A really great post on the state of Epcot

[jrogue]

My favorite line in the article:

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

That's one of my favorite lines of the article, but this one won for me:

"Indeed, every single detail was nothing short of pants-tingly cool, down even to the icons that adorned each pavilion."
I want EPCOT to be pants-tingly cool. I want to be blown away by their ideas, and the execution. I want to dream, imagine, discover, and be awed. It still has some of that, but sigh.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

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.

Most of EPCOT Center is there......But, you have to squint really really hard...

 

[Brad Bishop]

One thing I distinctly remember about Epcot when it first opened was walking around at night and how wonderfully the pathways were lit up. I know that sounds odd, but those waist-high poles with the intense white light (this was before they were weathered which kind of takes away from the effect) were just cool to me. It made it all feel so futuristic with the modern/interesting looking buildings.

Think if it like experiencing the difference between the dimmer, yellowish CFL lights and a modern daylight bright LED bulb. The light given off by the daylight LED bulb just seems so clean and the CFL light seems kind of dingy by comparison. It was that kind of striking difference.

The whole place just filled me with wonder as a kid.

 

[montyz81]

No. I meant exactly what I typed

Sorry, I guess I meant to caps EPCOT in EPCOT Center. Epcot is what we have today. E.P.C.O.T. is Walt's dream. When I see EPCOT or Epcot, I immediately think post 1995.

 

[sshindel]

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

@sshindel

Looks like I gots some readin' to do.

Am I going to be jealous, like this one article invalidates the need for my blog?

 

[brb1006]

I really envy the children who gotten a chance to meet Dreamfinder and Figment back in the 80's and early 90's. Especially the girl who's hat got taken by Figment and messes with it as seen in this video. I wish I could find more WDWMagic members who gotten a chance to meet the duo.

 

[brb1006]

No. I meant exactly what I typed

Don't forget the original look as you enter Epcot at night.

 

[brb1006]

That's one of my favorite lines of the article, but this one won for me:

"Indeed, every single detail was nothing short of pants-****tingly cool, down even to the icons that adorned each pavilion."
I want EPCOT to be pants-****tingly cool. I want to be blown away by their ideas, and the execution. I want to dream, imagine, discover, and be awed. It still has some of that, but sigh.

Who else misses the original logo for Innoventions. The new logo looks so generic and boring in my opinion.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Don't forget the original look as you enter Epcot at night.

It really shows the short-sightedness of Disney execs and the whole "Leave a Legacy" (graveyard) that we're stuck with today, not to mention the fountain in the middle that apparently isn't worth fixing (and is now just a weird little pool before SSE.

...but they got their money from all of those folks 10+ years back for the graveyard... It doesn't matter what you have to live with for decades in the future. All that mattered was "today".

 

[CaptainAmerica]

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

Sorry but this is very misinformed. WDI blows their budgets constantly. They get things approved with very workable funding and then they go insane. See Expedition: Everest.

 

[hopemax]

I wish I could find more WDWMagic members who gotten a chance to meet the duo.

Let me see if this works, since the image is hosted on the DIS. This is me from my first trip in 1995. And I can't express how happy I am to have that photo. There is so much more I wish I had pictures of, but this was 4 years before I had my first digital camera. Figment topiary in the background shoutout!

 

[deeevo]

Don't forget the original look as you enter Epcot at night.

And how well film camera's really were compared to DSLR of today. Classic photo

 

[P_Radden]

Well at least there is still the huge EPCOT Center logo in the ground between FW and WS:

^^This logo at one time was the center of WDW property.

Epcot is still my favorite park, and still makes me feel amazed and inspired when there (just not as much it did) and I do look forward to the day when they will finally bite the bullet and invest some of Disney's own $$$$$$ into FW. I want to see it become even more beautiful with landscaping and huge palm trees in addition to new attractions and pavilion refurbishments beyond Soarin.

BTW, did anyone see this in the comments:
"While the place still ain't as great as it used to be, I'm pretty sure the people in charge know that, and that's why the soon to open Shanghai Disneyland's 2nd park is set to be a second Epcot park, and it will also be an opportunity to build some cool new Future World attractions for both Epcot Centers"

Anyone know if there is any truth to this?

 

[MotherOfBirds]

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]

It really shows the short-sightedness of Disney execs and the whole "Leave a Legacy" (graveyard) that we're stuck with today, not to mention the fountain in the middle that apparently isn't worth fixing (and is now just a weird little pool before SSE.

...but they got their money from all of those folks 10+ years back for the graveyard... It doesn't matter what you have to live with for decades in the future. All that mattered was "today".

Leave a Legacy was just poorly executed in every way.

While we are on the subject of the front entrance plaza, I want the towering palms back as well.

 

[mouse_luv]

I really envy the children who gotten a chance to meet Dreamfinder and Figment back in the 80's and early 90's. Especially the girl who's hat got taken by Figment and messes with it as seen in this video. I wish I could find more WDWMagic members who gotten a chance to meet the duo.

I'm one of those people.

 

[ford91exploder]

Looks like I gots some readin' to do.

Am I going to be jealous, like this one article invalidates the need for my blog?

No but it's awesome in it's own right written by someone who loves EPCOT and the IDEAL of EPCOT as much as you do.

 

[ford91exploder]

Who else misses the original logo for Innoventions. The new logo looks so generic and boring in my opinion.

I do for one

 

[Mike S]

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

I missed out too I don't remember WoM, Horizons, Living Seas or Kitchen Kabaret/Food Rocks and only know the Ellen version of Energy. I also only have one fuzzy memory of the original Imagination and its me throwing a fit that we weren't going on Energy.* Really wish I appreciated it more. I have two pictures of me as a kid in EPCOT Center attached to my mirror in my room: me in front of Spaceship Earth when it still had the palm trees around it and prisms in the fountain and in front of the old Dinosaur topiaries at Energy.

Thankfully we have @marni1971 and his videos

*I was absolutely obsessed with Dinosaurs as a kid. That short little scene blew my mind and made it my favorite ride in the whole resort. I didn't like thrill rides for quite a while so was scared of Countdown to Extinction

I'm using this from now on to vent my Iger rage. That CEO ain't right.



Also, we finally have our Epcot thread.

 

[Thanks phoenicians]

I missed out too I don't remember WoM, Horizons, Living Seas or Kitchen Kabaret/Food Rocks and only know the Ellen version of Energy. I also only have one fuzzy memory of the original Imagination and its me throwing a fit that we weren't going on Energy.* Really wish I appreciated it more. I have two pictures of me as a kid in EPCOT Center attached to my mirror in my room: me in front of Spaceship Earth when it still had the palm trees around it and prisms in the fountain and in front of the old Dinosaur topiaries at Energy.

Thankfully we have @marni1971 and his videos

*I was absolutely obsessed with Dinosaurs as a kid. That short little scene blew my mind and made it my favorite ride in the whole resort. I didn't like thrill rides for quite a while so was scared of Countdown to Extinction

I'm using this from now on to vent my Iger rage. That CEO ain't right.



Also, we finally have our Epcot thread.

Man how I wish I could go back in time and experience the real epcot center that I never saw. It sounds amazing in its day. I'm still waiting for the day when we can create an epcot renovation sub forum