Journey of Water featuring Moana coming to Epcot

[Mireille]

But it is part of the Nature of the World, which, while not part of the original missions statement of EPCOT Center, does fit the theme of the current World Nature. Honestly, I don't really care where it is. My first WDW trip was in 1985 or 1986... I'd been to Disneyland before, but EPCOT is what actually made me a fan of Disney Parks. I loved Horizons and Dreamfinder and World of Motion and I miss it and wish it was all still here... but it's not and there's nothing I can do to bring it back. I just like WDW and am happy when they make new things that are fun or interesting. If it had ended up in AK, I'd feel the same about it. I dunno... Disney's corporate profit maximization strategy makes it hard for anything good to ever happen and I hate it but it's not a Disney problem, it's a capitalism problem, an America problem, and corporate poopy-heads directing the world at the behest of investors problem.

 

[Mireille]

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is about the power and value of nature. Animals also need water to survive.

Yeah, but to make it fit the "theme" it would need to be changed to how water impacts the animals and their environment, rather than the lifecycle of water in and of itself. They could probably salvage some of it, but I think it would be a different attraction. Not saying that's good or bad, but as is, it fits no better in AK than World Nature, other than it has lots of plants in it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yeah, but to make it fit the "theme" it would need to be changed to how water impacts the animals and their environment, rather than the lifecycle of water in and of itself. They could probably salvage some of it, but I think it would be a different attraction. Not saying that's good or bad, but as is, it fits no better in AK than World Nature, other than it has lots of plants in it.

Again, the value of nature is a core theme of the park. Water is part of nature.

It fits World Nature because it’s not really well defined.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

The idea of JOW works pretty well in current Epcot. Leaving aside its physical placement (it should have been an addition in the center not overtaking the entirety of a CC wing), I actually enjoy it. But, I think there is valid criticism in execution. It's trying to dance the balance between being a Moana attraction and an Epcot attraction. Some would say it dances the line well, enhancing it. Others would say it doesn't do each ok, but it succeeds on neither. Both are valid opinions to me.

I think a major issue is the new sections of World Nature feel very disjointed from World Nature itself (i.e. the Land and Seas). You have a very planted, very tropical entry now that leads to Journey of Water. Then the more corporate/modernist ascetic of Seas and The Land. I get 100% the idea that JoW fits into World Nature. But, from a design and landscaping standpoint, the idea doesn't translate to what you actually see in the park. If they redo the landscaping around The Seas and The Land to be more lush/tropical/dense in line with the new entry areas, that would change. But, JoW feels more separated from World Nature than it should.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The idea of JOW works pretty well in current Epcot. Leaving aside its physical placement (it should have been an addition in the center not overtaking the entirety of a CC wing), I actually enjoy it. But, I think there is valid criticism in execution. It's trying to dance the balance between being a Moana attraction and an Epcot attraction. Some would say it dances the line well, enhancing it. Others would say it doesn't do each ok, but it succeeds on neither. Both are valid opinions to me.

I think a major issue is the new sections of World Nature feel very disjointed from World Nature itself (i.e. the Land and Seas). You have a very planted, very tropical entry now that leads to Journey of Water. Then the more corporate/modernist ascetic of Seas and The Land. I get 100% the idea that JoW fits into World Nature. But, from a design and landscaping standpoint, the idea doesn't translate to what you actually see in the park. If they redo the landscaping around The Seas and The Land to be more lush/tropical/dense in line with the new entry areas, that would change. But, JoW feels more separated from World Nature than it should.

Its a cute walk through water play area for the kids. Kids love to play in water.

I wish they would clone it for AK but make the IP for the AK one, Avatar: The Way of Water

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Curious to know if the Imagination fountains are still getting guests..

 

[Disstevefan1]

Curious to know if the Imagination fountains are still getting guests..

Now that we have Moana, I say they bulldoze these fountains and put in some sweet faux rust table and chairs there (with charge ports of course)

 

[Disstevefan1]

There is some (possibly fake news)that there are more broken water elements in Moana?

We need boots on the ground to see if it’s true or not.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

There is some (possibly fake news)that there are more broken water elements in Moana?

We need boots on the ground to see if it’s true or not.

Let's ask the star of the attraction herself..

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There is some (possibly fake news)that there are more broken water elements in Moana?

We need boots on the ground to see if it’s true or not.

I just went through for the first time this week and didn’t see any noticeable broken effects but not sure what I would be missing

 

[MisterPenguin]

I just went through for the first time this week and didn’t see any noticeable broken effects but not sure what I would be missing

Was the water sufficiently wet?

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I just went through for the first time this week and didn’t see any noticeable broken effects but not sure what I would be missing

Having been through a number of times now, I think the main issues are:
1. You'll often see at least one station in or two areas broken. This is usually the case when I walk through. The usual suspects are the water chimes, the hi five and the water curtain.
2. A number of the ambient effects often don't go off (like jumping areas in the Stream and River areas as well as various "supplemental" fountains in the Ocean area). If you hadn't been through before, you wouldn't notice this.
3. Occasionally, a whole area will be off. But, that's more rare. The Ocean "wave" is the one I've seen off twice. But, I've seen it on more often than that.

