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Just looked through the recent-ish concept art Steve posted that I had missed from earlier and yeesh. First, we have quite the downgrade in the overall resort grounds from what was initially shown in 2022: Then: Now: We've lost the beach, the infinity pool with waterfall, another waterfall...

Minor thing overall, but those new TBA signs really bug me as they try, but ultimately fail, to match the rest of the signs on this post. Oddly symbolic of the issues many have with modern WDI...? The woodgrain is almost nonexistent, the typeface weight is different, the construction (with...

Nice! The restroom tile is undoubtedly a reference to the tube station. As an aside, THIS is exactly what theming and decoration at EPCOT should look like: homages to real world locations, history, and culture, perhaps with a touch of whimsy. It should rarely be characters, IP, or other...

Indeed. The Living Seas was WDI at the top of its game. It was a masterclass in crowd management, story pacing, and theming. And, as you point out, so many memorable lines from that opening film. Also remember that, at the time, the pavilion was the largest saltwater aquarium in the world. Like...

Yes, The Seas needs help. Basically no one cares about Nemo anymore, and the fact it’s a lazy retread of the movie doesn’t help. What they should do is build the Poseidon dark ride concept from the early 80s. With todays screen and projection mapping tech, it could be a real stunner of an...

Isn't that bottom arrow in the first sign pic pointing in the wrong direction? Or maybe they turned it around temporarily for this closure (but didn't do that for the other side)?

Now the 4 uplights for Walt aren’t working? Add them to list of lighting issues I guess. And the bench is still missing its bottom framing, as noted a couple days ago. Not a great look for the newly opened area.

At this rate we’re going to need a pinned thread for status updates like there is/was for Everest! ;)

Agree completely. I think the main barges would be more effective rotated 90 degrees to create a sort of continuous hexagonal ring in the lagoon center. It would allow the fountains to "chase" around in a circle (ditto the lighting) or create a wall of water to project lighting effects or even...

Exactly. And even if we quibble over where a fountain should be, the lack of any water feature in the new gardens is a valid criticism, especially when it was the centerpiece of the plaza for nearly 40 years.

Agree with a lot of this. Luminous is certainly flawed - every show is to an extent - but much less so than Harmonious. And it does "feel" closer in theme and tone to the kind of show EPCOT should have. I guess one thing I'm just not getting - the fountains, pyro, and show tech. Most folks are...

I guess it's... OK? Maybe a dribbly double that snuck past the infield if you're into baseball metaphors; it's definitely not the home run EPCOT needed. Positives: The opening chorus of welcomes makes a good first impression; I generally like how Toprak's Anthem is sprinkled throughout; the...

Good to hear. Never did like the kids from EF, and Harm was fine but nothing great.

After watching a few more walk around vids, I’m finding myself humming the main theme of Toprak’s EPCOT Anthem, so I’m going to say thumbs up overall on the new BGM. Also, rather than having that center planter be a fountain, a series of shallow, gently cascading reflecting pools down this...

Wonderful pictures, @tparris - thanks! The charging ports are a nice addition, and I'm optimistic how the area will look at night - I'm hoping it's quite moody and immersive with the synchronized lighting. And the area offers a nice canvas for festival decor. That said... *dons flame suit*...

The emphasis on A) the barges will be moved in/out of the lagoon everyday, and B) the hexagonal setup means the show looks the same no matter where you are around the lagoon, is pretty funny. About as close as you're going to get to Disney saying, "Fine, we heard you, you didn't like the...

EPCOT, or at least the center spine, will look very different, but I think the problem is the park will largely feel the same after this "transformation," which is to say, dated and directionless. SSE will still be mechanically obsolete and teetering on inoperability; The Seas continues to fade...

Definitely seems they're trying to reuse every last one of those moving head spotlights. That's fine in principle, but does make wonder if the show was designed from the standpoint of how do we reuse as many things as possible instead of what do we need to make this as good as it can be.

Can confirm hints of a decline for Wegmans are evident in their recently opened smaller format store in NW Washington, DC. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty good overall, and my wife and I prefer it to the Safeways, Giants, and Whole Foods locations in the area, but we agree service and...

The Figment pin is the only one that really makes sense here. I suppose Nemo is acceptable, too, but the others truly make no sense. Mickey = SSE. Because… iconic character for the park’s icon? Minnie = Test Track/WoM. Um, what? Olaf = World Celebration(?). Huh? First, what does that icon...