News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[Mickeynerd17]

Personally, I would rather have a circular fountain shaped like the park logo as opposed to another planter. The rush of water in that area was quite relaxing.

 

[Fear]

If you look at the 2019 concept art it looked as if they were intending to do more past the point if they had removed Connections & Creations buildings and continued with more trees and lighting to World Discovery side (Future World East).

That's not the 2019 art, that's the Blue Sky concept from a few years earlier.

This is the 2019 concept art:

 

[Corylancaster]

That's not the 2019 art, that's the Blue Sky concept from a few years earlier.

This is the 2019 concept art:

View attachment 750475

Did anybody (Martin maybe?) ever end up saying what the pink/magenta line running from Spaceship Earth to the Festival center was intended to be?

 

[James Alucobond]

Did anybody (Martin maybe?) ever end up saying what the pink/magenta line running from Spaceship Earth to the Festival center was intended to be?

It was simply a more expedient path to the Festival Center from the front of the park, utilizing some of what would've otherwise been additional dead space behind Journey of Water. It's shown below in yellow.

I had also originally thought based on this plan that it was a flyover, but some of the art used in the EPCOT Experience suggested it was still at ground level.

 

[McMickeyWorld]

It was simply a more expedient path to the Festival Center from the front of the park, utilizing some of what would've otherwise been additional dead space behind Journey of Water. It's shown below in yellow.
View attachment 750478

I had also originally thought based on this plan that it was a flyover, but some of the art used in the EPCOT Experience suggested it was still at ground level.
View attachment 750479

The model of "The EPCOT Experience" also suggests that it was going to be an overpass.

 

[tparris]

It was simply a more expedient path to the Festival Center from the front of the park, utilizing some of what would've otherwise been additional dead space behind Journey of Water. It's shown below in yellow.
View attachment 750478

I had also originally thought based on this plan that it was a flyover, but some of the art used in the EPCOT Experience suggested it was still at ground level.
View attachment 750479

Based on another piece of 2019 art, it seems like it still might have been a flyover of some sort.

 

[James Alucobond]

The model of "The EPCOT Experience" also suggests that it was going to be an overpass. View attachment 750483

Based on another piece of 2019 art, it seems like it still might have been a flyover of some sort.View attachment 750484

Cool, thanks for the verification. Must've just been carelessness on the part of the artist when photobashing/overpainting the plans. Seems to happen pretty frequently.

 

[Bocabear]

Shanghai's Tomorrowland had a lot of elevated walkways and multi-levels... It was one of the things that I liked about the land...it was just a little too "corporate business campus" looking overall...

 

[James Alucobond]

Shanghai's Tomorrowland had a lot of elevated walkways and multi-levels... It was one of the things that I liked about the land...it was just a little too "corporate business campus" looking overall...

Here, it feels visually interesting but impractical. If that path is inaccessible from ground level, you have to either know to board the pathway from the park entrance or circle around behind the Festival Center to enter; when standing near it, you can only enter from the rear third that faces away from the center of the park.

 

[Corylancaster]

The model of "The EPCOT Experience" also suggests that it was going to be an overpass. View attachment 750483

I know I'm in the minority, but I feel like this iteration of the festival center had some potential to look really cool and blend with the existing architecture of the park.

 

[James Alucobond]

I know I'm in the minority, but I feel like this iteration of the festival center had some potential to look really cool and blend with the existing architecture of the park.

It did look cool, but it made zero sense plopped in where it was. I'm kind of baffled that the original plan wasn't instead to keep the northern end of both Communicore buildings (where Connections and Journey of Water are now), level the southern half, and then place a centered version of the Festival Center on top of the area where the Fountain of Nations was as something that you pass under on your way toward World Showcase.

 

[Timothy_Q]

It did look cool, but it made zero sense plopped in where it was. I'm kind of baffled that the original plan wasn't instead to keep the northern end of both Communicore buildings (where Connections and Journey of Water are now), level the southern half, and then place a centered version of the Festival Center on top of the area where the Fountain of Nations was as something that you pass under on your way toward World Showcase.

This would have fixed most of my issues with the previous plan

 

[McMickeyWorld]

I know I'm in the minority, but I feel like this iteration of the festival center had some potential to look really cool and blend with the existing architecture of the park.

