It’s been a challenging few years for EPCOT, but Disney has finally addressed one of the park’s persistent issues: the malfunctioning lights in World Celebration Gardens.
EPCOT’s overhaul – hyped heavily during the 2019 D23 Expo – promised to rejuvenate the park ahead of its 40th anniversary. The ambitious plans included everything from a Mary Poppins (1964) ride in the United Kingdom Pavilion to a dramatic Spaceship Earth update and the Festival Pavilion, a three-story centerpiece for fireworks viewing. However, the pandemic forced Disney to shelve or abandon many of these projects, leaving fans disappointed.
Despite setbacks, EPCOT debuted notable additions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, CommuniCore Hall (notable for the fact that, well, it sucks), and World Celebration Gardens. While the latter introduced much-needed greenery and open spaces, it didn’t escape criticism. Many fans found its design overly heavy on concrete, and even its most promising feature—decorative pathway lights and illuminated light pillars—quickly malfunctioned.
For months, World Celebration Gardens was shrouded in darkness. Guests grew increasingly frustrated, especially as promotional material for attractions like Soarin’ depicted glowing pathway lights that weren’t operational in the park. This week, however, that frustration turned to celebration as Disney restored the lights, finally bringing the area back to life.
Images shared by X (formerly Twitter) user @crazyparkguy captured the excitement, showcasing the lights fully operational.
This is not a drill. This picture is from right now in EPCOT! The center area ground lights are BACK!!!
THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS PICTURE IS FROM RIGHT NOW IN EPCOT!!!!
The center area ground lights are BACK!!! The amount of excitement I felt as I approached the World Celebration area and I saw people illuminated 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5xZr8Vzxnz
— crazyparkguy (@crazyparkguy) December 10, 2024
The lights may not be identical to their original design. Guests report they now display static block colors instead of the smooth transitions previously seen. Still, after months of darkness, many visitors are simply thrilled to see the area illuminated once again.
This fix follows other updates across the park, including recent tweaks to attractions like Soarin’. We still think EPCOT deserves better (after all, this is Walt’s most personal theme park vision – and, in our opinion, Disney World’s best park), but this is definitely a promising step in the right direction.
What do you think of the recent updates at EPCOT?
