TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
That’s not really new, that’s been a festival kiosk location for a while now. I’m fine if they make it permanent and have select “festival favorites” served during the summer.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
News Epcot's Rosewalk walkway closed for widening construction
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
That’s not really new, that’s been a festival kiosk location for a while now. I’m fine if they make it permanent and have select “festival favorites” served during the summer.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
That is a festival kiosk. It’s also not the structure being asked about that is going to be a new restroom.
WDWtraveler
Well-Known Member
Photo update as of Friday, August 16, 2019. A lot of progress has been made since last week. Much pavement has been laid, festival kiosks are in place. The walls for the new restrooms have been erected, but I don't think it will be ready soon....
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
I can't help but notice that the sandy color of the new sidewalk (as nice as it is) is a distinct departure from the subtly iconic pink walkways that have been an important part of the park from its early stages. The original hue was chosen in concert with Kodak (a major WDW & DL sponsor at the time) as a neutral color that would make photos look better on Kodak's red-centric film. It was sort of an early precursor to the Purple Wall and its ilk.
Given the extensive repaving that will take place in the coming years as part of the various projects throughout Future World, this would seem like a ripe opportunity to change the color, if only for WDI to partially justify the cost of the work. Surely this color would be easier to maintain and match in the future than the unique pink color, but it would be yet another step away from the thoughtful elements that made the park unique.
As construction wraps up at the entrance and other early projects, it will be worth keeping an eye on what they do. It's plausible that this area might have unique pavement, similar to within the World Showcase pavilions themselves, but it's also possible that this is an early hint at some of the changes to come.
I personally don't dislike the new color, but it would be a shame to lose something unique and historic in favor of something more generic simply for the sake of change.
KeithVH
Well-Known Member
I get it. I'm on a different paragraph on the same page. I'm ok with a bigger bathroom. That supports park ops. But to say the walkway is being widened just to make more room is disingenuous. Why can't it just be a quiet walkway like it used to be without any more buildings doing nothing but separating you from your money. Those shacks haven't been there THAT long.
Then again, I look at the mess the booths have made of the whole World walkway and I get a big sad.
KeithVH
Well-Known Member
Who is this "we" you're making claims about?
The people of earth, who use digital photos nearly exclusively. Film is now very much a minority product unlike when EPCOT Center opened.
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
Of course film isn't used by average guests any more, nor did I mean to suggest that the color of the pavement had any practical purpose these days. However, there are countless things throughout the Disney parks that have long since outlived their original purpose, and remain in place as subtle nods, easter eggs, or purely out of convenience. In many cases, they're the small things that add depth and texture to the experience, revealing layers of history, rekindling fond memories, or creating that ephemeral “magic” that’s Disney likes to tout so much.
Similar to the old pavilion logos and original songs, the colored pavement served as a unifier among the disparate elements throughout the park. Even if you couldn't pinpoint exactly where a photo was taken, it was easily identified as Epcot. I doubt anybody has ever claimed to love the park because of the sidewalk color, but it's one of those subtle elements that’s instantly recognizable and distinctly Epcot.
The original pavement choice was a deliberate decision, and a distinct departure from Disney's typical approach at the time of using colored slurry that varied from one land to the next to match the park map (still widely used in TDL). Changing the color in 2019 isn't an inherently bad thing, but I just hope that the new designers are being as thoughtful and deliberate as the original team. How it pans out obviously remains to be seen.
fngoofy
Well-Known Member
I think they are. There is a festival happening at EPCOT 2/3 of the year. To me, the way the pavement is design and the look of the construction says these are permanent.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
They have historically poured concrete very similar to this around those kiosks for past festivals. Just to rip it all out when the festival concludes.
There is no reason to believe that those kiosks will be any more permanent than normal.
fngoofy
Well-Known Member
I've got a dollar that says they are permanent.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
You won’t have that dollar for long.
Again there is absolutely nothing about their installation this time that is any different for the twice yearly installs of the past decade except them coinciding with the widening of the pathway.
fngoofy
Well-Known Member
Last edited:
peter11435
Well-Known Member
Funny
But I’m right. Which is why you couldn’t point to any tangible fact that makes this installation any different. But I guess GIFs are fun too.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
8/20/2019
