News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[rle4lunch]

Does anyone see the Wall-E irony of this message or is it just me.

Nothing wall-e about it. Disney didn't update anything awe inspiring. At least MS brought some sort of adventure and the kids were excited to 'go' to another planet. test track is a glorified ad for General Motors. My point is that they lost their direction long ago. I'd be glad to see what they could come up with to have kids dreaming of the future again, but alas, that vision of EPCOT is gone. Now it feels like you're walking thru 10 minutes of dead space to get to another 'land', just to be minimally entertained by the next 25 year old ride that has either been dumbed down i.e. SSE, Energy, Turtle Talk, etc, or to have your wallet get lighter because you're shelling out money for shirts that have graphics of EPCOT nostalgia from 30 years ago.

 

[Gatorboy]

Kids certainly are different than when this park first opened. So are us older people. Doesn't mean things were better in the "hey days" I still find Epcot engaging on different levels. Just like MK or the other parks, I'm on property several times of year and normally have a hand full of "must see" attractions at whichever park I visit and others attractions I won't think twice about, maybe seeing once every few years or so. IP's don't bother me in the least, as long as it's a quality product. IP's to me are like going to see a movie based on a book I've read. It's interesting to see something familiar. Disney Parks are great because it separates itself from amusement parks. Disney's greatest attractions are based on both IP's and original content. Why not bring in both. It doesn't take away from a country if you add an IP. The shops and restaurants are still going to be there based on their cultures. As for Futureworld, it always seemed like the wrong theming anyway, maybe Discoveryland or something similar. I enjoyed the old attractions at the time, but find no desire to go back.

 

[montyz81]

Nothing wall-e about it. Disney didn't update anything awe inspiring. At least MS brought some sort of adventure and the kids were excited to 'go' to another planet. test track is a glorified ad for General Motors. My point is that they lost their direction long ago. I'd be glad to see what they could come up with to have kids dreaming of the future again, but alas, that vision of EPCOT is gone. Now it feels like you're walking thru 10 minutes of dead space to get to another 'land', just to be minimally entertained by the next 25 year old ride that has either been dumbed down i.e. SSE, Energy, Turtle Talk, etc, or to have your wallet get lighter because you're shelling out money for shirts that have graphics of EPCOT nostalgia from 30 years ago.

I agree with you. I was talking about the apathetic attitude. The same attitude that has left Epcot to rot was highlighted in Wall-E. The company that enabled that attitude was called "Buy-in-Large" in the movie. Also, everything was dumbed down to such a point in Wall-e that people got fat and didn't have to walk anymore.

 

[rle4lunch]

I agree with you. I was talking about the apathetic attitude. The same attitude that has left Epcot to rot was highlighted in Wall-E. The company that enabled that attitude was called "Buy-in-Large" in the movie. Also, everything was dumbed down to such a point in Wall-e that people got fat and didn't have to walk anymore.

ahh. gotcha.

 

[TXDisney]

So your saying it's possible for you and your wife to raise your children to appreciate all the parks (Epcot included), yet other parents are failing to do so?

I'm not here to talk about how people raise their kids. But the fact is that some parents soon as their kid isn't ear to ear happy change what they're doing to please their kid. So when I child cries or complains about going to Epcot a day or complains while in the park. People are blinded if they don't think that parents don't go to Epcot bc of that. That's not how I'll raise my children. I'll make it as fun as I can and if they still aren't pleased, they'll have to suck it up. But people do need to realize that's not how all parents raise their kids. So the lack of children rides at Epcot does alter the age in crowd there. Like I've stated numerous times. Epcot is my favorite park. But for a good amount of children it's their least favorite.

 

[Mike S]

just playing devil's advocate here... but those kids traveled there with their parents and there weren't 4 parks to spread the crowds out as there are now

I understand what you are saying however... I don't like where things are going, but honestly it doesn't surprise me. I have said for awhile now I believe all theme parks will end up having a little bit of MK in them, some do already. MK is where the mass crowds are so right or wrong they probably feel as if this is a way to spread some of that out to other parks too.

I believe there was a time where parks like MK and Epcot were closer in attendance. Of course that was before the stagnation struck. Maybe MK is so popular because it's simply the park with the most things to do? If the three other parks had anywhere close to the number of things that MK offers I think it would be much more even but that costs money and Disney is much more happy replacing than adding.

Nothing wall-e about it. Disney didn't update anything awe inspiring. At least MS brought some sort of adventure and the kids were excited to 'go' to another planet. test track is a glorified ad for General Motors. My point is that they lost their direction long ago. I'd be glad to see what they could come up with to have kids dreaming of the future again, but alas, that vision of EPCOT is gone. Now it feels like you're walking thru 10 minutes of dead space to get to another 'land', just to be minimally entertained by the next 25 year old ride that has either been dumbed down i.e. SSE, Energy, Turtle Talk, etc, or to have your wallet get lighter because you're shelling out money for shirts that have graphics of EPCOT nostalgia from 30 years ago.

