EPCOT Creations Shop opening this summer

[G00fyDad]

I'll try to be consistent with my other posts, and I will wait to judge Creations until I have seen it, hopefully in August. So I don't want to say there anything wrong with it, because its not finished. WoD on the other hand, I think I have voiced my opinion there

What I'd like to see is a modern look from a color perspective, and that doesn't mean whites and grays. Nice colors, pastels, that are clean looking but still vibrant. I'd want to see playful details, (i.e. dreamfinder's ship with figment, animations with World Showcase portrayed, etc.) as a node to the past but not recreating the 1980's ad 1990's. Ideally as I have said above, a balance between being functional, modern but differentiated from any other store you can find in a strip mall. Short of me drawing this out, this is what my hope would be at a high level.

Fair point.

I just don't want all of the "over-the-top" sensory overload stuff. After a little while it gets to be a bit much walking through those places. I love the WoD redesign but my wife would rather they kept it the way it was.

 

[Horizons '83]

Fair point.

I just don't want all of the "over-the-top" sensory overload stuff. After a little while it gets to be a bit much walking through those places. I love the WoD redesign but my wife would rather they kept it the way it was.

To each their own for sure, and whether I like it or not, that is the direction Disney seems to be going, and I am getting older, so naturally I think everything in the past was better

At the end of the day, its a merch store and not the main reason for my visit but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

 

[James Alucobond]

I don't see pastels as particularly modern, but color really all comes down to application, I suppose. Also, for the "artifacts" mentioned to work in the new space, they'd really almost need to be treated as such and thrown in glass cases. I don't think bolting a steampunk airship to the wall really works when the rest of the environment isn't explicitly styled the same way.

To me, the most logical way to nod to old EPCOT without compromising the modernity would be to incorporate dynamic fiber optics into the wall art. It would remind folks of the nighttime vibe of the old plaza and add kinetic interest to the space without detracting from the merchandise.

 

[Disstevefan1]

We can only speculate why Disney does anything. The "de-theming" of the resort rooms and retail locations is probably is a cost saving effort; both a cost saving for the initial install and a cost saving for the ongoing maintenance for both the rooms and retail locations.

Some say the new sparsely themed rooms feel brighter, cleaner, and calming after a day at the parks. To Disney, I think its a cost saving move, again in the initial install and ongoing maintenance. I will say there should be NO CARPET in any of the WDW resorts because it's a matter of when the carpets will get mildew, not if.

As for the de theming of retail, again it's a cost saving and in (may) make the merch stand out more due to the lack of theme in the retail displays.

Having said that, I HOPE the Main Street Confectionary and the Chapeau keeps the beautiful theming when it comes out of refurb.

 

[James Alucobond]

We can only speculate why Disney does anything. The "de-theming" of the resort rooms and retail locations is probably is a cost saving effort; both a cost saving for the initial install and a cost saving for the ongoing maintenance for both the rooms and retail locations.

Some say the new sparsely themed rooms feel brighter, cleaner, and calming after a day at the parks. To Disney, I think its a cost saving move, again in the initial install and ongoing maintenance. I will say there should be NO CARPET in any of the WDW resorts because it's a matter of when the carpets will get mildew, not if.

As for the de theming of retail, again it's a cost saving and in (may) make the merch stand out more due to the lack of theme in the retail displays.

Having said that, I HOPE the Main Street Confectionary and the Chapeau keeps the beautiful theming when it comes out of refurb.

They're being themed differently, not de-themed. I honestly think the removal of carpet, which is one of the changes you seem to agree with, is one of the few things that actually is intended to save on costs. The new floors will likely be more durable, and they will probably be much easier for staff to clean. Everything else is generally of the same material quality as before (aside from the WL beds, IMO), and they've even added architectural details like the coved patio doorways for the Contemporary that were probably a fairly expensive add, extrapolated across the entire resort. Creating custom fabrics and wallpapers is also almost certainly more expensive than buying a generic tropical drapery or an off-the-rack throw pillow. The re-themes are simply not to your taste, nor are they to many people's taste if we were to take this board as a representative sample, but that has very little to do with the cost of the remodel.

For retail, I'm not entirely sure where they're going with it yet, and I think the Confectionery and Chapeau will indeed reveal a lot when they re-open about whether or not what they've done at EPCOT is specifically due to them moving to a cleaner, modern aesthetic as part of that park's renewal or if it's more about a global strategy of not allowing themed environments to outshine the merchandise. I hope it's the former, and the fact that they've left most of the World Showcase stores alone supports that, I think.

