I am glad to see the old logo come back. But if they keep it past the anniversary, then does that not go against the meaning behind EPCOT to begin with? It's going back in time, not forward into the future.
Well if they do indeed return to the old logo, I think it would be less a matter of nostalgic retro sensibilities (i.e. "going back in time") than it would be a matter of "if it wasn't broke, they shouldn't have fixed it" (i.e. bringing back the touches that made originally EPCOT Center futuristic, like the old logo). Many people say the same thing to EPCOT purists about a number of issues--"why go back when EPCOT is all about moving forward?" What they fail to acknowledge is that "going back" means returning to a time when EPCOT
was more forward-thinking.
And in any case, that's IF they return to the old logo...a few things about this report sound fishy to me:
a) They refer to the wand as the "new style Epcot logo"--but the "Epcot" typeface used in the wand never became the park's logo. Aside from being on top of Spaceship Earth, that "logo" was only ever seen a few times in a smattering of merchandise, and usually always as part of an image of the wand--it was rarely used as the park's logo the way they imply.
b) They say the classic EPCOT Center logo was "retired just before the start of the Millennium". Not entirely accurate. Perhaps the old logo--I'm talking the font and the "flower"--could be spotted around the park until the Millennium Celebration (it still can be), but if I recall correctly it was officially done away with in 1994 when EPCOT Center changed its name to "Epcot 94". That's off by about five years.
c) The new retro merchandise should not be mistaken for the reappearance of the old logo. WDW has sold "retro" merchandise numerous times in its history--including at Epcot--and it hasn't ever meant a return to official usage of old logos.
Not that I want to ruin anyone's day. I can't tell you how much I want this report to be true--and I'm not even saying it's false. If Screamscape says they've actually heard something and are not just doing their own speculation, well that means something to me. This rumor certainly would seem to go along with the gradual campaign to bring back what worked about EPCOT Center, and if it really happens I'll be overjoyed. It's just that those three things immediately stood out to me when I read the quote, so I don't think we should blindly get our hopes up in case this turns out to be...less than accurate.