News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[HMF]

That is truly the saddest comment in this thread. If there is anything Epcot needs, it is a direction. I'll take any mission, even if it isn't the classic mission, just give Future World a proper Theme and direction again.

Well, at least if there is no firm direction. It will be easier to fix once the Bobs are gone.

 

[Christophero30]

I was bothered when they changed the Norway and Mexico rides personally. At least they kept the basic internal structure of the rides. Sorry I know that's not Future World.

 

[HMF]

I was bothered when they changed the Norway and Mexico rides personally. At least they kept the basic internal structure of the rides. Sorry I know that's not Future World.

I am bothered by virtually every change made to Epcot over the past decade with the notable exceptions of Soarin around the World and especially Test Track 2012.

 

[RoysCabin]

I already acknowledged this in an earlier post.


The 70s was a swing to the gritty from the optimism of the 50s after the tumultuous 60s

That is part of what made StarWars such a departure of the big blockbusters of the time. And part of the stark Disney contrast of EPCOT vs the landscape of the time. The Reagan swing and pull out of the economic drag of the late 70s lead to that consumerism 80s.



This is where we disagree. I do think people are getting dumber and more craven. The digital world we live in today means the types and volumes of information that can easily spread or be consumed is unlike anything in our past. The digital world means people can easily act out or behave differently with far greater reach than ever before. There is a reason the first thing every revolution does is try to control access to information. The degree to which a large portion of our country can get by without fearing consequence or learning the value of things contributes to this slobbery.

This is not a period of just new ideas, or new ideas gaining more visibility as in the past.. but an entire shift in how people learn, interact, and find entertainment.



Not sure what the focus on materialism/merch has to do here... but when people are more interested in watched some plastic do nothing Kardashians instead of almost anything else.. or focusing on who put what on instagram... It's hard to get people to look at and be inspired about things that require them to do more than watch their TV or phone.

I do think there are some issues to be addressed here:

How optimistic were the 50s, really? For a portion of the population it certainly was, but the turbulence of the 60s was always there just beneath the veneer. It was still the era of nuclear fears, of McCarthyism, and of encouraged conformity. Beyond that, if anything that decade was a bit of a
blip on the radar, given the leadup to the fifties including the Gilded Age, a Depression, and World Wars, and the follow up including incredible socio-political upheaval.

And beyond that, were people not "wasting brain cells" or whatever on other lighthearted pop cultural fare? The Kardashians became famous, fine, but it's not like everybody cares about them; meanwhile EPCOT was created around the time that shows like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous were a thing, and parents were ranting about how bad MTV was for their kids, or that Nintendo was rotting their brains.

My point is, yes, social media and instant communication has changed a lot about society, but many complaints we may currently have been complaints we've seen going back to Socrates.

Concerning consumerism, I'm simply discussing why I think EPCOT changed so much: less about society changing, more about business and MBA types seeking short term numbers over long term investments.

 

[Christophero30]

The thing that bothers me is that Disneyland has kept most of the major attractions and Disney World has pulled a lot of the original rides, especially the "dark" rides that I love. Like why not keep Snow White or the Norway ride? Make a separate Frozen ride if you must.

 

[flynnibus]

How optimistic were the 50s, really? For a portion of the population it certainly was, but the turbulence of the 60s was always there just beneath the veneer. It was still the era of nuclear fears, of McCarthyism, and of encouraged conformity. Beyond that, if anything that decade was a bit of a
blip on the radar, given the leadup to the fifties including the Gilded Age, a Depression, and World Wars, and the follow up including incredible socio-political upheaval.

uhh... Post WWII was one of the most gangbusters periods in our country's history. The economic juggernaut that was built out during the war, combined with being on the 'winners' side of WWII lead to an era of prosperity the country had yet to see before.

The Kardashians became famous, fine, but it's not like everybody cares about them; meanwhile EPCOT was created around the time that shows like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous were a thing, and parents were ranting about how bad MTV was for their kids, or that Nintendo was rotting their brains.

Sure each generation has the new things that the old looks down upon... but even major revolutions like TV pale in comparison to what media and the internet has changed in the last 20 years. The smartphone changed in 5 years what took computers nearly 50 years. Media outlets have gone from the dozens, to literally the tens of thousands.

