Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Pixiedustmaker]

. . . what if there was a connective tissue, song or theme to the whole Future World?

It's harder to come up with a unifying experience for Future World because Nemo and Test Track are sort of doing their own thing. I think its a great idea though, here is what I would do:

1. Make Leonardo Da Vinci the mascot. (Sorry to disappoint Figment/Dreamfinder fans). I think Da Vinci is sort of timeless, and they could play off of having a Renaissance master gawking at all of the amazing new inventions. Plus, there is a sort of mysterious magic surrounding Da Vinci.

2. I would make Innoventions West into a Leonardo's Left Brain type exhibit with recreations of his machines, kids could work at exhibits where they try to build something that would fly.

3. I would re-make Innoventions East into Leonardo's Right Brain and have it be about the creative process of painting things. They could have an animatronic Leonardo in each exhibit, or perhaps a Leonardo and Figment animatronic show in one building.

4. I would re-do Univ. of Energy into a massive dark ride which is narrated by Da Vinci and starts off in bucolic Italy where he talks about the need for energy for his inventions, etc. . . then up to the present day. This is where we could see the wonder and amazement of the present day through Da Vinci's eyes.

5. Da Vinci was an expert student of human anatomy, I would build a new "Wonders of Life" Pavilion, but add a roller coaster which flies through the human body with narrations by Da Vinci. I kinda miss the old Body Wars ride, but felt that the ride mechanism was sort of redundant given it is basically Star Tours with a different film. I would add a malicious presence to the film, perhaps somebody evil (or the government) tried to capture Da Vinci and he escaped by using today's technology to build a machine to shrink himself to the size of a blood cell, a sort of "Escape Through Inner Space" type ride, narrated by Da Vinci.

It could start out in a government lab, the G-Men yelling, "Get them!", before you escape by shrinking down to microscopic size.

6. Maybe Imagination could tie it all together by having Figment/Dreamfinder build a time machine which brings Da Vinci to the present day. Figment would ask Dreamfinder, "Did people always have such great imaginations?" Dreamfinder, "Let's find out!"

 

[Eddie Sotto]

It's harder to come up with a unifying experience for Future World because Nemo and Test Track are sort of doing their own thing. I think its a great idea though, here is what I would do:

1. Make Leonardo Da Vinci the mascot. (Sorry to disappoint Figment/Dreamfinder fans). I think Da Vinci is sort of timeless, and they could play off of having a Renaissance master gawking at all of the amazing new inventions. Plus, there is a sort of mysterious magic surrounding Da Vinci.

2. I would make Innoventions West into a Leonardo's Left Brain type exhibit with recreations of his machines, kids could work at exhibits where they try to build something that would fly.

3. I would re-make Innoventions East into Leonardo's Right Brain and have it be about the creative process of painting things. They could have an animatronic Leonardo in each exhibit, or perhaps a Leonardo and Figment animatronic show in one building.

4. I would re-do Univ. of Energy into a massive dark ride which is narrated by Da Vinci and starts off in bucolic Italy where he talks about the need for energy for his inventions, etc. . . then up to the present day. This is where we could see the wonder and amazement of the present day through Da Vinci's eyes.

5. Da Vinci was an expert student of human anatomy, I would build a new "Wonders of Life" Pavilion, but add a roller coaster which flies through the human body with narrations by Da Vinci. I kinda miss the old Body Wars ride, but felt that the ride mechanism was sort of redundant given it is basically Star Tours with a different film. I would add a malicious presence to the film, perhaps somebody evil (or the government) tried to capture Da Vinci and he escaped by using today's technology to build a machine to shrink himself to the size of a blood cell, a sort of "Escape Through Inner Space" type ride, narrated by Da Vinci.

It could start out in a government lab, the G-Men yelling, "Get them!", before you escape by shrinking down to microscopic size.

6. Maybe Imagination could tie it all together by having Figment/Dreamfinder build a time machine which brings Da Vinci to the present day. Figment would ask Dreamfinder, "Did people always have such great imaginations?" Dreamfinder, "Let's find out!"

Da Vinci is an interesting choice. That did not occur to me at all.

 

[Omnispace]

So here are the LED decorations. Given the fact that everything down to the Ketchup bottles on the dining table are period perfect, I think the LED screams Walmart compared to what used to be. I don't personally care for holiday decorations, so it just obscured the art.