It's not bad, but it's a bit surprisingly to have that much impact on something so new. That's what people are mostly seeing, I would say. You can still enjoy the attraction no doubt. But, it is noticeable if you look for it.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Having been through a number of times now, I think the main issues are:
1. You'll often see at least one station in or two areas broken. This is usually the case when I walk through. The usual suspects are the water chimes, the hi five and the water curtain.
2. A number of the ambient effects often don't go off (like jumping areas in the Stream and River areas as well as various "supplemental" fountains in the Ocean area). If you hadn't been through before, you wouldn't notice this.
3. Occasionally, a whole area will be off. But, that's more rare. The Ocean "wave" is the one I've seen off twice. But, I've seen it on more often than that.

It's not bad, but it's a bit surprisingly to have that much impact on something so new. That's what people are mostly seeing, I would say. You can still enjoy the attraction no doubt. But, it is noticeable if you look for it.

I think everything was working then.

I give Disney A+ for doing a fun walk-through attraction that all ages can enjoy together.

It doesn’t currently fit Epcot at all, feels like a perfect fit for DAK or Adventureland.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

It seems the current (employeees) who worked on JOW vs the ones that did World Celebration Gardens were not the same and totally opposite when working on a disney project. One was still a disney parks magical experience, the other is not, it's not even Epcot or Disney to me. I'm embracing JOW vibes a tranquil spot just like Japan pavilion gardens by the koi pond. They might as well use the space for all the art booths for Festival of The Arts... having the art booths around the countries is ugly to me, it's not like they had paintings from those countries. Now they have no excuse not to have a parade because of World Showcase festival crowds...let it Tapestry of Nations around World Celebration lol...

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I think everything was working then.

I give Disney A+ for doing a fun walk-through attraction that all ages can enjoy together.

It doesn’t currently fit Epcot at all, feels like a perfect fit for DAK or Adventureland.

Kind of like the Cretasious Trail in Dinoland..Many don't recall it's there but it is if you want a little bit of quietness in the area.

 

[Disstevefan1]

It seems the current (employeees) who worked on JOW vs the ones that did World Celebration Gardens were not the same and totally opposite when working on a disney project. One was still a disney parks magical experience, the other is not, it's not even Epcot or Disney to me. I'm embracing JOW vibes a tranquil spot just like Japan pavilion gardens by the koi pond. They might as well use the space for all the art booths for Festival of The Arts... having the art booths around the countries is ugly to me, it's not like they had paintings from those countries. Now they have no excuse not to have a parade because of World Showcase festival crowds...let it Tapestry of Nations around World Celebration lol...

It makes you wonder, did they spend so much on Moana that they ran out of money and knowing they had to finish celebration gardens they did whatever just to finish the area.

 

[lazyboy97o]

It seems the current (employeees) who worked on JOW vs the ones that did World Celebration Gardens were not the same and totally opposite when working on a disney project. One was still a disney parks magical experience, the other is not, it's not even Epcot or Disney to me. I'm embracing JOW vibes a tranquil spot just like Japan pavilion gardens by the koi pond. They might as well use the space for all the art booths for Festival of The Arts... having the art booths around the countries is ugly to me, it's not like they had paintings from those countries. Now they have no excuse not to have a parade because of World Showcase festival crowds...let it Tapestry of Nations around World Celebration lol...

Yes, different projects have different teams.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Good Lord, all the back seat drivers here.

Disney made their decisions, no doubt weighing some of your arguments on their own, and this was the result.

It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s edutainment. It fits Epcot. The life cycle of water is science. The IP is in the background, just a jumping off point except for the finale. If that IP is enough to get a kid to learn about the life cycle of water, mission accomplished. Bonus: it will bring a little mist in the hot sun.

It’s not meant to draw people to WDW. It’s one of those extras we all laud. Well done.

Over analyzing where things “better belong” is tiresome. When you open your own theme park, you can make those decisions.

 

[osian]

It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s edutainment. It fits Epcot. The life cycle of water is science.

That fits any of the parks, Disney has always done cute, fun, edutainment, nature and science. Everywhere. In parks. On TV. In movies. It's not something that singles ECPOT out specifically. EPCOT isn't the sole home of edutainment.

The unique things about EPCOT are "human achievements", "wonders of enterprise", "man's ability to shape a world that offers hope". Could you explain where these elements are within JoW?

Disney is homogenising its parks, and indeed its resorts. Detheming the unique aspects, the same sort of content across all areas, with maybe a slight flavour added of the original ideas, but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in many cases. Given that, perhaps we could indeed say that JoW fits into EPCOT. It actually fits anywhere.

 

[Incomudro]

That fits any of the parks, Disney has always done cute, fun, edutainment, nature and science. Everywhere. In parks. On TV. In movies. It's not something that singles ECPOT out specifically. EPCOT isn't the sole home of edutainment.

The unique things about EPCOT are "human achievements", "wonders of enterprise", "man's ability to shape a world that offers hope". Could you explain where these elements are within JoW?

Disney is homogenising its parks, and indeed its resorts. Detheming the unique aspects, the same sort of content across all areas, with maybe a slight flavour added of the original ideas, but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in many cases. Given that, perhaps we could indeed say that JoW fits into EPCOT. It actually fits anywhere.

I can explain this by replacing your use of the word "are" between Epcot and "human achievements" with the word "was" in your post.