Epcot (originally named EPCOT Center) is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products division. Inspired by an unrealized concept developed by Walt Disney, the park opened on October 1, 1982 and was the second of four theme parks built at Walt Disney World, after the Magic Kingdom. Spanning 305 acres (123 ha), more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom park, Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely technological innovation and international culture, and is often referred to as a "permanent world's fair". The park is divided into two sections: Future World, made up of eight pavilions, and World Showcase, themed to 11 world nations.
In 2015, the park hosted about 11.98 million guests, ranking it the third-most-visited theme park in North America and the sixth-most-visited theme park in the world. The park is represented by Spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere that also serves as an attraction. Epcot was known as EPCOT Center until 1994 when it was renamed Epcot '94, then Epcot '95, now commonly known simply as Epcot.
