what's wrong with Epcot

Mickey is King

New Member
Original Poster
Epcot is beautiful in it's design and idea....... but future world is kind of like present day world now.

even the greenhouses are not anything that you can't see at some garden show these days in your local home town.
I know there isn't huge incentive to redo/update the " front half" as I call it, but it really could use an update to the "future" I don't know what that would be, but it just seems that it's time......

anyone care to lay down some thoughts on the matter?
 

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
The problem with Epcot (FW in particular) is that it's been dumbed down.

Living Seas, El Rio De Tiempo, Test Track (though I love the ride), Mission Space, Imagination, Spaceship Earth dialogue.
 

Krack

Active Member
Management either didn't understand or didn't care about the original concept of Future World, and therefore, almost every change or alteration made since 1994 has been a downgrade. Disney refuses to spend any of its own money to improve the park and, instead, will only do so with an outside company fitting the bill.

Put someone in charge who cares and eventually (after a decade) it could be restored to its former glory. But I'm not holding my breath.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
Epcot is beautiful in it's design and idea....... but future world is kind of like present day world now.

even the greenhouses are not anything that you can't see at some garden show these days in your local home town.
I know there isn't huge incentive to redo/update the " front half" as I call it, but it really could use an update to the "future" I don't know what that would be, but it just seems that it's time......

anyone care to lay down some thoughts on the matter?


I beg to differ on your assesment of the greenhouses. They are doing many things in there that you are NOT going to find at your local garden show.

However they are not big and exciting in the sense of "wow-wee look at that there talking pumpkin" but smaller but still important cutting edge work, like increasing yeilds on grains and increased disease resistance. It's kind of hard to showcase a strain of plant that is more resistant to spotted mold though. Does not exactly grab your attention.

-dave
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
I beg to differ on your assesment of the greenhouses. They are doing many things in there that you are NOT going to find at your local garden show.

I agree - I viewed them in November and was pleasantly surprised at all of the things they are doing.
 

PurpleDragon

Well-Known Member
Down hill since 94 and as of late taking the cheap way out in trying to fix it like adding Nemo to the Seas.


Exactly!! They're trying to increase guest numbers to pavilions without actually spending any large amounts of money. So the easy thing to do with Seas was to slap a Disney/Pixar character on it and get the kids to drag their parents to the pavilion. Management doesn't care what keeps the turnstiles turning, as long as they are turning. Just like bringing Captain EO back to the Imagination pavilion, its a cheap cost effective way to add a temporary boost to the turnstile numbers for that pavilion but it doesn't actually improve the overall appeal of it. :brick:
 

Figment632

New Member
Exactly!! They're trying to increase guest numbers to pavilions without actually spending any large amounts of money. So the easy thing to do with Seas was to slap a Disney/Pixar character on it and get the kids to drag their parents to the pavilion. Management doesn't care what keeps the turnstiles turning, as long as they are turning. Just like bringing Captain EO back to the Imagination pavilion, its a cheap cost effective way to add a temporary boost to the turnstile numbers for that pavilion but it doesn't actually improve the overall appeal of it. :brick:

Yup The last halfway right thing they did was MS.
 

Expo_Seeker40

Well-Known Member
Epcot needs to be EPCOT. Epcot means nothing. There is no reason why EPCOT can't once again be an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It is the first theme park ever done in the style of a World's Fair......there's the experimental and prototype part.....it is a community of CM's, and tourists if you will :lookaroun. It's original goals were on discovering the future and making tomorrow a better place to live in. Even if it didn't go back to the name EPCOT Center, I'd still be happy with just EPCOT.

Need new logos. Make sure the flower/ring logo for Future World is seen more throughout future world, and the compass logo is seen more throughout world showcase. Give new logos to each pavilion and use this on new signage. Landscaping.....future world is in desperate need of new and improved landscaping.

