News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[lazyboy97o]

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Did Walt Disney really say that about Epcot. I thought that was a statement on Magic Kingdom. I'll have to go watch his last video again to be sure.

He did use the phrase “state of becoming”.

“But where do we begin? How do we start answering this great challenge? Well, we’re convinced we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a special kind of new community. So that's what E.P.C.O.T is: an Experimental Prototype Community that will always be in the state of becoming. It will never cease to be a living blueprint of the future where people actually live a life they can’t find anyplace else in the world.”

 

[HauntedPirate]

He did use the phrase “state of becoming”.

“But where do we begin? How do we start answering this great challenge? Well, we’re convinced we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a special kind of new community. So that's what E.P.C.O.T is: an Experimental Prototype Community that will always be in the state of becoming. It will never cease to be a living blueprint of the future where people actually live a life they can’t find anyplace else in the world.”

More of the usual word-twisting by the idiots in charge of this mess.

 

[mightynine]

Of course Walt looks like he's going to the bathroom. You try sitting next to all that running water making its journeys all day long and see what you're inspired to do.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

He did use the phrase “state of becoming”.

“But where do we begin? How do we start answering this great challenge? Well, we’re convinced we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a special kind of new community. So that's what E.P.C.O.T is: an Experimental Prototype Community that will always be in the state of becoming. It will never cease to be a living blueprint of the future where people actually live a life they can’t find anyplace else in the world.”

Walt, that is SO true…there is no place on earth where you can drink around the world like at EPCOT…
To me, it looks like Walt is sitting there dreaming about how he and all of the guests passing by can afford this place he helped to create…

 

[FutureCEO]

So relevant Walt looks so confused, ed and on the verge of crying

When I first saw, I thought he looked like he was on drugs

 

[wdwmagic]

Ouch, from former Imagineer Jim Shull.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Ouch, from former Imagineer Jim Shull.

Wait, is he mounted in place there? I had assumed that the bronze WAS going to be installed on a bench.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Wait, is he mounted in place there? I had assumed that the bronze WAS going to be installed on a bench.

Concept art has him on long, white large steps, almost like blocks. The kind of architecture you see in a city plaza.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Ouch, from former Imagineer Jim Shull.

While I personally don't get why so many people automatically associate the statue with a toilet just because it's in a sitting pose (there are LOTS of places people sit that aren't toilets??), I wholeheartedly agree that placing him on a bench to recall the origins of Disneyland would have been a far more successful idea.

Neither really has much to do with EPCOT, but at least one has a little bit to do with something.

 

[wdwmagic]

My view is that Walt belongs in MK, and to connect him to EPCOT, even when it opened, but especially now, is a huge stretch. Fans know anything about EPCOT won't buy it, so why do it?

 

[bhg469]

Someone needs to add a squatty potty

 

[lazyboy97o]

While I personally don't get why so many people automatically associate the statue with a toilet just because it's in a sitting pose (there are LOTS of places people sit that aren't toilets??), I wholeheartedly agree that placing him on a bench to recall the origins of Disneyland would have been a far more successful idea.

Neither really has much to do with EPCOT, but at least one has a little bit to do with something.

I think it’s the base they’re using. Looks like something from a new Toto geometric collection.

My view is that Walt belongs in MK, and to connect him to EPCOT, even when it opened, but especially now, is a huge stretch. Fans know anything about EPCOT won't buy it, so why do it?

To deflect criticism of the larger project.

 

[montyz81]

This would have been a more suitable sitting position given what is on the wall behind him.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

While I personally don't get why so many people automatically associate the statue with a toilet just because it's in a sitting pose (there are LOTS of places people sit that aren't toilets??), I wholeheartedly agree that placing him on a bench to recall the origins of Disneyland would have been a far more successful idea.

Neither really has much to do with EPCOT, but at least one has a little bit to do with something.

If I had a statue of me in a high volume crowd place of me sitting on the toilet I honestly wouldn’t be offended I think that’s pretty boss

 

[Sir_Cliff]

My view is that Walt belongs in MK, and to connect him to EPCOT, even when it opened, but especially now, is a huge stretch. Fans know anything about EPCOT won't buy it, so why do it?

I understand this sentiment but have more mixed feelings. It didn't annoy me when they put a Walt statue up at DCA, so I find it hard to get particularly worked up about them putting one here as he at least came up with or approved the name of Epcot. We also had a lot of wringing of hands on one thread based on a stupid Jim Hill rumour that they were removing the "Walt" from "Walt Disney World" with all sorts of speculation he'd been cancelled, and now in this instance people don't like them trying to inject Walt into a Walt Disney World theme park. I get, though, that trying to suggest the current park fulfils Walt's vision in some way is not correct.

Eh, swings and roundabouts, I guess!

 

[Next Big Thing]

My view is that Walt belongs in MK, and to connect him to EPCOT, even when it opened, but especially now, is a huge stretch. Fans know anything about EPCOT won't buy it, so why do it?

He does belong at MK, but he's also been given a spot at DCA and WDSP, so the whole idea of him only being in MK parks is long out the window. At least he had some connection to EPCOT, even if it was the city and not the theme park. He had no connection to DCA or WDSP. Although I will say what they did with him at DCA is very classy and it's a younger version of Walt not seen elsewhere.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Although I will say what they did with him at DCA is very classy and it's a younger version of Walt not seen elsewhere.

If you don’t count Tokyo DisneySEA and Shanghai Disneyland.

 

[Rich Brownn]

View attachment 665549
Did Walt Disney really say that about Epcot. I thought that was a statement on Magic Kingdom. I'll have to go watch his last video again to be sure.

Also, Where in all of current Future World (I can't remember all the new neighborhood names) is there any inspiration to make people "Keep dreaming of a better tomorrow"? They took that inspiration out 20 years ago.

I believe what he said was that the plans were still evolving (since, in reality, there weren't any real plans and the model and painting were for show only). He died right after that. Once the imagineers looked into it they realized if they built a city to live in, the E P and T parts of EPCOT would disappear.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

There was a way to do this that would have been incredibly inspiring. This is not that way.

And Walt is definitely high. As he would need to be with the mess that's happening.

 

[brb1006]

Ouch, from former Imagineer Jim Shull.

Forgive me for doing this to you Walt