Just back from EPCOT Center, a quick report:

[danpam1024]

Remember the poster that said Epcot needed more for girls ;-)

I say kick the kids out and make it TOTALLY for adults- our new version of PI

 

[Matt_Black]

I say kick the kids out and make it TOTALLY for adults- our new version of PI

Good! That will make the lines to meet the princesses shorter!

... And, uh, liquor and music and stuff grown-ups like.

 

[CamiCan]

My bf and were there both on our first full day at WDW (September 8) and our second to last day (September 19- the first day of the F & W). Huge difference in crowds; first day was pretty low and lots of 5-15 minute waits. Last day was crazy crowded but we got to enjoy the food samples. Did the Maelstrom thing once and honestly; I don't see the big deal. I enjoyed the showcases themselves more. The Future World was impressive that it had enough stuff to hold my geeky bf's interest (he doesn't like themed fantasy rides). Epcot is also the only really park that has really good food without spending outlandish prices or having way ahead reservations. It's by far both our favorite parks at WDW.

 

[FigmentForver96]

Hello everyone, I just wanted to give a quick report from my visit to EC yesterday:

Food and Wine is in full swing and the whole park was packed, especially WS. Mostly the same as previous years, overpriced samples of food and shot glasses of beer/wine.

I got one last ride on Maelstrom, it was great to see it again before Disney ruins the whole pavilion. A lot of sadness all around. All of the CMs we spoke to were unhappy to see Maelstrom go. Like many of us fans, the ones I talked to agreed that it needed updating. But an overlay from a movie mostly unrelated to Norway isn't welcome.

Captain EO was down for a bit early in the day, but up the afternoon. I was very happy, a day at EC isn't complete without EO. There was a pretty big crowd in there, and many were cheering (as is typical) at the start, finish and when MJ comes onscreen. Such a better use of the space than HISTA.

Wonders of Life is still being wasted as a hub for the festival. No surprises there. They had a Ghirardelli store in the back, I didn't remember that from last time, maybe I missed it.

The Odyssey was open as a craft beer pavilion, all Odyssey signage was covered up. The wonderful, original 80s bathrooms were open.

There is a large construction wall around the southwest corner of Communicore, not sure what's in there.

Other odds and ends: Moronic cartoon fish continue to infest The Living Seas. Dreamfinder is still MIA. Horizons has still not been rebuilt, in its place is some fancy Gravitron knock-off. Test Track, which was itself a poor substitute for WOM, has gotten a weird Tron-esque overlay which further derails any serious effort to educate anyone about the history of transportation. Ellen is rapidly approaching her second decade on Jeopardy. And finally, SSE still doesn't have a respectable narration or descent.

All in all it was a nice day. I got the major goals done, and of course completed a round of Drinkin 'Round the World.

I'll try to answer any questions anyone may have. I'm submitting this from my phone, so please excuse any typos.

A lot of what you say like with Horizons makes it seem as if you want to go back to the original Epcot. While Horizons was a great ride we need to be looking to the future not the past for inspiration. Most people are blinded by nostalgia that they can't look towards the future for ideas. We need something better then Horizons not Horizons. We need something better then Captain Eo and believe it or not you can still capture imagination without dream finder. Not saying the Frozen overlay is ok or the park is in good shape....I'm just saying we need to find new and innovative ideas not old ones.

 

[dreynolds1982]

As much nostalgia as I hold for Old EPCOT, I don't mind many of the changes either. I love TT and really enjoyed the Tron-esque overlay last time I was there. I thought it freshened up the attraction and helped to give it a nice, modern overlay. I'm also a fan of Mission Space, though I always did enjoy Horizons and it will always hold a special place in my heart! I think Mission Space has some really nice theming and unique thrills. I just wish they would update the attraction video as the CGI looks a little dated.

I do wish they would bring back Dreamfinder and update the Imagination pavilion though. I'm OK with Nemo in the Land as it helps to connect a lot of kids with the educational component.

SSE, the ending could certainly use some work.

Maelstrom, yeah I'm upset we won't get to have one more ride on it (we're down there Oct 9 - 14, just missing the last day), but I completely understand the decision. I hope that they opt for a more ambitious redesign of the ride rather than just an overlay, but no matter what they do, the Frozen component makes complete sense from a business perspective, whether you like the movie or not (I haven't even seen it yet).

