Epcot 25 work?

[mousermerf]

This may sound a little silly, or just like wishful thinking...

But mousesurplus.com is selling a series of WDW 2000 signs.

Typically, they get stuff when Disney "moves on" from a particular project, for example they have old Contemporary room decor as it's being redone. With older items, it seems to correlate to when Disney begin taking steps to a new project meaning the old stuff really is useless to them - i think these signs would be a case-in-point.

If they're ditching stuff from Epcot's last celebration, the 2000 Millenium celebration, then perhaps they're starting work in the 25th anniversary?

 

[ImagineerAndy]

This may sound a little silly, or just like wishful thinking...

But mousesurplus.com is selling a series of WDW 2000 signs.

Typically, they get stuff when Disney "moves on" from a particular project, for example they have old Contemporary room decor as it's being redone. With older items, it seems to correlate to when Disney begin taking steps to a new project meaning the old stuff really is useless to them - i think these signs would be a case-in-point.

If they're ditching stuff from Epcot's last celebration, the 2000 Millenium celebration, then perhaps they're starting work in the 25th anniversary?

I Think those signs have been on there for a while now, but as you said, we can only hope that they are having a clearout ready for the new stuff. I know they're designing stuff as we speak.

 

[jedimaster1227]

This may sound a little silly, or just like wishful thinking...

But mousesurplus.com is selling a series of WDW 2000 signs.

Typically, they get stuff when Disney "moves on" from a particular project, for example they have old Contemporary room decor as it's being redone. With older items, it seems to correlate to when Disney begin taking steps to a new project meaning the old stuff really is useless to them - i think these signs would be a case-in-point.

If they're ditching stuff from Epcot's last celebration, the 2000 Millenium celebration, then perhaps they're starting work in the 25th anniversary?

I think that the rehab of Japan at Epcot is part of the 25th and the possible announcement of the next Epcot attraction may be too. At the greatest stretch it is possible that they might install a meet and greet for the Dreamfinder as part of the 25th.

MouseSurplus has these things for a while and it just depends on when Disney gives them away.

 

[speck76]

I still do not think much will be done for Epcot's 25th.....it will not be on the same scale as HCOE, or WDW's 25th.....more along the lines of MGM's 15th.

 

[mousermerf]

Which i totally don't remember.. so that's not a good sign.

But lots of us want Epcot 25 to be atleast decent. You think WDW marketing would ignore that?

 

[speck76]

Which i totally don't remember.. so that's not a good sign.

But lots of us want Epcot 25 to be atleast decent. You think WDW marketing would ignore that?

I do not think it is very marketable to the average guest

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I think it depends on what you count as marketable.

Do I think there will be a major celebration for Epcot's 25th alone, no. I agree the average guest wouldn't find it to the level of HCOE or WDW's. However, there is some buzz about Epcot being reinvented going on outside these boards. So, to have a "relaunch" of sorts for Epcot may be marketable and tie in the 25th as the excuse for why it is done in 2006 (an "as Epcot turns 25, we are announcing blah blah blah") so that the "celebration" is more the starting point instead of the end result. I think this is more likely also because HCOE is still getting attendance boosts, so there is no need for it right away. However, to announce things upcoming would push the boost back a year or two which is when the HCOE lag will hit.

 

[speck76]

I think it depends on what you count as marketable.

Do I think there will be a major celebration for Epcot's 25th alone, no. I agree the average guest wouldn't find it to the level of HCOE or WDW's. However, there is some buzz about Epcot being reinvented going on outside these boards. So, to have a "relaunch" of sorts for Epcot may be marketable and tie in the 25th as the excuse for why it is done in 2006 (an "as Epcot turns 25, we are announcing blah blah blah") so that the "celebration" is more the starting point instead of the end result. I think this is more likely also because HCOE is still getting attendance boosts, so there is no need for it right away. However, to announce things upcoming would push the boost back a year or two which is when the HCOE lag will hit.

