News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[MrPromey]

Why are people never satisfied...what do you expect??

Landscaping projects that don't take more than half a decade to complete?

Think about how long the front of this park has been screwed up, starting with the process of putting planters back into the entrance in front of Spaceship Earth, the update to the tram area that hasn't even had trams in it for going on two years and then everything next to and behind Spaceship Earth.

And after it's eventually all complete, what is there to show for it?

Hopefully something that justifies years of paying guests facing detours, mazes of construction walls, and very poor show.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s not all “casual” one timers. Tough to whack people what is easy $10,000 a week for that kinda non-chalant. Which means the product/ROI is going to matter more and more. Even if the consumers are increasingly dumb.

The opportunity cost is becoming a bigger factor for us every year.

We currently have 6 nights in WDW and a 4 night Disney cruise booked for early 2023 and it was a little under $8k, including airfare. Figure in another $1000 in food and drinks at WDW and call it $9k.

We are looking at a 12 day, all inclusive, Rhine river cruise from Prague to Paris in early 2024 and it priced out at about $14k, including airfare.

$9k for 5 park days and 5 Disney cruise days vs $14k for a 12 day river cruise with 10 days of excursions in Prague, Germany, Luxembourg, and Paris… We love Disney, and it’s still a fairly substantial price difference, but we were shocked it was as close as it was.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The opportunity cost is becoming a bigger factor for us every year.

We currently have 6 nights in WDW and a 4 night Disney cruise booked for early 2023 and it was a little under $8k, including airfare. Figure in another $1000 in food and drinks at WDW and call it $9k.

We are looking at a 12 day, all inclusive, Rhine river cruise from Prague to Paris in early 2024 and it priced out at about $14k, including airfare.

$9k for 5 park days and 5 Disney cruise days vs $14k for a 12 day river cruise with 10 days of excursions in Prague, Germany, Luxembourg, and Paris… We love Disney, and it’s still a fairly substantial price difference, but we were shocked it was as close as it was.

Domestically…you can get a lot of things with more exclusive/luxury spots for the same or even less than wdw as it stands.

I mean…for 4 your looking at $6000+ for just room and tickets at a place like yacht club as it stands. That’s the jump point

 

[GladToBeHear]

Could you please provide a definition of "revenge traveling" and maybe some data that it exists? Thanks.

Halloween 2024

Happy Halloween! #GoogleDoodle

www.google.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

Halloween 2024

Happy Halloween! #GoogleDoodle

www.google.com

Yeah, I'm seeing a lot of "predictions" and "forecasts" and "surveys" that "indicate" there "may" be an increase in travel that is, of course, more than last year (which was in a slump because of COVID,) *but* will also *may be* higher than pre-pandemic levels "this Summer."

If there is all that unprecedented demand for travel that will far outpace pre-pandemic levels... it hasn't happen yet. And forecasts are based on surveys... not bookings.

And wouldn't a "revenge travel" movement be something that blows pre-pandemic levels out of the water because there's all this unprecedented demand? We should certainly see a huge jump from 2019 levels and not the same or slightly more, no?

And the actual evidence of that happening hasn't happened yet.

Articles keep referring to "more than last year" because, a-duh, of course more than during a pandemic. Or they're basing it on forecasts, which may not happen. Or, it may. But I certainly wouldn't talk about 'revenge travel' as a thing that exists until it actually exists.

 

[GladToBeHear]

Yeah, I'm seeing a lot of "predictions" and "forecasts" and "surveys" that "indicate" there "may" be an increase in travel that is, of course, more than last year (which was in a slump because of COVID,) *but* will also *may be* higher than pre-pandemic levels "this Summer."

If there is all that unprecedented demand for travel that will far outpace pre-pandemic levels... it hasn't happen yet. And forecasts are based on surveys... not bookings.

And wouldn't a "revenge travel" movement be something that blows pre-pandemic levels out of the water because there's all this unprecedented demand? We should certainly see a huge jump from 2019 levels and not the same or slightly more, no?

And the actual evidence of that happening hasn't happened yet.

Articles keep referring to "more than last year" because, a-duh, of course more than during a pandemic. Or they're basing it on forecasts, which may not happen. Or, it may. But I certainly wouldn't talk about 'revenge travel' as a thing that exists until it actually exists.

All solid points. I'm using "revenge traveling" as referring to people vacationing this year that couldn't/wouldn't the past two years (for obvious reasons).

 

[Incomudro]

All solid points. I'm using "revenge traveling" as referring to people vacationing this year that couldn't/wouldn't the past two years (for obviously reasons).

