News Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind attraction confirmed for Epcot

[Sketch105]

When Epcot was built, it stayed original because it only had to compete with Magic Kingdom and SeaWorld. It was a brand new theme park, and it only had to compete with itself in terms of attractions. Spending was at a high, the economy was fantastic and the middle class was still booming. Disney was only known for two things: theme parks and animation (barely, at that point in 81). They were run without shareholders, public pressure or scrutiny because they had nothing to lose and no one to listen to.

It's 2017. Disney owns a ton of properties, a film studios, and multiple other arms. Orlando is not a quaint burg anymore- we have 3 Universal parks, 6 Disney parks, 3 SeaWorld parks and multiple local tourist attractions. They are all competing for tourists who decide with their wallets where they will spend money. And meanwhile they have MANY people to listen to- mostly shareholders.

Disney has an I-4 billboard across from Harry Potter. What do they put on it to drive attendance to Epcot? "New Universe of Energy?" Will out of town guest recognize this? Will they understand what it means? Probably not. But if you put the Guardians of the Galaxy next to the Epcot logo, they'll know instantly. It does not matter to the average guest if the movie was fantastic or a classic, as long as they recognize it and think "Oh, I know that..let's go there!".

I don't like the new direction of Epcot either, but it's necessary. Disney was a different company when Epcot was built. Edu-tainment was an easier to sell when Orlando had very little to offer. America was different when Epcot was built. But all that changed a long time ago.

 

[lazyboy97o]

When Epcot was built, it stayed original because it only had to compete with Magic Kingdom and SeaWorld. It was a brand new theme park, and it only had to compete with itself in terms of attractions. Spending was at a high, the economy was fantastic and the middle class was still booming. Disney was only known for two things: theme parks and animation (barely, at that point in 81). They were run without shareholders, public pressure or scrutiny because they had nothing to lose and no one to listen to.

It's 2017. Disney owns a ton of properties, a film studios, and multiple other arms. Orlando is not a quaint burg anymore- we have 3 Universal parks, 6 Disney parks, 3 SeaWorld parks and multiple local tourist attractions. They are all competing for tourists who decide with their wallets where they will spend money. And meanwhile they have MANY people to listen to- mostly shareholders.

Disney has an I-4 billboard across from Harry Potter. What do they put on it to drive attendance to Epcot? "New Universe of Energy?" Will out of town guest recognize this? Will they understand what it means? Probably not. But if you put the Guardians of the Galaxy next to the Epcot logo, they'll know instantly. It does not matter to the average guest if the movie was fantastic or a classic, as long as they recognize it and think "Oh, I know that..let's go there!".

I don't like the new direction of Epcot either, but it's necessary. Disney was a different company when Epcot was built. Edu-tainment was an easier to sell when Orlando had very little to offer. America was different when Epcot was built. But all that changed a long time ago.

A good many people didn’t know the Guardians of the Galaxy before the movie.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

When Epcot was built, it stayed original because it only had to compete with Magic Kingdom and SeaWorld. It was a brand new theme park, and it only had to compete with itself in terms of attractions. Spending was at a high, the economy was fantastic and the middle class was still booming. Disney was only known for two things: theme parks and animation (barely, at that point in 81). They were run without shareholders, public pressure or scrutiny because they had nothing to lose and no one to listen to.

It's 2017. Disney owns a ton of properties, a film studios, and multiple other arms. Orlando is not a quaint burg anymore- we have 3 Universal parks, 6 Disney parks, 3 SeaWorld parks and multiple local tourist attractions. They are all competing for tourists who decide with their wallets where they will spend money. And meanwhile they have MANY people to listen to- mostly shareholders.

Disney has an I-4 billboard across from Harry Potter. What do they put on it to drive attendance to Epcot? "New Universe of Energy?" Will out of town guest recognize this? Will they understand what it means? Probably not. But if you put the Guardians of the Galaxy next to the Epcot logo, they'll know instantly. It does not matter to the average guest if the movie was fantastic or a classic, as long as they recognize it and think "Oh, I know that..let's go there!".

