A LOT of things are changing at EPCOT.

Not too long ago, the new EPCOT fountain was revealed. After that, the Leave a Legacy tiles came back in a new form. And today some retro EPCOT flags were installed near Spaceship Earth. But, the fun ain’t over yet! Now, the EPCOT entrance now has a new nighttime lighting look you’ll totally want to check out!

Earlier today, we shared a post from Imagineer Zach Riddley about some of the changes coming to EPCOT’s entrance. In it, Riddley said that a NEW “a color-coordinated light ribbon around the entire rim of the [EPCOT entrance] plaza is debuting tonight.” This new light ribbon ties into the nighttime fountain lighting we’ve already gotten the chance to see.

So, after a long day of eating LOTS of delicious treats at the International Flower & Garden Festival, we made our way over to EPCOT’s entrance to see what this new nighttime look is all about! Even though it wasn’t too dark yet, we could already see the new lights in action. 

The lights are on the structures surrounding the EPCOT entrance plaza.

They light up in a variety of colors and you can take a seat or stand in the plaza to see them change.

Check out the color-coordinated light ribbon around the rim of the plaza at Epcot! pic.twitter.com/jpFajyD7mN

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 3, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

And just take a look at this stunning time lapse video of Spaceship Earth with the enhanced lighting!

We could watch this every day. 🥰 pic.twitter.com/GUtyKshS0T

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 4, 2021

 

 

 

 

The lights REALLY come to life once the sun sets and the area becomes darker!

The new light display is pretty enough at dusk…but it’s even more beautiful at night!

Overall, it’s a simple detail that adds a nice pop of color and another unique aspect to EPCOT’s look.

In another Instagram post Riddley shared more details about the lights. As Riddley shares, “At more than four football fields long, this light ribbon has been present since opening day, but was originally lit by hundreds of fluorescent tubes in solid colors. Now we’ve updated it with highly energy-efficient, programmable LED lighting with nearly 3,000 individually controlled points of light that blend together to create color gradients and patterns.”

Riddley further shared, “Color gradients have always been a part of EPCOT’s design legacy from the tiered amber, blue, and purple lighting of Spaceship Earth to the bands of color on the Energy pavilion, to the new color palettes of World Nature, World Discovery and World Celebration, and you’ll see all of that reflected in this new lighting design we’ve created for the main entrance plaza and it’ll continue through the new areas of the park.”

Riddley has also shared that EPCOT also has a new main entrance soundtrack which we got to hear today. 

So, the next time you’re walking through the entrance, be sure to pay EXTRA close attention to the music you hear!

Click here to listen to a clip of the new music.

And soon Spaceship Earth will get in on the action with its own dramatic, new nighttime look! As part of the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, Spaceship Earth will get a makeover with new lights shining across its reflective panels. The lights will connect to form a starry-night sky!

And while this new look will debut with the 50th Anniversary, it’ll actually be staying beyond the 18-month celebration.

In his recent post, Riddley also shared that “for the first time ever, the main entrance plaza and Spaceship Earth will be unified with dynamic lighting this year.” Riddley noted that the new lights around the plaza connects with the lighting on the fountain, and together those will “shine in concert when the new Spaceship Earth lighting debuts with the Beacons of Magic for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort.” How exciting!

Click here to read more about Spaceship Earth’s upcoming new look!

We can’t wait to see EPCOT’s fully transformed nighttime look once the Spaceship Earth lights debut. We’ll be on the lookout for more updates about that and other changes going on around Disney World. Stay tuned for all the latest Disney news!

Click here to read more about Disney World’s 50th Anniversary!

What do you think about EPCOT’s changing entrance and its new nighttime lighting? Tell us in the comments!