Five Things to Know About World Discovery in EPCOT

World Discovery is one of the four neighborhoods in EPCOT at Walt Disney World. This area is designed to get guests looking toward the future in new and exciting ways. It’s a place where guests can explore the wonders of science and technology, be inspired, and catch a glimpse of what the future may hold for us all.

1. Discovery is what it’s all about.

Everything about World Discovery is designed to look sleek and futuristic. The architecture is laid out so that the buildings, attractions, signage, lighting, and landscaping all create and tell one coherent story focused on the future. You’ll see styling that is suggestive of movement, including lots of arcs and sweeping lines. Metals and reflective surfaces also feature prominently. And in some places, you may even find nods to classic science fiction and its vision of what the future could look like.

Outside of Mission: SPACE, the Planetary Plaza courtyard has been around for a while and features large models of our solar system’s planets. It’s meant to suggest you’re around an actual launch site. The area outside Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is newer and sleeker, with the Starblaster Ship out front acting as the wienie for this world. The Test Track 3.0 building is more industrial with lots of metal and glass. Taken together, these designs immediately signal to guests that they have entered a land that’s a vision of our possible future, conveying the excitement of possibility.

2. Discovering a little history.

EPCOT has been open since 1982, but World Discovery is much newer. In fact, there used to be only two Worlds in EPCOT; Future World, which was the front half of the park, and World Showcase, with its country-dedicated pavilions surrounding the World Showcase Lagoon. At the D23 Expo in 2019, it was announced that Future World would be divided into three areas as part of the EPCOT transformation. Interestingly enough, way back in 2003, Disney tossed around the idea of building a “Discovery Land” that would replace Future World. Called Project Gemini, it was never built, but you can find blueprints for it online.

World Discovery replaced the former Future World East, which was all about scientific and technological advancements. And though the name is new, everything in it was already built or announced. World Discovery incorporated the existing attractions Mission: SPACE and Test Track, and the still-in-progress Wonders of Xandar Pavilion, where Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was built. The Space 220 Restaurant, adjacent to Mission: SPACE, was also already in progress when the name change was announced.

3. There’s a lot to discovery and enjoy here.

World Discovery is home to one of the most popular rides in EPCOT, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Based on the Marvel IP, it launches you backwards, and your ride vehicles rotate! Then there’s Mission: SPACE, which has two versions to choose from. The Orange mission launches you on a trip to Mars, while the Green version is less intense and puts you into orbit around the Earth.

Finally, Test Track 3.0 lets you see what the future of automotive engineering may look like and takes you on a test drive at speeds up to 65 mph, making it the fastest attraction at Walt Disney World. In addition to rides, there are several interactive exhibits and educational spaces where you can have hands-on learning experiences, like the Advanced Training Lab at Mission: SPACE.

In addition to the rides, you’ll find a large playground outside where kids can run around. For grownups, the Mission: SPACE Training Lab at the exit of the ride has interactive exhibits and a multi-player game, as well as another small play area for kids.

4. You can discover what it’s like to eat in space.

World Discovery offers several snack stands, including Joffrey’s and the Refreshment Station. But there’s only one full-service restaurant in World Discovery, but it’s out of this world. Space 220  is designed as a space station restaurant called Centauri Space Station, located 220 miles above Earth (get it?).

You ride up to the dining area via a “Stellarvator” to arrive in a dining area that surrounds you with screens/windows for an immersive experience. You look down at the Earth as you orbit and eat.

Disney describes the menu as upscale, contemporary fare served as prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. The Space 220 lounge allows you to enjoy the atmosphere, beverages, and “flight bites” including space wings and short rib sliders without being locked into the prix fixe menu of the restaurant. Both are open for lunch and dinner, and while walk-ups are welcome, reservations are highly recommended.

As for shopping, the big draw is the Creations Shop, next door in World Celebration. But you’ll find a gift shop at the end of every attraction: Treasures of Xandar at Guardians of the Galaxy, the SimPorium at Test Track, and the Mission: SPACE Cargo Bay at Mission: SPACE.

5. A few secrets we’ve discovered.

⭐ When Mission: SPACE replaced the popular attraction Horizons, the Imagineers planted several tributes in the queue area. You can find the Horizons logo in the rotating “gravity wheel.” The name “Brava Centauri” (from Horizons) appears during the safety briefing and on some signage in the gift shop.

⭐ A plaque at Mission: SPACE reads, “To all who follow their dreams ‘to infinity and beyond’”. This, of course, refers to Buzz Lightyear’s famous catchphrase.

⭐ The Test Track logo is a modified version of the World of Motion logo, which is the attraction it replaced.

⭐ The name of the Space 220 restaurant, Centauri Space Station, is a subtle reference to the story in Horizons, where the Brave Centauri Space Colony was one of many Centauri space stations.

⭐ While you dine in Space 220, we’ve read that you can watch for the X-2 Space shuttle from Mission: SPACE flying past and for two astronauts dueling with lightsabers.

The Bottom Line.

When World Discovery was announced, it was clear what the intention was. It was meant to illustrate and embody all about what EPCOT will be in this decade (and beyond), looking toward a future that’s firmly grounded in science and imagination. All of the new lands that used to make up Future World are still focused on the future. But World Discovery, in particular, tells its story of the future through new experiences and technologies; it’s one of our favorite lands to visit in EPCOT!

Have you been to World Discovery? What’s your favorite ride? Let us know in the comments!