Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Overhaul Epcot

Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
twebber55 said:
i ask this because i dont know the answer
why has Disney changed EPCOT? why would they change the park with it being so successful?
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I don’t blame disney...to address cap as well..the consumers are allowing them to flood ip and install clones of rides and/or concepts into Epcot.

But that is s big change. If you know the history...the management was unwaveringly clear that Epcot was a tribute to the edutainment...ideas, cultures and tech.

It’s been a battle at times.

But both Eisner and iger never committed to making that concept sustainable. And that is a longterm risk.
 
wdisney9000

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Kman101 said:
I can understand that.

Personally I don't mind WS having some 'fantasy' attractions, you visit 'the real' location but can step into the fictional world of Rat and Mary (would we be "against them" though if they were new creations just for WS and not tied to movies?), I don't really hate it, but I know why it's not appealing to some. And it's a symptom of a larger problem they have with "IP MUST GO EVERYWHERE" which gets annoying.

I'd love Horizons and World of Motion to still be standing and I think they should be (along with original Imagination). But there's no reason they can't keep the spirit of the original Epcot alive in new attractions.

I mean in the world of "IP EVERYWHERE" they have several IPs that have literally handed them easy IP replacements and they don't do anything with them. I'd prefer non-IP in at least Future World.

GOTG is a bigger problem to me than Rat and Mary but, again, I get it's part of an overall bigger problem. (FROZEN is also a problem)
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People want fantasy attractions. I totally understand that. Heck, I'm one of em! And we should absolutely get more fantasy attractions. The more the better! I would love for Disney to build as many IP based attractions for popular movies as they could. Just not at the sacrifice of having a more fluid and balanced overall experience of the WDW Resort as a whole.

I want them to keep building. Keep building DVC, keep building attractions, keep building new dining experiences, keep building new everything!!! Just build it all in the appropriate location as to not disrupt the amazing rithym of the grand design, but to actually enhance it.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
wdisney9000 said:
eople want fantasy attractions. I totally understand that. Heck, I'm one of em! And we should absolutely get more fantasy attractions. The more the better! I would love for Disney to build as many IP based attractions for popular movies as they could. Just not at the sacrifice of having a more fluid and balanced overall experience of the WDW Resort as a whole.
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Why does fantasy have to equal franchise? There are plenty of stories to tell about the peoples of World Showcase.
 
Dutch Inn '76

Dutch Inn '76

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
I think the people nostalgic for the "old Epcot" often fail to realize that we (collectively) have changed in the last 30 year, not just Epcot. We're a lot more cynical than we used to be. Information is available to us instantly and infinitely. Attention spans are shorter. Parents and children are less patient. Etc. I don't think 1982 Epcot works any time other than 1982 Earth.
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YES. They didn't shut down all these pavilions in Epcot because they were stuffed with clamoring tourists, ya know. I too, miss some aspects of the old Epcot, and yes I saw it several times in it's "corruptible , mortal state," ;) but there were lots of things that were reeeeaaaaalllly popular in 1982 that would never make it today. Remember the band Air Supply?

The place just couldn't last.

I honestly think the best solution for Epcot would be to find a way to go back and riff on the original idea for E.P.C.O.T. This is one of the reasons I like the idea of the hotels at the entrance.
 
Dutch Inn '76

Dutch Inn '76

Well-Known Member
SpaceMountain77 said:
In 2003, I was enrolled in an Anthropology class at the University of Chicago, which was entitled Utopia. The course focused on utopian thought and one week was dedicated to Walt Disney, his vision for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and the original EPCOT Center.

Much of the discussion in the course centered on the death of utopian thought. In prior decades, Americans shared a love affair with futuristic thought and, specifically, lived experiences reminiscent of the Jetsons. The space race passed, in-home robots and flying cars did not become a reality, so utopian thought waned.

From an academic standpoint, the Walt Disney Company built EPCOT Center, its most ambitions, imaginative, and innovative park to date, by capturing a moment in American history and time. Regarding World Showcase, it embodied Americans love affair with travel to countries that most only dreamed about.

