Journey of Water featuring Moana coming to Epcot

[monothingie]

First picture from Bioreconstruct. I added all the areas in pink circles. Looks like they are preserving the Epcot tunnels and building access stairs/elevators to park level. The two new concrete structures at the north and south end appear to line up exactly with where the stairs are or used to be.

 

[EeyoreFan#24]

Question for the engineers here, did reusing the tunnels qualify as a renovation, remodeling, etc. of the structure for some of these projects. I guess they were actually the ground floor of the facility and still exists.

 

[J4546]

This implies guests have any control at all over what happens in the parks aside from being able to complain ex post facto. None of us are "settling" for a design we had no say in. Rather, we're all moving on in our own way. For some, moving on means acknowledging that the EPCOT they loved no longer exists and that they'd rather spend their time elsewhere. For others, moving on means that, even though they recognize the loss and the shift away from the original intention of the park, they're still interested in seeing what's next.

for some, we actually like the things that are happening at epcot and look forward to JoW

 

[marni1971]

for some, we actually like the things that are happening at epcot and look forward to JoW

Some like the Aladdin spinner where it is too.

 

[lazyboy97o]

for some, we actually like the things that are happening at epcot and look forward to JoW

And you wouldn’t look forward to Journey of Water if it were located elsewhere?

 

[doctornick]

I don't get why people are settling for some more landscaping. There was a literal warehouse you could stick a real Moana attraction in. I'd rather have that then some pathway with rocks and water.

I suspect though that WDI set out to design a pleasant landscaping and water feature leading to the Seas. That itself was the goal and they probably decided to do that then gave it a Moana theme (as per IP mandates). I think that someone looked at FW and felt it needed more outdoor natural lush features - we can argue whether that was a good conclusion but I can at least understand that motivation.

IOW I don’t think they set out to specifically build a Moana attraction and settled on this idea/location rather than a dark ride or roller coaster in Adventureland or whatever.

 

[doctornick]

Meet n greets, exhibition space and a new theatre. And some ancillary F&B

Seems like they basically shifted that stuff to the WoL building for Play. Would that have been addition to Play (or instead with Play being used for something else or left empty)?

 

[marni1971]

Seems like they basically shifted that stuff to the WoL building for Play. Would that have been addition to Play (or instead with Play being used for something else or left empty)?

The Communicore re do wasn’t a kids playground. It was more for adults of all ages (and really just the north west corner had entertainment - the other 3 quads had ancillary functions like east is becoming.

 

[ppete1975]

Meet n greets, exhibition space and a new theatre. And some ancillary F&B

Slightly more than what we’re getting with a demolition and expensive rebuild after ripping out the middle of the park. Without thinking of the aesthetic, theming and balance issues. Nor money. We could have had a real repurposed and updated core plus a fixed Imagination.

Im curious as the Disney historian that you are. Now that every new land or experience has to have an area for a meet and greet, or if they are just too lazy to come up with anything new. What was the first meet and greet at disney world? As a kid the characters were just free roaming. What was the first true meet and greet location?

 

[gerarar]

BlogMickey posted some pics of the structures that seem to occupy where the staircases are as pointed out a couple posts ago.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Here's an interactive fountain...

 

[rioriz]

I suspect though that WDI set out to design a pleasant landscaping and water feature leading to the Seas. That itself was the goal and they probably decided to do that then gave it a Moana theme (as per IP mandates). I think that someone looked at FW and felt it needed more outdoor natural lush features - we can argue whether that was a good conclusion but I can at least understand that motivation.

IOW I don’t think they set out to specifically build a Moana attraction and settled on this idea/location rather than a dark ride or roller coaster in Adventureland or whatever.

Just like they never intended to build a Rapunzel bathroom versus and attraction They needed more bathrooms and slap Rapunzel on it

 

[DisneyGentlemanV2.0]

Just like they never intended to build a Rapunzel bathroom versus and attraction They needed more bathrooms and slap Rapunzel on it

I'm hearing that there will be Mona-themed restrooms named...

... "Making of Water" and "Breaking of Wind".

 

[rioriz]

I'm hearing that there will be Mona-themed restrooms named...

... "Making of Water" and "Breaking of the Wind".

I thought that was going to be Pocahontas themed?

 

[HauntedPirate]

I thought that was going to be Pocahontas themed?

Double IP integration! Chapek wants to give you a bonus and a raise.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Im curious as the Disney historian that you are. Now that every new land or experience has to have an area for a meet and greet, or if they are just too lazy to come up with anything new. What was the first meet and greet at disney world? As a kid the characters were just free roaming. What was the first true meet and greet location?

I know you were asking Martin, but I believe meeting Mickey in Mickey's Birthdayland was the first major meet & greet. The success of that eventually led to where we are now.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Double IP integration! Chapek wants to give you a bonus and a raise.

 

[ppete1975]

I know you were asking Martin, but I believe meeting Mickey in Mickey's Birthdayland was the first major meet & greet. The success of that eventually led to where we are now.

that would make total sense, thank you for the response

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Meet n greets, exhibition space and a new theatre. And some ancillary F&B

If that was the alternative, the decision to go with the Journey of Water and Festival Center/restaurant/bar makes more sense.

It seems like whatever team was pitching to keep the building was thinking rather small.

 

[pdude81]

If that was the alternative, the decision to go with the Journey of Water and Festival Center/restaurant/bar makes more sense.

It seems like whatever team was pitching to keep the building was thinking rather small.

I rather enjoyed Colortopia, and really liked some of the other stuff that was there in decades prior. You had to put in some effort to go find where the exhibits were at times though. Bad signage and non-existent marketing. I really wish the concept for play pavilion was set up in these buildings and allow WoL to either be a filled by attractions or held for future use.