EPCOT Center 35th Anniversary Events?

[trainplane3]

Do you know if the shirt is still available?

No idea. All I know is it's cast only and is in the cast store (at Epcot?). Everything else is beyond me.

 

[dreamscometrue]

From a Tom K. Morris tweet. I zoomed in and read the newspaper article "Most visitors laud Epcot, some suggest changes", and was surprised that there were such negative comments. I know that journalists can find people with any slant they want to present, but I've always kind of assumed that everyone who saw the original Epcot Center must have only felt awe and simply marvelled at the grandeur. So, quotes such as "I had high hopes for it, but I think they've missed the mark', and "They've got to forget the magnificence of audio-animantronics, and bring back the fun.", completely shocked me.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

They want you to love Star Lord, Gamora and Rocket and that is all you need to replace a fundamental FW pavilion (I am sure you know enough about your history to know how FW was developed ... if not, buy a $13 EPCOT35 coffee mug with the original pavilion symbols and read about what they mean) with a thought-provoking infotaining 35-minute ride with a three-minute (if we're very lucky) rolley coaster.

For the most part, I generally agree with with your insights on what's happening in the parks, but this only highlights why a replacement for UoE is justified. Yes, the UoE pavilion was a defining part of Future World. And yes, GotG is a much more natural fit for DHS (or whatever it's going to be called in 2 years) and trying to make it fit into Epcot may seem like a stretch. But the fact that it was a 35-minute long piece of "infotainment" is exactly why it was avoided like the plague. People pay thousands of dollars for a trip to WDW to see world class entertainment, not fall asleep in air conditioning watching something that would only be considered the best possible option if you're a school aged kid stuck in the classroom all day. Even if you don't agree with the specifics of how it all went down, there's no denying something drastic needed to be done with the pavilion. Out of all of Future World's many problems, having a building of that size hosting an attraction of that appeal was one of its most apparent. I can understand the disappointment of having one of the last remaining pieces of EPCOT Center era Future World removed, but I have to admit Future World 3.0 certainly looks better than what we have now.

 

[Fantasia Gardens]

Out of all of Future World's many problems, having a building of that size hosting an attraction of that appeal was one of its most apparent

Personally, I think the near complete abandonment of Wonders of Life (except for festivals) and Innoventions, as well as the YouTube film festival in Imagination are better examples of problems in future world. At least UoE had an actual attraction in it, even if it was dated.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Personally, I think the near complete abandonment of Wonders of Life (except for festivals) and Innoventions, as well as the YouTube film festival in Imagination are better examples of problems in future world. At least UoE had an actual attraction in it, even if it was dated.

I agree things like Wonders of Life and Innoventions are bigger issues, I was just saying it was a pretty big one nonetheless and possibly even more noticeable to the average guest. At least overgrown trees kind of detract attention from the building in Wonders of Life's case.

 

[Fantasia Gardens]

I agree things like Wonders of Life and Innoventions are bigger issues, I was just saying it was a pretty big one nonetheless and possibly even more noticeable to the average guest. At least overgrown trees kind of detract attention from the building in Wonders of Life's case.

I can understand your point. While I personally have a fondness for UoE, I can agree that the way the pavilion aged (Ellen’s cell phone in the pre show being an obvious example), and the truly poor state they let the pavilion fall into towards the end were definitely not something that people should expect of Disney.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I can understand your point. While I personally have a fondness for UoE, I can agree that the way the pavilion aged (Ellen’s cell phone in the pre show being an obvious example), and the truly poor state they let the pavilion fall into towards the end were definitely not something that people should expect of Disney.

Thanks for understanding. Just to be clear, I wasn't going after anyone who found enjoyment and/or nostalgia in the attraction, but rather an objective truth seemingly missed in @WDW1974's criticism of its removal. The fact of the matter is that Epcot as a whole has struggled to appeal to the general public since it opened. Don't get me wrong, the park of the past is definitely better than what we have at this moment, but a big part of the reason it is the way it is now is because there was a lot of trial and error making the park appeal to a broader audience while attempting to keep its core principles in tact.

 

[disney1023]

No idea. All I know is it's cast only and is in the cast store (at Epcot?). Everything else is beyond me.

I guess it could also be cast connections?

