Guardians of the Galaxy coming to Energy Pavilion at Epcot

[Phroobar]

Groot's Green House

 

[Disneyhead'71]

WOW, been on vacation for 2 weeks and this appears to be the big new rumor to drop while I was away. It seems hard to believe but it appears to have come from very reliable sources. Seems like a bad fit for an Energy Pavilion and for EPCOT overall, but rather than hash that out since it's already been done for 88 pages I would like to see if anyone has any ideas on how this can fit and not kill the Idea of EPCOT which is the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Obviously, the characters of GotG are not the best suited for talking about Energy. So, I assume the Universe of Energy Pavilion is dead. So what new Pavilion could be made to host GotG that still fits in the overall theme of EPCOT. Some kind of Space Exploration Pavilion? Some Kind of United Universe Pavilion? Some kind of Liberal Agenda of One Planet, one Nation Pavilion? Yeah like the EU that also collapsed during my vacation. Go on Vacation for two weeks and the whole World Collapses (but which World).

I don't have an answer, but maybe a question will help.

How many times is "Norway" referenced in Frozen Ever After?

 

[RSoxNo1]

I think you misunderstood. The height requirement partly - and rightly - eliminated younger guests experiencing AE. Conversely, it also meant children - Stitch fans - were excluded from seeing an attraction that was designed for them. Even when the rule was slightly relaxed.

Magic Kingdom is meant to cater for all ages. And have attractions for all ages. You wouldn't take a kid on Space Mountain who's scared of the dark. AE had enough written warnings and CM sweeps. You can't cater for stupid guests who insist little Timmy will love it. No matter what.

Martin, this entire country caters to Little Timmy

Little Timmy needs to fall down a well.

@MikeS @AJH219 Wow...hilarious...but wow.

Little Timmy is why we can't have nice things.

I hardly consider this my fault.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Nonsense. One of the biggest mistakes ever made at MK, the ramifications of which are still being seen.

*sigh*
Toonmorrowland.

Stitch's Great Escape replacing Alien Encounter is probably #2 in my book for Worst Attraction Decisions in the history of Walt Disney World. This would naturally be behind Frozen Ever After. The quality of the attractions almost become irrelevant in both cases, these were just both decisions made for entirely the wrong reasons.

 

[Mawg]

I don't have an answer, but maybe a question will help.

How many times is "Norway" referenced in Frozen Ever After?

No, say it ain't so. An Energy Pavilion with a ride that does not reference Energy. They have to redo the whole pavilion, but you make a good point.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Stitch's Great Escape replacing Alien Encounter is probably #2 in my book for Worst Attraction Decisions in the history of Walt Disney World. This would naturally be behind Frozen Ever After. The quality of the attractions almost become irrelevant in both cases, these were just both decisions made for entirely the wrong reasons.

I'd like to think that everyone realizes that these Epcot rumors are years and years away from anywhere near fruition....

 

[Mawg]

I'd like to think that everyone realizes that these Epcot rumors are years and years away from anywhere near fruition....

yes, but the thought that they are even thinking about them is scary enough.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Loved Alien Encounter- laughed our butts off! Even our nine year old thought it was a blast. Stitch? Ugh. Bad character, bad attraction, bad move.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

yes, but the thought that they are even thinking about them is scary enough.

Sadly, these trains of thought have become the new norm...I mean...this already pretty much happened in their minds:

 

[No Name]

Walt Disney once said:

[Disneyland] will get better as I find out what the public likes.​

The point is, Walt wanted to hear from the public and build what was going to be popular.

Who thinks the current Universe of Energy or shuttered Wonders Of Life are popular?

Who thinks replacing those with GotG wouldn't be insanely popular?

Who will refuse to experience GotG at Epcot because it's "thematically inappropriate"?

Admittedly, I don't think like an Imagineer nor do I aspire to be one. Instead, I prefer to experience a new attraction and its surrounding before deciding if I like it.

Still, I believe GotG "fits" within Future World and could be the best thing to happen to Epcot in decades.

Let the flaming begin ...

Oh it shall begin. Because that is dangerous thinking.

It appears that Epcot may be entering its third phase. Now you may disagree with how I group the phases, but it is the easiest way to talk about each period, so just bear with me. This will be a long post.

The first phase was the original park. EPCOT Center. It had attractions that weren't the most thrilling or entertaining, but that were proud to educate and inspire you.

The second phase of Epcot began when GM's contract for World of Motion expired and it was time to renew. But GM decided that they wanted a "cooler" ride. They wanted to have the most popular thing in the park, something that would be on the front of the maps, the headliner attraction! And so the slow World of Motion was replaced by the thrilling Test Track. These attractions are what primarily exist today, and they strike a greater balance between entertaining and educating than the original EPCOT Center rides did. Phase 2 is in danger of ending.

The third phase of Epcot looks to be full of attractions that don't really go with the theme of the park at all. These rides, like a GotG one, would sacrifice nearly all educational/inspirational value. The first of these rides is Frozen Ever After, or possibly Nemo. So perhaps phase 3 has started already.

Now, most EPCOT Center fans see each new phase as a step down. But I don't. While I myself am a fan of phase 1, there needs to be a solid balance between educational/inspirational and entertaining. And if that balance is struck well, Epcot would be a strong park. It's just that there are too many problems with what we have today. Styles that don't match, lowered capacity, some pretty bad rides, and a graveyard in the front of the park, just to name a few.

But phase 3 is certainly a problem. Because if it becomes reality, it'll terribly weaken the theme of Epcot. There is a park called Hollywood Studios right next door, we don't need two of them. If all four parks become too similar, that'd be very bad. Most people don't know it, but they really wouldn't enjoy spending an entire week riding through the movies and visiting four parks that all feel the same. Each park needs to remain unique.