I agree with you; the way the space would be used seemed very creative, both functional and visually interesting.

 

[peter11435]

It was simply a more expedient path to the Festival Center from the front of the park, utilizing some of what would've otherwise been additional dead space behind Journey of Water. It's shown below in yellow.
View attachment 750478

I had also originally thought based on this plan that it was a flyover, but some of the art used in the EPCOT Experience suggested it was still at ground level.
View attachment 750479

At one time it was intended to be an elevated flyover

 

[Epcot82Guy]

It did look cool, but it made zero sense plopped in where it was. I'm kind of baffled that the original plan wasn't instead to keep the northern end of both Communicore buildings (where Connections and Journey of Water are now), level the southern half, and then place a centered version of the Festival Center on top of the area where the Fountain of Nations was as something that you pass under on your way toward World Showcase.

That was my thought too. Of the 3 plans from that original time, I loved the one that gutted the 4 sections and themed them to individual things. But, if we needed the Table, your idea was exactly what I thought. It also would have allowed them to rearrange the other two Neighborhoods so you had a better separation between IMAG and The Land. (Plus you could have pulled Test Track into the Center easily, doing the same for a space-themed World Discovery.)

I am still baffled that none of the plans with the Table did anything to separate IMAG from World Nature.

 

[tparris]

It did look cool, but it made zero sense plopped in where it was. I'm kind of baffled that the original plan wasn't instead to keep the northern end of both Communicore buildings (where Connections and Journey of Water are now), level the southern half, and then place a centered version of the Festival Center on top of the area where the Fountain of Nations was as something that you pass under on your way toward World Showcase.

Wouldn’t that totally block much of SSE though?

 

[James Alucobond]

Wouldn’t that totally block much of SSE though?

From certain locations, sure. No idea what the exact height of the planned structure was, but I have to assume that the only location it would really affect would be the bridge back from World Showcase, and only once you got to a certain distance. Some of the original EPCOT plans had structures in similar locations, so it’s not a unique thought, really.

 

[tparris]

Lots of new-style pavement has been put in in front of Mission Space, and it seems they’re preparing to put more in towards Test Track.

 

[_caleb]

I think it's interesting to look at Disney's choices of pavement in the parks over the years. In the early days, the ground seemed pretty utilitarian (the anecdote of guests' heels sinking into the fresh pavement on Disneyland's opening day). Then there's the rumor that Kodak recommended red pavement for MK and Epcot because it made photos pop with color.

Later, Disney went in on theming the ground guests walked on. See the sewage canal backstory of Liberty Square, the bricks of Main Street, the cobblestones in pavilions around World Showcase, or the Dinosaur prints at AK.

Then for a while, Disney seemed to smooth all uneven surfaces over for accessibility and guest safety. I'm not sure how many ankles were twisted or how many trip-and-fall lawsuits may have been brought against the Mouse, but they sort of went back to utilitarian pavements that only hinted at theming.

The recently-completed repaving on MK's Center Street is real brick, but on a smooth concrete foundation. I'm hopeful at Epcot, Disney continues to build on themed guest walkways like the LED lights and Animal Kingdom's glowing patterns.

 

[Ayla]

I think it's interesting to look at Disney's choices of pavement in the parks over the years. In the early days, the ground seemed pretty utilitarian (the anecdote of guests' heels sinking into the fresh pavement on Disneyland's opening day). Then there's the rumor that Kodak recommended red pavement for MK and Epcot because it made photos pop with color.

Later, Disney went in on theming the ground guests walked on. See the sewage canal backstory of Liberty Square, the bricks of Main Street, the cobblestones in pavilions around World Showcase, or the Dinosaur prints at AK.

Then for a while, Disney seemed to smooth all uneven surfaces over for accessibility and guest safety. I'm not sure how many ankles were twisted or how many trip-and-fall lawsuits may have been brought against the Mouse, but they sort of went back to utilitarian pavements that only hinted at theming.

The recently-completed repaving on MK's Center Street is real brick, but on a smooth concrete foundation. I'm hopeful at Epcot, Disney continues to build on themed guest walkways like the LED lights and Animal Kingdom's glowing patterns.

My favorite pavement is in MK in Storybook Circus.