News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

starri42

starri42

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
Sure, if that’s all you ask people. The nondescript coaster themed to India or whatever had a better return on investment than any of the franchise attractions mandated since.
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Over what period of time, though? Everest has been open, what, 12, 13 years? I would love to compare data for 2005 vs 2006, but it looks like the year it open, Animal Kingdom got 8.9 million visitors, and were getting 9.5 starting in 2008. I know the recession factors in there was well, but that's nowhere near the bump that they got from Pandora.
 
mikejs78

mikejs78

Well-Known Member
odmichael said:
When it’s done I may even think it’s the best ride in the park. However, it’s being placed in the category of “World Discovery.” I am not really sure what kind of discovery I will get out of Guardians. What was an attraction that had taught me about the possibilities of energy may never teach me or make me have that sense of wonder again.
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From DPB:

The adventure starts in the “Galaxarium,” a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar.
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So it does look like there will be some educational / inspirational aspect where we learn about the formation of our Galaxy. Yes, it's tied to the fictional world of Xandar, but it doesn't look like it's entirely frivilous. We will have to see how it turns out in execution, but this is the first sign of something that is Epcot appropriate I've seen (and not just Peter Quill visiting as a kid) and is in line with the theme of Discovery.

flynnibus said:
The idea the park needs a connecting identity is dead. Look at what they’ve done with DCA.... look at what they’ve done with DHS. And those parks had very literal connecting fibers.... and it’s been completely tossed aside.

EPCOT is just following that trend. I think the problem has just been so large... it’s taken them this long to get the stones to start.

That’s the path this company has been taking for the last 15 years. The war was lost sometime ago... it’s just taken this long for the change to propagate :/
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I can't speak for DCA, but I think DHS has better thematic cohesion now than it has for years since it ceased to be an actual production studio. I'm willing to see Epcot through - there does seem to be a connective tissue here that isn't quite the same as EPCOT center, but is in its spirit to a point.
Casper Gutman said:
People who are saying you are excited about Epcot’s new direction... what direction is that, exactly? They are tearing down one big, empty, vaguely-defined space to build a new big, empty, vaguely-defined space that is slightly elevated, adding video games to the husk of WoL, IPs to SSE, and renaming Future World in a manner that does very little to define the areas future direction. This is all a continuation of the last decade or so - large, vacant mildew-y spaces, haphazard IP integration, and a complete lack of coherence in the front half of the park. What is the new direction?
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Less about technology, and more about our world, and its people, and the magic of possibility, hope and wonder, as we imagine the future we can all create together as one.
Casper Gutman said:
But that’s not a “new direction,” it’s just... some stuff.

And what “new stuff” was actually announced in the way of attractions - Moana fountains, Poppins something-or-other, and a major rehaul of the one classic the park has left.
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That classic is mostly staying the same (it was already rehauled in 2007 away from communication and towards building the future). The fountains are about water, inspired by Moana. I wouldn't necessarily call them "Moana fountains". And from what we know, there is more coming.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
starri42 said:
Over what period of time, though? Everest has been open, what, 12, 13 years? I would love to compare data for 2005 vs 2006, but it looks like the year it open, Animal Kingdom got 8.9 million visitors, and were getting 9.5 starting in 2008. I know the recession factors in there was well, but that's nowhere near the bump that they got from Pandora.
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Pandora cost a whole lot more than Everest. Everest spent less money to attract each new guest.
 
Spash007

Spash007

Well-Known Member
mikejs78 said:
From DPB:



So it does look like there will be some educational / inspirational aspect where we learn about the formation of our Galaxy. Yes, it's tied to the fictional world of Xandar, but it doesn't look like it's entirely frivilous. We will have to see how it turns out in execution, but this is the first sign of something that is Epcot appropriate I've seen (and not just Peter Quill visiting as a kid) and is in line with the theme of Discovery.



I can't speak for DCA, but I think DHS has better thematic cohesion now than it has for years since it ceased to be an actual production studio. I'm willing to see Epcot through - there does seem to be a connective tissue here that isn't quite the same as EPCOT center, but is in its spirit to a point.


Less about technology, and more about our world, and its people, and the magic of possibility, hope and wonder, as we imagine the future we can all create together as one.


That classic is mostly staying the same (it was already rehauled in 2007 away from communication and towards building the future). The fountains are about water, inspired by Moana. I wouldn't necessarily call them "Moana fountains". And from what we know, there is more coming.
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I could not agree more with all of your points. I am absolutely going to miss the old Epcot, but I get it. The technology aspect that was the future, is now the present. Now the future is about find a balance between technology and nature, honoring the past while advancing, and gaining a better understanding of each other and celebrating different cultures.

