Scrapbook > "The Epcot Thing""The Epcot Thing"
25 Years of Community 1982-2007
Join Magical Mountain, The Magic In Pixels, and The Magical Definition Disney Podcast as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Epcot at Walt Disney World on October 1st, 2007.
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Please also take a moment to visit "The Epcot Thing"'s sponsors: Maple Leaf Tickets and Orlando Vacation.
So What Exactly Is "The Epcot Thing"
Epcot has always been a huge part of Nathan Rose's, (founder of Magical
Mountain, FlickDirect, MouseTunes, and Magical Definition) life. As a young child of 8 when Epoct Center first opened to the public he was in love. Upon hearing that the 25th Anniversary was coming up Nathan was beside himself with joy eagerly anticipating the events that Disney would have to celebrate. His dreams of a 25th Anniversary celebration were crushed
when Disney officially announced back in January of 2007 there would not be any sort of celebration. However, this would not deter Nathan. In February 2007 Nathan along
with his team at Magical Mountain and Magical Definition, along with Tim from The Magic In Pixels came up with a plan to have their
own celebration, "The Epcot Thing". We invite you to join us as week take a look back on October
1st, 2007 and our celebration of Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
"EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed. It will always be showcasing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems." -- Walt Disney
Who Attended The Event?
"The Epcot Thing" was attended by Disney fans from all around the globe as we where all brought together to celebrates Epcot's Silver Annversary.
Besides having your favorite MDP podcasters in attendance we had few Disney community members and celebrities who joined us in the fun: Ron Schneider (The Original Dreamfinder), Kendra Trahan (NFFC President and Author), Jeff Lange (Disney Historian and DVD Author), Jim Hill (MDP Guest Podcaster and Disney Insider), Michael Suhrbier(Explore The Magic), and Mike and Julie Neal (Complete Guide to Walt Disney World).
 Nathan Rose |
 Tim Devine |
 Jackie O |
 Jim Hill |
 Jeff Lange |
 Kendra Trahan |
 Ron Schneider |
 Steve Barrett |
 Mike & Julie Neal |
 Michael Suhrbier |
Sunday, September 30th, 2007: Raglan Road
"The Epcot Thing" kicked off it's celebration at Nathan's favorite restaurant, Raglan Road.
Door prizes were donated by Surplus Kingdom. Including the main door prize of an
entire Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa room set including a bedspread, pillowcase, tables, chairs, chest of drawers, and more!
For more coverage of this event please visit our "Epcot Thing" Raglan Road section.
Monday, October 1st, 2007: Epcot
- 07:30Boardwalk Inn - This meet is designed for those who need coffee before our 9 am meet. Join us at the Boardwalk Bakery for some joe and to walk with us to Epcot® through the International Gateway.
- 9:45Official Rededication Ceremony - To start off "The Epcot Thing" Celebration we began our day with the official rededication ceremony at the Fountains of Nations Plaza. It was a site to behold as they recreated the dedication cermeony from 25 years ago.
- 11:00Explore The Wonders of Epcot® - Free time. This bit of a break in the day will give everyone the opportunity to go off on their own if they please to eat and explore the wonders of Epcot®.
- 12:45Beverlyfest - - October 1st, 2007, Club Cool, Epcot - Nathan Rose and Robert Bish decided to test there gastric skills in honor of Epcot's 25th Anniversary by taking 25 "shots" of the infamous Italian drink, Beverly. For complete coverage of this event head on over to our "The Epcot Thing" Beverlyfest section to see some great photos, videos, and more!
- 01:30A Tour of Epcot's Past - – We met at Spaceship Earth as we began our tour of Epcot's Past with Jeff Lange, Jim Hill and the original Dreamfinder, Ron Schneider. We joined Jeff, Jim, and Ron as they guided us through the classic Epcot attractions that are still making a big impact on all those who experience them.
- 04:45Rose & Crown Dinner Meet - This was a spectacular show that is held daily at Epcot. It was great to see this wonderful presentation with all of the Magical Mountaineers! Even in the torrental downpour it was a great time by all!
- 08:00Illuminations - This was a spectacular show that is held daily at Epcot. It was great to see this wonderful presentation with all of the Magical Mountaineers! We all met at the bridge in Italy to injoy Illuminations and then to see a spectacular 25th Anniversary tag.
"We would like to take this moment to thank some of the people who helped make this event possible. If it wasn’t for everyone listed here this event would still only be a dream...Jeff Lange, Gracie Neville, Todd Murphy, Robert, Bisch, Maureen Buccellato, Ron Schneider, Jackie O, Trey Dueling, Michael Suhrbier, Jim Hill, Kendra Trahan, Mike & Julie Neal, Lorain Gorham, Ken Rogalski, Eric English, Roger Longenbach, Arlen Miller, Brian Ramsey, our families, and last but not least the online Disney Enthusiast Community. "
"The Epcot Thing" Recaps
On October 1st, 2007, Magical Mountain, along with some other online community members celebrated Epcots 25th anniversary. This historic event was coupled with "The Epcot Thing", which included "Beverly Fest".
"The Epcot Thing" (TET) started out with a meet at the Boardwalk. Several of us meet near the bakery around 7:30 in the morning, including Nathan Rose and Tim Devine. Later, we walked to the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. Once inside, we proceeded to the staging area where Disney would start the celebration. After an emotional dedication to the day, we broke for lunch at the Land pavilion. Afterwards, we gathered at Station Cool for "Beverly Fest". Among us were Nathan, Tim, Jeff Lange, Jackie O, Michael Suhrbier, and Robert (who's last name escapes me!). Since the idea of downing 25 shots of Beverly came from Robert, Jeff, and Nathan, we expected all 3 to do shots! However, somehow, Jeff was spared! As the crowd grew, Nathan and Robert did indeed down all 25 shots, under the watchful eye of Disney cast members and supervisors.
Later, after Nathan's body recovered from the shock of consuming this horrible tasting beverage, we attended a tour, hosted by Jeff Lange, Jim Hill, and Ron Schneider (former Figment character). After the tour, we headed to the Rose and Crown for dinner. Note that for the 25th anniversary celebration dedication, the weather was perfect. As we went into dinner, the clouds rolled in. Later, the rain hit! It was what I call "horizontal" rain! I must say, if your going to be trapped at Disney during a rain storm, I could not have been in better company! The rain did let up for Illuminations. The show was spectacular, followed by another spectacular fireworks display as a tribute to Epcot's 25th. The rain held off until we left, as if on que! I can't thank Nathan, Tim, Jeff and Robert enough for this event! For the three days I was there, I had a better time with Nathan, his wife Linda, and Tim, than any other visit I've made to WDW! This was an event to remember for the rest of my life! -- Todd Murphy (Hooksmee), Cincinnati, OH, USA
Classic Epcot images © Jeff Lange. All Rights Reserved. Please note that "The Epcot Thing" is a hobbyist/enthusiast event for the fans of The Disney Company. "The Epcot Thing" is not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with, The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. Epcot is a trademark of the Walt Disney Company.
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