Journey of Water featuring Moana coming to Epcot

TheEPCOTHistorian

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Because there would have been a whole lot of empty dead space where CommuniCore West used to sit. It’s whole purpose was to fill some of the void created for the Festival Center.
There was also a picture of the original plans to just restore the '82 CommuniCore look to all 4 buildings. I have the concept art somewhere i just have to dig.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
They were going to split the CommuniCores into four separate buildings to begin with. Even if the egg thing were to happen it could have easily coexisted with the northwest quadrant, and really should have when the project had been cancelled before it was taken down. Alas.
You don’t pay a starchitect to then shove their design into a corner.

There was also a picture of the original plans to just restore the '82 CommuniCore look to all 4 buildings. I have the concept art somewhere i just have to dig.
I’m aware, but that would have involved programming the buildings. There would not have been a big space to fill.
 

DreamfinderGuy

Well-Known Member
You don’t pay a starchitect to then shove their design into a corner.
But that’s quite literally what they were going to do, regardless. The difference is there would have been a pile of rocks next to it instead of a building.
I’m aware, but that would have involved programming the buildings. There would not have been a big space to fill.
They were going to expand both west buildings, as was planned since before the park opened. They had plenty to fill the space with.
 

SilentWindODoom

Well-Known Member
I'm whining.

I'm one of the (very) few quite looking forward to this. I can't wait to see all of it almost ready to go, staring at me from behind construction walls when we go in April.

I will cry silent tears. 😄

It's not very few. I mentioned a while back it's a net positive above the nothing that sat there. People wish they'd done something with the existing building, but they hadn't for a long time. They wish it didn't take as long. They wish there was more. But it mostly feels like dunking for fun. At least it hasn't dissolved into personal attacks like the Starcruiser threads did.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Starcruiser... I forgot that even existed...Is it still going? Have not heard anyone mention it in a while.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
It's not very few. I mentioned a while back it's a net positive above the nothing that sat there. People wish they'd done something with the existing building, but they hadn't for a long time. They wish it didn't take as long. They wish there was more. But it mostly feels like dunking for fun. At least it hasn't dissolved into personal attacks like the Starcruiser threads did.
I totally admit it's better than nothing........ well they could have fit more food booths in that space....... Nevermind, yes, its better than nothing.
 

retr0gate

Well-Known Member
I'm glad the park is getting this, in a central location no less. The concept of building a "natural" environment in this spot, while still retaining the symmetry of the original building it replaced, is an interesting concept and I'm curious to see how it looks in person from ground level. The park has always suffered from a lack of transitional areas, and while the barren pathways of Future World worked well for 1982 and helped to make each pavilion feel distinct, it's a style that feels almost feels TOO clean for today. Even more so when you consider all the clashing styles that have been attempted over the years.

Areas that have remained untouched since opening day feel more out of place than ever, making a true return to simplicity nearly impossible. That said, maybe that simplicity isn't needed. In fact, it's no longer representative of what we now consider the future to be. A concept that's always morphing too quickly to grasp our heads around, that it maybe shouldn't be represented by something so clear cut and dry. Future World was a successful concept in that each pavilion had it's own identity while still underneath the overarching idea of what "EPCOT Center" was supposed to be as a whole. We can still retain those individual identities, but have them interweave to support the larger idea of EPCOT. I believe Journey of Water is a step in the right direction.

One thing Disney excels at today is landscaping. It's glaringly obvious that EPCOT lacks many of these lush, immersive environments that are present in the other parks. That's not to say EPCOT needs its own Pandora, but rather, the design philosophies of these newer lands should be carried over here on a larger, overarching scale. I don't want to be immersed into the world of a single IP, I want to be immersed into EPCOT, a place that stands on its own. The problem is, it's hard to decipher what that actually means nowadays. Currently, EPCOT's identity is largely focused on nostalgia, and while that often works for the parks symbolism / typography, the same cannot be said for the design / layout of the park itself. Many of the parks original structures have actually aged quite nicely (a testament to how innovative their designs really were), but many of the interweaving elements have not. Architecture today, while admittedly simple in its design, places a huge emphasis on natural beauty and environmental conservation. Future World may technically no longer exist, lifting the burden of staying relevant with the times, but that doesn't mean the park shouldn't continue to evolve with that design philosophy in mind. It makes sense that a modern day "Future World" would be a lot more lush than the one we're presented with currently.

Imagine an Imagination pavilion (ha) where water leaps throughout a colorful field of flowers. Where the glass pyramids seemingly form right out of the ground below while roots and vines creep up the base of the building. Imagine heading towards the Land, only to wander into a forest where the only clearing frames a perfect picture of the glass structure above. This is what "World Nature" should be (and yes I am aware Imagination is not currently a part of that but it could be) with the central spine serving as the perfect transition between the beauty of the natural world and the beauty of the manmade world. There's something to be appreciated in having different styles and materials come together to make up the pre-existing symmetry of the spine. I myself have been wondering if it will be jarring once the walls come down, but I think the variety of styles at play here will actually work in favor of this new direction of the park, with Journey of Water serving as the perfect "gateway" into World Nature.
 

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