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Sound dampening sounds about right. I always liked the aesthetic. Maybe it's a product of my age and the era I grew up in but I think it makes for a more welcoming environment than the hard surfaces and sterile modern look. Did Dreamflight/If You Had Wings also use carpeted walls in the queue...

Agree. The destruction really is a sucker punch, not only because of what was lost but also because of the absolute inferiority of what they replaced it with. Old EPCOT had such amazing bones. Even the triangles and tarps were okay because there was always a sense of possibility, a sense that...

Carpeted walls are such a part of WDW's and specifically EPCOT's DNA. Would love to know the history and rationale behind the design choice. There's just such a sense of comfort in the spaces where it's used, like a warm blanket but on a much grander scale.

I have to wonder if there ever was a commitment, even in the blue-sky phase, of a complete redo of Future World West into a full-on Adventureland or Animal Kingdom-esque exotic setting. It seems unlikely given the general lack of focus plus the already extravagant conversion of the central hub...

If only they had had a large indoor space with plenty of room for seating and tons of space for seasonal and special events....

Hi Sean! 1972 for me. My happiest childhood memory happened somewhere between 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Skyway, and of course Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I vaguely remember my younger brother and I getting some sort of pink-and-orange cup and plate set, and perhaps a Mickey balloon, but the...

I agree that "on the cheap" seems to be a large part of the trend (compare the Polyday Inn to Animal Kingdom Lodge, for instance), but Disney and WDI have not been exactly fiscally responsible-- or wise-- when it comes to their recent spending decisions. The amount of money spent on the hub redo...

I agree with much of what you said; I think we also agree that projects such as the Wilderness Lodge and others (let's put Animal Kingdom Lodge in that category as well), while based on some sort of real-world inspiration, take that inspiration and turn it into something more. The new hub and...

Thanks for the perspective. Barbara's career and experience are impressively notable, and she was certainly brought in at a challenging time for Imagineering. It's difficult from the outside to know to what degree an Imagineering president's involvement touches on the realms of design versus...

I think the Gensler/Bouza aspect of a lot of recent redevelopment at WDW is something that needs to be studied and discussed (perhaps in a new General Discussion thread?) How did the partnership come about? Who was impressed with her portfolio and why? Who thought sterile modern architecture and...

Absolutely, and before I'm accused of being a hyberbolic hater, let me with full disclosure say I had a great time at Epcot with my family yesterday. A treat on Father's Day watching my (almost fully grown) sons enjoy their time in the park like they did when we were younger. I can like some...

There's corporate PR, and then there's arrogant hubris which almost seems as if it's masking a deep-seated insecurity. They should have been honest and said "limited only by the boundaries of imagination, the inexplicably low ceilings and woefully small footprint of what we ultimately decided to...

Saw all the changes with walls down in person this weekend and the new hub is just... strange. It felt lifeless, claustrophobic and closed in during the day. Too hot and barren, even with all the trees. The old hub, with its wider vistas, grace, symmetry and kinetics (provided by the fountain...

I was trying to figure out why the refurb looked "off" to me and I think you've hit the nail on the head. The restaurant was designed look like an outdoor eating space with a view of a volcano; now it looks like a real-world restaurant plopped down inside a show building. The booths, which look...

Does the stage face towards the new hub or towards Imagination? Seems awkward if it's the latter (in terms of adding life to the central hub).

RIP Al. Always insightful, always holding Disney to task, and always gracious to answer questions or provide information. We owe much of the spirit of modern online Disney discussion and the fandom at large to his trailblazing efforts.

Yes! My older son found the spanish safety spiel from Mater side-splittingly hilarious. It sounds like Mater is literally trying to read it off of a note card. Just mentioning it cracks him up to this day.

Absolutely this! Don't remember seeing that concept art before, but that totally exudes the Epcot aesthetic. Warm, inviting, imaginative and fantastical, as opposed to sparse, bland, cold, and commonplace. You're right: guests should expect and demand more.

And retained the vast Innoventions space for future development. Heck, they even could have put in a dark ride like Google's from 2019 CES (which was far more "Epcot" than anything Disney's done in 10-15 years): I still contend tearing down the Innoventions/Comminicore building was a financial...

I do enjoy the play of lighting on the exterior at night, even if use of the triangles are lazy and way too self-referential. But the inside just looks... sparse... empty... value engineered. So a gas station on the outside, and a hospital cafeteria on the inside. Minimally functional and air...