SherlockWayne
Active Member
There is a right way and a wrong way to evolve the concept that is Epcot. Disney is currently in the midst of doing both, in my opinion. Ratatouille in France is completely fine in my view. Cuisine is a major part of French culture, and creating an IP tie-in that focuses on the French love of food is perfectly acceptable, and I think will actually contribute to people finding a new appreciation and interest for French culture. In that way, I think it fits the concept of Epcot in a great way. I feel the same about tactful infusion of Disney characters within the appropriate context. A Mulan attraction in China could be fascinating, if Disney provides a proper context to the story and ensures that there is a good degree of legitimate Chinese culture in the presentation. Frozen is almost a good fit. For me, all they would have had to do is put a subtitle anywhere on the building that says "inspired by the culture of Norway". Now, to be fair, they do that in the Stave Church gallery, so it gets a bye from me, I just wish it was more blatant. Moving the exhibits from that gallery to a Frozen post show would do the job better, but for now I find it mildly acceptable.
Where they lose me is Guardians. Don't get me wrong, I love the Guardians movies completely, I think they're the best part of the MCU, but they don't belong in Future World. What this is, is filler. Instead of taking time to develop a thrill attraction based on any number of IPs, Disney has disregarded the concept of Future World completely to build what I'm sure will be a fun attraction. That being said, it's just like Star Wars land in Disneyland, it's going to be high quality, it's going to be fun, it still doesn't fit. What will Guardians teach or strive to inspire? Edutainment doesn't have to be "in your face", it can be subtle. I like to look to Star Trek as an example. I find Star Trek to be very entertaining (granted not all people do), but in its entertainment, it has inspired generations of designers, engineers and dreamers. Look at the iPad, Star Trek had them on every desk as early as 1986.
I think if Disney were to change Future World from a vista of future living to more of a general showcase of life and achievement, it could better direct their efforts. So many Disney and acquired IPs could lend themselves to a greater message of hope and inspiration. Wall-E embodies the idea of planetary conservation, Inside Out explores the human condition and what it means to have complex consciousness, even Nemo, if done correctly, can help inspire interest in the seas and the drive to conserve and protect them (if done properly, which I don't feel is currently the case). There are other topics that have yet to be explored that could drive so much more wonder and inspiration, which this world sorely needs. The best part is, these concepts are timeless, they do not age in the same way a consumer presentation on laserdiscs would. Yes, the park would need to update and change as time goes on, but the themes can be eternal. Throwing them away to focus on an in-the-moment IP is just short-sighted. Now, I hope the imagineers find a way to have the Guardians tell a story that contributes to an Epcot theme, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm sure the attraction will be fun, but it does not contribute to the idea that was EPCOT.
The world is more of a global community now than it has ever been, despite the best efforts of certain political administrations. The idea of EPCOT is also more important now than it has ever been. Disney is a strong company with so much source material to pull from. I have to believe there are people out there smart enough to make this happen in a way that not only entertains, but does its part to better the human condition and inspire future generations to be better global citizens and dreamers.
Where they lose me is Guardians. Don't get me wrong, I love the Guardians movies completely, I think they're the best part of the MCU, but they don't belong in Future World. What this is, is filler. Instead of taking time to develop a thrill attraction based on any number of IPs, Disney has disregarded the concept of Future World completely to build what I'm sure will be a fun attraction. That being said, it's just like Star Wars land in Disneyland, it's going to be high quality, it's going to be fun, it still doesn't fit. What will Guardians teach or strive to inspire? Edutainment doesn't have to be "in your face", it can be subtle. I like to look to Star Trek as an example. I find Star Trek to be very entertaining (granted not all people do), but in its entertainment, it has inspired generations of designers, engineers and dreamers. Look at the iPad, Star Trek had them on every desk as early as 1986.
I think if Disney were to change Future World from a vista of future living to more of a general showcase of life and achievement, it could better direct their efforts. So many Disney and acquired IPs could lend themselves to a greater message of hope and inspiration. Wall-E embodies the idea of planetary conservation, Inside Out explores the human condition and what it means to have complex consciousness, even Nemo, if done correctly, can help inspire interest in the seas and the drive to conserve and protect them (if done properly, which I don't feel is currently the case). There are other topics that have yet to be explored that could drive so much more wonder and inspiration, which this world sorely needs. The best part is, these concepts are timeless, they do not age in the same way a consumer presentation on laserdiscs would. Yes, the park would need to update and change as time goes on, but the themes can be eternal. Throwing them away to focus on an in-the-moment IP is just short-sighted. Now, I hope the imagineers find a way to have the Guardians tell a story that contributes to an Epcot theme, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm sure the attraction will be fun, but it does not contribute to the idea that was EPCOT.
The world is more of a global community now than it has ever been, despite the best efforts of certain political administrations. The idea of EPCOT is also more important now than it has ever been. Disney is a strong company with so much source material to pull from. I have to believe there are people out there smart enough to make this happen in a way that not only entertains, but does its part to better the human condition and inspire future generations to be better global citizens and dreamers.
