EPCOT Journey of Water featuring Moana coming to Epcot

[Vinnie Mac]

It's just a glorified space holder. It looks to be on par with the 'leaping fountains' next to Imagination.....with some extra foliage to keep the customers happy who are always clamoring for more shade at EPCOT.

Fine with me. The leaping fountains have never looked better

 

[lazyboy97o]

I-

What do you think they're doing? Lol

I’m glad you think area development is an attraction.

 

[J4546]

is JoW not an attraction?

 

[UNCgolf]

is JoW not an attraction?

Well, Disney says it's one. Disney also claims the Cinderella Castle is an attraction, as well as most of the individual animal species at Animal Kingdom. They're pretty liberal with that word.

Obviously we don't really know what exactly it is since there's very little information available, but it doesn't sound like the kind of thing most people would truly consider an attraction (i.e. a ride or show of some sort).

 

[Casper Gutman]

Well, Disney says it's one. Disney also claims the Cinderella Castle is an attraction, as well as most of the individual animal species at Animal Kingdom. They're pretty liberal with that word.

Obviously we don't really know what exactly it is since there's very little information available, but it doesn't sound like the kind of thing most people would truly consider an attraction (i.e. a ride or show of some sort).

This is the biggest red flag. This board has really great insiders. With a new attraction at this state of development, we’d normally have a great idea of what the final product will be thanks to them. With this thing, we’re still almost entirely clueless. Which leads me to think either WDW doesn’t really know what they are building or it’s too boring for the insiders to care very much.

 

[James Alucobond]

I’m glad you think area development is an attraction.

I mean, you didn't say "attraction" in your post. You mentioned the space being available "for guest use". Which it will be.

 

[lazyboy97o]

is JoW not an attraction?

Yes, but it isn’t going to occupy the entire CommuniCore West footprint. Even with the Festival Center, CommuniCore West was still being replaced by a lot of landscaping and walkways.

Well, Disney says it's one. Disney also claims the Cinderella Castle is an attraction, as well as most of the individual animal species at Animal Kingdom. They're pretty liberal with that word.

Nothing beats Disney listing City Hall at Hong Kong Disneyland as an attraction.

I mean, you didn't say "attraction" in your post. You mentioned the space being available "for guest use". Which it will be.

 

[James Alucobond]

... Why? I think most people agree with you. Would've been better to leave the building there and activate it as an attraction. That's just not what you said, and it's not what that poster reacted to.

 

[UNCgolf]

Nothing beats Disney listing City Hall at Hong Kong Disneyland as an attraction.

They list the three train stations in the Magic Kingdom as attractions, which is pretty good.

 

[Movielover]

Nothing beats Disney listing City Hall at Hong Kong Disneyland as an attraction.

Wait... no one else here takes an hour and sits in the corner of City Hall with a bucket of popcorn listening to egotistical Karen's complain about their perceived entitlement? Just me? oh ok...

 

[Vinnie Mac]

I’m glad you think area development is an attraction.

Definition of attraction: a place which draws visitors by providing something of interest or pleasure.

Let's try this again, shall we?

 

[mightynine]

Wait... no one else here takes an hour and sits in the corner of City Hall with a bucket of popcorn listening to egotistical Karen's complain about their perceived entitlement? Just me? oh ok...

Hmmm, you might’ve given me an idea for my upcoming trip….

 

[Bocabear]

Definition of attraction: a place which draws visitors by providing something of interest or pleasure.

Let's try this again, shall we?

I wouldn't call the splash pad in the magic kingdom something of interest or pleasure, but that's just me... We know almost nothing about this Journey Of Water other than there will be interactive fountains that you can stick your hands in i.e. Splash Pad type activities... The whole education about the rain cycle is a complete mystery...as is most everything else about this new "attraction" or placeholder. I can't imagine it will ever be anywhere near as entertaining and engaging as Communicore in it's day, a giant Starbucks, and Club Cool combined...because that was what was sacrificed for this thing that no one seems to really know anything about...

 

[Vinnie Mac]

I wouldn't call the splash pad in the magic kingdom something of interest or pleasure, but that's just me... We know almost nothing about this Journey Of Water other than there will be interactive fountains that you can stick your hands in i.e. Splash Pad type activities... The whole education about the rain cycle is a complete mystery...as is most everything else about this new "attraction" or placeholder. I can't imagine it will ever be anywhere near as entertaining and engaging as Communicore in it's day, a giant Starbucks, and Club Cool combined...because that was what was sacrificed for this thing that no one seems to really know anything about...

And now we're back to the "well old Epcot..." cycle. Yes yes I get it, nothing new in Epcot will ever compare to the 80's, have heard this 1000 times before.

 

[UNCgolf]

And now we're back to the "well old Epcot..." cycle. Yes yes I get it, nothing new in Epcot will ever compare to the 80's, have heard this 1000 times before.

