News Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind attraction confirmed for Epcot

[Incomudro]

Hmmm. One week later, my prevailing attitude is one of indifference. Future World has felt like an increasingly hollow shell for years, and while I might not care much for the Guardians myself, at least they'll bring energy and exuberance to a corner of the park that needs it.

Ellen is woefully outdated and barely entertaining; I felt that way at least 10 years ago (i.e. the only time I rode it). The previous UoE, while more ambitious, tops Ellen in its outdatedness and dullness. These days, I'd bet a lot of people don't want to sit through a 45-minute glorification of fossil fuels that was originally crafted to boost Exxon's PR.

On that note, so much of Future World was driven by sponsorships, but the pavilions have failed in multiple ways upon losing their sponsors. To me, that says EPCOT Center's mission has failed, and would fail even if resurrected today. The park isn't staying relevant, timeless, and educational without a ton of recurring investment. The sponsors who make that possible dilute the park's forward-looking intent (Wonders of Life felt dated even when it opened) and ultimately fail to stick around (perhaps due to their own lack of imagination - hi Kodak!).

EPCOT Center had a mission and failed to fulfill it, due to the park's lofty ambitions and reliance on external corporate entities. A shift toward anything else will be refreshing, and who knows: maybe the one-two combo of this ride + Mission: SPACE will inspire some visitors to explore aerospace engineering.

Failed to fulfill it, and it is a mission that is impossible to fulfill in today's world.
It's a different world, and we get our information in different ways.
You can't keep up with it in a theme park.

 

[Incomudro]

Bill Nye the Anti-Science Guy has also been FUMING about his inclusion for years, since he pretends that he never held the opinions he expresses in the attraction. It has driven him up a wall for years that thousands of people every day see it.

It's one of the reasons I will be sad to see it go.

Bill Nye the charlatan.
I'm not a scientist, but I play one on tv.

 

[Mike S]

Failed to fulfill it, and it is a mission that is impossible to fulfill in today's world.
It's a different world, and we get our information in different ways.
You can't keep up with it in a theme park.

Now they'll have to keep up with popular IP instead should anything they're doing lose popularity.

I still think with the right people we could've seen great updates for the original attractions. Now all we can hope is that they don't find themselves in a similar hole in a few decades.

 

[Maeryk]

The ride and building were groundbreaking feats when they were constructed. The Universe of Energy is a classic Epcot attraction. While, yes there was a change in '96 to make the attraction less stale and more approachable to the modern park goer, the attraction is basically the same. Moving theater cars moving around the show building. It will be gone soon and that is a shame.

The rework also got rid of the more problematic of the audioanimatronics that plagued the ride. The only thing worse than a boring dark ride is a boring dark ride with half the tricks broken.

 

[Maeryk]

I think Ellen evicted herself by some accounts I've read.

There's also the consideration that if they are doing a Dory overlay at Seas, they may not want the actual Ellen to overshadow the Ellen voice.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

You do have to wonder if the Solar panels on top of the pavilion will be removed and extend the hours for the new attraction...

 

[Maeryk]

You do have to wonder if the Solar panels on top of the pavilion will be removed and extend the hours for the new attraction...

The panels don't power the ride directly.

 

[P_Radden]

The panels don't power the ride directly.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but, what do they power?

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

The panels don't power the ride directly.

Sooo...I read this from Lostepcot.com..
Covering the two-acre roof are 2,200 solar energy panels, made of of 80,000 three-inch photovoltaic solar-collector cells. The cells generate around 77 kilowatts of DC current when the sun is at its best angle. This power is transformed into AC current, which gives the vehicles inside the pavilion about 15 percent of their power.
What is the rest of that power actually going to?

 

[Incomudro]

The rework also got rid of the more problematic of the audioanimatronics that plagued the ride. The only thing worse than a boring dark ride is a boring dark ride with half the tricks broken.

I actually liked UOE, quite a lot.
Even liked the Ellen, Nye update.
But boy did they get old in real life vs their videos - not to mention Jamie Lee Curtis!
It just made the age of the refresh that much more apparent.
Last time I rode it, I couldn't help wonder why they wouldn't simply shoot an updated film?
How hard and expensive could it be?
Then, they could have trimmed or eliminated the film at the end of the ride.
That film went on forever.

 

[Maeryk]

Sooo...I read this from Lostepcot.com..
Covering the two-acre roof are 2,200 solar energy panels, made of of 80,000 three-inch photovoltaic solar-collector cells. The cells generate around 77 kilowatts of DC current when the sun is at its best angle. This power is transformed into AC current, which gives the vehicles inside the pavilion about 15 percent of their power.
What is the rest of that power actually going to?

It's not the "Rest of the power", it's that the most they can output... and that means perfect conditions and everything working properly, is only 15% of the rides requirement.

The ride tends to close early now due to lack of people riding it. Usually during the day, it's people trying to get out of the sun for 45 minutes.

 

[ABQ]

Sooo...I read this from Lostepcot.com..
Covering the two-acre roof are 2,200 solar energy panels, made of of 80,000 three-inch photovoltaic solar-collector cells. The cells generate around 77 kilowatts of DC current when the sun is at its best angle. This power is transformed into AC current, which gives the vehicles inside the pavilion about 15 percent of their power.
What is the rest of that power actually going to?

There is not surplus but rather a shortfall. If I'm reading that right, the 77 kilowatts can only provide 15% of the power needed for the ride vehicles, the other 85% comes from the grid.
Normally solar will power a battery pack which a load then draws from and once the voltage in the batteries drops below a point, the grid takes over.

 

[The_Jobu]

And if the new ride is indeed a launch coaster, the panels wont come anywhere near the amount of energy required for operation.

Maybe Batista will mention that as the tie-in to energy education.

 

[Maeryk]

And if the new ride is indeed a launch coaster, the panels wont come anywhere near the amount of energy required for operation.

Maybe Batista will mention that as the tie-in to energy education.

I love listening to Dave in interviews. He's not a dummy.

 

[Dapper Dan]

I wonder if they'll have the panels help power some queue effects. They may even update the the panels but I'm not holding my breath. Kind of sad considering that everything about that building is designed to maximize solar power.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Failed to fulfill it, and it is a mission that is impossible to fulfill in today's world.
It's a different world, and we get our information in different ways.
You can't keep up with it in a theme park.

It’s only impossible if you aim to be a Best Buy.

 

[Dapper Dan]

It’s only impossible if you aim to be a Best Buy.

"It's kind of fun to do the mediocre." -Walt Disney

 

[Maeryk]

I wonder if they'll have the panels help power some queue effects. They may even update the the panels but I'm not holding my breath. Kind of sad considering that everything about that building is designed to maximize solar power.

They did just open the giant Mickey solar field next to Epcot.. it's a 5 megawatt facility.

 

[danlb_2000]

I wonder if they'll have the panels help power some queue effects. They may even update the the panels but I'm not holding my breath. Kind of sad considering that everything about that building is designed to maximize solar power.

The panels probably wouldn't be dedicated to any specific thing in the pavilion, it would just be fed into the pavilions power system and used as needed.

 

[Maeryk]

The panels probably wouldn't be dedicated to any specific thing in the pavilion, it would just be fed into the pavilions power system and used as needed.

Assuming they even still function. Those are several tech generations old (unless they were updated and I missed it), and far less efficient than current gen.