Has Disney met Half way with Epcot fans?

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

I’d love to step into Epcot 94 again but knowing that’s never going to happen and the direction Epcot has already been headed into I feel that in a way they have at least did a good job at bringing a classic feel back to Epcot between the icons, the logo and Wprld Celebration. I’d love to travel into the future again but it’s nice to see a formal Epcot scheme back in the park and that to me is a good start. Now if we can just change their minds with Spaceship Earth.

 

[Tavernacle12]

It feels aesthetically ok but the contents behind the facades aren’t. If they wanted to meet fans halfway then returning Imagination to its former glory, establishing the standards of SSE pre-redo, or large thematic upgrades to LWTL or Seas would be far better.

Like, the Moana walk through, new fireworks, Play Pavilion, Guardians, etc don’t fit the park even if on their own they’re decent. No amount of new iconography fixes that, even if it smooths over the wound. The only three additions are upgrades of existing movies, aka the cheapest things to do besides making some new logos...

 

[bUU]

Many "Epcot fans" like the way the park is changing.

 

[eliza61nyc]

All depends on one's perspective. I work with many folks who love, love love Epcot's festivals. Mainly senior dvc members who have raised their kids and now travel to the world by themselves or with other adults just for the festivals. Here?? festivals are viewed as Armageddon.

Older visitors?? they tend to reminisce about the good old days. New visitors? not so much.
Folks here often talk about EPCOT's mission or theme, I'm not convinced that today's visitors really give all that much care about the "goal" of a theme park. their goal is to have fun.

I for one like the changes, I hate being bored. I hated walking past empty tired buildings but again I did not go back in the early days so I have nothing to compare it to. I'm glad the parks is getting some love, I have absolutely no Ip issue and in fact can't wait for GoTG to open up. I will miss illuminations though.

 

[zengoth]

It looks like EPCOT will remain more the "adult" park with a sprinkling for kids and thrills for those who want them. The original concept took sooooo long to dim, the change is welcome, with a wary eye. I still think of the park as a permanent world's fair and I won't miss the endless concrete. I know it's an apples/oranges comparison, but this reminds me of the Downtown Disney-becomes-Disney Springs saga - a project that is complete, has hits and misses, but still turned out, imo, to be a win.

 

[starri42]

I hadn't been to EPCOT (or, I guess, Epcot) in 25 years when I went last winter, but it loomed large in my memory. While I might honestly say my first visit to Animal Kingdom may have caused it to move ahead as my favorite, I still had really positive vibes when I was wondering around World Showcase (yes, with a drink) and getting to do stuff I hadn't been able to, like Test Track and Soarin'. And I had all of the feels on Living with the Land and Spaceship Earth.

But things were tired. Very tired. I wish we could have gone back and had a 21st century version of the park we had in the late 80s/early 90s, but realistically that was never going to happen. So, I'm pretty content with how things turned out.

Also, no biergarten, despite all the agita.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Lets all hope Disney does all that we see in the concept art for EPCOT. We saw lesser versions of Toy Story Land and and Galaxy's Edge than what was originally proposed.

I hope we will actually get that very cool festival center, I fear that will be cut or reduced.

I worry that the new version of club cool will lose the free drink stations and will become just a Coca Cola gift shop.

 

[Mainahman]

EPCOT was my first park as a kid, and always will be my favorite. I am happy with the changes thus far, and what i see planned. I also know that this isnt them being done. Imagination is and will always be my favorite. Give me my figment and my Dreamfinder! Although, im also looking at it like this..... They cant have all of the attractions down at once. Once we get what has been announced, i could see some refurb action for land, Seas and most importantly Imagination. Its a long term plan, and they have to have something open in the meantime.

 

[Mickey5150]

I think Disney is creating the best version of Epcot. Eliminating Future World makes so much sense since it's almost impossible to keep things current. This is the same issue with Tomorrowland. By removing "future" and becoming Celebration, Discovery and Nature it opens up any possibilities, not just futuristic ones. With the new show HarmonioUS, the park's icon Spaceship Earth, and 4 "worlds" Epcot is focusing on people. People's cultures, ideas and dreams, giving us a new statue of everyone's favorite dreamer, Walt Disney. I love the direction my favorite park is heading and can't wait to experience all the new things.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There are things I like. The old font and logo is huge, remember this is the same company that just gave us that lame new Hollywood studios logo!!! The entrance with the restored fountain, the statue of Walt, more greenery, etc.... lots of positives.

