Fountain View Ice Cream closing in early April for Starbucks conversion

[TP2000]

An EPCOT Center update from MiceAge featuring some photos of the Fountain View Starbucks http://micechat.com/41341-epcot-starbucks-open/

Video:

Thanks for that Miceage video!

You can't judge life from YouTube, but watching this video makes the interior look better than the static pictures do. The ceiling treatment looks more dramatic and interesting, and the finishes look better. I especially like the translucent tiles they've covered the columns with, and the paint scheme blends a bit better in the video over the pics. It's still not a home run inside, but it looks better in moving video than it did in the first few pictures.

That said, I think the exterior looks even worse in the video when you can pan around the plaza and see it from different angles. But then, I was reminded in the video how disjointed and 1990's aged the Communicore Plaza has become in the 21st century. They really need to strip out all the layers of remodels and signage goofs and clumsy shade features they layered that area with in the last 20 years. Strip it all off, get back to its more elegant 1982 roots, and then layer a more cohesive 2010's aesthetic and color scheme onto it that can stand up for at least another 15 years. It's messy and tacky looking now, and the 1990's additions haven't aged well at all.

And we haven't even touched what's currently inside those exhibit buildings.

Starbucks is the least of the worries for that section of the park, I'm afraid.

 

[Bolna]

The Epcot Futureworl paint scheme is really one of those things which shows how little Disney cares about show anymore. When my sister first saw Epcot in 2010 she asked me why there is a theme park that looks like an outdated 1980's mall. And that's really what it looks like with all theses attempts to modernise it and none are followed through. So now there is a mix of blue/green with faded pink which now got grey and black to the mix...

The Starbucks inside I actually like...

 

[MOXOMUMD]

I must say I do like the lighted railings but I'd sit in the dark if I could have a seat nearby.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Thanks for that Miceage video!

You can't judge life from YouTube, but watching this video makes the interior look better than the static pictures do. The ceiling treatment looks more dramatic and interesting, and the finishes look better. I especially like the translucent tiles they've covered the columns with, and the paint scheme blends a bit better in the video over the pics. It's still not a home run inside, but it looks better in moving video than it did in the first few pictures.

That said, I think the exterior looks even worse in the video when you can pan around the plaza and see it from different angles. But then, I was reminded in the video how disjointed and 1990's aged the Communicore Plaza has become in the 21st century. They really need to strip out all the layers of remodels and signage goofs and clumsy shade features they layered that area with in the last 20 years. Strip it all off, get back to its more elegant 1982 roots, and then layer a more cohesive 2010's aesthetic and color scheme onto it that can stand up for at least another 15 years. It's messy and tacky looking now, and the 1990's additions haven't aged well at all.

And we haven't even touched what's currently inside those exhibit buildings.

Starbucks is the least of the worries for that section of the park, I'm afraid.

Well sure... everything looks better with the Innoventions Plaza loop playing in the background!

 

[aeillill]

My mother would have peed herself in excitement to be able to get Starbucks on Disney property. We'd spend huge chunks of time on mythical quests to find good coffee at resorts or wherever and 9/10 it was just the Nescafe junk, then we'd make special trips to EPCOT just for their coffee kiosks.

 

[JimboJones123]

My mother would have peed herself in excitement to be able to get Starbucks on Disney property. We'd spend huge chunks of time on mythical quests to find good coffee at resorts or wherever and 9/10 it was just the Nescafe junk, then we'd make special trips to EPCOT just for their coffee kiosks.

Try Kona Cafe.

 

[aeillill]

Try Kona Cafe.

Somehow we never ended up there, it's not an issue any more though. My mother unfortunately passed away earlier this summer, and neither my father or I am coffee drinkers. She just would have been so happy that all her complaining to Disney paid off, hahaha. We're going to have to have a cup while we're there for her.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Thanks for that Miceage video!

You can't judge life from YouTube, but watching this video makes the interior look better than the static pictures do. The ceiling treatment looks more dramatic and interesting, and the finishes look better. I especially like the translucent tiles they've covered the columns with, and the paint scheme blends a bit better in the video over the pics. It's still not a home run inside, but it looks better in moving video than it did in the first few pictures.