I don't like the new direction of Epcot either, but it's necessary. Disney was a different company when Epcot was built. Edu-tainment was an easier to sell when Orlando had very little to offer. America was different when Epcot was built. But all that changed a long time ago.

this is why science museums are not gigantic as they used to be

 

[Tom Morrow]

That's because the score to the Guardians movies are insignificant, simply there to be action undertone. Writer/ Director James Gunn always planed to have the main emotion of music represented by Starlord's Walkman filled with songs that his mother gave him from the 60's and 70's. These songs were actually well planed out and not just randomly selected to "add flavor" to the film (looking at you Suicide Squad...). Take for example the 2 main songs in Volume 2. Brandy by the Looking Glass relates to Peter's desire to move away from his past and towards his future, finding someone to move on with. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac is the opposite, and represents Peter's desire to discover his father's identity. No spoilers here but as the film progresses both of these song are twisted away from their original meaning. Most of the other songs in the soundtrack serve as the backing to the emotional moments in the film. Tyler Bate's score to the films are perfectly fine, but was always playing second fiddle to the Awesome Mix's.

And you know what song fits perfectly with the Awesome Mixes?



Really hoping this song at least makes a cameo.

 

[Mike S]

They were run without shareholders, public pressure or scrutiny because they had nothing to lose and no one to listen to.

A quick google search tells you they got listed on the NYSE in 1957. That means they definitely had shareholders by the time they were building EPCOT Center.

this is why science museums are not gigantic as they used to be

I went to the Griffith Observatory and witnessed a pretty decent crowd. There was even a large group watching the simple tech of a pendulum clock. The Museum of Natural History in New York has also been packed whenever I've been there.

 

[lazyboy97o]

UOE these days equates to pure boredom. Don't get me wrong it was fun and interesting.... but it's been in place for 30 plus freaking years. It had a good run.
Seriously UOE didn't warrant this kind of end of life celebration. Take a wrecking ball to it and let's move on.

Let's summarize what this thread has turned into.
-Epcot is being referred to as IPCOT...HAHA... Gets funnier every time I hear it.
- GOTG- Doesn't belong in Epcot
- If you are in favor of GOTG being placed in Epcot you are a mindless numb skull!
- etc, etc, etc....
Can we get back on topic now???

Does anyone know any real details about this ride? For example, what kind of ride this will be besides a coaster? Will there be show scenes in it or will this purely be a coaster? How long can we anticipate the ride to be? Is Joe Rhode in charge of this one? If not who? Etc.

You complain about others repeating themselves and then just repeated a bunch of questions. A simple search can provide answers to your queries.

 

[larryz]

Naaa... not complaining about anyone.
Just trying to redirect another thread that has turned into overt nostalgia for an an OK ride that has overstayed its welcome.

I'm amused by the "Epcot Purists" who adamantly refuse to accept any changes to "their" park.

 

[marni1971]

I'm amused by the "Epcot Purists" who adamantly refuse to accept any changes to "their" park.

Change should be for the better though. Even if EPCOT Center is dead.

 

[Jenny72]

Maybe I *am* a little bit of a purist, but even for practical reasons -- do people really decide to come to Disney because they see a billboard with GotG on it? I'm not attacking -- it's a genuine question (although probably impossible to answer). The people that I know (colleagues, friends) go to Disney because...it's Disney. They want their kids to see it; their friends' kids have seen it. It's a rite of passage. And then of course if they love it, they go back maybe 5 years later. I think updated rides keeps people coming back, but I'm not sure if it's going to draw in the people that I know (who are not Disney fanatics by any stretch).

Maybe GotG could bring in locals? I don't see it really drawing huge numbers into the park.

 

[wdisney9000]

I'm amused by the "Epcot Purists" who adamantly refuse to accept any changes to "their" park.

