News Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind attraction confirmed for Epcot

matt9112

Well-Known Member
I don't like this new trend at Epcot. I am all about evolution, updating, and re-imagining. But "the powers that be" seem to have lost their vision of what differentiates Epcot. Being educated and entertained at the same time. Will the new UoE deliver on maintaining the education aspect? Doesn't look like it if after what they did with Maelstrom/Frozen and what they look to be doing with Ratatouille/France... Will the new China movie include Mulan? Will Mission Space include Wall-E or Tron or similar?

Lots of entertainment, no one can argue that. Lots of immersion, no one can argue that either. But what happened to learning a little something along the way? What happened to piquing your interest in science, culture, art, history, or exploration? That's what the orginal EPCOT Center is rooted in. If Imagineering can no longer do all of this without the assistance of large franchise characters and stories to drive attendance then Imagineering has lost its way. If the attraction story is no longer concerned with piquing interest in science, culture, art, history, or exploration, then Disney management has lost its way. If Disney World customers don't demand attractions that can deliver on a slightly higher academic ground (at least at Epcot), then "we" have lost our way as some zombie-like society that is attracted to loud noises and shiny objects.

Every other major theme park in the world can deliver on pure entertainment. Walt's vision of Epcot (that is Walt of Walt Disney World; remember that guy?) was much, much different. (start at 10:55 ). Clearly it was never possible to deliver on Walt's original vision of Epcot without Walt, but Epcot opened and differentiated itself from the rest of the pack. It has been devolving since. I am no defender of any dated attraction NOT being updated or re-imagined, as this is directly aligned with Walt's vision for all his parks. I am however a staunch opponent of homogenizing park attractions with movie franchises in a way that diminishes the academic/education differentiators. The new Frozen Maelstrom should be in Fantasyland. GotG belongs in Hollywood Studios or some other land/park. Ratatouille... well if Impressions de France becomes a memory to make way for this, I'm going to seriously lose my mental **** and have a really mean face next time I'm at Epcot.


Watching that video made me think abo ut a simple question...would anyone here say any of the Disney parks are an "inspiration" or is it just amusement?
 

matt9112

Well-Known Member
To be honest, I didn't think "jam with Aerosmith on the streets of LA" had that much cohesion with a haunted 1930s Hollywood hotel.

But no, I like ToT very much. It's one of my favourites.

Your correct 100% but it's 100 times closer than a talking racoon from space who shoots things.....
 

Maeryk

Well-Known Member
Watching that video made me think abo ut a simple question...would anyone here say any of the Disney parks are an "inspiration" or is it just amusement?

They are all inspiring to me. Vision and storytelling is what keeps me coming back. If there's a bit of knowledge thrown in there, great, but it's not required for me to enjoy the parks. It's the cohesive beyond-next-level theming, the immersion, the attention to detail, and the story/feeling.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Are you talking about him showing the picture of Peter Quill? That was a joke. It wasn't actually meant to be taken as 'this is how it fits in!'
It was not a joke. The Marvel Theme Park Universe attractions are set in their respective parks. The Guardians of the Galaxy came to Epcot because Peter Quill liked EPCOT Center and wants to share about his space travel. The attraction fits into Epcot because it is set at Epcot. Similarly Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! fits into Disney California Adventure because it is set at Disney California Adventure and Iron Man Experience fits into Hong Kong Disneyland because it is set at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Isn't that what museums and libraries are for though.
I grew up with Epcot and loved it but the last time I was there I found it stale and outdated. Never really inspired me or taught me much that I didn't already know. With so much available now I have to agree we with some others that people don't really want to go to an amusement park to be schooled.
If people want to go to an amusement park, they should go to an amusement park. Theme parks are for storytelling.

Epcot Center went obscenely over budget and quicker than expected showed signs of needing significant reinvestment. Success?
It was great, but it was a somewhat foolhardy endeavor. If you were lucky enough to experience it in it's brief heyday, consider yourself lucky as I do. They should aim high, but they should not try and replicate a failed model.
Epcot is and always has been less popular than EPCOT Center, with EPCOT '94 being the most popular.

They opened the park breaking the concept Walt had drawn up. Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow from opening day was an amusement park as no one actually lived there.
My comment had nothing to do with Walt Disney.

Risk....attaching an IP Almost certainly guarantees long term success....no IP? alot more risk and possibly failure. The possible part dictates any decision made by a publicly traded company. Sad but true.
This is not just about using IP and risk. Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are still free to tell their stories within their franchises, but cinema is considered a legitimate creative medium.
 

Maeryk

Well-Known Member
This is not just about using IP and risk. Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are still free to tell their stories within their franchises, but cinema is considered a legitimate creative medium.

And whatever goes into the parks (mission breakout, the iron man thing, this) is not canonical to the MCU. Unlike many of the Universal rides, which attempt to recreate "the movie" or "The experience", the MCU stuff being developed for Disney parks is the character, but not based on any single movie or experience.. much like Star Tours borrows from the film locations, but doesn't immerse you in any specific storyline.

