EPCOT: 1982 vs. 2022

[The Empress Lilly]

Soarin' is one of the very few successful replacements in EPCOT.
Even then, the Land of Symbiosis, Kitchen Kabaret and Listen to the Land was superior to any Land with Soarin'. More cohesive, better theme.

And certainly more beautiful. Covered bottom to top in murals, carpets, electric umbrellas, a fountain. An artistic marvel. If you have beheld the breathtaking beauty of EPCOT Center the question of which version is better is but a joke. Akin to: the Parthenon or the ammunition bunker it was replaced with? EPCOT Center was the most gorgeous, ambitious, artistic, mature, sophisticated theme park ever built. Epcot21 is a beer and superhero coaster park.

 

[Little Green Men]

While controversial I would argue TT is better in that it provides more variety of rides, but to each their own

 

[mharrington]

I was just thinking about how things would be better now (or at least soon) versus about twenty years ago.

 

[muddyrivers]

I'll say this... one thing that's absolutely flawless about classic Epcot is the soundtrack.

Back when every pavilion had an original song (with lyrics!) written for it

 

[Heppenheimer]

Back when every pavilion had an original song (with lyrics!) written for it

Some had more than one (Energy, Imagination, the Land).

However, I do like the updated version of Canada's song better than the original.

 

[muddyrivers]

I do also think several posters have brought up a great point. Back then, the world was a different place. You didn't have social media posting minute by minute updates of what was going on in the parks. If you wanted to learn about an upcoming technology you found a magazine with an article written on it or borrowed a book from the library (which was already several years behind at that point). EPCOT Center let you see new technology right as it debuted and as it was being developed.

I even think of Innoventions around the turn of the century when I visited and they had the home of the future exhibit where you could see what your home entertainment system of the future would be like. And IBM had a demo of their ViaVoice software on a giant projected on the wall screen. We all thought it was mind blowing that we could speak aloud to the computer and it would type exactly what we were saying. That technology quite literally sits on people's wrists.

 

[Robbiem]

To me the big difference between EPCOT Center and Epcot is the intent. EPCOT Centre was built with high ideals about making the world better place by inspiring visitors. Epcot is a theme park with rotating festivals and growing IP additions.

Edutainment EPCOT probably peaked around 1990 with Wonders of Life, before then the park mainly added, after that the park replaced

Ironically the failing of EPCOT centre is also the failing of modern Epcot - IP. The original designers were so intent on not making a ‘Disney’ park they excluded IP, so to some people the park felt dry and ’less Disney’ leading to today’s inappropriate uses of IP everywhere

If the original imagineers had used more IP would EPCOT still be here? Probably not but you could see an alternate park where for example Goofy hosted world of motion as his ‘everyman’ persona or Ludwig von Drake hosted the energy show. Mary Poppins could have taken us on a journey through English Literature, Snow white through Germany etc. This approach worked in the original studios park which blended personalities with edutainment so it could have worked at EPCOT but the dumbing down would have always happened at some point

 

[Sir_Cliff]

To me the big difference between EPCOT Center and Epcot is the intent. EPCOT Centre was built with high ideals about making the world better place by inspiring visitors. Epcot is a theme park with rotating festivals and growing IP additions.

Edutainment EPCOT probably peaked around 1990 with Wonders of Life, before then the park mainly added, after that the park replaced

Ironically the failing of EPCOT centre is also the failing of modern Epcot - IP. The original designers were so intent on not making a ‘Disney’ park they excluded IP, so to some people the park felt dry and ’less Disney’ leading to today’s inappropriate uses of IP everywhere

If the original imagineers had used more IP would EPCOT still be here? Probably not but you could see an alternate park where for example Goofy hosted world of motion as his ‘everyman’ persona or Ludwig von Drake hosted the energy show. Mary Poppins could have taken us on a journey through English Literature, Snow white through Germany etc. This approach worked in the original studios park which blended personalities with edutainment so it could have worked at EPCOT but the dumbing down would have always happened at some point

I don't think the issue with the original EPCOT Center's attraction lineup was that there wasn't enough IP. Back then, that wasn't so unusual and it wasn't too hard to sate the public's appetite for Disney characters by just bringing in the characters to meet-and-greet as well as for shows.

As well as the difficulty of keeping things fresh, there was a bit of a failure to think outside the box when it came to educating people through attractions. They did rely too heavily on slow-moving attractions that told guests a story in a fairly linear fashion with audioanimatronics. The attractions were all high-quality and the technology often impressive, but it was a bit too much of the same thing. As they'd already had big successes with Space Mountain and Big Thunder at that point, I'm surprised they didn't try to innovate beyond what they did at the NYC 1964 World's Fair by combining education and thrills in one of the attractions.

That said, I don't think they've yet come up with a compelling thrill ride for Epcot. Test Track is probably the best to me, but I still wouldn't put it amongst my favourite WDW attractions. I admire the ambition of Mission:Space, but that also never quite hit the mark as it's too intense for some, not immersive/escapist enough for others, etc.