I am an EPCOT purist. Every visit to Epcot includes a trip to Impressios de France, so that I can feel connected to an earlier time in the park. No CEO or executive is to blame for the betrayal of EPCOT Center's vision. Time passed, technology continues to evolve at a faster rate, and anyone with a deep desire to visit Munich for Oktoberfest can easily plan a trip with a simple web search.

Why does the loss of EPCOT Center sting more than the dramatic transformation of Disney-MGM Studios? The construction of EPCOT Center was guided by a philosophy, grounded in academic disciplines, and systems of thought never die. Disney-MGM Studios is a theme park whose theme has evolved with time.
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Well said! Someone earlier asked why Epcot was changed. Here's why.

I'll add, only: the World Showcase is still mostly like it was at opening - and working, drawing more guests than ever. Yeah, Frozen is there, but the rest is recognizable as the original (and Norway wasn't there at opening anyway). It's "Future World" that Disney obviously hasn't known what to do with for 20 years. The answer: WWWD? ;)
 
HauntedMansionFLA

HauntedMansionFLA

Well-Known Member
Dutch Inn '76 said:
Well said! Someone earlier asked why Epcot was changed. Here's why.

I'll add, only: the World Showcase is still mostly like it was at opening - and working, drawing more guests than ever. Yeah, Frozen is there, but the rest is recognizable as the original (and Norway wasn't there at opening anyway). It's "Future World" that Disney obviously hasn't known what to do with for 20 years. The answer: WWWD? ;)
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What’s WWWD?
 
D

DanielBB8

Well-Known Member
SpaceMountain77 said:
In 2003, I was enrolled in an Anthropology class at the University of Chicago, which was entitled Utopia. The course focused on utopian thought and one week was dedicated to Walt Disney, his vision for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and the original EPCOT Center.

Much of the discussion in the course centered on the death of utopian thought. In prior decades, Americans shared a love affair with futuristic thought and, specifically, lived experiences reminiscent of the Jetsons. The space race passed, in-home robots and flying cars did not become a reality, so utopian thought waned.

From an academic standpoint, the Walt Disney Company built EPCOT Center, its most ambitions, imaginative, and innovative park to date, by capturing a moment in American history and time. Regarding World Showcase, it embodied Americans love affair with travel to countries that most only dreamed about.

I am an EPCOT purist. Every visit to Epcot includes a trip to Impressios de France, so that I can feel connected to an earlier time in the park. No CEO or executive is to blame for the betrayal of EPCOT Center's vision. Time passed, technology continues to evolve at a faster rate, and anyone with a deep desire to visit Munich for Oktoberfest can easily plan a trip with a simple web search.

Why does the loss of EPCOT Center sting more than the dramatic transformation of Disney-MGM Studios? The construction of EPCOT Center was guided by a philosophy, grounded in academic disciplines, and systems of thought never die. Disney-MGM Studios is a theme park whose theme has evolved with time.
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To highlight what I want to attack “The construction of EPCOT Center was guided by a philosophy, grounded in academic disciplines, and systems of thought never die.

First, it’s philosophy has changed. The Disney purists say Disney strayed from theming. Let’s be clear, Epcot is different from The Magic Kingdom. While the country theming is at times impeccable, it’s not complete or immersive. The countries open into the lagoon. You can see any country from other countries. Future World pavilions are unthemed. With such a thin veneer of theming, it’s quite easy to think Disney’s Epcot isn’t meeting a standard it never had.

Second, if Epcot was truly an academic exercise, then it died. What happened to the academic world in the last decade? Anything traditional in academics was attacked. People don’t respect the old masters anymore. The student mobs want to pull down the monuments of tradition and history. Anyone passing around the Constitution on campus can be disciplined or expelled. It’s that toxic on American campuses.

Third, yes, systems of thought never die with how Disney respects its own IP. So we should be clear Disney IP always have priority and a failsafe if original ideas fail. We don’t give enough consideration when some attractions don’t work and Disney is quite desperate to find solutions. They aren’t going to keep pouring money down a sinkhole.
 

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