Kurmedgeons

[Epcot82Guy]

In my opinion future world is a disgrace of its former self. There is no continuity or theme to it like there was back in the 80's. Rides focused on the past, present, and future of many areas. Now it's just a hodge podge of thrill rides. While Soarin, Test Track, and M:S are good additions I just don't feel any connection between these attractions.

I sure hope WDI has a master plan for what they are trying to accomplish with FW. It seems to me it's headed toward small thrill land.

I, in a way, agree, but I actually think this is happening much worse than in Future World. I do think that the almighty dollar was winning for a time, but it is countering back. I doubt that many would claim the Pressler years at Disneyland were a time of great development and prosperity. The "cheap," quick fix of throw in a meet & greet or add an already marketed character is a new trend. I personally abhor this, but it is a valid business decision. I don't know that I can go so far as to say it is creating "inspiring" attractions, but I also don't know that Disney has to be inspiring to be successful. Many people do not want to think or be inspired; it's vacation (and not trying to say that in a condescending way at all - people need escapes). To me, the inspirational, hopeful atmosphere that was usually free of the characters was the best party of Disney. I hated Fantasyland as a child except for Mr. Toad and IASW. Many, however, want Mickey everywhere. That is Disney to them. Unfortunately, to get Mickey everywhere, it has come at the sacrifice of the overarching, mulit-layer themes because the films already provide this. I think I am finally accepting that they cannot co-exist, and Disney should choose one. The half-and-half does not allow for the Disney World of its first two and a half decades, but, if the numbers are coming in, that may not be "bad" objectively (although it may mean I start to lose my enjoyment and passion for the parks).

To get back to your point, I think FW could serve as a wonderful base and have just as much inspiration even with thrill rides. There is nothing that says that a thrill ride can't inspire. I think SM is incredibly inspiring through its simplicity and appeal to a base enjoyment and fantasy we all have. The original attractions were Disney to me. They were not to others. While I would love to see a park maintain this originality as EPCOT Center did, that does not appear to be smart in Disney's eyes. I will say that they must (and almost certainly do) realize that current changes cause a loss of traditional and long-term fans. Any time you change something, that happens. If you replace it with something that creates longevity in the new crowds, it works. I do not know that I agree with the current trends, but they have valid arguments for why people would enjoy them. So, time will tell.

 

[RealHawker]

I would suspect from his avatar that he shares a somewhat similar view of mine..

Horizons - replaced with Mission: Space. Not exactly going to stir the mind, perhaps just stir your brain within the cavity of your skull.

World of Motion - replaced with Test Track

Journey into Imagination - kinda replaced.... in a way...

Those awe-inspiring or just informational "dark rides" have given way to the themed thrill.(I wouldn't call it cheap)

There is scant material in Futureworld left that might make my own son think the same things as when I saw Epcot for the first time...or perhaps even my 5th... "wow, I never knew about that, I wonder if that's possible, will I see this in my lifetime... that's really cool.... " I remember seeing really cool "post rides" after these, now it's all about taking a digital photo and emailing it, or taking a picture they can get you to buy enlarged for $30. And yes they have the ball pit/tunnels post ride, as if you are at Burger King.

I still 200% love Disney and Epcot, there is so much to do, and it's a challenge to try to find those things which you loved and try to show or present it to your own children in a way that might inspire feelings similar to what you had.

In the end you can't let yourself get too worked up over it. Kids will and need to find their own experiences, not just re-hash your old ones... (if you don't have kids, yet or ever, just substitute a loved one or just your older self!). It is tough to compete with today's computer imaging that younger people get on an everyday basis... My son loves Pirates of the Caribbean and Spaceship Earth, but how much of it is my buildup of it a year before he even rides it, or just his attempt to make me happy.

 

[wdwishes2005]

are we still stuck on the whole horizons thing? There was a sinkhole. it was structurally unsound. They replaced it and moved on....

 

[hammysammy59]

With some minor exceptions (why do NOTHING with Wonders of Life? WHERE is 20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea or ANYTHING to replace it?) I'm extremely happy with the state of the 'World. I think they do an excellent job of keeping old classics up and running while always adding exciting new attractions as well.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I think that some on here are 100% Disney fans but don’t represent the attitudes of your average paying guest, most people do not wonder if a ride fits, the bother if it’s a good attraction.. This is not the 50s, times, standards attitudes and expectations have changed. Disney has adapted its policies in line with this.

The central core of what Disney represents, entertainment for the family, is still there. It may not reach the unachievable targets some on here set it but it is still there and it still for the most part delivers to fans guests and shareholders.


Its not perfect, it is a world conquering corporation after all, but it still gets me and my family traveling thousands of miles each year to visit its parks and see its movies.

