News Big changes coming to EPCOT's Future World?

[James Alucobond]

Okay, so when is construction thought to pick up in earnest on the pit of dirt in the center of this park?

I have no actual knowledge, but to me, it makes sense to target the point at which the table service restaurant opens in the northeast area. Until then, even if you open the rest of the plaza, you’ll still just be squishing everyone through the same funnels to the left and right of Spaceship Earth. Once the rehab of the eastern building is complete, you can reopen about two-thirds of the Celebration plaza and actually improve traffic flow. Otherwise, it’s more or less a dead end.

 

[CaptinEO]

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.

Thank you so much for the explanation. There is a whole lot going on I was not aware of. So many different projects. I hope everything wraps up soon.

Yes those DCA walls were totally brutal!

 

[michmousefan]

Gotta say that I'm kinda stunned that Chapek hasn't brought back the festival/stilts/garden rooftop building yet. Sure, I know that the Poppins and extensive re-do of SSE are unlikely; current management doesn't seem to care nearly as much about adding/plussing real attractions. But given the fact that they could/would charge $300/person (or more; I'm just guessing) for a rooftop dessert & Harmonious watch party — and given the determined attitude of pursuing upcharges wherever they can find them — the restraint here seems incongruous with the rest of their management objectives.

Is the current plan still just for some landscaping and tents in that area?

 

[aladdin2007]

Gotta say that I'm kinda stunned that Chapek hasn't brought back the festival/stilts/garden rooftop building yet. Sure, I know that the Poppins and extensive re-do of SSE are unlikely; current management doesn't seem to care nearly as much about adding/plussing real attractions. But given the fact that they could/would charge $300/person (or more; I'm just guessing) for a rooftop dessert & Harmonious watch party — and given the determined attitude of pursuing upcharges wherever they can find them — the restraint here seems incongruous with the rest of their management objectives.

Is the current plan still just for some landscaping and tents in that area?

They only care about pretty things and pretty lights and whats instagrammable,,,actual attractions forget it, sadly.

 

[DoleWhipDrea]

Gotta say that I'm kinda stunned that Chapek hasn't brought back the festival/stilts/garden rooftop building yet. Sure, I know that the Poppins and extensive re-do of SSE are unlikely; current management doesn't seem to care nearly as much about adding/plussing real attractions. But given the fact that they could/would charge $300/person (or more; I'm just guessing) for a rooftop dessert & Harmonious watch party — and given the determined attitude of pursuing upcharges wherever they can find them — the restraint here seems incongruous with the rest of their management objectives.

Is the current plan still just for some landscaping and tents in that area?

Honestly they won't be hurting to not spend the money for a while. They're still going to put together some type of "Festival Area" which will probably just be an expansion of the more permanent kiosks that have been built for the other festivals. Disney still makes a lot from the festivals with what they already have. And since the pandemic is still ongoing, I figure they're also not in a hurry to put together something to sell more dessert viewing parties when they're not selling those tickets.

Though a part of me continues to hope that they took notice that absolutely no one in the audience at D23 was excited about the announcement of that Festival Center. It was crickets in that giant event space and Chapek certainly didn't look comfortable while he was talking about it to that audience.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Honestly they won't be hurting to not spend the money for a while. They're still going to put together some type of "Festival Area" which will probably just be an expansion of the more permanent kiosks that have been built for the other festivals. Disney still makes a lot from the festivals with what they already have. And since the pandemic is still ongoing, I figure they're also not in a hurry to put together something to sell more dessert viewing parties when they're not selling those tickets.

Though a part of me continues to hope that they took notice that absolutely no one in the audience at D23 was excited about the announcement of that Festival Center. It was crickets in that giant event space and Chapek certainly didn't look comfortable while he was talking about it to that audience.

I'm pretty bummed. I thought it looked incredible strictly as an architectural feature.

 

[UNCgolf]

Chapek certainly didn't look comfortable while he was talking about it to that audience.

Has Chapek ever looked comfortable?

 

[James Alucobond]

Has Chapek ever looked comfortable?

He does look like he's always sweating bullets for whatever reason.

I'm pretty bummed. I thought it looked incredible strictly as an architectural feature.