The Test Track example is very important because your thinking today is the same as Disney's and GM's back then. World of Motion wasn't all that popular. It was old and tired, kind of dirty, things were breaking. But Test Track was insanely popular! And it didn't end with one ride. Test Track led to nearly every other ride replacement in the following years, because nearly every other ride was uncool by comparison, and so they had to be replaced to "keep up." The park went from phase 1 to phase 2.

And so the same domino effect of changes would more than likely occur if a GotG ride found its way into future world. The park would go from phase 2 to phase 3. And unlike phase 2, phase 3 is very bad.

If you support phase 3 of Epcot becoming reality, then you should support a GotG ride replacing Energy.

 

[UpAllNight]

Maybe I was in a minority but visiting Epcot as a 10/11 year old child in the very late 90s didn't inspire me in any way shape or form. In fact I couldn't wait to get out and get back to MGM or Universal.

I can to this day remember watching the DVD planning videos from an aunt that had visited around the early to mid 90s with clips of Epcot and thinking it looked spectacular and wonderous. Maybe I was too late and missed the party.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I'd like to think that everyone realizes that these Epcot rumors are years and years away from anywhere near fruition....

Given the timeline of Avatar and the addition of audio animatronics to Grand Fiesta Tour, @PhotoDave219 , your post is gospel. Right now, there is no reason to believe that the end of Energy is in immediate sight. Just a few weeks ago, we had the same discussions over Tower of Terror.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Maybe I was in a minority but visiting Epcot as a 10/11 year old child in the very late 90s didn't inspire me in any way shape or form. In fact I couldn't wait to get out and get back to MGM or Universal.

And Epcot as a twentysomething year-old in the 1980s didn't impress me either.



I know, sacrilegious around these parts.

 

[P_Radden]

And Epcot in the 1980s as a twentysomething year-old didn't impress me either.



I know, sacrilegious around these parts.

 

[World_Showcase_Lover007]

Stupid Judy. It's all Judy's fault.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Given the timeline of Avatar and the addition of audio animatronics to Grand Fiesta Tour, @PhotoDave219 , your post is gospel. Right now, there is no reason to believe that the end of Energy is in immediate sight. Just a few weeks ago, we had the same discussions over Tower of Terror.

So about that Avatar timeline..... :lookaroun

 

[PhotoDave219]

Oh it shall begin. Because that is dangerous thinking.

It appears that Epcot may be entering its third phase. Now you may disagree with how I group the phases, but it is the easiest way to talk about each period, so just bear with me. This will be a long post.

The first phase was the original park. EPCOT Center. It had attractions that weren't the most thrilling or entertaining, but that were proud to educate and inspire you.

The second phase of Epcot began when GM's contract for World of Motion expired and it was time to renew. But GM decided that they wanted a "cooler" ride. They wanted to have the most popular thing in the park, something that would be on the front of the maps, the headliner attraction! And so the slow World of Motion was replaced by the thrilling Test Track. These attractions are what primarily exist today, and they strike a greater balance between entertaining and educating than the original EPCOT Center rides did. Phase 2 is in danger of ending.

The third phase of Epcot looks to be full of attractions that don't really go with the theme of the park at all. These rides, like a GotG one, would sacrifice nearly all educational/inspirational value. The first of these rides is Frozen Ever After, or possibly Nemo. So perhaps phase 3 has started already.

Now, most EPCOT Center fans see each new phase as a step down. But I don't. While I myself am a fan of phase 1, there needs to be a solid balance between educational/inspirational and entertaining. And if that balance is struck well, Epcot would be a strong park. It's just that there are too many problems with what we have today. Styles that don't match, lowered capacity, some pretty bad rides, and a graveyard in the front of the park, just to name a few.

But phase 3 is certainly a problem. Because if it becomes reality, it'll terribly weaken the theme of Epcot. There is a park called Hollywood Studios right next door, we don't need two of them. If all four parks become too similar, that'd be very bad. Most people don't know it, but they really wouldn't enjoy spending an entire week riding through the movies and visiting four parks that all feel the same. Each park needs to remain unique.

The Test Track example is very important because your thinking today is the same as Disney's and GM's back then. World of Motion wasn't all that popular. It was old and tired, kind of dirty, things were breaking. But Test Track was insanely popular! And it didn't end with one ride. Test Track led to nearly every other ride replacement in the following years, because nearly every other ride was uncool by comparison, and so they had to be replaced to "keep up." The park went from phase 1 to phase 2.

And so the same domino effect of changes would more than likely occur if a GotG ride found its way into future world. The park would go from phase 2 to phase 3. And unlike phase 2, phase 3 is very bad.

If you support phase 3 of Epcot becoming reality, then you should support a GotG ride replacing Energy.

All of this talk? All of this chatter or talk from brainstorming sessions? It's easily 5-10 years out.

 

[HouseHacker97]

i dont understand why all of the parks dont always have something under construction like universal. MK and Epcot should have several items on the list as well. I understand something monumental will be arriving in the next 5-10 years, but there should still be things here and there stacked up and ready to go. Of course frozen just finished, but now there might not be something new at epcot for a decade? thats disappointing IMO

 

[Mike S]

Do any of our insiders actually have a possible timeline for this? Is it dependent on how DCA's ToT project goes as far as popularity or is it being pushed independently of that just so they can have something "Marvel" in WDW?

@marni1971? @Lee?

 

[FigmentForver96]

"Epcot phase 3" would only ruin the theme if they keep the themes they are running with now. From what I understand, and I could be wrong, is they are taking this park in a whole new direction theme wise. So the new rides may very well for their new theme.

Now liking that new theme or direction is another matter.