Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Overhaul Epcot

[Goofyernmost]

Hasn't all that been said already Goofy? You don't have to tell me.

Or rather hasn't it always been like that?

I think I'm the one who said a better Epcot could be coming and will be mainly IP driven.

Oh, as an aside, Epcot has never regained the attendance it had when the word "Center" was on the end of it.

The last sentence says it all to me. Epcot never regained the attendance that dropped off before the word Center disappeared. It had already been on it's death bed when that happened. If it hasn't increased since then, which is iffy to me, it at least has been self sustaining. Is it because it didn't contain grandness? Heck no... but, that greatness was not appreciated by the paying public. It is a slow process to make changes in originals like EPCOT, but, it has to be done. To be honest I doubt it will ever completely be accepted until all of us, the original guests, are dead and buried. Something had to be done, because I saw attendance drop and drop and drop. I remember when the lines were out the doors of even the most people eating attractions there, like WoM, Imagination, Horizons, etc. to a walk-on almost all the time. That isn't a sign of sustained popularity. HM, Pirates, Space Mtn., Splash Mtn. and others still have those lines. If those that EPCOT offered had still been able to maintain that popularity, they would still be there. We all know how much Disney hates to spend money if they don't have too.

I guess, I've gotten to old to care, but, I did very much enjoy EPCOT, but, even I was starting to get bored with the above mentioned attractions and almost never went to them all on any given visit. I skipped some, sometimes for years. I was bored with them. Updating may have helped, but, update to what. Imagination said it all the way it was, even Horizons still had many predictions that hadn't become reality yet, but, it failed to capture the minds of the "new public" or in my case, even the "old public".

I do understand your stand on these things. You are a pure historian. You're entire focus is on what you see as greatness of the past. It was good, but, the future can be as good as the past with the right attitude. I don't know if that will happen, but, I do think that there will be many opportunities for you to have many sequels to your documentaries.

 

[marni1971]

It was good, but, the future can be as good as the past with the right attitude.

And right management.

I really hope so. I really do. But right now the jury is still out.

 

[bcoachable]

DLP is a time machine to a better Disney age. Hardly any ride exits into a gift shop (gift shop dumping is very recent). One could think himself in 1992, when the guest was respected and treated with dignity, rather than treated as a simpering ATM oaf to be taken for a ride by permanent, aggressive barkering.

Thanks for keeping us at the forefront of the theme park experience, Mr. Soto

 

[Monoblanco13]

I was at EPCOT on the 10th and saw multiple walls up around the park, could this be for some of the smaller changes we are to expect as the bigger ones start to come later next year?

 

[ford91exploder]

Steel in this application has a lifespan - it is not perpetual. You can't simply 'keep repairing it' for ever. It literally fatigues from the stress cycles leading to cracks, and failures. You can only repair cracks and sections for so long before you end up with a piece of swiss cheese of welds and pieces.. which isn't as strong as the original and becomes its own risk.

The idea of 'rebuild' or not is a not a choice - it HAS to happen.. Disney just kicked the can down further down the road gambling that they can keep ahead of things stretching out the current service life.

^^^ THIS ^^^ - But of course this speaks to Disney's refusing to maintain their attractions in the interest of boosting the park's operating margin.

 

[RSoxNo1]

No ones said that. See Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Peter Pans Flight....

It's when it stifles original content and forces themes where they don't belong it becomes a problem.

The issue is finding a balance between original concepts and intellectual property.

I don't think you're going to see a Disney park that is completely free of intellectual property. The goal is to find a way to effectively blend the two. What's happening more and more lately is the ride concept is decided on first and the placement is decided on second. It should be the other way around.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The last sentence says it all to me. Epcot never regained the attendance that dropped off before the word Center disappeared. It had already been on it's death bed when that happened. If it hasn't increased since then, which is iffy to me, it at least has been self sustaining. Is it because it didn't contain grandness? Heck no... but, that greatness was not appreciated by the paying public. It is a slow process to make changes in originals like EPCOT, but, it has to be done. To be honest I doubt it will ever completely be accepted until all of us, the original guests, are dead and buried. Something had to be done, because I saw attendance drop and drop and drop. I remember when the lines were out the doors of even the most people eating attractions there, like WoM, Imagination, Horizons, etc. to a walk-on almost all the time. That isn't a sign of sustained popularity. HM, Pirates, Space Mtn., Splash Mtn. and others still have those lines. If those that EPCOT offered had still been able to maintain that popularity, they would still be there. We all know how much Disney hates to spend money if they don't have too.

I guess, I've gotten to old to care, but, I did very much enjoy EPCOT, but, even I was starting to get bored with the above mentioned attractions and almost never went to them all on any given visit. I skipped some, sometimes for years. I was bored with them. Updating may have helped, but, update to what. Imagination said it all the way it was, even Horizons still had many predictions that hadn't become reality yet, but, it failed to capture the minds of the "new public" or in my case, even the "old public".

I do understand your stand on these things. You are a pure historian. You're entire focus is on what you see as greatness of the past. It was good, but, the future can be as good as the past with the right attitude. I don't know if that will happen, but, I do think that there will be many opportunities for you to have many sequels to your documentaries.

EPCOT Center to Epcot was death by 1000 cuts. Each change cut away at EPCOT Center and while individual changes in a vacuum could be classified as improvements, the overall change was not. It's at the point now where this overhaul shouldn't be done piecemeal, but it sounds like that's the plan.

If it is indeed the plan to slowly change Epcot again, they need to establish early on what that new direction is. If they add new attractions with no overarching connection between them it will continue to be disjointed and continue to face the problems it's had since the late 90s.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

Oh, as an aside, Epcot has never regained the attendance levels it had when the word "Center" was on the end of it.