Epcot has been going through a re-invention since 1994.....it is now coming to an end, as the last pavilions to be re-invented (TLS/WoL) are either now goign through that process, or are closed.

AS far as announcing a starting point, that would be as bad as the announcement of "The Disney Decade" in the early 90's....and nothing says "don't come down here" like "this is what we are planning to do in the future".

If there was anything major in the pipeline for Epcot between now and 10/1/07, we would know about it.....as construction would be going on.....while it is fairly easy to hide blueprints, it is not easy to hide massive renovation.

Even without HCOE, attendance should continue to rise for the next few years.....without any major marketing campaign.....unless we have another major catastrophy....or Avian Flu becomes pandemic.....

My best guess for any marketing campaign in the future is something revolving around MGM.....the park has the biggest attendance issue, and most likely will be getting the next major attraction.

 

[askmike1]

If there was anything major in the pipeline for Epcot between now and 10/1/07, we would know about it.....as construction would be going on.....while it is fairly easy to hide blueprints, it is not easy to hide massive renovation.

But how long before 5/5/05 was DL's HCOE things announced? If I remember, I believe the majority of the things (with the exeption of Remember) were announced only a year before, and yet so many things happened there.

 

[speck76]

But how long before 5/5/05 was DL's HCOE things announced? If I remember, I believe the majority of the things (with the exeption of Remember) were announced only a year before, and yet so many things happened there.

Soarin' and LMAX were originally announced at the MS grand opening

EE had its own announcement even before the MS opening

The only thing really announced on the HCOE press day was Cinderellabration and Lucky the Dinosaur.....

Lucky was highly rumored prior to the official announcement, the only real surprise was Cinderellabration.

 

[speck76]

A brief look at Soarin's announcement and rumor timeframe: (from the WDWMagic Soarin' page)

26 September 2002: Project Gemini Update

Project Gemini now has the backing of Michael Eisner and Paul Pressler, and budgets have been assigned, they are healthy. The concept of the project is a mass rebranding of Epcot, to inject the excitement back that the park once had. The much rumored splitting of the park into 2 separate gates appears to be unlikely at this stage. The grand reopening of the park is set to be December 2006, however parts of the new project will open before that time.

Two signature attractions for the new Epcot are a Soarin' Over attraction from DCA, and another ETicket attraction called "Time Racers".

12 February 2003: Update

Further to the info below, there is very recent news to indicate that there remains a core of 3 projects for Epcot's rehab.

* Rehab of Spaceship Earth. This new attraction, as hard as it is to believe, is being talked about as being a "coaster" type ride. It's budget is in excess of that for Rock n Roller Coaster.
* A DCA Soarin' Clone
* An unspecified third attraction

The budgets are around the $100 million mark for each, with the Spaceship Earth project having the largest of the three.

Opening dates remain around late 2006.

The likelihood of the above opening, will depend to some extent on the success of Mission Space opening this year.

25 July 2003: Soarin' set to go?

According to some Epcot cast, they are being internally told that construction will begin in August 2003 on a clone of DCA's very successful Soarin' attraction. Current information suggests that the attraction will be built in-between The Land and Imagination, and using Food Rocks as the preshow/queue area. The entry to the attraction would be from inside The Land. Opening date is set for 2005. Remember this information has not been officially announced yet, and as always is subject to change.

10 October 2003: Officially Announced!

Here is the official announcement for Soarin!

Soarin’ Attraction Lands at Epcot

The popular “Soarin’ Over California” attraction at Disney’s California Adventure will take Walt Disney World guests on an eye-filling journey when it opens at Epcot in 2005.

The new attraction sends guests on a sweeping flyover above the wondrous Golden State for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography. “Soarin’ Over California” will be the newest addition to The Land pavilion at Epcot, complementing the popular pavilion’s agriculture and ecology theme.