That is something Disney has stood out with, and is distinct from it's competition in. Which is kinda ironic, as it came from rides that were 3d representations of the movies they created, and now they are well beyond that, in most cases.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
And whatever goes into the parks (mission breakout, the iron man thing, this) is not canonical to the MCU. Unlike many of the Universal rides, which attempt to recreate "the movie" or "The experience", the MCU stuff being developed for Disney parks is the character, but not based on any single movie or experience.. much like Star Tours borrows from the film locations, but doesn't immerse you in any specific storyline.

That is something Disney has stood out with, and is distinct from it's competition in. Which is kinda ironic, as it came from rides that were 3d representations of the movies they created, and now they are well beyond that, in most cases.
So what? The movies are still the basis for decision making. The Marvel Theme Park Universe comes out of a concern for qualities you keep dismissing as unimportant to today's audiences.
 

Mike S

Well-Known Member
And whatever goes into the parks (mission breakout, the iron man thing, this) is not canonical to the MCU. Unlike many of the Universal rides, which attempt to recreate "the movie" or "The experience", the MCU stuff being developed for Disney parks is the character, but not based on any single movie or experience.. much like Star Tours borrows from the film locations, but doesn't immerse you in any specific storyline.

That is something Disney has stood out with, and is distinct from it's competition in. Which is kinda ironic, as it came from rides that were 3d representations of the movies they created, and now they are well beyond that, in most cases.
The storylines for Forbidden Journey, Minions, Transformers, and Kong are actually completely separate from the movie canon. Only Gringotts out of their recent builds uses a plot directly from the film even if changed just a bit. Of course a ride based on a movie will try to recreate the general experience. Even the classic Fantasyland rides do that.
 

Maeryk

Well-Known Member
So what? The movies are still the basis for decision making. The Marvel Theme Park Universe comes out of a concern for qualities you keep dismissing as unimportant to today's audiences.

So the MTPU doesn't have to rebrand an entire area, or anything more than a single ride, and can be worked in as a part of the park itself.. even self aware part of the park itself. Something Universal doesn't do, is my point. GotG can quite easily reference Epcot in it's ride, and tie itself into the theme of the park, just as Mission Breakout does.

Also, you are misquoting me. I never said some educational content was unimportant. I said that educational content in 20+ year old rides with nearly a century outdated notions about dinosaurs are unimportant. I'm not the one claiming there can be no educational content. It's the grumpuses swearing it can't be included that are saying that. I have faith it will be included, and will fit in with the park.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
So the MTPU doesn't have to rebrand an entire area, or anything more than a single ride, and can be worked in as a part of the park itself.. even self aware part of the park itself. Something Universal doesn't do, is my point. GotG can quite easily reference Epcot in it's ride, and tie itself into the theme of the park, just as Mission Breakout does.
Self reference is not a theme. Setting is not theme.
 

Maeryk

Well-Known Member
Self reference is not a theme. Setting is not theme.

And the theme of Future World has always, to me, been imagination and reaching for the stars and thinking outside the box, so I don't think it's that bad a fit. A bit fantasy, perhaps. But no more so than flying cars or undersea cities, or the current end of ride "your future life" nonsense on SSE, or manned missions to mars. Some are slightly more likely than space battles, some less. But none are reality at this point.
 

Jeff456

Well-Known Member
Any thoughts about how they will shuffle the Fastpass tiers once this ride opens? If they put it in the same tier with TT and Soarin - which I assume they will - that will make for a bit of a Sophie's Choice. Then add in the Rat ride...
Maybe once this and ratatouille are opened plus illuminations or its replacement you'll be able to choose two rides from tier one with all the aformentioned attractions plus frozen of course in that tier, surely once there are effectively 5 attractions and one show in it it will be possible capacity wise.
 

Tegan pilots a chicken

Sharpie Queen 💜
Premium Member
Maybe once this and ratatouille are opened plus illuminations or its replacement you'll be able to choose two rides from tier one with all the aformentioned attractions plus frozen of course in that tier, surely once there are effectively 5 attractions and one show in it it will be possible capacity wise.

Hopefully once all of them are operational, they can do away with the teir system altogether.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
But Epcot doesn't need a coaster, you can't easily put across a message with one, as there isn't as much of a storyline, whereas with a dark ride(that isn't a coaster) you can have a very deveoped storyline that can easily convey the message of Epcot - you don't need coasters to have thrills.

In my opinion, the only coaster that would be good would be the Matterhorn in a Switzerland Pavilion.

A dark ride like Tomb Raider!!!

Ok sorry, my wishful thinking again.. ;)
 

NoChesterHester

Well-Known Member
Maybe once this and ratatouille are opened plus illuminations or its replacement you'll be able to choose two rides from tier one with all the aformentioned attractions plus frozen of course in that tier, surely once there are effectively 5 attractions and one show in it it will be possible capacity wise.

Once they get enough attractions open that people actually want to be on the Fastpass tiers could go away completely. Then you don't have to force people to use it for attractions they don't want it for... like Nemo.
 

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