News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[UNCgolf]

Overall, when comparing what's there now to what was there before, it's all wins. If one wants to compare it to some ideal space that 'should have been'... well, the good will always lose to the perfect ideal that one has created in their headspace.

Communicore Hall is definitely not better than what was there before, but that aside, it's not really the good losing to the perfect.

In this case, it's the below average losing to the average or better. As I said above, I'm not giving out gold stars for improving from a D to a C.

Is it an improvement? Yes, it is, but it's hard for me to imagine anyone looking at this and thinking it was worth the time and money Disney spent on it. It feels like something that could have been done in about a third of time for a third of the cost (at least if Journey of Water is excluded, which I suppose is a little unfair).

 

[chriswacy]

The new flex space looks better than the old flex space. It's not a theme park destination unless you need A/C or get out of the rain or a place to eat your kiosk food. Since it's not a destination, it's not decorated. When they have something happening in there (probably connected to a festival -- and there are no current festivals for the Summer), it will likely be nicely appointed. It's a flex space. Not a full-time attraction. Altho one big critique is that while the Men's Room is nicer than what was there before, someone at Disney still doesn't understand that a modesty panel isn't modest if it's tiny.

Hear me out: What if they put literally anything to look at inside

 

[MisterPenguin]

Hear me out: What if they put literally anything to look at inside

Maybe they can borrow some of LwtL's Christmas lights.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

There's just so many confusing and poor decisions.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Overall the amount of time, money, and effort put into this "overhaul" was not even remotely worth it in the end.

Is it an improvement? Yes, it is, but it's hard for me to imagine anyone looking at this and thinking it was worth the time and money Disney spent on it. It feels like something that could have been done in about a third of time for a third of the cost (at least if Journey of Water is excluded, which I suppose is a little unfair).

These sum up my feelings on many of Disney's recent additions. I think most of the changes have been improvements, but given the time and money spent on them, they should be better.

Agreed.

Any fan who dislikes the IP mandate/park pivot should be visiting Awesome Planet and Canada Far & Wide every vacation to support the first IP-free investments at WDW in years.

Otherwise, their low attendance will be another (misleading) data point for TDO to argue that only studio IP attractions are worthwhile.

Movies are not attractions that serve a great interest to me. I watched the Canada movie, but I'd be more likely to visit and revisit a Canada ride. We do the Mexico boat ride way more than any movies (IP or non-IP).

 

[mattpeto]

Gotta admit that space inside CommuniCore looks super bland. Hopefully it's Diet Epcot theming and we'll get some neat displays during Festivals.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Gotta admit that space inside CommuniCore looks super bland. Hopefully it's Diet Epcot theming and we'll get some neat displays during Festivals.

Honestly, it kinda feels like you'd expect an expo hall to look inbetween festivals...

They really need to come up with a legitimate summer festival next year now that they have all this covered space they could use.

 

[Disney Analyst]

At least we can all move on now. Hopefully this is the end of the COVID era projects and drama, and whatever we get moving forward makes more people happy.

 

[dreamfinding]

The hub at night with all the synchronized lights (sans rings, unfortunately) looks great. I look forward to Communicore Hall adding to the light-bath now the walls are down. I'll be there in just a few weeks to take it all in.

Why haven’t the rings been replaced? Why bother installing cool things when you can’t maintain them?

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Some thoughts:

• The hub now is much better than before even without a fountain. The concrete expanse was dreary and draining. And yes, the light-up rings need to be fixed, stat.

• JoW is a treat day or night.

• We're getting live entertainment day and night in the hub. People were moaning for more live entertainment. We got it. Why the crickets?

• The new flex space looks better than the old flex space. It's not a theme park destination unless you need A/C or get out of the rain or a place to eat your kiosk food. Since it's not a destination, it's not decorated. When they have something happening in there (probably connected to a festival -- and there are no current festivals for the Summer), it will likely be nicely appointed. It's a flex space. Not a full-time attraction. Altho one big critique is that while the Men's Room is nicer than what was there before, someone at Disney still doesn't understand that a modesty panel isn't modest if it's tiny.

• The hub at night with all the synchronized lights (sans rings, unfortunately) looks great. I look forward to Communicore Hall adding to the light-bath now the walls are down. I'll be there in just a few weeks to take it all in.

• Overall, when comparing what's there now to what was there before, it's all wins. If one wants to compare it to some ideal space that 'should have been'... well, the good will always lose to the perfect ideal that one has created in their headspace.

Agree. I never visited Epcot before the 2000s so I have no nostalgia for the Epcot Center days. I'm not a fan of every change that was made, but on the whole what's there now is infinitely preferable to what was there before (a dying, irrelevant theme park).

 

[trainplane3]

They were giving out stickers today and for some reason they have the old font on them?

Not gonna lie though, I wish they'd sell professionally done stickers like someone did a few years ago.

 

[marni1971]

and whatever we get moving forward makes more people happy.

Bulldozers?

 

[ChrisFL]

At least we can all move on now. Hopefully this is the end of the COVID era projects and drama, and whatever we get moving forward makes more people happy.

In other words after all management gets changed

 

[monothingie]

Bulldozers?

Well if anyone needs design inspiration to remodel an Airport Terminal, you've got a lot of talent at WDI.

 

[KDM31091]

Honestly, it kinda feels like you'd expect an expo hall to look inbetween festivals...

They really need to come up with a legitimate summer festival next year now that they have all this covered space they could use.

I don't like the excuse that it will be decorated for festivals. No, they shouldn't need to rely on that to give the space some theme. We have no festival for months now until Food and Wine. The space should not look like a generic expo hall or airport for that long.

The concept art with rainbow Figment statue, and color, and texture, and carpeting, is 100% better than what we got, and still could have been gussied up for festivals. There are things to look at. There is theming. If people keep excusing away these objectively bad design decisions we will just keep getting them.

It's not even an issue of whether the space looks "nice" or not, it's that for Disney's premium pricing we need to expect and demand more.

 

[wdwmagic]

Are all [temporary/construction] walls in the park gone now? Or which ones still stand?

There are still some in the main entrance area where the former backstage bypass was.

 

[wdwmagic]

Is the counter inside the building going to be used for food service regularly or is that only for special events? i.e. or is this outside window the only regular food service

This is what the On Stage kitchens look like currently

 

[Moth]

I’m thinking we may need to go back to Walt’s model of sponsorship.

Most companies are too gun shy to sponsor anything. That's why TT is going thru 2 versions while Imagination is on one within like, 22 years.

I heard two companies might sponsor EPCOT stuff in the future if rumors hold true but I don't think we'll get sponsors for a Long Long time.

 

[wdwmagic]

Most companies are too gun shy to sponsor anything. That's why TT is going thru 2 versions while Imagination is on one within like, 22 years.

I heard two companies might sponsor EPCOT stuff in the future if rumors hold true but I don't think we'll get sponsors for a Long Long time.

The almost there Brazil pavilion was the last time I had heard of an all new sponsor coming online with a significant spend.

 

[dreamfinding]

Most companies are too gun shy to sponsor anything. That's why TT is going thru 2 versions while Imagination is on one within like, 22 years.

I heard two companies might sponsor EPCOT stuff in the future if rumors hold true but I don't think we'll get sponsors for a Long Long time.

As much as I dislike them sowmtimes, I don't think would be the worst choice for SSE. Isn’t a certain car manufacturer/rocket company rumored to be sponsoring something?

I know Kodak is in no position to sponsor i! again. Is Chiquita still sponsoring LwtL?