RetroMagic: EPCOT 40 Information Packet

General Admission Ticket Holders

• Check-in begins at 5pm on Saturday – Please bring your electronic or printed ticket for scanning.
• Credentials: Lanyards with your credentials must be worn at all times during the event and is your ticket for breakfast
• Doors Open: Saturday at 6pm, Sunday at 8am – please proceed to any un-reserved table
• We ask that you please be seated by 6:25pm on Saturday and 8:55am on Sunday.

Gold Key, VIP World Passport & VIP Event Only Ticket Holders

• Check-in begins at 3:30pm on Saturday – Please bring your electronic or printed ticket for scanning.
• Credentials: Lanyards with your credentials must be worn at all times during the event and is your ticket for breakfast
• Early Seat Selection: With early check-in, Gold Key and VIP World Passport ticket holders will be issued place cards and permitted to enter the ballroom and choose your seat for Saturday and Sunday. Your tables will be in the front rows, closest to the stage and marked with a gold key sign. Please leave your place card at your table throughout both days.
• Doors Open: Saturday at 5:30pm, Sunday at 8am.
• We ask that you please be seated by 6:25pm on Saturday and 8:55am on Sunday.

Breakfast on Sunday for all Ticket Holders

• ​Service will begin at 8:00a.
• Breakfast will conclude at 9:30a.
• This will be the only on-site coffee offered during the day.
• The full menu is included in the detailed schedule below.

Parking

Disney has informed us the Yacht and Beach Club parking lots will NOT be available to attendees due to construction and preparation for the large Gartner technology conference happening in the weeks after our event. If you are planning to stay on Disney property we strongly recommend you book a room in the Crescent Lake/Boardwalk area or along the Skyliner route (Pop Century, Art of Animation, Riviera Resort or Caribbean Beach) as both options will make it possible for you to walk to the event. Accessible parking will be available at Yacht Club utilizing complimentary valet parking for those with valid accessible parking placards or plates.

Other options include:

• Park at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and take a Friendship water taxi to the Yacht Club or utilize the Skyway to the EPCOT station.
• Park at EPCOT and, for those with park admission, walk to International Gateway to the Yacht Club.
• Take a Minnie Van, rideshare or taxicab from EPCOT’s parking lot or from your nearby resort or lodging directly to the Yacht Club.
• Park at Disney Springs and take the bus to the Yacht Club

Event Space Map

RetroMagic: EPCOT 40 – Schedule of Events

Sponsors Lounge Cocktail Reception
Saturday, September 30, 2023 
Cape Cod Lobby of Disney’s Yacht Club Convention Center

• 3:30p – 4:00p – Check-in

  • VIP World Passport, or VIP Event Only ticket holders may check-in at this time.

  • Arrive at the Yacht Club Convention Center and proceed down the Convention Center Lobby; please stop at the Registration desk on the left to have your ticket scanned. Your lanyard and credentials must be worn at all times when entering the ballroom and exhibits.

• 4:00p – 6:00p – VIP Cocktail Reception

  • You will have the opportunity to view our Centorium historical displays, connect with your fellow peers and mingle with our VIP guests! An open bar and sumptuous array of culinary offerings await you. This event is ONLY for VIP World Passport or VIP Event Only ticket holders.

RetroMagic EPCOT 40: Day 1
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Grand Harbor Ballroom North of Disney’s Yacht Club Convention Center

• 3:30p – Gold Key Check-in

  • Arrive Yacht Club Convention Center and proceed down the Convention Center Lobby; please stop at the Registration desk on the left to have your ticket scanned. Your lanyard and credentials must be worn at all times when entering the ballroom and exhibits.

• 5:00p – General Admission Check-in

  • Arrive at the Yacht Club Convention Center and proceed down the Convention Center Lobby; please stop at the Registration desk on the left to have your ticket scanned. Your lanyard and credentials must be worn at all times when entering the ballroom and exhibits.

• 5:30p – Ballroom doors open – Gold Key – Only for Gold Key or World Passport tickets.

• 6:00p – Ballroom doors open for General Admission

• 6:30p – 6:45p – RetroMagic EPCOT 40 – Welcome

  • The LBVHistory Board of Directors welcome you to RetroMagic with an opening film and presentation.

• 6:45 – 7:00p – DisneyDocs.net

  • Learn about Ted Linhart’s rare EPCOT documents and pamphlets that you can see first hand on display in the Centorium. Follow @TedOnTV on Twitter.

• 7:00p – 8:25p – Using Your Head: Cranium Command

  • From storyboarding & casting to model building & set design, hear the first hand story of how Cranium Command changed course for the better when Jerry Rees took the helm. Actor Scott Curtis joins us to expand the story through the filming and playing the role of Bobby in the attraction. A not-to-miss session with many, many surprises along the way!

