Real estate agent Ken Pozek has shared an update on the resurrected EPCOT hotel project that has been in development since at least 2017.
In 2017, we learned of a rumored hotel to be built somewhere near the entrance to EPCOT. In 2018, as more of EPCOT’s reimagining was confirmed, several permits pointed to the hotel’s impending construction on Avenue of the Stars, the backstage street surrounding EPCOT. However, news on the project halted in the years after, and several construction projects at EPCOT were delayed due to COVID-19.
In early 2021, Pozek shared a report stating that bidding on the project had begun. The report referred to the hotel as “Epcot Future World Hotel.” Future World has since been split into World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature. The address for the hotel was listed as 1474-2000 Avenue of the Stars, near The Land Pavilion and the Imagination! Pavilion.
In a new TikTok video, Pozek revealed he saw new permits on February 22, 2023, stating that Walt Disney World had awarded Buena Vista Construction Company the rights to build the hotel inside or near EPCOT. The permits include a swimming pool and other recreational areas.
With a construction company chosen, work could begin imminently on the new hotel.
Do you like the idea of a hotel connecting directly to EPCOT? Let us know in the comments!
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A statement from the Walt Disney Company has confirmed the passing of a Disney Legend, Burny Mattinson. At 87, Mattinson passed away Monday, February 27, at Canyon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canoga Park, California, following a short illness. The animator, director, producer, and story artist was the longest-serving cast member at Disney, enjoying a 70-year career at the company.
The Walt Disney Company has released a statement dedicated to honoring the achievements of this creative genius, one which will do him far more justice than anything I can write, so we will share that with you below.
Among Mattinson’s achievements were a solo directing credit on the animated featurette Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), which returned Mickey Mouse to the silver screen for the first time in 30 years, and a role as producer as well as co-director of the 1986 Disney feature The Great Mouse Detective.
Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios, said, “Burny’s artistry, generosity, and love of Disney Animation and the generations of storytellers that have come through our doors, for seven decades, has made us better—better artists, better technologists, and better collaborators. All of us who have had the honor to know him and learn from him will ensure his legacy carries on.”
Academy Award®-winning Disney director Don Hall said, “For almost 30 years, I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Burny Mattinson, from Winnie the Pooh to Big Hero 6 to, most recently, Strange World. I have marveled at his artistry, enjoyed his good humor, and sat enraptured by his stories of Disney history. At 18 years old, he followed his dream of working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, and for almost 70 years he lived that dream every day, inspiring all of us who had the good fortune to follow in his footsteps. I love him dearly.”
Mattinson was still working full-time at Walt Disney Animation Studios as a story consultant and mentor at the time of his passing. Long before Strange World (2022) and Big Hero 6 (2014), he worked as an artist on such classics as Lady and the Tramp (1955), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967), and The Rescuers (1977). He served as a key member of the story team on contemporary Disney classics including Aladdin (1992), Beauty and the Beast (1993), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Tarzan (1997), and Mulan (1998). He served as the story supervisor on the 2011 theatrical feature Winnie the Pooh and contributed to the 2007 Goofy short How to Hook Up Your Home Theater.
For decades, Mattinson worked to pass along the Disney legacy by inspiring new generations of storytellers and filmmakers. “Burny was the Renaissance man of Disney Animation,” said legendary Disney animator Eric Goldberg, a close friend and colleague of Mattinson’s. “He literally did everything that could be done at the studio—assistant animator, animator, story artist, producer, and director of many films that made an indelible mark on our collective appreciation of the Disney ethos. He was also, when he started, traffic boy to Walt, giving Walt his weekly spending cash.”
Speaking of Mattinson’s art, Goldberg added, “Burny was low-key, charming, inventive, and superbly gifted as a draftsperson and a storyteller. His storyboards were beautifully acted and wonderfully atmospheric, which I first encountered when I joined the studio for Aladdin. The more I saw of his work, the more I became in awe of his breadth of talent. I value his cheerful friendship and lasting inspiration to me and so many other animation artists. He will be missed, but not forgotten.”
