Connections Cafe and Eatery

Epcot82Guy

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
As one who is pretty skeptical on most of the new revamp, I do think we should be nuancing the negativity. I can't speak for anyone else, but these new changes don't look BAD by any means. They are sleek, contemporary and absolutely add in color and energy. And, that ties into Epcot no doubt. The main concern I would raise is just how generic it feels. This could be the ascetic of an H&M next to a new modern food hall, and you wouldn't blink. And, there's nothing wrong with that design, per se. My problem is the longevity. Think of how much Epcot was maligned about its recent state. The things being replaced were absolutely a relic of the 90s, but they were at least unique. My main concern is this is going to age poorly and quickly. Plus, there is nothing unique or really themed about it. It's not futuristic. It's contemporary attempting to be modern. (Again - not bad. Rather that tends to have less longevity.)

The easy solution to this is to refresh the spaces regularly - much like you would a contemporary hotel lobby or restaurant. And, these appear to be designed to allow for that. I do wish there was more of a coherent theme to both. But, the fact still stands. My concern is Disney's track record, especially with Epcot, doesn't suggest that will happen. So, they took something kinda bad and dated (EU and MouseGear) and potentially set history to repeat itself - maybe even faster than before.

But, to the previous posters' points, saying it looks BAD today is probably an overstatement.
 
Epcot82Guy

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
castlecake2.0 said:
The fans have been clear, they want something that’s modern, but not that modern, and also something that doesn’t look like modern in the real world, but also something EPCOT but not too EPCOT but also a little lower case Epcot (‘95!) and not include IP unless it is EPCOT Center/EPCOT/Epcot IP also LEDs are sooooo outdated so dont use LEDs but also don’t use incandescent lights because that’s too frontierland/Canada pavilion, also don’t use sliding automatic doors because those won’t exist in the future (even though it is not called future world anymore). Also don’t call it connections because that’s weird but somehow everyone just accepted that electric umbrella was a perfectly normal name for a food service location. Also , carpet walls.
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While I see your point, I think it misses a huge factor of the compliant. EPCOT Center and Epcot were about INSPIRATION (at least in goal). While yes there was sponsorship, Americanizing, etc. - and criticism of how well it showed actually history is certainly up for debate - the inspiration was the piece many walked away with. The park was laid out to have layers. The architecture was unique and forward looking. It wasn't meant to look contemporary. It was meant to invoke futurism, forward thinking, etc. And, it was about contribution back to the world and how our real world exists.

That is the part that is lacking. Deep down, I think it's less about IP or not, or LEDs or not. It's about a place where the world still felt optimistic. That was the futurism Epcot always celebrated to me. From day one, the parts that the fan base loved was how it inspired you to understand our history and create our future. That was the HEART of Epcot, even if it was hidden at times - or even created in the fandom's mind.

That's what's being lost here. These are modern space that look pretty. They don't inspire you to do anything (other than maybe spend $$). Admittedly that's tough to do with a contemporary shop or restaurant. But, you can find a way. This needs to be more than Uniqlo (as much as I enjoy that store as a clothing store.) They do with many other locations throughout Walt Disney World. I have faith, if really allowed, they could do the same here.
 
J

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
Epcot82Guy said:
That's what's being lost here. These are modern space that look pretty. They don't inspire you to do anything (other than maybe spend $$). Admittedly that's tough to do with a contemporary shop or restaurant. But, you can find a way. This needs to be more than Uniqlo (as much as I enjoy that store as a clothing store.) They do with many other locations throughout Walt Disney World. I have faith, if really allowed, they could do the same here.
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That's not what's being lost here, as in within the walls of these shops. That's what's being lost thematically throughout the park, which is a separate issue. There is nothing about this design that is inherently pessimistic or in conflict with EPCOT's original vision of the future. I am legitimately confused as to how the shops and restaurants in this space were ever viewed as inspiring or unique. They have always been a product of the time in which they were built/renovated.
 
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D

dreday3

Well-Known Member
Epcot82Guy said:
While I see your point, I think it misses a huge factor of the compliant. EPCOT Center and Epcot were about INSPIRATION (at least in goal). While yes there was sponsorship, Americanizing, etc. - and criticism of how well it showed actually history is certainly up for debate - the inspiration was the piece many walked away with. The park was laid out to have layers. The architecture was unique and forward looking. It wasn't meant to look contemporary. It was meant to invoke futurism, forward thinking, etc. And, it was about contribution back to the world and how our real world exists.

That is the part that is lacking. Deep down, I think it's less about IP or not, or LEDs or not. It's about a place where the world still felt optimistic. That was the futurism Epcot always celebrated to me. From day one, the parts that the fan base loved was how it inspired you to understand our history and create our future. That was the HEART of Epcot, even if it was hidden at times - or even created in the fandom's mind.

