With TCM's 30th, MGM's 100th, the Disney•MGM Studios 35th & the Hollywood Tower Hotel's 30th all occurring within a 4-month span this might seem less like E82 & more like "S89 | The Studios Legacy" for a little while.
But there are several reasons why this is part of the Epcot Legacy as I explained when our "far-flung performing arts pavilion" ;-) was annexed into the project in 2019....
In a listing of Future World superlatives, one could easily say Horizons was the most inspiring, Imagination the most timeless, and Spaceship Earth the most impressive. To this list, one could add "Inside Entertainment" as the most prolific and certainly most impactful as the concept for the never built performing arts pavilion featuring Great Moments at the Movies, Disney Animation and a look into TV production was so expansive that no one building could possibly house all the possibilities of putting people into the movies.
Enter the Disney•MGM Studios
It might sound like somewhat of a stretch to incorporate a seemingly superficial studio into something as substantive as The Epcot Legacy on a historically tangential technicality, but the original aspirations of the park are very much in line with Epcot's over-arching theme of Humanity — who we are (World Showcase) and what we can do (Future World). In fact, the original Studios bridges these two concepts by exhibiting some of our Greatest cultural achievements and the technical abilities needed to achieve them.
Classic cinema speaks to our nature, our inherent humanity — both our shortcomings and successes. Furthermore, exposure to the historical heights of cinematic perfection not only reveals answers to our past but keys to our future. Most importantly, it provides a challenge to meet and surpass the achievements of yesterday ushering in a brighter tomorrow.
Like the MGM Studios itself, the greatness of the Florida studios has reached the slow Fade-Out. But that need not be the case. For on this 30th anniversary of its opening, the meaning and memories of the Disney•MGM Studios lives on through movies & music, sights & sounds.
Continuing our week-long celebration of THE LIVING SEAS 40th birthday, here's my "sizzle reel" constructed from its original b-roll.
Watch the entire 10-minutes of footage here: https://www.epcotlegacy.com/history/seabase-b-roll
As part of the Millennium Celebration, the anthem "Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand" was produced in several musical genres including Country, Latin, Pop & Gospel.
I thought I had all of them until I discovered this somewhat forgotten variation as part of a recently contributed archive of theme park music.
The following is the 2OOO "Techno" variation created for the New Year's Eve celebration held nightly on Pleasure Island.
You might have some questions after the latest post before this one…
Locals has been and will continue to be an amazing platform. But if I’m being honest, I’ve always loathed the name with a passion. It makes zero sense and confuses even the most technologically advanced users — including my new pro bono marketing advisor, who thought the “E82 Locals Community” meant it was only for people living near Lake Buena Vista.
They suggested a more compelling name. I searched the dusty corners of my mind and remembered it DID already have one from the older supporter portal.
Then I asked myself, “Why do I even have to use ‘Locals’!?” After all, I don’t acknowledge that Squarespace hosts the main site, so why here?
I’ve decided to mask Locals completely!
Long explanation short (too late):
Nothing changes except the name - and hopefully a little less confusion on exactly what this platform is — a "VIP Lounge" in the tradition of classic Epcot Center only this time ...
Over the past several months, I've been experiencing a major personal transformation that has demanded immense time, energy, and brainpower. As a result, I'm relocating across the country for the safety and stability of myself and my family as soon as I'm financially able.
Your increased support during this time would make a huge difference in my life and those of several others.
Post-relocation, this would allow me to add rocket fuel to this project and many others you'd greatly enjoy—one of which starts this Wednesday with a new weekly Supporter-Only Series!
Any help would be greatly appreciated during this critical time, the end of which will be a ...
Just under-the-wire for Valentine's Day, my portfolio piece is up, featuring the co-designed cover art for my fellow Disney Historian Kate the Disney Cicerone's latest book "So this is Love".❤️ https://www.jlhomnimedia.com/stil-cover
Our 15th-anniversary celebration kicks into high gear with this unique tribute to the park's musical repertoire.
