News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[RSoxNo1]

Seeing as Disney isn't dealing with an influx of companies banging down their door to use Innoventions exhibit space, I'm all for this area being used for recent/upcoming movies. Innoventions West especially should be home to character meet and greets for whatever the latest movie is. I know they've recently expanded to include Baymax, Joy and Sadness, but those were established before getting to Epcot.

This is a way to get the characters (and new characters at that) into Epcot without contaminating the rest of the park.

 

[Mike S]

Mike, I cannot like your last post enough! Rides over M&G any day! For me- over theater shows as well.

It depends on the ride and show. If I had a choice between riding Imagination and watching the American Adventure and could only do one I'm going with the show.

 

[marni1971]

I'm all for this area being used for recent/upcoming movies. Innoventions West especially should be home to character meet and greets for whatever the latest movie is..

This could very well end up happening. Well, south west anyway.

Whatever it ends up being called.

 

[RobbinsDad]

My big blue sky idea for a long time has been to see it revert back to Communicore and take on a new purpose, and seeing that the idea was there from the beginning that the buildings could be expanded just makes me wish it more.

Not to waste too much time with armchair imagineering, but I'd love the idea to see more space dedicated to the Future World theme concepts (communication, energy, future living, etc.), but with added cultural space in Communicore that Disney could use for outreach to local arts, tech, and academic communities. Like, maybe a room for ensemble musical performances by local or college orchestras, or a scientific concept demonstration space, or a forum room for academic presentations or debates, with each visitor for each purpose wearing a name tag with a corresponding pavilion logo. Here for the discussion of alternative fuels? Here's your Energy pavilion name tag. Performing with the chamber group? Here's your Imagination (for the arts) logo. Discussing new city layouts for future planning concepts? Horizons logo, etc.

Again, blue sky, but it'd be great for those buildings to actually have a purpose, and keeping a strong relationship with local schools, artistic groups, and the like could ensure that they'd actually get used and not grow obsolete as quickly as Innoventions did.

You know, this is actually very smart. Again, armchair and all, but if Disney would focus its edutainment on the SSE/Innoventions area, beef it up and promote this as the "core" of Future World, they could then IP the heck out of East and West. Not ideal certainly, but at least something could remain sacred.

 

[DznyRktekt]

It depends on the ride and show. If I had a choice between riding Imagination and watching the American Adventure and could only do one I'm going with the show.

Original Imagination, or the current version?

 

[RobidaFlats]

Original Imagination, or the current version?

What about the glorious middle version?

 

[RoysCabin]

You know, this is actually very smart. Again, armchair and all, but if Disney would focus its edutainment on the SSE/Innoventions area, beef it up and promote this as the "core" of Future World, they could then IP the heck out of East and West. Not ideal certainly, but at least something could remain sacred.

Yeah, the best analysis I've heard of what EPCOT should shoot for in the future is to embrace its status as "the hang out park", be it hanging out for food, drink, art installations, street performances, hands on displays, some of the rides being a bit more leisurely in pace, etc., and Communicore/Innoventions could easily embody that (well, ok, maybe not the booze part in that particular area) along with some of those spaces for things like concerts or issue panels for guests.

Obviously I think most of us would prefer they don't go heavy on IPs for the other pavilions, but even if they did it'd be nice if they could keep that "hang out" concept in mind, and have things sort of set up the way the Mexico pavilion is, where yes, there's an IP driven ride there, but the surrounding pavilion also includes maybe some art, or some displays pertaining to a theme in the pavilion, stuff like that, though obviously the ride areas in a Future World pavilion would be larger. Nice to dream, I suppose.

 

[Bocabear]

Yeah, the best analysis I've heard of what EPCOT should shoot for in the future is to embrace its status as "the hang out park", be it hanging out for food, drink, art installations, street performances, hands on displays, some of the rides being a bit more leisurely in pace, etc., and Communicore/Innoventions could easily embody that (well, ok, maybe not the booze part in that particular area) along with some of those spaces for things like concerts or issue panels for guests.

Obviously I think most of us would prefer they don't go heavy on IPs for the other pavilions, but even if they did it'd be nice if they could keep that "hang out" concept in mind, and have things sort of set up the way the Mexico pavilion is, where yes, there's an IP driven ride there, but the surrounding pavilion also includes maybe some art, or some displays pertaining to a theme in the pavilion, stuff like that, though obviously the ride areas in a Future World pavilion would be larger. Nice to dream, I suppose.