And videogames/etc never lead to mass shifts in social tolerance, how people acted towards each other, or how WIDE demographics spent their time. Videogames were the habit of kids... Internet/media absorption hits across all age demos.

And you're off by a significant bit on your years. EPCOT was being conceived in the 70s... MTV was 81.. Robin's TV show was '84. EPCOT started the balls out push in '79 but had been in development prior (with a down period in the middle).

Society is on a slide that is unlike any change seen since the 60s when the social revolution pushed back against the establishment. But this change isn't nearly as healthy...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

uhh... Post WWII was one of the most gangbusters periods in our country's history. The economic juggernaut that was built out during the war, combined with being on the 'winners' side of WWII lead to an era of prosperity the country had yet to see before.

View attachment 211135







Sure each generation has the new things that the old looks down upon... but even major revolutions like TV pale in comparison to what media and the internet has changed in the last 20 years. The smartphone changed in 5 years what took computers nearly 50 years. Media outlets have gone from the dozens, to literally the tens of thousands.

And videogames/etc never lead to mass shifts in social tolerance, how people acted towards each other, or how WIDE demographics spent their time. Videogames were the habit of kids... Internet/media absorption hits across all age demos.

And you're off by a significant bit on your years. EPCOT was being conceived in the 70s... MTV was 81.. Robin's TV show was '84. EPCOT started the balls out push in '79 but had been in development prior (with a down period in the middle).

Society is on a slide that is unlike any change seen since the 60s when the social revolution pushed back against the establishment. But this change isn't nearly as healthy...

Some would argue that the social revolutions of the 60s were far from healthy themselves. Obviously the Civil Rights movement was objectively good, but a case can be made that the sexual revolution and the proliferation of contraception has set off a chain reaction that led to the collapse of the American family and all of the social ills that go with that.

 

[uncle jimmy]

Seas, Land, Space and Test Track will still have their overriding themes. Though the first three are scheduled to see some changes.

After seeing Cars 3 today with the nephews, I wanted to ask you if Test Track would get this overlay? Without spoiling, there is a scene that feels and looks like they took from TT.

 

[RoysCabin]

uhh... Post WWII was one of the most gangbusters periods in our country's history. The economic juggernaut that was built out during the war, combined with being on the 'winners' side of WWII lead to an era of prosperity the country had yet to see before.

View attachment 211135







Sure each generation has the new things that the old looks down upon... but even major revolutions like TV pale in comparison to what media and the internet has changed in the last 20 years. The smartphone changed in 5 years what took computers nearly 50 years. Media outlets have gone from the dozens, to literally the tens of thousands.

And videogames/etc never lead to mass shifts in social tolerance, how people acted towards each other, or how WIDE demographics spent their time. Videogames were the habit of kids... Internet/media absorption hits across all age demos.

And you're off by a significant bit on your years. EPCOT was being conceived in the 70s... MTV was 81.. Robin's TV show was '84. EPCOT started the balls out push in '79 but had been in development prior (with a down period in the middle).

Society is on a slide that is unlike any change seen since the 60s when the social revolution pushed back against the establishment. But this change isn't nearly as healthy...

Singling out individual years doesn't do much, as I'm discussing the general milieu of the late 70s to the 80s, the era that would most influence the overall making of and reception of early EPCOT.

And no doubt about the economic boom that came with post-WW2 conditions (I do have my history masters and am working on my public policy degree) but I'm talking the culture of the time (e.g. Conformity, McCarthyism, etc existing alongside prosperity for many) and how even the boom couldn't last forever nor could it make up for the various issues that were underlying the shiny veneer of the 50s that many people think of while ignoring social unrest and issues uncovered by people like Kinsey and others. There never really was a golden era to be had, just eras wherein different sectors and aspects of society have done better or worse.

 

[No Name]

The last time I experienced the Horizons attraction there was literally nobody in the queue.

That's likely because the ride had a high hourly capacity.

Without spoiling, there is a scene that feels and looks like they took from TT.

Ha, I thought the same thing during that scene.

