Looking Back: EPCOT Center in 1990

Time for another entry in the Looking Back series, and this time we are taking a look back at EPCOT Center in 1990. Yes, EPCOT Center is what us old-timers called Epcot back in the day. Because that is what its creators called it, after all. Anyway, on to the photos. Click each one for a larger view.

We will start things off with a look at Spaceship Earth, because that is the universally recognized symbol of EPCOT Center, after all. This was long before the Mickey Wand was erected over it, and of course that wand has since been removed, making Spaceship Earth look once again much like it did here. Thankfully.

Here is another look at GERO the GE Robot, who was last seen in our previous Looking Back at EPCOT Center post. And not that it has anything to do with GERO, but I love the souvenir bag that the lady behind him is carrying. I think I may still have one or two of those stored away at home somewhere.

Another photo of Spaceship Earth from over near the Living Seas. And what makes a Spaceship Earth photo even better? A passing Monorail. Although for this one, I used that age-old trick of getting the back end of the Monorail in the photo, because I wasn’t ready when the front end came by. But it’s a Monorail, so unless you know, how can you tell which way it is going, right?

From there, we move on to World Showcase. Apparently, I didn’t linger long in Future World on that visit. Or if I did, I didn’t take any other photos of the area. From there, we move on to World Showcase. Apparently, I didn’t linger long in Future World on that visit. Or if I did, I didn’t take any other photos of the area.

Up first from World Showcase is this view of Spaceship Earth from the Italy Pavilion. I have always enjoyed this view for whatever reason. Probably because it helps to show the size of Spaceship Earth from all the way across the park. Interesting to see that most people seem to be looking at something to the left, which was actually the performance troupe doing their thing. Apparently, I didn’t think that would be as interesting to photograph as this view was.

Hey, look! It’s Roger Rabbit near the American Adventure! That’s something you don’t see any more. And not just at the American Adventure, either. But this was 1990, just two years after the movie was released, and less than a year after its release on home video, so Roger was still quite the popular fellow. And for the record, I don’t know any of the people with Roger here. We didn’t wait to get our own photo with him, I just snapped one of some random people and moved on.

This view is of the International Gateway, with the Swan and Dolphin hotels off in the distance. The International Gateway was still relatively new at this time, and I liked the gardenwork design off in the distance, so that probably explains this photo.

Here is another photo of the International Gateway building itself. We used to enjoy looking around in the shop in that building, because we would at times find things there that we hadn’t seen anywhere else. But those days are gone now, as all the stores seem to carry the exact same things these days.

A pretty standard view of the United Kingdom. Except that the first thing I notice here is the lack of a major crowd. Maybe it is just timing on my part now, but it seems like whenever we have been in the United Kingdom at Epcot in the last several years, the whole area is covered with people. It probably is significant that when we are there it is usually close to time for Illuminations, and all of World Showcase seems to be covered with people then. Perhaps this was much earlier in the day, although it seems like there weren’t that many people there at all compared to today’s crowds.

Here is the traditional end-of-the-EPCOT-Center-day photo of Spaceship Earth at night. I love the way it glows with those deep colors, and I was happy that this turned out as well as it did, considering the fact that I didn’t have a tripod and that I used a rail or a trash can to steady the camera. Not too bad.

Before we go, here is an overview of EPCOT Center, along with the Swan and Dolphin hotels over to the left, as seen from where we were staying. We were at one of the hotels on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, and I believe it was the Travelodge, which is now the Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort, although I could be mistaken about that. Whichever one it was, we went up to the top floor to see this view. And how cool is it that there is a hot air balloon over EPCOT Center? Pretty cool.

That does it for this time of Looking Back. Be sure to check back in the future for more!