Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Overhaul Epcot

[jaklgreen]

More and more parents are intentionally choosing to avoid video games and excessive tv watching because the recent research continues to demonstrate how harmful this stuff actually is to their development. It cannot be compared to the invention of the radio. Technology is changing everything in society and the current generation of kids will be the guinea pigs for the long term effects. Some of us want our kids in the control group

Yes! I have seen first hand how some of these "games" have really affected a child's personality and sense of reality. They should not be playing any killing games because the kids do not develop a respect for life. When you kill something and it just comes back to "life", that is the reality they learn. It might sound silly to adults, but people need to look at it from a child's perspective. We all have learned the value of life when we were young. These kids are having a hard time differentiating reality from fantasy. Not to mention how quick some kids are to anger. Parents really do need to monitor this closely.

 

[jaklgreen]

So condescending. I didn't grow up with miniature screens I could take everywhere but that's more a product of them not being available. When I was young Transformers and He-Man were all the rage and all of my friends had them. If my parents didn't buy them for me then I could easily play with them with friends.

The point being older parents love to brag that they were so much better because their kids played with actual toys and not screens. Sorry you didn't do much, it was the times that determined that. You sound like one of those parents that blames videogames on any and every Ill of society. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite require tons of imagination, I'd say a lot more than Mr. Potato Head or Furby.

Epcot and Illuminations isn't boring to children because kids have screens it's boring because it's a park that was dedicated to the future of mankind and as time goes on those attractions need major updates or they stop being impressive. You step on SSE and the first thing you are greeted with is a screen with face capture technology that is worse than the free phone any cell provider threw at you just for setting foot in the store 10 years ago. Has O'Canada been updated? It's a blurry mess that many kids can't even see unless they are lifted up. For what Figment is supposed to represent, it's outright embarrassing. Living With The Land is a natural bore for kids and they even took away the live host so there is even less to keep someones attention.

How do you even preface Epcot to a kid now? I mean it's easy to tell a kid that Tomorrowland is a vision of the future from the 70s. When visiting Epcot do you tell them it's a park about where mankind is heading in the future except the watch on your wrist is leaps and bounds more advance than anything you will see here so just pretend this stuff is impressive.

I would also like to add the us "older" parents have seen and experienced more then you. We were around when this technology came to be and have watched the progression. I have SEEN what it can do to children. To ignore it is very very foolish and detrimental to children. Just pay attention to your kids and watch their behaviors. You will see.

 

[Indy_UK]

I think I'm going to step away from this thread. I'm someone who's all for Epcot moving towards IP and be updated to something new and exciting but the old school fans who say it hasn't been like proper Epcot for years anyway just want it to stay in this horrible limbo that the park is currently in

 

[Rodan75]

I think I'm going to step away from this thread. I'm someone who's all for Epcot moving towards IP and be updated to something new and exciting but the old school fans who say it hasn't been like proper Epcot for years anyway just want it to stay in this horrible limbo that the park is currently in

I think there are more than Pro/Con camps related to Epcot. But most everyone is emotionally attached to their Epcot opinion that it makes any logical debate nearly impossible.

Personally I mourned Epcot a long time ago. Now I just want a park that is worth the monorail, bus, gondola trip to the park.

 

[twebber55]

I think I'm going to step away from this thread. I'm someone who's all for Epcot moving towards IP and be updated to something new and exciting but the old school fans who say it hasn't been like proper Epcot for years anyway just want it to stay in this horrible limbo that the park is currently in

if you are for more IP in EPCOT be prepared to be blasted on this board
not saying one is right or wrong just know whats gonna happen
obviously something needs to be done to EPCOT but ill wait until its complete or least to a see its full version/makeover

message boards in general jump the gun on topics for discussion sake which is fine

 

[DinoInstitute]

I think I'm going to step away from this thread. I'm someone who's all for Epcot moving towards IP and be updated to something new and exciting but the old school fans who say it hasn't been like proper Epcot for years anyway just want it to stay in this horrible limbo that the park is currently in

It’s understandable that people don’t like that the park has changed, if I had my way I would like to see EPCOT Center return, but it’s a shame that people here refuse to be open minded. If done right, I personally think a modified theme that embraces the “Disney” aspect while tying it to real world themes could make for a great park when all is said and done.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Yuck, I see your problem. So glad i chose to not have kids. I can't imagine compromising my taste for quality theme park experiences for something that insults both mine and my kids intelligence

I love my problem of being a Dad with twin girls and I completely respect your choice not to have kids. But to say Ellen’s energy adventure, the new and improved journey to imagination, an empty wonders of life and half a park that looks like its stuck in 1982 is your line in the sand to compromising taste.... I don’t get it.

This is coming from someone who loved EPCOT in 1982/83 and the promise of this incredible tomorrow. EPCOT back then for a child would open your imagination and allow you to dream of what will come, who would you be, where you might be at in 20 years. It was awesome.
Today...all you can do is tip you hat and toast to what once was future world. Nothing wrong with looking back with fond memories... but you can’t sit and stare at the past. That was never what Epcot was about.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

Too bad they couldn’t do this like some cross-mojination of old school Epcot Center and Disney Sea...

 

[PB Watermelon]

Anyone have a list of the changes? I see a lot of grousing, but no explanation of what's being groused about.