 

[larryz]

It will possibly receive its fifth version.

Possibly. And further down the line.

Benedict Cumberbatch as the Narrator, by any chance?

 

[larryz]

That is truly the saddest comment in this thread. If there is anything Epcot needs, it is a direction. I'll take any mission, even if it isn't the classic mission, just give Future World a proper Theme and direction again.

I think they have one: Make Epcot a Disney park instead of a World's Fair, and at the lowest possible cost.

I'm not passing judgement here -- I'm just calling it like I see it. Times have changed, and there's a whole generation of people who don't really care about Walt's vision any more.

 

[rocketraccoon]

uhh... Post WWII was one of the most gangbusters periods in our country's history. The economic juggernaut that was built out during the war, combined with being on the 'winners' side of WWII lead to an era of prosperity the country had yet to see before.

View attachment 211135







Sure each generation has the new things that the old looks down upon... but even major revolutions like TV pale in comparison to what media and the internet has changed in the last 20 years. The smartphone changed in 5 years what took computers nearly 50 years. Media outlets have gone from the dozens, to literally the tens of thousands.

And videogames/etc never lead to mass shifts in social tolerance, how people acted towards each other, or how WIDE demographics spent their time. Videogames were the habit of kids... Internet/media absorption hits across all age demos.

And you're off by a significant bit on your years. EPCOT was being conceived in the 70s... MTV was 81.. Robin's TV show was '84. EPCOT started the balls out push in '79 but had been in development prior (with a down period in the middle).

Society is on a slide that is unlike any change seen since the 60s when the social revolution pushed back against the establishment. But this change isn't nearly as healthy...

We did have two recessions in the 2000s to be fair. Wasn't exactly a kind decade to people overall and we are recovering. Did some numbers on the same data set that Pew used which was updated for 2015:

2010 - 2015 is up so far, and that number should increase. Won't know until new numbers come out. 2000 - 2015 is the interesting thing here as the average change is down for the bottom 40% of households but up for the top 60%. If you include all data from 1970 to 2015 the average change is positive across all income levels:

The rich get richer, but the poor could be poorer I guess? Maybe I'm just too tired to understand it properly, but this data is weird since it doesn't relate to cost of living or anything more relatable to the household. Feels weird to group it into decades.

Could be missing the point.

 

[HMF]

I think they have one: Make Epcot a Disney park instead of a World's Fair, and at the lowest possible cost.

I'm not passing judgement here -- I'm just calling it like I see it. Times have changed, and there's a whole generation of people who don't really care about Walt's vision any more.

I love Epcot but even in 1982 it was most certainly not "Walt's Vision.".

 

[misterID]

The last time I experienced the Horizons attraction there was literally nobody in the queue. It felt like there was nobody else in the building. The only proof there was happened to be some people walking away from the building after exiting. However I couldn't tell if they had just left the attraction or had changed their minds and turned back.

I guess people may not want their future to be a house in space or living at the bottom of the ocean.

And the robots will be here soon enough. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I can make that description about M:S... Or any attraction I want to sandbag. Hyperbole is you.

 

[The Mom]

There is a whole forum where people can discuss social issues. Please move the discussion there if you wish to continue doing so - this thread is specifically about changes coming to EPCOT..

 

[jgg]

There is a whole forum where people can discuss social issues. Please move the discussion there if you wish to continue doing so - this thread is specifically about changes coming to EPCOT..

I love the smell of irony in the morning.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

It certainly is. July 1st.

Perfect! I know what I'm gonna watch on my way to WDW!

 

[RSoxNo1]

I was just watching Martin's Ultimate Tribute to Horizons because I'm the only person in my office right now. What are the odds that the name "Futureport" returns to EPCOT as part of the overhaul? Would various futuristic ports of call be a new unifying theme for Future World?

 

[Haymarket2008]

I was just watching Martin's Ultimate Tribute to Horizons because I'm the only person in my office right now. What are the odds that the name "Futureport" returns to EPCOT as part of the overhaul? Would various futuristic ports of call be a new unifying theme for Future World?

I like that. Wasn't there talk of having some throwback names incorporated into the spine project?