Julia Morgan was an inspiration, as she was the first woman to attend the famed "Ecole Des Beaux Arts" in Paris. Her blend of perfectionism, talent and humility made her uniquely qualified to delicately play Heart's bottomless deck of "Antique Cards" and make sense of it all. She said to "Never avoid problems, they could be opportunities in disguise". Good point. I found it all to be stunning, as like Walt's Disneyland, it is one's specific vision and the evidence of their will to have it executed with little compromise. An immersive world indeed. Truly a "time travel" experience. Take the virtual tour HERE http://www.regal360.com/clients/hearst/hearstcastle/index.html

Julia did LOTs of other important buildings.
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmindex/genericindex.html

Thanks for sharing! I'm glad you enjoyed the experience. Interesting comparison to Disneyland from the standpoint of it being a unified vision. Now I am wondering if there are other places I have been to that share that similar trait.

Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to swim in that indoor pool. It looks amazing at night!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I think Hearst and Disney saw their projects as "clay" and continued plussing and rethinking them. Disney did not have the blessing of money and that held him back more than Hearst, who was continually short but approved of changes of enormous cost.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I think the unifying theme of Future World should be Discovery. That was a component of Project Gemini that really intrigued me - by focusing on man's interest in Discovery and changing the attractions accordingly you have a concept that will not become dated anywhere near as quickly. What I think people don't realize with the current Future World is that Mission: Space is the 2nd oldest pavilion.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I think the unifying theme of Future World should be Discovery. That was a component of Project Gemini that really intrigued me - by focusing on man's interest in Discovery and changing the attractions accordingly you have a concept that will not become dated anywhere near as quickly. What I think people don't realize with the current Future World is that Mission: Space is the 2nd oldest pavilion.

Metlife was added later and Seas opened later as well, so I'm not sure how you arrive at that, but your point is well made.

 

[Nmoody1]

Da Vinci is an interesting choice. That did not occur to me at all.

I dont understand why Figment has not been made more of a larger-than-EPCOT character - he could totally front an educational show on Disney Junior and an adveture-animation style show for Disney Chanel, expanding into a character for Disney hotels - fronting signage for recycling, room info etc.

Back at EPCOT drop Dr Nigel Channing from the Imagination Institute - it doesnt work, but an adventure with Figment could be so much more fun - with today's technology (test track/disney fantasy animation show) whilst in line you could draw from your imagination - which come to life during the ride. Bring back Figment meet and greet, use Figment in park signage (each Future World pavilion has an image of Figment ie TestTrack as a driver/Seas With Nemo as a diver), shut down Innoventions and bring in the rumoured TimeRacers from Project Gemini - (instead of in Spaceship Earth it could take up the wasted space of Innoventions). Figment could also feature as part of this.

I find it such a shame that Future World takes up so much space and never seems to fuel much excitement these days - Universe of Energy is so dated - and only educates us that Ellen had a youth, not about the wonders of fuel, new technologies and "the future".

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Once in a while I guess I probably should give "Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks". So this is an editorial.

A lot in the world has changed since 1982. Epcot Center to a great degree was modeled on world's fairs. The New York world's fair of 1939 featured a lagoon of nations and the world of tomorrow. Very similar and plan to what we find at Epcot Center today. When I look back at the 1939 New York world's fair, the one thread that stands out to me beyond the title "The world of Tomorrow", is the fact that it was all about marketing products and industry. General Motors was there promoting the building of freeways across the country. That prediction did come true. Coca-Cola was there too and the future being about soft drinks also happened. Westinghouse told us that buying garbage disposals and dishwashers would make our life easier and give us more spare time. That came true as well. The future was about consumerism and marketing. But tomorrow was about what you will buy in the future. The message pretty much has always been in worlds fairs that the real coming together of nations is all about trade. The Eiffel Tower back in its day was a means of the French showing off their engineering superiority. And they did. Of course, the concept of world's fairs has diminished to a great degree because countries can show off their wares and their cultures in less expensive ways such as television. The world truly has gotten smaller. And of course, jet air travel has made it inexpensive for more people to actually visit these places.

