What If?: E.P.C.O.T City

[Big C 73]

If you are a larger Disney fan, or a Disney historian of sorts you know about the proposed plan of E.P.C.O.T (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) and how drastically the landscape, feel, and overall function of the Walt Disney World would be different today. A never realized concept and vision never materialized, what if E.P.C.O.T were here today? Which one do you prefer, Walt Disney World or E.P.C.O.T and why?

 

[bsiev1977]

I like what we have now. EPCOT as it was originally envisioned certainly wouldn't have been much of a tourist site.

 

[Matt_Black]

Yeah. Disney did eventually make a town (Celebration, I think the name is) and as far as I can tell there are no people movers or monorails anywhere.

Anyway, I dig the "Modern World's Fair" theme they eventually settled on for EPCOT.

 

[Boster24]

Understand if the city was built you would witness a working totalitarian system. No say, no one old and retired, you live there and have to work there, not much magic in that. Now with RFID technology they can be more pursuasive and also throw in the magic. Not sure I'm going to enjoy the wrist bands.

 

[draybook]

Yeah. Disney did eventually make a town (Celebration, I think the name is) and as far as I can tell there are no people movers or monorails anywhere.

Anyway, I dig the "Modern World's Fair" theme they eventually settled on for EPCOT.

That's because they didn't follow his plans and they lacked the intestinal fortitude that he had. I'm pleased with Epcot as it is now, but I do wonder what might have been.

 

[MaryJaneP]

I chose WDW but I don't see why we could not enjoy both. WDW elsewhere as is, EPCOT as envisioned. I do agree with the totalitarian concern. EPCOT, as envisioned, sounds like "Logan's Run" to me. Not a magical place for most.

 

[FettFan]

Epcot Center as it was built. Had Walt's EPCOT been built it would have failed. Human beings are too unpredictable and would have torn it up.

 

[mickey2008.1]

I will take todays version, but if I had to work there I would, because its Disney.

 

[Matt_Black]

Epcot Center as it was built. Had Walt's EPCOT been built it would have failed. Human beings are too unpredictable and would have torn it up.

Yeah, I have a feeling Walt's EPCOT would have turned out like Bioshock, albeit with more musical numbers and adorable animatronics.

 

[Bairstow]

Yeah, I have a feeling Walt's EPCOT would have turned out like Bioshock, albeit with more musical numbers and adorable animatronics.

Just substitute class action lawsuits for plasmids.

 

[Hakunamatata]

If you are a larger Disney fan, or a Disney historian of sorts you know about the proposed plan of E.P.C.O.T (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) and how drastically the landscape, feel, and overall function of the Walt Disney World would be different today. A never realized concept and vision never materialized, what if E.P.C.O.T were here today? Which one do you prefer, Walt Disney World or E.P.C.O.T and why?

What does a persons size have to do with it?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Walt didn't have the time of life to fully think EPCOT through. What we have is blue sky. A quickly thrown together presentation shortly before he died, because he needed to present concrete plans to the world, to the Florida legislature, to financers. An attempt to move the Florida project as much forward as possible before he died. Possibly, with a stab at immortality thrown in by a man whose days were numbered.

We don't know what Walt would've done in Florida if he had lived only five years longer. We do know what TWDC did built, and I love that. And I think it does justice to the ideas and ideals of EPCOT.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Walt didn't have the time of life to fully think EPCOT through. What we have is blue sky. A quickly thrown together presentation shortly before he died, because he needed to present concrete plans to the world, to the Florida legislature, to financers. An attempt to move the Florida project as much forward as possible before he died. Possibly, with a stab at immortality thrown in by a man whose days were numbered.

We don't know what Walt would've done in Florida if he had lived only five years longer. We do know what TWDC did built, and I love that. And I think it does justice to the ideas and ideals of EPCOT.

I was under the impression that Walt had no clue just how bad his health was. If that was the case I don't think he was presenting the EPCOT concept as anything other than what he would have tried to implement had he lived.

 

[James122]

I believe that at the time that Epcot film was made, Walt Disney had already had a lung removed via surgury and had been told by his doctors that his days were numbered.

I think that his vision for Epcot was a fascinating and grand concept, but I'm not sure how feasible it would've been in reality. One thing's for sure: had Walt's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow been built, the whole of WDW would've been much different than it is today.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Walt's city was in very early development when he died so I think over time Walt probably would've realized how difficult and a stretch his original E.P.C.O.T would've been and either scaled it down, or went with what they eventually ended up doing anyway.

 

[Polydweller]

Walt's city was in very early development when he died so I think over time Walt probably would've realized how difficult and a stretch his original E.P.C.O.T would've been and either scaled it down, or went with what they eventually ended up doing anyway.

Agree. It always seemed as just a pitch to see if anyone would come on board but as it stood it wasn't good city planning.

I've also always just part of the cover story to keep the real plans secret. Either way it wouldn't have worked.

 

[Sped2424]

I know how E.P.C.O.T would have turned out had Walt still been alive to see it through.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

LOL I see that happening if Walt built it, died, and someone else took it over.

 

[Sped2424]

LOL I see that happening if Walt built it, died, and someone else took it over.

Idk bioshock did take a lot of influence from walts original plans, andrew ryan draws a ton of parallels with walt disney. had walt found the adam slug in real life lol

 

[rodserling27]

I always wonder what the REAL E.P.C.O.T. would have been like had it come to fruition. But honestly, I'm glad they went with what has become WDW. I much prefer to vacation in a vacation kingdom than an actual proto-type city! Though no doubt great things probably would have come from Walt and WDI had they gone with the city. But without Walt, they wouldn't have gotten it right, probably would have bankrupted the company.