News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[GhostHost1000]

View attachment 799025

Why exempt the monorail? The local airport has a monorail. Ho hum.

And that glass pyramid can be found at a Paris museum and other places. Ho hum. Yawn.

And yes, Communicore Hall looks awful empty. Because it's empty. It's not an attraction apart from what it will host in the future. An empty stage looks awful until there's a show on it. An empty conference room looks bad while there's no convention taking place.

If ya don't like empty rooms or stages, don't go to them while they're empty.

It doesn't look bad because it's empty

it looks bad because it's a ridiculously scaled back design from what was originally planned and turned out having the architecture of a school cafeteria or local mall regardless of what decor they want to stick on the walls or hang on the ceilings during festival time. if they were going to do this, they could have just left innoventions and just remodel it a little. This took an insane amount of time and money....for this

this is what is wrong with Disney today - if only their imagineers would walk down the pathway a little further and learn about imagination (although they botched that last redesign too)

 

[Bocabear]

Couldn't agree more. The buildings that were torn down actually had some architectural chops. John Hench had a great vision... the buildings were altered over the years and started to look bad... Cleaning Up Communicore East shows that the structures are beautiful and modern... The thing they built is garbage architecture with skin on it to ape the look of Spaceship Earth. It is a building without a clear mission...and looks like a ticket kiosk with a school cafeteria attached....neither inspirational or aspirational... Which is now basically the central core of the park...a bland corporate park with a flex space party rental hall and meet and greet... I blame those that approved and guided this design... aside from adding some shade, It is a failure on every level...Makes a fun imaginative theme park feel like a bland and boring corporate office park...How much simpler it would have been to restore Communicore West tear of the central court, add trees and floral display and a large central show fountain.... That was the EPCOT we needed....

 

[lazyboy97o]

I was at WDW for nearly two weeks just a week ago.

The empty Communicore Hall didn't bother me at all.

Because I didn't go in.

Had no reason to. There was no attraction there.

I also didn't go up onto the empty American Adventure stage, nor into the Millennium building, nor into the WoL pavilion. Had no reason to.

If y'all want to argue that it should then have been closed. Fine. Let the complaints about how it is closed begin: "At least we could get some A/C and recharge our phones. They should've let us in!"

Perhaps we could go back to non-stop Festivals so that a Summer Festival or an early F&W Festival can be active in the Hall. Fine. Let the complaints about the non-stop Festivals resume. "There's always a money-grab Festival going on!!"

Would it be nice to have better appointments in the space? Yes. Is this a sign of failure-to-theme? No... it's empty space waiting for the next festival. Not incompetence.

Yes, if you just ignore things that aren’t very good then everything is great. This is right in the center of the park and being something people should ignore is incompetence.

It doesn't look bad because it's empty

it looks bad because it's a ridiculously scaled back design from what was originally planned and turned out having the architecture of a school cafeteria or local mall regardless of what decor they want to stick on the walls or hang on the ceilings during festival time. if they were going to do this, they could have just left innoventions and just remodel it a little. This took an insane amount of time and money....for this

this is what is wrong with Disney today - if only their imagineers would walk down the pathway a little further and learn about imagination (although they botched that last redesign too)

The Festival Center wasn’t going to be any better. It would have had the same issue and for most wouldn’t even have offered air conditioning.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I remember seeing the rendering for the "original" idea where you had 4 buildings, each stripped out and "glassed in" similar to Connections and Creations. I really wish they would have gone with that. They could have easily pushed JoW back into World Nature a bit and arguably had windows overlooking that area from the NW building. It would have been a much better design, likely much cheaper and given us an entire extra building to use for something.

I know "would of/should of" isn't always helpful. But, it's really hard to not compare what we got vs. what we had vs. what was planned. This is very poor decision making and (likely) overinvolvement of executives.