 

[WDW1974]

The bottom line is that akin to politics, what we think is irrelevant to the gigantic corporation that is The Walt Disney Company. Only if in mass the public stops frequenting WDW, nothing will change outside of new leadership that "gets it" and the odds of that are incredibly slim. So, the choice is to either stop visiting or enjoying it for what it is at this point. That's reality whether one likes it or not.

Our family just returned from our first trip to the property in six years and I'm looking forward to doing a trip report shortly. There's no question that the feeling of Walt's company has been sucked out and at every turn, you know that a multibillion dollar corporation operates the property. How they even keep the Studios open or have the audacity to charge a full day's rate is beyond ridiculous, but I digress....

I barely have time to pop in here at all right now (only here now because something caught my attention and really want to respond), but can you send me a PM when you publish your trip report? I'd greatly like to hear your thoughts as someone I respect here.

 

[WDW1974]

For the most part, I generally agree with with your insights on what's happening in the parks, but this only highlights why a replacement for UoE is justified. Yes, the UoE pavilion was a defining part of Future World. And yes, GotG is a much more natural fit for DHS (or whatever it's going to be called in 2 years) and trying to make it fit into Epcot may seem like a stretch.

Kind of a stretch. No way. That's me sticking my ample bottom in 34 waist jorts. That's Disney selling a pretzel at its new third gate bar for $9.50 and knowing every blogger and their momma is going to buy one.

Again, there is no logical way (this on a day when many former Imagineers who built EC got together for a reunion of sorts) that gun-toting raccoons and other comic characters on a 3-minute (if we are very lucky) rolley coaster fits that park.

But the fact that it was a 35-minute long piece of "infotainment" is exactly why it was avoided like the plague. People pay thousands of dollars for a trip to WDW to see world class entertainment, not fall asleep in air conditioning watching something that would only be considered the best possible option if you're a school aged kid stuck in the classroom all day. Even if you don't agree with the specifics of how it all went down, there's no denying something drastic needed to be done with the pavilion.

See, I agree that something had to be done too. I thought something had to be done a dozen years ago or more. But, first, no one avoided UoE "like the plague" in either of its first two incarnations until they grew tired. The original almost always played to full audiences in the 80s. Energy, like all of FW's topics, is timeless. Disney just decoded in the 2000s to let it grow stale and tired. How people logically jump to they had to replace it with a GotG rolley coaster is some messed up logic. Like say, I dunno, starting a nuclear war to preserve peace.

Out of all of Future World's many problems, having a building of that size hosting an attraction of that appeal was one of its most apparent. I can understand the disappointment of having one of the last remaining pieces of EPCOT Center era Future World removed, but I have to admit Future World 3.0 certainly looks better than what we have now.

Really? Based on what? The only announced happenings for epcot (can't even give it one capital letter) in FW are this coaster and a new restaurant. That leaves most of FW dead, decaying or with no cohesive theme. I have no idea how you are reaching this conclusion. And, FWIW, FW 2.0 isn't what is there now. It's what was there starting in the mid-90s with Innoventions opening and TT replacing WoM.

 

[WDW1974]

Thanks for understanding. Just to be clear, I wasn't going after anyone who found enjoyment and/or nostalgia in the attraction, but rather an objective truth seemingly missed in @WDW1974's criticism of its removal. The fact of the matter is that Epcot as a whole has struggled to appeal to the general public since it opened. Don't get me wrong, the park of the past is definitely better than what we have at this moment, but a big part of the reason it is the way it is now is because there was a lot of trial and error making the park appeal to a broader audience while attempting to keep its core principles in tact.

Simply not at all true. This is fanboi/CM/Blogger urban myth. EPCOT Center was one of the most attended parks from its opening. That does not indicate struggle. And it attracted people when the idea of a WDW vacation or a Central Florida one wasn't based on staying on-site at WDW without a car and eating every meal there etc etc.

Take a look at its attendance numbers from those days. Talk to people who worked in the business in the 80s and 90s. There are likely just as many people who visited the MK in say 1987 who weren't thrilled with it as EPCOT. Except there's never a narrative that the MK had to change. epcot's numbers are lower now than in those days and I suspect Guest Satisfaction scores would be as well if they weren't shoving mass quantities of alcohol down the throats of Guests today.

epcot is sad. It's worth $45 a day. If you have nothing better to do.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Seeing as Journey into Imagination didn't open until March of '83, they probably shouldn't be acknowledging Dreamfinder and Figment with a slightly more subtle EPCOT 35th logo either.