Inspired by the once frequent and highly treasured Official Albums of the parks, The Official ^Instrumental^ Album of EPCOT Center, utilizes the latest AI* audio separation models to present, for the first time ever, these classics in purely instrumental form, accompanied by many once-commercially released medleys and augmented by several that should have been.
*AI with considerable manual (aka human) efforts to remove AI artifacts, remove volume “ducking”, and enhancement to adjust for the loss of EQ.
Only for Supporters
To read the rest of this article and access other paid content, you must be a supporter
Thank you so much for your support and for becoming a member of E82's Legacy Lounge.
Decades before construction, Walt Disney and his Imagineers knew that, whatever form it would take, EPCOT, in all its vastness, could not exist without the technological and financial assistance of “American Free Enterprise”. Without the intrepid leaders of AT&T, GM, Kodak, GE, MetLife, and several others, EPCOT Center simply would not exist.
In gratitude for their support, each pavilion’s design included a luxurious VIP Lounge for their sponsors' employees. These lounges included special amenities, fascinating architecture, backdoor attraction access, and often spectacular views of the park their company helped to create.
E82 is unique among Locals platform creators, so here's an overview of all VIP Lounge offerings.
Head over to the ContentTab to access all your exclusives:
In VIDEOS, view Supporter Only exclusives like the full-length versions of Raw Wednesdays.
In PODCASTS, hear rare selections and restorations from the JLH Audio Archives — often years before the public. And some are forever exclusive to the Legacy Lounge.
In PDFs, find rare documents and scanned ephemera from the Florida Project's foundations and beyond.
In ARTICLES, discover top E82 supporter perks: exclusive Concept Art exhibits, behind-the-scenes glimpses into upcoming projects, and premiere access to latest Music releases weeks to months before the public, with superior CD-quality downloads not streamed on the main site.
While there is already much to see, showcasing The Epcot Legacy is always in a state of becoming, and with your support, E82 will continue to entertain, inform, and inspire for generations to come.
See You in the Future, — Joshua
Global Neighorhood by Albert Yu 1992
If you're on a free account, upgrade to paid supporter today — not just to unlock these exclusives, but to allow me to keep restoring, refining, and releasing even more rarities from my vast archives for you and the world. There is so much more to share.
Sign Up for free to see more from this community or subscribe to E82 The Epcot Legacy for $8/month to support E82 The Epcot Legacy for more interaction and exclusive content.
Thank you so much for your support and for becoming a member of E82's Legacy Lounge.
Decades before construction, Walt Disney and his Imagineers knew that, whatever form it would take, EPCOT, in all its vastness, could not exist without the technological and financial assistance of “American Free Enterprise”. Without the intrepid leaders of AT&T, GM, Kodak, GE, MetLife, and several others, EPCOT Center simply would not exist.
In gratitude for their support, each pavilion’s design included a luxurious VIP Lounge for their sponsors' employees. These lounges included special amenities, fascinating architecture, backdoor attraction access, and often spectacular views of the park their company helped to create.
E82 is unique among Locals platform creators, so here's an overview of all VIP Lounge offerings.
Head over to the ContentTab to access all your exclusives:
In VIDEOS, view Supporter Only exclusives like the full-length versions of Raw Wednesdays.
In PODCASTS, hear rare selections and restorations from the JLH Audio Archives — often years before the public. And some are forever exclusive to the Legacy Lounge.
In PDFs, find rare documents and scanned ephemera from the Florida Project's foundations and beyond.
In ARTICLES, discover top E82 supporter perks: exclusive Concept Art exhibits, behind-the-scenes glimpses into upcoming projects, and premiere access to latest Music releases weeks to months before the public, with superior CD-quality downloads not streamed on the main site.
While there is already much to see, showcasing The Epcot Legacy is always in a state of becoming, and with your support, E82 will continue to entertain, inform, and inspire for generations to come.
See You in the Future, — Joshua
Global Neighorhood by Albert Yu 1992
If you're on a free account, upgrade to paid supporter today — not just to unlock these exclusives, but to allow me to keep restoring, refining, and releasing even more rarities from my vast archives for you and the world. There is so much more to share.
