EPCOT: 1982 vs. 2022

[S.I.R. the Robot]

1982. It felt more like a city of the future and had a homage to different cultures. Figment was with Dreamfinder, rides were educational in a fun way, and everything was full of hope. Nothing like 2022's "IP Paradise."

Also, Gary Owens.

 

[Heppenheimer]

1982. It felt more like a city of the future and had a homage to different cultures. Figment was with Dreamfinder, rides were educational in a fun way, and everything was full of hope. Nothing like 2022's "IP Paradise."

Also, Gary Owens.

Which attraction did Gary Owens narrate? I want to say World of Motion (the humor of that ride would have matched his deadpan delivery), but I don't remember.

 

[S.I.R. the Robot]

Which attraction did Gary Owens narrate? I want to say World of Motion (the humor of that ride would have matched his deadpan delivery), but I don't remember.

You're exactly right.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Rides are better now. How couldn't they be? The tech is better. There's a nostalgia effect. And sure you can long for the past. And those rides in that era were great. But if we're being honest.

That being said, the overall experience in the 80's is miles ahead of where it is today. There's nothing today in WS that can touch the World Showcase Players. There was a uniqueness and an intimacy to "old" EPCOT that will probably never be matched from an experience perspective. Just my opinion.

 

[UNCgolf]

Rides are better now. How couldn't they be? The tech is better. There's a nostalgia effect. And sure you can long for the past. And those rides in that era were great. But if we're being honest.

That being said, the overall experience in the 80's is miles ahead of where it is today. There's nothing today in WS that can touch the World Showcase Players. There was a uniqueness and an intimacy to "old" EPCOT that will probably never be matched from an experience perspective. Just my opinion.

I don't think you'd find very many people agreeing that the rides are clearly better now and it has nothing to do with nostalgia -- technology isn't close to being the most important factor in a ride's overall quality. Imagination is obviously much worse than the original version and Spaceship Earth has less content now as well. It's at least somewhat understandable if someone prefers Mission: Space and/or Test Track to Horizons and/or World of Motion (even though I personally think Horizons and World of Motion are clearly superior to their replacements), but that's more about the type of ride experience someone likes (i.e. if someone doesn't like dark rides or really likes physical thrill) and also has little to do with technology.

Smuggler's Run has much newer/better tech than Tower of Terror but does anyone think it's a better ride (just as a random example)?

 

[GinaD613]

In 1982 my life was better. I was young and I still had hope. So I vote to turn the clock back every time. Now what was the question?

 

[Heppenheimer]

I don't think you'd find very many people agreeing that the rides are clearly better now and it has nothing to do with nostalgia -- technology isn't close to being the most important factor in a ride's overall quality. Imagination is obviously much worse than the original version and Spaceship Earth has less content now as well. It's at least somewhat understandable if someone prefers Mission: Space and/or Test Track to Horizons and/or World of Motion (even though I personally think Horizons and World of Motion are clearly superior to their replacements), but that's more about the type of ride experience someone likes (i.e. if someone doesn't like dark rides or really likes physical thrill) and also has little to do with technology.

Reading your response, it just hit me... imagine the kinetic energy of Test Track while retaining some of the scenery, humor and story-telling of the World of Motion. That would have been a great way to breathe new life into an old attraction. Like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but wilder.

 

[S.I.R. the Robot]

Reading your response, it just hit me... imagine the kinetic energy of Test Track while retaining some of the scenery, humor and story-telling of the World of Motion. That would have been a great way to breathe new life into an old attraction. Like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but wilder.

With George Lowe as the narrator.

 

[FiestaFunKid]

Horizons should have been classic Epcot - like Pirates, Small World, Mr Toad, etc in MK/DL. When they have a beloved ride, even if low tech, they should think twice about squandering that goodwill. I don't see rides like Mission Space or Pooh ever becoming classics visitors get nostalgic for.

I suppose the building shell was collapsing, but I'm sure you could have saved the ride system, sets, and animatronics.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I suppose the building shell was collapsing, but I'm sure you could have saved the ride system, sets, and animatronics.

This has been disproven dozens of times. The building and foundation were fine. Eisner had Compaq throwing lots of dollars his way and the rest is history.

 

[mharrington]

The main reason I had brought this up was to see how the mission of EPCOT now had changed from the EPCOT of 40 years ago.

Which attraction did Gary Owens narrate? I want to say World of Motion (the humor of that ride would have matched his deadpan delivery), but I don't remember.

You're right, it was World of Motion.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I think those who grew up with whatever they had to experience at the time, or first timers experiencing things even as an adult for the first time, will forever be oblivious to what was “once there.”

Me, for example... I grew up with Food Rocks and Ellen’s Energy Adventure, as opposed to the OG attractions of before. I dont get OGs no matter how many videos I watch (Even tho they fascinate me), and when I saw construction walls up at Food Rocks to make way for Soarin as a kid, I literally Bawled my eyes out because I loved It so much.

Same with OG Test Track, in comparison to world of motion and current TT...

So here I am today not as much of a fan of Soarin, Guardians, and Frozen taking over. But this next generation will love these attractions as much as I loved the attractions of my generation, and the generation before me.

Nostalgia is nostalgia. Epcot is a park where I believe a majority of fanboys are more obsessed with its history rather than what was actually there. The history is so rich and detailed, unlike any other theme park in existence, because it was so unique... It’s easy to drench ourselves in the history of Epcot because it’s so fascinating.