Burnett Mattinson was born in San Francisco on May 13, 1935, the first of two children. Before he was 6 years old, his mother took him to the San Francisco Orpheum Theatre, where he saw Walt Disney’s Pinocchio. “Ever since I saw that film, this was my dream—to work in this business,” Mattinson once recalled. “So, I worked every day, drawing.”
His father, a drummer with Horace Heidt’s Big Band, moved the family to Los Angeles after the band’s demise in 1945, and Mattinson continued drawing through his school years. By the time he was 12, he was skillfully drawing Disney-style cartoons, and he kept dreaming of being a Disney artist.
After his high school graduation, his mother drove him to Burbank and dropped him off at the Studio gate. A kindly guard took a look at the teenager’s portfolio and called the head of the personnel department. Mattinson got an interview and a job, beginning in the mailroom. Six months later, and with no formal art training, he started work as an in-betweener on Lady and the Tramp.
He was promoted to assistant animator under Disney Legend Marc Davis on Sleeping Beauty and continued in that capacity on One Hundred and One Dalmatians. When that film ended, he began a 12-year stint with Disney Legend Eric Larson, working on a variety of projects including Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color television series (1961-1979), The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book, and The Aristocats (1970).
After completing an eight-week internal training program, Mattinson became an animator on Robin Hood (1973) and a key animator on Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Too (1974), working with Disney Legend Ollie Johnston. Disney Legend Frank Thomas saw Mattinson’s thumbnail sketches and asked him to help on storyboards for The Rescuers. “Storyboards are as close to direction as you can get,” Mattinson later said. “You’re telling cameras where to go, what’s happening onscreen, where to cut, and really making a blueprint for the film.”
Inspired by a Disneyland Records Christmas album, Mattinson brazenly sent it, along with a note containing an idea for a film, to Ron Miller, then head of the studio. The next day, Mattinson was summoned by Miller. Mattinson feared that his boldness had been a gaffe, but was pleasantly surprised when the studio chief agreed with his idea, assigning the startled animator to direct Mickey’s Christmas Carol, which he also produced. This success led to his contribution as producer and director on The Great Mouse Detective.
“Animation is 75 percent thinking and 25 percent drawing,” Mattinson once said. “Everything must be carefully thought out first. Our animators not only have to think like actors but also figure out how to get that performance across on paper and on the screen. Our characters pause to think and connive. You can see it in their eyes.”
He added, “The important thing to remember about good animation is that less is more. Moving the characters too much is the sign of a real amateur. We put our efforts into more subtle, carefully thought out actions that communicate the point clearly and in an entertaining way.”
Mattinson was named a Disney Legend in 2008. He set the cast member longevity record on March 5, 2018, when he passed the previous record—held by Disney artist, Imagineer, and Disney Legend John Hench—of 64 years, eight months, and 29 days (or 23,651 days).
When asked to reflect on his long Disney career at the half-century mark, Mattinson said, “I mean, 50 years is a long time, but I still feel like that 18-year-old kid that came here back in ’53, you know? I never feel like I’ve gotten old.”
Mattinson is survived by his wife, Ellen Siirola; his son, Brett Mattinson, and his wife, Kelly, and their two children; and his daughter, Genny, her husband Larry Ellena, and their two children. Funeral services will be private, and he will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the MPTF (Motion Picture and Television Fund) in Woodland Hills, California.
Signature dining experiences are already expensive. One just got a BIG price increase, but we saw it coming… Cinderella’s Royal Table When you think of THE Disney World icon, does Cinderella Castle come to mind? For many, it does! Cinderella Castle is probably the most recognizable Disney icon and for good reason! Not only is […]
We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Monday, February 27, 2023.
New decorations have been added to All Hallows Eve Boutique at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and some of the store has been rearranged.
Guests entering the year-round Halloween store are now greeted by a stack of jack-o’-lanterns with a witch’s hat on top.
