Ray Bradbury is Born
Everyone in the World Will come to these Gates. WHY? Because they want to look at the world of the future. They want to see how to make better human beings.
That’s what this whole thing is about.
What Disney is showing the world is that there are alternative ways to do things that make us all happy. If we can borrow some of the concepts of Epcot, then indeed the world can be a better place. — Ray Bradbury, OMNI Magazine, September 1982
Through the entire development process of evolving Epcot from an affluent City into a world-changing Center, there was no better or more enthusiastic evangelist than Ray Bradbury.
One of the most prolific science fiction writers of the 20th Century, Ray was born on August 22, 1920, in Waukegan, Illinois, renowned for his contributions to science fiction, fantasy, and horror. He was best known for works like Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, his imaginative storytelling left an indelible mark on literature.
Bradbury’s relationship with Walt began serendipitously in 1963 during a chance encounter while Christmas shopping. This meeting sparked a friendship rooted in their shared passion for progress and the future. Their bond deepened as they collaborated on projects, including Disney’s contributions to the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where Bradbury wrote an 18-minute script for the U.S. Pavilion’s The American Journey attraction. This partnership laid the groundwork for his later involvement with Disney’s ambitious plans.
For several years, Ray was heavily involved with the development of EPCOT Center.
Most notably, penning the original script of Spaceship Earth.
Ray inspects a early model of the “Titan” spaceship for the original “Vertical CircleVision” version of Epcot’s Space pavilion.
In honor of Ray Bradbury’s 105th birthday, The E82 Institute has reopened with Ray’s Keynote address at the first of EPCOT’s “Forums of the Future” in 1975!
Click/Tap the Institute icon to watch the presentation
