Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Overhaul Epcot

danheaton

danheaton

Well-Known Member
I'm not going to get too excited at this point. There have been other times in recent years (most notably when Tom Fitzgerald was put in charge) that people talked about an overhaul. Nothing really happened. I do think they will make updates to Epcot, but I still expect it to more in line with Ratatouille at France and things of that nature. It will be great if Disney invests a lot of dollars into Epcot and tries to make something great. I'm just not ready to get upset or happy based on some vague descriptions.
 
Princess Leia

Princess Leia

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
IF all goes to plan you should start to see changes in 2-3 years and more each year thereafter for possibly 6-7 years from now.
Click to expand...
Great, so I just need to convince my friend who is planning a wedding at Disney to wait to get married in 2018 or 2019 so I can see the changes, since nothing will be different when I visit next November.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
networkpro said:
If you haven't noticed, the world has changed since EPCOT was envisioned and even implemented. Recreational travel to different countries has exploded so what was once a far off land for many has become oh I was just there last year. Last year over 75 million people from the USA traveled abroad. I'm sure y'all have seen articles about how hard it is to remain "futuristic" and EPCOT fell into that trap. If you're not constantly changing (read expensive... doesnt care how well you are or are not doing) you're behind. At relatively stagnant points in time its doable, but when things begin to change at a pace that eclipses the development/deployment cycle that's where you get the "its outdated" hue and cries generated.

Its a utopian outlook plain and simple where some magical innovation(s) will eliminate all the bad in the world and people will somehow become altruistic.
Click to expand...
This is such tired bunk. Just because people travel more does not mean anything. A person does not visit Italy and then just stop eating at Italian restaurants. People return to visited destinations and even seek out alternative means of reliving those memories. The increase in international travel demonstrates an increased interest in the peoples, places and cultures of the world, not a decrease.

Best Buy is in a state of constant change, futurism should look beyond a big box retailer. Almost all of the original Future World themes remain relevant. Energy is still an issue. Transportation is still an issue. The Environment is still and issue. The only subject that is really wrapped up in the constantly changing consumer tastes is Communication, but even that could be looked at beyond the smartphone refresh cycle.
 
SorcererMC

SorcererMC

Well-Known Member
GoofGoof said:
It's not contradictory, here's my interpretation of what Chappie said:
  • More Disney = more IP added
  • Timeless = more IP added that will be there for a long time
  • Relevant = more popular IP added
  • Family Friendly = less boring stuff, more characters (aka more IP added)
Seems like a consistent message to me;)
Click to expand...

Theme = Toy Store.
Everything Promotes Content Or Toys.

:hungover:.
 
J

jamarmiller

Member
I'd like to see pretty much everything stay the same and them just add stuff. Give Japan a bullet train ride through its history . Add a mulan dark ride to china , give us the ratatouille ride from Paris . Finally use the wonders of life pavilion again for guardians of the galaxy . Keep universe of energy roughly the same as I love the dinosaur part, but scrap the rest of it .
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
The irony with Chapek's comments about the park is that the very name "Epcot" is something that both as a acronym or a noun was pure gibberish to anyone before Disney created it and gave it meaning. It's a brand that is arguably more widley known than most of the studio's television and film catalogue. Ask the average American family what "Epcot" is and they can probably give you an answer, even if it's just "the science park with the countires". You don't take something that's existed for 35 years and just change it completely or try to reshape it into something it's not so easily.

Making Epcot "more Disney...family friendly" simply dillutes the park's own brand with ideas that are too ambiguous to have any real meaning. "Disney" isn't terribly specific, and neither is "family friendly". Both are redundant when you realize the park has always been that and it exists within a resort complex that offers both of those things in large quantities. The groundwork for future improvements and updates was laid out very clearly from the begining and even the cost conscious Eisner administration at least tried to appeal to the park's original message wtih attractions like Test Track and Mission: Space. That Chapek's can't even be bothered to try is sad, both from a creative and brand management standpoint. As I said in another thread, there's no reason why the same approach that's currently being implemented with Animal Kingdom (real capacity, theme relevant additions), can't be applied to Epcot as well.
 
