A post from a Mr. Semiquaver (WDW Virgin) on Micechat, thought you guys would be interested:
"Now about Epcot.
I was very excited to go there, yet had no idea what to expect. Looking back through the pictures I noticed it was the only park I went to only in the sunshine. Maybe that has something to do with it; I might have been hot and grumpy, but I don't think that was it.
I liked walking around the World showcase. It was very beautiful, and the proximity of the lagoon seemed to cool the air a bit. The shops were neat, for the most part, that's not what my shopping mall comment was directed at. Rather, I was referring to the drab interiors of the Land (Food court + escalators+ blank walls = mall, in my mind) and queues for rides (Soarin' and Maelstrom come to mind). It brought my opinion of the park in general down a lot.
Didn't feel like Disney took the time with a lot of things out of apathy. Rides like the Mexico cruise and Maelstrom only have one loading station makes me think they weren't planning on it being popular ever. Just rides to pad the ride count.
Areas like the first aid station, I think it was Odyssey station or something, looked old and run down. To get from Test Track to the WS, I kept passing it by. Its condition and the awkward shape of the pathways around it kept getting on my nerves.
Generally Future World got very hot. Standing outside of Mission:SPACE and the Universe of Energy was miserable. The exterior designs for everything in FW felt uninspired too. I was started thinking E.P.C.O.T. opened in the 70's just based on how outdated it looked. The rides were decently fun, Test Track was front runner, and Nemo looked great as an omnimover. But there still didn't seem like much to do.
The Seas with Nemo was neat. I wasn't expecting to see manatees (I know, duh, it's Florida). The tanks were massive, but even with all the sealife, they felt dead. The standard for aquariums, to me, is Monterey Bay Aquarium. That kelp forest was so alive it was invigorating. The deep sea tank, even with no plant life, mesmerized me for hours. If Disney could capture that, I'd spend the whole day there.
I never feel like eating much when I got to Disney Parks. I think I start to live off the atmosphere or something. I also didn't have much to spend on meals. The fact that there were so many food choices didn't particularly impress me. What I had was tasty, though. I really liked all the different music but could have done without the bagpipes/rock music combination.
I still enjoyed the park and had a lot of fun, but I didn't feel a connection like I have with DL, or now MK and DAK.
Final Thoughts:
Flower festival was wonderful.
Loved the lagoon and its openness.
Maelstrom...why?
Figment is an annoying git."