 

[Virtual Toad]

I believe there was a time where parks like MK and Epcot were closer in attendance. Of course that was before the stagnation struck. Maybe MK is so popular because it's simply the park with the most things to do? If the three other parks had anywhere close to the number of things that MK offers I think it would be much more even but that costs money and Disney is much more happy replacing than adding.

Exactly right-- keep in mind too that the number of attractions at Epcot (and DHS for that matter) has decreased dramatically in the past decade or so. Epcot used to have a great mix of classic Disney E-Tickets (Horizons, Imagination, WOM, Body Wars etc) and a fantastic lineup of minor attractions (Cranium Command, Kitchen Kabaret/Food Rocks, Innoventions etc) that made for an emotionally satisfying full-day's worth of entertainment and inspiration. Today's Epcot is a ghost mall by comparison with a half-hearted/no attempt to follow any sort of theme, and so it's no wonder folks looking for a full day's lineup of attractions are heading to the MK instead.

Long-term, this obsession with "hip" IPs (an ongoing knee-jerk reaction to Harry Potter) will do nothing to solve the long-term problems that have been brewing at WDW for the past 15 years. DisCo has systematically eliminated unique offerings resort-wide in favor of "already seen the movie" IP-based attractions, has cut continually back on elaborate rides, sets and moving parts to save money on maintenance, and continues to follow the "don't add, just replace" philosophy that does nothing to build the strength of the resort long-term. The quest for immediate ROI (and the false belief that the only way to do that is through the use of IP) is destroying the heart of the resort.

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

I am assuming that they were discussing what can be torn down in future world to make room for more food and wine kiosks.

Maybe they were trying to figure out how many tons of salt they would need to salt the rim of the spaceship earth martini glass, after they cut the top off of it. Of course they will then rebrand EPCOT to Browsing Eating Learning Cooking Habitats Park. And of course the fans acronym with then be BELCH.

 

[seabreezept813]

I think it's brilliant for WDW to put more rides in Epcot. Every other park is appealing to kids. Epcot out of the 4 major parks is generally adult based. Which is one of the reasons I love the park. As an expecting parent though I do hope by the time my child hits it's younger years that Epcot is more li oriented. The frozen ride and Nemo ride are great. But I think there needs to be another couple rides for kids. The guardian of the galaxy ride looks like it's going to be a rollerciaster which will certainly help with teenagers.

At age 6 my stepdaughter's favorite park was Epcot..I think there is plenty of appeal for kids if they have an interest in learning about science or other cultures. World Showcase was great for kids before Frozen with Kidcot stations, passports, Duffy, etc. Soarin, Living with the Land, Test Track, Spaceship Earth..all very family friendly.

 

[seabreezept813]

Disney isn't the problem. The problem is the kids and teenagers. When I was a kid, I could listen to something like Golden Dream or Energy (You Make the World Go 'Round) and I'd consider it triumphant and inspiring. Play one of those songs for a kid now and he'd probably say something like "cringe" and turn back to his iPad.

Exposure is key. I showed one of my classes Mr. Smith goes to Washington and they groaned because it was old and in black and white..By the end they were glued to it..

 

[montyz81]

To this state of Epcot and the current planning going on around it I say replace Obi Wan with Card Walker.

 

[TXDisney]

At age 6 my stepdaughter's favorite park was Epcot..I think there is plenty of appeal for kids if they have an interest in learning about science or other cultures. World Showcase was great for kids before Frozen with Kidcot stations, passports, Duffy, etc. Soarin, Living with the Land, Test Track, Spaceship Earth..all very family friendly.

Like I said it's not straight across the board. It also changes as the kids age changes. For instance my cousins kids come with us every trip, when the kids were 5 and 3 my cousin and her husband just told them that day that today was going to be s little bit more of an adult day. Yes we went on the rides and all. My wife really made WS fun for them. But as we go every year the kids are less interested and don't care for Epcot. I'm sure that'll change as they get older. But they're 9 and 7 now and specifically say they don't want to do Epcot in the few days they spend with us. I have no question my wife and I can keep our kids interest in the future at Epcot. But it certainly will be easier if the have more children things there.

 

[Mike S]

Like I said it's not straight across the board. It also changes as the kids age changes. For instance my cousins kids come with us every trip, when the kids were 5 and 3 my cousin and her husband just told them that day that today was going to be s little bit more of an adult day. Yes we went on the rides and all. My wife really made WS fun for them. But as we go every year the kids are less interested and don't care for Epcot. I'm sure that'll change as they get older. But they're 9 and 7 now and specifically say they don't want to do Epcot in the few days they spend with us. I have no question my wife and I can keep our kids interest in the future at Epcot. But it certainly will be easier if the have more children things there.

Maybe it's because Epcot is nowhere close to the quality park it used to be. If I was going on my first trip right now with no prior knowledge I probably wouldn't think too highly of it either except for the grand architecture and a few attractions.