But isn't "Hang Out" supposed to be the theme of the free admission Disney Springs?

 

[brb1006]

Ride trumps M&G every time if given the choice. Just look at the current waits for the A&E M&G compared to the Frozen ride.

I agree, I love M&G's but I really love the attractions. I would usually ride an attraction based on a certain Disney film before meeting a character.

 

[RoysCabin]

But isn't "Hang Out" supposed to be the theme of the free admission Disney Springs?

Maybe, but Disney Springs wouldn't have the theming of EPCOT driving what the art installations, tech displays, or even drink options would be, plus Disney Springs won't have actual rides and attractions on the level a park the size of EPCOT can have. Just a different scale of operations, and DS is much more explicitly a sort of outdoor shopping mall.

Heck, when you think about it, wasn't World Showcase initially designed as a shopping area (sort of an international version of Lake Buena Vista Village) in the years before the WS and Future World models were finally pushed together? World Showcase already works as an amazing themed "hang out" area, even if it does have a few "mall-esque" trappings, and it just feels logical to extend that vibe to Future World; the future feeling more approachable because you're being invited to take your time a bit more than in other parks, stop and smell the roses a little at, say, maybe a statue meant to represent a Future World theme, or a small museum-style display case inside a larger pavilion.

Put more succinctly, I guess I'd just like to see a bit more World Showcase in Future World to serve as a compliment to the larger scale rides that FW is able to support that WS can't.

 

[Bocabear]

Maybe, but Disney Springs wouldn't have the theming of EPCOT driving what the art installations, tech displays, or even drink options would be, plus Disney Springs won't have actual rides and attractions on the level a park the size of EPCOT can have. Just a different scale of operations, and DS is much more explicitly a sort of outdoor shopping mall.

Heck, when you think about it, wasn't World Showcase initially designed as a shopping area (sort of an international version of Lake Buena Vista Village) in the years before the WS and Future World models were finally pushed together? World Showcase already works as an amazing themed "hang out" area, even if it does have a few "mall-esque" trappings, and it just feels logical to extend that vibe to Future World; the future feeling more approachable because you're being invited to take your time a bit more than in other parks, stop and smell the roses a little at, say, maybe a statue meant to represent a Future World theme, or a small museum-style display case inside a larger pavilion.

Put more succinctly, I guess I'd just like to see a bit more World Showcase in Future World to serve as a compliment to the larger scale rides that FW is able to support that WS can't.

I agree Future World needs some of the "Hang Out" vibe that World Showcase has...Unfortunately it has in the past only ofered quick-serve options with the exception of Coral Reef and the rotatong restaurant in The Land pavilion...Would be nice to see a few more eateries pop up outside of the ride pavilions...maybe in the Innoventions/communicore esplanade... Maybe some innovative futuristic looking dining venues where one could also get a nice craft cocktail and fun tapas...

 

[CanadianGordon]

I honestly wish I'd ridden Universe of Energy when I visited last year with all this talk of big changes. I know I saw the original version when I went in 1984 or 85... I remember the dinosaurs at Epcot. Forgot completely to ride it again. Having seen the atrocity that is Ellen.. And I like her as a person and performer but having seen the video that Martinvids put together, yikes. Please put that ride out of it's misery. Make it something fresh and new. Innovate.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

I agree Future World needs some of the "Hang Out" vibe that World Showcase has...Unfortunately it has in the past only ofered quick-serve options with the exception of Coral Reef and the rotatong restaurant in The Land pavilion...Would be nice to see a few more eateries pop up outside of the ride pavilions...maybe in the Innoventions/communicore esplanade... Maybe some innovative futuristic looking dining venues where one could also get a nice craft cocktail and fun tapas...

I think Epcot in general doesn't need any more eating places including table services although there is a case for Table Service in Future World.

My reasoning is Spice Road Table didn't have a lot of people when I was walking past Morocco at Night in the past. What I am getting it is there could be starting to be more eating places than the demand for it. By having more eating places in Future World, it might affect World Showcase in terms of how crowded those eating places would be.

 

[RoysCabin]

I think Epcot in general doesn't need any more eating places including table services although there is a case for Table Service in Future World.

