2015: The year of the EPCOT makeover?

[Progress.City]

To update this thread, it seems that things will definately be coming to EPCOT in 2016 and/or announced.

- Frozen at Norway
- Soaring expansion and possible upgrades/new film
- Jerry Reece's "Mystery Project" that I bet has to do with Imagination as Tony Baxter has hinted that will coincide with a May announcement and his foreword in the hard cover of Marvel's Figment being released in May.

Between these three things, I'd say 2016 is the year of the EPCOT makeover, or the beginning of it.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

To update this thread, it seems that things will definately be coming to EPCOT in 2016 and/or announced.

- Frozen at Norway
- Soaring expansion and possible upgrades/new film
- Jerry Reece's "Mystery Project" that I bet has to do with Imagination as Tony Baxter has hinted that will coincide with a May announcement and his foreword in the hard cover of Marvel's Figment being released in May.

Between these three things, I'd say 2016 is the year of the EPCOT makeover, or the beginning of it.

Epcot is doing a lot better than DHS.

 

[orlando678-]

DHS will be improving in the future for sure:

- Pixar expansion
- Star Wars
- Muppets

I really hope that Disney does stick to their original themes, but that they just change the way how they bring it to the guests. Epcot for example always had a plus with the movies in World showcase for the old audience. The old audience was interested in exploring culture through videos, because it was all new and people just didn't travel that far. Nowadays people are still interested in exploring culture, but the difference is, is that we can watch a lot of different videos about culture today and also people travel further than before. If Epcot wants to improve here, they should make rides which we can not experience at home or by going on a holiday. And I don't see the way to bring culture to the audience with Disney characters only, especially ones which are unclear and not really depicting culture. I've seen examples of Ratatouille and Mulan for example, but I like these ideas because they depict culture from France and China. Frozen could depict a little bit of Scandinavian culture, but it doesn't set apart Norway from the rest of Scandinavia. And also a few of the biggest cultural things of Norway are left out in Frozen, Gods, Vikings, real trolls with three heads and so on. Norway doesn't have living snowmen and ice queens. I love Frozen but it simply doesn't fit well enough. I'm okay with Nemo eventhough I would love to see a small area for him in AK and not in Epcot. Three Caballeros are fine, they depict Mexican culture. The only problem with the Gran Fiesta tour is that it's not interesting enough. Disney has to learn how to combine educational with entertainment( Not only through Characters!!!).

 

[Communicore]

Disney has to learn how to combine educational with entertainment( Not only through Characters!!!).

Yea right heh. Not happening anymore.

 

[marni1971]

To update this thread, it seems that things will definately be coming to EPCOT in 2016 and/or announced.

- Frozen at Norway
- Soaring expansion and possible upgrades/new film
- Jerry Reece's "Mystery Project" that I bet has to do with Imagination as Tony Baxter has hinted that will coincide with a May announcement and his foreword in the hard cover of Marvel's Figment being released in May.

Between these three things, I'd say 2016 is the year of the EPCOT makeover, or the beginning of it.

Seriously? That's a drop in the Ocean of what used to be called routine. Assuming two of the three are anywhere near happening.

Come back in May.

 

[orlando678-]

Frozen and Soarin' are actually likely to happen. The Marvel Figment idea seems a bit hmmm unreal?

 

[wdisney9000]

BH6 attraction in Epcot? lol. Look at the sub par treatment Frozen got, and that movie and merch will FAR outsell BH6. You will be lucky to have a Baymax kidcot figure on a stick that the children can get stamped. You'd have better luck finding a new monorail footer before you see any attractions with BH6.

 

[marni1971]

Frozen and Soarin' are actually likely to happen. The Marvel Figment idea seems a bit hmmm unreal?

Soarin will. Eventually.

 

[WondersOfLife]

So I have to expect Test Track by Cars, Soarin' by Planes, Mission: Space with Stitch, Universe of Energy with Jiminy Cricket or what?

SHHHHH.... DON'T GIVE THEM ANY MORE IDEAS!!!


EDIT: To further my point.. It's already been done a couple of times!

The Living Seas -- With Nemo & Friends
Symbiosis -- With The Lion King Characters
Norway -- With Frozen Characters
Mexico -- With the 3 Cabelleros

The only change I've ever cared for, honestly, is O' Canada with Martin Short. :3

 

[marni1971]

would any of those ideas really be that bad

Yes.

