Disney plans to convert the Millennium Village at Epcot intoWorld Show Place, a 40,000-sf meeting center next summer. That willbring the park's total meeting space to 800,000 sf. Disney'sconvention space has doubled in the last 10 years when the parkfirst entered the meeting space business. The company has satelliteconvention center locations at six of its 12 Lake Buena Vistahotels.

While current Convention Center expansion plans will grow theInternational Drive meeting fortress to 1.2 million sf shortly,county booking specialists are monitoring Disney's meeting spacegrowth plans intently. For example, not only will World Show Placeaccommodate 4,000 convention attendees, it will also offer abanquet kitchen and a backstage entrance with a private guestdropoff area. That amenity alone isn't bringing smiles to managersof other theme parks and most independently-owned andchain-operated class A hotels, all competing for the samebusiness.

Disney strategists feel the Epcot location for its newestmeeting space is ideal, particularly when they are pitchingconvention space to foreign customers. The Millennium Village is ahub of international culture-depictions. The attraction was createdfor Epcot's 15-month celebration. World Show Place will play up asimilar theme. The new space will be sandwiched between Disney'sUnited Kingdom and Canada pavilions.