PHOTOS & VIDEOS: 40th Anniversary Celebrations in EPCOT Have Begun — Join Us!

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Bring out the balloons and cake — it’s time to wish a very Happy Birthday to the one and only EPCOT🎂🎈

Happy Birthday, EPCOT!

EPCOT officially turned 40 years old today, October 1st, 2022, and we’re IN the park to check out all of the celebratory merchandise, snacks, and more. Want to see what it’s like in EPCOT on its special anniversary? Join us!

Crowds

We started our morning at EPCOT bright and early (of course!). But we weren’t alone. Though Park Pass reservations remained available close to the date of the anniversary, there were a decent amount of guests waiting for the 40th Anniversary celebration to begin on October 1st.

EPCOT is busy today!

We have a feeling it’s going to be like this all day.

Yep, it’s busy

People lined up early to get a good spot for the special ceremony at 11AM.

The crowds seemed excited to get the ceremony going!

However, we think most guests are waiting in line for EPCOT’s 40th anniversary merchandise in Creations Shop — they’re all following this sign:

THE place to be

The line itself is LONG. It’s wrapped from the Creations Shop entrance…

Creations Shop entrance

…around the middle and all the way back past The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

The merch line is LONG

Look at this line!

According to a Cast Member we spoke with, those standing at the end of the line probably have around a two-hour wait before they can get into the store.

It’s going to be a while

So if you’re planning on getting some 40th merchandise at EPCOT today, prepare to wait!

Atmosphere

During the 35th Anniversary, there was a special map and even “EPCOT 35” bags for cotton candy, so we were interested to see what this year’s celebrations would hold.

Once inside EPCOT, we were greeted by some classic EPCOT music and a commemorative map with EPCOT 40 on it!

New map!

It even has today’s date on it!

Merchandise

In terms of merchandise, there are a few brand NEW items you can pick up for EPCOT’s 40th Anniversary! The collection features Figment along with some classic EPCOT logos. There are t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles…

©Disney

…a spirit jersey, a new Loungefly bag, new ears, and more!

©Disney

There is also a Spaceship Earth figurine, a Harveys Figment crossbody bag, pins, and an Alex and Ani charm. Some of these items have been released in EPCOT, and some are also being released on shopDisney.

Creations Shop 40th anniversary display

But those going to EPCOT on the 40th will get an extra special opportunity to buy limited-edition items from the EPCOT 40th Anniversary Day-Of Collection! We’ll be updating this section with more merchandise information as we find it, so stay tuned for more details.

Get a look at EPCOT’s 40th Anniversary collection here!

Treats

It wouldn’t be a celebration without SNACKS, right?! Right!! EPCOT is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a few unique and colorful snacks throughout the park. Some of these were actually available in the park starting the day before, September 30th and will be available for a few days following the anniversary. Others have more limited availability.

You can head over to Connections Cafe right now through October 3rd to grab a festive Liege Waffle

40th Anniversary Liege Waffle

…run to Choza de Margarita for a 40th Fiesta drink with a souvenir cup…

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…or stop by the Funnel Cake stand near the American Adventure Pavilion to get a Celebration Funnel Cake.

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We’ll be picking up some of these treats and sharing FULL reviews of them, so be on the lookout for more updates from us!

Click here to see ALL of the snacks coming to EPCOT for its anniversary

More!

But wait…there’s MORE! Today, D23 Gold members who were lucky enough to get a ticket could enjoy a special 40th Anniversary event inside EPCOT.

©Disney

We’ll continue to update this post throughout the day, so be sure to bookmark it to check out even more exciting EPCOT 40th happenings!

To learn more about what’s going on in EPCOT, click here to see our list for the very BEST things to eat and drink at EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival (which continues through part of November), and click here to uncover the SECRETS of the Moana attraction coming to EPCOT.

Click here for our DFB EPCOT checklist!

Want MORE Details About EPCOT’s MASSIVE Transformation?

Click HERE for All the News and Details about EPCOT’s Transformation!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest EPCOT transformation news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

What is your favorite thing to do in EPCOT? Tell us in the comments!

The post PHOTOS & VIDEOS: 40th Anniversary Celebrations in EPCOT Have Begun — Join Us! first appeared on the disney food blog.