News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[Next Big Thing]

After going to Epcot today, we made it 3 countries in to China, ate at Nine Dragons and decided we were in the mood for some rides. Problem is, in WS, once you're past Norway, there's no "rides". On top of that, Frozen Ever After isn't open and Gran Fiesta was having technical difficulties.

I know a lot of the charm of WS is about culture and the great theming, but there needs to be more rides spread around the lagoon so if you are in a mood to ride something, you don't have to practically go back to Future World to do so. In a park lacking rides that people actually WANT to ride, WS could use a few D/Es. Preferably not based on any IP.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Because Future World is supposed to be a permanent world's fair and World Showcase celebrate the idealized version of various countries throughout the world. As an attraction that debuted in the 1964-1965 World's Fair it is the perfect attraction to bridge the two lands. If anything it's out of place in Fantasyland.

The current facade has no place in Epcot, and it would be a real shame if they moved it out of MK, a park in dire need of high capacity attractions. And while I see what you are saying about the world's fair argument, as it stands now, the park has zero attractions from Walt's line up of world fair attractions as those are in MK, because it was the first park, and the attractions fit the absolute best in each land. Fantasy doesn't just represent fantasy, it represents a style of rides/architecture, it represents movies, Adventureland doesn't just represent adventure, it represents exotic/Jungles/pirates etc. and yet the land works magically as a whole.
Where do you plan to put IASW? Near the main IROE viewing area? Because that'll not only destroy the georgeous landscaping around it, but ruin the look and feel of Epcot. If you said this 5 years ago to almost anyone they would have said what I am saying, it has no business in Epcot. The very theme song has no business in any other park than MK. It's not just about the theme it is about the ride as a whole, from the theme/facade/music/where it fits, and while many on this site may disagree, I believe as well as someone in a very high position in a very well known theme park company that I know personally. Disney has it right by it being in 5 Fantasylands across the world.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Relocating it's a small world allow them to further fix one of the bottlenecks of the park. Level the ride building and push back the walk way. Remove the tent facade of Peter Pan, put in a Frozen and Peter Pan section in it's place blending the English, Scandinavian and French architecture of the area. The Frozen rock work would blend in seamlessly with the Be Our Guest rock work.

I wonder why in other threads I said they need to relocate it to where the speedway is like Tokyo is doing. People basically dismissed pretty much what you said because it wasn't worth it. I completely agree with you on this except I think they should keep it in MK, and instead of Frozen, because they are about to have it in Epcot maybe something more along the lines of Sleeping Beauty, or maybe like Pinocchio, and they could redo the exteriors of the buildings in Fantasyland to make it more like Disneyland as the tacky tent theme sucks. They could make Pinochio as a transition point if they are to connect Frontierland to Fantasyland. Plus they could shrink the river to allow them to connect it.

 

[Daveeeeed]

After going to Epcot today, we made it 3 countries in to China, ate at Nine Dragons and decided we were in the mood for some rides. Problem is, in WS, once you're past Norway, there's no "rides". On top of that, Frozen Ever After isn't open and Gran Fiesta was having technical difficulties.

I know a lot of the charm of WS is about culture and the great theming, but there needs to be more rides spread around the lagoon so if you are in a mood to ride something, you don't have to practically go back to Future World to do so. In a park lacking rides that people actually WANT to ride, WS could use a few D/Es. Preferably not based on any IP.

I agree, and I prefer non ips about half the time, but Over half of FW's current slate of rides is so bad they might as well not have them. They first need to update Living With The Land like they did to Test Track, make the interior of The Land look like the 2000's and not the 80's, completely gut Imagination out something spectacular, and add a new ride to the Universe of Energy. Circle of Life needs a replacement, Mission Space needs an update. It would also be nice if The Living Seas got overhauled, rethemed, and the new ride could kind of use like an EMV system except to simulate a submarine's movement, as it goes along the current track. But before the last thing a KUKA ARM Aladdin Magic Carpet ride would be epic for Morocco, and if not that then a Ratatouille Clone from Paris. Also a beautiful looking nearly completly outdoor coaster like how Arron looks could work throughout FutureWorld, and the area from Spaceship Earth to Innoventions Plaza needs to be redone. Bottom line is in the 2020's they are going to have to extremely change a ton of stuff at Epcot, but instead of opening nearly everything within a period of two years like HWS is planning to do for its overhaul. They could add a new ride once a year to Epcot, and at the same time, fix the interior of The Land, and exteriors of building in FW etc.