 

[Disstevefan1]

They're being themed differently, not de-themed. I honestly think the removal of carpet, which is one of the changes you seem to agree with, is one of the few things that actually is intended to save on costs. The new floors will likely be more durable, and they will probably be much easier for staff to clean. Everything else is generally of the same material quality as before (aside from the WL beds, IMO), and they've even added architectural details like the coved patio doorways for the Contemporary that were probably a fairly expensive add, extrapolated across the entire resort. Creating custom fabrics and wallpapers is also almost certainly more expensive than buying a generic tropical drapery or an off-the-rack throw pillow. The re-themes are simply not to your taste, nor are they to many people's taste if we were to take this board as a representative sample, but that has very little to do with the cost of the remodel.

For retail, I'm not entirely sure where they're going with it yet, and I think the Confectionery and Chapeau will indeed reveal a lot when they re-open about whether or not what they've done at EPCOT is specifically due to them moving to a cleaner, modern aesthetic as part of that park's renewal or if it's more about a global strategy of not allowing themed environments to outshine the merchandise. I hope it's the former, and the fact that they've left most of the World Showcase stores alone supports that, I think.

I would be willing to bet a side effect of the "different but not de-theming" of the resorts and retail is cost savings. Just a hunch.

I hope they don't change the theming of the Confectionery and Chapeau. To me it will feel strange to walk down Main street and enter the Confectionery and the inside does not match the time frame, that's just me.

This is fun to discuss, Disney will do what they will do, and there is nothing we can do or say to stop it.

 

[Splashin' Ryan]

What needs to be realized even more by those designing or deciding the design of the shops is not what you feel when inside the store but after the store.
While the new shop will almost certainly be enjoyable while inside of it, after your vacation is over, are you going to say "wow I can't wait to head back to that apple store-looking thing in the center of EPCOT!"? Probably not. And while you may not have planned your trip around Mouse Gears either, it was certainly more memorable.

Disney is trying to update their current offerings by making them more visually in line with the current on-trend clean aesthetics like exposed concrete, brick, and wood, ex. World of Disney. But what is necessary to keep people coming back to the parks isn't the latest materials trend, its the Disney touch these spaces had, and two abstract Mickey murals isn't exactly magic.

One major thing I feel people overlook is the impact on children. Children who are left in awe will end up becoming lifelong customers. And what keeps the kids in awe is over-the-top theming and digital screens nowadays. It will be interesting to see if the new clean design aesthetic across property in food halls, rooms, and merchandise locations will have the same effect on kids growing up now decades later. It could cause long-term visitation issues down the line.

 

[James Alucobond]

I would be willing to bet a side effect of the "different but not de-theming" of the resorts and retail is cost savings. Just a hunch.

I kind of feel the opposite. None of what they're doing in EPCOT is cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Demolishing CommuniCore west, building Cosmic Rewind, installing Harmonious ... These are all vastly more expensive ventures than they needed to be, reflecting a penchant for grandiose megaliths even when they come at the expense of the sense of scale and detail inherent in the rest of the park. I don't think cheap is the problem with any of the new builds or refurbishments, in EPCOT or in the resorts.

 

[Ripken10]

No, buddy. I'm on the same page as you. If I can get the same generic stuff anywhere on property, why would I go here? But, they know their market. Sadly, I don't think they include us in "their demographic".

Agree there too. The last two trips was the first times I have ever not bought anything in WOD. It just isn't interesting any more.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I kind of feel the opposite. None of what they're doing in EPCOT is cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Demolishing CommuniCore west, building Cosmic Rewind, installing Harmonious ... These are all vastly more expensive ventures than they needed to be, reflecting a penchant for grandiose megaliths even when they come at the expense of the sense of scale and detail inherent in the rest of the park. I don't think cheap is the problem with any of the new builds or refurbishments, in EPCOT or in the resorts.

I agree. People seem to jump on cost savings as the cause for changes or additions they don't like, but that seems a hold-over from the late Eisner era when there did seem a push toward budget Imagineering. These days, whether you like what they're doing or not, everything they do seems to cost a fortune. Perhaps too much.

As for the stores, I sometimes think people forget what they don't like about the IP invasion of the parks when it comes to store redesigns. From what we've seen, Creations seems to be a far more restrained design and name which fits the modern aesthetics of Epcot while incorporating the characters in a more subtle sense. People seem annoyed, though, there aren't big gears and characters all over the store and nostalgic for a name referencing Mickey Mouse. I wonder what the venn diagram would look like for those nostalgic for the old MouseGear and those annoyed there are now Frozen characters in Norway or Guardians of the Galaxy in place of Universe of Energy.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I agree. People seem to jump on cost savings as the cause for changes or additions they don't like, but that seems a hold-over from the late Eisner era when there did seem a push toward budget Imagineering. These days, whether you like what they're doing or not, everything they do seems to cost a fortune. Perhaps too much.

