Fans were heartbroken at the removal of one of their favorite EPCOT Future World elements during the overhaul construction at the Disney Park for the 50th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort. But on Friday, Imagineer Zach Riddley announced that it’s officially coming back!
The fiber optic sidewalk lights embedded in the pavement near Spaceship Earth at EPCOT greeted you as you headed out of the Disney Park after viewing of the now retired, late-night Illuminations or taking one last ride on Soarin’. So it was no surprise when fans begged for Disney to bring them back after construction.
The lights were teased in concept art that Disney posted 0n Thursday. But until Zach Riddley confirmed, fans were left wondering if their favorite shimmering sidewalk was truly returning. According to the Imagineer, the sidewalk lights are coming back in a new way. He wrote on Instagram:
We know our guests loved the fiber optics embedded in the pavement at EPCOT, and we’re excited to share that we’re bringing back new illuminated paving designs in World Celebration. These features pay homage to EPCOT’s past, while incorporating updated technology and controllability to deliver some fun new lighting capabilities. As you can see in this image, at the central planter in the heart of World Celebration, the rings of the EPCOT logo will come to life with light and color in an inviting and dynamic celebration of unity.
Much like the reference to Horizons, Universe of Energy, and Kitchen Kabaret at EPCOT’s newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Riddley reports that the new lights will pay homage to the Disney Park’s beloved past.
The lights will be a part of a new neighborhood at EPCOT titled World Celebration, which aims to tie the World Showcase with the other sections of the Park and, according to Riddley’s Instagram post, is “Designed with over 12,000 individually controllable lighting fixtures” He continues, “The reimagined nighttime experiences in this new park neighborhood will create a dynamic environment that will transform the area every night.”
Although they’re paying tribute to EPCOT’s past, the new lights will look to the future with updated technology and controllability. Not only will the sidewalk “come to life” with light, but the rings of the new EPCOT logo in the center of World Celebration will also glow colorfully at night, celebrating unity and the themes of the beloved Disney Park’s different lands – World Showcase, Future World, The Land, and, of course, World Celebration.
