News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[jensenrick]

This is when Epcot truly died

Almost 16 years ago, to the day.

 

[evilzorac]

While I wouldn't mind if they removed the marble monuments from the entry Plaza, I do hope they don't permanently destroy the steel image plates and can find some place to relocate them. I have two images on there, one with my grandfather in what was his final visit to Disney and one with my then girlfriend (and now wife) on our first visit to Disney together. We look them up every time we go.

I can certainly understand this but they sure can have the one with me and my ex-wife on it! lol

 

[Wikkler]

and that infuriates me, all because hes a retail guy and yet knows probably nothing about the parks, so he replaced staggs?

To Modern Disney, theme parks are just hundred-acre retail anyway.

 

[IanDLBZF]

Chappie wants Marvel to be in the USA parks in WDW as soon as possible because of his retail background.

Mind you, that's what may get him into trouble if Marvel ends up (with the exception of GOTG) in WDW. NBCUniversal can, and may very well, file a lawsuit against TWDC claiming they breached Marvel's original contract with them. According to this:

i. East of The Mississippi - any other theme park is limited to using characters not currently being used by MCA at the time such other license is granted. [For purpose of this subsection and subsection iv, a character is “being used by MCA” if (x) it or another character of the same “family” (e.g., any member of THE FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS or villains associated with a hero being used) is more than an incidental element of an attraction, is presented as a costumed character, or is more than an incidental element of the theming of a retail store or food facility; and, (y) in addition, if such character or another character from the same “family” is an element in any MCA marketing during the previous year. Any character who is only used as a costume character will not be considered to be “being used by MCA” unless it appears as more than an incidental element in MCA’s marketing.]
iii. East or West of The Mississippi - permitted uses shall be limited to the use of specific Marvel characters and Marvel may not permit a licensee to use the name “Marvel” as part of the attraction name or marketing.

.....

iv. East or West of The Mississippi - The foregoing permitted uses will be subject to the following marketing restrictions:


(a)
If the particular character is used by MCA (as defined above), such character will not be advertised or promoted East of The Mississippi, except by means of national Network buys of television, within printed materials such as brochures, or by print advertisements in periodicals directed to readers more than 300 miles from Orlando; and with regard to any of the foregoing permitted marketing, if the marketing is for a group of theme parks located both East and West of The Mississippi, the marketing shall make abundantly clear that the character only appears in the parks West of The Mississippi and shall not be subject to confusion on such point (such as would occur by visual inclusion of the character in a generic, multipark advertisement subject to a small print explanation of the parks where the character is present).

....Disney is very limited when it comes to Marvel and WDW.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Mind you, that's what may get him into trouble if Marvel ends up (with the exception of GOTG) in WDW. NBCUniversal can, and may very well, file a lawsuit against TWDC claiming they breached Marvel's original contract with them. According to this:

....Disney is very limited when it comes to Marvel and WDW.

As we've established earlier, that's why they're shilling Guardians so hard. It's one of the few things not covered under the contract.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Ellen leaving? Good. I like Ellen but not her version of Energy. It was dated upon arrival. The real question: When will Disney learn that using contemporary live actors on film or as AA's dates an attraction very quickly? (Indy may be the exception and that is only because the character is based on decades past and the look is iconic.)

 

[Mike S]

My thought has been that the Inside/Out characters, in particular Bing Bong, would be most beneficial as a replacement for HISTA/Captain EO. That way you would have Dreamfinder and Figment in the ride attraction to show you that "everything is possible if you use your imagination" and Bing Bong in the film attraction to show you that it's important to put your heart into your dreams and imagination. A way to have the two attractions balance the pavilion and complement each other.

That is actually not a bad idea. Kudos!!!

 

[Baltar]

I'm a huge EPCOT Center fan and will always be. Yet, a huge chunk of my love for it was lost when Horizons was shuttered. I've given up hope it'll ever have anything remotely close to EPCOT Center's original theme. So in that regard, I hate seeing WOL and Energy left in their state for so long. It's embarrassing. So part of me is glad they are putting big ideas into Epcot nowadays. While it will never be Epcot Center again, I've come to grips with that. Doesn't mean I wish things wouldn't change, but they won't. So I'll just accept reality and just be glad that any investment into Epcot now is better than watching it crumble.

Yes, I've lowered my bar of expectations very far. haha.

 

[Bocabear]

Someone made a very good point in regards to the Old Rocket Rods/Peoplemover at Disneyland... and many attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort... What other theme park has shuttered attractions and just left them sit there for decades rotting away in plain view? I don't even think Six Flags has ever closed a ride and left it sit there for a decade or more... How does the Walt Disney Company think this is good ar acceptable? 20,000 Leagues sat dormant for over a decade before they demolished it, Wonders Of Life has been closed for almost a decade now, Most of DHS was closed and sitting there... It is absolutely bizarre...and none of the other competitors of Disney have ever done that... I am just wondering how anyone can justify diminishing park offerings while raising prices...and leaving the ruins of old attractions you can no longer ride... in plain sight as a reminder...

