Bob Chapek Confirms Disney Will Overhaul Epcot

P_Radden

P_Radden

Well-Known Member
@marni1971 not sure if it has been discussed already, but can you comment on any changes coming to the fountain or the stage? Is there any possibility the stage could be removed. Or I guess the flip to that is, is there a possibility of a new show coming to the stage? I really wish they will just remove it and restore the fountain to all its glory.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
P_Radden said:
@marni1971 not sure if it has been discussed already, but can you comment on any changes coming to the fountain or the stage? Is there any possibility the stage could be removed. Or I guess the flip to that is, is there a possibility of a new show coming to the stage? I really wish they will just remove it and restore the fountain to all its glory.
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So far as I know the fountain will remain.
 
Kman101

Kman101

Well-Known Member
the.dreamfinder said:
But they do, it's all about vision. That Herb Ryman painting of Spaceship Earth is the distilliation of what EPCOT Center represented. EPCOT Center was to be a gathering place for people of all creeds and colors to understand and to connect to one another through our shared human experience. That the arts and sciences together can enrich mankind so we can better communicate our thoughts, feelings and experiences and better understand our place in the vast cosmos. That the decades of experience of showmanship, which made Walt Disney a household name the world over, could be used to educate, entertain and inspire millions of guests from around the world. That those millions of guests could then go home and strive to bring forth a brighter future for all and thus move the human race forward.

And the other, but a cheap publicity stunt in the name of a shallow kind of synergy to promote the flavor of the month tentpole because Disney doesn't have the confidence in its own material to create quality promotional experiences for new theatrical releases in the parks.
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I love this post but you're putting far too much into it. But that's JMO. One really does have nothing to do with the other in the basic sense. You're making it more than it is. But I agree with your overall point.
 
George

George

Liker of Things
Premium Member
kermet said:
Bob Chapek confirmed disney is going to Overhaul Epcot at destination d!
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I believe a long term overhaul from a visionary landmark that was inspiring to mankind into a shopping mall (complete with fancy food court!) that features attractions that are mildly thrilling until you're 6 years old has just been finished. Strange they want to do another overhaul so soon.
 
R

Ralphlaw

Well-Known Member
DarthFiscus75 said:
One area Disney could educate people is the epidemic of obesity that's running rapid throughout the world. We been here since Saturday night and it's eye opening. Healthcare cost will be high. But probably not going to be addressed because you have to be politicly correct.
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My daughter just started watching America's Funniest Home videos, and I am also appalled at the obesity rate. I'm overweight myself, 228 pounds on a six foot frame, but I try to use the stairs and walk as much as possible even when I'm too busy to hit the gym. I also know that when my weight gets above 230, sleep apnea kicks in. I watch what (and when) I eat. All in all, I am probably not considered obviously obese or embarrassing.

Wonders of Life could indeed address this epidemic, but having tempting food choices all over the park would water down that message.

One other point: As people age and start having old age problems, they generally become grossly underweight. A little fat on the bones may be healthier long-term than extreme fitness. Nevertheless, the eye-opening obesity at the parks does make one stop and wonder what we're becoming. A trip through Europe can also be eye-opening. The "Fat American tour group" is not a myth.
 
R

Ralphlaw

Well-Known Member
21stamps said:
You are completely correct. This is the best post I have read on this site.

It's not even that travel is easier now though..it's also things like- the internet, web based games, enrichment programs, museum camps, festivals, etc etc. People in general have so much more access to information than what they did when EPCOT was created. I would love more educational attractions, but how do you keep people entertained today...and have them still be entertained a year from now? The world is changing so quickly.
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Virtual Reality is a game-changer. Just wait, people will "vacation" with a visor instead of planes, trains and automobiles. Why travel to Venice when you can gondola down the Grand Canal in your own living room. Personally, VR scares me. It's a holodeck of escape that will take even more people away from the here and now. Right now, I would guess at least 10 million Americans are staring at their cell phones for pointless news updates, sports stories, texts, facebook drivelings, and other non-urgent time-fillers. We're heading to the next step. Stressed out at work, or bored with the kids, slap on the visor and you're walking the Great Wall of China. And why blow $10,000 to take the family to see the Eifel Tower? VR it, much more cheaply and without the annoyance of bad weather, sardine can flights, and the French.
 
EPCOTCenterLover

EPCOTCenterLover

Well-Known Member
flynnibus said:
But a well traveled world will expect more of its facsimiles to be impressed or engaged. A tiny Eiffel Tower isn't going to move people when they've seen the real thing.. or one in Vegas that is much bigger and grander. When EPCOT tries to transport people into those places.. the better informed people are, the greater the immersion must be.

Disney's own impact on how other places are setup also pushes the standard further for Disney if they wish to impress. If every shopping mall around you has amazing details for its setting.. going to Disney and seeing the same level (or less) of staging .. you are going to be let down.