This all being said, we love Epcot, WS and FW, flaws and all, and can't wait to see it all again in a few weeks!

 

[epcot2004]

EPCOT Center? Can I borrow your time machine?

All jokes aside - I agree with your overall assessment of the travesty that they have 'created'. I am completely against the impending 'destruction' of the Norway Pavilion as well as the Nemo refit to The Living Seas, and WoL version -10.5.

 

[DarthGrady]

A lot of what you say like with Horizons makes it seem as if you want to go back to the original Epcot. While Horizons was a great ride we need to be looking to the future not the past for inspiration. Most people are blinded by nostalgia that they can't look towards the future for ideas. We need something better then Horizons not Horizons. We need something better then Captain Eo and believe it or not you can still capture imagination without dream finder. Not saying the Frozen overlay is ok or the park is in good shape....I'm just saying we need to find new and innovative ideas not old ones.

I do wish for the old ECPOT Center in a way. I get that they have to update things to keep them fresh. These aren't holy relics after all, they're theme parks. But I just want Disney to be respectful of the fans and their love of those attractions when they plan the redesigns.

What they did to Imagination was just awful. It had nothing to do with the original ride, and totally lacked the one thing it was promoting, imagination! I will give them a bit of credit for going back and reintroducing Figment, but it was just a Band-Aid to soothe the angry fans. They totally failed to "plus it" as Walt would say, the new version is totally inferior and cheap compared to the grandiose and imaginative original. And leaving the old Imageworks to rot was just as insulting.

The Ellen overlay is probably one of the kinder renovations they did, even though it's getting very, VERY old itself. They at least preserved the spirit of the original while making it more relevant to a broader audience. I try not to be too harsh on MS. I miss Horizons, and think it was the superior attraction, but at least MS is in keeping with the park's original purpose.

I could go on and on, but the points have already been discussed many times over. As someone who got to experience EPCOT before the mid 90s, I just get wistful for the good old days when it was still in it's original form. A park that was built for a higher purpose than just selling toys and appealing to the masses. It was special, and blessedly different from Magic Kingdom. Now, the line has been blurred.

 

[muddyrivers]

Here's the problem. EPCOT was made to be an educational park, where you would learn while having fun doing it. Whether that be learning about the history of transportation while seeing funny scenes such as a man in the mud with pigs surrounding him after he falls off a bicycle, or on a boat through a country's waterways seeing its culture and beliefs (Mexico, Norway).

Now with rides such as Maelstrom being gutted for a Frozen ride, it shows to me that Disney doesn't care about anything but their bottom line. Not every ride has to be amazing and constantly dispatch filled vehicles.

Not to mention, this Frozen thing is a phase just like everything else. With Disney overdoing it the way they have been, by shoving Frozen down our throats in every park, there will be a point where the A&E M&G won't have a ridiculously long line, the Frozen ride won't have a long wait, etc. and Disney will find itself with multiple locations where it will have to quickly "reimagine" the area while we post here complaining about how outdated the Frozen locations are.

In short, a real shame Disney has lost sight about what's important and why families originally went to Disney. It's all about entertainment today, education and value be damned.

 

[copcarguyp71]

The number one mistake in my mind (there is still some left) is that the model that Disney built EPCOT Center and WS on was corporate sponsorship. In this day and age no corporation wants to skip through the daisies holding hands with Meg and Iger...It just aint gonna happen, at least not on the scale they are looking for. Until Disney decides to scrap that model and go all in with their own funds on capital investments we will keep getting attractions that are reheated time and again with cheesy overlays and diversions instead of ground up innovations.

All that said I do enjoy the new TT and think it was at least a good effort even though it is essentially the same ride. They changed just enough that even a long-timer like me enjoyed the change. Now The Living Seas...well not so much.

The park still holds so much potential both in terms of real estate as well as what they could do if they wanted to with today's technology if they chose to apply themselves (and some greenbacks). Heck just look at the quality of the projections and effects at the Jack Sparrow attraction over at DHS...bringing that type of magic into Epcot in itself would be awesome and could really spruce up the SSE descent as well as other attractions in the park...but I digress.