Yestercot at Yesterland.com

Fountain View
Ice Cream


Hosted by Edy’s

Hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes,
smoothies and beverages
Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Fountain and Fountain View

The columns of water blasting skyward from the Fountain of Nations capture your attention—making it easy to overlook the ice cream fountain nearby.


It’s Fountain View Ice Cream, the ice cream fountain with—you guessed it—a view of the magnificent fountain.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2011

Fountain View, a semicircular building

The building looks round, but it’s not a complete circle. It’s attached to one of the four curving core buildings of Future World—in this case, the southwest one. The permanent sign in front announces that this is Fountain View, and some guests might expect espresso and baked goods from earlier visits.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Ice Cream

But a menu at the bottom of the stairs shows a menu for ice cream and that’s also what a sign over the main doors promises.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Banner

A closer look at the “Ice Cream, Hosted by Edy’s” sign reveals that it looks temporary. It’s just a canvas banner.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Future World of the past

Now you’re inside. Tiles in shades of purple, blue, and red are behind the counter and below it. The round counter is crowned with matching neon at the ceiling level.

Future World teaches us that the future will look like the 1990s.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Menu board (December 2012)

Check the menu. You have to consider whether you want dessert, a beverage, or both.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2011

Beverages

Thirsty? There’s not just root beer; there’s also actual beer. But although you can order a Barq’s Root Beer Float, you can’t order a Heineken Beer Float.

Let’s order an ice cream sundae, with hand-scooped vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry on top—served in a waffle bowl.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Making a hand-scooped sundae

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

Real whipped cream

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

The completed Ice Cream Sundae in a Waffle Bowl

Yum! It looks good!

Where would you like to sit? If it’s raining or ridiculously hot and humid outside—after all, this is Yester World in Florida—you can enjoy your sundae in climate-controlled comfort.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2011

Tables with a view

But this is Fountain View. So, if at all possible, sit outside on the wide terrace which wraps around the semicircular glass wall.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2012

A perfect evening

Just one warning... You might want to check which way and how hard the wind is blowing.

There are times when Fountain Mist would be a more appropriate name than Fountain View.


It wasn’t always called Fountain View. First it was Sunrise Terrace.

When EPCOT Center opened on October 1, 1982, Sunrise Terrace sold fried chicken, seafood, and salads. The large counter-service restaurant in CommuniCore West encompassed what is now Fountain View and Character Connection. During its first decade, Sunrise Terrace replaced its fried foods with Italian fare. By 1990, the menu highlights were pizza, lasagna, pasta, and antipasto salads.

Fountain View Espresso & Bakery at Epcot

Photo by Chris Bales, 2006

Espresso & Bakery

Fountain View Espresso & Bakery at Epcot

Photo by Chris Bales, 2006

Espresso & Bakery sign

As part of the 1994 transformation of CommuniCore West to Innoventions West, Sunrise Terrace was split into two restaurants. The semicircular section near the fountain became Fountain View Espresso & Bakery. The rest of it became Pasta Piazza Ristorante.

Neither restaurant had a strong following. Despite their high-profile locations on the main axis connecting Future World to World Showcase, Pasta Piazza closed in 2001, while Fountain View Espresso & Bakery limped along with limited hours.

In fall 2005, the former Pasta Piazza space became the Epcot Character Connection. It changed to the Epcot Character Spot in spring 2007.

During the 2006 Epcot Food & Wine Festival, Fountain View temporarily became a wine bar.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2008

With the Epcot Character Spot next door

In August 2007, websites reported that Fountain View would temporarily switch from its espresso and bakery offerings to ice cream—including floats, cones, and waffle bowls. It would only be a test “to gauge guest response.”

The test must have been a success. Fountain View Ice Cream—with a temporary canvas banner as its sign—operated until it closed in April 2013 to become something new.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013

Fountain View, 2013 Edition

Fountain View became the second in-park Starbucks at Walt Disney World. The interior was enlarged at the expense of most of the outside seating area. A few tables remained in back, but what had been a wide terrace became primarily a narrow walkway.

Although the old Fountain View could be entered from inside the main building without using stairs, a new ramp makes accessibility more obvious and inviting.

The light blue roof canopy became dark gray. Lighted letters on the building replaced the previous sign.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013

Interior of Fountain View Starbucks

The new interior bears no resemblance to the 1990s style of the ice cream shop. It’s a completely reconfigured space with decor that’s two decades newer.

Fountain View Ice Cream at Epcot

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2013

Still near the Epcot fountain

Oddly, the new format for Fountain View means that espresso and baked goods have returned to the location where such offerings failed before.

Only last time it wasn’t a Starbucks.


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Updated December 23, 2015.