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Pushing My Buttons

I want to go to there.

For those who wonder why so many of us who were there at the time are completely obsessed with the EPCOT Center of the 1980s, how about this – a simple souvenir button, which probably cost 50 cents or less at the time, with absolutely spectacular art. The artwork combines elements from conceptual art for Spaceship Earth, Horizons, The Living Seas, and Journey into Imagination, and really does get across the vibe that the park had in those early days.

I’m not sure if there’s any park-specific merchandise on sale in Epcot these days, but I can imagine that any similar button they’d be selling today would have Mickey and Minnie floating around in spacesuits, with maybe Pluto in a fishbowl helmet and Donald yelling angrily at some alien in the background. Thus, our collective nostalgia, for an era with big, big ideas… even on a simple button.

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4 comments to Pushing My Buttons

  • Travis

    I have a magnet from Epcot gotten in January of 2010. It is the silhouette of Spaceship Earth. Inside the sphere are 4 quadrants…. Upper left is Mickey & Goofy in Test Track, Upper right is Figment smiling, Lower right is the Mission:Space ship, Lower left is Nemo. Chip and Dale are “Soarin” above it all. Epcot’s logo is in the center.

  • Danny Martin

    WOAH! This is THE button! As you correctly imagine, currently there are very few EPCOT souvenirs and they all have Mickey and his gang.

    I wish I was in the 80’s 🙁

  • Sean O

    I can picture said terrible character-based art in my head quite easily, which shows how sad the prevalence of mediocrity has become.

    Also, there’d be balzac things floating around somewhere. Product placement!

  • Larry

    Actually, because of the upcoming 40th anniversary of WDW, there’s a few retro items for sale – mostly t-shirts.

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