News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

co10064

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I'm looking forward to when the spine is complete. I really like the theming (well... ascetic is probably a better term since there's not much theming) of Creations Shop and renovated Club Cool. The whole design from the updated color scheme to the fonts is very visually appealing to me and will certainly be better than what was better than before.

Still, it seems like with this whole Epcot 2.0 (3.0? 4.0?) project, all we got was a reshuffling of existing spaces. Club Cool got moved, Starbucks got moved, the Play pavilion seems like a more kid-centric Innoventions which swapped places with the Festival Center. With so much empty space in the previous buildings, I would have hoped for more than a Moana walkthrough to fill those gaps.

In my made up armchair imagineering, I would have taken the Tron coaster concept, keep the design/theming, but modify the track layout to travel through parts of the Communicore buildings (maybe have the attraction queue/entrance take over Wonders of Life or Energy).
 

Rich Brownn

Well-Known Member
I'm looking forward to when the spine is complete. I really like the theming (well... ascetic is probably a better term since there's not much theming) of Creations Shop and renovated Club Cool. The whole design from the updated color scheme to the fonts is very visually appealing to me and will certainly be better than what was better than before.

Still, it seems like with this whole Epcot 2.0 (3.0? 4.0?) project, all we got was a reshuffling of existing spaces. Club Cool got moved, Starbucks got moved, the Play pavilion seems like a more kid-centric Innoventions which swapped places with the Festival Center. With so much empty space in the previous buildings, I would have hoped for more than a Moana walkthrough to fill those gaps.

In my made up armchair imagineering, I would have taken the Tron coaster concept, keep the design/theming, but modify the track layout to travel through parts of the Communicore buildings (maybe have the attraction queue/entrance take over Wonders of Life or Energy).
The original designed of CommuniCore called for a WedWay on the upper lever going through the building. If they'd only built that the building would probably still be here. *sigh*
 

sedati

Well-Known Member
The original designed of CommuniCore called for a WedWay on the upper lever going through the building. If they'd only built that the building would probably still be here. *sigh*
And yet that design didn't even stop inside of Communicore. It only passed through taking you from the gateway of Future World to the gateway of World Showcase. And I'm not sure cruizing past vast underutilized spaces would have helped the longevity of the buildings. All the Wedway idea did was give us overly tall structures in the middle of the park for yet another EPCOT feature that was never to be. *double-sigh*
 

CaptinEO

Well-Known Member
We are at Disney World for the first time since early 2019. Did Epcot today. I knew Guardians and Rat were in progress but had no idea about the walls. Why are they redoing the center of the entry way?

They divided up the front of the park in half and it made things very confusing. The walls didn't say what the construction was for and just had random Disney characters on them.

Reminds me of California Adventure during its redo and all the walls.
 

DoleWhipDrea

Well-Known Member
We are at Disney World for the first time since early 2019. Did Epcot today. I knew Guardians and Rat were in progress but had no idea about the walls. Why are they redoing the center of the entry way?

They divided up the front of the park in half and it made things very confusing. The walls didn't say what the construction was for and just had random Disney characters on them.

Reminds me of California Adventure during its redo and all the walls.

It's a combination of projects (some of which may not be built anymore, but they closed off this area and started work prior to the pandemic.) Work is wrapping up on the new Creations Shop (replacing Mouse Gears), the new version of Club Cool and the new Starbucks. We also know that Dreamer's Point (featuring a statue of Walt) is going somewhere in this area behind Spaceship Earth on a set of steps to look out at EPCOT. One side of Innoventions has been leveled to make way for Journey of Water. I haven't seen an update on the Wishing Tree and garden area...and the originally planned Festival Center will become a "Festival Area," which will probably just be more lawns and festival booths.

It's a bit of a challenge to do all of this construction in the middle of the park and have multiple sections when so much is being torn up. It's easier for the crew working to have more of the area isolated and worked on all at once.

I remember DCA's claustrophobic maze of walls. I think this is a bit better (though obviously not ideal.) At least the entrance hub and fountain are finished...that made things a tad trickier before. With EPCOT now at least it's a little more clear in that you just need to choose left or right. But I will be plenty relieved when the walls come down.
 

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
We are at Disney World for the first time since early 2019. Did Epcot today. I knew Guardians and Rat were in progress but had no idea about the walls. Why are they redoing the center of the entry way?

They divided up the front of the park in half and it made things very confusing. The walls didn't say what the construction was for and just had random Disney characters on them.

Reminds me of California Adventure during its redo and all the walls.
I actually though of this the other day, none of the walls explain that theyre redoing the park, which might be confusing to some people especially if it’s their first visit. I’m sure they have some “please excuse us...” signs laying around they can throw up
 

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
Not sure if this was asked...But, with Innoventions West and the construction within the plaza..Are the Epcot Tunnels still being used?
qk3h7bd9fcc31.jpg
 

Mickeynerd17

Well-Known Member
Not sure if this was asked...But, with Innoventions West and the construction within the plaza..Are the Epcot Tunnels still being used?
qk3h7bd9fcc31.jpg
I think so. There's a long strip of concrete where Innoventions West was that matches the shape of the building. Also, they just built a cover for one of the staircases. I believe they're keeping those.
 

DreamfinderGuy

Well-Known Member
Not sure if this was asked...But, with Innoventions West and the construction within the plaza..Are the Epcot Tunnels still being used?
qk3h7bd9fcc31.jpg
I believe at least portions of the west end are currently closed. They closed the southwest area as soon as demolition started. I mean, there’s not much use for it with no guest facing areas over there. It will eventually be put back into service though.
 

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
I believe at least portions of the west end are currently closed. They closed the southwest area as soon as demolition started. I mean, there’s not much use for it with no guest facing areas over there. It will eventually be put back into service though.
For what? the plan we have seen has nothing but open lawns and park space...why would there be any need for a tunnel? to service the artificial turf event lawn? Or someday in the far blown future when the ill-fated table building could possibly be built?
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
For what? the plan we have seen has nothing but open lawns and park space...why would there be any need for a tunnel? to service the artificial turf event lawn? Or someday in the far blown future when the ill-fated table building could possibly be built?
Yes, exactly.

If they make the area a 'festival area' with nice landscaping without taking into account the access points, what are they going to do? Put a wooden pallet over the access holes? Cement them off?

While construction is happening, they should definitely be future-proofed so that whatever may come next doesn't have to be demolished and rebuilt.

Besides, those access points can still be used to remove garbage and stock kiosks for the time being... as long as they aren't capped off.
 

bpiper

Well-Known Member
Yes, exactly.

If they make the area a 'festival area' with nice landscaping without taking into account the access points, what are they going to do? Put a wooden pallet over the access holes? Cement them off?

While construction is happening, they should definitely be future-proofed so that whatever may come next doesn't have to be demolished and rebuilt.

Besides, those access points can still be used to remove garbage and stock kiosks for the time being... as long as they aren't capped off.
Don't forget that those access points are also emergency exit points from the area down below. Since it looks like that they are keeping the underground area, I would think that the fire code would require that the other two exits be eventually rebuilt also (breezeway & club cool).
 

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