EPCOT’s massive transformation, a Disney World project announced in 2016, is now officially complete. The final pieces of the project—CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza—opened to the public on Monday.
The venues are located in the World Celebration area of the park and serve as, as Disney describes it, a gathering place for guests.
CommuniCore Hall will change with the seasons, featuring art display, live music and other activities tied to the park’s festivals. It also has a show kitchen that will be used for culinary events and demonstrations. And with its indoor seating, the hall will also serve as a place where guests can go to relax.
The building also houses Mickey & Friends, a character meet-and-greet space with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy. Each character has their own section with a colorful backdrop and surrounding artwork that nods to EPCOT’s past.
Outside the hall, visitors will find the CommuniCore plaza, which hosts the limited-time show “Celebracion Encanto!” Running multiple times throughout the day through Sept. 6, the sing-along features characters and music from Disney’s “Encanto.” In the evenings, a Latin groove band will take the stage.
Another performance space is located at the other end of the plaza, but Disney has not yet announced the entertainment offering for that stage.
Festival Favorites, a new quick-service location near the plaza stage, offers a rotating menu of dishes from EPCOT’s different festivals. For the opening, the menu consists of food inspired by “Encanto,” including cheese-stuffed arepas and coconut tres leches.
CommuniCore Hall also features a colorful mural that wraps around its exterior that’s filled with nods to EPCOT past and present. At night, the building’s geometric design lights up.
This latest debut comes just months after EPCOT unveiled the World Celebration gardens and the Walt the Dreamer statue in Dreamers Point. The park’s transformation has included the additions of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the points of light on Spaceship Earth and more.