Magenta Panther

Magenta Panther

Well-Known Member
This might sound blasphemous, but I think that the name "EPCOT" needs to be done away with altogether. The land will never be what Walt intended it to be. It never WAS what Walt intended it to be. It's not a "prototype", it's not a "community", and it's barely "experimental" anymore. The name is a joke now. So Disney, name it something else already. I won't be mad. Promise. ;)
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Magenta Panther said:
This might sound blasphemous, but I think that the name "EPCOT" needs to be done away with altogether. The land will never be what Walt intended it to be. It never WAS what Walt intended it to be. It's not a "prototype", it's not a "community", and it's barely "experimental" anymore. The name is a joke now. So Disney, name it something else already. I won't be mad. Promise. ;)
Click to expand...
Walts idea was E.P.C.O.T.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
Walts idea was E.P.C.O.T.
Click to expand...

Which was never built. However, EPCOT Center/Epcot was, and regardless of how the initial concept was changed, the name Epcot has stayed over the decades. It actually does have some meaning, both to the company and the general public. It's been referenced by everyone from The Simpsons to the POTUS.

Changing the name not only means altering any park literature that references it (maps, signs, employee materials etc), but also trying to communicate that to the same general public who gets Universal Studios and Hollywood Studios mixed up. It would honestly be more trouble than its worth. Even "New Coke" still kept the word "Coke".
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
Which was never built. However, EPCOT Center/Epcot was, and regardless of how the initial concept was changed, the name Epcot has stayed over the decades. It actually does have some meaning, both to the company and the general public. It's been referenced by everyone from The Simpsons to the POTUS.

Changing the name not only means altering any park literature that references it (maps, signs, employee materials etc), but also trying to communicate that to the same general public who gets Universal Studios and Hollywood Studios mixed up. It would honestly be more trouble than its worth. Even "New Coke" still kept the word "Coke".
Click to expand...
I don't see the name changing.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
There is no reason on earth now to change it. As Marni said, E.P.C.O.T. was Walts dream. EPCOT Ctr. was a courtesy name that wasn't even slightly what Walt had in mind, but it was a tribute and a good one with lofty goals. Unfortunately, they couldn't be achieved. Then they changed it to Epcot, which really, for all purposes is nothing more then a familiar name. Much like todays FORD does not even closely resemble the originals (well except for tires and steering wheel). It can now be anything that they want it to be and we will just know that if we want to see what they come up with we will have to go to the Park named Epcot to do so. I suppose they could get cute and change the name to Tocpe and give us the same thing plus there would be many expressions of confusion created by making Epcot all backwards and all.
 
dennis-in-ct

dennis-in-ct

Well-Known Member
EPCOT = Every Person Comes Out Tired :)

I am so happy to hear a rework is planned for EPCOT's future world. Our visit this past June to EPCOT was upsetting (the future world section - not World Showcase - although the 31.00 lunch (chicken sang, burger, fries and two fountain sodas) at the American pavilion was gross and grossly overpriced). We literally felt "duped" sitting there looking at the neglect. It was like a bad neglected 80's mall. Horrible. The walk thru the abandoned Innovations with hallways that smelled liked the restrooms was particularly memorable. Couldn't wait to get the hell out. We stood up from the outdoor seating area in disgust and walked the hell out of there and went to Magic Kingdom. Seriously - no need to walk into Hollywood Studios or Epcot for many years. I will gladly just buy a one day admission to either Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, a water park and visit Universal.

How EPCOT has gone on neglected for so long is astounding. Please make it relevant again. I want to feel like I did when I visited in 1989. Jaw dropping amazement and pure genius.
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
Bopa160 said:
Personally I am wishing for a Tron base attraction that teaches people how computers work on a programming level. Personally I think I may be overreaching with this thought.
Click to expand...
Actually that is a really great idea hearkening back to the old Communicore days... And would be an example of a good way to integrate an ip into the existing future world...
If only the Living Seas was more Edutainment instead of a movie rehash... sigh
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom