News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[Animaniac93-98]

Omg, even a nice statue of Walt sparks an avalanche of negativity and cynicism.

It’s a nice statue. That is all.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Omg, even a nice statue of Walt sparks an avalanche of negativity and cynicism.

It’s a nice statue. That is all.

 

[LastoneOn]

I haven’t been to EPCOT since they started the demolition, but a relative of mine was by there recently and saw workers chipping away at the fireproofing to get at one of the metal beams with a blow torch. I know asbestos was phased out in the late 70s, but some was probably still used into the early 80s. If it is asbestos, that entire area should be sealed in plastic and the workers should be wearing hazmat suits. I’ve also seen pictures posted here about the work on TRON light cycle run. It’s using the old Ellen’s Energy Adventure building as its entrance and it looks like asbestos on the beams there too.

Looking like and being are two different things.

 

[LastoneOn]

I also think having multiple Walt statues at each resort is a bit much.

He's just decoration now.

 

[Horizons1]

Let's see...build a statue vs. build a city...yep, those are comparable. Six in one, half-dozen in the other. Wouldn't cost much more to build a city, would it? During a pandemic to boot.

Says you.

Psst...it's all about marketing.

Either you are dense or you’re just deliberately misconstruing my words . I can see that you are the type of audience Disney can successfully pander to.

I am not, nor did I say Disney build EPCOT the city right here and now. My point was that Disney loves to cram Walt Disney down our throats under the guise that they are intent to honor his legacy. At one point in time I do believe they really did want to honor him, but today they want to claim to honor him while it’s really Disney trying to play on the emotions of an audience such as yourself who will go “Dwah, Walt Disney statue good!”.

My point being that had Disney truly an intent to honor Walt in regard to EPCOT because of a honest respect for his goals and ambitions at some point they would have pursued the city. Now, you could argue that Celebration was this attempt to do so, but then at the same time why was no Walt statue ever erected there?

The Walt statue in EPCOT does not belong there, says I. I says a lot of things that are accurate but people don’t like to hear and this is among the many of them. As I stated before, change the context and idea of a Walt statue in EPCOT and I’m all for it. Something that fits the park’s mission and philosophy. But for Disney it is easier to change the park’s mission and philosophy than it is to ditch the fairytales and magic line.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

He's just decoration now.

It's like when people ask what a muppet is and why they are at Disney World and no place else..

 

[LastoneOn]

I mean I never said it was difficult. You did.


Space X is a fantastic example of something that would be amazing at EPCOT. Your attempt to dissuade my passion is a perfect example of an industry/company which could be highlighted there.

I would love to see exhibits about such a product/industry at EPCOT. Maybe with the pandemic it couldn’t be as hands on, but it could still be engaging and informative. Just imagine with current technology live online feeds could be broadcast right there with live discussions from Space X astronauts or engineers. It could be incredible. With smart phones our Innoventions/Communicore experience could continue beyond the boundaries of the pavilion.

Such an experience could be the catalyst to sparking new interest for any willing participant to EPCOT’s message about the future. It was that way at one time but It’ll never happen today, however.

yeah I'm not really trying to dissuade you. I appreciate your passion.
no sure what the difficult thing is, but its sure not easy to come up with a popular attraction - judging from all the complaining around here for almost every new idea they come up with.

SpaceX would have been a natural fit, glad you agree with me.

But business has changed now. These companies don't have time to play patty cake with Disney. Going into Epcot takes an enormous commitment, and has the 'insiders' and uber official experts around here will tell you Disney doesn't make it very attractive and wants too much control.

It's not about trying to tamper anyone's passion, you can go out and dream all you like.
I prefer to accept the reality.

 

[Magic2020]

How does painted sprayed fire proofing with asbestos look different from a distance than painted sprayed fire proofing without asbestos? Disney maintains a vast archive of construction documents and the specifications would show any asbestos containing products. Ensuring there are not hazardous materials is also part of the process.

TRON is a new build at the Magic Kingdom. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is replacing Ellen’s Energy Adventure.

I suppose it doesn’t look any different. Would need to test it to see if it was asbestos. You r right about TRON. My bad. I meant Guardians of the Galaxy is using Ellen’s Energy Adventure.

 

[Magic2020]

Guardians not tron

Yes. U r correct. My bad.

 

[marni1971]

yeah I'm not really trying to dissuade you. I appreciate your passion.
no sure what the difficult thing is, but its sure not easy to come up with a popular attraction - judging from all the complaining around here for almost every new idea they come up with.

SpaceX would have been a natural fit, glad you agree with me.

But business has changed now. These companies don't have time to play patty cake with Disney. Going into Epcot takes an enormous commitment, and has the 'insiders' and uber official experts around here will tell you Disney doesn't make it very attractive and wants too much control.

It's not about trying to tamper anyone's passion, you can go out and dream all you like.
I prefer to accept the reality.

A lot of us agree the model has changed. The appeal of a public showcase with corporations footing the bill for displays has long gone.

What we don’t agree with is spending ridiculous amounts of money to remove perfectly good buildings for a bar and a splash pad waterfall. Innoventions West (the building) could easily have been repurposed for everything the cubicle dwellers think the park needs - plus more - with plenty of space left for the waterfall walk through by Seas. It could have even been better between Seas and Land.

The money saved could have gone towards other areas of the park still crying out for help. Corporate would still get its requisite additions. And the parks fabric would have been retained. It could even have been the best it’s been since 1993.

