A Legacy Left

"To the youngsters of today, I say believe in the future..."

Walt Disney

These words grace the dedication plaque for "Leave a Legacy" at the entrance of Epcot. "Leave a Legacy" was added to the Epcot entrance plaza in 1999 for the Millennium Celebration, as a way for Guests to commemorate their visit. Stopping at an image-capture station nearby, those who chose to participate could have their faces etched in steel and placed here, marking their presence at the dawn of the third millennium.

The Legacy sculpture was designed by legendary Imagineer John Hench, working with a team of Imagineering interns. From the beginning, the project embodied the ideals of its dedication: "The Legacy sculpture celebrates the hopes and dreams passed from one generation to the next. It is a living testament to the promise of tomorrow."

The sculpture's monuments are designed to sweep up to the left and right, appearing to cradle Spaceship Earth. This is a key element in John Hench's concept for the piece. It represents the people of the world, coming together at the start of a new millennium to help carry our planet into the future.

Ambitious plans to extend the Legacy experience online with digital family trees and other ideas never fully materialized, but the Legacy sculpture and its images remain. For those who left their legacy, it captures a moment in time.

For my wife and I, it's a priority to visit our Legacy tile every time we enter Epcot. It's a long story, but suffice to say that Epcot is a very special place for us. This image was captured on April 7, 2000, at the start of what would become our first date. Seeing it brings back all the happy memories of our life together thus far... and reminds us of the promise of many tomorrows yet to come.

Alucobond

Of the many innovations incorporated into EPCOT Center when it opened back in 1982, one of the most seen but least recognized is that of Alucobond. Alucobond was first produced in the U.S. in 1978 by Alcan Composites. It was a revolutionary aluminum-plastic composite material, designed to be used in architectural designs to provide a sleek, contemporary appearance with minimal maintenance. Today, Alucobond is widely used for everything from office buildings to gas stations, but one of the first large-scale installations of the material was for the surface of Spaceship Earth. As a testament to its strength and durability, the Alucobond panels of Spaceship Earth still impress after more than 26 years.