 

[kachow]

The problem with the type of attitude in the original post is that it's a little self-centered. The fact is, if the park was exactly the same as it was when it opened, only old people looking to rekindle past memories would go. Rather than trying to be a nostalgia-fest, Disney is trying to continually maintain a high-level experience for each new generation that comes in. I think the way WDW has grown over the last 10-15 years is amazing. I'm not sure I would look at trips to WDW the same as I do now if the resorts, DTD, and new parks weren't opened. My wife and I go there now for usually a week, stay on property and just let it all wash over us. We don't leave the property all week because we don't want that experience to be disturbed. That, for us, is what of Disney's legacy has been maintained - that they are always a level above everyone else is pretty much every way. There IS a magic there. Go to a Six Flags or something similar and look in the eyes of the visitors and compare it to what you see in the eyes of people at WDW. It's night and day.

And regarding Tomorrowland specifically, I'm not sure it was ever all that great. They changed it to be more of a nostalgia, '50's view of the future, to keep it from getting outdated too quickly, but I agree that the area needs more theming in that direction. They need to go further with it. I actually don't mind the selection of rides they've chosen to put there, other than the race car thing which seems out of place. It needs to be more over-the-top '50's Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon, and not really try to go toward future and technology too much. Leave that to Epcot now.

 

[wannab@dis]

I really wish they would bring back Horizons...

Maybe then we could go for a day without the griping and complaining about how bad things are now and how they used to be so much better 20 years ago. Maybe they could even get some of you Horizons lovers to spot them a few million each to get it built and then all of you could staff it for free. Of course, you'd be bored out of your minds waiting for those other few 'stuck in yesterday' people to ride.

 

[jmvd20]

Why is Horizons being brought into this? Maybe I missed it but I sure don't recall anyone even mentioning it in this thread.

 

[wannab@dis]

Why is Horizons being brought into this? Maybe I missed it but I sure don't recall anyone even mentioning it in this thread.

It's been mentioned more than once... Plus, it's not hard to figure out the OP's intent when you look at the avatar, location and signature.

 

[jmvd20]

It's been mentioned more than once... Plus, it's not hard to figure out the OP's intent when you look at the avatar, location and signature.

I think I somehow completely skipped the first page of this thread.

 

[Scooter]

I Love Disney World now as much as I did on my first trip 20 years ago.

Having said that, there are a couple of things that I miss and in my eyes aren't as "Magical" as I remembered from my first trips.

1) Main Street USA...years ago, it was just that, a replica of a turn of the century American small town. There were some shops, but not as many and each one had differant items. Now it seems that Main Street is just one long shop.

2) In the shops in the seven lands in The Magic Kingdom had Land specific Merchandise. In Adventureland, the shops had Adventurous toys and other similiar items. In Futureland, the shops were full of futuristic merchandise. Now a lot of the shops have all the same items and it's not nearly as magical to explore the shops as it used to be.

I know it all sounds petty, and I still enjoy my yearly trips to WDW, but there are small things that have changed, for the wrong reasons, that make the magic a little less intense for me.

 

[wannab@dis]

1) Main Street USA...years ago, it was just that, a replica of a turn of the century American small town. There were some shops, but not as many and each one had differant items. Now it seems that Main Street is just one long shop.

Simple question... What was on most Main Streets in turn of the century American towns? :lookaroun


Just messing with you. Many of the stores still do carry different items based on the type of store, but there is some replication.

 

[kachow]

Yeah, I disagree on the generic merchandise comment. We generally found each park, and then each land had different stuff. Obviously all had the general WDW merch, but then there was usually stuff tailored to each land, plus some stuff tailored to and sold at specific rides. Regarding main street, I think stuff like that is more a necessity based on increasing popularity and attendence. It just starts to make more sense to have one big store than break things up into several smaller stores with seperate entrances that get jammed up. I still remember there being specific "candy shops," and "housewares," shops, etc, though.

 

[RealHawker]

I Love Disney World now as much as I did on my first trip 20 years ago.

Having said that, there are a couple of things that I miss and in my eyes aren't as "Magical" as I remembered from my first trips.

1) Main Street USA...years ago, it was just that, a replica of a turn of the century American small town. There were some shops, but not as many and each one had differant items. Now it seems that Main Street is just one long shop.

2) In the shops in the seven lands in The Magic Kingdom had Land specific Merchandise. In Adventureland, the shops had Adventurous toys and other similiar items. In Futureland, the shops were full of futuristic merchandise. Now a lot of the shops have all the same items and it's not nearly as magical to explore the shops as it used to be.

I know it all sounds petty, and I still enjoy my yearly trips to WDW, but there are small things that have changed, for the wrong reasons, that make the magic a little less intense for me.

The POTC shop is still unique.....check out the shop across from Swiss family robinson house.... it's nice too.

 

[Dukeblue1016]

Now bare with me here...

The way I see it is... you certainly cannot recapture your memories as a child... or recapture the feeling of excitement the VERY first time you saw Mickey Mouse; or your own favorite character. You cannot recapture the excitement the first time you rode Space Mountain, Thunder mountain, the memories of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, or 20K Leagues... You just can't...

