Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Overhaul Epcot

[PaulZ]

To the smartphone conversation, dare I say most of the people posting on this mb are most likely using a smartphone or tablet to do so.

 

[sedati]

The most boring and long lines that nearly broke us back in the 80s that I can recall:
Jungle Cruise (just when you thought you were almost there, you took a turn and found a whole new switchback)
Country Bear Jamboree (waiting through multiple cycles, starting outdoors in the hot sun)
Universe of Energy (see above)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (love, love, love this ride, but dear god the queue was slow and dull.)
Journey Into Imagination (the line moved, but I remember when it spilled all the way out by the Land Pavillion. Once inside, not a lot of imagination went into this switchback other than a rather simplistic mural.)
Living with the Land (Holy hell, I swear we waiting two hours for this on our first trip.)
Dumbo.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

To the smartphone conversation, dare I say most of the people posting on this mb are most likely using a smartphone or tablet to do so.

@wdwmagic surely you could shed some light on the analytics?

 

[GlacierGlacier]

The most boring and long lines that nearly broke us back in the 80s that I can recall:
Jungle Cruise (just when you thought you were almost there, you took a turn and found a whole new switchback)
Country Bear Jamboree (waiting through multiple cycles, starting outdoors in the hot sun)
Universe of Energy (see above)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (love, love, love this ride, but dear god the queue was slow and dull.)
Journey Into Imagination (the line moved, but I remember when it spilled all the way out by the Land Pavillion. Once inside, not a lot of imagination went into this switchback other than a rather simplistic mural.)
Living with the Land (Holy hell, I swear we waiting two hours for this on our first trip.)
Dumbo.

Most of the original Epcot queues were minimal. Heck, same with Magic Kingdom. It took them some time to understand how Orlando sun differed from the California sun.

Disneyland's infinite switchback style is still evident with attractions like Pirates over in California.

 

[sedati]

Internet and smartphones have totally warped people's attention spans though.

If only there was some sort of forward thinking theme park whose flagship attraction was based on communication that could have warned us of such technology.

 

[sedati]

"Mr Chapek, tear down this wall!"

 

[MisterPenguin]

That looks so much more beautiful than the Future World trainwreck we have now.

I see very little beauty in it. It's monotonous. There's nothing dramatic about it. It makes itself look squat though it's pretty tall. And the landscaping is literally all over the place.

 

[GladToBeHear]

"Mr Chapek, tear down this wall!"
View attachment 334583

 

[Stripes]

Future World was never meant to be "in your face". It was designed to be subtle so that the attractions would shine. It was a whole lot better that what it looks like now, regardless of opinion.

It's better than it is today, but it still looks like a business park.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Y'all with your one and 2 hour waits. You'd all have died at the NY World's Fair LOL

 

[marni1971]

I see very little beauty in it..

I do.

And the landscaping is literally all over the place

Possibly due to it being four months old in that photo?

 

[Stripes]

I do.

View attachment 334622View attachment 334623

There's definitely elements of beauty in EPCOT Center, but there's nothing that would make its atmosphere special in a world where corporate headquarters across the globe are becoming futuristic architectural icons. For example:

 

[Missing20K]

There's definitely elements of beauty in EPCOT Center, but there's nothing that would make its atmosphere special in a world where corporate headquarters across the globe are becoming futuristic architectural icons. For example:
View attachment 334626

To each their own of course, but Wired hates Apple Park.

Communicore looks like many buildings of the era, albeit of a higher caliber execution.

 

[pax_65]

The most boring and long lines that nearly broke us back in the 80s that I can recall:
Jungle Cruise (just when you thought you were almost there, you took a turn and found a whole new switchback)
Country Bear Jamboree (waiting through multiple cycles, starting outdoors in the hot sun)
Universe of Energy (see above)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (love, love, love this ride, but dear god the queue was slow and dull.)
Journey Into Imagination (the line moved, but I remember when it spilled all the way out by the Land Pavillion. Once inside, not a lot of imagination went into this switchback other than a rather simplistic mural.)
Living with the Land (Holy hell, I swear we waiting two hours for this on our first trip.)
Dumbo.

Wow was this during the Summer, or Christmas week? Admittedly my first trip to WDW was in 1992 - AFTER MGM Studios opened, which helped spread the crowds around. We also went during slower times (April/May). The lines were NOTHING like they are today, even without FPs. We employed the rope drop strategy and did the most popular rides at open. You're right about 20,000 Leagues and Dumbo - I do remember lines there. But Imagination and The Land were basically walk-ons even later in the day for us.

 

[montyz81]

That word doesn't mean what you think it does

I meant to say; "today's technology"

 

[flynnibus]

Communicore looks like many buildings of the era, albeit of a higher caliber execution.

Like 1980 buildings?? Large glass panels and rounded edges on low story buildings? We were coming out of the utilitarian, dirty, seventies.

Maybe if you said early nineties.. when large scale glass became more common

 

[Missing20K]

Like 1980 buildings?? Large glass panels and rounded edges on low story buildings? We were coming out of the utilitarian, dirty, seventies.

Maybe if you said early nineties.. when large scale glass became more common

Large scale glazing has been common since the early 60's. Seagram Building was erected in 1958.

Rounded edges on buildings have existed since before the Pantheon.

 

[Stripes]

To each their own of course, but Wired hates Apple Park.

Communicore looks like many buildings of the era, albeit of a higher caliber execution.

I don't want to get into an off-topic discussion, but Wired basically doesn't like it because Apple didn't fork over more money to Cupertino, and a few other nonsensical arguments. It's a political hit piece.

Anyway, let's steer clear of this before we find ourselves in a rabbit hole. Feel free though to PM me if you're interested in discussing further. I don't bite

 

[Missing20K]

I don't want to get into an off-topic discussion, but Wired basically doesn't like it because Apple didn't fork over more money to Cupertino, and a few other nonsensical arguments. It's a political hit piece.

Anyway, let's steer clear of this before we find ourselves in a rabbit hole. Feel free though to PM me if you're interested in discussing further. I don't bite

They aren't the only ones, and I don't feel the argument of ignoring the immediate context of the site is nonsensical, but again takes all kinds.

I agree on the off-topic. Maybe it's time to make an "Architecture" thread on the Chit-Chat. Something tells me there would be lots of fun discussion with a few of the members here.

 

[sedati]

Wow was this during the Summer, or Christmas week? Admittedly my first trip to WDW was in 1992 - AFTER MGM Studios opened, which helped spread the crowds around. We also went during slower times (April/May). The lines were NOTHING like they are today, even without FPs. We employed the rope drop strategy and did the most popular rides at open. You're right about 20,000 Leagues and Dumbo - I do remember lines there. But Imagination and The Land were basically walk-ons even later in the day for us.

Always July and August. I myself noticed wait times in EPCOT Center drop off dramatically through the 80s.