EPCOT Journey of Water featuring Moana coming to Epcot

[FigmentFan82]

I guess part of the feeling of loss is that it once was programmed with attractions and food and such....and it certainly could have been again. Also the loss of the symmetry of the park, that grand feeling of entry. all lost... A tropical waterfall and interactive fountain exhibit is a nice thing, but it feels off at the entrance of the park... Well to me anyway.
Moana is about the last IP I would ever think of in EPCOT unless they actually had a Pacific Islands Pavilion in World Showcase...then it would feel more natural.
I am not against using IP where it fits the construct... but something about the whole reorganizing of the front half of the park doesn't seem to make sense...feels confusing...Unless there is a huge part of the puzzle they are keeping a secret...but it would have to be huge to tie it all together.

I think it's because the former "Future World" always did feel very futury, at least to the extent of a theme park execution of the idea. Entering Epcot was always going through Future World first, and now there seems to be a deliberate shift in focus to make that entrance more organic and nature-y, and push the high tech stuff off to the sides. Will it work? Yours is as good as mine when it comes to guesses. But they have definitely decided to change the experience completely as you enter, for better or worse.

 

[doctornick]

Moana is about the last IP I would ever think of in EPCOT unless they actually had a Pacific Islands Pavilion in World Showcase...then it would feel more natural.

I dunno. Moana has a strong theme of the Pacific Islanders’ relationship with the ocean. A story point is them returning to having wayfinders and exploring the seas. I feel like that can definitely be used well in Epcot as an example of human achievement and discovery that has been at the core of FW

 

[Bocabear]

I dunno. Moana has a strong theme of the Pacific Islanders’ relationship with the ocean. A story point is them returning to having wayfinders and exploring the seas. I feel like that can definitely be used well in Epcot as an example of human achievement and discovery that has been at the core of FW

Yes that is true...but the redirection of theme is for World Nature...which does not include Mans achievement in navigation... Also it is the very first thing you encounter when entering the park... (after passing Spaceship Earth) It is not like it is off to the side or down a path... Unless they will be directing all traffic to the left side of Spaceship Earth...?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

That’s probably my biggest complaint with how management see the parks. They aren’t uniquely themed parks designed by Disney in their eyes, but parks that should be themed to The Walt Disney Company. Who needs a unique theme when we can just make it about our collection of intellectual property?

And the IP focus now is very much a very narrow list of the stuff they own.

They're not going to seek out an outside IP like The Twilight Zone because they think it will work for that attraction. Maybe they still feel burned by what happened with Harry Potter.

 

[Incomudro]

I think it's because the former "Future World" always did feel very futury, at least to the extent of a theme park execution of the idea. Entering Epcot was always going through Future World first, and now there seems to be a deliberate shift in focus to make that entrance more organic and nature-y, and push the high tech stuff off to the sides. Will it work? Yours is as good as mine when it comes to guesses. But they have definitely decided to change the experience completely as you enter, for better or worse.

Well, the older visions of "the future" the ones that gave us Epcot were cold, stark, and dystopian looking structures and public squares.
A newer vision of the future when it comes to structures, public places, etc. often accommodates much more greenery and the incorporation of natural plantings, water features, and so on.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Well, the older visions of "the future" the ones that gave us Epcot were cold, stark, and dystopian looking structures and public squares.
A newer vision of the future when it comes to structures, public places, etc. often accommodates much more greenery and the incorporation of natural plantings, water features, and so on.

Future World was nothing but buildings placed in parks, objects situated on a landscape.

 

[Incomudro]

Future World was nothing but buildings placed in parks, objects situated on a landscape.

But it was generally a colder, and more stark vision than we have now.
Yes, I know a good amount of trees and other greenery that used to be there was removed.
Still, things are done different now.

 

[James Alucobond]

The idea that it was dystopian is late-stage revisionism based solely on the sorry state of the plaza.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[Bocabear]

But it was generally a colder, and more stark vision than we have now.
Yes, I know a good amount of trees and other greenery that used to be there was removed.
Still, things are done different now.

That is a huge part of the story though...The original iteration of Futureworld was full of greenery and water... It was not stark or cold but clean beautiful architecture integrated into a beautiful sculptural landscape... The only thing I think was ever a problem was putting the Fountain Of Nations at the choke point of the plaza rather than centered to allow more free crowd movement...Later when they paved over the gardens and water features was when people started complaining that the plaza was too large and stark so they put up the spiderweb to add shade...

 

[Incomudro]

That is a huge part of the story though...The original iteration of Futureworld was full of greenery and water... It was not stark or cold but clean beautiful architecture integrated into a beautiful sculptural landscape... The only thing I think was ever a problem was putting the Fountain Of Nations at the choke point of the plaza rather than centered to allow more free crowd movement...Later when they paved over the gardens and water features was when people started complaining that the plaza was too large and stark so they put up the spiderweb to add shade...

I'll grant you that, but incorporating nature into modern areas - or visions of what modern areas would look like is more of a thing now, than it was then.
I'm very much looking forward to a naturalistic area leading to The Seas.

 

[Bocabear]

The old area you passed through the central core building breezeway and then you were in a giant arc of a park that connected the three pavilions... It already was natural except for what they did to the central plaza... That side of Futureworld had lots of water and trees... Only the central plaza was paved over. .. I might have felt better about the JOW plan if they had worked it into the existing framework... and didn't make it about Moana...
The whole concept feels so right for Animal Kingdom though...

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I actually think the blend of the two could have been really cool. Reduce the footprint of CC/Innoventions Northwest. Have it maintain the symmetry of the plaza - but then surrounded by more trees/nature. And then have that nature extend back to Seas and Land. Leaving aside the yay/nay for Moana, the idea of JOW basically being the area behind the new (smaller) plaza building leading back to the two pavilions is a cool idea.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

Not too long ago, there were plans to raze The Living Seas pavilion. The Nemo IP overlay saved the pavilion. The Journey of Water experience leading to The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion helps the continued existence of the latter.

Personally, I would rather try to find things to like about The Journey of Water, then lose The Seas pavilion.

 

[J4546]

what would they have put in its place?

 

[RSoxNo1]

what would they have put in its place?

DVC

 

[MisterPenguin]

DVC

That's not realistic.

DVC sales kiosks!!

 

[RSoxNo1]

That's not realistic.

DVC sales kiosks!!

These things sell themselves...

 

[dreday3]

Sorry - reading through and can't find - does this have an opening year at least? 2022/23?

thanks!

 

[MisterPenguin]

Sorry - reading through and can't find - does this have an opening year at least? 2022/23?

thanks!

2023. Pre Covid.