Thanks to a loyal reader of this blog, I’ve fortunately come into some fantastic and rare pictures of EPCOT Center in its formative years. The above photos are from all years of EPCOT’s construction, dating back to 1979, and just up to a few months before the turnstiles were thrown open to the Vacation Kingdom’s second gate.
The first picture is perhaps the most alien and unrecognizable of all of them, despite being related to one Walt Disney World’s most iconic landmarks and structures. Those concrete pylons in the ground are the support system for Spaceship Earth, which will soon rise nearly 180 feet into the air. Spaceship Earth is supported by six legs, in three groups, though each are connected to one another so as to equally distribute the structure’s weight and allow the sphere to gracefully “float” above the ground. Two of the groups above are the familiar blue legs that stand at the entrance to Future World, while the third leg group sits behind the sphere and is hidden by the Earth Station structure, which houses the loading, unloading, and post show areas. That leg also houses the mechanics for the assent and descent ramps.
Picture 2 gives us a great look at this system in action. The legs, now with vertical supports, are beginning to support Spaceship Earth’s “core” structure, with provides the weighted center of the building. This core column is the heart of the building itself, with the rounded and spherical edges being “hung” and constructed off of that much simpler structure. Picture 3 illustrates that point in a much clearer way, as you can see the vertical and cylindrical support core, and Spaceship Earth’s spherical body being formed around that. Also note the fantastic view into the structure itself, the spiraling flooring being constructed up and down the sphere’s body will soon house the mechanics for the omnimover ride and its show scenes.
Picture 3 is also notable for being taken from The Land’s roof, leading me to believe that this picture is from mid 1981, when The Land would have been structurally complete, and awaiting its show elements. The Universe of Energy is also nearly complete visible in this shot.
The Land is also our subject for photos 4 and 5. 4 shows off EPCOT’s third geodesic structure under construction for Listen to the Land’s greenhouse. EPCOT’s other two geodesic structures can be found in Spaceship Earth: The interior and waterproof hull of the building (as seen in black in picture 8) follows a triangular pattern, and of course, Spaceship Earth’s silver alucobond skin, which in itself is a separate structure, attached to the sphere’s side. A gap of several feet exists between the silver tiles and Spaceship Earth’s interior building.
Picture 5 is a wonderful vista of the interior of The Land and Walter Peregoy’s original atrium murals. Walter Peregoy was one of Walt Disney’s early animators and had been with Disney since the first productions at the studio. Peregoy is also known for painting the whimsical murals in Journey into Imagination’s loading zone.
Picture 6 shows off Canada’s rocky facade under construction, at the ground level to the pavilion, just where the entrance is to the CircleVision 360 theater is, today.
And finally, pictures 6 and 7 boasting great views of France, in 1982 and almost to opening day and late in 1981, with still a bit of work to go. Note that Chefs de Paris does not have its expanded dining room yet, as that won’t be added on until the mid 1980s. Also interesting is the great view of the model of the Eiffel Tower, unceremoniously tacked on to the back of the Impressions de France theater. The earlier picture doesn’t have the Eiffel Tower constructed yet, though you can see its base, ready and waiting. Picture 7 also has a look at both England and Canada being pieced together, as Spaceship Earth is beginning to be clad in its triangular skin, as I mentioned earlier.
Thanks again to the reader that sent these along- these are delightful images of EPCOT Center in the making and proof of how intricate and daring the original park was. Enjoy!
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UPDATE: December 2nd, 2014-
I just found two shots of Spaceship Earth and it’s dynamically engineered structure that clearly illustrate the concepts I talked about above.
The first shows off Spaceship Earth’s alucobond skin being lifted into place with a special custom made winch. Each tile is unique for the gap that it fills on the structure. Given that there is an American flag attached to the tiles, this is most likely from Spaceship Earth’s “bottoming out” ceremony. Where most buildings just have a topping out ceremony, Spaceship Earth marked this occasion, too, if for how unique the structure was, in the first place. “Bottoming out” might have been just as a large a feat of raising the building in the first place, as the curved sides of the sphere were hung off of the sides of the support system.
The second shot is another fantastic glimpse of the very basis of the support structure and how Spaceship Earth is anchored into the ground. Enjoy!