 

[Bocabear]

I remember seeing the rendering for the "original" idea where you had 4 buildings, each stripped out and "glassed in" similar to Connections and Creations. I really wish they would have gone with that. They could have easily pushed JoW back into World Nature a bit and arguably had windows overlooking that area from the NW building. It would have been a much better design, likely much cheaper and given us an entire extra building to use for something.

I know "would of/should of" isn't always helpful. But, it's really hard to not compare what we got vs. what we had vs. what was planned. This is very poor decision making and (likely) overinvolvement of executives.

The funny thing is the buildings were already basically there and mostly glass that had been covered up...Yes it would have required some remodeling but would have been less expensive than the complete tear down and building the new bland, poorly scaled cafeteria and covered patio that they built.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

They could have easily pushed JoW back into World Nature a bit and arguably had windows overlooking that area from the NW building. It would have been a much better design, likely much cheaper and given us an entire extra building to use for something.

This was the plan almost a full 30 years ago. Long term expansion plan listed the concept of a water play area being built behind the NW CommuniCore. The idea was dusted off and moved to the Fountain of Nations in 2015, then moved to just take up the entire NW CommuniCore plot to accommodate for the Festival Center that never happened.

 

[davis_unoxx]

Just released art for the D23 Exp this August. Imagine if they brought back Horizons? One can dream :/

 

[Bocabear]

Yet with all of these flubs and misses, somehow those in charge get big performance bonuses every year.... Who called for the big new Festival Building that started all this mess and approved the plan? Who then cancelled the plan after the demolition of Communicore West? Who misunderstood the budget before demolition started? Who approved releasing and hyping the new plans that were later cut? Seems like nobody knows what is going on there...like basic decisions... Don't promote a plan that is tenuous at best.... Bob's 2022 and 2023 bonuses could have probably built that festival center...

 

[Tha Realest]

View attachment 799455
Just released art for the D23 Exp this August. Imagine if they brought back Horizons? One can dream :/

Set up a bunch of VR headsets in WOL and contract with @marni1971, Kevin Perjurer, Retro WDW and the Epcot82 dudes and let us virtually experience Epcot as it was and meant to be

 

[Disstevefan1]

Yet with all of these flubs and misses, somehow those in charge get big performance bonuses every year.... Who called for the big new Festival Building that started all this mess and approved the plan? Who then cancelled the plan after the demolition of Communicore West? Who misunderstood the budget before demolition started? Who approved releasing and hyping the new plans that were later cut? Seems like nobody knows what is going on there...like basic decisions... Don't promote a plan that is tenuous at best.... Bob's 2022 and 2023 bonuses could have probably built that festival center...

 

[Andrew C]

View attachment 799455
Just released art for the D23 Exp this August. Imagine if they brought back Horizons? One can dream :/

They are pulling on your nostalgia strings intentionally...only to deliver disappointment.

 

[DCLcruiser]

View attachment 799455
Just released art for the D23 Exp this August. Imagine if they brought back Horizons? One can dream :/

They don't mean the ride.

"Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center. Josh D’Amaro will welcome fans as he takes the stage with surprise stars and special guests for a live celebration of the music and creativity that power our stories and — of course — news and updates about projects in development around the world. The future is bright for Disney Experiences and this can’t-miss showcase will show fans what’s on the horizon and beyond."

Disney Experiences at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event!

disneyparksblog.com

 

[Disstevefan1]

They don't mean the ride.

"Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center. Josh D’Amaro will welcome fans as he takes the stage with surprise stars and special guests for a live celebration of the music and creativity that power our stories and — of course — news and updates about projects in development around the world. The future is bright for Disney Experiences and this can’t-miss showcase will show fans what’s on the horizon and beyond."

Disney Experiences at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event!

disneyparksblog.com

Some things we will NEVER see again -
Horizons
Osborne Lights
Illuminations
Fountain of Nations
Lights of winter.
Cinderella Castle’s Dream Lights.

Ahh, the good old days.....

 

[Bocabear]

They don't mean the ride.

"Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center. Josh D’Amaro will welcome fans as he takes the stage with surprise stars and special guests for a live celebration of the music and creativity that power our stories and — of course — news and updates about projects in development around the world. The future is bright for Disney Experiences and this can’t-miss showcase will show fans what’s on the horizon and beyond."

Disney Experiences at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event!

disneyparksblog.com

but not in the US... We will continue to get retreads and a whole lot of nothing but meet and greets and cupcake parties....That is going to be a fascinating panel. I would love to hear the audience boo him off the stage when he doesn't announce anything for Dreamfinder and Figment....lol
As long as we keep applauding their mediocre, budget-slashed projects, that is what we will continue to get...

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

They don't mean the ride.

"Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center. Josh D’Amaro will welcome fans as he takes the stage with surprise stars and special guests for a live celebration of the music and creativity that power our stories and — of course — news and updates about projects in development around the world. The future is bright for Disney Experiences and this can’t-miss showcase will show fans what’s on the horizon and beyond."

Disney Experiences at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10 at the Honda Center during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event!

disneyparksblog.com

Josh sounds like a used cars salesman. Kicking tires on stage.

 

[V_L_Raptor]

They’ll announce all kinds of new, cool stuff… for Anaheim.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

It doesn't look bad because it's empty

it looks bad because it's a ridiculously scaled back design from what was originally planned and turned out having the architecture of a school cafeteria or local mall regardless of what decor they want to stick on the walls or hang on the ceilings during festival time. if they were going to do this, they could have just left innoventions and just remodel it a little. This took an insane amount of time and money....for this

this is what is wrong with Disney today - if only their imagineers would walk down the pathway a little further and learn about imagination (although they botched that last redesign too)

Exactly, to me no matter how they decorate for the festivals the building interior will still appear like a high school Breakfast Club detention hall. It's like a community neighborhood park place where some outdoor BBQ and a field day... and the rest of World Celebration looking like a college campus.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

if they were going to do this, they could have just left innoventions and just remodel it a little. This took an insane amount of time and money....for this

It's shocking how much they tore down immediately. Fountain of Nations and Innovention's West when they could of started tearing just half of Innoventions and first focused on Journey of Water. Since they were remodeling Innoventions East it would made sense keeping the South side by Imagination as is until they decided Festival Center building foundation and building assembly was guaranteed. This is why a preview center the Universal route is better because at least everything you see there is a guaranteed vs wowing you and half luckily none of anything could of happened.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It's shocking how much they tore down immediately. Fountain of Nations and Innovention's West when they could of started tearing just half of Innoventions and first focused on Journey of Water. Since they were remodeling Innoventions East it would made sense keeping the South side by Imagination as is until they decided Festival Center building foundation and building assembly was guaranteed. This is why a preview center the Universal route is better because at least everything you see there is a guaranteed vs wowing you and half luckily none of anything could of happened.

That would have made absolutely no sense. It would have required a bunch of extra, temporary work at a time when the Festival Center was very much a go.

Universal has now closed both attractions in Lost Continent for a project that’s still not definite.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

That would have made absolutely no sense. It would have required a bunch of extra, temporary work at a time when the Festival Center was very much a go.

I don't think it would have made much of a difference, however Journey of Water was very much a supplemental project to the Festival Center. What should have happened was it should have been cancelled as soon as they knew the original Festival Center was not moving forward. Hindsight being 20/20 of course you can say "they should've tore the other side down first" because we know JoW ended up finished, but at a time when both the Festival Center and JoW were still full steam ahead it did not matter which one went down first. The big mistake was continuing the demo post-COVID in the first place.

Universal has now closed both attractions in Lost Continent for a project that’s still not definite.

You could say the same thing about several facilities at EPCOT that closed and sat empty while their replacement projects were either in limbo or not being drawn up at all. Lost Continent's replacement at least has an IP locked in, it just needs to finally get out of creative hell and get a timeline set up.