Being cheap and costing a lot are not mutually exclusive.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Being cheap and costing a lot are not mutually exclusive.

Cost savings and costing a lot is, though.

I'm not saying they're spending money well at all. None of this is budget, though.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Cost savings and costing a lot is, though.

I'm not saying they're spending money well at all. None of this is budget, though.

No, they’re not. You have to save costs on some things if too much is going somewhere else. The overall budget can be obscene while line items are tight.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

No, they’re not. You have to save costs on some things if too much is going somewhere else. The overall budget can be obscene while line items are tight.

Fair enough. I guess the question, then, is where the money is going. If Disney as a company is not being cheap in terms of how much money is being allocated to these projects but then execution suffers because the money is being spent poorly, the latter seems to be the issue more than the former.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I’m envisioning a Bob 2.0 AA welcoming guests by saying, “Welcome to Creations Shop, where you can buy merchandise and other Disney items.” in a robotic monotone reminiscent of Bob’s quarterly remarks.

 

[Father Robinson]

I'm still calling it Future World and World Showcase, and probably will keep calling it that. World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature are just too cumbersome to say all the time.

That's my personal preference, at least.

Whoever missed the ball of calling the front half of the park "Discovery World" should be ashamed. Those naming schemes (playing to people who don't realize that different parts of FW represent different themes) are outrageously stupid. Disney, I'm convinced has totally forgotten the concept of less=more. Discovery World would've worked perfectly without becoming too specific. Discoverys in nature, Discoverys in technology. And I've said it before, I'll say it again, if they were going to go with new names for FW, why couldn't they have called the spine area "EPCOT CENTER"? It would've been such a tribute to the original park name, been completely open to possibilities, AND it actually is the geographic CENTER of the park!

 

[Splashin' Ryan]

None of what they're doing in EPCOT is cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

Partially true. What they're currently doing in the center of EPCOT is selecting pieces and parts of a much larger and far more expensive plan set out years and years and years ago. While the parts being completed right now are on their own expensive, overall I would have to imagine the cost of redoing the entire core of EPCOT (new coaster aside) has been at least half of what it would have been 5-6 years ago.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Fair enough. I guess the question, then, is where the money is going. If Disney as a company is not being cheap in terms of how much money is being allocated to these projects but then execution suffers because the money is being spent poorly, the latter seems to be the issue more than the former.

There’s a whole bloated bureaucracy to get anything done. Too many people get a say. Too many meetings to decide anything. Too much hesitancy. And yes, despite Disney being a business, there are egos and insecurities involved so that people want to make sure they are “contributing” to the project even if it up ends undoing work that has already been done. Some of the documentaries about Feature Animation in the mid-to-late 90s are a good example of a similar situation where too many people were getting involved who should not have been involved.

 

[jt04]

Partially true. What they're currently doing in the center of EPCOT is selecting pieces and parts of a much larger and far more expensive plan set out years and years and years ago. While the parts being completed right now are on their own expensive, overall I would have to imagine the cost of redoing the entire core of EPCOT (new coaster aside) has been at least half of what it would have been 5-6 years ago.

Are you sure or are these educated guesses? I haven't heard anything in detail about revised plans.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I kind of feel the opposite. None of what they're doing in EPCOT is cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Demolishing CommuniCore west, building Cosmic Rewind, installing Harmonious ... These are all vastly more expensive ventures than they needed to be, reflecting a penchant for grandiose megaliths even when they come at the expense of the sense of scale and detail inherent in the rest of the park. I don't think cheap is the problem with any of the new builds or refurbishments, in EPCOT or in the resorts.

While it’s good to see money finally being spent on EPCOT, I think you are conflating the money spent on the whole EPCOT renovation with the money spent to build the creations retail location.

Sure, money is being spent on the reimagining of EPCOT, but the money spent to create this new creations shop (boy what a bad name) has to be less than what they would have spent on a 2021 version of what we remember as Mouse Gear; The original Mouse Gear was so highly themed, it was almost an attraction itself.

By the way, you wanna see themed retail, go see the Universal tribute stores!!!! These tribute stores are so well done and so highly themed, you are pulled in just to see it.. Then you buy something