World Celebration Gardens Shine Less Bright as Removal of Pavement Lighting Continues

Frequent EPCOT Guests may notice that a portion of World Celebration Gardens doesn't shine as bright as it used to.

What's Happening:

• There's a lengthy list of little things that Disney Parks have incorporated into their designs when a new attraction or themed land opens that goes away for whatever reason or another.
• Those visiting EPCOT can see the latest on this list, as illuminated pavement strips that debuted alongside World Celebration Gardens and Dreamer's Point in December of 2023 are in the process of slowly being removed.
• The strips never seemed to work quite as intended, with the strips sometimes popping out of the ground and creating a trip hazard as their casing warped in the Florida heat.
• Other times - as seen frequently after their debut on social media - the lights would flicker, flash, and/or show the wrong colors during their programmed sequences.
• Now, nearly three years later, EPCOT has officially given up on the lighting. The temporary planters that covered sections of this space in World Celebration Gardens have been removed, showing that color-matched concrete has been poured into the spaces that the lights once occupied.
• While some of the plastic light casing appears to remain, it too will likely be replaced in the near future.

• While the World Celebration Gardens are (obviously) gardens, planters, and lush seating areas, one of the big draws was how the area looks after dark thanks to installed lighting systems.
• One of the key aspects of the lighting was the ability to sync up with the lighting on Spaceship Earth, tying the whole garden area into the shows that take place using the lighting installed on the park icon.
• Before the removal, this pavement lighting also played a part in those sequences and will now be dark. However, lighting in the surrounding area, like special light towers in the same space, will still be part of the shows every 15 minutes or so as they take place.
• To see all the lighting of World Celebration Gardens at EPCOT and the rest of Walt Disney World, be sure to reach out to our friends at Mouse Fan Travel!