Person of the Century was one of CommuniCore’s most ambitious attempts to merge public opinion with global perspective. Introduced in 1990 inside the Electronic Forum, this interactive poll invited EPCOT guests to vote on who they believed had shaped the 20th century more than anyone else. It was part civic experiment, part cultural snapshot, and part technological showcase — a way to let everyday visitors participate in a live, evolving conversation about history.
Guests sat in a theater equipped with individual voting panels, each with buttons corresponding to the nominees. After a brief introduction, the system tallied the results instantly and displayed them on large screens, turning the room into a living barometer of public sentiment. It was fast, democratic, and surprisingly revealing.
What made Person of the Century so distinctly EPCOT was its framing. It wasn’t about choosing a favorite celebrity or a fictional character. It was about reflecting on leadership, innovation, and influence — and seeing how thousands of strangers from around the world answered the same question.
And then came the twist that has since become EPCOT legend:
Walt Disney began dominating the vote.
Not by a little — by a landslide. So much so that the poll was eventually retired, quietly and without fanfare, because the results stopped being meaningful. The exhibit had proven its point, just not in the way anyone expected.
In hindsight, Person of the Century foreshadowed:
- online polling
- real‑time audience feedback
- interactive civic engagement tools
- the blending of technology and public opinion
It was EPCOT Center at its most reflective — a reminder that the future isn’t just shaped by technology, but by the people we choose to celebrate.