 

[Little Green Men]

Back when every pavilion had an original song (with lyrics!) written for it

Except The Living Seas and WOL

 

[Disstevefan1]

1982 -
Spaceship Earth
Communicore East
Communicore West
Stargate Restaurant
Sunrise Terrace
Universe Of Energy
World of Motion
Journey Into Imagination
The Land
The Odyssey Restaurant
The American Adventure
American Adventure Pavilion
Canada Pavilion
France Pavilion
Germany Pavilion
Impressions de France
Italy Pavilion
Japan Pavilion
Mexico Pavilion
Norway Pavilion
O Canada!
United Kingdom Pavilion
Passion
Hope
Joy

2022 -
Probably still all lot of walls and dirt piles..

 

[FiestaFunKid]

I'll take '82 any day - simply for the wonderful cohesiveness of theme in Future World and the feelings it inspired...and I'd argue those attractions were more amazing for the time than what we have today in '21. Bonus points for Alfredo's being better than Tutto Italia.

Soarin and TT have been positive additions. SE has been downgraded. Unpopular opinion maybe, but I always thought SE was a worse attraction vs WOM and Horizons (taking the nostalgia out of it). SE survived b/c it's inside the park's signature structure.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Soarin ATW fits Epcot better. You said everything was worse than 1982 and thats not true

It makes it look like the Eiffel Tower has ED!

 

[Little Green Men]

Spaceship Earth
Communicore East
Communicore West
Stargate Restaurant
Sunrise Terrace
Universe Of Energy
World of Motion
Journey Into Imagination
The Land
The Odyssey Restaurant
The American Adventure
American Adventure Pavilion
Canada Pavilion
France Pavilion
Germany Pavilion
Impressions de France
Italy Pavilion
Japan Pavilion
Mexico Pavilion
Norway Pavilion
O Canada!
United Kingdom Pavilion

2022:
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle talk with crush
The Land
Awesome Planet
Living with the Land
Soarin
Imagination
JII with Figment
Pixar Film Shorts
Test Track
Mission: SPACE
Space 220
Epcot Experience
Mexico Pavilion
Gran Fiesta Tour
Norway Pavilion
Frozen Ever After
China Pavilion
Reflections of China
Germany Pavilion
Italy Pavilion
USA Pavilion
American Adventure
Japan Pavilion
Morocco Pavilion
France Pavilion
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
United Kingdom Pavilion
Canada Pavilion
Canada Far and Wide

Still to Come:
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
Play Pavilion
Journey of Water
New Club Cool, Creations, Quick service complex
New China film
Harmonious

 

[Disstevefan1]

2022:
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle talk with crush
The Land
Awesome Planet
Living with the Land
Soarin
Imagination
JII with Figment
Pixar Film Shorts
Test Track
Mission: SPACE
Space 220
Epcot Experience
Mexico Pavilion
Gran Fiesta Tour
Norway Pavilion
Frozen Ever After
China Pavilion
Reflections of China
Germany Pavilion
Italy Pavilion
USA Pavilion
American Adventure
Japan Pavilion
Morocco Pavilion
France Pavilion
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
United Kingdom Pavilion
Canada Pavilion
Canada Far and Wide

Still to Come:
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
Play Pavilion
Journey of Water
New Club Cool, Creations, Quick service complex
New China film
Harmonious

For 2022 you forgot Walls and dirt piles….

 

[mharrington]

2022:
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle talk with crush
The Land
Awesome Planet
Living with the Land
Soarin
Imagination
JII with Figment
Pixar Film Shorts
Test Track
Mission: SPACE
Space 220
Epcot Experience
Mexico Pavilion
Gran Fiesta Tour
Norway Pavilion
Frozen Ever After
China Pavilion
Reflections of China
Germany Pavilion
Italy Pavilion
USA Pavilion
American Adventure
Japan Pavilion
Morocco Pavilion
France Pavilion
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
United Kingdom Pavilion
Canada Pavilion
Canada Far and Wide

Still to Come:
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
Play Pavilion
Journey of Water
New Club Cool, Creations, Quick service complex
New China film
Harmonious

I thought "Canada Far and Wide" was shut down for good.

 

[UNCgolf]

I thought "Canada Far and Wide" was shut down for good.

Just a temporary closure to use as a food both during Food and Wine.

 

[ElvisMickey]

I'd place the Golden Era of EPCOT from about 1986 (opening of Captain EO) to 1991 or so. All the original rides in their full glory.

Did Magic Journeys scare you too much ?! All kidding aside, agreed.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Did Magic Journeys scare you too much ?! All kidding aside, agreed.

Magic Journeys was the one attraction almost guaranteed to make toddlers and pre-schoolers cry.

 

[RoyalFool]

I was fortunate to go in 1982 and EPCOT was (and still is) my favourite park, I like that it felt like a real possible future and not a whimsical fairytale one; unfortunately all the recent changes have chipped away at that and now it's just Disneyland with better food.

The music in 1982 was also *chefkiss* - I still listen to Papillon on my daily rotation.

I still love the place, the hopping fountains, the beautiful views at dusk when the lights slowly come on. It's lush, but edutainment was my bag and they tipped it out and replaced it with character merchandise.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I thought "Canada Far and Wide" was shut down for good.

I guess instead of giving us an attraction they decided to use the space to sell overpriced food samples….