Editing Epcot (section)

=== 1980s: Opening and operation ===
The grand opening festivities for EPCOT Center took place over three weeks in October 1982—supervised and directed by Disney Legend [[Bob Jani]]. The park officially opened to the public on October 1, with a dedication ceremony in front of [[Spaceship Earth (Epcot)|Spaceship Earth]] that served as both the kick-off ceremony as well as the dedication of the Spaceship Earth attraction itself. Presiding over the ceremony was Walt Disney Productions chairman and CEO [[Card Walker]], Florida Governor [[Bob Graham]], and president of AT&T (the sponsor of Spaceship Earth at opening) [[William M. Ellinghaus|William Ellinghaus]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=October 1, 2022 |title=The Opening of EPCOT: Part One |url=https://sparkcatcherblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/the-opening-of-epcot-part-1/ |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=Sparkcatcher |language=en}}</ref>

On opening day, Future World featured six pavilions: Spaceship Earth, [[CommuniCore]], [[Imagination! (Epcot)|Journey Into Imagination]], [[The Land (Epcot)|The Land]], [[Universe of Energy]], and [[World of Motion]]. World Showcase featured nine pavilions: [[Mexico Pavilion at Epcot|Mexico]], [[China Pavilion at Epcot|China]], [[Germany Pavilion at Epcot|Germany]], [[Italy Pavilion at Epcot|Italy]], [[The American Adventure (Epcot)|The American Adventure]], [[Japan Pavilion at Epcot|Japan]], [[France Pavilion at Epcot|France]], [[United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot|United Kingdom]], and [[Canada Pavilion at Epcot|Canada]]. 

Each pavilion had its own custom opening ceremony throughout the next three weeks—culminating in the three-day grand opening event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 10, 1982 |title=Opening Ceremonies Set for October |url=https://www.epcotlegacy.com/newsbriefs/9-10-82 |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=E82 {{!}} The Epcot Legacy |language=en-US}}</ref> On October 24, 1982, EPCOT Center was officially dedicated by Walt Disney Productions executive chairman Donn Tatum and Card Walker.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=October 29, 2022 |title=The Opening of EPCOT: Part Five |url=https://sparkcatcherblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/29/the-opening-of-epcot-part-five/ |access-date=October 25, 2024 |website=Sparkcatcher |language=en}}</ref> A 450-piece marching band made up of players from college bands all over the country performed several songs including "We've Just Begun to Dream" and "The World Showcase March"—the latter written exclusively for the opening events by the Sherman Brothers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Veness |first1=Susan |title=The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom |date=2015 |publisher=Adams Media |page=143 |isbn=978-1-4405-8781-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iUXsDQAAQBAJ&q=we%27ve+just+begun+to+dream+epcot+opening&pg=PA143 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Official Grand Opening Ceremonies for EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World |url=https://d23.com/this-day/official-grand-opening-ceremonies-for-epcot-center-at-walt-disney-world/ |website=d23.com |date=October 22, 1982 |publisher=D23 |access-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref> Water was gathered from major rivers, lakes, and seas from across the globe and emptied into the park's Fountain of Nations to mark the opening.<ref name=":0" />

During the 1980s, several additional pavilions opened: [[Horizons (Epcot)|Horizons]] in 1983, [[Morocco Pavilion at Epcot|Morocco]] in 1984, [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends|The Living Seas]] in 1986, [[Norway Pavilion at Epcot|Norway]] in 1988, and [[Wonders of Life]] in 1989.