saying, they only go by every few minutes.
More likely, the monorail was being run and reversed as necessary to accommodate filming the sequence.
I love Epcot from Walt Disney world in Florida
It's nice seeing the different people and this show is neat but that segment is interesting. As a matter of fact, I remember the song in the program. Some of this reminds me of a scene from Tron.
walt disney dream is possible good times forever
Would somebody please upload the video of the grand opening day of Disney Hollywood studios and animal kingdom I would love to see it please.
In 2022 it will be EPCOT 40th Anniversary.
Dreamfinder @ 18:45
To go into the future? Or to go into the past to see figmonts sweater that was straight from the 80s?
My favorite Danny Kaye performance is Seymour S. Sassafras from Here Comes Peter Cottontail
30:29 : The Showcase of The World and my favorite Japan part: 30:54
He reminds me of Martin Short. I wonder if Short would say he was an inspiration.
I was honestly thinking more along the lines of Neil Patrick Harris. He definitely got inspired by Danny Kaye
I can definitely see the energetic and fun demeanor being shared!
How would you fix Future World? The "problem" is that communication is so much faster than it was in 1982. What forward looking exhibits could you put in Future World that people haven't already seen on the internet? By the time the imagineers got finished with a Disney worthy exhibit of a new technology, it would already be appearing in people's homes. They need a *radical* rethink.
4:20 The only way to respond to that question is with another question: "What's a paladin?"
Sick reference bro. I miss Spoony. :(
jonah terms 1982-1984 besides worlds fair Tennessee