EPCOT New Play Pavilion to replace Epcot's Wonders of Life

[Bocabear]

I just don't get what it is? A daycare center with Wii controlled games? Disney Quest 2.0? I don't have a clear understanding of what they are creating. With no real ride or major attraction I can't imagine wasting a percentage of my day at a giant video arcade... not for $100.00 admission price.
The pavilion should have been another real ride pavilion which EPCOT is still low on.

 

[Dragonman]

Well you gotta remember they could barely even describe what Disney Quest was when it opened lol

 

[Horizons '83]

I just don't get what it is? A daycare center with Wii controlled games? Disney Quest 2.0? I don't have a clear understanding of what they are creating. With no real ride or major attraction I can't imagine wasting a percentage of my day at a giant video arcade... not for $100.00 admission price.
The pavilion should have been another real ride pavilion which EPCOT is still low on.

In fairness there will be a new real ride opened in each of the next 2 years, and while GoTG is a travesty, I'm sure the masses will love it. I am excited about Rat though.

 

[_caleb]

I just don't get what it is? A daycare center with Wii controlled games? Disney Quest 2.0? I don't have a clear understanding of what they are creating. With no real ride or major attraction I can't imagine wasting a percentage of my day at a giant video arcade...

I get the sense that Disney is going after the Instagram set with this Play! Pavilion. Have you heard of the "Museum of Ice Cream" or the "Museum of 3D Illusions" in San Francisco? These are "museums" of brightly-colored physical sets for people to pose in for photo opportunities. There's really nothing to "do" there other than take pictures of yourself. But these kinds of attractions are popping up all around the world and people are flocking to them.

These "exhibits" are a dream for Disney because they don't require a lot of operations or staffing. Just set the "party" atmosphere with, backgrounds, props, lights, and music and let people take pictures. The Purple Wall was an early test of this concept, and now we see Insta-worthy paint job all around Tomorrowland. The Play! Pavilion would be this but with all the IP. The kiddy stuff (water balloons, etc.) would just serve to keep kids entertained while mom and day snap pics.

 

[Bocabear]

I get the sense that Disney is going after the Instagram set with this Play! Pavilion. Have you heard of the "Museum of Ice Cream" or the "Museum of 3D Illusions" in San Francisco? These are "museums" of brightly-colored physical sets for people to pose in for photo opportunities. There's really nothing to "do" there other than take pictures of yourself. But these kinds of attractions are popping up all around the world and people are flocking to them.

These "exhibits" are a dream for Disney because they don't require a lot of operations or staffing. Just set the "party" atmosphere with, backgrounds, props, lights, and music and let people take pictures. The Purple Wall was an early test of this concept, and now we see Insta-worthy paint job all around Tomorrowland. The Play! Pavilion would be this but with all the IP. The kiddy stuff (water balloons, etc.) would just serve to keep kids entertained while mom and day snap pics.

That sounds dreadful....and kind of sad considering what this park started out as...lofty dreams of edutainment devolved down to "take Your Picture Here" attractions and booze.

 

[FigmentFan82]

That sounds dreadful....and kind of sad considering what this park started out as...lofty dreams of edutainment devolved down to "take Your Picture Here" attractions and booze.

I mean, the times change. What can you do?
I remeber being so excited as a kid to check iout the brand new Innoventions and DisneyQuest. Those were made for me as a kid and it was exciting and fun. Like I said above, as I am now much older, PLAY! doesn't seem like something that's really for me, but as a new father I see the appeal for my daughter.

 

[hauntology]

I get the sense that Disney is going after the Instagram set with this Play! Pavilion. Have you heard of the "Museum of Ice Cream" or the "Museum of 3D Illusions" in San Francisco? These are "museums" of brightly-colored physical sets for people to pose in for photo opportunities. There's really nothing to "do" there other than take pictures of yourself. But these kinds of attractions are popping up all around the world and people are flocking to them.

These "exhibits" are a dream for Disney because they don't require a lot of operations or staffing. Just set the "party" atmosphere with, backgrounds, props, lights, and music and let people take pictures. The Purple Wall was an early test of this concept, and now we see Insta-worthy paint job all around Tomorrowland. The Play! Pavilion would be this but with all the IP. The kiddy stuff (water balloons, etc.) would just serve to keep kids entertained while mom and day snap pics.

Also those museums are such rip offs. In NYC we have a new pop up "museum" of these every week, in the same city where there is a crazy amount of art to look at and experience in actual institutions. They're pricey: some start at 25 dollars, and peak at almost 50 for entrance, and on the latter end of the spectrum might add in 2 drinks and one food item or something.
Because they're temporary, they don't really need to do upkeep. And photos for advertising are kept intentionally vague of the properties size/amenities so people don't immediately call out the BS.

The way to make this pavilion actually worthwhile is to make it truly interactive, be it with actors behind screens like Turtle Talk with Crush or with some Living Character Initiative (which they stopped...) or have it track what you do on Magic Bands so the city comes alive at you in different ways. I'm assuming there's an element of roleplay here too.


