Tomorrow's Experimental Prototype Community It's a geodesic sphere dedicated to communication's future. Epcot (which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) has a considerably longer history than its 1982 debut. Walt Disney created it in 1966, according to the Disney Tourist Blog. He called it a "model city" where people could "live, work, and play". Epcot was meant to be a model community that would use futuristic technology to enhance human experience. It was also supposed to be a testing ground for new technologies. The town was divided into four sections: education, entertainment, lifestyle, and government/utilities. When it opened its doors in 1982, Epcot was the most expensive movie set ever built at $150 million. It featured shops, restaurants, rides, and shows about science fiction and technology. The ball is one of the centerpieces of Epcot. It's a spherical room with transparent walls that rotates slowly to give the illusion of movement. Inside the ball are video screens that display images from all over the world. The screens are used for advertising, educational programs, and entertainment events. There have been two Epcot balls so far. The first one was destroyed when it was hit by Hurricane Flora in 1986. The second one was built specifically for the Florida World's Fair in 1990-1991. It was larger and more durable than the first one.