Epcot Center, like worlds fairs is greatly dependent upon the sponsorship and participation of companies to provide the entertainment. This leaves potential gaps in any overarching vision or story. No one would argue that world showcase has glaring omissions because entire continents are not represented. Why? It certainly was not because no one wanted those countries to be there, it has to do with finances. In the case of Future World, you are limited by the story you can tell with the companies that participate. Disney recognized this and made Communicore into Innoventions, a place with a lower barrier of entry for smaller companies to participate and show off their wares. So to that end, "predicting the future" becomes limited to those who are willing to invest in a "future" that leads you to their products and services. I'm not saying that we don't all know that going in, because we do. It's just a limiting factor. All of this reminds me of those great ads on late-night television for psychics and fortunetellers. For someone that can predict the outcome of the rest of your life, they certainly do so at a very low price. If those futuristic predictions were really that accurate they would probably sell for a small fortune. Of course, all of those ads end the same way with a big disclaimer that says "for entertainment purposes only". I guess that's the point. Sometimes we put too much expectation and credibility into something that is designed "for entertainment purposes only". We end up loving the experience so much we want it to be real and take us into a real outcome. I'm guilty of that.The mission (as expected by the stockholders) of the Walt Disney Company is that first and foremost it entertains and profits from its customers. The byproduct of it actually predicting or inspiring a generation to change the world is what you would call a "nice to have", but not really the core mission and does not really influence the decisions of what gets put into these experiences. So much of what Disney has done has become art in the eyes of the public, that perhaps the expectation is that all of the experiences must become art or move us in such a way or it does not succeed.

Epcot Center in many ways is there to make its participants look good. Obviously, we don't go to the China Pavilion to see people slaving at FoxComm. We are there to see the romantic and beautiful side of China and the beautiful side of the Chinese people. And we do. That's why we escape the real world to come to Epcot. I used always believe that the participants that you should pursue first are the ones that have the worst image. If you want to get a lot of money from an oil company call BP. Given the recent history of the Gulf they would be the company you would want to reshape as a brand in the imagination of the public. It's kind of ironic that Monsanto, a company now seen as particularly evil by many people was one of the most beloved participants at Disneyland. At least it was by me. I still don't want to believe any of the bad stuff they say about their biotechnology.

Society has changed quite a bit and in these days that we live in is become quite turbulent even in the most stable of nations. Instead of "calming the waters", technology has actually allowed more people to become more vocal and autonomously gather in cyberspace to form opinions and policy. I don't know if people today think that a monorail or a better transportation system is really going to make that much difference when the society that uses them seems to be so troubled. My personal view of all this is that mankind in general governs himself to his own injury and that greed and a self-centered independence has always stood in the way of progress and any kind of world of tomorrow.

That's why I like the concepts that have been brought forth the last few posts about curiosity and discovery more than utopian visions of tomorrow (that even I have proposed) that probably would date themselves as they were being constructed. I do long for the 1967 Tomorrowland of the past, but it was never really a solution it was just a really cool fantasy that captured my imagination. Maybe that's one of the reasons the Disneyland succeeds so well is because it creates the artificial construct of a place where everyone is treated equally and everyone gets along. It's the perfect place to demonstrate the future because everyone is being entertained by it versus having to survive in it.

 

[Omnispace]

Da Vinci is an interesting choice. That did not occur to me at all.

We could pair-up Leonardo da Vinci and Figment! That would totally freak people out!

 

[RSoxNo1]

Metlife was added later and Seas opened later as well, so I'm not sure how you arrive at that, but your point is well made.

I meant that of the current Pavilions in Epcot, Mission: Space was the 2nd to last one to receive any substantial modifications. It's a stretch, but the Imagination Pavilion received Captain EO, otherwise it would be older.

 

[Omnispace]

Despite the current social turbulence in the world I think that people still have an interest in the future -- and visiting a wonderfully escapist futuristic environment that stimulates one's imagination is certainly going to appeal to many people. For me the Future World portion of Epcot, (and the various Tomorrowlands), doesn't necessarily need to present a precisely projected future to me, it just needs to take one out of their usual realm and present enough unique and interesting things that are engaging. If it is done correctly, looks for a design vocabulary that is timeless, and allows itself to evolve incrementally, then the entire issue of becoming dated becomes moot. I recently saw a excerpt from Cirque de Soleil's Ka where the actions of the performers affect the lighting on stage. It's similar to what one can see in the shopping malls where you stomp on things projected on the floor but the application of that idea with performers on stage is what made it unique and engaging. I feel that those unexpected types of creative interactions are what can really make Future World a rich experience again. Once you create the opportunities for the experience, people fill in the rest with their imagination and creativity.

I agree that discovery can be a valid focus of Epcot but I would like to see it paired up with human ingenuity and the emphasis placed on the fact that each guest has a role in their future. I think that too many people come to Epcot and expect to be told what the future is going to be and are disappointed when that vision turns out to be at times 30 years old. It's almost a shame that Communication is no longer the theme of Spaceship Earth because it's relevance in our society is perhaps even greater than before. Communication technology is allowing people to express their creativity in ever more ways that can reach people around the world so the potential for one person to make a positive impact on their future is much greater than when Epcot was conceptualized.