 

[Earl Sweatpants]

Like I said it's not straight across the board. It also changes as the kids age changes. For instance my cousins kids come with us every trip, when the kids were 5 and 3 my cousin and her husband just told them that day that today was going to be s little bit more of an adult day. Yes we went on the rides and all. My wife really made WS fun for them. But as we go every year the kids are less interested and don't care for Epcot. I'm sure that'll change as they get older. But they're 9 and 7 now and specifically say they don't want to do Epcot in the few days they spend with us. I have no question my wife and I can keep our kids interest in the future at Epcot. But it certainly will be easier if the have more children things there.

Maybe it's because Epcot is nowhere close to the quality park it used to be. If I was going on my first trip right now with no prior knowledge I probably wouldn't think too highly of it either except for the grand architecture and a few attractions.

Agreed. If whats current is your only exposure to it, you're going to be disappointed.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Good grief, change to Epcot can't come quick enough. Pic found on twitter of Epcot doing its best to simulate a 90's-era mall environment.
https://twitter.com/johnhensler/status/766706889090600961
The photo booth goes so well with the massage chairs.
View attachment 156492

I love this picture, because it so completely captures what WDW has become...

That photo should be sent to everyone in Burbank. You should make one of those 'can you guess where this photo was taken?' challenges.

My goodness, some people will complain about anything.

We do a photo strip every WDW trip, usually in the Imagination pavilion. It's fun. I don't know why it offends some of you so greatly. Just walk past it if you don't like it. Regarding the massage chair, there's been one in the gift shop after Space Mountain for like two years and nobody says a word because Epcot is the punching bag du jour for the kewl kids.

Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you've got til its gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

That's a hippie protest song against the use of DDT. The environmentalists who got DDT banned are responsible for 50 million malaria deaths worldwide. It's not about "spots on your apples," it's about killing disease-bearing mosquitoes that kill millions of people. We've been letting human beings die because Joni Mitchell and Counting Crows care more about birds than people. We could eliminate Zika tomorrow if we wanted to.

 

[seabreezept813]

Maybe it's because Epcot is nowhere close to the quality park it used to be. If I was going on my first trip right now with no prior knowledge I probably wouldn't think too highly of it either except for the grand architecture and a few attractions.

I am guilty of still loving today's Epcot. Hate the idea of the guardians...and praying Living with the Land and Spaceship Earth will be saved

 

[marni1971]

Regarding the massage chair, there's been one in the gift shop after Space Mountain for like two years and nobody says a word because Epcot is the punching bag du jour for the kewl kids.
.

Maybe that's because the tacky, poorly executed 1994 exit building at Space Mountain has been bashed ad nauseum in the past.

 

[RoysCabin]

My goodness, some people will complain about anything.

We do a photo strip every WDW trip, usually in the Imagination pavilion. It's fun. I don't know why it offends some of you so greatly. Just walk past it if you don't like it. Regarding the massage chair, there's been one in the gift shop after Space Mountain for like two years and nobody says a word because Epcot is the punching bag du jour for the kewl kids.


That's a hippie protest song against the use of DDT. The environmentalists who got DDT banned are responsible for 50 million malaria deaths worldwide. It's not about "spots on your apples," it's about killing disease-bearing mosquitoes that kill millions of people. We've been letting human beings die because Joni Mitchell and Counting Crows care more about birds than people. We could eliminate Zika tomorrow if we wanted to.

You really should stop right now. You're explicitly breaking forum rules.

 

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

That's a hippie protest song against the use of DDT. The environmentalists who got DDT banned are responsible for 50 million malaria deaths worldwide. It's not about "spots on your apples," it's about killing disease-bearing mosquitoes that kill millions of people. We've been letting human beings die because Joni Mitchell and Counting Crows care more about birds than people. We could eliminate Zika tomorrow if we wanted to.

Plausible, but nonetheless incorrect....

"I wrote 'Big Yellow Taxi' on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart... this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song."

The relevant passage is "blight on paradise", and I think many here would agree with that sentiment.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

I don't travel to WDW as much as I would like. The children are grownups now. I have been trying to inspire my (new) husband and he is starting to like it. Quite well actually. But for him, if there is nothing new, it is not worth the expense. I am able to entice him with the promise of HHN every so many years. The further "toonification" of Epcot will start to turn him off to his current favorite park. For our next planned trip (2018 BTW), he suggested skipping MK until I reminded him the mountains are still there. Fantasyland is not necessary for him and we have never been to the circus area ever. When they started messing with World Showcase, he was incredulous. That's today.

Now for yesterday, I got to visit Epcot when the WOL pavilion was still open and Innoventions was full of hands on fun and the Imagination pavilion wasn't gutted. We spent hours on the interactive exhibits. Once upon a time, Epcot was INSPIRED. Now? It is neglected, lacks cohesiveness and serves as the party venue for a giant resort with some attractions leftover from a bygone era and some shoehorned attractions to keep the kids interested. I remember well when it inspired my kids and was the park they remembered most. Sure, MK had some fun rides but they were 9 and 11 and liked to (needed to?) engage their brains and imaginations on vacation as well.

I hope there is an eventual cohesive vision for this park but they seem to be veering further and further from the possibility. Please DIS, don't get away from imagination, inspiration, innovation and hope.