News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[RSoxNo1]

I think this looks decent and look forward to seeing it in person. Aesthetically, I also felt their plans for the center spine were going to be better than what preceded it.

A comment though, historically the curved soft edges were on the right side of future world to go with the "softer" concepts of land, sea and imagination. The harder edges were on the left side of Future World. It seems the building finishes of the two former Communicore buildings and now current Communicore and Creations/Connections buildings are reversed. The World Discovery side should have the harder edges while the World Nature side should have the softer edges.

 

[wdwmagic]

 

[Tha Realest]

It seems interesting that WDI hires as it’s new head an external hire* who came from an industrial engineering background, and the last two big Imagineering reveals (this and Poly DVC Towers) come off as looking very plain, subdued, and non-thematic.

*She was within WDI for barely a year when she was elevated to the top spot

 

[RSoxNo1]

Food and Wine Installation...

View attachment 637179

Festival of the Holidays Installation...

View attachment 637178


Festival of the Arts...

View attachment 637180

Flower and Garden??...

View attachment 637181

No Lights of Winter... i'm out.

 

[James Alucobond]

I think this looks decent and look forward to seeing it in person. Aesthetically, I also felt their plans for the center spine were going to be better than what preceded it.

A comment though, historically the curved soft edges were on the right side of future world to go with the "softer" concepts of land, sea and imagination. The harder edges were on the left side of Future World. It seems the building finishes of the two former Communicore buildings and now current Communicore and Creations/Connections buildings are reversed. The World Discovery side should have the harder edges while the World Nature side should have the softer edges.

I honestly don't think it'll look as sharp or harsh in person. Perhaps in aerial shots, but the whole left side is just a relatively thin canopy that probably won't read as anything all that substantial from the ground.

 

[ToTBellHop]

... and eliminate yet another element of classic Epcot? That'll be the last straw for me.

The new security scanners allow guests to bring their own sewage into the park for that authentic EPCOT Center experience. If we can dream it, we can do it!

 

[DfromATX]

I've been looking forward to seeing the new updates. I wasn't too familiar with the original plans so I guess I'll wait and see, but my question is why the sudden change? Did something happen?

 

[PizzaPlanet]

So what is going on with the Play pavilion then? Seems like a simple project that was well underway before covid hit.

 

[montyz81]

I've been looking forward to seeing the new updates. I wasn't too familiar with the original plans so I guess I'll wait and see, but my question is why the sudden change? Did something happen?

I think there was a pandemic or something. Does anyone else know if there was a pandemic?

 

[Sundown]

I hereby propose a new name:

FestCot

...or EpCotstival? (Hahah)

 

[HauntedPirate]

The new security scanners allow guests to bring their own sewage into the park for that authentic EPCOT Center experience. If we can dream it, we can do it!

I ARE THE MAGIC!!!

 

[Vinnie Mac]

I've been looking forward to seeing the new updates. I wasn't too familiar with the original plans so I guess I'll wait and see, but my question is why the sudden change? Did something happen?

2020 happened.

 

[roj2323]

Site plan -

View attachment 637120

They bulldozed one building to just rebuild the same thing in a new shape. Needless to say I'm not impressed. The original redevelopment plan was crazy looking but it was ultimately what Epcot needed to stay relevant. This just reenforces the outdoor shopping mall feel. It has no character. It's not whimsical, it's rather generic looking.

 

[MisterPenguin]

They bulldozed one building to just rebuild the same thing in a new shape. Needless to say I'm not impressed. The original redevelopment plan was crazy looking but it was ultimately what Epcot needed to stay relevant. This just reenforces the outdoor shopping mall feel. It has no character. It's not whimsical, it's rather generic looking.

The bulldozing happened to build the 3 story Festival Center. COVID made them rethink their plans after the razing was done.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The new security scanners allow guests to bring their own sewage into the park for that authentic EPCOT Center experience. If we can dream it, we can do it!

Of course I'm bringing my own sewage smell. It's not EPCOT without it!! I'm not going to let Chapek destroy my childhood!!1!

 

[roj2323]

The bulldozing happened to build the 3 story Festival Center. COVID made them rethink their plans after the razing was done.

Please go back to the original announcement (pre covid) and you'll see I was in the threads and in the first 100 responses on them. I'm pretty much an enormous Disney Construction nerd hence the survey marker as my Image.

 

[doctornick]

I am among those who doesn’t understand why they didn’t add a rooftop viewing area for the fireworks show. They are building a building from scratch, they can add whatever features they want and this could have been designed to accommodate someone on the roof if desired

 

[WDWFREAK53]

They bulldozed one building to just rebuild the same thing in a new shape. Needless to say I'm not impressed. The original redevelopment plan was crazy looking but it was ultimately what Epcot needed to stay relevant. This just reenforces the outdoor shopping mall feel. It has no character. It's not whimsical, it's rather generic looking.

Sure it does...look at the plan. Moana and Mickey & Friends. Very EPCOT-Y!

I really don't understand this at all and I know I'm not alone in it. What did we actually gain from this aside from turning expanses of concrete into expanses of trees and planters? I guess it follows suit with the rest of WDW though, shut off a fountain to turn it into a planter.

To me, the stage area looks like it's going to feel like the awful canopy at Test Track.

Even though I wasn't crazy about the original plans, at least some things were Epcot-esque. (The back of SSE for instance, with the globe mural (which may have been an LED screen?) and the tall glass panels. The new Festival Center harkened back to the days when Epcot pavilions had some nice architectural elements to it (rather than just a pretty facade on a box).

If they needed to get rid of some things, why add a planter in the shape of the old Epcot symbol? Why couldn't it have been fountains of water to create it? The entire spine could've been Bellagio-style fountains that lead you down to World Showcase but also put on a light/water show at different intervals.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Please go back to the original announcement (pre covid) and you'll see I was in the threads and in the first 100 responses on them. I'm pretty much an enormous Disney Construction nerd hence the survey marker as my Image.

Then I guess I don't understand the sentiment that they tore down a building only to replicate it?

They bulldozed one building to just rebuild the same thing in a new shape.​

 

[lazyboy97o]

The bulldozing happened to build the 3 story Festival Center. COVID made them rethink their plans after the razing was done.

Rethinking started well before demolition was complete. Much like Please Island it was town down because they said they were going to tear it down even though there wasn’t the foggiest idea of what would actually be done with the space afterwards.

I am among those who doesn’t understand why they didn’t add a rooftop viewing area for the fireworks show. They are building a building from scratch, they can add whatever features they want and this could have been designed to accommodate someone on the roof if desired

Because they wasted a bunch of money on demolition. The Festival Center wasn’t based on programmatic need or desires. An accessible roof is expensive.