Travel, the experiences people can get remotely, the amount of media on demand, the rising 'competition' you see everywhere else... they all raise the bar for an experience like World Showcase to meet to excel.
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I think this is true. Then in order for Disney to set themselves apart, the attractions need to be freaking spectacular. And recently, the new additions to Epcot have not been even close.

Epcot is what keeps me going back to the World. I absolutely love the place since my fist visit in 1983. Having not been there since 2009 should be revealing.
 
R

Ralphlaw

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
What needs to happen is a clear definition of Future World, World Showcase, and Epcot as a whole. As part of this, they can also define Tomorrowland.

Personally, I would like to see Future World gravitate towards the realistic, grounded in science, non-IP vision of the Future and/or Discovery. I'd like to see Tomorrowland be the futuristic representation as explained in Disney movies. This would allow for things like Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Tron and even Wreck it Ralph.

I've also suggested moving not just a re-done Carousel of Progress to Future World but also a re-done Space Mountain. Aside from the exterior building, Space Mountain needs a full tear down and while it's not tied to a movie, it is a pseudo franchise in itself and could be Epcot's first true coaster.

My re-done Future World would have the two Tomorrowland transplants as well as "it's a small world" bridging the gap between Future World and World Showcase as a perfect transition between the two areas.

For pseudo original ideas, I'd like to see Neil degrasse Tyson represented somehow in Epcot, perhaps in a Cosmos based attraction or for a more out there idea - a replacement for Dreamfinder. Sticking with the former (Cosmos based attraction), add in a redone Imagination, the 3 Magic Kingdom transplants and you've got a Future World that should intrigue both the fanbois as well as the casual visitor.

Since I'm throwing out hairbrain ideas, why not continue with Horizons Century 3 and evicting Nemo from The Seas (or potentially closing the Seas entirely). The last thing that I'd really like to see would be a PeopleMover in Future World.

As for World Showcase, I've been a vocal critic of Frozen, but I think characters in World Showcase are unavoidable. So if they can help do it in a way where the characters are addressing culturally relevant things like Ratatouille or Coco I can get on board a bit more than Frozen Ever After.

Sorry for the brain dump.
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At some level, I agree with much of what you say, but the huge cost of all this (literally a billion dollars) make no business sense. A hugely popular Space Mountain being moved is ridiculously cost prohibitive. No business person would agree to that because the upside is minimal. For the same money, a brand new additional coaster could be built. Personally, for the same money, I'd rather see Space Mountain stay and have a whole new additional coaster put some place.

I like Neil Degrasse Tyson, but he will likely soon become passé, just like Carl Sagan with his blazer and turtleneck became passé and jokeworthy a few years and a billion wisecracks after Cosmos first came out. He recently voiced a pig on Gravity Falls, which was wonderful. But I fear his serious scientific image may soon be taking a hit--more Bill Nye the Science Guy and less Stephen Hawking.
 
montyz81

montyz81

Well-Known Member
Otterhead said:
I think you can still try the 1994 version at DisneyQuest! It's.... clunky!

Neither of those are VR in any way. Large movie screens aren't virtual reality.
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But small ones are??? The concept for the small and the large are the same. OK, I'll give you the fact that you can't control it making it full VR but it is a VR like environment. I think we have just come up with the next version of Sorin. put a control bar in the seat and let the rider control where they go. How cool would that be? I an picture a little pod with a person handing in a harness from the ceiling a movie screen inside of a geodesic sphere with projections for where you want to go. That would be a fun ride. Heck, you could even hang an old Horizons ride vehicle from the ceiling and run projections of that ride. I could build this thing and take all Disney rides to every mall in America, provided Disney lets me. I gotta go talk to the Shark Tank people.
 
montyz81

montyz81

Well-Known Member
Otterhead said:
That's not how VR works or what it is. A big movie screen is not VR any more than sitting really close to an IMAX screen is VR.
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I get it. I tried to say that before. I was just trying to come up with a way to create VR without using a visor. The only way, that I can think of, is put a person in a space that can fit your entire body. That made me think of IYHW, Sorin, even M:S kind of does it. So chill out a bit and go with it. Also, my idea was a lot closer to what you define as VR.
 
Luxe

Luxe

Well-Known Member
montyz81 said:
But small ones are??? The concept for the small and the large are the same. OK, I'll give you the fact that you can't control it making it full VR but it is a VR like environment. I think we have just come up with the next version of Sorin. put a control bar in the seat and let the rider control where they go. How cool would that be? I an picture a little pod with a person handing in a harness from the ceiling a movie screen inside of a geodesic sphere with projections for where you want to go. That would be a fun ride. Heck, you could even hang an old Horizons ride vehicle from the ceiling and run projections of that ride. I could build this thing and take all Disney rides to every mall in America, provided Disney lets me. I gotta go talk to the Shark Tank people.
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VR simulates head movement to make you feel like you are in the environment. Looking at a screen, no matter the size, doesn't quite constitute VR. I guess it could be possible to track your head movement while looking at a screen to mimic the idea of a VR headset but I don't think it would quite as effective being that far away from your eyes.
 

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