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Credit: DisneyThings aren’t looking so good for one of Disney World’s more recent expansions.
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Guests visiting EPCOT may have noticed parts of the park’s newest expansion are suffering from weathering just a year after opening. World Celebration, which is part of Walt Disney World’s EPCOT theme park, features a ton of new areas for guests to enjoy and explore, but some of these new features already look well-worn.
Specifically, the wooden benches scattered throughout World Celebration already appear rather worn. Twitter/X user Savethedmagic shared a few photos highlighting the damage seen throughout the area just a year after its debut.
Update on my Post from August. As I said then, using natural wood was a huge design mistake in the “New” Epcot area. I checked it recently, and the sun is destroying it as I expected. The area under the Walt statue looks really bad. Other wood seating areas are also degrading.
Update on my Post from August. As I said then, using natural wood was a huge design mistake in the “New” Epcot area. I checked it recently, and the sun is destroying it as I expected. The area under the Walt statue looks really bad. Other wood seating areas are also degrading. pic.twitter.com/FSP602szNP
— Savethemagic (@Savethedmagic) December 18, 2024
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Due to the sheer number of guests the Walt Disney World Resort sees on a given day, it’s common for newer expansions to become worn and weathered. However, the benches in World Celebration, as well as the Walt Disney statue appear to be damaged by the Florida heat and humidity.
Part of the problem may lie in the materials used to build this area, as Disney opted to use wood rather than concrete or metal for parts of the installations.
The statue, officially dubbed “Walt the Dreamer,” debuted on December 5, 2023, marking the start of an exciting and interesting new chapter for EPCOT and the Walt Disney World Resort as a whole. Not only did the park receive new rides and attractions as part of its years-long transformation, but EPCOT was also given new areas for guests to explore.
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The theme park has always featured distinctive areas for guests to visit, but now EPCOT is split into four simple sections: World Showcase, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Celebration.
Each location features its own set of rides, attractions, and experiences, with World Showcase remaining the least unchanged. World Celebration is one of the biggest expansions EPCOT has seen in recent years, adding to the park in big ways.
World Celebration features a new garden area and the previously mentioned Walt the Dreamer statue. Plenty more is in store for EPCOT, with Test Track set to reopen after its refurbishment sometime in 2025.
What do you think about EPCOT’s transformation? What’s your favorite theme park at Walt Disney World?