News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

The Hub of EPCOT is not EPCOT's only "park feature." There are acres of park-like areas in front of the front-gate pavilions extending to and surrounding all of Showcase Lagoon. EPCOT is a giant park-like park.

The Old Hub had trouble presenting itself as a park-like park with all that concrete that engulfed everything, even the first 6 feet of the FoN.

Here's the park in EPCOT. Only 76 acres tho...

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The weird thing about this image is by the time the Harmonious Barges were installed and the roof was replaced on connections and creating the fountain of nations was long gone and filled in yet we see a structure resembling it.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

One thing that I remember is that Iger stated that the big expenditures for WDW would not start until the latter half of this decade in one of his conferences. So, they might not start anything, i.e., shovels in dirt, until 2027 or 2028. I'm guessing that they are betting on a) Their fans won't go to Epic, b) A rising tide lifts all boats (more visitors for both UNI and WDW, or c) Weather the Epic storm and then strike after it cools a little.

I have no inside opinions but Disney could be in a for rude awakening, as happened with Potter. I also wonder if their actuaries or whoever is doing the predicting are feeding upper management with rainbow-colored visions of the future.

Disney needs to go the traditional Disney route of the past, take note from Tokyo, or else most importantly listen to what the guests want because the only way their Star Wars Galaxy Edge would been an Avatar winner was had they went with the classic route. Universal just pointed out that they asked and listened to their fans and guests. lol

 

[CntrlFlPete]

so this 'park' thing is an after hours rentable wedding ceremony place in the heart of Epcot?

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Disney needs to go the traditional Disney route of the past, take note from Tokyo, or else most importantly listen to what the guests want because the only way their Star Wars Galaxy Edge would been an Avatar winner was had they went with the classic route. Universal just pointed out that they asked and listened to their fans and guests. lol

Galaxy's Edge could've been a smash hit, but KK & Iger's egos got in the way.

 

[Incomudro]

Galaxy's Edge could've been a smash hit, but KK & Iger's egos got in the way.

Penny pinching got in the way.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Penny pinching got in the way.

While this is true, setting & locking the land into the sequel trilogy was their first sin. I am not a Sequel trilogy hater and it does not bother me that it's set in the sequel trilogy, but I am in the minority. There are a vast majority of people that would not have cared what stops Disney pulled out for this, if they can't meet Darth Vader.

We will also obviously never know the exact budgets and such, but I'm very curious how much of those funds got "pinched" for the R&D of the Starcruiser tech.

 

[Bocabear]

so this 'park' thing is an after hours rentable wedding ceremony place in the heart of Epcot?

it feels very On BRAND for TDO 2024 to be renting major park structures for private events...it has been happening for years, maybe we will now start seeing more of this...

 

[lazyboy97o]

Penny pinching got in the way.

No, it did not. They spent a small fortune, making them the most expensive lands ever built

 

[CntrlFlPete]

it feels very On BRAND for TDO 2024 to be renting major park structures for private events...it has been happening for years, maybe we will now start seeing more of this...

it opens up availability in '25 and I get they have many wedding venues on property, I just did not think the open area was meant for weddings.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

it opens up availability in '25 and I get they have many wedding venues on property, I just did not think the open area was meant for weddings.

Nothing says having a wedding at Epcot without your creepy uncle sitting Waaay in the back corner...Referring to the Walt Poopin Statue

 

[Incomudro]

No, it did not. They spent a small fortune, making them the most expensive lands ever built

They did spend a fortune on that.
But they were tight on live actors, droids, creatures, and anything else that would make that land look like it is actually inhabited.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Nothing says having a wedding at Epcot without your creepy uncle sitting Waaay in the back corner...Referring to the Walt Poopin Statue

I think it’s perfect for a shotgun wedding, however, since you can see Epcot’s baby crowning behind the happy couple.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

Sorry, I prefer my marriage at Celestial Park... I repeat: "Cele oo~ la la` Park

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I think it’s perfect for a shotgun wedding, however, since you can see Epcot’s baby crowning behind the happy couple.

As the DJ plays "Tomorrow's Child"...

Actually I think I'm going to officially name the planter that.

 

[DCBaker]

Photos from today - the walkway has reopened.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Well lets at least compare concept art, because reality isn't the way it appears in marketing art.

I feel that my mind is less blown by the concept art for Celestial Park than most people's on here seems to be.

It looks like it could be nice, but I don't look at the concept art and think "If only Epcot's central spine could be more like that" or that Universal has developed some kind of next level version of the park hub. It seems more like a potentially improved version of what Disney tried with Gardens of Imagination at SDL, with the caveat that it has a big hotel as the focal point.

There are plenty of issues with the redevelopment of the central spine, and I can understand why the inclusion of fountains in one and replacement of an impressive fountain with nothing much invites some comparison. I am generally pleased that they went for a more restrained aesthetic approach than a lot of the stuff people seem to want from the Celestial Park plans such as kinetics provided by the new attractions, however.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

It seems the current (employeees) who worked on JOW vs the ones that did World Celebration Gardens were not the same and totally opposite when working on a disney project. One was still a disney parks magical experience, the other is not, it's not even Epcot or Disney to me. I'm embracing JOW vibes a tranquil spot just like Japan pavilion gardens by the koi pond. Luckily we have that. They might as well use the space for all the art booths for Festival of The Arts... having the art booths around the countries is ugly to me, it's not like they had paintings from those countries. Now they have no excuse not to have a parade because of World Showcase festival crowds...let it Tapestry of Nations around World Celebration lol...

 

[Vinnie Mac]

It seems the current (employeees) who worked on JOW vs the ones that did World Celebration Gardens were not the same and totally opposite when working on a disney project. One was still a disney parks magical experience, the other is not, it's not even Epcot or Disney to me.

My biggest issue with the Epcot transformation is the lack of consistency in quality. You have some additions that respect the original Epcot spirit (and even add to it in its own way) like the SSE points of light, Space 220, or even JOW. Meanwhile there are the other additions that are just... okay like the WC hub.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

My biggest issue with the Epcot transformation is the lack of consistency in quality. You have some additions that respect the original Epcot spirit (and even add to it in its own way) like the SSE points of light, Space 220, or even JOW. Meanwhile there are the other additions that are just... okay like the WC hub.

Totally! You'd actually think the lights on Spaceship Earth, and the futuristic light up monorail would been superb there during future world years and be removed now by the direction they are going with World Celebration. That to me is Future World still existing!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Totally! You'd actually think the lights on Spaceship Earth, and the futuristic light up monorail would been superb there during future world years and be removed now by the direction they are going with World Celebration. That to me is Future World still existing!

I'm sorry, but I think The SSE lighting package is superb compared to the late FW years..That dull faded orange/pink/purple lights overstayed waay too long and they could had a color transition after the Wands demise of 2007...

With the new package I think is Amazing..Yes it's not as awe-inspiring as Vegas's Sphere..

But, it Still is Amazing with what they had done with it adding the new lighting on the ship itself but they Finally added the long waited lighting package that was to happen after the Wand was taken down..