Rewind to 1994: EPCOT’s Magical World of Barbie

You’ve likely heard that the Universe of Energy and France at Epcot are getting Guardians of the Galaxy and Ratatouille makeovers, much in the same way that Norway was Frozen and the Living Seas found Nemo. For those of us who loved the original EPCOT Centre, the transformations can seem a little off-putting.

This isn’t the first time Epcot got a branded redo. But the first makeover was glamorous in a strange 1990s way. To try and lighten up the park’s sophisticated image, the Magical World of Barbie stage show set up shop in The American Adventure from January 1994 to May 11, 1995.

Birthday Barbie, released for the toy’s 35th anniversary on store shelves, included an offer to receive “Barbie Birthday Party at Walt Disney World EPCOT 94” for just a penny.

Don’t get me wrong, the VHS wasn’t a classic.

At the start of the video, you might be bowled over by Stephanie and Lisa’s effervescent cheer. But once things are dialed down from nauseating levels, the program is an enjoyable tour of Epcot’s World Showcase and a behind-the-scenes look at creating the Barbie stage show. While it doesn’t go into the process of creating a theme park theatrical production too deeply, it’s amazing how much time is given to the process.

“I can’t think of anything more exciting than a large musical stage show starring Barbie! But there’s so many things you have to do, to make her show perfect. You need fabulous places for her to go, incredible gadgets and gizmos, and of course gorgeous costumes that are totally Barbie.”

What I like most about the video are the moments rarely recorded in official productions. A woman at the Japan pavilion shows Stephanie how she folds origami, a man at the China pavilion paints a t-shirt with the phrase “Happy Birthday Barbie, Double Happiness” in calligraphic brush work. You see a courtyard eating area in the Italy pavilion, and the Friendship I traversing the World Showcase Lagoon.

Barbie wasn’t a fit for the park, certainly, and this video isn’t the best way you can spend a half hour. But I found it fun.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Barbie’s ejection made way for “flextainment”, the park’s initial name for the street entertainment around the park, and for meet and greets with Disney characters like Mary Poppins.