Really? I thought Epcot was struggling to hit projections right out of the gate.

 

[marni1971]

Really? I thought Epcot was struggling to hit projections right out of the gate.

I was surprised too.

Contrary to popular belief the park was hugely popular after opening. So much so the parking lot had to be expanded.

 

[dreamscometrue]

The issue is finding a balance between original concepts and intellectual property

The original Epcot Center was an incredible place, and has left many of us with wondrous memories. But I don't believe Horizons, WoM, etc., if they still existed, could attract legions of brand new fans in 2016. . Having said that, I am optimistic that changes made during the next 5-10 years will be exciting to those of us who are older, and will also attract a new generation to this amazing park.

 

[Daveeeeed]

I just hope, and I mean hope they at least use ips properly if they are going to use them. Ratatouille in France is far better than other options, obviously an original attraction would be best, but if they are going to donut don't pull a Frozenstrom. I think a balance would also be good. I am surprised The Living Seas is yet to get any good updates: it's a massive ip for goodness sakes. One of the things I hope is that they actually use Nemo properly. One can only hope Gotg will not be as random as we think.

 

[marni1971]

The original Epcot Center was an incredible place, and has left many of us with wondrous memories. But I don't believe Horizons, WoM, etc., if they still existed, could attract legions of brand new fans in 2016.

Oh absolutely. I've said it before. If Horizons and Motion in particular still existed today in their original forms they'd be so dated it would be comical.

What would have been ideal was for overhauled versions still being able to draw lines today, just like Spaceship Earth. The same 1982 experience dressed up for today's visitors (even with its shortcomings)

Or even better 2016 versions of the original attractions scope, drama, story, detail, technology and overall wowness.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Oh absolutely. I've said it before. If Horizons and Motion in particular still existed today in their original forms they'd be so dated it would be comical.

What would have been ideal was for overhauled versions still being able to draw lines today, just like Spaceship Earth. The same 1982 experience dressed up for today's visitors (even with its shortcomings)

Or even better 2016 versions of the original attractions scope, drama, story, detail, technology and overall wowness.

I think Test Track was a good replacement for World of Motion but Horizons is where it is sad.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I think Test Track was a good replacement for World of Motion but Horizons is where it is sad.

The thing with the Horizons to Mission: SPACE change is that this was a bold attempt, it just happened to come up short. They hyped this ride and the expectation was it was going around the world. The bigger problem for me was Imagination. That was done cheaply and then "fixed" cheaply.

 

[Daveeeeed]

The thing with the Horizons to Mission: SPACE change is that this was a bold attempt, it just happened to come up short. They hyped this ride and the expectation was it was going around the world. The bigger problem for me was Imagination. That was done cheaply and then "fixed" cheaply.

Yeah definitely. Replacements can be good so long that they are at least as good. Test Track, in my opinion, was educational and super fun so it was a win but Horizons was a miss. It's expected that M:S get an update which is what could make the ride soar to where it needs to be, but for now it's still seen as a miss.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The thing with the Horizons to Mission: SPACE change is that this was a bold attempt, it just happened to come up short. They hyped this ride and the expectation was it was going around the world. The bigger problem for me was Imagination. That was done cheaply and then "fixed" cheaply.

I think that if they hadn't had those two unfortunate deaths early on I think that MS would have been a very popular attraction even today. It was a really unique attraction (and pretty expensive). Once the deaths happened then a massive number of discussions about sickness (motion) came out, coupled with the deaths it scared the heck out of people. Even myself, a person that has never had motion sickness in my life, hesitated for a year or so before I tried it. Turned out to just be fun for me. I am not a person that shows a lot of excitement over rides, but, after riding it the first time, all I could do was yell out "AWESOME" at the end. Fewer people are aware of the early problems now, but, they do not push it like they did when it first opened, so it has built up a degree of following, but, not what it should have been. I still ride MS every time I go there. I mostly use the green side now, but, I still love it.

 

[21stamps]

Steel in this application has a lifespan - it is not perpetual. You can't simply 'keep repairing it' for ever. It literally fatigues from the stress cycles leading to cracks, and failures. You can only repair cracks and sections for so long before you end up with a piece of swiss cheese of welds and pieces.. which isn't as strong as the original and becomes its own risk.

The idea of 'rebuild' or not is a not a choice - it HAS to happen.. Disney just kicked the can down further down the road gambling that they can keep ahead of things stretching out the current service life.

Please answer this honestly,

Do you actually think that Disney would run a coaster knowing it was unsafe?

Old doesn't make something unsafe. Failing to do upkeep and safety checks would be unsafe. I'm very curious to know if you believe that they would be negligent in those aspects.

 

[Kman101]

I've been on Mission Space once and haven't really felt the need or urge to go on it again. It's a fine ride, it's a neat attraction, but an entire space pavilion would have been better (well, of course it would have been ... lol). I think they can do better and it's something I'd have rather seen at the Kennedy Space Center.

 

[Andrew C]

Please answer this honestly,

Do you actually think that Disney would run a coaster knowing it was unsafe?

Old doesn't make something unsafe. Failing to do upkeep and safety checks would be unsafe. I'm very curious to know if you believe that they would be negligent in those aspects.

They have before unfortunately. Big thunder in DL. That leadership is gone, however.

Not sure if they actually knew it was unsafe. But they were neglectful for sure.

 

[21stamps]

Hopefully Chapek keeps adding great rides like Frozen Ever After, Soarin around the world and Finding Nemo. We were at EPCOT this past week and they were the best rides there. We did enjoy SSE and Mission Space too.

I'm extremely jealous of you Frozen Ever After experience! We were never able to get a FP for it Standby never went below 90 minutes, so we passed.