News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

Horizons1 · Feb 18, 2020

HauntedPirate said:
Oh, you mean like the Communicore buildings could have been used as flexible spaces if they just gutted them, cleaned them, and repurposed them?

Shhhh...

TwilightZone · Feb 18, 2020

SoFloMagic said:
Not sure where we were discussing it, but the passholder newsletter confirms that the mystery construction between land and imagination is the flower and garden festival butterfly house.

This sounds great! It’s nice to get another animal exhibit in epcot besides nemo (not that I don’t like the aquariums).

marni1971 · Feb 19, 2020

Horizons1 said:
Shhhh...

Don’t ruin the delusions.

marni1971 · Feb 19, 2020

HauntedMansionFLA said:
Hopefully more touch points will be available after they finish everything when you first enter the park.

They're already there. They just need to pay to staff them.

NormC · Feb 19, 2020

jt04 said:
A lot of adds for the 50th might be particular to the celebration and will go away by 2023 or so. So a mix of epic and task specific. For example the castle overlay (beyond the new gold), parades, fireworks and Live entertainment. All also potentially epic in their own way.

Do you plan to visit during the epic celebrations? 2022 would be 40 years since your last visit.

IMDREW · Feb 19, 2020

In all my years here on this forum, I've never seen @marni1971 so bitter about a project. Sad times..

AJDMB05 · Feb 19, 2020

MisterPenguin said:
Number one film in Mexico of all time. Made .8 billion dollars. Every year Disney increases the presence of Coco in their domestic parks. Almost had a Coco overlay of Gran Fiesta, but was cut for budget, but is still in the wings waiting its turn.

And to this thread in general:

Similarly, Moana made .64 billion dollars. Disney keeps increasing her presence in the parks (a featured element of HEA, e.g.).

And do I need to point out how popular GotG are?

If anyone doesn't like or care for these IPs, that's fine. If anyone thinks they don't belong in Epcot, that's fine. But to say they may not be that popular years from now? That's putting one's head in the sand and ignoring the large fan base these IPs have. Just because one may not be a fan themselves, doesn't mean that therefore, no one is. These are big IPs.

Also, the parks themselves keep IPs alive and kicking. Look at Figment. Look at Alice in Wonderland. Being featured by Disney in a Disney park means park-goers generally remain interested in them. That's the dreadful synergy that is bringing IPs into Epcot.

That's totally fair, and that's my own ignorance I guess. I didn't put it on the same level as Frozen or Toy Story and maybe that lowered it more in my mind.

I'm of the opinion that adding recent movie IP risks a greater chance of the ride feeling dated even sooner than with a timeless storyline. Put another way, I think Expedition Everest could stay the same forever, I feel like eventually a Coco or Moana ride would need an update. And I guess there's nothing wrong with updates.

DreamfinderGuy · Feb 19, 2020

IMDREW said:
In all my years here on this forum, I've never seen @marni1971 so bitter about a project. Sad times..

It’s because it’s a stupid project.

Epcot82Guy · Feb 19, 2020

I hate to say it. It's the first time I've ever felt this level of emotion about a project, too. And, I know others who feel the same way. I'm happy for everyone who is enjoying it and looking forward to it. But, they are (literally) ripping the heart out of something and pushing it in a new direction. And, that hurts a lot because it seems there were options that could have been much more "middle ground".

MisterPenguin · Feb 19, 2020

AJDMB05 said:
That's totally fair, and that's my own ignorance I guess. I didn't put it on the same level as Frozen or Toy Story and maybe that lowered it more in my mind.

I'm of the opinion that adding recent movie IP risks a greater chance of the ride feeling dated even sooner than with a timeless storyline. Put another way, I think Expedition Everest could stay the same forever, I feel like eventually a Coco or Moana ride would need an update. And I guess there's nothing wrong with updates.

You can also bet Disney does surveys and has a boat load of metrics judging how well each of their IPs are doing in order to monetize them.

jt04 · Feb 19, 2020

Epcot82Guy said:
I hate to say it. It's the first time I've ever felt this level of emotion about a project, too. And, I know others who feel the same way. I'm happy for everyone who is enjoying it and looking forward to it. But, they are (literally) ripping the heart out of something and pushing it in a new direction. And, that hurts a lot because it seems there were options that could have been much more "middle ground".

If it is any consolation, I think we have only seen a "rough outline" of what Future World (likely with a new moniker) will be by the 50th......of Epcot. 2032.

The smart phone doomed an already shaky business model. Technology made Future World obsolete. No shortage of irony there.

I think Imagineering can be trusted if corporate makes the investments over the next decade.

EJ96 · Feb 19, 2020

jt04 said:
If it is any consolation, I think we have only seen a "rough outline" of what Future World will be by the 50th......of Epcot. 2032.

The smart phone doomed an already shaky business model. No shortage of irony there.

I think Imagineering can be trusted if corporate makes the investments over the next decade.

LOL! We’ll be complaining about how dated it looks in 2032.

jt04 · Feb 19, 2020

EJ96 said:
LOL! We’ll be complaining about how dated it looks in 2032.

That is precisely why they are removing the millennium overlays. Those were stuck in time stylistically. But much of what will remain is timeless.

lazyboy97o · Feb 19, 2020

jt04 said:
That is precisely why they are removing the millennium overlays. Those were stuck in time stylistically. But much of what will remain is timeless.

Oh do go on about the stylistic differences between CommuniCore East and CommuniCore West.

jt04 · Feb 19, 2020

lazyboy97o said:
Oh do go on about the stylistic differences between CommuniCore East and CommuniCore West.

That was a content issue and one Eisner took care of whether you agree with the direction he steered Future World or not. He at least recognized the long term difficulties facing the park.