Captain EO is coming back to EPCOT in the end the year!

[Brian_WDW74]

I read on Screamscape earlier today that Lance believes EO will return to Epcot and if it does they will try to put it in place by the end of May. But take that with as much salt as you need. It would make sense to get it in before the summer crowds but do they have enough time to change it all around?

PS- It also said that if EO does come back to expect it for almost a year. :dazzle:

Or longer. Here's what Lance posted about that:

"When EO returns, we’ve heard that it will be for at least 1 year… though there is a rumored extension plan that could see the run extended for a second year if the demand is still high."

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they stuck with EO for longer than an entire year. Not only due to attendance, but due to TDO and Kodak's refusal to spend a lot of money with new features on the pavillion.

I am good with anything that will breathe new life into Imagination, but I don't see how EO fits the bill.

I'm sure "life" to management of either group is a significant increase in attendance, whereas Epcot fans would define "life" as something entirely new. Both are technically correct if you take a given viewpoint.

I also understand the argument that EO's delay could put off a redo of the main ride of the pavilion, but I find a direct correlation hard to believe. The Magic Eye Theater went through 3 different movies years before any change to the ride or Image Works was made. Why would now be any different? Espcially if attendance of the ride still stunk after EO came back.

Journey Into Imagination With Figment opened in 2002 and considering Kodak and Disney spent money twice to get the ride to its current form (as bad as it may be for some) I feel they will try to squeaze at least 10 years life out of thier spending. I could of course be wrong, but its just an opinion.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

I don't see how that emoticon goes well with this statement. To me a year is perfectly fine as the run would be both "temporary" and long enough to use for a year's marketing pull.

Beyond a year is where it gets troublesome for me, and could happen if 365 days after returning, EO's attendance figures are sufficiently higher than HISTA for both Kodak and TDO.

Let me make my stance clear, I'm not for or against EO returning to Epcot, but I am against anything being in the Imagination pavilion that is not new and key to revitalizing that area of the park. If it were up to me, which nothing ever is, I would bring it back for the summer to coincide with all of the other summer goodies this year and if it does well, maybe through the Christmas/New Years but after that pull it. I realize the potential for this to bring in local people and increase turnstile turning but I don't believe it's big enough to warrant being up for a full year. For locals, I'm sure it's great but it's not going to influence anyone outside of the respective states to make a trip just for EO, IMO.

My other problem is with Disney saying anything is "temporary". Nothing brought to the Imagination pavilion needs to have the word "temporary" on it. They need to move forward, realize what a dump that side of the park is and get it back to what it was. Refurb JIYIWF, reopen IW, and put a new show in for HISTA/EO. They really should rename that side of Future World to "Past World" and having EO there for an extended amount of time doesn't help that they need forward thinking. IMO, it's just a cheap fix to try and bring in a few more $.

Hence the :dazzle:, but again it's all just my opinion.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

I'm sure "life" to management of either group is a significant increase in attendance, whereas Epcot fans would define "life" as something entirely new. Both are technically correct if you take a given viewpoint.

I also understand the argument that EO's delay could put off a redo of the main ride of the pavilion, but I find a direct correlation hard to believe. The Magic Eye Theater went through 3 different movies years before any change to the ride or Image Works was made. Why would now be any different? Espcially if attendance of the ride still stunk after EO came back.

Journey Into Imagination With Figment opened in 2002 and considering Kodak and Disney spent money twice to get the ride to its current form (as bad as it may be for some) I feel they will try to squeaze at least 10 years life out of thier spending. I could of course be wrong, but its just an opinion.

I agree, that this may just be a temporary fix to prepare for an overhaul, but I think I'm just fanboy dreaming. Unless Disney were to prove me wrong, I would say there's no way they are thinking to change it all after EO overstays his welcome. But... :shrug:

 

[harryk]

Don't need EO - bring in something new!!:xmas::xmas:

 

[the-reason14]

I think if they did bring it back it would overstay its welcome and that wouldnt be cool. BUt if and thats a big if, they could keep it until march of 2011, and maybe bring in something new, I dont see a problem with it. HISTA has overstayed its welcome long enough, and anything old or new is better than that.


Actually I dont have a problem with it staying for 2 years as I can just do what I do with HISTA, completely ignore it.

 

[hrcollectibles]

I guess TDO and TDP (is there such a thing..?) realized what a big success EO was at DL and decided they'd join in as well. EO is supposed to be arriving at DLP as well later this year in the summer.

The merch has been flying off the shelves and crowds have been packing in the theatre in numbers that HISTA never saw. It's been a huge crowd-pleaser as well.. It's a win-win - Disney sells merch, guests get their dose of fun 80s nostalgia

I am sure the theater has been packed before for Honey I Shrunk the Audience...

 

[aladdin2007]

Originally Posted by sponono88
I guess TDO and TDP (is there such a thing..?) realized what a big success EO was at DL and decided they'd join in as well. EO is supposed to be arriving at DLP as well later this year in the summer.

The merch has been flying off the shelves and crowds have been packing in the theatre in numbers that HISTA never saw. It's been a huge crowd-pleaser as well.. It's a win-win - Disney sells merch, guests get their dose of fun 80s nostalgia

I dont see EO being as popular and big here in Florida as it is in southern California. Merch included. but hey anything can happen I guess.

