Innoventions: time for a change?

[HMF]

With the Disneyland incarnation of Innoventions on the chopping block and the recent history of the Exhibitions in the Epcot incarnation which is currently mostly corporate sponsored educational exhibits rather than a showcase of cutting-edge technologies as the name implies. Does anyone else think that a new name and aesthetic change is in order now as it was when Innoventions replaced Communicore in 94?

 

[NiarrNDisney]

I have been to DLR's Innoventions and honestly beside the fact that Epcot has Sum of all Thrills the one in Disney Land is much better.
To answer your question I doubt we are going to see anything big or an overall change at all. With Test Track being sorta reimagined, and now with the news of a small demo over at WoL, Innoventions doesn't seem to be on the radar.

 

[Mukta]

I enjoy Epcot's Innoventions. I ride Sum of All Thrills. I love playing Where's the Fire. Storm Struck and the Vision House are a fun distraction too. I still have my sticker from the Great Piggy Bank adventure.
I agree that it is not as cutting edge as it could be, but I think the name still fits.
I fear change because of what happened to the recycling game. They changed it our for something that only lasted a few weeks and now the space sits there empty. I miss the velcro game too.

 

[HMF]

I have been to DLR's Innoventions and honestly beside the fact that Epcot has Sum of all Thrills the one in Disney Land is much better.
To answer your question I doubt we are going to see anything big or an overall change at all. With Test Track being sorta reimagined, and now with the news of a small demo over at WoL, Innoventions doesn't seem to be on the radar.

I am envisioning more of a name and overall aesthetic change not a complete tear out and replace.

 

[luv]

I'd like to see products currently developed but not widely sold. Innovative stuff I haven't seen before. That would be cool.

 

[marni1971]

It does need some love. And unblock the damn windows too!

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I think maybe they should try to carve out individual identities for each side of Innoventions. I know one facade in green and one is blue, but that's not really carried through on the inside. I feel confident saying my family spends more time in Innoventions than most guests: we love Great Piggy Bank Adventure, Where's the Fire, Storm Struck, Test the Limits Lab. We get the Disney Visa picture. I ride Sum of All Thrills. The wife and kids did runtime. But..... I have no idea where anything is in Innoventions! If you gave me any Innoventions exhibit, I would be completely guessing if you asked me to tell you if it was in East or West. Maybe unblocking the windows would help with this? "I remember you can see Mission:Space from Great Piggy Bank adventure."?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Innovations, even when it was Communicore, was nothing more then a curio shop. In the early years there were a few things to see. I don't remember the name of it but it was an overview of the computer system that ran EPCOT Ctr., but other then that there was nothing there ever that held my attention for more than a couple of minutes. I think that it is an area that no one has a clue about what it's function is, but it's to big to just leave empty. It would seem like it would be a perfect spot for many businesses to display their newest technology, but I wouldn't doubt that the cost to exhibit there would be so high the innovators, just starting out, would not have the resources to pay it.

 

[marni1971]

^ I'm afraid that was just you.

Even as a teenager I spent hours in Energy Exchange, Travelport, Future Com and Expo Robotics.

And the show(s) were Astut Computer Revue and Backstage Magic.

The issue with both (or all 3) versions of these pavilions is they can become outdated even faster than the main pavilions.

 

[wiigirl]

I'd like to see products currently developed but not widely sold. Innovative stuff I haven't seen before. That would be cool.

Same here...they could be really awesome with new crazy products..

 

[Goofyernmost]

^ I'm afraid that was just you.

Even as a teenager I spent hours in Energy Exchange, Travelport, Future Com and Expo Robotics.

And the show(s) were Astut Computer Revue and Backstage Magic.

The issue with both (or all 3) versions of these pavilions is they can become outdated even faster than the main pavilions.

I can understand that it might be something that only I experience, but again it was better in the beginning then it is now, IMHO! Personally, I saw little back then that appealed to me, but spent time in there anyway. Now I just use it as an Air Conditioned path to one side or the other of the park.

 

[luv]

Same here...they could be really awesome with new crazy products..

A friend of mine travels around the world and in his free time sees this kind of stuff. In the late 80s, I think it was (possibly 90s, my brain can't remember) he was describing what we now refer to as high def TV. Kept saying that one day, everyone would have it. He saw tons of stuff, but this was the first time he was swearing up and down that what he'd seen would be commonplace one day.

I said I Didn't think I'd be getting it, my TV was just fine for me, Who needs it any clearer? I remember him saying, "You mark my words! This will replace TV we have now like color replaced black & white."

He wasn't wrong. But it was many years before I actually saw it for myself.

If they can show people this futuristic stuff in other parts of the world, why not here? And why not Disney?

That's my wish for innocent ions, anyway.

 

[marni1971]

I can understand that it might be something that only I experience, but again it was better in the beginning then it is now, IMHO! Personally, I saw little back then that appealed to me, but spent time in there anyway. Now I just use it as an Air Conditioned path to one side or the other of the park.

Oh indeed there was more in Communicore. Sorry, yes I totally agree. Now only half the buildings are used for exhibits and even those areas are far more sparse than in 1994, 1990 and 1982.

 

[flynnibus]

My beef with Innovations is not only is the content unattractive.. so is the building, layout, and aesthetics in the place. It's as bad as a trade expo.

Communicore may not have been everyone's cup of tea, because it was more exhibit based.. but at least moving through the space and seeing everything happening was far more enjoyable. The biggest problem with Communicore for me was often having to wait to try a terminal. The original Communicore was more like a museum in a lot of ways they handled exhibits and presentations... but instead of being about the past, it was more about the future.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Just as long as the Innoventions loop & the West Corridor is Untouched I will be happy.

 

[Graham9]

I find Innoventions the Disney dumping ground for stuff they don't know where to put under the false impression that people want to see it. It used to represent technology, but has long since became another word for "Misc". It needs either completely renovating with the latest showcase technology, or tearing down and something else more interesting put there.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

My favorite memory of this place was playing the Sega 32X Star Wars Arcade game in like 94 or 95. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

 

[FettFan]

They should bring back the WDI Labs. Only instead of a virtual magic carpet trip through Agrabah, have a virtual trip trough coming attractions.

Without giving away any spoilers, of course

 

[NiarrNDisney]

I think that maybe setting aside a small area for a Blue Sky Cellar would be neat or maybe have an insurance co. sponsor a health exhibit and bring back the sensory lab from WoL.