Is Epcot’s New World Celebration Area a Huge Disappointment?

We’ve been waiting in anticipation for so long for the EPCOT walls to come down. Now that the CommuniCore Plaza and Hall are open, it’s hard to believe this has taken so long!

EPCOT Transformation

During the D23 event in September 2019, Disney announced multiple projects for Epcot, triggering a complete overhaul of the park. Some of the new projects finished the transformation of Mouse Gear into Creations Shop, the revamp of Club Cool, and the redesign of the park’s entrance.

Was it worth the wait? Check out my (Susan) review and let us know what you think.

In addition, Disney added the following Connections Eatery, Connection Café, a Walt Disney statue, and a Moana water attraction. The construction walls in EPCOT made navigation frustrating. Although the completion was expected in 2023, it officially opened on June 10, 2024.

World Celebration

On December 5th, World Celebration opened to guests to honor Walt Disney’s birthday. Guests can explore, relax, and come together in this open area. In the center, there is a statue surrounded by two plaques. One plaque reads, “Dedicated to all who dream of a better tomorrow.”

Guests may even meet characters here such as Daisy Duck and Pluto. When we visited, there were 2 new Encanto magic shots. One features Mirabel and the other one includes Bruno.

Charging points are conveniently available to recharge phones and other devices, essential for a day at Disney. Although this area provides much-needed seating, shade, and chargers, it feels understated. Hopefully, Disney will add more to this large area.

Communicore Plaza

On June 10, 2024, all the walls were finally taken down! I’m (Susan) not sure if I was more excited to see the newly opened area or to have a direct path to things at EPCOT. Here, you’ll find various entertainment offerings, including a new stage show and a grassy area to watch them.

During the day, you can enjoy the Encanto sing-along show. In the evening, you can experience the lively Latin band, La Calle. Both of these performances include audience participation, making them so much fun.

¡Celebración Encanto! was full of energy and kept the crowd entertained, but it would have been nice to include more Encanto characters. You can see showtimes HERE.

At CommuniCore Plaza, you can meet Mickey Mouse and his friends as well as see 2 different stage shows.

You can also meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy in their new character greeting building adjacent to the stage area.

Guests have missed the previous Character Spot in the breezeway going toward The Land building. 

It’s cool that you meet all 3 characters (separately) in one line. The building was brightly themed with whimsical backgrounds.

You don’t want to miss meeting your Disney pals here.

Around the corner from the stage area, you’ll find a quick service spot, Festival Favorites. Although it’s open now, with no festival currently taking place at EPCOT, food and drink offerings are very limited.

CommuniCore Hall

First, the good, there is seating and air conditioning inside EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall. Next, the bad, NOTHING is going on here. No theming, no personality, nothing! I’m hoping they spruce it up for festivals. However, right now this entire building is a letdown.

Final Thoughts

As I walked through this area, I felt disappointed. We’ve been waiting for it to open since 2019. I don’t understand why it took 5 years to complete!

Will it get better? When festivals start, I hope there will be new experiences and offerings. But why didn’t they include more for its grand opening?

Although I liked the stage shows, guests sit in the hot grass to watch them, with only a few umbrellas for shade. I wish Disney had provided a large canopy and more seating.

What do you think about this new area? Is it enough or were you expecting more? Let us know in the comments and share this post to continue the conversation.