I realize that corporate money and sponsors were a big part of Epcot's development. It was certainly considered to be a cooperative relationship that allowed both parties to achieve what they wanted and it worked. Like Eddie, I will always feel a little better about companies like Monsanto, GE, and Goodyear, all because they sponsored some of my favorite attractions at Disneyland. I agree that their involvement in Epcot created some limitations but it also allowed for some opportunities. GE's insistence that there be no post-show allowed for more money to go towards Horizon's ride-thru show. I think that a creative team coordinating the various shows in Epcot can pull things together a lot better than what they are now. All the original Epcot Center had was some creative logos, common typeface, and some well coordinated marketing to tie together the different pavilions and that actually had a big impact on many people perceiving it as a unified whole.

 

[Omnispace]

I really wish that Disney would hire Syd Mead to redesign their Tomorrowlands and/or Epcot's Future World. His style has a very humanistic approach to it -- a futurism that is embellished by design as opposed to being minimalist. In this video he discusses several interesting aspects of predicting the future and has some insight into the creative process. I almost wish he didn't start out by discussing Blade Runner because in many ways that was a dystopian vision, though his comments on it are still provoking.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Well needless to say, the news that Universal is purchasing the rights to the "Lord of the Rings" franchise is nothing but good. Maybe people want to escape to fantasy worlds when the future doesn't look that bright?

As long as the world economy can sustain it, the theme park business in (at the higher levels) seems to be on a Franchise shopping spree. It remains to be seen how the execution of these brand experiences will become, but if it's anything like the Harry Potter franchise then these worlds will be pretty rich. There almost seems to be a backlog of environments to be constructed. Star Wars, Marvel, Avatar, and soon the rest of Harry Potter and then the "Lord of the Rings". We haven't even discussed what DreamWorks might end up doing. With all of that going on, you won't be able to get a Pixar attraction in sideways! The boom of Pixar projects was probably perfectly timed given the demand now to build all of these other worlds. There is only so much money and only so many tourists so I guess the best is yet to come. I can't imagine Disney building sequels to the Mystic Manor when they have all of these pre-sold brands sitting on the table waiting to happen. Interesting times these are!

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I really wish that Disney would hire Syd Mead to redesign their Tomorrowlands and/or Epcot's Future World. His style has a very humanistic approach to it -- a futurism that is embellished by design as opposed to being minimalist. In this video he discusses several interesting aspects of predicting the future and has some insight into the creative process. I almost wish he didn't start out by discussing Blade Runner because in many ways that was a dystopian vision, though his comments on it are still provoking.

Syd Mead is one amazing guy. Los Angeles magazine quoted him as saying his favorite restaurant is the Encounter at LAX. We met at a party at the Arts Center in Pasadena, and upon finding out that I was involved in that project we agreed to have lunch there one afternoon. Syd is still "the man" and was so influential and still is. He is the nicest guy, and for all that talent he is very much down-to-earth and still has a spark of futurism running through his veins.

He recently did an Art show that was truly incredible. His body of work spans decades and his technique is still picture-perfect. You can see so many movie and architectural references that he has inspired. One of his paintings was to be printed in a magazine and so he pre mixed all of his paints to match the colors of the publisher's ink for perfect reproduction! Okay, that is insane. Imagineer Bob Gurr is a good friend of his and was present while he was doing it. If you haven't looked up his images are gone to his website, please do so as you will enjoy not only Syd's incredible technical skill, but the mind behind it. Agree..he is the future.

http://sydmead.com/v/11/

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I do long for the 1967 Tomorrowland of the past, but it was never really a solution it was just a really cool fantasy that captured my imagination. Maybe that's one of the reasons the Disneyland succeeds so well is because it creates the artificial construct of a place where everyone is treated equally and everyone gets along. It's the perfect place to demonstrate the future because everyone is being entertained by it versus having to survive in it.

The problem with 1967 Tomorrowland was that the People Mover uses a track, which is so 20th Century. Where we're going we don't need tracks.



Personally, I don't think they need the top 3/4 of the loops, so you have a trackless train with unobstructed views out the windows. And they could disguise the support pillars as trees even, maybe by growing vines on them.