In addition to having Figment plastered all over everything, I was also surprised to see Horizons ('83), Morocco ('84), The Living Seas ('86), and Norway ('88) represented on various pieces of 35th anniversary merchandise.

The Dreamship shirt IS pretty cool, though.

Sure, but EPCOT 35 celebrates 35 years of EPCOT rather than being a commemoration of the first day of operation.

This wasn't a fully operational battle sta...uh...park on October 1st. Even EPCOT itself wasn't dedicated until the end of October. By today's standards, we'd call October 1 a lifestyler preview event. I still have my ticket, one of those upcharged commemorative ones that were sold by the hundreds of thousands.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

From a Tom K. Morris tweet. I zoomed in and read the newspaper article "Most visitors laud Epcot, some suggest changes", and was surprised that there were such negative comments. I know that journalists can find people with any slant they want to present, but I've always kind of assumed that everyone who saw the original Epcot Center must have only felt awe and simply marvelled at the grandeur. So, quotes such as "I had high hopes for it, but I think they've missed the mark', and "They've got to forget the magnificence of audio-animantronics, and bring back the fun.", completely shocked me.

View attachment 236522

I remember the fans howling that EPCOT Center was a betrayal of Walt, who was turning in his grAve at the sight of his biggest dream squandered for a banal, commercial theme park.

At the other end, analysts, especially the ones with more opinions than insight (there's one thing that didn't start with the internet!), thought it a boondoggle, too large, too cumbersome, being too unrelated to Disney, which it nearly dragged down. This narrative was helped and cemented in stone by the takeover worries and later the Eisner arrival, who ran with it and based policy on it.

Alas, the greatest park ever build was doomed form the start. A cult classic, recognised in hindsight for its brilliance.

Although what wasn't true back then is that of economic failure - EPCOT Center drew massive crowds and fulfilled it's role of bedrock on which WDW could expand into a full, on-site holiday destination.

 

[marni1971]

The fact of the matter is that Epcot as a whole has struggled to appeal to the general public since it opened .

That`s neither fact nor correct. Two quick points since I`m jet lagged to hell:

Attendence exceeded expectations afrer opening (so much so the parking lot was expanded in 1983)
Attendence grew throughout the 1980s.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Kind of a stretch. No way. That's me sticking my ample bottom in 34 waist jorts. That's Disney selling a pretzel at its new third gate bar for $9.50 and knowing every blogger and their momma is going to buy one.

Again, there is no logical way (this on a day when many former Imagineers who built EC got together for a reunion of sorts) that gun-toting raccoons and other comic characters on a 3-minute (if we are very lucky) rolley coaster fits that park.

Okay, so I understated just how much of a stretch it was. Doesn't undermine my overall point.

See, I agree that something had to be done too. I thought something had to be done a dozen years ago or more. But, first, no one avoided UoE "like the plague" in either of its first two incarnations until they grew tired. The original almost always played to full audiences in the 80s. Energy, like all of FW's topics, is timeless. Disney just decoded in the 2000s to let it grow stale and tired. How people logically jump to they had to replace it with a GotG rolley coaster is some messed up logic. Like say, I dunno, starting a nuclear war to preserve peace.

I knew you already partially agreed that something needed to be done. The part I don't agree with you on is that what needs to be done is keep the same basic format it's always had but with an updated film. You may have a point about the original version, but as far as I can remember, the second iteration's popularity didn't last that long into it's existence. To be clear, I agree that Energy is a timeless concept and that it didn't need to be replaced by something like GotG to remain relevant. However, its slow-paced approach would need to be completely reimagined from the ground up if they wanted to get across that message in a relevant way.

Really? Based on what? The only announced happenings for epcot (can't even give it one capital letter) in FW are this coaster and a new restaurant. That leaves most of FW dead, decaying or with no cohesive theme. I have no idea how you are reaching this conclusion. And, FWIW, FW 2.0 isn't what is there now. It's what was there starting in the mid-90s with Innoventions opening and TT replacing WoM.

You would know way more than me on this, but Disney did say there was more to come and the concept art, while still in the blue sky phase, looked spectacular. Yes, FW 2.0 may be dead, but what we're left with now are its decaying remains, so what's happening now would still technically be considered FW 3.0, wouldn't it?

 

[Figments Friend]

Apparently this is the official cast member shirt for the 35th. Why couldn't the public get this? Of all the $35 shirts they sell, I would've bought this with eBay tax. And I don't take kindly to aggressive eBay markups either. It's tasteful and clean. I'm glad they acknowledge DF and Figment without some massive "EPCOT 35" logo over top in neon text.

