Epcot: The First Thirty Years: An Unofficial Retrospective

by Kevin Yee, Jeff Lange

Trace the history of Epcot through the years with this collection of photographs from a fan's perspective. We take you back to Horizons, World of Motion, Wonders of Life, and other pavilions that have changed over the years, like the original versions of Universe of Energy, Journey into Imagination, Spaceship Earth, and the Living Seas. We also track alternations and additions to World Showcase over time, as well as the various events and entertainment offerings. With over 500 color photographs, the vast majority of which were chosen because they illustrate items you can no longer see in today's Epcot, this book provides a tour of the past unlike any other.

158 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Kevin Yee worked for 15 years at Disneyland in a variety of roles (restaurant management, entertainment) and has written regularly about Disney theme parks since 1997 on Web sites, magazine articles, and blogs. He has written over two dozen books about Disney. He lives in Central Florida, and he visits the Disney parks dozens of times per year with his family.

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adore Jeff Lange’s work and meticulous attention to detail when it comes to Epcot’s history. However, apart from some unique photos this book doesn’t bring much information to the table considering that it covers three decades. For that reason I can only recommend it to enthusiasts and collectors.

[Louis Prosperi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A somewhat disappointing historical look at Epcot.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It's a rare event when I don't enjoy a book about Disney parks, but this one just wasn't for me.

Many of the pictures in the book are great, and they do a good job at capturing some of Epcot's history, but the accompanying text is often disappointing and sparse.

The book is very uneven in its treatment of the different Epcot attractions it covers. Some get multiple pages, while others only a single page. Because most pages contain more pictures than text, this means that some attractions get as little as a single paragraph.


I read the black and white version of this, and that may have made a difference, but most of my issues with the book are more about content than they are about presentation.

I can't really recommend this book to anyone except devoted fans of Epcot in specific, and Disney parks in general.

[Sarah Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most in depth books that I have read about Epcot to date.

This book gives a history on the various rides/attractions at Epcot.

The pictures alone are worth getting this book!