News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[Richie248]

This looks great from what I've seen. Will see it in person in 5 days. Some folks will pick it apart but I think they did a nice job. IMHO, time to move past the lengthy construction period and lack of fountain.

 

[James Alucobond]

@tparris BTW, I didn't see it in any of the pictures but may have missed it—did you catch a glimpse of what's going on behind Dreamers Point? Is it just a curved wall of corten steel, or is there a bench or something there? It looked a bit weird from the aerial shots, so I was curious how that turned out.

 

[tparris]

@tparris BTW, I didn't see it in any of the pictures but may have missed it—did you catch a glimpse of what's going on behind Dreamers Point? Is it just a curved wall of corten steel, or is there a bench or something there? It looked a bit weird from the aerial shots, so I was curious how that turned out.

There was something there made out of corten steel, but it was blocked by rolling planters. It had a sort of framed out, skeletal structure to it, but I’m not sure what it was.

 

[James Alucobond]

Thank you. Interested to see what the heck that is.

 

[Casper Gutman]

It just seems colorless - greys and browns and greens. Hopefully a lot of bright flowers, but at the moment it looks uninvitingly urban and banal.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Now I’m just armchair engineering here…
They added Journey of Water which is fine for what it is but misplaced.

How would you have felt if they utilized the entirety of the central spine to create a massive walkthrough attraction of sorts (like JoW) with multiple spots to enter/exit. Areas that tie in the surrounding pavilions and in the center, a grand Walt statue as if these ideas were all centered around him?

 

[wbostic12]

Any nighttime pictures yet from the “preview”?

 

[co10064]

Just noticed the shape of this light fixture looks like an Alucobond panel on SSE.View attachment 757424

I see the Delta Airlines logo

 

[tparris]

Any nighttime pictures yet from the “preview”?

Preview ended at 5 unfortunately

 

[Virtual Toad]

I've been considering the pics if the refurbishment all afternoon. The first thing that came to my mind was "it's a park without a theme inside a park without a theme."

However, if we consider that the closest thing Epcot now has to a theme is "festival park," the concept behind the new area starts to make a lot of sense. It's really not much more than a permanent version of the various temporary seating/landscaped areas they put in place in FW during previous festival periods.

Those who still long for the grander vision of the old Epcot (myself included) may find the new central core lacking. But it's clear Disney has been working hard to reset guests' expectations when it comes to Epcot the past several years-- so again, with that in mind, the new area achieves its purpose as an extension of the year-round festival theme. The reason it doesn't try to be more is that it simply no longer has to.

 

[HMF]

I’m more talking about on Twitter. People here seem to be generally positive about it, but on Twitter there are so many people acting like it’s the worst thing they’ve ever seen at a Disney Park

That's twitter for ya.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Is there a prescription for ”fountain dryness”?

Visit Journey of water

 

[James Alucobond]

I've been considering the pics if the refurbishment all afternoon. The first thing that came to my mind was "it's a park without a theme inside a park without a theme."

However, if we consider that the closest thing Epcot now has to a theme is "festival park," the concept behind the new area starts to make a lot of sense. It's really not much more than a permanent version of the various temporary seating/landscaped areas they put in place in FW during previous festival periods.

Those who still long for the grander vision of the old Epcot (myself included) may find the new central core lacking. But it's clear Disney has been working hard to reset guests' expectations when it comes to Epcot the past several years-- so again, with that in mind, the new area achieves its purpose as an extension of the year-round festival theme. The reason it doesn't try to be more is that it simply no longer has to.

I understand this sentiment relative to the contents of original CommuniCore buildings, but when did the central plaza ever aspire to be more than patios, gardens, water features, and kiosks? It's cool to prefer past designs for this space or to take issue with not making the most of the redesign to do more (meeting expectations rather than exceeding them), but these gardens were never home to some unique grand vision.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I understand this sentiment relative to the contents of original CommuniCore buildings, but when did the central plaza ever aspire to be more than patios, gardens, water features, and kiosks? It's cool to prefer past designs for this space or to take issue with not making the most of the redesign to do more (meeting expectations rather than exceeding them), but these gardens were never home to some unique grand vision.

