CommuniCore Concrete Pour

Vol 1. No. 1 Date: 9/1/82

NEWS BRIEF . . . DAILY EPCOT CENTER INFO

With only 30 days to go before October 1, you'11 need to have updated information on Epcot Center on a daily basis ... enter News Brief. Today's news ...

World Showcase Fellowship Students arrive today. From eight countries, by air and by car, the outstanding young representatives of Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the People' s Republic of China converge on the Orlando International Airport. They will be met by their hosts, the 10 WDW cast members who have been selected to represent the American Adventure in the Fellowship Program.

Epcot Center to open Labor Day for construction workers and their families. On Monday, September 6, many of the attractions, shops and restaurants of Future World and World Showcase will be open for the enjoyment of Epcot Center construction workers and their families. It will be a big plus for the hard-working crews who are bringing this project to reality. Many salaried and hourly cast members will be cross-utilizing to present Epcot Center to the first group of very special guests, which will also be a good "shakedown" for much of the project.

This week marks the completion of the concrete pouring in the CommuniCore area of Future World, a major accomplishment in construction of the project. Construction workers will pour 'round-the-clock in efforts to finish the "Main Street" of Epcot Center by Thursday.

Twenty-three management cast members are needed to chaperone the international talent groups performing during Grand Opening. The chaperones will act as liasons between the company, the groups and off-site hotels where the groups will be staying. They'11 also coordinate the groups' activities and act as official hosts to their assigned groups. For this reason, candidates applying should possess complete knowledge about the company.

Chaperones will be with the groups October 13-25 and should be flexible about working times. Although you' re not required to stay at the hotel with your group, rooms will be available when needed. Also, chaperones must work the evening of October 23 during the World Showcase Grand Opening event.

If you're interested and meet the qualifications outlined above, please call your Training Office for details.

30 DAYS OUT

© 1982 Walt Disney Productions

COMMENTARY

This flyer briefly (no pun intended) touches on one of the most impressive and underappreciated accomplishments of the EPCOT Center Project: the Concrete Pour. As was said in David Koenig’s Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World; the job was so massive that it was split between several contractors. All of them having to re-adapt to working around other disciplines simultaneously finishing their own works. So as not to be disturbed (or be disturbed by others) most of the work was done at night...

To accommodate around-the-clock construction in areas where electricity had yet to be installed, Disney bought in a hook-and-ladder fire truck to shine enough light to allow more than 100 concrete finishers to keep working. Disney chefs also showed up in the middle of the night to grill hamburgers for the graveyard shift laborers. To maximize every second, The Disney World weather station sent weather reports of the EPCOT jobsite every ten minutes. Construction workers then had advance notice to protect their freshly poured concrete from an approaching thunderstorm.
In order to accommodate the complex construction sites of Future World, World Showcase was completed first, and then zigzag out as other areas became available.

The Color of the pavement was one of many decisions made personally by John Hench. In his book, Designing Disney

John described Pink as a very optimistic color. This, in addition to other qualities including its neutral reflectiveness and contemporary feel, lead to his decision to make pink the overriding color for the pathways of tomorrow.

CommuniCore Plaza, August 1982
© Tom K Morris Collection