There's nothing preventing anything new in EPCOT from comparing to or even beating what was there in the 80s; Disney just doesn't seem to have any interest in actually building something of that quality.

 

[Disstevefan1]

There's nothing preventing anything new in EPCOT from comparing to or even beating what was there in the 80s; Disney just doesn't seem to have any interest in actually building something of that quality.

Agreed, but I will say when something is done right at EPCOT. The addition of the points of light to SSE, to me, is truly EPCOT, and adds 2021 technology to the 1982 SSE.

The Moana water thing; I understand they want to cram in any PC IP wherever they can, it’s just that I don’t understand how it fits there, but again, that’s just me.

 

[Phicinfan]

Agreed, but I will say when something is done right at EPCOT. The addition of the points of light to SSE, to me, is truly EPCOT, and adds 2021 technology to the 1982 SSE.

The Moana water thing; I understand they want to cram in any PC IP wherever they can, it’s just that I don’t understand how it fits there, but again, that’s just me.

And here is my issue. The area is called world of nature. You have the Land and Sea that have some focus on saving the planet, so a walk through area that may or may not(since we don't know) discuss the importance of water seems totally out of character?

Again this may be a HUGE mess, and a total failure. Lets see what it is, before we kill it.

I laugh, cause there are some here who were totally against Frozenstorm(lets face it, its a made up land) and now comment on how much they like it. Some were totally against Rat in France.... and it seems pretty solid.

I just love how some just immediately want to jump and rant on anything new, before its even finished and open. All on speculation of what COULD have been, but probably never was in the play.

Now, does all these changes really bring Epcot to what it was, no. Sadly. But it makes it a darn site better than it was recently.

 

[Disstevefan1]

And here is my issue. The area is called world of nature. You have the Land and Sea that have some focus on saving the planet, so a walk through area that may or may not(since we don't know) discuss the importance of water seems totally out of character?

Again this may be a HUGE mess, and a total failure. Lets see what it is, before we kill it.

I laugh, cause there are some here who were totally against Frozenstorm(lets face it, its a made up land) and now comment on how much they like it. Some were totally against Rat in France.... and it seems pretty solid.

I just love how some just immediately want to jump and rant on anything new, before its even finished and open. All on speculation of what COULD have been, but probably never was in the play.

Now, does all these changes really bring Epcot to what it was, no. Sadly. But it makes it a darn site better than it was recently.

I do like the Frozen attraction even though it does not belong there simply because it is a very high quality re skin in my mind.
The RAT, it's a new attraction in EPCOT that's good, and France got a very high quality expansion so that's good.
Even Moana, while I do not understand it, ANYTHING to get rid of the DIRT PILES AND WALLS at this point is fine with me.

The key to happiness is to keep expectations as low as possible.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I don't think it's a big mess in a vacuum. It's the total lack of an overarching view that's odd. The idea of a water-based garden leading you to the Land and Seas - that could work pretty nicely. (Moana doesn't really fit - but ignore that for now.)

The bigger issue is World Celebration itself. You have half of Communicore being modernized with shops and restaurants - creating the gateway to the Eastern part of the park. Then you have the West... JoW is kind of a gateway, but it's inside the monorail beam and only taking up 1/2 of the plot. Plus, the plans didn't make it look that well defined, so it's hard to see the Symmetry here. Plus, what was FWW is now split in half with IMAG being in World Celebration. So, the gateway would need to be better defined and put BETWEEN Land and Seas. And, we then have the weird missing part up top that's the gateway to Imagination?

Now that we've got the logistics and gateway issue out of the way, let's talk the theme of World Celebration. SSE, Vintage Retro Epcot-style store, Major food something-something, ancient Polynesian history of water, a table bar, Imagination, Odyssey and a weird pseudo magical light garden... This works together how?

The loss of overarching story and storytelling generally is mind boggling. It feels like a house being designed on a computer and plopped on any plot of land that works, regardless of neighborhood or fit. It's sad because there would have been so many easier ways to take these same ideas and turn them into something much more cohesive, modern and "Epcot" - and, yes, while still being family, relevant and Disney.

 

[Bocabear]

Now, does all these changes really bring Epcot to what it was, no. Sadly. But it makes it a darn site better than it was recently.

I disagree...The old Club Cool was better than the new, There was space that could have been properly activated as attractions. There was a very well-used Starbucks location and a beautiful symmetrical plaza that needed a repaint. There was also TONS of land to build Moana's Water cycle thing without tearing down half the park...So now we are left with an oddly asymmetrical entry plaza, Whatever the Moana water thing is and dozens of acres of empty land for more vendor booths... In a park in need of space for festivals and events, it is hard to believe that an immense building is torn down as they continue to hold events in a tent that currently blocks the UK Pavilion from having to room to build a proper attraction...
So, no I don't feel this is actually better, it is more fractured and senseless...
Perhaps if they shared some of the details of what they are actually building we may be able to understand the vision, but none of what they have done with the old Future World seem to make any sense.