Seriously though, I think that futuristic transportation technology will involve pods and vehicles which don't necessarily need a track. There is a lot of interesting technology out there. I think Disney should hire a bunch of M.I.T. grad students to design something amazing, yet also practical.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

The problem with 1967 Tomorrowland was that the People Mover uses a track, which is so 20th Century. Where we're going we don't need tracks.



Personally, I don't think they need the top 3/4 of the loops, so you have a trackless train with unobstructed views out the windows. And they could disguise the support pillars as trees even, maybe by growing vines on them.

Seriously though, I think that futuristic transportation technology will involve pods and vehicles which don't necessarily need a track. There is a lot of interesting technology out there. I think Disney should hire a bunch of M.I.T. grad students to design something amazing, yet also practical.

It's funny how so much of the world, from answers to questions, watching movies, down to antique shopping and packaged goods comes to us versus venturing out.

 

[Omnispace]

The problem with 1967 Tomorrowland was that the People Mover uses a track, which is so 20th Century. Where we're going we don't need tracks.

Personally, I don't think they need the top 3/4 of the loops, so you have a trackless train with unobstructed views out the windows. And they could disguise the support pillars as trees even, maybe by growing vines on them.

Seriously though, I think that futuristic transportation technology will involve pods and vehicles which don't necessarily need a track. There is a lot of interesting technology out there. I think Disney should hire a bunch of M.I.T. grad students to design something amazing, yet also practical.

I'm not sure this guy thought about how the trains will take curves or make grade changes but it's a fun way to look at a problem differently. If you look at his other videos he has the pillars with little pagoda hats on them so they blend into the local architecture.

I think the MIT people were involved in the Monsanto House of the Future at Disneyland so I'm sure they could come up with some interesting concepts in transportation. I think a lot of what we see in future transportation going to depend on culture. Some cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen have a huge bicycle culture -- but they are also flat. I'd hate to ride a bicycle around San Francisco. I thought that Segways would have caught on more by now but they seem to be relegated to being a novelty. Here's a Syd Mead concept I've always liked and it's kind of pod-like...

 

[Omnispace]

Syd Mead is one amazing guy. Los Angeles magazine quoted him as saying his favorite restaurant is the Encounter at LAX. We met at a party at the Arts Center in Pasadena, and upon finding out that I was involved in that project we agreed to have lunch there one afternoon. Syd is still "the man" and was so influential and still is. He is the nicest guy, and for all that talent he is very much down-to-earth and still has a spark of futurism running through his veins.

He recently did an Art show that was truly incredible. His body of work spans decades and his technique is still picture-perfect. You can see so many movie and architectural references that he has inspired. One of his paintings was to be printed in a magazine and so he pre mixed all of his paints to match the colors of the publisher's ink for perfect reproduction! Okay, that is insane. Imagineer Bob Gurr is a good friend of his and was present while he was doing it. If you haven't looked up his images are gone to his website, please do so as you will enjoy not only Syd's incredible technical skill, but the mind behind it. Agree..he is the future.

http://sydmead.com/v/11/

I really wish I could get to one of his exhibitions so I could at least see his paintings in their original format. I was lucky enough to see Robert McCall's work at The Tech in San Jose once. I was blown away by the impact of his art on the large canvasses. Syd Mead seems to be much more precise but while some of his lines seem to done with a straight edge, there are other parts of his paintings that have an incredible fluid quality to them. I hope you are taking him up on the lunch offer.

 

[ChrisFL]

I'd hate to ride a bicycle around San Francisco. I thought that Segways would have caught on more by now but they seem to be relegated to being a novelty. Here's a Syd Mead concept I've always liked and it's kind of pod-like...

those remind me of the new Toyota Pod concepts which I saw in Tokyo while I was there and online, similar idea.

These concepts and the mentioned Segway are not bad ideas, they're just designed for cities that are better designed than most of ours.

 

[Omnispace]

those remind me of the new Toyota Pod concepts which I saw in Tokyo while I was there and online, similar idea.

These concepts and the mentioned Segway are not bad ideas, they're just designed for cities that are better designed than most of ours.

Very cool. That would be incredible if it detached from a larger vehicle!

The big question that you mention is how these types of transportation fit into our cities. I know in many places the Segway has been banned -- people don't think they are compatible with pedestrians and their personal nature makes them second class citizens on our roads. I think that cities that accommodate bicycle traffic are better equipped to handle this intermediate mode of transportation. I'd love to try one though -- I may have to splurge on one of those Segway tours somewhere - maybe the next time I am at Epcot.