That's what's being lost here. These are modern space that look pretty. They don't inspire you to do anything (other than maybe spend $$). Admittedly that's tough to do with a contemporary shop or restaurant. But, you can find a way. This needs to be more than Uniqlo (as much as I enjoy that store as a clothing store.) They do with many other locations throughout Walt Disney World. I have faith, if really allowed, they could do the same here.
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Specifically Horizons, Spaceship Earth and even World of Motion gave me that inspiration as a young girl.
It was all new and exciting, we could live underwater and talk to each other over tvs!
We didn't have technology at our fingertips at that point and the world is what we saw on 3 major networks newscasts.

Today is different in terms of the ability to see the "future" of technology from our phones, in an instant and also how fast technology changes. People are much more jaded (or maybe not jaded, but well traveled, technologically advanced, able to have many more experiences outside of their home town) than they were back then. Nothing is "new".

While I won't say Epcot is anything it used to be, I'm not sure how it can go back what it was during the greatest decade known to man, the 1980s. :D It's just different now, people are different.

And I still find Spaceship Earth awe inspiring.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Epcot82Guy said:
The main concern I would raise is just how generic it feels. This could be the ascetic of an H&M next to a new modern food hall, and you wouldn't blink. And, there's nothing wrong with that design, per se. My problem is the longevity. Think of how much Epcot was maligned about its recent state. The things being replaced were absolutely a relic of the 90s, but they were at least unique. My main concern is this is going to age poorly and quickly. Plus, there is nothing unique or really themed about it. It's not futuristic. It's contemporary attempting to be modern. (Again - not bad. Rather that tends to have less longevity.)
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I agree with all of this (and some of it goes to my point above about current design trends), but I think spaces felt unique solely because nearly everywhere else with a similar aesthetic had remodeled or closed in the intervening decades. I don't think unique would have been an accurate description when they opened. I'm also not sure how to theme the non-pavilion areas of Future World.

I think the Communicore/Innoventions spaces were always relatively contemporary to the time they were built. It's really the rest of (former) Future World that's continuing to lose what once made it special.
 
TheEPCOTHistorian

TheEPCOTHistorian

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Of course none of us can speak for Connections just YET, however I feel the aesthetic for Creations is perfect. It feels like a modern Centorium, especially with the wall length windows. The Mickey murals are obviously not the best, but the smaller details like the Spaceship Earth tile floors are impeccable. Also, the area brings attention to the skylight circles in the peoplemover track space...
 
HauntedPirate

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
DisneywithNick said:
Of course none of us can speak for Connections just YET, however I feel the aesthetic for Creations is perfect. It feels like a modern Centorium, especially with the wall length windows. The Mickey murals are obviously not the best, but the smaller details like the Spaceship Earth tile floors are impeccable. Also, the area brings attention to the skylight circles in the peoplemover track space...
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I got zero feeling of Centorium out of Creations Shop. Confused would be one thing I felt, but that could have been because there were shelves and shelves of Halloween merchandise (at regular price) when it was just days before Thanksgiving. Centorium drew me in with its multiple levels and oddities. This just lays itself out there for all to see from the moment you walk through the door - I'm a merchandise shop!

Still, there's nothing in that sterile, bland environment that draws your eye or drew me in. Honestly, it's so sterile you could mistake it for an operating room. The murals are terrible, for the most part. Zombie Mickey is particularly disturbing to see in person.
 
TheEPCOTHistorian

TheEPCOTHistorian

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Current look at Connections. To me, it seems to be about 90% complete. No way this misses the Guardians opening deadline, IMHO.
Screenshot_20220302-235301_Instagram.jpg

Most interesting to me are the multicolor LED strips, set to blue in the photo.
Screenshot_20220302-235325_Instagram.jpg
 
J

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
While I can appreciate not liking the implementation of the LED lighting, I don’t really understand disparaging it as a technological solution just because you can buy color-changing LEDs for personal use. I didn’t roll my eyes at the fiber optic lighting near Innoventions even though every kid in the 80s had those ubiquitous fiber optic wands.
 
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
James Alucobond said:
While I can appreciate not liking the implementation of the LED lighting, I don’t really understand disparaging it as a technological solution just because you can buy color-changing LEDs for personal use. I didn’t roll my eyes at the fiber optic lighting near Innoventions even though every kid in the 80s had those ubiquitous fiber optic wands.
Click to expand...
Well...fiber optic wands are far different in look and application to the intricate animated patterns set into the pavers... a whole world different. I have built in lighting at home with a hue system, and I can pretty much make it do what I have seen the application for EPCOT is doing... Now if they are using the technology in a new and exciting way... that is different.
I don't dislike the lighting at all...just don't think it is as unique as it should or could be... But I am reserving judgement until it is complete and running out of test mode... It may be beautifully integrated with music tracks or something...
 

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