 

[Dizney Crew]

Someone made a very good point in regards to the Old Rocket Rods/Peoplemover at Disneyland... and many attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort... What other theme park has shuttered attractions and just left them sit there for decades rotting away in plain view? I don't even think Six Flags has ever closed a ride and left it sit there for a decade or more... How does the Walt Disney Company think this is good ar acceptable? 20,000 Leagues sat dormant for over a decade before they demolished it, Wonders Of Life has been closed for almost a decade now, Most of DHS was closed and sitting there... It is absolutely bizarre...and none of the other competitors of Disney have ever done that... I am just wondering how anyone can justify diminishing park offerings while raising prices...and leaving the ruins of old attractions you can no longer ride... in plain sight as a reminder...

This......... its a shame that DHS and EPCOT have so many empty/closed attractions that have just sit there for what seems like forever, especially with all the $$$ that Disney makes off these parks, there all still Top 10 parks attendance wise across the country, yet seems like they get ZERO love in the form of anything new. I'm sure in the eyes of the higher ups at Disney, as long as people are still paying and coming to the parks, why should we invest $$ if we don't have to.

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

My thought has been that the Inside/Out characters, in particular Bing Bong, would be most beneficial as a replacement for HISTA/Captain EO. That way you would have Dreamfinder and Figment in the ride attraction to show you that "everything is possible if you use your imagination" and Bing Bong in the film attraction to show you that it's important to put your heart into your dreams and imagination. A way to have the two attractions balance the pavilion and complement each other.

One of the better thought out uses of IP in this park while still maintaining purpose and message.

 

[brb1006]

Personally, I didn't love EVERYTHING about Inside Out, but the premise of the film and its focus on how the mind works would actually allow for a very effective Future World ride. I wouldn't want it to be a book report on the film, but utilizing those characters to enter the world of imagination would actually be, in my opinion, quite compelling.

Figgie could still be there, too.

This might be the closest we will get to having Figment in an animated Disney/Pixar film.

I hope the secret Disney film in the future might be an animated adaptation of Journey Into Imagination and the first Disney Attraction in the Disney Animated Canon. It might be wishful thinking, but I hope they get some help with Tony Baxter to come up with ideas for the film if he's still able to live to see this happen someday.

 

[FigmentJedi]

This might be the closet we will get to having Figment in an animated Disney/Pixar film.

I hope the secret Disney film in the future might be an animated adaptation of Journey Into Imagination and the first Disney Attraction in the Disney Animated Canon. It might be wishful thinking, but I hope they get some help with Tony Baxter to come up with ideas for the film if he's still able to live to see this happen someday.

Comic plot as a starting point, stuffed with old Epcot nods, and executed in a manner that blends multiple animation techniques is my dream for a JII movie.

 

[brb1006]

Comic plot as a starting point, stuffed with old Epcot nods, and executed in a manner that blends multiple animation techniques is my dream for a JII movie.

Maybe they might bring in Spark from "Figment 2" while there at it

Also I would have loved to see the theme to "Magic Journeys" become a recurring element throughout the film as a tribute to the old 3D show since Magic Journeys used to located next to JII back in the 80's.

 

[tirian]

This......... its a shame that DHS and EPCOT have so many empty/closed attractions that have just sit there for what seems like forever, especially with all the $$$ that Disney makes off these parks, there all still Top 10 parks attendance wise across the country, yet seems like they get ZERO love in the form of anything new. I'm sure in the eyes of the higher ups at Disney, as long as people are still paying and coming to the parks, why should we invest $$ if we don't have to.

The company is managed by someone who doesn't understand his own brand's scope.

I question if Iger realizes "Disney" includes True Life Adventures, Spin & Marty, Zorro, and Darkwing Duck.

 

[Figments Friend]

When will Disney learn that using contemporary live actors on film or as AA's dates an attraction very quickly?
(Indy may be the exception and that is only because the character is based on decades past and the look is iconic.)

In the immortal words of Marty Sklar -
" Remember, the word 'trend' ends with 'END'! "

Trends eventually end, and are not long lasting / timeless.

Today's Disney should re-read that.
Let it sink in a little.

-

 

[Figments Friend]

The builders are coming. With a little bit of demo here and there.

And plans for a massive redesign and physical reconfiguration.

Let us hope that it will include the nice big windows, too.



-

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I still contend a ride on the opposite side of World Showcase would be a great idea. Not Ratatouille in France, but in my mind in thr UK Pavilion either Mystic Manor featuring more British-centric art and artifacts coming to life or a new version of the classic Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Or just do Imagination Pavilion with a re-themed Mystic Manor but make it Dreamfinder and Figment instead of Henry Mystic and a monkey.

Somewhere, not too long ago, I saw a post suggesting that Mystic Manor was under consideration for the Japan Pavilion.

 

[spaceghost]

The company is managed by someone who doesn't understand his own brand's scope.

I question if Iger realizes "Disney" includes True Life Adventures, Spin & Marty, Zorro, and Darkwing Duck.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Somewhere, not too long ago, I saw a post suggesting that Mystic Manor was under consideration for the Japan Pavilion.

A house full of Yokai could definitely be a pretty fun ride.