“EPCOT”’s New Name

[bryanfze55]

Frankly, Disney has not done well with non-castle parks in this millennium. DHS, Epcot, AK, and DCA all have their issues. Epcot’s best rides were scrapped in the 90s, and Disney didn’t know how to appropriately replace them. DHS and DCA had themes that were simply unsustainable, and now they’re just glorified IP parks (I.E. Universal). AK is a good theme park but still way too light on good attractions. Tokyo DisneySea is obviously amazing, but that’s owned by OLC rather than Disney.

If IP intrusion and incoherent theming bother you that much, I would probably just say don’t go to the parks. This is the present and future, for better or worse. I frequent the Disneyland Resort more than WDW, and when I go to DCA I’m fully aware I won’t be getting the same experience that I get in Disneyland itself. It simply isn’t as immersive and feels more like an amusement park than a theme park. But I still go to DCA because the park hopper option is relatively cheap, and my family greatly enjoys a few of the themed lands within that park. When I’m in Cars Land or Grizzly Peak, I don’t bemoan the fact that Disney has not stayed true to the California concept. That being said, I’ve pretty much given up hope that any of Disney’s non-castle parks will ever be as great as DisneySea or 80s-90s Epcot. I just don’t think Disney has much direction with their non-castle parks other than piggybacking off of what they think has been working for Universal. Alas, about 80% of my time spent in Disney theme parks is spent at the Disneyland Park itself - it’s the only one Walt built, and you can still feel a bit of magic there, almost as though it’s not run by a well-oiled corporate machine. I’m sure maybe classic Epcot had this same feeling for some.

 

[marni1971]

Magic Kingdom 2. Because we ran out of room over there.

You win.

 

[Sundown]

Disney's Discovery Park

(Something old is new again. Hey, they're not using it for the Island anymore, right?)

 

[RobWDW1971]

.

Disney's Discovery Park

(Something old is new again. Hey, they're not using it for the Island anymore, right?)

"Disney's Discovery" actually is quite an elegant and interesting name - broad enough to put everything they want in it, but has a sense of personality and distances itself from the now abandoned Epcot concept. Also sounds like the potential name of the next cruise ship.

 

[Sundown]

"Disney's Discovery" actually is quite an elegant and interesting name - broad enough to put everything they want in it, but has a sense of personality and distances itself from the now abandoned Epcot concept. Also sounds like the potential name of the next cruise ship.

I was thinking the same thing when I thought it up, RobWDW1971. For what this park is being transformed to it fits a bit better than EPCOT (I love EPCOT's name everyone). And I thought is could fit a cruise ship as well.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

yeah. It has “not been Epcot” longer than it has “been Epcot.” Whether or not this new design is going to be good, the Epcot people seem to miss was ruined over 20 years ago now. I guess this overhaul confirms what we have known for the past two decades?

Kids have more nostalgia for the park they never knew than the park they grew up with.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Also, if I may put my entry in for consideration.

DrunkCOT

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Again, the conversation is not about whether Radiator Springs Racers or Guardians are great attractions and the parks are more fun with them - it is about whether it is important, or even critical, to have a cohesive theme.

Well said. Other amusement parks have fun rides, I don't necessarily have to visit WDW to go on those, but EPCOT Center was supposed to offer more than that. It had an aspiration/inspirational quality to its presentation and practiced what it preached when it came to technology, marine life care, agriculture, cultural displays etc. The design of the park and its rides is what made the topics approachable and engaging. The sale of alcohol and character merch was incidental and complimentary, not the major focus it has unfortunately become.

 

[Little Green Men]

Kids have more nostalgia for the park they never knew than the park they grew up with.

Not really

 

[ChrisFL]

Technically Epcot hasn't been an acronym since the mid 90's, it's now just a meaningless name

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

EPCOT doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a word now. Making it all caps is fan service and nothing more.

(The park will continue to be called EPCOT despite not meaning anything)

 

[No Name]

Epcot’s name is fine. Let’s stop calling for park name changes when
a) the theme of the park is not changing, just diluting, so there’s no more of a fitting name
b) the theme can be made stronger again, but changing the name helps kill that possibility
c) it’s a waste of resources that causes confusion among guests

Exactly. And that park should have changed its name as well as it has nothing to do with the original overall concept of celebrating California. You’re supporting my point. That name is at best meaningless and at worst confusing.

It just now really means “not Disneyland”.

It’s still a park in California. Therefore, California in the name is a non-issue. There is no more fitting of a name for the park than what it is currently.

Shanghai Disneyland isn’t themed to Shanghai.