But personally what I feel needs to happen as the very first thing is pour like 30m into Living With The Land, put a new show for circle of life, or get rid of it completly and put something new, and make The Land not feel so much like a glorified 80's cafeteria. While it is beautiful as it is and one of my favorite places in Epcot, that is honestly what it really is, and I hope they do keep the restaraunt down at the bottom, but they need to like get rid of the carpet, change the railings, paint everything, add new details, and designs etc. it has kind of a mall feeling, and I think going for more of a darkish color base could change that.

 

[ford91exploder]

Relocating it's a small world allow them to further fix one of the bottlenecks of the park. Level the ride building and push back the walk way. Remove the tent facade of Peter Pan, put in a Frozen and Peter Pan section in it's place blending the English, Scandinavian and French architecture of the area. The Frozen rock work would blend in seamlessly with the Be Our Guest rock work.

Something like the picture is the attraction that Frozen DESERVED instead of being shoehorned on the cheap into FrozStrom.

 

[Bacon]

I don't care along as figment stays!

 

[Wikkler]

Something like the picture is the attraction that Frozen DESERVED instead of being shoehorned on the cheap into FrozStrom.

So a small diorama?
I agree.

 

[Daveeeeed]

I don't care along as figment stays!

Please tell me you are talking about the ride, and not the character.

 

[ford91exploder]

So a small diorama?
I agree.

Damn, Well played @Wikkler

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Relocating it's a small world allow them to further fix one of the bottlenecks of the park. Level the ride building and push back the walk way. Remove the tent facade of Peter Pan, put in a Frozen and Peter Pan section in it's place blending the English, Scandinavian and French architecture of the area. The Frozen rock work would blend in seamlessly with the Be Our Guest rock work.

Your backyard looks cool!

 

[Sundown]

I wrote the below in an Epcot post in another forum section.

I was at Epcot a few months ago. I couldn't get out of there faster. It is certainly a half day park. As a kid, going to EPCOT in the '80s...the park was a little more fun (mostly due to Figment, and 'space ship things'), but even then to a kid it was certainly a step down from the Magic Kingdom.

Epcot to me has always been more of an adult geared park, more or less. Though I personally don't like the World Showcase at all, it seems to be the real draw for adults & guests. So why not redevelop the Future World areas to work more with the World Showcase?

I think they should create an entire mythos and backstory regarding Epcot. Tie the story to technology of the past and of the future. And specifically tie it into the Disney S.E.A. (Society of Explorers and Adventurers). They could re-design many rides to fit more with this.

Redesign the Figment ride to harken back to the original ride, complete with Dreamfinder (and tie him in to the S.E.A). Make it have more of a steam punk feel with shades of the Figment comic.

Spaceship Earth, add in slight bits into it to tie to Disney S.E.A.

For a restaurant, create a new Adventurer's Club. They could make an interactive / treasure hunt game similar to Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.

And this the ties to Disney S.E.A. don't have to be so obvious. Just slight nods here an there in rides. This can allow for cartoon, movie based attractions as well like Nemo. And certainly it should NOT be a S.E.A. mythos that is only trapped in the past, but also current...involved with designing cars for Test Track, up to date technology advancements, medicine treatments, etc.

Heck,a Tron area could work too.

They need to make Epcot feel like an experimental/high tech/old tech community (private club) that spans the generations of man. Then it can easily "feed" into the World Showcase where you become the explorer of the various regions & countries of our Earth.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The current facade has no place in Epcot, and it would be a real shame if they moved it out of MK, a park in dire need of high capacity attractions. And while I see what you are saying about the world's fair argument, as it stands now, the park has zero attractions from Walt's line up of world fair attractions as those are in MK, because it was the first park, and the attractions fit the absolute best in each land. Fantasy doesn't just represent fantasy, it represents a style of rides/architecture, it represents movies, Adventureland doesn't just represent adventure, it represents exotic/Jungles/pirates etc. and yet the land works magically as a whole.
Where do you plan to put IASW? Near the main IROE viewing area? Because that'll not only destroy the georgeous landscaping around it, but ruin the look and feel of Epcot. If you said this 5 years ago to almost anyone they would have said what I am saying, it has no business in Epcot. The very theme song has no business in any other park than MK. It's not just about the theme it is about the ride as a whole, from the theme/facade/music/where it fits, and while many on this site may disagree, I believe as well as someone in a very high position in a very well known theme park company that I know personally. Disney has it right by it being in 5 Fantasylands across the world.