The Moana thing looks fine, if we have Nemo hosting the seas, we might as well have Moana host a water maze. The play pavilion is pretty much an updated innoventions.... so that’s good. Guardians I’m against but what’s done is done... at least they are doing the planetarium-ish theme to kinda keep it in theme.... could be worse.

I’m all for Mary Poppins in UK, I think the issues is Frozen doesn’t exist in Norway, so it feels like a huge stretch to have it be the centerpiece attraction.... but Remy the Rat clearly lives in France, and Mary Poppins is clearly in London.... that makes those IP a much better fit imho.

 

[Heppenheimer]

All I ask for is that when they get around to refurbishing the Imagination Pavilion is that it doesn't suck the way it does now. I don't expect a rebuild of the original attractions in all their glory, because they would be out of date by now, but at least give us something that doesn't feel like a cheap replacement.

 

[Raineman]

The thing with the plans for Epcot, as well as the plans for anything new at WDW, is the amount of people judging it, not even before it opens, or even on videos and pictures after the new additions are opened, but based on the initial plans/artist's rendering. I wonder if these people see a picture of a concept car that may not go into mass production for years and say "That thing is a piece of crap, I'd never buy it. Why can't they make something better?" These people will never meet Disney half way, because, in their minds, Disney is not making an effort to meet them at all-they want the parks to be tailored to their specific desires only. They say "WDW progress is stagnant, we need changes." Disney starts moving forward with numerous changes, and then it's "I don't like the changes!" For most of us, I believe that Disney is meeting us halfway, and I personally am curious as to how these changes at Epcot will change the dynamic of the park.

 

[Oddysey]

I consider myself an Epcot purist and miss the original theme of Epcot Center considerably. However, many areas of the park have been shuttered for a long time, and the lack of a cohesion in FW is so poor that if someone were to visit with no prior knowledge of its history, they would likely have no clue what the theme was or is.

With the pace of technology changing so rapidly, and changes in the way corporations market (no more big budget sponsorships),I have long accepted that there will never be another Epcot Center and am deeply thankful that I was able to visit FW in its prime. Epcot has needed to pick a thematic direction for over a decade, and while I will likely always prefer the original Epcot Center, I am grateful that Disney has finally chosen a direction for the park and are going to implement a cohesive theme once again. The new plans may not be my vision for Epcot, but at least there is finally a vision.

 

[Dead2009]

Many "Epcot fans" like the way the park is changing.

And there are some who hate change and never wanted it to go away from the original design when it first opened.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I think it’s strange how people who like something are labeled as people who “hate change.” Well yeah.... if I like an attraction I grew up with, I don’t want that attraction to go away or be completely changed. That seems very natural.

Attractions need to be refreshed, haunted mansion is extremely different now that when I first rode it. Stairs instead of spider webs, changing portraits instead of pop up ghosts, etc. But over all the attraction feels the same. They didn’t add narration by Eddie Murphy for example.

The spirit and feel of Epcot has and is changing. The good news is, it will be a better park than it is now. It’s been neglected for a long time. But I too miss the old spirit of Epcot.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Without much of a future to display I think the only classic that could fit in would be World of Motion, I wish Spaceship Earth would be more based towards the past and the future but I’m just happy to see the overall true Epcot scheme and to see the places full of life again. I’ll take this upcoming era over the millenuim era any day. I just wish they would keep Reflections of earth and update it. This will always be my Epcot tho, Epcot 94. I wish we could go back into that era again.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Universe of Energy deserved a proper update. It’s such a hot (pun intended) topic right now. Keep the wonderful Dino’s and update the rest of the attraction with 3D representations of energy including giant wind turbines, a large dam with rushing water, and the heat of a solar farm.

 

[bUU]

That seems very natural.

It isn't natural to be so beholden to the past that one finds insufficient the memories of what was, and insists instead that nothing new ever replaces what was. This stems from the reality that Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis (everything changes and we change along with them). Living life beholden to anything remaining static leaves you at a disadvantage when the inevitable happens. Living a more robust life means integrating change into the normality of your life.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Universe of Energy deserved a proper update. It’s such a hot (pun intended) topic right now. Keep the wonderful Dino’s and update the rest of the attraction with 3D representations of energy including giant wind turbines, a large dam with rushing water, and the heat of a solar farm.

They had so much potential with those screens they could have made an amazing show out of that building with just some new footage and projection but I have a feeling awesome planet is going to cover the topic

 

[FutureCEO]

I like that Epcot is changing but not the direction. Well, I guess since the Mexico overlay - there should be no character rides at Epcot.