With all due respect, it is just as easy to say that "Ipcot Fanatics" adamantly accept/defend any change to the park whatsoever. Which isnt exactly true. No more true than claiming "purists" want Epcot to be a museum.

Both of those arguments are based off reaction without thought. I grew up in the "Glory days" of EPCOT and rode WoM, Horizons, UoE more times than I can remember. When WoM was replaced with TT, it was a fitting replacement because it kept a good balance of education/entertainment. It was not a lazy, easy replacement. It drew crowds and long lines without an IP. Proof that you don't need to slap a character on an attraction for it to be successful and loved by many.

When FEA was announced, many people saw the writing on the wall. But cries of "wait and see" quickly arose with the claim and hopes of it having some element of inspiration / education. Many people said it could possibly be the cast of Frozen guiding us through Norway or possibly having some shred of realistic aspect to it. We now know that none of that happened. It is a storybook ride and a discombobulated one at that. It is lazy and one layered.

Now we are seeing the same claims with GoTG taking over Ellen. "Perhaps Star Lord or Rocket will speak of energy and consumption". Maybe it will (I doubt it), but if it does not, it just further adds to the identity crisis of the park itself. A hodge podge of characters, movies, and pavilions with no unifying theme does not create immersion.

 

[Rutt]

A good many people didn’t know the Guardians of the Galaxy before the movie.

But the ride wasn't built before the movie. The point is that now when someone is driving down I4, they will see that there is a Guardians ride at Epcot and want to go on it. UOE not so much.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But the ride wasn't built before the movie. The point is that now when someone is driving down I4, they will see that there is a Guardians ride at Epcot and want to go on it. UOE not so much.

This only makes sense if themed entertainment is inherently inferior to movies. That themed entertainment is not a true storytelling medium that can introduce stories to people.

 

[Rutt]

This only makes sense if themed entertainment is inherently inferior to movies. That themed entertainment is not a true storytelling medium that can introduce stories to people.

Once people are in the park sure, I'd agree. And if people in general nowadays had attention spans longer than your average youtube video of course. But you have to get these people in the park in the first place. The prevailing thought nowadays is that people recognize and want to experience the movies. They seen Frozen/ Marvel/ Star Wars and 'Ohhhh I have to go there'. You don't get that as much with the original ideas, or at least that's the point that was being made.

 

[DisneyCane]

But... but.. Avatar 2! Avatar 3!! AVATAR 4!!!! Think of the synergy, the merchandising opportunities!!!

You forgot Avatar 5. Yes, there really will be four unnecessary sequels to a movie that wasn't really that good or memorable. It was OK and the 3D cinematography was nice to look at for 20 minutes. My guess is they will get more overtly environmentally preachy as the story arc progresses. This preachiness will turn people off that just want to be entertained and the IP will lose value over time.

Flight of Passage is awesome because of how it was designed and implemented, not the theme. It could have been themed to anything that had you flying around and it would be just as awesome.

 

[*Q*]

I'm amused by the "Epcot Purists" who adamantly refuse to accept any changes to "their" park.

I'm amused by the constant, unrelenting ignorance of what "EPCOT Purists" actually desire. Scratch that, I am super freaking annoyed by it. Some people seem to just absolutely, blatantly refuse to understand that EPCOT fans generally don't want to see the park static and unchanging. I can't say I've ever many people who've said that Horizons, World of Motion, etc., should have stayed exactly as they were for all time. Most true EPCOT fans want to see the park evolve to reflect modern visions of the future and vital topics of the current era. But then the cynics come along with their tiresome argument about how you can't get away with that kind of stuff in a theme park nowadays, but that is pure baloney. That demonstrates just a complete lack of faith in the intelligence and inquisitiveness of the general public and lack of faith in Imagineering to produce engaging and inspiring entertainment.

