News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[Epcot82Guy]

I have always been surprised by the number of people who can't seem to understand how the pavilions fit in their respective neighborhoods.

World Discovery is about science and technology. Space travel, transportation, and a digital-inspired PLAY all seem to fit into this theme quite well.

World Nature is perhaps the most obvious of the neighborhoods: the land, seas, and skies that make up our earth system.

World Celebration is perhaps a bit less intuitive to the casual observer, but the general idea of the area is an optimistic (you guessed it) celebration of humanity's connectedness and creativity.

It's why I could never understood how people were confused if Imagination was going in World Nature... how in the world would that fit thematically?

Mind you, this post isn't to comment on whether I or anyone else particularly likes the neighborhood concepts, or whether the "neighborhoods" have enough visual distinction to separate them, but IMO every pavilion/attraction/shop does in fact fit thematically in its respective area.

This is where the big distinction is for me. I get the tie. The issue is it falls apart when you go deeper than that. CR isn't about science or technology. That is only the setting. The attraction is about the Guardians, music and saving the galaxy. The focus on technology is a minor framing reference at best. And that's the same issue as the IP in world showcase. They are about the characters. The countries are settings at best.

That itself isn't a problem. But, it then makes them conflict with the more traditional Epcot pavilions.

It doesn't make sense to combine two pavilions with a story showcasing real world technologies with a story about saving the galaxy with a fantasy alien race and Marvel. In fact the pavilion confuses the story by highlighting Xandar chose Epcot for it's educational setting. Something this pavilion itself is actually destroying in Epcot.

This isn't to say it's all off base. If the story was "how technology allows us to explore worlds, real and imaged" - that would at least be a bit more cohesive. But CR's own story is convoluted. (Frankly, l if it was 'Wonders of the Universe presented by Xandar" - where there were going to teach us about the Universe's history then the Guardians came in to make it a bit more fun by actually taking us there, I would enjoy the whole thing a lot more.)

At the end, Epcot Center was a very consistently themed park at the park level. Much like Studios. And it's more falling victim like TL, Studios and DCA have. It just feels more jarring to some of us, I'd say, because it went from so layered to quite muddy.

 

[mysto]

(Frankly, l if it was 'Wonders of the Universe presented by Xandar" - where there were going to teach us about the Universe's history then the Guardians came in to make it a bit more fun by actually taking us there, I would enjoy the whole thing a lot more.)

Physicist Brian C o x actually did a documentary series called "Wonders of the Universe" (recomended by me) and has a great soothing voice that would go well as narrator and is "sexiest man alive" 2009 keeping the girls riveted.

Maybe tag team with a quirky, near stuttering, Max Tegmark for additional cosmological street cred. Thow in female heartthrob Jana Levin for even more cred and to leave the boys in a puddle at ride exit.

Man that sounds great, they should totally hire me.

 

[vikescaper]

I thought that I was in World Nature…

 

[James Alucobond]

I thought that I was in World Nature…

The west side has done essentially no re-theming at this point. They still have the old kiosk designs, and nothing incorporates the green color scheme World Nature is supposed to have. I can only assume they'll focus on that last. Even in the east, there are still plenty of things to adjust to red, plus I imagine they have lots of pavement rework to do bit by bit.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I have always been surprised by the number of people who can't seem to understand how the pavilions fit in their respective neighborhoods.

World Discovery is about science and technology. Space travel, transportation, and a digital-inspired PLAY all seem to fit into this theme quite well.

World Nature is perhaps the most obvious of the neighborhoods: the land, seas, and skies that make up our earth system.

World Celebration is perhaps a bit less intuitive to the casual observer, but the general idea of the area is an optimistic (you guessed it) celebration of humanity's connectedness and creativity.

It's why I could never understood how people were confused if Imagination was going in World Nature... how in the world would that fit thematically?

Mind you, this post isn't to comment on whether I or anyone else particularly likes the neighborhood concepts, or whether the "neighborhoods" have enough visual distinction to separate them, but IMO every pavilion/attraction/shop does in fact fit thematically in its respective area.

Themed entertainment is a spatial experience. The neighborhoods arbitrarily disrupt a specific spatial organization that creates the actual image of the park in the visitor’s mind.

 

[Bocabear]

The breakup of Future World into the three neighborhoods is only going to confuse visitors...People still call the Movie Park MGM Studios... It will continue to be "Future World" for another generation...
Would have made more sense if they just focused on improving the guest experience with new and refreshed attractions instead of wasting money on useless name changes that really make no sense.