 

[doctornick]

Putting a Walt statue in IPCOT near a Moana play area

In what way is it a “play area”? I’m intrigued but how the journey of water fountains seem to be constantly mis-characterized

 

[Magic2020]

They’re not doing illegal asbestos abatement...rest assured. I’ve done consults on some recent work in LBV...the liability and eyes are too sharp on their projects even if they wanted to do something cheap...which they don’t.

Fireproofing installed in 1979 has what I would guess to be a 75% chance or more of being a treated paper material (cellulose with perhaps silica) as opposed to asbestos (hydrated silicates)...or everyone’s favorite: Fiberglass.

I wouldn’t huff on any of it...but it’s likely not the kinda stuff that was in the twin towers (and removed over the years...as an ironic side note)

Rest easy, young fawn.

You r probably right. Disney would take the right precautions. I didn’t know about the silica vs hydrated silicates. Also, I meant Guardians of the Galaxy and not TRON is using the old Ellen’s Energy Adventure building in my earlier post. Thanks!

 

[Magic2020]

Looking like and being are two different things.

Yes. U r right.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

In what way is it a “play area”? I’m intrigued but how the journey of water fountains seem to be constantly mis-characterized

It was advertised as a "child-friendly experience" with interactive elements. That reads as play area to me. Better looking than Casey Jr. in Storybook Circus, but still a kind of play area.

 

[ppete1975]

A lot of us agree the model has changed. The appeal of a public showcase with corporations footing the bill for displays has long gone.

What we don’t agree with is spending ridiculous amounts of money to remove perfectly good buildings for a bar and a splash pad waterfall. Innoventions West (the building) could easily have been repurposed for everything the cubicle dwellers think the park needs - plus more - with plenty of space left for the waterfall walk through by Seas. It could have even been better between Seas and Land.

The money saved could have gone towards other areas of the park still crying out for help. Corporate would still get its requisite additions. And the parks fabric would have been retained. It could even have been the best it’s been since 1993.

They could have even brought back centorium, and filled it with non mickey mouse merchandise. Epcot,nasa,spacex merch throw in festival merch instead of the same old same old.

 

[UNCgolf]

They could have even brought back centorium, and filled it with non mickey mouse merchandise. Epcot,nasa,spacex merch throw in festival merch instead of the same old same old.

Anything that creates a wider variety in Disney merchandise offerings would be very welcome. It's really annoying how the vast majority of stores all sell the exact same stuff. I'm sure Disney has run the numbers and the money they save on production makes it worth it, but people would be far more likely to actually shop all the stores if they offered unique merchandise. Instead you can basically go to World of Disney and buy anything you want because it's all of the same items that are offered in the stores in the parks, outside of a handful of locations.

It wasn't always like this.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Omg, even a nice statue of Walt sparks an avalanche of negativity and cynicism.

It’s a nice statue. That is all.

Lol thank you. Disney cannot win, nothing will please these folks

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'll also venture the unpopular opinion that I don't find the architecture of Future World as beautiful or timeless as a lot of people seem to. I agree they have only made it look worse over the years through modifications and paving over the original landscaping. I'm also not entirely sold on the new plans, including destroying the symmetry of the Communicore buildings. Apart from Spaceship Earth, however, the above looks like a pleasantly landscaped 1980s office park or expo to me and corporate architecture from that period hasn't aged well, IMO. Again, it's all in the eye of the beholder, but I am not as bowled over by the immense beauty of the above scene as a lot of people on here seem to be.

It's been a long time since I've read The Architecture of Reassurance, but my memory was that even that book struck a slightly critical note about the architecture of the Future World pavilions as being remote and monolithic rather than part of a cohesive whole. I could be misremembering that, but in general I struggle to think of Future World being cited as an example of great architecture beyond fan forums in the way that other Disney parks and resorts have received praise.

The “remoteness” of the Future World Pavilions is exactly why the CommuniCore is so important, it anchors and organizes the pavilions as objects in space. The new spine completely removes that underlying spatial organization. Before you could look at an unlabeled map of the park and see that Future World was distinct from World Showcase because it is laid out differently, radially around the CommuniCore. The new plan removes that organization. It makes the pavilions on the west side even more remote and an unmarked plan has no clear organizational delineation between the new neighborhoods.

That’s what’s so bad about the spine project. Even if you’re not a fan of what was there before what is coming does not do anything better and generally does things worse. Pavilions are now more remote. An ugly CommiCore building is still sitting there. The new festival building is smaller and less functional than the CommuniCore building it is replacing. It might look cooler from some angles but others will have big boxes prominently featured in and behind it.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

My point being that had Disney truly an intent to honor Walt in regard to EPCOT because of a honest respect for his goals and ambitions at some point they would have pursued the city.

And it’s as bad a point now as it was then.

No matter when it might have been done, building a city is an enormous commitment with all the issues that would have been acknowledged at the time the idea was first tabled.

Just because they didn’t pursue a nearly impossible task that you pulled out of thin air does not mean they do not honor Walt.

Some people honor folks with cities, I guess. More often, with statues. This is hardly a new idea - much less anything to criticize.

You may see less park hopping in the near or distant future. We only went to Epcot on our last visit. A statue of Walt couldn’t have hurt, no matter the sentiment behind it.

The Walt statue in EPCOT does not belong there, says I.

Lucky for us, that has no practical bearing on anything.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

to remove perfectly good buildings for a bar

Maybe they gave in to the fact that it has been the primary function of that building lately?