Why would you use the current facade in Epcot? Use the Tower of the Four Winds or something entirely different to allow the exterior to fit into Showcase Plaza. As for where I'd put it's a small world, I'd put it on the current footprint of The Odyssey. The theme song is every bit EPCOT Center as Tomorrow's Child, Listen to the Land or Energy You Make the World Go 'Round.

MK has Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World and Hall of Presidents, all evolutions of 1964-1965 world's fair attractions. Although since we're talking about it, I'd move Carousel of Progress to Epcot as well.

Removing it's a small world from Fantasyland wouldn't be the end of that area area of the park. You level the building, open up the area and regain the capacity and then some with new attractions based on Peter Pan and Frozen.

As for the Fantasyland style, that nicer parts have been influenced by either the Enchanted Forest or European architecture. If you can get rid of the tent facades that Disney has slowly been removing already (Winnie the Pooh) the land will look better.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I agree, and I prefer non ips about half the time, but Over half of FW's current slate of rides is so bad they might as well not have them. They first need to update Living With The Land like they did to Test Track, make the interior of The Land look like the 2000's and not the 80's, completely gut Imagination out something spectacular, and add a new ride to the Universe of Energy. Circle of Life needs a replacement, Mission Space needs an update. It would also be nice if The Living Seas got overhauled, rethemed, and the new ride could kind of use like an EMV system except to simulate a submarine's movement, as it goes along the current track. But before the last thing a KUKA ARM Aladdin Magic Carpet ride would be epic for Morocco, and if not that then a Ratatouille Clone from Paris. Also a beautiful looking nearly completly outdoor coaster like how Arron looks could work throughout FutureWorld, and the area from Spaceship Earth to Innoventions Plaza needs to be redone. Bottom line is in the 2020's they are going to have to extremely change a ton of stuff at Epcot, but instead of opening nearly everything within a period of two years like HWS is planning to do for its overhaul. They could add a new ride once a year to Epcot, and at the same time, fix the interior of The Land, and exteriors of building in FW etc.

But personally what I feel needs to happen as the very first thing is pour like 30m into Living With The Land, put a new show for circle of life, or get rid of it completly and put something new, and make The Land not feel so much like a glorified 80's cafeteria. While it is beautiful as it is and one of my favorite places in Epcot, that is honestly what it really is, and I hope they do keep the restaraunt down at the bottom, but they need to like get rid of the carpet, change the railings, paint everything, add new details, and designs etc. it has kind of a mall feeling, and I think going for more of a darkish color base could change that.

I'm with you on Future World, very much against you on World Showcase. I don't want character based rides in World Showcase, it cheapens it and destroys World Showcase.

I'd also disagree that Living with the Land is priority #1. While I'd love to see it improved, it's not even top 5 for improvements in that park for me.

 

[Bacon]

Please tell me you are talking about the ride, and not the character.

Kinda both i want them to bring back the one with DreamFinder

 

[Daveeeeed]

Kinda both i want them to bring back the one with DreamFinder

I was being sarcastic, so what I meant was I still want the character, but to blow the ride off the face of the Earth.

 

[Bacon]

I was being sarcastic, so what I meant was I still want the character, but to blow the ride off the face of the Earth.

I know

 

[Daveeeeed]

I'm with you on Future World, very much against you on World Showcase. I don't want character based rides in World Showcase, it cheapens it and destroys World Showcase.

I'd also disagree that Living with the Land is priority #1. While I'd love to see it improved, it's not even top 5 for improvements in that park for me.

