News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

Ralphlaw

Well-Known Member
That's the EPCOT Center I remember: huge and gorgeous, with tranquil paths leading to impressive, immersive rides. I concede the park needed some thrills to balance the collection of slow-moving Omnimovers, but the updates went too far and stripped many of the park's successful qualities too.

The park must have been more immersive back then. The thrillier rides were indeed needed, but even looking at these photos elevates the theming to something that screams "The future". I love Soarin',. but it seems to be closer to World Showcase than Future World themewise.

It's also interesting to note how comparatively few people seem to be walking around. I'd love to see crowds that light. Maybe some of these photos were staged, but seeing so few people would be a treat.

Finally, call me stupid, but I see that the Seas pavilion was apparently not built at opening. Must have come later. What they really need there is a water tunnel, with fish swimming alongside and over you.

Thanks, everyone, for the photos and constructive comments.
 

EricsBiscuit

Well-Known Member
It'd be nice if they changed the pink lights they have at night to the light blue color they have in the Tron Legacy movie. It'd look so much better!
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
It was total immersion.

Along with grand in its design and ambition, and majestic in its beauty. Just looking at those photos just moves you, renders you speechless in the magnificence and sheer beauty. Give me just one example of anything Disney's done in the past 25 years in the swamps that can do the same. Ok, ToT, but beyond that... Nothing, in my opinion.
 

tirian

Well-Known Member
Along with grand in its design and ambition, and majestic in its beauty. Just looking at those photos just moves you, renders you speechless in the magnificence and sheer beauty. Give me just one example of anything Disney's done in the past 25 years in the swamps that can do the same. Ok, ToT, but beyond that... Nothing, in my opinion.
I agree. DAK comes close but suffers from thematic breaks like Dinorama. EPCOT Center's Future World was one solid, immersive package, and its coupling with World Showcase made sense because it celebrated cultures.
 

tirian

Well-Known Member
The park must have been more immersive back then. The thrillier rides were indeed needed, but even looking at these photos elevates the theming to something that screams "The future". I love Soarin',. but it seems to be closer to World Showcase than Future World themewise.

It's also interesting to note how comparatively few people seem to be walking around. I'd love to see crowds that light. Maybe some of these photos were staged, but seeing so few people would be a treat.

Finally, call me stupid, but I see that the Seas pavilion was apparently not built at opening. Must have come later. What they really need there is a water tunnel, with fish swimming alongside and over you.

Thanks, everyone, for the photos and constructive comments.
The original Seacabs took guests through tunnels. Nemo blacked them out on one side.
 

Haymarket2008

Well-Known Member
A podcast from a Disney news site is suggesting that CommuniCore/Innoventions will possibly be renamed to Epcot Center? I knew that there was talk about the park itself being renamed to Epcot Center, but I thought the info was interesting.
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
I agree. DAK comes close but suffers from thematic breaks like Dinorama. EPCOT Center's Future World was one solid, immersive package, and its coupling with World Showcase made sense because it celebrated cultures.
Aside from Dinorama and Finding Nemo the Musical, is anything at DAK out of place?
 

tirian

Well-Known Member
Aside from Dinorama and Finding Nemo the Musical, is anything at DAK out of place?
No, those are the only things I can think of. At the same time, I think it's difficult to compare parks with multiple lands to EPCOT Center's Future World, because the former are collections of various themes, and the latter had one single theme carried throughout multiple pavilions.

I'm not saying one is better than the other. They're simply different.
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
No, those are the only things I can think of. At the same time, I think it's difficult to compare parks with multiple lands to EPCOT Center's Future World, because the former are collections of various themes, and the latter had one single theme carried throughout multiple pavilions.

I'm not saying one is better than the other. They're simply different.
Nemo, Gran fiesta Tour and Finding Nemo are the things that definitively go against previous approaches of EPCOT. Say what you want about the changes to the Imagination Pavilion, but for the most part they remained consistent with EPCOT's reality/science based approach. If anything, Captain EO was a bit out of place.

With Dinorama, it's not out of place concept and story wise. It's out of place because the concept is poorly executed for a park where that type of misstep is exaggerated. If Dinorama had a funhouse style Dinosaur attraction replacing Primeval Whirl I don't think it would be as ridiculed.

Finding Nemo is just odd placement, but it could be rolled into a more logical theme with Dinorama's demo.

My approach for the next stages of DAK would include the following:
  • Use the Tree of Life theater to showcase teasers of Disney Nature footage (or a new Disney Nature inspired show).
  • Fix the Yeti
  • Update Rivers of Light (I haven't seen it in person yet, but I'm assuming based on reports that this is necessary).
  • Add a C-ticket dark ride and a Lion viewing area/trail to Africa along the path to Pandora (from FoLK)
  • Replace Dinorama. Either continue the Dinosaur theme or go with Australia. I'd love to see an Australian trail and I imagine that could be smaller than the Asia and Africa counterparts.
 

Haymarket2008

Well-Known Member
Nemo, Gran fiesta Tour and Finding Nemo are the things that definitively go against previous approaches of EPCOT. Say what you want about the changes to the Imagination Pavilion, but for the most part they remained consistent with EPCOT's reality/science based approach. If anything, Captain EO was a bit out of place.

With Dinorama, it's not out of place concept and story wise. It's out of place because the concept is poorly executed for a park where that type of misstep is exaggerated. If Dinorama had a funhouse style Dinosaur attraction replacing Primeval Whirl I don't think it would be as ridiculed.

Finding Nemo is just odd placement, but it could be rolled into a more logical theme with Dinorama's demo.

My approach for the next stages of DAK would include the following:
  • Use the Tree of Life theater to showcase teasers of Disney Nature footage (or a new Disney Nature inspired show).
  • Fix the Yeti
  • Update Rivers of Light (I haven't seen it in person yet, but I'm assuming based on reports that this is necessary).
  • Add a C-ticket dark ride and a Lion viewing area/trail to Africa along the path to Pandora (from FoLK)
  • Replace Dinorama. Either continue the Dinosaur theme or go with Australia. I'd love to see an Australian trail and I imagine that could be smaller than the Asia and Africa counterparts.

I agree with all of this. And that is exactly what I think DAK should receive in the coming years.
 

DisneyDaver

Well-Known Member
That's the EPCOT Center I remember: huge and gorgeous, with tranquil paths leading to impressive, immersive rides. I concede the park needed some thrills to balance the collection of slow-moving Omnimovers, but the updates went too far and stripped many of the park's successful qualities too.

Visiting EPCOT multiple times in the 80s as a kid was awesome. If someone goes to EPCOT for the first time these days, he/she could never imagine what it was like back then. I'm bummed that my daughter will likely never get to experience anything like the EPCOT I grew up with.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
A podcast from a Disney news site is suggesting that CommuniCore/Innoventions will possibly be renamed to Epcot Center? I knew that there was talk about the park itself being renamed to Epcot Center, but I thought the info was interesting.
There's several names been mentioned (and plenty of proposals) for the central buildings.
 

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