News Exploratory geotechnical borings for new Epcot retention pond suggest new projects are in the works

monothingie

Proxy War 2024: Never Forget
Premium Member
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Adding retention ponds is usually done when there will be significant changes to the area - such as building.
The construction of a retention pond usually goes along with nearby development to compensate for the increased storm water runoff as a result of construction on undeveloped area. Boring is used to develop an idea of ground makeup and whether the associated land would be adequate to hold water without leaching out.

The area everyone should be interested in is surrounding area that maybe has an existing retention pond that is in a very inconvenient place for development and which would need to be moved?
 

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
How about a "New Horizons" resort. Part of it could be built inside a giant aquarium so that we could have that underwater city I've been dreaming about since the 80s. Another part could in be a desert setting. Another a space setting, etc.

That was my immediate reaction given the juxtaposition to the Star Wars hotel. While there would be the problem of the obvious space station overlap, I would be 100% ok with a hotel on Horizons. You start where you rode a little combo space shuttle/sub/desert hovercraft to your "room destination". I mean, it only took a few seconds even back in 1983! ;-) You start with Nova City, complete with city-like towers and a rooftop restaurant and lounge facing Epcot. When you are ready to go to your room, you wander to the FuturePort, traveling to Brava Centauri, Sea Castle or Mesa Verde. You then have your immersive experience in each location (complete with pool, dining, etc.).

While it may seem like fanboy wishful thinking, I will stand by 100% accuracy (no bus driver needed). Why? BECAUSE THE TOMS CAN NOW MAKE "BEACH BOY TOM" (THE COOLEST MARINE BIOLOGIST AROUND) THE BIGGEST EPCOT IP OF THEM ALL!!!
 

bclane

Well-Known Member
That was my immediate reaction given the juxtaposition to the Star Wars hotel. While there would be the problem of the obvious space station overlap, I would be 100% ok with a hotel on Horizons. You start where you rode a little combo space shuttle/sub/desert hovercraft to your "room destination". I mean, it only took a few seconds even back in 1983! ;-) You start with Nova City, complete with city-like towers and a rooftop restaurant and lounge facing Epcot. When you are ready to go to your room, you wander to the FuturePort, traveling to Brava Centauri, Sea Castle or Mesa Verde. You then have your immersive experience in each location (complete with pool, dining, etc.).

While it may seem like fanboy wishful thinking, I will stand by 100% accuracy (no bus driver needed). Why? BECAUSE THE TOMS CAN NOW MAKE "BEACH BOY TOM" (THE COOLEST MARINE BIOLOGIST AROUND) THE BIGGEST EPCOT IP OF THEM ALL!!!
Yes please!
 

007mickey

Well-Known Member
The pond outline above matches the land that is considered un-suitable for construction (dark green) on this map. The red is considered suitable for construction but the solar far takes a good bit of that.

View attachment 237936
That doesn't look like much "red" to build on once you take out the area of solar panels. But I assume they could "recondition" some of the green area if needed to expand the red footprint.
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
View attachment 237972
The construction of a retention pond usually goes along with nearby development to compensate for the increased storm water runoff as a result of construction on undeveloped area. Boring is used to develop an idea of ground makeup and whether the associated land would be adequate to hold water without leaching out.

The area everyone should be interested in is surrounding area that maybe has an existing retention pond that is in a very inconvenient place for development and which would need to be moved?

More then enough room to replace that pond along World Drive.
 

DisneyDaver

Well-Known Member
Holy cow if we are actually getting a monorail run to AK that would be HUGE news!

Agreed. I have no insider information, but I would be very surprised if that was the plan. The monorail system doesn't seem like a very cost effective way to move people. I'd certainly think WDW would see how the arial tram in Epcot/DHS area turned out before going back to monorails elsewhere.
 

bclane

Well-Known Member
Agreed. I have no insider information, but I would be very surprised if that was the plan. The monorail system doesn't seem like a very cost effective way to move people. I'd certainly think WDW would see how the arial tram in Epcot/DHS area turned out before going back to monorails elsewhere.
Yeah I would be very surprised (pleasantly surprised/shocked) if this turns out to be true. I mean this would be mind blowing, earth shaking, crazy awesome news if WDW was suddenly back to expanding their monorail system after all these years. I would love it! But I'm not gonna get my hopes up too high.
 

Viget

Active Member
So, Spirit strongly hinted that an entrance hotel was in the works, and kind of dropped hints that it would be a Disney360 concept, a la what others are thinking about here. However, right after D23, marni kind of hinted that there were 3 big ideas for the EPCOT makeover, one featured a hotel (which marni did NOT like), one was the concept art they showed with much of Innovations destroyed, and a 3rd one (which marni seemed to personally favor) which kept the innoventions buildings but dramatically reimaged/repurposed them. He seemed to indicate that the one that was chosen was NOT the hotel one.

Now, of course, things were/still are blue sky with this, and maybe the hotel is back in (or it's a different hotel proposal), but it is very interesting to see that this may be a thing....
 

trainplane3

Well-Known Member
Yeah I would be very surprised (pleasantly surprised/shocked) if this turns out to be true. I mean this would be mind blowing, earth shaking, crazy awesome news if WDW was suddenly back to expanding their monorail system after all these years. I would love it! But I'm not gonna get my hopes up too high.
Didn't @marni1971 say something of them possibly branching out into a form of transportation they didn't have? Maybe not monorail but light rail instead? Or maybe for pure blue sky fun in a "no budgets" universe, a maglev from Epcot to DHS to AK to AKL? A maglev would give off a EPCOT Center feeling to me. But there wouldn't be enough distance to make a high speed maglev worth it.
 

bclane

Well-Known Member
Didn't @marni1971 say something of them possibly branching out into a form of transportation they didn't have? Maybe not monorail but light rail instead? Or maybe for pure blue sky fun in a "no budgets" universe, a maglev from Epcot to DHS to AK to AKL? A maglev would give off a EPCOT Center feeling to me. But there wouldn't be enough distance to make a high speed maglev worth it.
Maybe the driverless shuttles that were talked about at some point in the past? But I like your idea of maglev transportation. Of course if they did that I would want it Star War themed and turned into a landspeeder/train ride if they did that. But then again, I kind of have a one track mind. Lol!
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
So, Spirit strongly hinted that an entrance hotel was in the works, and kind of dropped hints that it would be a Disney360 concept, a la what others are thinking about here. However, right after D23, marni kind of hinted that there were 3 big ideas for the EPCOT makeover, one featured a hotel (which marni did NOT like), one was the concept art they showed with much of Innovations destroyed, and a 3rd one (which marni seemed to personally favor) which kept the innoventions buildings but dramatically reimaged/repurposed them. He seemed to indicate that the one that was chosen was NOT the hotel one.

Now, of course, things were/still are blue sky with this, and maybe the hotel is back in (or it's a different hotel proposal), but it is very interesting to see that this may be a thing....
There's four Resort proposals around the edge of Epcot that I know of. I expect one or possibly two to happen.
 

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