It's. It not called the Magic Kingdom for a reason.

At least there used to be a reason.

 

[caseykasem99]

I agree, I grew up with the 90's and 00's epcot, I loved body wars, cranium command, Original Imagination, HISTK, orignal test track, and Innoventions in its prime. Dang that place was cool, I miss classic epcot as much as you man.
But it seems like we aren't ever going to go back in that direction by the looks of current and future projects, and at least with a cars overlay we'd have something to look at instead of dark rooms and neon lights.

 

[Little Green Men]

I agree, I grew up with the 90's and 00's epcot, I loved body wars, cranium command, Original Imagination, HISTK, orignal test track, and Innoventions in its prime. Dang that place was cool, I miss classic epcot as much as you man.
But it seems like we aren't ever going to go back in that direction by the looks of current and future projects, and at least with a cars overlay we'd have something to look at instead of dark rooms and neon lights.

New Test Track is much closer to EPCOT's original purpose than the old Test Track was. Touring a 90's test facility doesn't say future, while concept cars and designing features does.

 

[caseykasem99]

The ride is exactly the same lol all they did was make it darker and remove the old lay over. Even the beginning when you do the braking with and without ABS its no different just removed the overlay and narration. Its sad and boring. If they actually did something to use the cars you design I'd agree with you but they don't. They just use an algorithm to display who wins out of your group at the end of each neutered test facility.

 

[JEANYLASER]

I don't understand Universe of Energy update rumor what rumor for Universe of Energy?

 

[RSoxNo1]

On the last Disney Dish podcast with Jim Hill he mentioned that two different Soarin' films are in the works Soarin Over the World and Soarin' Across America. First I heard of two different films.

 

[Little Green Men]

The ride is exactly the same lol all they did was make it darker and remove the old lay over. Even the beginning when you do the braking with and without ABS its no different just removed the overlay and narration. Its sad and boring. If they actually did something to use the cars you design I'd agree with you but they don't. They just use an algorithm to display who wins out of your group at the end of each neutered test facility.

Yeah, but before it looked like a huge warehouse where you could see the track and entire building ahead of you. Darkening makes it more surprising in that you can't see the track ahead of you or where you're going the whole time. The ride isn't what I'm talking about, it's the over all experience. The queue, the design a concept car, the ride, and the exhibit area. Before you entered a facility that looked like a garage while now it looks sleek and futuristic, with displays of futuristic cars. The ride was improved, imo, with the new storyline. The post show before was just cars and one little area off to the side, at least now they have games to insert your design into.

 

[Skippy]

I think the overall theme behind the new Test Track is an major improvement. Specifically the preshow design process and post show continuation of the idea.

However the ride portion is terribly dull. Same track as before but instead of 'plussing' the experience they made the entire ride look empty and pretty much homogenous. They removed notably unique sections of the ride (primarily the heat/cold/corrosive - instead we have an aerodynamic projection that doesn't even change depending on the height of people in the convertible or sticking up a hand).

 

[SMRT-1Michael]

New Test Track is much closer to EPCOT's original purpose than the old Test Track was. Touring a 90's test facility doesn't say future, while concept cars and designing features does.

Agreed. As lethargic as I am about the current version, This verson is way more in touch with the overall theme of Epcot in look/style/concept. However, I'd take WoM anyday over TT 1.0 and 2.0

 

[caseykasem99]

You know what you're right, This one is way better Im glad i get to ride through a dark tunnel of nothingness and get to design a car that has no end effect on the entire ride. My least favorite part is when we get outside and have to go fast, that is so not in the idea of epcot of education and futurism.

 

[Little Green Men]

It's OK if you disagree, I'm just stating why I prefer the current TT. I actually liked the old version, but I knew it wasn't very theme appropriate and it looked outdated towards the end of its life. I thought the track was fine, that's why I'm glad they kept it the same. I think the only room that was better before are the heat/cool/corrosive chamber rooms. The first ABS brake test, you could see the track ahead of you, so you could tell it was going to skid off the course. Now they outlined a straight track in yellow and you can't see that it's actually going to skid off.