On June 10th, 2024, the new Communicore building finally opened at Epcot in Walt Disney World. This highly anticipated festival center replaces the previous location and includes a stage for live entertainment.
In this post, we’ll take an in-depth look at the newly revealed Communicore Hall – exploring the minimalist interior design, checking out the outdoor stage area, catching highlights from the inaugural Encanto show performance, and contrasting Communicore to the stunning artistry of the nearby Morocco pavilion.
We’ll also provide updates on other recent changes around Epcot like new planters, the DVC lounge, and the closure of Test Track for an upcoming refurbishment.
Arriving at 1 pm, Spaceship Earth had a 25-minute wait. It’s nice that the area behind Journey Into Imagination no longer smells bad – I can actually breathe now! Thanks for joining us today. Hit that like button, subscribe if you haven’t already, and click the notification bell to stay updated on all our uploads.
The Revealed Communicore Building
They’ve opened up the area behind Walt’s sculpture with Epcot designs resembling Cubert from the 1980s game.
From the center of Epcot, you can see the merry-go-round show area currently uncovered but not in use. And there it is – the revealed Communicore building housing the Mickey and Friends meet and greet. Interestingly, this festival building opened between festivals, perhaps to work out operations before Food & Wine starts.
Even with no festival, they have Festival Favorites like a cheese or chicken stuffed arepa. The wall mural prominently features Figment, which makes me happy as a huge fan, along with Guardians of the Galaxy, the old Horizons/World of Motion ride, and Dreamfinder. From the side construction wall, you can now view this area.
The Front Stage Area
From the front, there are just a few little seats and tables in this area with most being lawn seating. There’s plenty of room for more seats if needed for special events.
Inside Communicore Hall
This space is not nearly as big as the old festival centers. It’s very bland inside with almost no theming except for some flags above – it kind of looks like a hospital cafeteria! But at least there are tables to sit at with air conditioning to cool off.
The Outdoor Encanto Show
The outdoor Encanto show is starting soon in 100 degree heat with very little covering. They have some umbrellas but only for the VIP party. This opening day crowd is around 50-75 people staying on the ground as cast members keep the walkway clear.
The show was high energy with singing, dancing, and interactions with Mirabel and Bruno coming out halfway through to engage the crowd directly. Despite my initial underwhelming impression of Communicore Hall’s minimalist design, the show itself was fantastic!
Comparing to Morocco
To contrast the simple new building, the pavilion next door in Morocco features outstanding artistry and architecture. The cast member shared that the Moroccan king insisted on individual hand-cut tile work because the imperfections give it life and beauty. This is imagineering at its finest from years past.
More Epcot Updates
Some other updates around Epcot:
- New planters installed, possibly replacing an upcoming fountain refurbishment
- Without any festivals, Epcot felt pretty dead today aside from the show
- The DVC lounge has temporarily overtaken half of the Odyssey building for renovations
- I got one last ride on Test Track before it closes for refurbishment after new Tron show opens
While the bare-bones Communicore Hall left me underwhelmed, the Encanto show still delivered Disney magic. I’ll have to return to experience more of the show’s interactive elements. Until next time, thanks for joining me to explore the latest updates!