Agreed.

Unless this was the revolutionary vision we all saw for the world:

Where as parks, nature, greenery, feels like a far greater vision for the world we want to live in than the previous iteration. It feels inviting, relaxing, and natural.

 

[Mickeynerd17]

Where as parks, nature, greenery, feels like a far greater vision for the world we want to live in than the previous iteration. It feels inviting, relaxing, and natural.

I agree.

Yet, it still baffles me that WDI doesn't seem to realize they got it right the first time. The perfect blend of the above.

Is it really that hard to go back to something like this with some more trees and a new fountain?

 

[Disney Analyst]

Outlines each section briefly. Notes that Inspiration Garden will be used during festivals.

 

[MrPromey]

I think there are more than enough food and beverage kiosks in Epcot as it is.

and most, funny enough, without nearby seating.

 

[Virtual Toad]

I understand this sentiment relative to the contents of original CommuniCore buildings, but when did the central plaza ever aspire to be more than patios, gardens, water features, and kiosks? It's cool to prefer past designs for this space or to take issue with not making the most of the redesign to do more (meeting expectations rather than exceeding them), but these gardens were never home to some unique grand vision.

I'd argue the original architectural/design choices for the area did achieve the goal of setting the stage for a grand adventure of world culture and future possibilities. Much like a cinematic "reveal," guests were funneled through a relatively narrow area under/around Spaceship Earth before heading into an increasingly wider plaza, one that offered a grand and open view, filled with the kinetics of the Fountain of Nations and the energetic vibe of hundreds of guests heading off in different directions. "Which way should we go first?" asked excited guests because the environment beckoned them to do so. The space was deliberately vast and open to reflect a future full of endless possibilities.

The scene was also framed deliberately by two symmetrical buildings, which provided a visual buffer intentionally blocking the view of the various Future World pavilions. That again was a deliberate and cinematic design choice intended to build excitement in stages. Guests would be energized by the plaza and hyped again as they turned right, left or straight ahead. Turning right or left through the central breezeways narrowed the vision to set the stage for the grand reveal of the Future World pavilions; straight ahead then left or right around the fountain revealed the wonder of World Showcase in the distance.

In those ways the old plaza served the purpose of the old EPCOT because it was intentionally set up as a series of build-up/reveals. Just as important, the symmetry of the Communicore buidings re-enforced the concepts of harmony and balance which were key to the original EPCOT concept.

Changes over time (including the addition of the tarps and pin trading station) were questionable additions to say the least, but overall the plaza still fulfilled its purpose as a stage-setter for the adventure ahead.

Which is why I think the new area fulfills its purpose within the theme of the new Epcot. The old themes of grand ideas, endless possibilities, technological wonders, utopian concepts and inter-cultural cooperation have been replaced with a "fun festival" concept.

I think that's a woefully low bar for Epcot to aspire to, but that's the Epcot we now have. So to that end, I think the new core fits the new theme and resulting expectations quite nicely. And that's not intended as a slam. It simply is what it is and fits the new ethos of the park as it stands today.

 

[_caleb]

They don't look like benches to me either.

I'm wondering why the "rust" look. EPCOT is/was all about the future and innovation and achievement. I understand that's gone by the wayside but rusted metal seems to be the exact opposite.

Today's future is going to be rusty!

 

[flyerjab]

We will be there this weekend. I think this area looks great and I cannot wait to FINALLY see this. To see this part of Epcot transform from day to night should really be fantastic to see.

It’s kind of nice when I think about this trip. We can check out the new central spine, JoW, and eat at Shiki-Sai. My wife and I will then cap off the evening with Luminous. Will also try to catch some lunch at Eet in Disney Springs. This time of year is always a more leisurely type of experience: checking out the holiday decorations at the parks and the resorts. So this redesigned area of Epcot will fit the bill perfectly.