The entrance way.......either needs to see leave a legacy removed entirely or pushed to the sides of the entryway in a different monument form. Repaint many of the pavilions in future world, especially the entrance with more stylish 21st century color schemes. Get rid of the leave a legacy paint scheme on SSE's legs and bring back the palm trees.

Finish SSE's ending with a proper interactive ending that extends all around us on "prisms" that show us going through a dimension of what the future holds in store for all of us.

Redo Innoventions Plaza and Innoventions itself....restyling the buildings and repainting them with more appropriate colors and natural lighting. Continue to bring in changing interactive exhibits. We live in such a TV/Computer world....actually interacting with something is still a draw at world's fairs today considering the majority of civilized society chills out and stares at a screen throughout their day.

Capitalise on the Universe of Energy's theater system and large format movie screens. Bring in an entirely new show about future energy exploration and tie it into a new interactive energy showcase across the way from the UoE. Turn wonders of life into a weather pavilion showcasing part thrill ride part informative displays about the power of nature and future ways of protecting ourselves and our communities.

M:S give the place a better, futuristic flare and not the tacky warehouse setting it looks like inside.

Test Track.....perhaps make the ride even more thrilling and better exhibits about the future of cars and car safety. Get rid of the tacky signs and banners and tent out front, make the area more stylized and sleek.

Imagination.....a new 3D film featuring DreamFinder and Figment. A Journey into Imagination 2.0 with better longer lasting effects and scenes featuring DreamFinder and Figment. An updated interactive Imageworks but featuring a few favorites such as the rainbow corridor among a few others.

The Land: A new film in circle of life, dramatic and moving film to the likes of "Life" and "Earth". Soarin' featuring footage from the landscapes of the world. Living with the Land....something to make it more perky....its a nice gentle ride...but it needs something. (Not stitch wearing a gardener's uniform).

The seas: make the entryway much more stylish that looks like an Australian research center with diagrams and displays about the reef. Have the old circular waiting room look more like an underwater scene rather than the black walls and projection screen on the roof. Have nemo and friends take us on a underwater tour both through the use of sets and tanks...through the reef dropping facts and figures when need be....end in the seabase tank showing life from the oceans of the world (when possible) to the tune of "big blue world". Restore the seabase theme as a 21st century research facility. Bring back the hydrolators at the exit because in the story we went underwater and remained underwater, now we go back to ground level at epcot via the hydrolators.

As for the pathway between world showcase and future world....get rid of the merchandise and DVC carts. same thing for the breezeways in Innoventions. People are not here to by overpriced walmart merchandise nor by big inflatable balls walking through Innoventions.

On the future world side have flags with each pavilion logo on them....on the world showcase side have the flags of each nation that is a part of world showcase. Offer a non Disney character tie in game that would be an upgrade to Kim Possible, but be timeless and create new and unique world showcase characters that kids and families interact with as they work their way around a world showcase spy game.

Have stylish male and female suits for the CM's at each world showcase pavilion. For example, I can see Canadian Pavilion CM in stylish suits with red and white accents, while CM's doing a performance in each respective pavilion wear native dress and garb. A female CM at the american adventure shouldn't have to wear a 1700s looking costume, but the voices of liberty because they are performing period songs...should IMO.

More countries, better quick service and sit down restaurants, more rides. Character meet n greets no problem, but the 3 Caballeros in Mexico? forget it.

An updated IllumiNations and new color changing lights on SSE at night.

The end!
 

Graham9

Well-Known Member
Agree with most of what's been said here.

One of my first impressions of Epoct was that it a more elaborate and expensive variation on MK's Tomorrowland. What I mean is its the vision of tomorrow from the perspective of the 1970's maybe 1980's. But is NOT the vision of the future from today's perspective.

The future is constantly arriving, but Epcot is lagging 20-30 years behind. The whole place needs rebuilding and redesigning to take on our current vision of the futute in order for it to be more realistic and for it to be a genuine vision of the future.
 