That said, I think the exterior looks even worse in the video when you can pan around the plaza and see it from different angles. But then, I was reminded in the video how disjointed and 1990's aged the Communicore Plaza has become in the 21st century. They really need to strip out all the layers of remodels and signage goofs and clumsy shade features they layered that area with in the last 20 years. Strip it all off, get back to its more elegant 1982 roots, and then layer a more cohesive 2010's aesthetic and color scheme onto it that can stand up for at least another 15 years. It's messy and tacky looking now, and the 1990's additions haven't aged well at all.

And we haven't even touched what's currently inside those exhibit buildings.

Starbucks is the least of the worries for that section of the park, I'm afraid.

All very true. The Innoventions area of Epcot is a disaster of theming and remodeling. It literally is a mix of five (maybe even six!) different design periods, all in varying states of execution.

1982 - Communicore
1990's - Innoventions 1.0
1999 - Innoventions 2.0/Millennium Village
2008ish - Innoventions 3.0
2010's - Character Spot/Fountainview remodel

It'd be one thing if they fully implemented and stuck with each design, or at least completely dismantled the previous one before starting the next one. But they didn't. They just tacked on elements here and changed a window scrim there and put a new coat of paint in this corner, all without any regard to making sure anything matched. And the result is the disarray we have now.

 

[JimboJones123]

Not sure if this is a new sign or not.

I had only been to the ice cream shop once ever. Coffee shop twice now.

 

[Goofyernmost]

View attachment 31905 Not sure if this is a new sign or not.

I had only been to the ice cream shop once ever. Coffee shop twice now.

Well, it does look like the back of a sign. Turn the picture over and see what the sign says.

 

[bcalltimandanna]

All very true. The Innoventions area of Epcot is a disaster of theming and remodeling. It literally is a mix of five (maybe even six!) different design periods, all in varying states of execution.

1982 - Communicore
1990's - Innoventions 1.0
1999 - Innoventions 2.0/Millennium Village
2008ish - Innoventions 3.0
2010's - Character Spot/Fountainview remodel

It'd be one thing if they fully implemented and stuck with each design, or at least completely dismantled the previous one before starting the next one. But they didn't. They just tacked on elements here and changed a window scrim there and put a new coat of paint in this corner, all without any regard to making sure anything matched. And the result is the disarray we have now.

I can't think of what is left from Communicore. I agree that it is quite a mish mosh of design aesthetic. I just honestly don't see any Communicore left. Wish I did

 

[Tom Morrow]

Also at Home Depot, a bucket of off-white ceiling paint: $29.95. Shall I come and paint it for free for you, Disney?

Not sure if anyone else has posted on this, but I made a point to look at this today and it appears that they did get around to painting it.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Not sure if anyone else has posted on this, but I made a point to look at this today and it appears that they did get around to painting it.

Designers are vain like no others. The first thing they do once something opens is scour the entire interwebs for people's thoughts. In a way, they are performing artists, but without direct audience feedback.

Did somebody read us mocking the quality if the finishing? Did we struck a nerve? Or was the ceiling perhaps put on a maintenance roster, maybe even a long time ago, independent of what was written by teh foamers?
Well, any which way, good news it is! Part of the 'oomph' of Main Street is precisely that it is so pristine, sparkly, impeccably upkept. It is not reaching for straws to point out mismatching paint schemes, it is cutting to the heart of what makes the design work so succesfully as it does.

 

[TP2000]

It'll be interesting to see if the DL Starbucks will have indoor/outdoor seating when it opens.

Starbucks on Disneyland's Main Street USA opened today, in the old Market House building. It has seating in an adjoining space, which is technically a new store on Main Street called The Book Rest. It's really just a small seating area themed to a book shop, and that's also where they moved the original pot belly stove and "party line" telephones that had been in the Market House since the 1950's. It's not nearly as big as the indoor seating area at DCA's Starbucks, but it does have seating for about 30 people at various tables and small booths built along the walls.

There's a few other seats and tables located further out from The Book Rest nook off of the main serving area, in a lighter area near the windows. That's where the old checkerboard and party line phones are.

Checkmate?!? No, it's just a Grande Half-Caf Mocha, Light Whip.

So, seating still exists at both Disneyland Resort Starbucks locations in-park. Although the DCA location still has a ton more seating than the smaller Disneyland location.

 

[Figment82]

View attachment 31905 Not sure if this is a new sign or not.

I had only been to the ice cream shop once ever. Coffee shop twice now.

The CommuniCore icon is new for the Starbucks remodel. I like its inclusion, but unfortunately, at least in my opinion, slapping a well-designed icon from a past era does not cover up the present design flaws (see also Imagination and Test Track). To me, the whole plaza area is still a mess thematically.

