World Nature — Change History — Theme Park Patch Notes

Everything that changed here

across the land, newest first

← Hide routine effect churn

2026
ChangedMay 26, 2026at Soarin' Over America

Debuted Soarin' Across America, a limited-time overlay for the United States' 250th anniversary that replaced the Soarin' Around the World film with a new U.S.-spanning film opening on an Artemis rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast, a rearranged score by Bruce Broughton built on Jerry Goldsmith's original Soarin' themes, updated scents, and a new National Geographic queue experience; it soft-opened to all EPCOT guests four days early on May 22.

Soarin' Around the World→Soarin' Across America
2024
FixedNov 20, 2024at Soarin' Over America

Updated the Soarin' Around the World film: corrected the long-mocked distorted, curved Eiffel Tower scene (re-shot from farther away on a downward approach) and refreshed the finale to show the renovated World Celebration area and Spaceship Earth in its Beacons of Magic lighting, with a new musical arrangement.
2024
BuffNov 20, 2024at Soarin' Around the World

Updated the film's finale with new World Celebration ('New EPCOT') imagery and a new musical arrangement, and re-shot the Paris segment with a more-distant flight path that corrected the famously distorted 'curved Eiffel Tower' shot.

distorted curved Eiffel Tower shot→corrected, more-distant flight path
2024
Fixedat Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana

The signature interactive Ocean finale effect, where guests team up to raise a large wave, was repaired and ran more responsively after the attraction's wet-path and Ocean interactive areas had been closed for refurbishment earlier in 2024 (the first closure since it opened).
2023
NewOct 16, 2023at Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana opened in EPCOT's World Nature neighborhood as a self-guided outdoor walkthrough water-trail attraction inspired by the 2016 film Moana; its debut coincided with The Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary.
Changedat The Seas with Nemo & Friends

The pavilion's exterior was repainted from the blue Nemo-era scheme back toward the original 1986 'Living Seas' tan/beige colorway, the entrance mural was refreshed (some Finding Nemo creatures removed), and the entrance seagull animatronics were removed during the work and reinstalled by November 2023.

Blue Nemo facade→original Living Seas tan scheme
2020
NewJan 17, 2020at Awesome Planet

Awesome Planet opened in the Harvest Theater at The Land pavilion, a film narrated by Ty Burrell with a score by Steven Price and space imagery by Industrial Light & Magic; it replaced Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable.
2016
ChangedJun 17, 2016at Soarin' Over America

Reimagined as Soarin' Around the World: a new film spanning six continents replaced the Soarin' Over California film, and the attraction added a third theater (about 50% more capacity), a reimagined interactive queue, and a new digital projection system.

Soarin' Over California→Soarin' Around the World
2016
ChangedJun 17, 2016at Soarin' Around the World

Reimagined as 'Soarin' Around the World': retired the 'Soarin' Over California' film for a new globe-spanning film across six continents, upgraded the theaters to new digital projection, and added a third theater concourse.

'Soarin' Over California' film→'Soarin' Around the World' global film; 2 theaters
2016
Buffat Turtle Talk With Crush

Added Finding Dory characters (Dory, Destiny, Bailey, and Hank) to the interactive show, integrating the sequel's cast alongside Crush.
2010
Changedat Living with the Land

Completed a major refurbishment that replaced the boat fleet with new ten-row and ADA-accessible boats, repainted show scenes, and reactivated the rainforest rain effect.
2007
ChangedJan 24, 2007at The Seas with Nemo & Friends

The Living Seas was reimagined and rededicated as The Seas with Nemo & Friends, adding a Finding Nemo dark ride on clamshell 'Clamobile' vehicles and 'living characters' projection that composites the animated cast into the real aquarium tank.

The Living Seas→The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Changedat Turtle Talk With Crush

Relocated to a larger former pre-show theater within the pavilion, increasing capacity, as part of the retheme of The Living Seas into The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

Module 1C→larger second pre-show theater
2006
Changedat Living with the Land

Retired the live onboard Cast Member narration used since 1982 and replaced it with a pre-recorded spiel voiced by Mike Brassell.

live narrator→recorded narration
2005
NewMay 5, 2005at Soarin' Over America

Soarin' opened in EPCOT's The Land pavilion as a hang-glider flight simulator showing the Soarin' Over California film (an East Coast counterpart to Disney California Adventure's Soarin' Over California); it took over the space formerly occupied by Food Rocks, which had closed in January 2004.
2005
NewMay 5, 2005at Soarin' Around the World

Opened in The Land pavilion as 'Soarin'', a hang-glider motion simulator that lifts riders before an 80-foot concave projection dome, debuting with the 'Soarin' Over California' film carried over from Disney's California Adventure.
2004
NewNov 16, 2004at Turtle Talk With Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush opened at EPCOT in The Living Seas pavilion, an improvised real-time interactive show letting guests converse with Crush from Finding Nemo via a backstage-puppeteered digital character.
2001
NerfOct 21, 2001at The Seas with Nemo & Friends

The original Seacabs ride-through of the 5.7-million-gallon aquarium was retired and walled off amid post-9/11 attendance declines; the pavilion continued as the Sea Base Alpha walkthrough until the Nemo overlay.

Seacabs ride→walkthrough only
1993
ChangedDec 10, 1993at Living with the Land

Reworked and renamed 'Living with the Land'; the whimsical 'Symphony of the Seed' opening was replaced by a thunderstorm scene with a new musical score and revised ending.

Listen to the Land→Living with the Land
1986
NewJan 15, 1986at The Seas with Nemo & Friends

The Living Seas pavilion opened at EPCOT, anchored by a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium, with guests descending via 'Hydrolator' elevators and touring the tank aboard the 'Seacabs' ride to the Sea Base Alpha research-base walkthrough.
1982
NewOct 1, 1982at Living with the Land

Opened with EPCOT Center as 'Listen to the Land,' a slow-moving boat ride through dark-ride biome scenes and the pavilion's working greenhouses.