I dont even know what I’m talking about anymore. Point being: Each generation will like what they first experienced the most, because that’s what they got to enjoy.

This isn’t true for ALL things at Epcot. But it’s certainly true to the average park guest.

 

[Beacon Joe]

EPCOT Center.

How it started:

How it's going:

 

[FiestaFunKid]

I grew up with Food Rocks and Ellen’s Energy Adventure, as opposed to the OG attractions of before

I agree there will always be nostalgia to an extent, but I disagree that it's even across the board. There was no clamor to save Ellen's Energy Adventure, and very few get the warm and fuzzys over Mission Space - and I don't believe they'll ever be looked at in the same light as Horizons and WOM.

 

[sedati]

I agree there will always be nostalgia to an extent, but I disagree that it's even across the board. There was no clamor to save Ellen's Energy Adventure, and very few get the warm and fuzzys over Mission Space - and I don't believe they'll ever be looked at in the same light as Horizons and WOM.

Mission Space (the ride portion anyway) is phenomenal and not only delivered an experience I've always dreamed of, but did it in a way no one else has. My only regret is that it replaced Horizons.

 

[UNCgolf]

Mission Space (the ride portion anyway) is phenomenal and not only delivered an experience I've always dreamed of, but did it in a way no one else has. My only regret is that it replaced Horizons.

I think the biggest problem with Mission: Space (putting aside that it replaced Horizons) is that they didn't build a pavilion to go with it. There's a couple of games and a gift shop. They could have done so much more to explore space.

Horizons didn't have one either, but Horizons had a different theme and kind of incorporated all of the other pavilions.

 

[sedati]

I think the biggest problem with Mission: Space (putting aside that it replaced Horizons) is that they didn't build a pavilion to go with it. There's a couple of games and a gift shop. They could have done so much more to explore space.

Horizons didn't have one either, but Horizons had a different theme and kind of incorporated all of the other pavilions.

I agree wholeheartedly, the pavilion is weak and doesn't make for much of a full experience. I'd love if they expanded it beyond the restaurant.
Horizons oddly served as a mission statement attraction which is weird as it came later and maybe should have been the gateway attraction.

 

[UNCgolf]

I agree wholeheartedly, the pavilion is weak and doesn't make for much of a full experience. I'd love if they expanded it beyond the restaurant.
Horizons oddly served as a mission statement attraction which is weird as it came later and maybe should have been the gateway attraction.

It's a big issue for EPCOT going forward, I think. Ignoring any IP discussion, most of what they're doing now (and have done over the past couple of decades) are shorter/smaller experiences, which functions as a reduction in capacity.

Guardians of the Galaxy should be a fun attraction that will be much busier than the decrepit remains of Energy, but I don't believe there are any plans for a post-show area with other activities. Mission: Space doesn't have much of one, and neither does Test Track, whereas the original World of Motion had several extra things in the post-show. The new Play! Pavilion doesn't use any of the attraction space from the Wonders of Life pavilion, and Imagination is not only a lesser attraction but also has a lesser version of ImageWorks (which is also now very outdated).

With as much money as they're spending on this overhaul, they're just not adding very much to do. The France expansion is probably the only thing they've done that really adds something beyond what was there before.

As for Mission: Space itself, it would have been really neat to exit the ride into a Mars base, similar to the old Living Seas concept. Of course they would have needed to let people skip the ride and go straight to the base if they wanted, but it would be a huge improvement over what's there now.

 

[FiestaFunKid]

I do like Mission Space - and still fits well enough into the overall Epcot Theme - so I don't consider it a bad addition (other than it replaced Horizons). The weak pavilion is an issue, although Space 2020 helps matters here. Other issues are the intensity of the main version being uncomfortable for most guests - and the fact that screen-based attractions have a shelf life making it difficult to become classics decades later.

However, just speaking for me, if they had put Cosmic Rewind there or better yet an updated non-ip space attraction, forcing them to rip out the current version, I would not shed any tears.

 

[DisneyNittany]

Better or worse? I don't know. My wife and I love it though.

We both made the pilgrimage as kids in the 90s, but I don't remember much of Epcot back then*. Really, our point of reference starts in 2016 (similar to another poster above), when we decided to go for a short trip and then become fanatics. Epcot was arguably at it's lowest, but seeing as how we're Marriott people, and therefore spent the majority of our trips at the Swan & Dolphin, we spent many of nights closing down Epcot.

When I think of Epcot, I think of being relaxed. Whether it's beginning the day with a slow stroll around the Boardwalk, thru the IG, and around the World with a coffee in hand or making the final lap around WS after Illuminations (RIP) with a beer in hand, taking our time to get to IG, and then walking along either the Boardwalk or Marina (and stopping for another drink)...nothing really reminds me that I'm on vacation like a relaxing stroll around WS or Crescent Lake with those views of Epcot. Add in the nighttime aesthetic of then Future World, and it's ability to transport me to back to the 90s, and it's game over for me.

As long as we continue to be Park Hoppers, then that's most likely what Epcot will remain to me. The other parks have more than enough rides for me to scratch that itch, but Epcot is where I like to go for a vacation while on my vacation (while fully admitting it's lacking and my POV is very unique).

*Except for the original Test Track. I loved the original concept for TT.