Has World Showcase seen its last ride addition?

P

ptaylor

Premium Member
Original Poster
It seems to me that Disney now considers World Showcase to be a restaurant, bar, live entertainment and event location. All the recent additions of any size are in these categories, and it got me thinking about how likely we are to see an actual ride be built in World Showcase.

What are your thoughts?
 
bethymouse

bethymouse

Well-Known Member
No rides!

I doubt there would be any rides added unless they expanded on one of the countries, or added another country ( w/ another boat ride :ROFLOL:)
 
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Has World Showcase seen its last ride addition?
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Yes. Twenty-five years ago. There is no ambition anymore to finish WS into a theme park with rides.

If anything, Disney regrets not having build WS as a kind of 'Boardwalk', with DVC and bars and entertainment venues.

As is, WS is about booze and gluttony. There's only so many plush toys you can take with you, but appetite, and especially for alcohol, is insatiable. So booze and food is what gets pushed.
 
xdan0920

xdan0920

Think for yourselfer
ptaylor said:
It seems to me that Disney now considers World Showcase to be a restaurant, bar, live entertainment and event location. All the recent additions of any size are in these categories, and it got me thinking about how likely we are to see an actual ride be built in World Showcase.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

I have to agree with you. Though I would prefer it if I could take an opposite viewpoint.

At this point it doesn't even look like we stand a chance of getting a new country, let alone one with an attraction included. It's too bad really.
 
I_heart_Tigger

I_heart_Tigger

Well-Known Member
When I worked there in '96 - '97 our info that we could spiel off about the showcase was that there are room for 7 more countries to be added.

I guess we didn't mention they WON'T be added - but hey, there's room :lol:
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
I like that the WS is not just another theme park with rides although I wish they would squeeze in a few countries such as Russia, Turkey, or India.
 
TubaGeek

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
How long into the future are we looking here? In the next five years, prolly not, but World Showcase doesn't exactly have an expiration date that they need to beat or anything.
 
wolf359

wolf359

Well-Known Member
ptaylor said:
It seems to me that Disney now considers World Showcase to be a restaurant, bar, live entertainment and event location. All the recent additions of any size are in these categories, and it got me thinking about how likely we are to see an actual ride be built in World Showcase.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

First off... "now considers?" It seems to me Disney has always seen World Showcase as primarily not attraction driven. What is there is enough of a draw to pull the crowds but I think the primary goal was always to keep the shops and restaurants busy.

And considering that EPCOT's restaurants are always in high demand it makes sense to expand where capacity is needed. Add in that the new restaurants have been winners both in design and cuisine and I can't find too much to worry about.

I agree It might be nice to have something new to explore without needing a knife and fork but at the same time I like that World Showcase isn't overrun with attractions. I think there is enough to do elsewhere at Walt Disney World for those wanting to RIDE! RIDE! RIDE! that World Showcase is fine to be left to do something a little different.
 
THEMEPARKPIONEER

THEMEPARKPIONEER

Well-Known Member
I love it the way it is. We knock Epcot but one thing they never managed to ruin was the World Showcase. It doesnt need rides, it already has 2 nice rides, the cultural experience, live music and performances, illuminations, the food, the beer and your walking thru an arboritum surounded by a beautyful lake with countrys and artwork all in one place, what more can you want. Its a peaceful, calm and fun place, you dont want to hear some loud ride with screaming, that would ruin the atmosphere. Save it for Future World, that place can use some expanding.
 
c-one

c-one

Well-Known Member
I'll join the "who needs more rides" chorus. None of the current WS rides are great, anyway. It's a very different sort of theme park experience -- one that, arguably, would make more sense outside of the theme park gates. But I'll take it as is.
 
Tom Morrow

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
I don't mind that there aren't many rides/attractions, and it would probably be a bad idea to add an E ticket to a country as it would give too much significance to that country over the others... but one or two omnimover dark ride editions couldn't hurt. Just sayin'.
 
AEfx

AEfx

Well-Known Member
ptaylor said:
It seems to me that Disney now considers World Showcase to be a restaurant, bar, live entertainment and event location. All the recent additions of any size are in these categories, and it got me thinking about how likely we are to see an actual ride be built in World Showcase.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

I think they always considered it that. It's a very large outdoor shopping mall.

Some pretend it's somehow a transcendent experience, which if it is for them, more power to 'em - but it's really just a pretty shell for overpriced food and merchandise (and I rarely complain about WDW prices, but there it's the worst in the entire resort).
 
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
WS was very much meant to have an attraction in each country. Show buildings were planned in Italy and the UK, and were even build in Japan and Germany.

It is only through usage and guest expectation that WS came to be a food&shopping theme park.
 
rufio

rufio

Well-Known Member
Empress Lilly said:
WS was very much meant to have an attraction in each country. Show buildings were planned in Italy and the UK, and were even build in Japan and Germany.

It is only through usage and guest expectation that WS came to be a food&shopping theme park.
Click to expand...

I read about all of this recently in The EPCOT Explorer's Encyclopedia. I was actually a little bummed out when I realized the spaces were there and were never utilized for that purpose :-( Apparently there were several other countries planned as well, but obviously those never happened. It always saddens me to know what once was, but is no more, or could have been, but never was.
 

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