I don't love it more than what was there, but it was also more or less the whole reason they razed the west side of World Celebration. Without it, the entire effort was for naught as I don't expect they'll put anything else there for a long, long while unless the original plans suddenly spring back to the fore. I would actually rather it be attraction space, perhaps still with the rooftop deck, but new plans sadly take forever to materialize, and it's not like they're going to reverse course and build back what they knocked down.

 

[trainplane3]

I know we noted the restroom refurb but I don't think anyone noticed the following?



Edit: I followed it up with this:


While it made sense to do the same lighting system as the entrance, I don't think it was ever confirmed it was before now.

 

[Stupido]

I know we noted the restroom refurb but I don't think anyone noticed the following?



Edit: I followed it up with this:


While it made sense to do the same lighting system as the entrance, I don't think it was ever confirmed it was before now.

I do really love this color coded theming taking place at EPCOT right now. Accent walls, lighting, and kiosks are all going a long way to really define these spaces. I think it's a really cool idea, and I can't wait to see how far it gets pushed when all the work is complete.

 

[FutureCEO]

I do really love this color coded theming taking place at EPCOT right now. Accent walls, lighting, and kiosks are all going a long way to really define these spaces. I think it's a really cool idea, and I can't wait to see how far it gets pushed when all the work is complete.

It's nice to see in person but the masses want rides. Disney does 10 year ride construction on purpose because then instead of wanting a ride based on the countries and idea of Epcot, you'll end up taking anything.

Guardians was announced in August 2017 so four years so far. Not as bad as Tron but still.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Funny how people are praising Disney for the Epcot entrance when it’s basically back to what it was when it opened with some updated lighting. Or for undoing years of stupid decisions with the Communicore buildings. It’s almost as if those who designed and built EPCOT Center knew what they were doing.

 

[James Alucobond]

Funny how people are praising Disney for the Epcot entrance when it’s basically back to what it was when it opened with some updated lighting. Or for undoing years of stupid decisions with the Communicore buildings. It’s almost as if those who designed and built EPCOT Center knew what they were doing.

I mean, do you scoff at people who restore old homes and tell them they’re creatively bankrupt? That it is beautiful again is still worthy of praise even if it already was lovely in the past.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I mean, do you scoff at people who restore old homes and tell them they’re creatively bankrupt? That it is beautiful again is still worthy of praise even if it already was lovely in the past.

My problem is with people who are praising this as if the current crop of WDI contractors created it from the ground up. It’s worth giving them credit for undoing past mistakes.

It won’t matter soon enough. Those with memories of what was will be gone and they can focus on the new guests with no expectations or standards or knowledge of what they used to be capable of.

 

[James Alucobond]

It won’t matter soon enough. Those with memories of what was will be gone and they can focus on the new guests with no expectations or standards or knowledge of what they used to be capable of.

I think this is a bit unfair. To me they still seem capable of great things, just incapable of accomplishing them within a reasonable budget in a reasonable amount of time. Budget issues lead to some corners being cut in the finishing that wouldn't have been cut in the past, and timing is more likely due to shortsightedness in planning at a higher level than Imagineering.

 

[trainplane3]

Can I mention the extremely poor lighting along the east walkway, going towards GotG? I know it's "temporary" but it's actually pretty bad. I'm surprised there's no temp lighting place. Lost track of how many people ran into each other tonight.

 

[vikescaper]

I do really love this color coded theming taking place at EPCOT right now. Accent walls, lighting, and kiosks are all going a long way to really define these spaces. I think it's a really cool idea, and I can't wait to see how far it gets pushed when all the work is complete.

Am I the only one who is bugged that Test Track’s current color scheme doesn’t fit in with the World Discovery color scheme?

 

[trainplane3]

Look what they installed:

If it was my post, yay. If it wasn't, why didn't this happen sooner?

 

[brb1006]

Look what they installed:

If it was my post, yay. If it wasn't, why didn't this happen sooner?

 

[trainplane3]

I'll gladly take it over nothing. It is a bit blinding but the area is much better then it was.

Again, all of this is temporary so I don't expect a perfect or pretty solution.