PurpleDragon

Well-Known Member
One thing that has always bugged me was The Odyssey Center/Retaurant. I know it gets used for private events and such but that whole area seems like such a waste of space. They should really do something there.
 

Figment632

New Member
One thing that has always bugged me was The Odyssey Center/Retaurant. I know it gets used for private events and such but that whole area seems like such a waste of space. They should really do something there.

It would be nice but that is way down on the list of things that need to be down at EC imo.
 

jakeman

Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with Epcot.

Epcot's purpose has always been the same: to extend vacations at WDW and provide revenue for TWDC.

They just changed the way it was marketed.
 

Mouse Man

New Member
I love EPCOT and all it has to offer. I agree with a lot that has been said, but EPCOT is totaly different then the other parks, We have Future world to constantly upkeep and update with new technolgy as it becomes available and you still have to blend it in with world show case which is a totaly different expereince all together. EPCOT is my favorite of all the Parks with DHS and MK a close second. Wish they would bring back Imagination and of course make a new show to replace Hista in stead of bringing back MJ. I agree that test track could be improved a bit and like the idea of new futuristic cars and safety standards. I still miss food rocks in the land pavillian. The sea just needs a little make over and add a captain Nemo ride to it instead of crush and this paviallion would rock.
 
NO, they should leave it hidden off the map as it's my favorite cut through from TT over to Mexico, and the restrooms are never crowded.. Outdated? Yes, but never crowded... :ROFLOL:

One thing that has always bugged me was The Odyssey Center/Retaurant. I know it gets used for private events and such but that whole area seems like such a waste of space. They should really do something there.
 

PurpleDragon

Well-Known Member
It would be nice but that is way down on the list of things that need to be down at EC imo.


Oh yes I agree there are many other areas that deserve attention first. But the Odyssey has always been so confusing to me, its been empty for as long as I can remember and I've always been perplexed as to why they never did anything with it.:shrug:
 

glee

New Member
Management either didn't understand or didn't care about the original concept of Future World, and therefore, almost every change or alteration made since 1994 has been a downgrade. Disney refuses to spend any of its own money to improve the park and, instead, will only do so with an outside company fitting the bill.

Put someone in charge who cares and eventually (after a decade) it could be restored to its former glory. But I'm not holding my breath.

or just realised making it more family friendly for children. I dont know how many many people i know who hated/hate epcot because they find it boring.

lets face its..The majority go to epcot and any theme park to have fun...not to be educated. :rolleyes:



You cant please everyone. :rolleyes:
 

babypeanut

New Member
I was just telling a friend this morning that Epcot used to be my favorite park and now I don't even care if I go to it at all. I really miss the old Future World. World of Motion was my favorite ride in all the parks when I was a kid. I liked that the attractions were educational and different than the MK. I know a lot of people like TT but I rode it once and that was enough. The Nemo ride is disappointing. I don't have the stomach for M:S. I like Soarin' but I really miss Food Rocks and even Kitchen Kabaret!

And there are huge places just sitting there like Odyssey and WoL. I know none of the old attractions are coming back and that they were outdated. I just feel like there is enough space and potential there for the park to be awesome but instead it is just meh.
 

fosse76

Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with Epcot.

Epcot's purpose has always been the same: to extend vacations at WDW and provide revenue for TWDC.

They just changed the way it was marketed.

I agree. It's very difficult to theme anything to the future, since the future is unpredictable. Even Disney himself didn't know what to do with Tomorrowland at Disneyland. Epcot's Future World really does need outside company's that actually create something to really succeed. Disney is an entertainment company. They don't do any real scientific research that isn't related to some ride technology. Everything has been underwritten by corporations in the past. And it costs money to keep up with progress. They would never make money if they had to keep updating. Just look at the cost of medication alone. It costs so much because the investment costs to develop drugs is astronomically high, and since drug companies are not non-profits, they need to make that money back. Disney is no different.
 

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