The stack is framed by wooden supports wrapped in branches of fall leaves.
The witch’s hat is striped purple and black. Halloween knick-knacks line the top of the horizontal supports featuring pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and black cats.
A string of witch-hat-shaped lights hangs around the entryway, offering spooky season ambiance in the way of green light.
Most of the knick knacks are more jack-o’-lanterns, but there are also ghosts, cats, and skeletons.
A new wagon is behind the stack of jack-o’-lanterns. The vintage-looking wagon is a basic wooden box and metal base design, but it definitely adds to the spooky aesthetic.
A vintage October calendar page is stuck on the back of the wagon. It appears every day is Halloween on this interestingly placed page.
Shelves on the wagon are decorated with potion bottles and other spooky materials. Bells hang from the top.
Some mugs have been placed among the weathered wares for guests to purchase.
Around the entryway are large tapestries of a skeleton and ghost, witch, scarecrow, and cat.
Moving further into the store, the centerpiece resembling a dilapidated farmhouse has been turned around. Mardi Gras merchandise is displayed on a metal set of rolling shelves.
On the other side, more knick knacks, potion supplies, candles, crates, and jack-o’-lanterns are packed into the space amidst merchandise.
Have you visited All Hallows Eve Boutique in The Lost Continent? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Disney has announced the full list of Global Gardens that will be at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2023.
This year’s new gardens include The Community Garden in World Celebration, where guests can “connect with the earth and each other at this celebration of a diverse and thriving communal garden plot.” There will also be the new Shishi-odoshi garden in the Japan Pavilion, and we were lucky enough to catch an early glimpse. In this garden, guests can “contemplate the methodical movement and soothing rhythm” of a traditional Japanese bamboo water fountain.
Check out the Full List of Global Gardens:
Bamboo Garden – China Pavilion Visit this garden to see bamboo in a variety of colors, patterns and sizes.
Blossoms of Fragrance Presented by Scentsy – World Showcase Bridge Follow your nose and form lasting memories with the help of fresh, unforgettable fragrances.
Bold Bromeliads – The Land Pavilion Observe a variety of unique and colorful plants that can adapt to a wide range of climates and conditions.
Bonsai Collection – Japan Pavilion Learn about the art of bonsai, some of the finest living sculptures. Bonsai masters carefully shape and tend these miniature works of art, creating peace and balance with the earth.
Bouquet Garden – France Pavilion See bountiful blooms perfect for a bouquet of cut flowers.
Butterfly Landing Presented by AdventHealth – World Nature Near Imagination! View a kaleidoscope of butterflies up close, in all their extraordinary color. Learn about butterfly lifecycles and maybe even see one emerge from its chrysalis. Closes at dusk.
China Zodiac Garden – China Pavilion Realize your finer attributes in this garden inspired by the 12 creatures of the Chinese zodiac.
The Community Garden – World Celebration – NEW! Connect with the earth and each other at this celebration of a diverse and thriving communal garden plot.
Connections Conservatory Garden – Connections Eatery Settle into this thoughtful garden full of floral inspirations for your indoor spaces.
Desert Garden – Mexico Pavilion Discover the special adaptations that allow plants in arid climates to adjust to the harshest of growing conditions.
English Tea Garden Presented by Twinings® – United Kingdom Pavilion Unearth the history and art of tea-blending at this elegant English tea garden––featuring plants used in some of Twinings’ finest blends.
Family-Friendly Garden Presented by OFF! Explore a camp-themed garden where little ones are invited to jump, play and climb.
Festival Blooms – World Celebration Admire thousands of flowers that form colorful, living panoramas.
Floating Gardens – World Nature Peer upon more than 150 petite plots drifting on the ponds that border the bridge to World Showcase.
Garden Italiano – Italy Pavilion From fresh spaghetti sauce to pizza toppings, this Tuscan kitchen garden features all the produce and herbs needed to create a classic Italian feast.
The Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board® – Rosewalk Near Imagination! Learn about honeybees’ critical role in the environment, and delight in sweet and savory treats made possible by their hard work.
Kokedema Garden – Japan Pavilion Admire fresh expressions of an ancient Japanese art at this tranquil garden.
Miniature Garden – Germany Pavilion Appreciate the little things in this showcase of diminutive dwellings nestled in a forest of fine shrubs.
Prehistoric Garden – World Discovery Near Mission: SPACE Imagine life on Earth 65 million years ago with astounding plant life that’s thrived since the age of the dinosaurs.
Shakespeare Garden – United Kingdom Pavilion Explore the works of Shakespeare in this idyllic garden featuring excerpts from some of the bard’s most famous sonnets—and the dazzling flowers that influenced them.
Shishi-odoshi – Japan Pavilion – NEW! Contemplate the methodical movement and soothing rhythm of this traditional Japanese bamboo water fountain.
Spice Garden – Morocco Pavilion Discover how Eastern cultures flourished, trading signature spices and herb blends once considered more valuable than gold.
Songbird Meadow Presented by Wild Birds Unlimited® – World Discovery Songbirds are an important part of many ecosystems—including the one in your own backyard! Discover simple steps you can take at home to help these feathered friends thrive.
Topiary Heritage Garden – United Kingdom Pavilion Marvel at the varied techniques employed by the Walt Disney World Horticulture team to create the festival’s topiaries.
Tropical Rainforest Garden – Mexico Pavilion Uncover the rich biodiversity of the Mexican rainforest and learn about its highly adaptive species.
The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival begins on March 1, 2023, and runs through July 5.
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Guests traveling via bicycle to help E.T. find Magdol, Tikli, and Orbidon and save the Green Planet can’t go without an interplanetary passport. After the preshow featuring Steven Spielberg ends, the doors open and guests give their names to a Team Member who gives them the card.
The card is an essential part of the finale feature. The Team Member assigns the name to the card, and then guests carry it through the queue. Just before the load station, a Team Member will take the cards and scan them.
The new design is horizontal and features E.T.’s face. The silhouette of E.T. and Elliot now has a stream of red, yellow, and blue light in an arc behind it.
The back of the card now says, “Trying to phone home?” instead of “phoning home?” The barcode is much smaller. It also has logos for “E.T. Phone Home,” “Where are you from?” and Amblin Entertainment. You can compare this to the back of the old cards as pictured below.
The previous design featured the moon prominently with a small silhouette of E.T. and Elliot on the bike. It was also vertical, though the back was horizontal.
At the end of the ride, after (spoiler alert) the Green Planet has been saved, E.T. says thank you to each guest by name. This is accomplished by the programming and subsequent scanning of the passport card.
Watch our video below to see the effect in action.
Do you give your real name, or do you use a fake name for your E.T. Adventure Interplanetary Passport? Let us know in the comments.
Did you know E.T. Adventure is one of the last remaining attractions from opening day at Universal Studios Florida? When the park opened on June 7, 1990, the interplanetary passports were known as “passes,” as the original preshow set up the guests as extras on a new E.T. film. At the time, almost everything at Universal Studios Florida was themed as if guests were visiting real working soundstages and sets. While movies, shows, and music videos have all been filmed at the park, the attractions were just that.
E.T. Adventure features over 300 animatronics, including baby E.T.s, Botanicus, and more. Some inspiration was taken from the “E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet” novel, such as the inclusion of Botanicus, but the plot is quite different.
In 2002, the ride received a refurbishment in honor of the movie’s 20th anniversary. That marked the debut of the current preshow and new backstory.
Versions of E.T. Adventure used to exist at two other Universal Parks. The ride closed at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2003 to make way for Revenge of the Mummy, and in 2009 at Universal Studios Japan for Space Fantasy: The Ride.
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New hotel coming to EPCOT?! What do you think about this news? #epcot #disneyworld #orlando #orlandoflorida #orlandolocal #orlandolife