• 8:25p – 8:30p – Day 1 Wrap Up

RetroMagic EPCOT 40: Day 2 – Morning Sessions
Sunday, October 1st, 2023
Grand Harbor Ballroom North of Disney’s Yacht Club Convention Center

• 8:00a – 9:30a – Buffet Breakfast Service

  • Assorted Juices, Fresh Brewed Coffee, Fresh Brewed Decaffeinated Coffee, and Selection of Teas. Seasonal Fresh-cut Fruit, Cage-free Scrambled Eggs, Mickey Waffles with Maple Syrup, Seasonal Berries, and Whipped Cream. Steel-cut Oatmeal cooked with Coconut Milk, Cinnamon, and Honey, served with Brown Sugar and Dried Fruits. Smoked Bacon, Roasted Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

• 9:00a – 9:10a – RetroMagic EPCOT 40 – Day 2 Opening and Welcome

  • Tammy Tuckey & Billy Flanigan open Day Two with a musical number as we celebrate EPCOT Center’s 41st Birthday!

• 9:10a – 10:10a – We Can Do It! Building EPCOT Center

  • Take an in depth and technical look at the challenges that Imagineers faced when designing, planning and building EPCOT Center. Disney Legend Bob Gurr and Imagineers Steve Alcorn and Bob Holland dig deep into the muck of building EPCOT.

• 10:10a – 10:30a – Modeling EPCOT Center

  • Fan favorite Imagineer, Jim Sarno, is back to recount his modeling experience on a variety of attractions. SMRT-1, LIsten to the Land, Wonders of Life, Journey into Imagination and the Land fountain are just some of his many projects!

• 10:30a – 11:00a – Break

  • An opportunity to meet with attendees for photos, autographs, book signings, etc.

• 11:00a – 11:30a – There’s No Place like World Showcase

  • The spectacle that is World Showcase is often overlooked; but we’re taking a dive into the research, construction and development of the original pavilions. And just what did “βΦθIΨ is a Mama’s Boy” mean? Come find out! Hugh Darley fills in the blanks.

• 11:30a – 12:10p – It’s Fun to Be Free: World of Motion

  • With 188 of the 406 animatronics in Future World, World of Motion is a lost attraction that deserves more recognition. David Feiten and Tad Stones take us through the ride pointing out what made this the final masterpiece from legendary Imagineers.

• 12:10p – 1:45p – Lunch Break

  • Enjoy lunch on your own at a nearby dining venue in the resorts around the Boardwalk and Crescent Lake or, for those with park admission, take advantage of International Gateway and dine in World Showcase.

RetroMagic EPCOT 40: Day 2 – Afternoon Sessions
Sunday, October 1st, 2023
Grand Harbor Ballroom North of Disney’s Yacht Club Convention Center

• 1:45p – 2:35p – Grand and Miraculous: Spaceship Earth

  • You’ll want to thank more than the Phoenicians after this jam-packed panel describing every detail of Spaceship Earth from start to finish. Imagineers Peggie Farris, Richard Vaughn, and John DeCuir Jr. share terrific stories about EPCOT’s park icon.

• 2:35p – 2:45p – Tomorrow’s Child

  • Tammy Tuckey discusses the story behind the Spaceship Earth song “Tomorrow’s Child” with singer Sally Stevens before performing the iconic song live.

• 2:45p – 3:05p – Break

  • An opportunity to meet with attendees for photos, autographs, book signings, etc.

• 3:05p – 3:45p – Choose Your Own Adventure: Horizons

  • Imagineer and modeler Trevor Bryant takes you through the history of Horizons including model making and set manufacturing; featuring never before seen photos of the attraction and construction!

• 3:45p – 4:05p – Horizons: Revisited

  • Take the trip you’ve always imagined, again! LBVHistory presents its re-mastered ride-through of Horizons including all 3 endings!

• 4:05p – 4:25p – Break

  • An opportunity to meet with attendees for photos, autographs, book signings, etc.

• 4:25p – 4:40p – Journey Into Imagination: Revisited

  • Step back in time and relive the attraction in its original form. LBVHistory presents its re-mastered ride through JII that was months in the making.

• 4:40p – 5:50p – One Little Spark: Journey into Imagination

  • Disney Legend Tony Baxter, Tom Morris, Tad Stones and Russell Brower take you through a whimsical and imaginative journey into the creative process behind the most beloved and missed attractions.

• 5:50p – 6:05p – Wrap up and Closing Musical Number

  • The LBVHS Board says goodbye as a final musical performance closes out RetroMagic EPCOT 40!

RetroMagic will be back in 2025 for RetroMagic: A Tencennial Celebration!
Celebrating the Lake Buena Vista Historical Society’s 10th anniversary

You are encouraged to purchase books authored by or featuring our guests to be signed at the event. Some books by our guests include:

• Peggie Farris in “Women of Walt Disney Imagineering”: https://a.co/d/hDM9dib
• Sally Stevens memoir “I Sang That”: https://a.co/d/1GwLnFF
• Steve Alcorn’s “Building A Better Mouse”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFWXQH3X
• Disney Legend Tom Nabbe will be appearing in the Centorium signing books and autographs but will not appear on stage. Tom will have copies of his book on hand but if you wish to purchase one beforehand you can do so here: https://www.amazon.com/Disneylands-Tom-Sawyer-Disney-Legend/dp/1941500579

Check out our full resource guide for the event on our website at https://www.retrowdw.com/blogs/retromagic-resourceguide/