The unforgettable experience combines cinematic artistry and state-of-the-art motion base technology. Guests are literally lifted 40 feet inside a giant projection screen dome and completely surrounded with the beauty and wonder of the state of California as their elevated theater seats take them on a scenic tour over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests, Napa Valley, Yosemite and more. The free-flight experience intensifies as guests feel the sweeping winds and smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine trees around them.

 

[speck76]

Even the 50th Anniversary celebration was rumor ot have a major impact on WDW a year before it was even announced.

28 May 2003: Stunt Show - Disneyland 50th Celebration at WDW?

To coincide with the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland in 2005, there are several plans on the drawing board for WDW, ranging from area enhancements, through to new rides and shows. MGM's possible enhancements include the addition of the Motor Stunt Show from the Walt Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris Resort. The current planned location for the new show is the area close to Catastrophe Canyon.

There are currently construction walls around the old Hunchback Stage area and also around part of the back of New York Street and the backlot. While much of this work is rehab work on the facades, it is being speculated that preparation for the Motor Stunt Show is underway.

While the Stunt Show is definitely under serious consideration by Disney, please note that it has not be given the definite go ahead.

 

[ILLmaticS0ldier]

My best guess for any marketing campaign in the future is something revolving around MGM.....the park has the biggest attendance issue, and most likely will be getting the next major attraction.

Is mgm realy having attendance issues it seems that they have no room for a new mayor thrill ride so what can they do?They only thing i kno they can do is do a ride in millionare do start tours 2 (yea right) and they have a new ride suposely going in the sound dangerous bulding .I think that will help attendance.

 

[Jerm]

They announced the 50th stuff at DL on 5/5/04. Most of the major things don't go public till a year before. I would bet my bottom dollar that the 25th will be the next big thing. I would say start looking around fall 06 (opening of the Seas with Nemo and friends at The Living Seas) for the big plans to hit the public if they want to make it like the 50. But this one I would say will be a little bit more low key then world wide such as the 50th. This one will be much more like DL 40th, where you know it is going on but not slapped upside the head with it.

J

 

[speck76]

The park has plenty of room for expansion.

The park's attendance is off significantly from its highs in the mid-90's. It has never fully recovered from the hit that it took in attendance when DAK opened (which was only made worse by the recession in 2001-03)

While Epcot is still down, it is approaching its 90's highs.....and with the fact that it has had such significant capital improvement over the last few years, it should continue to grow.

With DAK opening EE this year, it has the potential to surpass MGM in attendance, which while good for DAK, MGM has much higher capacity....and therefore has much higher costs (sans animal care).

When (non-regional) people visit Orlando, they always tend to visit the MK, and then 2-3 other parks.....they could visit the 3 other Disney parks, or skip one and visit Universal/IOA/SeaWorld. The problem is that although Orlando added two major parks in the late 90's, the average length of guest stay did not really improve.

That being the case, marketing campaigns that focus on WDW as a whole, or MK specifically, tend to bring more overall guests to Orlando, which then split their remaining days amoungst the 6 other parks in the city.

While a marketing campaign for Epcot could potentially keep a MK guest from visiting SeaWorld or Universal/IOA, it is more likely to keep a guest from visiting DAK or MGM.....the typical MK guest that visits a non-Disney park is looking for just that....a NON-DISNEY park.

MGM has the potential to bust this theory, as it is the only park at WDW that has a similar-concept competitor within the city, so it has the potential to keep a Universal guest on Disney property....it also has the need for improvement and expansion....and with GE/NBC taking their time expanding/improving Universal, MGM has a large window of opportunity to pull further ahead of its competition.

 

[speck76]

They announced the 50th stuff at DL on 5/5/04. Most of the major things don't go public till a year before. I would bet my bottom dollar that the 25th will be the next big thing. I would say start looking around fall 06 (opening of the Seas with Nemo and friends at The Living Seas) for the big plans to hit the public if they want to make it like the 50. But this one I would say will be a little bit more low key then world wide such as the 50th. This one will be much more like DL 40th, where you know it is going on but not slapped upside the head with it.