It has super low waits for a ride that costs quite a bit to operate, it would also cost a very large amount of money and would be pointless to tear down and start from new. Imagination would need a complete start over really, only thing that is even worthy to see here you can see from nearly the entire park, the Pyramids at Imagination. It would take longer to build a new ride and possibly show here, but it would work perfectly to do a redo of Living With The Land like Test Track. My grandmother has always said that she has nothing to do ride wise in Epcot. UOE, Imagination, and the seas' rides are all bad, but she does like Mexico, and she can't go on Mission: Space, Test Track, or Soarin' without getting sick. An interior redo of the Land plus the major refurb of Living With The Land, would make it by far the best pavilion in the park, although being that the Living Seas is an aquarium, that will always rival any pavilion in some way, even though it does not have a very good line-up of rides. It would allow for a place for people without thrills. Frozen is going to be so packed it is going to be crazy. What I am hearing about figment what people want is a ride that combines screens and sets, slightly thrilling too. We need a fantastic non thrill ride that everyone will enjoy. Toy Story Midway Mania is a perfect example, all my family, and friends agree that that ride is one of there absolute must do's. Living With The Land has the potential to be better than the Studio Backlot Tour, or for a boat ride IASW. While the latter may be controversial, the dark ride scenes in the beginning, and the tour of the greenhouse could make a ride that is as entertaining as IASW truly in my mind. While people love or hate that ride you have to say it is relaxing, but for me I like it it is entertaining etc., so coming from my view I think it could be that good, or for the rest of public I don't think it will ever be as good as potc, but I think it could be a must do like that one. They could have all of this done in 8-12 months while Imagination would probably take nearly two years. I see what you are saying and of course Imagination needs it more, but because you can just do a major refurb and not a complete replacement, it is a better short and long term investment as one Pavilion would be completly redone in quicker time, and by cheaper money. Imagination is going to require at least 100 million dollars for just an Eticket that could go there, while the entire refurb of The Land would cost less than that. An that is already one of the most popular part of the park to go to. People not riding, or riding Soarin' could ride it and actually enjoy it more.

 

[Daveeeeed]

I know View attachment 136952

Oh sorry misread your comment. Sorry.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Why would you use the current facade in Epcot? Use the Tower of the Four Winds or something entirely different to allow the exterior to fit into Showcase Plaza. As for where I'd put it's a small world, I'd put it on the current footprint of The Odyssey. The theme song is every bit EPCOT Center as Tomorrow's Child, Listen to the Land or Energy You Make the World Go 'Round.

MK has Carousel of Progress, It's a Small World and Hall of Presidents, all evolutions of 1964-1965 world's fair attractions. Although since we're talking about it, I'd move Carousel of Progress to Epcot as well.

Removing it's a small world from Fantasyland wouldn't be the end of that area area of the park. You level the building, open up the area and regain the capacity and then some with new attractions based on Peter Pan and Frozen.

As for the Fantasyland style, that nicer parts have been influenced by either the Enchanted Forest or European architecture. If you can get rid of the tent facades that Disney has slowly been removing already (Winnie the Pooh) the land will look better.

Why on Earth do you think it is a good idea for MK to completly lose a high capacity CLASSIC. Not to mention IASW calls Fantasyland it's home in 5 different Fantasylands around the world. Maybe I have just gotten used to it, but it doesn't feel at all out of place in WDW, or DLP everytime I've been.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Why on Earth do you think it is a good idea for MK to completly lose a high capacity CLASSIC. Not to mention IASW calls Fantasyland it's home in 5 different Fantasylands around the world. Maybe I have just gotten used to it, but it doesn't feel at all out of place in WDW, or DLP everytime I've been.

it's a small world is a better fit in Epcot. It is the perfect attraction to bridge Future World and World Showcase. It celebrates children of the world and it debuted at a World's Fair. It is far more appropriate in Epcot than it is in Fantasyland.

The shortcomings of the rest of Magic Kingdom's attraction lineup aren't the motivation, but Fantasyland real estate is part of the motivation. If it's a small world is removed it opens a much larger area that can further address the capacity issues you just mentioned. As it stands right now, access to that land and improving that area requires moving it's a small world.

To double down here, I'd also recommend removing Tomorrowland Speedway and integrate a new version of the attraction at DHS integrated into Cars Land rock work and an east coast Radiator Springs Racers. Land in Fantasyland is the most valuable land in the entire resort and moving these two attractions further expands that real estate.