Mickeynerd17
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure that seas to entrance pathway is temporary just like the SSE to Guardians pathway was.
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News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?
- Thread starter djkidkaz
- Start date
Centauri Space Station
Well-Known Member
I believe it’s permanent to bypass JOW easier
Rob562
Well-Known Member
I realize it's just concept art, and plans have obviously changed in some aspects, but it shows that there is a path to bypass JOW that'll be farther into the park than the current one.
-Rob
Oh, the non-existent bottleneck for 97% of a park day?
My experience is that I had trained myself to always walk on the side of FoN that faced MouseGears because the side that faced Starbucks was always a pinch point people-jam precisely because Starbucks jutted into 'the hub' right where FoN was. Didn't matter the time of day.
I was always aware of the bad layout every time I passed FoN.
Then again, I was keenly aware of the bad layout design for most of Epcot that required going around long ways, meandering paths that were a trap, and the constant pinch of foot traffic by the multiplication of kiosks (including those in the hub that crowded the hub and took away from enjoying the FoN as a 'show fountain.')
Also, my bad vibes of FoN is based on what it had become, not its original form. The cementification of the hub encircled the FoN making it unattractive and literally out-of-touch. It was always in a state of disrepair. And the addition of a stage facing an cement expanse with no shade was a bad idea and only furthered the cementing-out of the FoN. Not to mention no people-friendly place to just chill out and watch a FoN 'show.'
It was a sign that Disney had given up on the FoN being an attraction in and of itself. Getting rid of it, was, IMO, a mercy killing.
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MaximumEd
Well-Known Member
@MisterPenguin Valid. Heading from FW to WS, it always tempted me to abandon the central path and cut over by the Odyssey to get to the Mexico side of WS. By some weird trick of architecture or something in the space-time continuum, either way you take is longer than the one you don’t take.
vikescaper
Well-Known Member
Remember that when EPCOT opened, there were the circulation corridors in both CommuniCore buildings. I can’t remember if they kept them open until park close, though.
Also: The 'shortcut' running from Canada to Imagination in parallel to the central spine looks like it will be faster, but, because it's so much narrower, you get stuck behind slow movers. IT'S A TRAP!
WDWMountaineer
Member
I was too young to remember Epcot Centre before the 90's renovations, canopy, Eletric Umbrella, Innoventions. Was the concrete added as part of this or before? Is there a good resource that shows what the hub area was like before all the concrete addtions?
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
It used to have a lot of water features etc. instead of being a giant concrete plaza. I would also love to see photos of it to remind me (I was there during that time but as a relatively small kid) -- I'm sure they're out there, but I've never found any good ones.
My guess is @marni1971 has some good photos of the original EPCOT plaza if he would be kind enough to share?
Picture #5 in a gallery a ways down this page has a great view of the area in 1985:
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Several pictures in there are good at showing how much more green space there was.
DznyRktekt
Well-Known Member
Those photos bring back childhood memories for sure. EPCOT Center was the physical internet of the 80's.
GladToBeHear
Well-Known Member
Interesting how those aerials of the FW layout and pavilions look more futuristic/forward-thinking than what's there now. Now, I know the graphics, signage, color palette, etc. is a different story. But this really brings back memories of the park that I loved as a kid.
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Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I don't have any photos, but the original design did indeed have more pools. It wasn't really any more or less navigable. The main issue is the various Communicore buildings were more enclosed and cut off. They had much easier walkways, effectively being indoor bypasses around the edge in many ways. You then stepped down into the lowered areas with the attractions. But, you could also use them as "covered indoor walkways" - at least on the west side. (My memory of Centorium is a little more vague - but I think you could walk along side it as well.)
WDWMountaineer
Member
This certainly gives the area a less desolate concrete jungle feeling. Interestingly enough much like what many cities are trying to do in urban areas to remove concrete plazas from the 80s and 90s and add back some nature.
Having only experienced the dark interiors of Innoventions it would have been something to see the light filled Communicore.
This makes a lot of sense in Florida's climate. If they had increased the permeability of the existing buildings to foot traffic they could have reintroduced a bypass around the hub area, an air condtioned one at that.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
It was really a pretty incredible design. There's no doubt it had a bit of a "mall" feel to it by today's standards. It really disappoints me that they could have basically restored that feel in a modern way (not entirely unlike Connections and Creations - for better or worse). Having very open, natural spaces on the west side that fed into the walkways of JoW could have been incredible. And, it would have TRULY harkened back to EPCOT Center's original design.
I think Martin at one point hinted to a version of the Spine that was somewhat like this. And it makes it even more sad we aren't utilizing that version.
If my memories of the early to mid 80’s are correct, you could walk along the east side of Communicore East. I believe West was the same, just mirrored, for all intents and purposes.