News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[tparris]

One thing to point out regarding the synchronized lighting effects: the back wall right where you order Starbucks inside Connections Cafe now syncs with the SSE shows. This is definitely new, I don’t remember it actually matching the same lighting patterns and colors before

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Leaving aside the timeline and the loss of the fountain, the redo of the central area in this garden-like setting is a nice change. It's just hard to look at this and not think what could have happened had they just left and redone the 4 main buildings with this as the central concept. Then used the funds saved on other projects.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Luscious park / garden vibes very much are what set a theme park apart.

Putting a *park* in a *park*... who ever heard of such a thing?!!?/!1

 

[fgmnt]

Leaving aside the timeline and the loss of the fountain, the redo of the central area in this garden-like setting is a nice change. It's just hard to look at this and not think what could have happened had they just left and redone the 4 main buildings with this as the central concept. Then used the funds saved on other projects.

Especially difficult to see the poor stewardship of this redo’s funds while the shadow of a languishing Spaceship Earth looms literally overtop the hub.

 

[_caleb]

Some of you people have a weird thing for fountains

 

[Incomudro]

The added greenery is nice. With all of the necessary changes needed for this park including at least one new pavilion, added attractions etc, it is underwhelming... Especially knocking down a building that hosted character meet and greets and then building a new building to host meet and greets...
I am glad the construction is wrapping up... I really am, but I wish we had more to look forward to.

The new building is more than a simple meet and greet now.
It's going to be open on both sides, with lots of possibilities for use.
I find it to be a vast improvement, and very much prefer it to them having left the structure as it was.

 

[Incomudro]

Some of you people have a weird thing for fountains

Count me in as one of those, it's not some type of fetish to like fountains.
Fountains are quite a popular thing for people since Roman times, and were thought important enough for Disney to create the Fountain of Nations.

 

[Andrew C]

it's not some type of fetish to like fountains.

Its okay...this is a safe space.

 

[MrPromey]

Everyone loves planters right? As Iger says, the EPCOT re imagination is a total success!

"More trees" is, after all, the Iger creative touch!

 

[Disney Analyst]

Its okay...this is a safe space.

I mean, I like a water feature myself, but I never found the fountain of nations particularly interesting enough to lament its loss

 

[Jambo Dad]

I mean, I like a water feature myself, but I never found the fountain of nations particularly interesting enough to lament its loss

I did. Teat out the stage that was built around it, adjust Journey of Water to fit, and don't tear down communicore just to rebuild it because they realized it was a stupid idea. That alone would have perhaps freed up enough for the Spaceship Earth upgrades.

 

[UNCgolf]

I mean, I like a water feature myself, but I never found the fountain of nations particularly interesting enough to lament its loss

The water show synchronized to music was a really nice plus to the area that's now lacking.

 

[lazyboy97o]

This is now a lush garden, begging you to explore.

To what end? There’s no payoff. No connection to a larger idea, a theme. Nor does it provide orientation to the land, something this project was supposed to address.

 

[Virtual Toad]

Honest question: did Disney do all the creative work on this plan themselves? Or were outside consultants brought in?

Asking because the (nearly) finished product seems very similar to several recent downtown/urban renewal projects that feature prominent green spaces and opportunities for "activation."

 

[MrPromey]

The water show synchronized to music was a really nice plus to the area that's now lacking.

Yeah, one could argue it provided more of a guest experience than the new greenery which, while nice is simply something that not only replaces that as a bottleneck but also removes additional space in the central spine for guest flow.

That'll all look nice to walk past during the day as people head to attractions - the things to do and watch like the regularly scheduled music synced fountain show was part of - but I suspect that, while an improvement over the not-so-temporary wall experience, it'll be a loss in efficiency when it comes to the crowds exiting the park after the new nighttime show when compared to what had been there previously.

 

[Indy_UK]

So what do we reckon for the Communicore Building to be complete? March/April?

This re-work of the central hub has been painfully long for whats just landscaping but I now hope that all 4 parks shouldn't be prone to such large closures going forward. Any future work in Epcot shouldn't affect the guest experience too much.

They won't but Imagine Pavillion & Wonders of Life need to be the focus now to add/help with capacity.

 

[Virtual Toad]

Yeah, one could argue it provided more of a guest experience than the new greenery which, while nice is simply something that not only replaces that as a bottleneck but also removes additional space in the central spine for guest flow.

That'll all look nice to walk past during the day as people head to attractions but I suspect that, while an improvement over the not-so-temporary wall experience, it'll be a loss in efficiency when it comes to the crowds exiting the park after the new nighttime show from what had been there previously.

I had the same thought as well. Looking at it from the air makes it seem as if 90% of guests will use the outer paths only. Taking what was once a spacious kinetic plaza and turning it into an area prone to bottlenecks and congestion. One of the reasons it looks more like an urban park designed by outsiders and thrown into a theme park, as opposed to being developed organically from a theme park operations/design perspective.

 

[wbostic12]

One thing to point out regarding the synchronized lighting effects: the back wall right where you order Starbucks inside Connections Cafe now syncs with the SSE shows. This is definitely new, I don’t remember it actually matching the same lighting patterns and colors before

Do you have any video or pictures of that? I haven’t been back since October 21, so I haven’t seen it yet.

 

[tparris]

Do you have any video or pictures of that? I haven’t been back since October 21, so I haven’t seen it yet.

Tonight I will

 

[MrPromey]

I had the same thought as well. Looking at it from the air makes it seem as if 90% of guests will use the outer paths only. Taking what was once a spacious kinetic plaza and turning it into an area prone to bottlenecks and congestion. One of the reasons it looks more like an urban park designed by outsiders and thrown into a theme park, as opposed to being developed organically from a theme park operations/design perspective.

And to that end, I'm not against green space. The layout of how this was done just seems a little odd considering they were able to do whatever they wanted with it in terms of those pathways. I mean, there is the "shortcut" over by Moana on that side but I don't expect most causal guests will now realize they can try to get around things that way when exiting at night unless they're directed from the lagoon on that side of the park.