My reasoning is Spice Road Table didn't have a lot of people when I was walking past Morocco at Night in the past. What I am getting it is there could be starting to be more eating places than the demand for it. By having more eating places in Future World, it might affect World Showcase in terms of how crowded those eating places would be.

That's fair, you don't want to outpace demand. I'd argue it's possible to keep it simpler: maybe for the "hang out" vibe, a simple grouping of benches in a shaded area, right in a place that can feature some street performance or what have you at certain hours, and little museum spaces here and there. Foxxy really did a great job writing up about it at the Passport to Dreams blog, and now the whole idea's been swimming in my head more than it used to, as she even brought up how important it is to consider the smallest details when going for something like that (e.g., is the interior of a pavilion inviting? Is it using paint or carpeting on walls? Is there consistency between the pavilions even as they deal with different topics in different ways?). Heck, certainly more cost effective than potentially gutting Energy.

 

[RSoxNo1]

This could very well end up happening. Well, south west anyway.

Whatever it ends up being called.

Today's park guest expect meet and greets. The new Norway area can expand beyond Anna and Elsa should they so desire as well.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

It depends on the ride and show. If I had a choice between riding Imagination and watching the American Adventure and could only do one I'm going with the show.

I consider AA an attraction as it has Audio-Animatronics. I was thinking more in the vein of the B&tB show at DHS etc. All live performers stuff.

 

[Ismael Flores]

If they somehow were to return Journey into Imagination back the original track layout....then we could actually say that Disney is adding a loop to a ride!

(it would be slow and horizontal, but still...)

Isn't it a shame that Epcot has these huge buildings with ride that lasted more than a couple minutes then they go in and cut the ride time and leave parts of the buildings empty. The imagination pavilion was amazing with its multiple floors full of activities a nice long ride and theater and now we have an abbreviated ride and empty second floor and who knows what's playing in the theater

 

[Admiral01]

When I was a kid, my parents would take us (my brother and me) to WDW for 2 or 3 days on a vacation. We'd typically come from 2 weeks on Sanibel Island, and the WDW bit was an add-on bonus. Sometimes it was a day, sometimes we did 5 or 6, but we typically did 2 to 3.

Back in the day, when WDW was just MK and EPCOT, we would spend a whole day at EPCOT, then a most of a day at MK until evening, then monorail back to EPCOT for a few hours. Once MGM opened, it was the same thing. Part of the day at MGM, then back to EPCOT.

As a kid, I remember how excited I was when we finally left the MK in the afternoon to go back to EPCOT. After a day of a bunch of lands of fantasy, I was so excited to get back to the world of science fiction. I'd get to choose the first ride after getting back to EPCOT - and would usually choose Horizons. It was awesome. After the mindless singing pirates, grim grinning ghosts, and cartoon rides, I got to go back to exploring the unlimited potential of the future. There was so much to explore. I was 3 when we started doing that, and we did that until I was 18 on my last trip with my parents in their care. EPCOT influenced me in ways I never thought possible. My memories of EPCOT Center, and what it represented, still drive me.

I didn't return until I was 27. A lot changed between 1999 and 2008. My wife and I still spend most of our WDW time at EPCOT, but it isn't the same. She never saw it before 2008, but she has heard a lot about when EPCOT was EPCOT. Its not nostalgia that makes me dislike some of the current EPCOT - it is the change in content. We as a society need science fiction with a positive outlook. EPCOT could be just that, exactly as it had been.

 

[aladdin2007]

Isn't it a shame that Epcot has these huge buildings with ride that lasted more than a couple minutes then they go in and cut the ride time and leave parts of the buildings empty. The imagination pavilion was amazing with its multiple floors full of activities a nice long ride and theater and now we have an abbreviated ride and empty second floor and who knows what's playing in the theater

This! Epcot use to take two days to see everything. now its a half day.

 

[marni1971]

Watch this space.

Like very very very soon.

If you like certain diversionary attractions you should make the most of them.

I'll also cautiously add there is more being planned for the park. Some decisions - if they happen - are sure to please a lot of people.

I won't go into specifics yet since nothing is definite yet apart from what I've already talked about. There is a lot of proposal and counter proposal for over the next 8 years or so. However there is a definite acknowledgement the whole park needs work.

I should also reiterate EPCOT Center is dead. This isn't a return to that parks hey day.