 

[CinematicFusion]

I've never said the park didn't need a refresh. Let's face it, future world is definitely a doozy. But it doesn't meant those of us who appreciate quality updates have to suffer because your daughters can't appreciate anything other than Disney characters everywhere

So we can get on the same page... what is your idea for a quality update?
For me, I think it’s a cool idea to have ratatouille ride going to France. I have no problem with that but I know there are those who don’t like the idea.

 

[Magenta Panther]

So, let me get this straight...after "Epcot Forever", we're going to get..."IPcot Forever"?

Who wanted this?

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

The commentary about Epcot and SSE in the NYT piece this week felt like the public turning point.

In your opinion, what did it feel like to you? Good for SSE/Epcot or bad?

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

It was the final nail. No surprises but laid out publically.

What’s in store for Wonders, Imagination, SSE, Inventions, Spine project and the tombstones in the front entrance? More toward MK 2.0?

 

[monothingie]

I guess what I don’t understand is, where is the long term plan? The festivals are only going to get bigger, which means more adults and more drinking etc. Doesn’t seem like the place for princesses and Disney songs at night. Logical thinking would be expand upon Illumninations. Take the theme, the mood, the feeling, and add current day technology. Instead they tear it down and put up an easy IP based kids show.

 

[CinematicFusion]

So, let me get this straight...after "Epcot Forever", we're going to get..."IPcot Forever"?

Who wanted this?

View attachment 326824

You redo the journey into imagination ride with the inside out characters like the one above in a state of the art experience for the guest and Yeah I’m game... bring it on. And yes...figment and dreamfinder would blend in seamlessly

 

[Rodan75]

In your opinion, what did it feel like to you? Good for SSE/Epcot or bad?

Just that Chapek knows he has to strike a balance between the historians and the modern families, but it seemed clear that he is going to chose to lean into the families every time.

Chapek has been saying more family, more Disney for Epcot for years. The ‘creaky old SSE’ doesn’t sound Disney enough.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

I guess what I don’t understand is, where is the long term plan? The festivals are only going to get bigger, which means more adults and more drinking etc. Doesn’t seem like the place for princesses and Disney songs at night. Logical thinking would be expand upon Illumninations. Take the theme, the mood, the feeling, and add current day technology. Instead they tear it down and put up an easy IP based kids show.

Summer festival??

 

[sedati]

Too bad they couldn’t do this like some cross-mojination of old school Epcot Center and Disney Sea...

Thank you for bringing up Disney Sea because I think it brings up some interesting parallels with EPCOT Center.

Both parks were hugely ambitious second-resort parks that sought to be more mature than their nearby Castle park.

But look at what happened post-opening:
Even though this park opened with some princesses and classic Disney characters, more were added.
Perfectly amazing and original shows were replaced with character-centric ones.
The first major additions were more thrill based- Tower of Terror/ Raging Spirits.
Then came even more Disney IP in the form of Toy Story/Jasmine/Finding Dory.

The park is in no way a failure, though it still loses to it's sister park next door attendance wise. And oddly enough, despite being themed to the nines, two of it's biggest hits early on were Gyoza sausage buns and Duffy- where might that park be without those revenue streams?

To me, nothing sums up the IP debate more than the Sinbad ride. It is not tied to an IP, though it is based on an existing story. But it is a pure theme park entity. And it looked spectacular. The true successor to Pirates of the Caribbean in scope, storytelling, and technology.
And it wasn't popular.
They gave it a great refurb- adding a Menkin song and a cute sidekick. Looks amazing.
And it's a walk on.

I'm not trying to say that any of these changes made to this park were correct, but much like EPCOT, they saw a need to make them.

(Note- I have not been lucky enough to make it to TDS yet. I believe the info here is correct, but feel free to correct me if any of it isn't.)

 

[sedati]

And yet....what are the greatest things at current EPCOT?

SSE, LwtL, AA, the beauty of WS. All 83 originals! Nothing in EPCOT feels as timeless and family and Disney as these.

I'll grant Illuminations and ok, Soarin' too. A park appropriate evening show. And one great addition that should've been the 2000's version of film of a new WS pavilion.

No, Mission Space (orange), Club Cool, and the three-flavor popcorn cart outside of Imagination are the greatest things at current EPCOT.

I am joking, but when I thought about it, they were the places I seemed to visit most on my last trip.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If they can build things that can make it a decade without the need of massive rethinking/investment then they will have righted the ship. I'm not saying that's what this new direction will do, but I think that's a decent mark of success for a theme park investment. As wonderful as EPCOT center was, it was grossly over budget and too quickly in need of redirection and reinvestment. That is a foundational error no matter how fondly we look back at it.

That’s not how it works for theme parks...

You do not plan on 10 year cheap outs if you want to rack in the bank for mcduck and claim to be a leader.

Yes...Epcot was a disaster on costs. But it was the most innovative, complete themepark ever constructed by 1983. The world would have sucked without it.

Times do change...the sponsorship model is completely bogus now and the internet kinda “broke” the original format...but flitting stupidity for an increasingly silly consumer base is worthy of criticism.

I can’t stop...and no one else is willing...

But with all due respect, the mark of Disney themepark success will never be squeezing margins and over reliance on simple Econ principals.

Quality is the way to go for them...what they make now is rooted in that...

And I think they might have paid off that billion for Epcot by now. Have you seen the ripoff booths these days?