 

[Communicore]

I don't like its inclusion. Communicore does not exist. It's mockery. It's like putting a Mr. Toad logo or poster next to the other attraction posters in MK.

 

[COProgressFan]

Starbucks on Disneyland's Main Street USA opened today, in the old Market House building. It has seating in an adjoining space, which is technically a new store on Main Street called The Book Rest. It's really just a small seating area themed to a book shop, and that's also where they moved the original pot belly stove and "party line" telephones that had been in the Market House since the 1950's. It's not nearly as big as the indoor seating area at DCA's Starbucks, but it does have seating for about 30 people at various tables and small booths built along the walls.

There's a few other seats and tables located further out from The Book Rest nook off of the main serving area, in a lighter area near the windows. That's where the old checkerboard and party line phones are.

Checkmate?!? No, it's just a Grande Half-Caf Mocha, Light Whip.

So, seating still exists at both Disneyland Resort Starbucks locations in-park. Although the DCA location still has a ton more seating than the smaller Disneyland location.

It's so interesting to see how things are run so differently in FL vs. CA. Somehow, in tiny little Disneyland, they were able to at least find space for a few seats for folks. Yet, in the much larger MK, there was no room for seating apprently.

And it does appear that the refurbishment looks much better (and more authentic) in DL than in MK. Not surprising though. WDW projects always seem to get the smaller budgets and less proven Imagineers.

 

[TP2000]

It's so interesting to see how things are run so differently in FL vs. CA. Somehow, in tiny little Disneyland, they were able to at least find space for a few seats for folks. Yet, in the much larger MK, there was no room for seating apprently. And it does appear that the refurbishment looks much better (and more authentic) in DL than in MK. Not surprising though. WDW projects always seem to get the smaller budgets and less proven Imagineers.

It is interesting, isn't it?

The new Starbucks at Disneyland is HUGE, and they must have taken over backstage storage rooms or something because the original Market House was one third the size of the Market House, Hosted by Starbucks.

And they still found space to carve out a little indoor seating area, which is now The Book Rest and from the exterior is themed to a new little book shop on Main Street USA. It's only got space for 30 seats, but it's there and it works.

The DCA Starbucks has indoor/outdoor seating for over 150 people. Maybe there was some unknown logistical reason why they couldn't include even a small seating area like this into the Magic Kingdom and Epcot versions of Starbucks?

When the DHS and DAK Starbucks open, if they don't have seating included, then we'll know there was some weird decision by TDO to nix all seating options at the new theme park Starbucks locations.

But it's ironic that little, tiny Disneyland that is an old and miniscule amusement park that only exists to entertain a few local Annual Passholders for a few hours on Sunday afternoons can find space for tables and chairs at Starbucks. But GIANT Walt Disney World that has the "BLESSING OF SIZE" and entertains nothing but big-spending tourists who jet in from glittering world capitals for lavish two week vacations can't find space for a few tables and chairs at a coffee shop.

Something tells me there's a story buried deep in TDO over this one.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

The CommuniCore icon is new for the Starbucks remodel. I like its inclusion, but unfortunately, at least in my opinion, slapping a well-designed icon from a past era does not cover up the present design flaws (see also Imagination and Test Track). To me, the whole plaza area is still a mess thematically.

I don't like its inclusion. Communicore does not exist. It's mockery. It's like putting a Mr. Toad logo or poster next to the other attraction posters in MK.

I have to lean with Communicore on this one. Seeing the logos make some subtle appearances a few years ago was nice, but now its a bit out of control. Its like the Imagineers are thinking, "Slap a retro logo on the walls! And the signs! And put some in the video graphics too! Retro logos everywhere! That will make the EPCOT fans happy!" At best its a misguided attempt to generate goodwill and at worst its a lazy attempt at theming that shows a lack of new vision/ideas.

 

[COProgressFan]

But it's ironic that little, tiny Disneyland that is an old and miniscule amusement park that only exists to entertain a few local Annual Passholders for a few hours on Sunday afternoons can find space for tables and chairs at Starbucks. But GIANT Walt Disney World that has the "BLESSING OF SIZE" and entertains nothing but big-spending tourists who jet in from glittering world capitals for lavish two week vacations can't find space for a few tables and chairs at a coffee shop.

Great post!