 

[hrcollectibles]

Where are they going to put it?

Not within 200 yards of a public school

 

[misterID]

Not within 200 yards of a public school

That's terrible :lol:

 

[hrcollectibles]

i'm a huge mj fan with two of his autographs. if epcot brought him back, i would see it as a tribute, not money. it's not like they will fill the parks because of it. yes they will make more of merchandising. but i would love it. i want to give my money to the estate and have a souvenier i could have forever. i do not see it being a greed factor. i just cant justify money for disneyland just to go see EO. but disney world (EO and four parks!), i'm definitely down. just my opinion.

His "estate" is all about the money, heck his family is all about money and greed.. The whole lot of them makes me sick. Where were they when Michael needed them.......I do not think the money for the Souvenir you purchased would go to his estate...How could greed not be a factor?. Disney saw dollar signs the moment they knew they could sell merchandise .....Had he not died this would not even be a topic of discussion....

 

[hrcollectibles]

Agreed.

I too think a lot of people will skip it... Why bring back an attraction that looks so dated in a Pavilion in FUTURE World

 

[dxwwf3]

Why bring back an attraction that looks so dated in a Pavilion in FUTURE World

How exactly does The Seas With Nemo and Friends fit into FUTURE World? Unfortunately, EPCOT Center isn't around any more, but at least we've got a chance for something from the park's peak to come back for a short time. Again I can see why people don't want the show back. But I don't get the FUTURE World angle. It's only that in name now really.

 

[Hakunamatata]

How exactly does The Seas With Nemo and Friends fit into FUTURE World? Unfortunately, EPCOT Center isn't around any more, but at least we've got a chance for something from the park's peak to come back for a short time. Again I can see why people don't want the show back. But I don't get the FUTURE World angle. It's only that in name now really.

In the future people will be able to talk to turtles?

 

[dxwwf3]

In the future people will be able to talk to turtles?

:lol:

 

[WDWFigment]

A couple of questions:

1) Has Captain EO actually been "successful" at DLR? It seems everyone is just assuming that it has been in this thread; I haven't really seen/heard any proof in the form of Cast Member/Guest testimonials, or anything. I am genuinely curious.

2) Am I the only one who is a little skeptical of Jeany031? I've seen others with posting styles like this on other forums, and they almost always turn out to be people with prejudices (if you know what I mean...). Just sayin'...

I used to care a lot more about this than I do now. I was vehemently opposed to it as I thought it was guests tacitly conceding to Disney that improvements aren't really necessary as long as you placate us a bit with some retro attractions. I still am not wild about it, but I think my biggest concern is how it impacts a potential Imagination refurbishment. If bringing it here means new Imagination sooner, I'm okay with it. Conversely, if bringing it here delays the new JII, I'm against it. Honestly, though, I don't expect any further "big" announcements until at least Star Tours 2.0 or part of Fantasyland Forest opens, so I guess I would bet 2012 at the earliest for an Imagination announcement, so I would expect EO wouldn't impact new JII at all (in which case my default position on EO remains "against"...in case you actually cared!). Hopefully I'm wrong on that one and a JII announcement is right around the corner.

 

[lazyboy97o]

A couple of questions:

1) Has Captain EO actually been "successful" at DLR? It seems everyone is just assuming that it has been in this thread; I haven't really seen/heard any proof in the form of Cast Member/Guest testimonials, or anything. I am genuinely curious.

Something has obviously grabbed the attention of Euro Disney SCA and the Oriental Land Co.

 

[TP2000]

A couple of questions:

1) Has Captain EO actually been "successful" at DLR? It seems everyone is just assuming that it has been in this thread; I haven't really seen/heard any proof in the form of Cast Member/Guest testimonials, or anything. I am genuinely curious.

From all relevant information sources, yes. Al Lutz rattled off some very impressive attendance figures for the show after its first few months in operation, outnumbering the previous attendance for HISTA by about 10 to 1. Lutz also said merch has been flying off the shelves, and I've seen that myself with teens and college kids wearing their trendy new EO t-shirts here in OC this winter and spring. An EO t-shirt is the trendy new status symbol in SoCal.

And then there is this quote from the Disneyland Spokesman that was in the OC Register newspaper a couple days ago, in a story about Tokyo Disneyland adding Captain EO to their park this summer...

Disney brought back the movie to Anaheim as a limited engagement, but no end date has been announced. Now, the film is scheduled to stay at least through summer and fall, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman. “It’s been popular enough that it will continue to run,” McClintock said.

The EO theater plays to full houses at Disneyland (HISTA had been a ghost town for years), kids are wearing the t-shirts at local malls, and Tokyo Disneyland is now paying to add it to their park after studying the numbers from Anaheim.

It's apparently been a success, whether some folks like it or not.

 

[hrcollectibles]

Something has obviously grabbed the attention of Euro Disney SCA and the Oriental Land Co.

Yup Money Money Money

 

[xdan0920]

I feel it is my duty to just say, No No NO. Please TDO for the love of god do not bring back EO. Even if it only costs $1000 to do it, use that 1k to repaint something.