J

Again...Soarin' and LMAX were officially announced prior to 5/5/04

in addition, both were well under construction.

Soarin' Construction on 3/6/2004

 

[ballewclan]

The park has plenty of room for expansion.

The park's attendance is off significantly from its highs in the mid-90's. It has never fully recovered from the hit that it took in attendance when DAK opened (which was only made worse by the recession in 2001-03)

While Epcot is still down, it is approaching its 90's highs.....and with the fact that it has had such significant capital improvement over the last few years, it should continue to grow.

With DAK opening EE this year, it has the potential to surpass MGM in attendance, which while good for DAK, MGM has much higher capacity....and therefore has much higher costs (sans animal care).

When (non-regional) people visit Orlando, they always tend to visit the MK, and then 2-3 other parks.....they could visit the 3 other Disney parks, or skip one and visit Universal/IOA/SeaWorld. The problem is that although Orlando added two major parks in the late 90's, the average length of guest stay did not really improve.

That being the case, marketing campaigns that focus on WDW as a whole, or MK specifically, tend to bring more overall guests to Orlando, which then split their remaining days amoungst the 6 other parks in the city.

While a marketing campaign for Epcot could potentially keep a MK guest from visiting SeaWorld or Universal/IOA, it is more likely to keep a guest from visiting DAK or MGM.....the typical MK guest that visits a non-Disney park is looking for just that....a NON-DISNEY park.

MGM has the potential to bust this theory, as it is the only park at WDW that has a similar-concept competitor within the city, so it has the potential to keep a Universal guest on Disney property....it also has the need for improvement and expansion....and with GE/NBC taking their time expanding/improving Universal, MGM has a large window of opportunity to pull further ahead of its competition.

That was an extremely insightful post! Thanks :wave:

 

[marni1971]

Epcot has been going through a re-invention since 1994.....it is now coming to an end, as the last pavilions to be re-invented (TLS/WoL) are either now goign through that process, or are closed..

Hopefully it`s the beginning of a second phase / this decades re-invention. WoL must be on the list after TLS, but surely after that it`s Energy and hopefully Imagination.

I won`t go into Energy details since they are well documented in other threads, but it`ll be a decade old this autumn and start to show it - let alone other issues with the pavilion (as detailed elsewhere)

Imagination has been an uneasy attraction amongst the Test Tracks and Soarin's since v2 and v3 opened. It`s not exactly the dark sheep of Futureworld but is well known to be a dissapointment to us, guests, TWDC and Kodak. Assuming Kodak renew their sponsorship again next year lets hope for a return to the original format (not though a carbon copy of v1) and use of the full pavilion. HISTA may be up for renewal too - it`s 12 years old this year, and pushing Magic Journeys out of the spot for longest running 3D film. Admitedley first time guests will still enjoy it, I was pleasently surprised by how much I enjoyed it again at DLP last summer, but it could ripe for replacement in a better total pavilion makeover - as good as the institue theme idea was.

Coupled with SSEs new sponsor and everything pointing to a sooner-rather-than-later large rehab (not replacement) of the present show and post show I`d hope the 25th will be an official start (if not half way) of the new new Epcot.

 

[jedimaster1227]

My bet is on the "Blue Sky" codenamed project that was declined from Project Gemini. This project, from what I know for sure is that it will take the place of Universe of Energy and Wonders of Life to be one big pavilion/attraction.

 

[speck76]

Coupled with SSEs new sponsor and everything pointing to a sooner-rather-than-later large rehab (not replacement) of the present show and post show I`d hope the 25th will be an official start (if not half way) of the new new Epcot.

I am waiting to see what the "SIEMENS bringing ingenuity to future of SpaceShip Earth" sign i nthe old Earth Station ends up leading to.