 

[James Alucobond]

The breakup of Future World into the three neighborhoods is only going to confuse visitors...People still call the Movie Park MGM Studios... It will continue to be "Future World" for another generation...
Would have made more sense if they just focused on improving the guest experience with new and refreshed attractions instead of wasting money on useless name changes that really make no sense.

While I don’t care much for the haphazard way the neighborhoods are implemented, this will have virtually no impact on how people talk about the park because almost no one regularly called these areas “Future World East” and “Future World West” in the first place. Everyone just used the pavilion names.

 

[vikescaper]

I’ve decided that I will just call each neighborhood either Green Garbage Can Land, Red Garbage Can Land or Blue Garbage Can Land.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I’ve decided that I will just call each neighborhood either Green Garbage Can Land, Red Garbage Can Land or Blue Garbage Can Land.

Hey, those are multi-functional solid constructs designed for use in consumer activations.

 

[No Name]

The breakup of Future World into the three neighborhoods is only going to confuse visitors...People still call the Movie Park MGM Studios... It will continue to be "Future World" for another generation...
Would have made more sense if they just focused on improving the guest experience with new and refreshed attractions instead of wasting money on useless name changes that really make no sense.

Very few people call it MGM Studios and most of the people who do are doing it out of dumb stubbornness, because it’s been 14 years and Hollywood Studios is an almost objectively better name. I’m not sure that’s the case with World Discovery and such.

 

[Haymarket2008]

Very few people call it MGM Studios and most of the people who do are doing it out of dumb stubbornness, because it’s been 14 years and Hollywood Studios is an almost objectively better name. I’m not sure that’s the case with World Discovery and such.

Dumb stubbornness? Really?

 

[No Name]

Dumb stubbornness? Really?

Yes.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

For regularly attending guests and folks under 30, I would agree. Otherwise, Epcot Center and MGM are alive and well in the public vernacular from my experience.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Hey, those are multi-functional solid constructs designed for use in consumer activations.

Functions:

1. Garbage disposal
2. Garbage consumption

 

[solidyne]

For regularly attending guests and folks under 30, I would agree. Otherwise, Epcot Center and MGM are alive and well in the public vernacular from my experience.

"Epcot Center" I get, as it does still contain the first half. "MGM," is a different story. I always get a deliberately stubborn kind of vibe from folks who refer to DHS this way (except when done in jest or nostalgically).

I am 51, visited MGM in its first year, and have no problem calling it by its name: Disney's Hollywood Studios. Like it or not, that is its name.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

"Epcot Center" I get, as it does still contain the first half. "MGM," is a different story. I always get a deliberately stubborn kind of vibe from folks who refer to DHS this way (except when done in jest or nostalgically).

I am 51, visited MGM in its first year, and have no problem calling it by its name: Disney's Hollywood Studios. Like it or not, that is its name.

Sounds like you and I are referencing different crowds. These are people who go to Disney once every 5 years or less. And aren't fans at all. They talk to me as a (former) hardcore fan. And they'll often say MGM when talking about Tower or Indy. These are the general public who don't keep up with name changes. Just like those who talk about MK as Disney World. And there are a lot of them.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Future world was no longer about the future. But the pavilions are still about technology and human achievement with relationships to each topic. Maybe it would’ve been better to just give it all one name but this gives areas more specific functions. World nature is a great name and fits all pavilions there extremely well.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Future world was no longer about the future. But the pavilions are still about technology and human achievement with relationships to each topic. Maybe it would’ve been better to just give it all one name but this gives areas more specific functions. World nature is a great name and fits all pavilions there extremely well.

Themed experience isn’t just names slapped on boxes. Those names should be reflected in the spatial organization and experience of the land.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Future world was no longer about the future. But the pavilions are still about technology and human achievement with relationships to each topic. Maybe it would’ve been better to just give it all one name but this gives areas more specific functions. World nature is a great name and fits all pavilions there extremely well.

I think this is all about execution. Having the park re-divided isn't a bad idea at all. They just did it in a weird way that's more confusing than helpful or transformative.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Themed experience isn’t just names slapped on boxes. Those names should be reflected in the spatial organization and experience of the land.

While true, the future world name wasn’t working anymore and only really fit Mission space, test track, the land and SSE anymore.

I think this is all about execution. Having the park re-divided isn't a bad idea at all. They just did it in a weird way that's more confusing than helpful or transformative.

I think world discovery works well replacing future world East. FW central was only SSE and innoventions so it would’ve been odd to only have a ride and now essentially a restaurant/ shop facility and event pavilion for it. Imagination gives it a ride and pavilion even though it’s an awkward design. I think absorbing Innoventions SW bridges the area to world nature and is immediately infront of the seas and land so it makes sense.