Put me and my family in that category, because we went to WDW in April, having postponed our previously booked trip that had to be cancelled due to park closings when covid broke out.
I have to wonder, with the price of everything going up so much - how many people are going to find themselves with the disposable incomes left for trips?

 

[GladToBeHear]

Put me and my family in that category, because went to WDW in April, having postponed our previously booked trip that had to be cancelled due to park closings when covid broke out.
I have to wonder, with the price of everything going up so much - how many people are going to find themselves with the disposable incomes left for trips?

Especially after factoring in crippling inflation. And it's only going to get worse.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Put me and my family in that category, because went to WDW in April, having postponed our previously booked trip that had to be cancelled due to park closings when covid broke out.
I have to wonder, with the price of everything going up so much - how many people are going to find themselves with the disposable incomes left for trips?

Did you take out your revenge on COVID by doubling the time of your vacation/travel?

 

[HauntedPirate]

So Disney has been alienating some of it's most loyal consumers, long time park goers/AP holders/DVC members. "No problem", we're told, "More people are ready, willing, and able to replace them!". If Disney's current wring-every-penny-from-the-consumer strategy starts alienating the first-timers with high prices, confusing ride/park reservation schemes, and a lackluster experience... where does the next pool of "loyal consumers" come from? I'm sure the sharp-pencil people have human behavior mapped out thoroughly, and everything will be fine.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[MisterPenguin]

Didn't they just renovate those restrooms when they tore down Communicore SW?

 

[SplashJacket]

Didn't they just renovate those restrooms when they tore down Communicore SW?

"It's not Disney unless you build it twice" - Epcot overhaul project lead

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Six Flags, Kennywood, Cedar Point, Bush Gardens and other places like them are their frames of reference and they come to WDW having heard it's the gold standard and feel otherwise once they get inside and see how much space there is with so little to do (in their view) compared to the parks they're accustomed to.

That's not a stance I personally agree with (completely) but I'm one of those long-term loyal customers they're currently losing on the other end of the spectrum.

*this is assumption on my part for how this will work based on the way everything else that has rolled out since FOP has gone. Maybe the uptime and the riders per hour will actually make this easy to get on.

I think there's likely some truth to this, but on the flip side I think Disney has managed to attract a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't consider theme park-based vacations. 'Going to Disney' has almost become it's own genre of vacation.

I'll preface this by saying that I have no plans to go back to WDW anytime soon due to the costs and planning involved, but I am among those who doesn't really have any great interest in travelling somewhere to visit theme parks but has been to WDW, DL, and DLP all multiple times. Hell, I have lived in the Netherlands for almost 6 years now and have never made it to Efteling and was in Cologne for 3 years before that and never got around to visiting Phantasialand.

For people already into amusement or theme parks the Disney aura may be a lot less or non-existent, but I don't know how big or lucrative that market is to Disney anyway. I suspect Disney is right in thinking their main competition is not so much people choosing Universal over Disney but people choosing an entirely different type of vacation over Disney. Hard to know whether that is happening yet, though that includes a lack of any evidence that it is happening so far.

 

[Nthderivative]

Didn't they just renovate those restrooms when they tore down Communicore SW?

I'm pretty sure they were remodeled in 2017ish.

 

[Clamman73]

Didn't they just renovate those restrooms when they tore down Communicore SW?

The Test Track side ones were, but I don’t think the West ones were done.

 

[wdwmagic]

Some photos of the Guest Relations area from today

Updated EPCOT Guest Relations sign and exterior - May 16 2022

Updated EPCOT Guest Relations sign and exterior - May 16 2022

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[Texas84]

Does that column have a purpose?

 

[P_Radden]

Some photos of the Guest Relations area from today

Updated EPCOT Guest Relations sign and exterior - May 16 2022

Updated EPCOT Guest Relations sign and exterior - May 16 2022

www.wdwmagic.com

Sorry if it's been discussed and I missed it but why are they building up the stair well exterior walls? Is this to extend the stairs up onto the roof? Or just to add a touch of symetry to the SSE/ProjectTomorrow building also seen in the pic?

 

[HauntedPirate]

Does that column have a purpose?

Why, yes! It hearkens back to Walt's original plans for EPCOT Center, and Zach and his Imagineering team used that as inspiration for this totally re-imagined space. They will also use immersive storytelling to transport guests like never before! (Hey, I really can use a bunch of buzzwords and say absolutely nothing as well! )