Anyone want to do me a favor? Not even joking. If someone can get me two (can't forget about the person that got me into Epcot), I'll give you internet points (aka reasonable asking price plus shipping).

Source: https://twitter.com/guyselga/status/915244067591786497

This shirt was offered in a slightly different form via the Disney Store website previously...late last year if I'm remembering right.
It was part of the short lived ' YesterEars' limited edition t-shirt series.

Granted, it was not Epcot 35 branded and printed on a white ringer tee, but the exact same graphic was used in full color with the original Epcot Center text logo as shown here.
They basically used the same graphic and just tacked on the '35'.
The 'YesterEars' full color variant was a fairly accurate recreation of a vintage original tee sold in the early days.

Still a cool shirt!
For the 25th they gave Cast a reprint of the famous SSE poster art t-shirt.
Love the one I was given.



-

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Simply not at all true. This is fanboi/CM/Blogger urban myth. EPCOT Center was one of the most attended parks from its opening. That does not indicate struggle. And it attracted people when the idea of a WDW vacation or a Central Florida one wasn't based on staying on-site at WDW without a car and eating every meal there etc etc.

Take a look at its attendance numbers from those days. Talk to people who worked in the business in the 80s and 90s. There are likely just as many people who visited the MK in say 1987 who weren't thrilled with it as EPCOT. Except there's never a narrative that the MK had to change. epcot's numbers are lower now than in those days and I suspect Guest Satisfaction scores would be as well if they weren't shoving mass quantities of alcohol down the throats of Guests today.

epcot is sad. It's worth $45 a day. If you have nothing better to do.

That`s neither fact nor correct. Two quick points since I`m jet lagged to hell:

Attendence exceeded expectations afrer opening (so much so the parking lot was expanded in 1983)
Attendence grew throughout the 1980s.

To be clear, I never said Epcot as a park was downright hated and/or worse received than it's current incarnation. I was just suggesting that the whole edutainment angle has been a hurtle to varying extents over the years. While those better than expected attendance figures nothing to scoff at, I would think they can be explained in part by high anticipation for the park itself or its generally frequent expansions. Just to set things straight, I want to make it clear that I always respect your perspectives and think you're better informed than most on these matters. But from what I've seen outside our niche bubble, I get the sense that the reception of Epcot by the general public has always been at least somewhat mixed. Just look at this retrospective on it from VH1's I love the 80's.

 

[asianway]

This shirt was offered in a slightly different form via the Disney Store website previously...late last year if I'm remembering right.
It was part of the short lived ' YesterEars' limited edition t-shirt series.

Granted, it was not Epcot 35 branded and printed on a white ringer tee, but the exact same graphic was used in full color with the original Epcot Center text logo as shown here.
They basically used the same graphic and just tacked on the '35'.
The 'YesterEars' full color variant was a fairly accurate recreation of a vintage original tee sold in the early days.

Still a cool shirt!
For the 25th they gave Cast a reprint of the famous SSE poster art t-shirt.
Love the one I was given.



-

By short lived you mean ongoing?

 

[asianway]

I guess it could also be cast connections?

No but should be at all 5 company Ds

 

[RSoxNo1]

Simply not at all true. This is fanboi/CM/Blogger urban myth. EPCOT Center was one of the most attended parks from its opening. That does not indicate struggle. And it attracted people when the idea of a WDW vacation or a Central Florida one wasn't based on staying on-site at WDW without a car and eating every meal there etc etc.

Take a look at its attendance numbers from those days. Talk to people who worked in the business in the 80s and 90s. There are likely just as many people who visited the MK in say 1987 who weren't thrilled with it as EPCOT. Except there's never a narrative that the MK had to change. epcot's numbers are lower now than in those days and I suspect Guest Satisfaction scores would be as well if they weren't shoving mass quantities of alcohol down the throats of Guests today.

epcot is sad. It's worth $45 a day. If you have nothing better to do.

To echo this, the true shift to thrill rides began when Test Track opened in 1998. Epcot's attendance peaked in 1987 (a year and a half before MGM opened) and peaked again in 1997 (a year before Animal Kingdom and Test Track opened). All the other parks peaked in 2016. It's disjointed and whether the masses understand why they don't like it, they're responding with gate clicks.