I would just really love for this stupid perception of EPCOT fans "not wanting the park to change" to stop. The thing I really think is stupid is accepting ANY change at the park as a good thing. This Guardians of the Galaxy attraction is being added with the exact same foresight that brought Ellen and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Jeopardy and crash test dummies and Eric Idle and freaking Hans and Franz to the park in the 1990s. There's all of this talk about how Iger & Co. are trying to create attractions that are easily switched out with the hottest IP every few years... but from what we know of the Guardians attraction so far, does it really seem like it's going to be easy to switch out down the line? More so than the existing Universe of Energy format which was blatantly designed with updates in mind? This just really doesn't reek of anything more than going for the laziest way to snatch some of the market share back from Universal that they've grabbed with Harry Potter.

 

[larryz]

With all due respect, it is just as easy to say that "Ipcot Fanatics" adamantly accept/defend any change to the park whatsoever. Which isnt exactly true. No more true than claiming "purists" want Epcot to be a museum.

Both of those arguments are based off reaction without thought. I grew up in the "Glory days" of EPCOT and rode WoM, Horizons, UoE more times than I can remember. When WoM was replaced with TT, it was a fitting replacement because it kept a good balance of education/entertainment. It was not a lazy, easy replacement. It drew crowds and long lines without an IP. Proof that you don't need to slap a character on an attraction for it to be successful and loved by many.

When FEA was announced, many people saw the writing on the wall. But cries of "wait and see" quickly arose with the claim and hopes of it having some element of inspiration / education. Many people said it could possibly be the cast of Frozen guiding us through Norway or possibly having some shred of realistic aspect to it. We now know that none of that happened. It is a storybook ride and a discombobulated one at that. It is lazy and one layered.

Now we are seeing the same claims with GoTG taking over Ellen. "Perhaps Star Lord or Rocket will speak of energy and consumption". Maybe it will (I doubt it), but if it does not, it just further adds to the identity crisis of the park itself. A hodge podge of characters, movies, and pavilions with no unifying theme does not create immersion.

Considering Epcot never, ever fulfilled Walt's vision, does it really matter?

The age of "Theme Park Purity" is over. Join the realists who understand that the only theme that matters to corporate is how much money can be made in a park.

I'd find it amusing and ironic if the next country in Epcot was the Netherlands and included a huge windmill. Our resident Don Quixotes would line up to tilt at it.

 

[MrHappy]

You forgot Avatar 5. Yes, there really will be four unnecessary sequels to a movie that wasn't really that good or memorable. It was OK and the 3D cinematography was nice to look at for 20 minutes. My guess is they will get more overtly environmentally preachy as the story arc progresses. This preachiness will turn people off that just want to be entertained and the IP will lose value over time.

cool

 

[Mike S]

Change should be for the better though. Even if EPCOT Center is dead.

Like this?

Once people are in the park sure, I'd agree. And if people in general nowadays had attention spans longer than your average youtube video of course. But you have to get these people in the park in the first place. The prevailing thought nowadays is that people recognize and want to experience the movies. They seen Frozen/ Marvel/ Star Wars and 'Ohhhh I have to go there'. You don't get that as much with the original ideas, or at least that's the point that was being made.

Expedition Everest would be a good recent example of something original that successfully brought people to the park. I remember its cool marketing as well and the fact there was a billboard right near where I lived. There was even a special on Discovery Channel.

Considering Epcot never, ever fulfilled Walt's vision, does it really matter?

Skip to 7:40 and watch for about 5 seconds. The man said it himself.

The age of "Theme Park Purity" is over. Join the realists who understand that the only theme that matters to corporate is how much money can be made in a park.

You don't have to crap on people for it.

I'd find it amusing and ironic if the next country in Epcot was the Netherlands and included a huge windmill. Our resident Don Quixotes would line up to tilt at it.

What?

 

[marni1971]

Like this?
View attachment 223459 View attachment 223460

And all that could have been...

 

[trainplane3]

And all that could have been...

Any chance you could show off some more concept art of the UoE overhaul at some point? That stuff looks incredible. Was that supposed to be a giant floating black hole or was it a projection?