 

[No Name]

The name change I’d be in most support of is a change to the stupid name “Disney-MGM Studios.” Which the company handled very well in 2008.

 

[justintheharris]

That’s it? Because they changed a word it somehow connects to the city concept? Nothing about the actual ideas?

The city concept was dead before ground even broke on the theme park.

 

[justintheharris]

I always found it ironic that a theme park that was supposed to teach about progress and change has a giant group of people who whine about the fact that it's not exactly the same as it was in 1980s. Having more Disney characters is NOT going to ruin the park. Ratatouille and Moana seem to be getting integrated quite tastefully and in regards to Guardians of the Galaxy, it's not even open yet!! We know so little about the ride that you can't make a judgement call yet.

 

[Figments Friend]

Well, they can’t keep calling it EPCOT for much longer now can they? They’ll have to change it eventually if it’s to make any sense. So what will they call it? “Disney’s Magical World of Storytelling and Discovery”?

It will still be 'EPCOT', and always will be.
However....there's a catch :

Instead of a 'Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow' we will sadly instead have -

'EPCOT' - 'Exploited Products Converting Our Tourists'



-

 

[donaldtoo]

IPCON... Intellectual Property Community Of Now.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I always found it ironic that a theme park that was supposed to teach about progress and change has a giant group of people who whine about the fact that it's not exactly the same as it was in 1980s. Having more Disney characters is NOT going to ruin the park. Ratatouille and Moana seem to be getting integrated quite tastefully and in regards to Guardians of the Galaxy, it's not even open yet!! We know so little about the ride that you can't make a judgement call yet.

This statement is what baffles me. I'm an avowed fan of the original park. Other than maybe Horizons and the original JII (both of which I would want to see heavily updated in tech), I don't want the park to be what it was. I want to see the parks ideals, focus on design, focus on the real world, etc. Used to inspire and create new attractions based on the original idea of EPCOT Center. The fact it was basically abandoned for so long and is now being "fixed" by requiring Disney movie characters is the issue. The investment is great. Updating was needed years ago. It's what they are choosing to do that creates the issue.

 

[tirian]

I always found it ironic that a theme park that was supposed to teach about progress and change has a giant group of people who whine about the fact that it's not exactly the same as it was in 1980s. Having more Disney characters is NOT going to ruin the park. Ratatouille and Moana seem to be getting integrated quite tastefully and in regards to Guardians of the Galaxy, it's not even open yet!! We know so little about the ride that you can't make a judgement call yet.

This statement is what baffles me. I'm an avowed fan of the original park. Other than maybe Horizons and the original JII (both of which I would want to see heavily updated in tech), I don't want the park to be what it was. I want to see the parks ideals, focus on design, focus on the real world, etc. Used to inspire and create new attractions based on the original idea of EPCOT Center. The fact it was basically abandoned for so long and is now being "fixed" by requiring Disney movie characters is the issue. The investment is great. Updating was needed years ago. It's what they are choosing to do that creates the issue.

Yeah, I don’t know anyone who wants Epcot to remain stuck in the 80s. I know plenty of fans and Imagineers who wish the execs would invest in updates that captured the optimism, energy, and cutting-edge vision of the original park.

Why do so many fans favor slapping cartoons on everything? Why do they think that’s a solution? That’s what baffles me.

If Disney opened a POTC, HM, or Space Mt. today, Internet boards would be full of “fans” whining how there weren’t any recognizable characters. They also wouldn’t consider that in today’s WDC, the only recognizable toons are whichever ones happen to be selling the most toys at any given time.

 

[justintheharris]

Yeah, I don’t know anyone who wants Epcot to remain stuck in the 80s. I know plenty of fans and Imagineers who wish the execs would invest in updates that captured the optimism, energy, and cutting-edge vision of the original park.

Why do so many fans favor slapping cartoons on everything? Why do they think that’s a solution? That’s what baffles me.

If Disney opened a POTC, HM, or Space Mt. today, Internet boards would be full of “fans” whining how there weren’t any recognizable characters. They also wouldn’t consider that in today’s WDC, the only recognizable toons are whichever ones happen to be selling the most toys at any given time.

Ah yes. Every time I go to Disney, every child is holding a Remy plush... a Mary Poppins one too!
I love how you guys claim you don’t want epcot to be stuck in the 80s but one of you also blatantly states you want the original Journey Into Imagination and Horizons back and I can promise you, if it used updated technology, you’d have a hissy fit. I can almost guarantee that this forum will hate the Spaceship Earth update just because they hate any change.