While I usually agree with the people in these forums... I kinda think the new details we learned were facinating.
- The fact that they’re shaking up the IP in the parades really makes me optimistic, including new stuff like Coco and old stuff like Sleeping Beauty. That fake color-changing dress has been so popular on Insta, I think it’s a triumph that they’ve figured out a way to manifest it in real life. Plus, the Coco puppets look great - I think it’s a really inventive parade, and I’m so glad that I haven’t seen Ariel spinning on a clamshell yet.
- Runaway Railway was “announced” probably just to soothe the Anaheim fans. The audience skews WAY DL, so they needed to say something. The concept art is cute, but the loss of GMR still kills me.
- Shanghai news was nothing, but nice concept art. I see someone taking a giant ice pop... Hope that’s real.
- Hong Kong news was mixed. We’ve seen the castle, but the concept art for Oaken’s is exciting. Mine Train/Matterhorn fusion, methinks. But not an announcement.
- Cirque was nothing.
- Target was nothing. (Though I will be visiting because I am trash)
- We knew about the Avengers before, but I think the Spider-Man Ride is hella disappointing (Looks like an Xbox Kinect game) and the new Jet-Pack E-Ticket looks incredible. Reminds me of the proposed ride before Mission:Space took it’s place. I guess it’d be a two-parter, with the Quinjet flight followed by getting into the jet packs?
- I really like the re-branding of Future World, and I think it makes a lot of sense. Anyone who thinks that ripping out a huge concrete walkway, a smelly vacant building, a generic Mickey meet-and-greet, and a mostly-closed touring science assembly is “killing Epcot” seems a little crazy to me. The Walt statue is way too much for my taste, but I’d much rather meet Mickey in “fantasy gardens” rather than the admittedly ugly facilities we have now. Having permanent structures (replacing a swath of concrete) for the festivals instead of using the corpse of an attraction is a plus in my book. And the design of the entire area, to me, is really attractive and better utilizes the iconic blessing-of-size golf course lawns that exist today. At least the first thing you see when you enter isn’t a pin trading station and a simulated parking lot.
- What they’re doing with SSE reminds me of what they did with DEP - adding a “pixie dust trail” to the ride to sort of tie it together. I really liked the pixie dust trail in DEP, I can see this... laser effect (?) adding visual interest to the ride while maintaining the integrity. I imagine something like Mystic Manor or Test Track, where the magic/inspiration/communication particles/whatever they call it projection-maps onto objects in the room, causing them to come to life, or visually showing communication traveling. Reminds me of the original finale of the ride, which I assume will come back in some form, which is kind of really exciting.
- Space still looks cool.
- Guardians is still questionable but cool.
- Play pavilion is still a weird question mark DisneyQuest rip-off, but at least it’s not a rotting corpse. Also, it was already announced.
- Moana fits as well as a butterfly garden, TBH. And it restores a piece of the Living Seas that was removed: the story of the water cycle. “And it rained... and rained... and rained... and finally, the Seas were born.” I think this is a cute way to get that story back into Epcot, considering the ocean was a literal character in Moana. Also a good excuse for a meet and greet. But why not Adventureland?
- The pavilion movies are... well. Needed. I’m not excited, but kinda angry they weren’t replaced earlier.
- Mary Poppins is a BIG DEAL movie for me, so just having the facade in the UK is a huge win for me. I think they’ll probably talk about the interior ride at Destination D. This got me happy, and any new ride in the World Showcase is a win. If it’s a spinner... okay, Epcot needs some rides like this. If it’s a dark ride... I will be so much more happy.
- The Genie’s gonna be really helpful to first timers. I’m happy for them, but this doesn’t affect me much at all.
- Reflections is still really confusing to me. I hate that Tiana’s restaurant is NOT in Port Orleans. Why not do... um... Home on the Range Steakhouse... or uh... Bambi Hunter’s... Eugh.... I guess this is the best natural movie they could come up with that doesn’t inspire the thought of eating beloved characters... still. Maybe they should have gone non-IP.
- The Galactic Cruiser is cool as hell. The lightsaber battle is cool as hell. It’s just... this was announced already.
- I really like the idea of a new private island. I just have no clue what makes it so magical. Hard for me, at least, to get excited about a patch of land.
So... there really weren’t many “new things” we learned. But the Avengers E-Ticket, Future World Re-Design, SSE Refurb, and Mary Poppins still made me excited. I think it’s criminal that they announced nothing for Figment or, really, what the entertainment would be like for the 50th. But the 4 new things they revealed were kinda worth it for me.