What you can do, however... is relive them... and sometimes it can be even greater. I'm only 21, so obviously I don't have a child yet, but my sister has a six month old baby, and next summer we're going to take him to Disney... I cannot... CANNOT wait until I get to see his face as he sees Mickey the first time... and as he gets to see the other characters... Also, I remember once last summer when I went with my gf that I saw a little girl come around the corner of main street in a stroller... and then when she saw the Castle she JUMPED out of her stroller and her dad had to run after her... she was just so excited... So maybe my magical days are over... but everyday in WDW... some little kid is having THEIR first magical moment... and in 10,20,30 years they'll be feeling the same way you do... but they're having their's now... TODAY... with the way disney is TODAY...

Also... every trip I ever had has been different... the same, but different. Same rides, same shows, same dinners, DIFFERENT MEMORIES... I've had sooo many funny stories from Disney that come up at EVERY holiday dinner when everyone's together... and they all bring us back as a family to those moments... Plus, my high school goes to disney for their senior class trip... so i got to experience the world with all my best friends... and now, my gf and I are goin back for our third summer trip in a row in just 33 days... and yeah, we find we have more free time, we don't rush as much... but the magic isn't gone, we've just grown up... but we still love every second we're there together... and being able to share some of my childhood favorites (not as in rides... but as in extra things it seemed like was "your family's thing.. even though millions do them) suchas... every night gettin a chocolate shake from beaches n cream... sure millions do it... but its these things you don't read about in a book and just do that makes it feel like YOURS... and I share this with her... which makes it more magical... and other things as well, that was just my example... and she shares her family "things" with me as well... and that makes them magical again...

And ya know, one day I really hope to propose to my girlfriend in front of the castle... we've been together 5 years... and I know she's the one for me... and I CANNOT WAIT to have my own child and to videotape him meeting Mickey for the first time... and riding all the rides for his first time... so that I can relive my own through him..

sure, we can't go back to our first memories, but we can relive them, and everyday we can watch them through someone else's eyes... which is why for me... the magic will NEVER die

 

[Papa Van]

Here's the thing. When things change, roughly half the people wax nostalgic about how great things used to be, and how they wish everything in the World still looked like it did the day after EPCOT opened. But when Disney doesn't open anything new for a while, everyone else moans and complains that Disney World is getting stagnant, and they don't want to spend any money on new experiences. A few years ago it seemed that every other thread on this and other boards was about how Disney needed to do something with EPCOT, especially FW. Now that they have, not everyone is happy with the results, even though I don't believe they're through.

My point is, you can't please all the people, all the time. If you try, you are sure to fail. I'll withhold judgement until I see all of the new additions, which hopefully will be next summer.

Peace...Love...Mickey Mouse

Barry

 

[CrashNet]

The one thing I always try to do with each visit is to go in and work to make new memories BASED on the ones of the past. Rides, attractions, and shows will come and go, but I've learned quickly to embrace those changes and give the new attractions a try.

Disney still and will forever inspire me. I see what Walt had always wanted and acheived, and its a great example that you can do anything you set your mind too. I also hold Disney responsible for my incredible dedication to detail, and somewhat form of perfectionism, and to my desire to work for what I really want, and never to settle for anything less.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Disney are money grabbing *^%"@ if the stuff sold you can bet it would be in a shop. Perhaps its us consumers whos buying habits have changed?

 

[CaptainMichael]

In my opinion future world is a disgrace of its former self. There is no continuity or theme to it like there was back in the 80's. Rides focused on the past, present, and future of many areas. Now it's just a hodge podge of thrill rides. While Soarin, Test Track, and M:S are good additions I just don't feel any connection between these attractions.

I sure hope WDI has a master plan for what they are trying to accomplish with FW. It seems to me it's headed toward small thrill land.

So what you're saying is that you miss the unpopular 80's Future World? A time when people branded Epcot as boring, and crowds weren't what they could have been?

There is a connection, they are all popular attractions that have revolutionized the way people think about Epcot. Nemo won't be any different. Epcot is back on the map and would have died had Disney not changed its direction. A few more attractions still need to go, but make do doubt about it, Epcot is in a much better place than it was 8-9 years ago.

I like creating new memories. I think sometimes we over-glorify our pasts.

 

[amykissangel]

First of all, I don't think the OP meant any insult to anyone by their post, so the snarky comments and calling them "self centered" aren't particularly brilliant.

I loved the old days...where you came out of UoE singing the song, when you came out of SSE singing "Tomorrow's Child," or hearing people shrieking as they "drove" through Mr. Toad. I was 5 when we first went, and I think about the third trip is when we ventured over to Epcot. I loved Horizens, Cranium Command, Body Wars, World of Motion...I thought they were all fantastic.

That being said, Epcot didn't have a lot of thrill rides, so I don't see any harm in adding some for the enjoyment of guests. Plus, if you look at Test Track, that could've just been a type of roller coaster, and instead, they turned it into something very cool and a little educational.

I hate change. Always have. But with it comes new things that you like even better (hopefully better than Winnie the Pooh and this Nemo musical) and that's how Disney keeps it's Magic. Tear...I love that place.