The main problem with this pavilion so far to me is neither the IP, the kid friendliness of it, or its visual aesthetic. My main issue comes with not understanding how they are presenting "play" as in a pavilion that looks like a sci-fi city. EPCOT is probably shying away from edutainment now but I want to know how they value it. I think Play is such a deeply treasured thing for both children and adults, and EPCOT's rides/experiences had the ability to help us value the world around us, both material and abstract (food conservation...sort of?, the ocean's living creatures, where papyrus is from, IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY...) but this pavilion doesn't seem to be doing that so far?

 

[Bocabear]

In fairness there will be a new real ride opened in each of the next 2 years, and while GoTG is a travesty, I'm sure the masses will love it. I am excited about Rat though.

In Fairness the park was low on attractions 20 years ago...In fairness they had to create festival events to bolster attendance for their lack of attractions... In fairness GOTG is a replacement for a ride, and honestly RAT is a replacement for the shuttered Body Wars, so in fairness, we have a net gain of zero attractions....in fairness...

 

[Horizons '83]

In Fairness the park was low on attractions 20 years ago...In fairness they had to create festival events to bolster attendance for their lack of attractions... In fairness GOTG is a replacement for a ride, and honestly RAT is a replacement for the shuttered Body Wars, so in fairness, we have a net gain of zero attractions....in fairness...

A simple “I don’t agree” would have sufficed ...

 

[gustaftp]

My ultimate hope is that the Play pavilion is temporary in every sense of the word (not low-quality, though!) and that ultimately a futuristic playground will once again occupy the top floor of a properly re-enegized Imagination pavilion!

 

[MisterPenguin]

WDW gets criticized for getting rid of a children's play area in DHS and then get's criticized for putting a children's play area in Epcot.

Unpleasable Fanbase - TV Tropes

Sometimes, fanbases are, or appear to be, perennially complaining not just about minute details of the Canon, but about everything. This sometimes relates to fake fannishness: some people just don't like a piece of fiction, yet insist on …

tvtropes.org

 

[Casper Gutman]

WDW gets criticized for getting rid of a children's play area in DHS and then get's criticized for putting a children's play area in Epcot.

Unpleasable Fanbase - TV Tropes

Sometimes, fanbases are, or appear to be, perennially complaining not just about minute details of the Canon, but about everything. This sometimes relates to fake fannishness: some people just don't like a piece of fiction, yet insist on …

tvtropes.org

Who complained about losing the playground in DHS?

 

[Dragonman]

Who complained about losing the playground in DHS?

Hopper

 

[po1998]

I just don't get what it is? A daycare center with Wii controlled games? Disney Quest 2.0? I don't have a clear understanding of what they are creating. With no real ride or major attraction I can't imagine wasting a percentage of my day at a giant video arcade... not for $100.00 admission price.
The pavilion should have been another real ride pavilion which EPCOT is still low on.

Remember this is the same park where people pay $100 to do nothing more than eat and drink.

I will withhold judgement until it opens, but at the very least there will be something new to occupy the time other than participating in DrunkyVille.

 

[Andrew C]

Remember this is the same park where people pay $100 to do nothing more than eat and drink.

I am not familiar with this park of which you speak...

 

[tribbleorlfl]

I'm a new father, and while I might not have cared much for PLAY! a couple years ago, this pavilion is now very much on my radar. Haters need to get their attitudes in check. Not everything is made for you

Congrats!

 

[Little Green Men]

In Fairness the park was low on attractions 20 years ago...In fairness they had to create festival events to bolster attendance for their lack of attractions... In fairness GOTG is a replacement for a ride, and honestly RAT is a replacement for the shuttered Body Wars, so in fairness, we have a net gain of zero attractions....in fairness...

I’d say Soarin’ replaces Body Wars in ride count since KK/ FR were theater attractions.

 

[Rich Brownn]

In Fairness the park was low on attractions 20 years ago...In fairness they had to create festival events to bolster attendance for their lack of attractions... In fairness GOTG is a replacement for a ride, and honestly RAT is a replacement for the shuttered Body Wars, so in fairness, we have a net gain of zero attractions....in fairness...

It wasn't that it was short on attractions, it was designed to have attractions that ran much longer so there wasn't;t as much of a need... as Pointed out between UoE, Horizons and World of Motion that was an hour and 15 minutes of just ride time (not counting lines). Even with GoTG, that has now been reduced to maybe 12 minutes of ride time in the same area.

 

[Dunston]

Using already-outdated technology in a barren space for activities and meet and greets should scratch that Innoventions itch for those who miss their big curved building.

 

[doctornick]

The pavilion should have been another real ride pavilion which EPCOT is still low on.

With Rat and hopefully Poppins, at least the net number is heading in the right direction (though I agree with the concern about the total length of ride time in the park). And the Body Wars show building seems like it will remain intact but unused, right? Hopefully that means that it will still potentially be an option for a future ride if/when the powers that be want to put one there.