LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
Its purpose is that it stands as World Showcase's sole representation of the Muslim world and the African continent. Italy too "lacks" an attraction, and no-one is suggesting that's redundant.
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EPCOT Morocco Pavilion redevelopment
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Smugpugmug
Well-Known Member
I saw this on Twitter and you know this is bad when I haven't seen a single person try and defend this yet.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
Agreed, they have 2 eateries, good shops and live music with great architecture (at least mostly now)
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
I miss the restaurant, but I have to confess one of the things I liked about it was the fact it was easy to get into...The food was fine too... They could have gotten more away from the "Morocco Tourism" feel and make it more like an elevated real Moroccan restaurant... I feel like the world is getting savvier and people can find more ethnic food these days... Maybe if the restaurant was more vibrant and less of a "dinner show" kind of thing... Like they did with Via Napoli... Quick vibrant service in a beautiful themed environment... add a true cocktail bar.... Bring back the Bazaar fully stocked with interesting things to lead people back into the depths of the pavilion again.... It is a gorgeous pavilion....really one of the most evocative of it's location.... They need to make it a star again...
Virtual Toad
Well-Known Member
Good gravy. Even Busch Gardens Tampa has tile in their Morocco section that looks better:
I'm sorry, everyone involved should be fired. Especially those who inspected the finished work and allowed it to be visible onstage. It's another symptom of the ongoing collapse of institutional knowledge, care and concern WDW management (and those in the Disney corporate suite) have for their own brand. It's bad if Imagineering wasn't involved-- but much worse if they were.
John Hench wrote an entire book about the importance of placemaking called "Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show." On page 20, he talks about what is supposed to be a key element of Imagineering-- standing up and fighting for quality as a sign of respect for the guest:
"Liking the guests is the key to everything we do.... To build effective story environments [we had to] take the guest's interests to heart and defend them when others didn't think that it mattered."
Hench then relates a story about when he worked for another film studio, doing special effects for a title that required an eagle to land on a rock and fold its wings. Hench continues:
"I was provided with an eagle that was too old to do the stunt, and stumbled on the rocks. We watched the dailies in a dark sweatbox. When the lights came on, I saw that one of the studio executives was in the booth watching with us. I said, 'I'll do this over again. We'll get the eagle to land right, so that it looks like a conquerer.' The executive said, 'No! we will use it. That's okay, the bastards won't know any different.' That was his attitude toward the people for whom he was supposed to furnish entertainment and amusement. He didn't like them. He didn't care. I have often since wondered how many people in business really like their customers."
I'm sorry, everyone involved should be fired. Especially those who inspected the finished work and allowed it to be visible onstage. It's another symptom of the ongoing collapse of institutional knowledge, care and concern WDW management (and those in the Disney corporate suite) have for their own brand. It's bad if Imagineering wasn't involved-- but much worse if they were.
John Hench wrote an entire book about the importance of placemaking called "Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the Show." On page 20, he talks about what is supposed to be a key element of Imagineering-- standing up and fighting for quality as a sign of respect for the guest:
"Liking the guests is the key to everything we do.... To build effective story environments [we had to] take the guest's interests to heart and defend them when others didn't think that it mattered."
Hench then relates a story about when he worked for another film studio, doing special effects for a title that required an eagle to land on a rock and fold its wings. Hench continues:
"I was provided with an eagle that was too old to do the stunt, and stumbled on the rocks. We watched the dailies in a dark sweatbox. When the lights came on, I saw that one of the studio executives was in the booth watching with us. I said, 'I'll do this over again. We'll get the eagle to land right, so that it looks like a conquerer.' The executive said, 'No! we will use it. That's okay, the bastards won't know any different.' That was his attitude toward the people for whom he was supposed to furnish entertainment and amusement. He didn't like them. He didn't care. I have often since wondered how many people in business really like their customers."
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
In this case they should have assigned a Moroccan to design this, to the exclusion of any one else, but instead, we got design by committee and here we are.
The reality is that and they probably just used some tiles they had laying around. Whatever the case, they blew it again.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
You can't just say "anything I don't like is DEI" when you have NO IDEA who authorized this, who created it (if it was contracted to a third party and instructions not relayed properly), who gave the final approval, etc.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
I apologize for triggering you. Please don't take any of my posts seriously. All companies, not just Disney, are doing their SEG/DEI stuff and Its fine.
I am sure SEG/DEI had nothing to do with this mistake. Your are probably right and there was missed instructions again like the in ground lighting around that awful planter in Celebrations gardens in EPCOT.
I do wish they assigned a Moroccan to design this though....
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
All they had to do was follow the plan that is already painstakingly laid out for them... They didnt need to bring in a Moroccan artisan to do the work....just Replace like with like... That is all they had to do.... The designs , tile work, carvings etc were masterfully done and gorgeous. This was not an add-on...there was a road map already there on how to fix it...
Maybe this is the temporary and they have ordered new tiles to be made for them?...giving the benefit of the doubt there....
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
Yup, I guess just plain old incompetence. Intended or not, I have a feeling they will be re doing this.
This is far easier to fix then the in ground lighting around that ugly planter in Celebration gardens.
Virtual Toad
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with everything; except, even if temporary it is still completely inexcusable. Guests go to Walt Disney World to escape reality, not be reminded of the shoddy work contractors did at their own homes lol.
Actually reminds me of the gentleman who did the tile backsplash in our kitchen which we had to redo after a water leak. He was very detail-oriented, but wanted to cover a gap on one side of the kitchen with a metal rail because he insisted he couldn't cut a piece of tile that narrow. At first I let him do it, but looked at it, realized it was unacceptable, and insisted he at least try. Which he did, and was able to cut and install the tile without issues. In retrospect, I give him a lot of credit for respecting and working with me, but I'm also glad I stayed with him and supervised his work throughout the process. In the end, it all looked fantastic. He was as happy with the result as I was and thanked me for holding him to he task. Sorry for the long story but here's my point: if a simple homeowner can take enough pride in his house to make sure a tile job is done correctly, who the heck (if anyone) was supervising this job? Why can't the world's largest entertainment company do better than this?
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
We loved that restaurant and that counter service was the best quality counter service in all of EPCOT in my opinion.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
TOTALLY agree about the counter service....and the restaurant was great. No reason either of those can't be great again....and an attraction there would be amazing....
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
The problem with trying to bring back that great food is that they were tenants, an outside business, and I highly doubt Disney can do it as good as the business that was doing it.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
The Patina Group runs Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion... perhaps they could take a swing at it? They do a good job with that restaurant... It is a shame that there is not a big restaurant corporation in Morocco that would be interested in taking it over...To actually have a Moroccan company running the place....
DCLcruiser
Well-Known Member
Can't they just set a new movie in Morocco and create IP to rejuvenate the pavilion? I mean desert landscapes, a sandstorm, Casablanca, what could be easier?
hopemax
Well-Known Member
So back in the day, on the DIS Rumors & News board, we used to talk a lot about theming vs decorating. Comparing Disney projects to your local restaurant matching decor with cuisine... This doesn't even measure up to restaurant decor. It's got strong mall tile vibes.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Indeed. I know the pavilion has been very mistreated by Disney, but taking out Morocco would in many ways be worse for World Showcase than taking out a pavilion like Germany or Italy as it's one of the very few pavilions that suggests there is a world beyond Western Europe and North America.