I wanted to look back at the dedication for Epcot (to make sure I wasn't making this up) and it read in part: "Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney's creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all." That core tenet is staying the same, just changing in the way it's shown to reflect changes of the last 40 years.
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
Spash007 said:
I could not agree more with all of your points. I am absolutely going to miss the old Epcot, but I get it. The technology aspect that was the future, is now the present. Now the future is about find a balance between technology and nature, honoring the past while advancing, and gaining a better understanding of each other and celebrating different cultures.

I wanted to look back at the dedication for Epcot (to make sure I wasn't making this up) and it read in part: "Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney's creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all." That core tenet is staying the same, just changing in the way it's shown to reflect changes of the last 40 years.
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Again, everything you’ve said here is exactly what the original EPCOT Center emphasized.

There never was an entire pavilion all about cold, hard technology—not even Horizons. I think this myth developed because early EPCOT publicity touted the tech throughout the park, but those were merely the computers that made everything work.
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
mikejs78 said:
Less about technology, and more about our world, and its people, and the magic of possibility, hope and wonder, as we imagine the future we can all create together as one.
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Which is what it’s always been about. Tech was never a focus on anything except a handful of temporary exhibits inside Communicore and Innoventions. The original pavilions never emphasized it as we’d expect from a trade show or Best Buy display.

For the most part, the new EPCOT is pushing characters wherever it can; and the “storytelling” version of SSE is seen as a way to justify it. This might work, and it might be just as foolish as the enormous “cardboard” wand the execs chose to leave up after the Millennial Celebration ended because they thought it added magic to the park.

But on a much more positive note, the new look for the entrance and World Celebration returns to the original vision for Communicore Plaza, even though some of those late-‘70s plans never made it past concept art.

And if Bob Chapek knew anything about the division he’s running, he’d know Future World wasn’t always a concrete wasteland. For the first time since the 90s, Future World will once again be a pleasant place full of gardens and water features—again, a return to the vision of the original Imagineers.
 
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mikejs78

mikejs78

Well-Known Member
tirian said:
Again, everything you’ve said here is exactly what the original EPCOT Center emphasized.

There never was an entire pavilion all about cold, hard technology—not even Horizons. I think this myth developed because early EPCOT publicity touted the tech throughout the park, but those were merely the computers that made everything work.
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You're right. It was the Innovations redo in 94 along with M:S and TT that shifted the focus to tech, and then the 2007 SSE redo. In that sense, this is more a return to the original vision than what's been there since 94.
 
Flynnwriter

Flynnwriter

Well-Known Member
Um.. World Nature. Did someone forget about the pathetic shell of a ride and Imagination Pavilion? World Nature? Hopefully they’ll just shut the doors and let the vines cover it and act like it never happened.
 
starri42

starri42

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
Pandora cost a whole lot more than Everest. Everest spent less money to attract each new guest.
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But does that factor in the ancillary things people spend money on? Beyond increasing admissions, I mean. They may spend less per guest, but doesn't drawing in an additional 3,000,000 guests paying for parking, lunch at Yak and Yeti, and cupcakes nudge the numbers toward Pandora?
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
starri42 said:
But does that factor in the ancillary things people spend money on? Beyond increasing admissions, I mean. They may spend less per guest, but doesn't drawing in an additional 3,000,000 guests paying for parking, lunch at Yak and Yeti, and cupcakes nudge the numbers toward Pandora?
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People visiting for Everest also bought parking and lunch and merchandise. Pandora increased business but it spent more for every new dollar it generated. There is no “just business” case for the franchise mandate, it is a personal bias as so beautifully exploded by “nondescript coaster themed to India or whatever.”
 
tparris

tparris

Well-Known Member
From the site that shall not be named... there is a small square of construction walls right behind Earth Station. @marni1971 any idea what those are for?
06997072-3E30-44FE-B695-4DE0299622F0.jpeg
 
Missing20K

Missing20K

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
People visiting for Everest also bought parking and lunch and merchandise. Pandora increased business but it spent more for every new dollar it generated. There is no “just business” case for the franchise mandate, it is a personal bias as so beautifully exploded by “nondescript coaster themed to India or whatever.”
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People still think that he didn't say that on purpose and was just a slip of the tongue or a brain fart.

Puhhhhhhlllleeeaaasssseeee.

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