Fountain of Nations — Former Show · History & Timeline

Former Show · the memorial record

⚰ Permanently closed · Sep 8, 2019operated 37 years · 1982–2019

This show is gone, but its history stays documented — the full lifetime log is below.

Show history

the lifetime record

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2023

UpdateDec 5, 2023#

World Celebration Gardens, a garden area featuring a statue of Walt Disney at Dreamers Point, opened on December 5, 2023 on the ground the fountain had occupied.

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2019

◆ Latest milestone

UpdateOct 20, 2019#

Demolition of the Fountain of Nations was underway by October 20, 2019, and the structure had been reduced to rubble by October 28, 2019.

The October 20, 2019 report says demolition 'is now underway' and that the stage in front of the fountain was already gone, rather than giving a start date; the October 28, 2019 follow-up says the project 'started just over a week ago' and that no recognizable elements remained, placing the actual start around October 18-19. The beat is therefore dated to the first confirmed observation, not to a claimed start.

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UpdateSep 18, 2019#

Disney reported on September 18, 2019 that cast members had collected water from the fountain before it was drained, storing it in a Swiss vessel and a Mexican vase drawn from the Walt Disney Archives so it could be reintroduced into a new Epcot water feature.

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RefurbishmentSep 8, 2019#

The Fountain of Nations performed for the last time in early September 2019 and was drained and closed off behind construction walls, which were reported in place on September 9, 2019.

Held at month precision because the sources conflict by a day and none names a final performance directly: Disney's July 2, 2019 announcement said the fountain would be 'closing on September 8th,' while Attractions Magazine lists the closing date as September 7, 2019. Wikipedia's Innoventions (Epcot) article gives September 7, 2019 for Club Cool and the neighbouring Fountain View but does not mention the Fountain of Nations, so it does not settle the date. Blog Mickey's September 9, 2019 report confirms the fountain 'has been drained for demolition' behind new walls, which is consistent with either day. Fan accounts citing September 8 as the last show were not corroborated by any source opened; the wdwmagic.com attraction page returns HTTP 403 and was dropped rather than cited unverified.

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UpdateJul 2, 2019#

Disney published the list of Future World closures for the Epcot overhaul on July 2, 2019, stating that the Fountain of Nations would close on September 8.

The announcement read 'The now-iconic Fountain of Nations will be closing on September 8th,' and gave the same date for Innoventions East, Club Cool, Character Spot, Art of Disney, Heritage Manor and Pin Central. An earlier draft of this record credited the removal to the Epcot overhaul unveiled at D23 Expo 2019; that is not supported, because this closure list predates the expo (August 23-25, 2019) by roughly seven weeks. The expo reveal did later place the World Celebration Festival Center on or near the fountain site.

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1994

Area UpdateJul 1, 1994#

CommuniCore, the pair of buildings wrapping the fountain's plaza, closed in 1994, and Innoventions opened in those same buildings on July 1, 1994.

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1993

Changed1993#

Fountain specialist WET rebuilt the Fountain of Nations in 1993, and the refurbished fountain performed to music every 15 minutes for the rest of its run.

Wikipedia's Epcot attraction list gives the fountain as 'Original: 1982-1992 / Refurbished: 1993-2019' and describes it performing to music every 15 minutes; WET's project list credits the company with '1993, Epcot Center, Fountain of Nations.' Neither source gives a month or day, so this beat is year-only.

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Changed1993#

Splashtacular, a show staged at the rebuilt fountain, debuted in 1993 and ended a few months later after fountain spray blew onto the stage and soaked the performers and guests.

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1982

NewOct 1, 1982#

The Fountain of Nations opened with EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982, dedicated in a Ceremony of International Waters in which delegations poured water gathered from major rivers, lakes and seas around the world into its basin.

Attractions Magazine names the Ceremony of International Waters and dates the opening to October 1, 1982; Wikipedia's Epcot article states water was gathered worldwide and emptied into the fountain to mark the opening. Accounts that count 25 bodies of water representing 29 nations were left out of the sentence as uncorroborated by the sources opened.

Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes

Questions & answers

When did Fountain of Nations open?

Per the documented record, Fountain of Nations at EPCOT opened on Oct 1, 1982.

When did Fountain of Nations last close for refurbishment?

The most recent closure/refurbishment documented for Fountain of Nations is dated Sep 8, 2019: The Fountain of Nations performed for the last time in early September 2019 and was drained and closed off behind construction walls, which were reported in place on September 9, 2019.

What changed recently on Fountain of Nations?

The latest documented change (documented Dec 5, 2023): World Celebration Gardens, a garden area featuring a statue of Walt Disney at Dreamers Point, opened on December 5, 2023 on the ground the fountain had occupied.

How many changes are on record for Fountain of Nations?

9 documented changes, dating back to 1982 — the fan-kept show changelog nobody else keeps.

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