A really great post on the state of Epcot

[tissandtully]

I think most people here (which is why I posted it in this section) would get a kick out of this article, written by someone who hadn't been back in a while:

http://www.rstreet.org/2016/04/11/when-did-the-imagineers-lose-their-imagination/

 

[DznyGrlSD]

well written and completely true.

 

[toeknee]

The internet killed EPCOT.

 

[brettf22]

My favorite line in the article:

"We need just ONE amusement park whose goal is to inspire children to DO, not just to receive."

 

[The Tuna]

I think they lost their budgets more than their imaginations. give them a blank cheque and we will see some incredible attractions. Bobby Iger and friends don't let that happen though

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

I think they lost their budgets more than their imaginations. give them a blank cheque and we will see some incredible attractions. Bobby Iger and friends don't let that happen though

While true to some degree, that's not the real problem. One need only look at recent expansions across the Disney parks to see the real issue:

• New Fantasyland
• CarsLand
• Pandora
• Toy Story Land
• Star Wars Land

It's not the budgets - just about all of those had/have BIG budgets. The problem is every single one of them relies on an existing IP. Iger's Disney has had a (bizarre) loss of confidence in its ability to create original, standalone theme park experiences. Limiting every new ride to an existing movie or character is what is killing creativity.

No where is that more clear than Epcot.

 

[xdan0920]

@sshindel

 

[Sans Souci]

@The Empress Lilly

I think you might be interested in this.

 

[Master Yoda]

While true to some degree, that's not the real problem. One need only look at recent expansions across the Disney parks to see the real issue:

• New Fantasyland
• CarsLand
• Pandora
• Toy Story Land
• Star Wars Land

It's not the budgets - just about all of those had/have BIG budgets. The problem is every single one of them relies on an existing IP. Iger's Disney has had a (bizarre) loss of confidence in its ability to create original, standalone theme park experiences. Limiting every new ride to an existing movie or character is what is killing creativity.

No where is that more clear than Epcot.

I don't think it has lost confidence so much so as they want a guaranteed home run every time they come to bat when it comes to the parks.

 

[Smiddimizer]

How I wish I could have experienced the original EPCOT

I'm with you. All I've got is Youtube, some baby photos, and a very faint recollection of Journey Into Imagination.

It's ironic that Epcot was all about anticipating the 21st century....and then the 21st century killed it.

 

[Horizons1]

But my kids need something to do so they won't get bored!

 

[Smiddimizer]

At least you have that. I wasn't even alive when Epcot first opened

Me neither! Probably should have mentioned that those baby photos were of me

 

[rle4lunch]

How I wish I could have experienced the original EPCOT

I was 7 years old when the original opened. It was glorious to my 7 year old mind. And to my 9 year old mind, and to my 11 year old mind. The last time I visited in 2012, my 36 year old mind was not glorified, but at least they had good restaurants...

 

[rle4lunch]

I don't think it has lost confidence so much so as they want a guaranteed home run every time they come to bat when it comes to the parks.

Disney has nearly always built off of someone else's ideas (insert every adaptation of a Grimm story here), to base their rides on. They have had a few of their own movies that they've created attractions around, but if you think about it around 50% of their sites are existing stories someone else wrote that they modified and ran with...

 

[Master Yoda]

Disney has nearly always built off of someone else's ideas (insert every adaptation of a Grimm story here), to base their rides on. They have had a few of their own movies that they've created attractions around, but if you think about it around 50% of their sites are existing stories someone else wrote that they modified and ran with...

If not more than 50%, but when you look at a park like MK, most of the attractions were original ideas (HM. POTC IASW, BTMRR, etc). About the only exception was FantasyLand which has always been IP central.

Epcot, for a time, was entirely original.

 

[rle4lunch]

If not more than 50%, but when you look at a park like MK, most of the attractions were original ideas (HM. POTC IASW, BTMRR, etc). About the only exception was FantasyLand which has always been IP central.

Epcot, for a time, was entirely original.

Agreed, I was amazed my Epcot when I was a kid. My first time to Epcot they hadn't even finished the monorail track running back to the park. I think my parents have pictures of it somewhere.

 

[Master Yoda]

Agreed, I was amazed my Epcot when I was a kid. My first time to Epcot they hadn't even finished the monorail track running back to the park. I think my parents have pictures of it somewhere.

It was my favorite park as a kid. I could not take thrill rides as a kid and I was a super science geek so attractions like SSE, Horizons and WoM were heaven like on earth.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think most people here (which is why I posted it in this section) would get a kick out of this article, written by someone who hadn't been back in a while:

http://www.rstreet.org/2016/04/11/when-did-the-imagineers-lose-their-imagination/

Damn that was good, Hey @sshindel you need to look at this ASAP!

 

[montyz81]

How I wish I could have experienced the original EPCOT

You mean Epcot Center. There was no EPCOT. Walt never had a chance to build it.

 

[montyz81]

I am still holding on to this as my favorite park, that is mostly because SSE almost exists as 50-75% of it's former self. With that little bit, I can still keep my imagination running wild as I did when I visited in March 1983.