When you walk into EPCOT these days, you’re not just hearing another park announcement. You’re hearing Walt Disney himself welcoming you to the park he dreamed about nearly 60 years ago.
As of November 28, 2025, EPCOT debuted a brand-new morning welcome message featuring archival audio of Walt Disney talking about his original vision for the park. According to WDW News Today, the update launched alongside the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays and plays across the entire park as gates open each morning.
What You’ll Hear When You Enter EPCOT
The new announcement starts with Walt’s unmistakable voice saying: “The heart of everything we’ll be doing in Disney World will be our Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow. We call it EPCOT.”
Then a narrator continues: “Walt Disney believed that imagination would lead humanity to achieve the impossible. EPCOT was built on that dream, a celebration of our world and its promise. Today, we invite you to share in that celebration and hope that you too will be inspired by the magic of possibility. For your safety, please walk to your destination. Thank you and enjoy the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.”
Why This Matters
EPCOT has always been Walt Disney’s most ambitious vision—a living, breathing community that would showcase innovation and international cooperation. While the park that opened in 1982 wasn’t exactly the futuristic city Walt envisioned before his death in 1966, it has always carried his spirit of optimism and progress.
Hearing Walt’s actual voice welcoming guests to EPCOT creates an emotional connection that no scripted announcement could match. It reminds visitors that they’re walking through a park built on someone’s wildly optimistic dream about humanity’s future.
The Announcement May Change Throughout the Year
Inside the Magic reports that while the current message welcomes guests to the Festival of the Holidays (running through December 30, 2025), the announcement may be updated to reference different festivals or simply welcome guests to EPCOT throughout the year.
This means Walt’s voice could become a permanent fixture of the EPCOT morning experience—a daily reminder of the park’s unique origins and purpose.
A Perfect Addition During Festival Season
The timing couldn’t be better. The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays kicked off with holiday booths showcasing traditions from around the world, and the first night of the Candlelight Processional at the American Pavilion in World Showcase. This year’s festival features celebrity narrators including Henry Winkler, Lauren Daigle, Brie Larson, and Leslie Uggams.
The Glimmering Greenhouses overlay also returned to the Living With the Land attraction, adding special holiday decor and lights throughout the boat ride that takes guests through EPCOT’s working greenhouses.
Our Take
We love this addition. EPCOT has struggled with identity issues over the years as Disney has tried to balance Walt’s original vision with the realities of running a theme park. But bringing Walt’s voice back into the park—literally giving him a chance to greet guests each morning—feels like a return to the park’s roots.
It’s a small change, but it’s a meaningful one. Every time you hear that announcement, you’re reminded that EPCOT isn’t just another theme park. It’s a place where imagination was supposed to lead to the impossible. And maybe, just for a moment as you walk toward Spaceship Earth with Walt’s words still echoing, you believe it can.
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