Originally posted by Disneynutcase
Is it me, or is everyone missing the main jist of how Epcot attractions get made? In essense, Epcot is like Tokyo Disney Sea, except they didn't find just one source to co-finance the park. Instead Disney sought out (and continues to seek out) foreign countries to co-sponsor and help finance WS pavilions and corporations to finance and sponsor FW pavilions.
Didn't both WoM and JII die because GM and Kodak had clauses in their sponsorship contracts that more or less forced Disney into altering these attractions?
As much as we can be dismayed that FW pavilions get altered, and especially over the speculation of SE (at least the ride as we know it now) may bite the dust, I think we all need to step back and realize what Disney has to do to keep this park alive and fresh.
In a perfect world, LS, WoL, and even the Land would get the rehabs. But apparently Kraft is satisfied with the Land. And there have been plenty of news and posts over the years about how Disney is hurting for LS and WoL corporate sponsorship--i.e. no one out there seems to be interested. And what have we been hearing recently? AT&T is pulling out of SE.
Thus comes two points of logic. 1) Disney can't just go out by themselves and build new attractions in Epcot on their own or they'll be hard pressed to find corporations and/or foreign countries who won't say, "go ahead and do it yourself, then put our name on it." In a nutshell, it will set a bad precedent that Disney will be hard-pressed to recover from. 2) Getting a new major corporation to take over and help Disney re-do probably the most signature attraction in all of Epcot--Spaceship Earth--might actually work more magic for the park than we all realize.
Yes, I am sad to hear rumors that SE might go. I also fear that the park may change for the worse as a result of the bad changes that have already taken place (particularly in the Imagination pavilion). But placing a kick- ride that everyone is going to be clamoring to go on at probably the best ride location in any Disney park is real sexy for most corporations. And the ride DOES NOT have to be a coaster or even a thrill ride to be kick .
Now take into consideration the rumor that Microsoft wants to sponsor a new Epcot pavilion, namely SE. Think about it--if you're Bill Gates, wouldn't you want SE as your company's Epcot ride locale? The name Microsoft will be one of the first things all patrons will see once they enter Epcot. Talk about primo advertizing.
I think a true undisputed success or two--like M:S coming through as a great attraction and then a great innovative makes-even-nostaligia-nuts-happy kind of ride for Time Racers--might be the key to a true cash infusion to the park. And not only in terms of increasing the number of guests, but also in a way to increase sponsor interest in FW.
And yes, I know that Project: Gemini is money that was once devoted to WDW park #5, and that Disney is talking about putting big $$ of their own into Epcot, but I think their overall goal is to have an attraction that will be so ahead of its time that they won't have to change it for a long, long time (and they won't be completely financing it themselves) as well as keeping Microsoft on board as this pavilion's sponsor for as long as they can get 'em.
It would be like in school when you had show and tell !
Have you ever been to WDW? Have you seen HM? PoC? SE? WtP(new I might add)? CBJ? SW? TGMR? SW? .......... These attractions are still among the most visited of all WDW attractions. I think that these AA rides are most definitely a major part of bringing people to the parks and nostalgia is a major part of Disney's great success. They definitely are a major part to upholding that promise of an experience that no one else can give. You must have absolute blinders on to miss this fact.
