Rumor Is the End of Innoventions Near?

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I thought FW was great. But it did grow stale for me. I think "science" edutainment does not create the best repeatable attractions. I do miss the original SSE descent and depictions of futuristic cities but not for their educational value. Rather the sense of wonder and visual aesthetics. World Showcase still provides that.

We all know it's for DAT Music!

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Future World was once full of awe inspiring E Ticket attractions. Disney just let them go too long without worthy updates to maximize what gems they were. (Same for Great Movie Ride.) For many of us here, Horizons and JII, for example- were E Tickets on par with Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain.

Yes, Future World needs help. No question.

 

[mikejs78]

Just because those shows are going away doesn't mean that Innoventions is necessarily being demo'd (although that's a distinct possibility). @marni1971 I believe has stated that there are several options on the table, including massive renovations, keep the building frames but gut them and build new, or demo them. So they may have decided on any one of these options, all which would require the current attractions to leave.

 

[brb1006]

My kids can't understand how EPCOT was filled with 15 minute plus gems and is now down to what they consider to be boring and lousy rides. They love Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, yet can't even fathom how Imagination was once great. They love Figment, but rightfully think that JIYI is awful. They're 8 and 15.

Did you show them any footage of the original attraction and the original ImageWorks?

 

[marni1971]

Did you show them any footage of the original attraction and the original ImageWorks?

If only there was a video that showed all of that.....

 

[brb1006]

If only there was a video that showed all of that.....

This version shows more of the ImageWorks and footage of Making Memories and Magic Journeys.

 

[ppete1975]

I thought FW was great. But it did grow stale for me. I think "science" edutainment does not create the best repeatable attractions. I do miss the original SSE descent and depictions of futuristic cities but not for their educational value. Rather the sense of wonder and visual aesthetics. World Showcase still provides that.

World of motion was my favorite!!! Followed by imagination and then SSE then land... I really don't remember horizons much except you got to pick how it ended. I hated WOL. And world showcase was boring to me when I first went, because it didn't have rides. I loved the centorium. I went in 83 (eight years old), 85, 87 and 93..... then 2013 ..... I hadn't kept up with the changes.... imagine my surprise.....

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

How about a season? Spring?

Pretty much what I’m hearing, yeah. I think the contracts end in February but that seems a little early without any announcements made yet

 

[PorterRedkey]

Meh. I'm over the debates. Epcot is the worst Disney park in the world right now so anything to give it some kind of life is welcome. You know its bad when DHS, with its small ride count, is the preferred park over Epcot for me right now.

I guess you haven't been to Parc Disney Studios in Paris. That said, DLPR is really trying to improve things at that park.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Probably moved to World Showplace.....Only other place I can think of..

That makes too much $$$ with the private parties. They could build a festival center in world showcase on one of the empty plot of land.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I can't find where anyone said, "Let's keep the Innoventions buildings with nothing in them." Can you please direct me to said post?

OK you're right my bad.

So let's look at it logically, we have 3 choices.

1) leave innovation as it is. sad, useless
2) Wish that Disney some how miraculously deviates from it's current trajectory and spends the money, time and talent on a worthwhile (or at least worthwhile to folks here) attraction that some how adheres to the original premise of the parks. Probability? slim to none
3) put a newer, lesser quality ride with IP in it. Probability? pretty good.

 

[MaryJaneP]

It is sad that in today's "World", the truth is a malleable item and the Orwellian environment we live in simply mocks the names "Future World" and "Innoventions". The future cannot be avoided, as had as they try. Is this "progress"?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Has Disney even tried? You would think Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. would all want the chance to “exhibit” aka advertise their latest inventions.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Has Disney even tried? You would think Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. would all want the chance to “exhibit” aka advertise their latest inventions.

not sure about google and microsoft but Apple is ruthlessly proprietorial, I can't see them allowing anyone having any type of control over the display of their products. who knows. it would be a great idea though. it's a shame. I wonder if disney tried sponsorship?

 

[TwilightZone]

Has Disney even tried? You would think Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. would all want the chance to “exhibit” aka advertise their latest inventions.

They do and they are online and at other places (for example the recent expo).
That's why innoventions died.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Actually that’s a great point, google just paid to have a dark ride built just for the expo, this is literally how we got carousel of progress, mr. Lincoln, small world....

Is innoventions dead because companies are no longer interested? Or is it dead because Disney is no longer pursuing that interest.

 

[HMF]

Is innoventions dead because companies are no longer interested? Or is it dead because Disney is no longer pursuing that interest.

The Latter, most likely.

 

[TwilightZone]

Actually that’s a great point, google just paid to have a dark ride built just for the expo, this is literally how we got carousel of progress, mr. Lincoln, small world....

Is innoventions dead because companies are no longer interested? Or is it dead because Disney is no longer pursuing that interest.

Possibly a combo of both.
The og line up had video games, big companies such as IBM, and toy manufacturers.
There's big conventions for all 3 that will get more people and coverage per average than a disney world exhibit.
But there's also disney's desires to reach out to companies that is declining as well, most of new epcot is rumored to be non sponsored.

 

[jt04]

Companies barely want to do temporary Expos much less showcasing what there next product line will be on a continual basis. That business model is dead.

Apple built massive new auditorium facilitates so they control the time and place of product reveals.

Innoventions and Future World are obsolete.

That's progress.

 

[carolina_yankee]

May I ask what year you first visited Epcot?

Not asked of me and I don’t post often, but your question and this thread got me thinking.

My first visit was 1987 with my parents. They Were. Blown. Away. It was also NYE and the park was spotless. We made *same day* dinnner reservations at Coral Reef through Communicore. The park was magical.

Returned again for first time in 2003 with my husband. Obviously, much changed, some the same. He Was. Blown. Away. There was something everywhere, and even though Imagination was a shell of its former self, it was cute for the first time. Mission:Space had just opened for previews and became our favorite attraction. We became regulars.

25+ trips since then, and I really have to force myself with the park. We intentionally go during a festival just to be entertained. The Showcase pavilions are more walk-past than walk-through except for a couple of attractions and a meal or a snack. We go about every 9-15 months, so something has generally changed - occasionally for the better (Soarin’), usually for the worse.

Something has to be done. I’m a historian by avocation and I get what the old Epcot was though I only had about 15 hours of it over two days. I appreciate that, but if they can’t (won’t) maintain that, they have to do something or shutter the place. Somebody else posted here that Epcot was now their least favorite park. One DHS is a little more ready for prime time, I may have to agree, and that is absoluely not what Epcot should have ever become.

As a Disney fan (moderator on a major DVC site) I understand what’s going on, what the fan base feels, what Disney was and has become, but I’m at the point where if it is at least coherent and entertaining, I’m down for it. Maybe that speaks of my desperation, I don’t know. I look forward with anticipation, but also well aware it could be disappointing.

But I do appreciate your posts and those of others who keep pointing what should be. My only hope is that it doesn’t become tilting at windmills, but keeping Disney honest instead. To the extent that any of us can.

Now, back to lurking.

Dirk