Say farewell to Journey, Amaze, Imagine, Discover, Create, Explore and Wonder. Walt Disney World is changing the names of Epcot’s parking lot sections from those words to the names of characters seen in films, mostly animated ones.
Starting Friday, Epcot visitors may be parked in sections dubbed Crush, Dory, HeiHei, Moana, Rocket, Gamora, WALL-E and Eve.
According to a post on the official Disney Parks Blog, Disney says the names are of “heroes and sidekicks who represent the concepts that live in Epcot.”
A post on Walt Disney Imagineering’s Instagram account indicates the lot will be divided into Space and Earth sides.
[ Epcot announces new topiaries for Flower & Garden Festival ]
The changes have been in the works at least since last summer, when part of the Epcot lot was repaved and renumbered to have three-digit numbers instead of the long-standing one- and two-digit figures. Earlier this week, there was repainting of the ends of other sections to make them three digits, too, and the AMAZE and JOURNEY labels were covered over.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom lot also increased to the triple-digit format last year.
Disney World also says Epcot’s auto plaza marquee is being redesigned, and will be in place sometime this month.
The company places this under the header of the ongoing transformation of Epcot, which has included the addition of new attractions (Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the upcoming Journey of Water, inspired by Moana) and their associated construction walls. It also renamed Future World to reflect reconfigured neighborhoods of the park: World Discovery, World Nature, and World Celebration near the main entrance. World Showcase remains the same.
Email me at [email protected] Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-podcast.