This is kind of a part two to a previous thread I wrote which is here
From the time that Epcot opened, it already had detractors. An article published in Orlando magazine (which has back issues at the Orlando Public Library, downtown branch) in 1983 wrote an article that basically compared the park to the Smithsonian, but with Epcot Center, one had to pay to get in. This was probably not the resounding success that WDP (now WDC) was looking for....their new park was basically getting "fair" reviews........not good for something that had a cost of over $1billion (in 1982 figures) for a company that was not performing well financially (and would, within a year, be the target of some greedy Wall Street wizards.
Early Epcot Center though was somewhat successful purely on circumstance. Since 1978, the average length of stay for Orlando visitors has only grown by .95 nights. Where the majority of guests now stay close to four nights in Orlando, in 1982, they were staying close to 3 nights. For a city that in 1982 only had 3 major theme parks) MK, Epcot, SeaWorld), this was ideal. Epcot recieved great attendance at that time simply because of "a lack of anything else to do". (Now I am not saying that this is the ONLY reason people went to Epcot, it is simply 1 reason)
A lot has changed since 1982. 4 major theme parks have opened, along with countless other attractions design to squeeze every last penny from the millions of visitors. Visitation to Orlando is expected to be at an all-time high this year, with close to 50 million tourists driving or flying in.......this is 30 million more than in 1982, yet Epcot's attendance has been declining over the last 10 years. People are coming to Orlando, and they are picking other attractions to visit. People have a choice that they did not have in 1982, and they are NOT choosing Epcot.
WDC has responded to Epcot's dire situation. Epcot now has 2 major festivals each year, both held during the "off-season". The Flower and Garden Festival is nice, and really packs in the crowds, but the Food and Wine Festival has become an institution for many locals, especially those in the food industry. The Christmas Festival (Candlelight Processional and Holidays around the World) also seems to grow each year. I am not sure anyone can think of these changes as bad.
What most fans seem to be dissappointed with is that the "traditional" Epcot attractions are going away, making room for the "cheap thrill". It began with the removal of the World of Motion, and then the replacement of JII and the removal of Horizons. The "edutainment" exhibits in The Living Seas have made room for Nemo and Friends, and soon, an "unEpcot-like" attraction will be Soarin' into the land........
I feel this is the Epcot that we will be seeing in the future (I am ok with it). MS opened, many miss Horizons, but many more don't seem to, because Epcot posted the highest attendance gains of the 4 parks since the attraction has opened, even higher gains that the MK, which added fireworks and a fantastic 3-D movie.
Epcot is changing.....it will be a long process. No park was built in 1 day, and no park can be changed in 1 day. This was not Walt's Epcot, it was an idea that did not have great staying power. The public changed, found better things to do, and the old Epcot was not built in a way that it could change enough to keep their interest.
Epcot is changing because it HAS to.
From the time that Epcot opened, it already had detractors. An article published in Orlando magazine (which has back issues at the Orlando Public Library, downtown branch) in 1983 wrote an article that basically compared the park to the Smithsonian, but with Epcot Center, one had to pay to get in. This was probably not the resounding success that WDP (now WDC) was looking for....their new park was basically getting "fair" reviews........not good for something that had a cost of over $1billion (in 1982 figures) for a company that was not performing well financially (and would, within a year, be the target of some greedy Wall Street wizards.
Early Epcot Center though was somewhat successful purely on circumstance. Since 1978, the average length of stay for Orlando visitors has only grown by .95 nights. Where the majority of guests now stay close to four nights in Orlando, in 1982, they were staying close to 3 nights. For a city that in 1982 only had 3 major theme parks) MK, Epcot, SeaWorld), this was ideal. Epcot recieved great attendance at that time simply because of "a lack of anything else to do". (Now I am not saying that this is the ONLY reason people went to Epcot, it is simply 1 reason)
A lot has changed since 1982. 4 major theme parks have opened, along with countless other attractions design to squeeze every last penny from the millions of visitors. Visitation to Orlando is expected to be at an all-time high this year, with close to 50 million tourists driving or flying in.......this is 30 million more than in 1982, yet Epcot's attendance has been declining over the last 10 years. People are coming to Orlando, and they are picking other attractions to visit. People have a choice that they did not have in 1982, and they are NOT choosing Epcot.
WDC has responded to Epcot's dire situation. Epcot now has 2 major festivals each year, both held during the "off-season". The Flower and Garden Festival is nice, and really packs in the crowds, but the Food and Wine Festival has become an institution for many locals, especially those in the food industry. The Christmas Festival (Candlelight Processional and Holidays around the World) also seems to grow each year. I am not sure anyone can think of these changes as bad.
What most fans seem to be dissappointed with is that the "traditional" Epcot attractions are going away, making room for the "cheap thrill". It began with the removal of the World of Motion, and then the replacement of JII and the removal of Horizons. The "edutainment" exhibits in The Living Seas have made room for Nemo and Friends, and soon, an "unEpcot-like" attraction will be Soarin' into the land........
I feel this is the Epcot that we will be seeing in the future (I am ok with it). MS opened, many miss Horizons, but many more don't seem to, because Epcot posted the highest attendance gains of the 4 parks since the attraction has opened, even higher gains that the MK, which added fireworks and a fantastic 3-D movie.
Epcot is changing.....it will be a long process. No park was built in 1 day, and no park can be changed in 1 day. This was not Walt's Epcot, it was an idea that did not have great staying power. The public changed, found better things to do, and the old Epcot was not built in a way that it could change enough to keep their interest.
Epcot is changing because it HAS to.