EPCOT Morocco Pavilion redevelopment

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Right now it’s storage and workshops. Originally it was built for Meet the World - a hybrid Carousel of Progress type show. But it’s a massive space with enough room for 2, 3 floors of attraction.

Is this the CoP/American Adventure hybrid show, or am I getting my attractions mixed up with something that was planned for Tokyo? And how much credence do I give to the wikipedia article saying the reason it was never built is due to structural problems with the building? After all the nonsense I hear about EE, I try not to believe the popular stories regarding things like that...

 

[uncle jimmy]

Right now it’s storage and workshops. Originally it was built for Meet the World - a hybrid Carousel of Progress type show. But it’s a massive space with enough room for 2, 3 floors of attraction.

Wow,I never knew this! Thanks!
After opening Rat in France, would they move towards Japan over another country because of this space?

 

[HauntedPirate]

Is this the CoP/American Adventure hybrid show, or am I getting my attractions mixed up with something that was planned for Tokyo? And how much credence do I give to the wikipedia article saying the reason it was never built is due to structural problems with the building? After all the nonsense I hear about EE, I try not to believe the popular stories regarding things like that...

Man, so many “structural problems” at Epcot. First, the Horizons sinkhole. Then the Japan show building.

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Man, so many “structural problems” at Epcot. First, the Horizons sinkhole. Then the Japan show building.

I'm glad I keep up with the smart people here who squash these rumors; I had almost put the infamous sinkhole out of my brain until you just brought it up

 

[marni1971]

Is this the CoP/American Adventure hybrid show, or am I getting my attractions mixed up with something that was planned for Tokyo? And how much credence do I give to the wikipedia article saying the reason it was never built is due to structural problems with the building? After all the nonsense I hear about EE, I try not to believe the popular stories regarding things like that...

It was the same as the Tokyo Disneyland version more or less - YouTube may have the odd video. The plans are also floating around - entry and the carousel theatre on the upper level, displays and stores below. It was notable since the central seats area revolved and the static sets sat around the outside.

Yes, there were structural issues - or rather beams in the wrong place. One of those things that never got fixed with the park budget ballooning, Horizons, and Morocco and Seas finally going ahead. It got lost in the queue then the appetite for it diminished. It is still officially opening in 1983, it’s original targeted date. It never was an opening day attraction.

 

[marni1971]

Wow,I never knew this! Thanks!
After opening Rat in France, would they move towards Japan over another country because of this space?

To me it’s a no brainier to add capacity. But nothing has happened for 39 years.

 

[marni1971]

Additionally I’ll save you the effort;

 

[marni1971]

I’ve done en embarrassingly old edit of the history of this; in lieu of linking it I’ll think about doing a better one!

 

[uncle jimmy]

I’ve done en embarrassingly old edit of the history of this; in lieu of linking it I’ll think about doing a better one!

I was just thinking of checking out your video after you posted the floor plans. 2021/2 edit coming!

 

[marni1971]

I was just thinking of checking out your video after you posted the floor plans. 2021/2 edit coming!

Since I did that edit I’ve gotten a lot more info about the Orlando version (and hopefully improved my quality too !)

 

[nickys]

I'm glad I keep up with the smart people here who squash these rumors; I had almost put the infamous sinkhole out of my brain until you just brought it up

How could you possibly forget about the sinkhole?

 

[Brer Oswald]

To me it’s a no brainier to add capacity. But nothing has happened for 39 years.

They haven’t made a Japanese Princess movie yet.

 

[WondersOfLife]

If Disney goes the Frozen Ever After route, I wouldn't be shocked if Big Hero 6 goes here... Because... Erm.. "San Fransokyo" or something I dunno. It'd make no sense. But neither does Frozen. I'd be confident enough to place money on it, though.

 

[UNCgolf]

If Disney goes the Frozen Ever After route, I wouldn't be shocked if Big Hero 6 goes here... Because... Erm.. "San Fransokyo" or something I dunno. It'd make no sense. But neither does Frozen. I'd be confident enough to place money on it, though.

I'm not sure it has the staying power for that, especially since it will almost certainly be another 5+ years before Disney thinks about building something else at EPCOT. That would make Big Hero 6 over a decade old and it already feels like it's mostly forgotten (at least in the US). I personally forgot it existed until you mentioned it in this comment because it never seems to be represented or discussed anywhere compared to other recent movies from Disney animation -- it feels like the odd man out from that decade of DAS films. Tangled, Moana, Wreck-It Ralph, and of course Frozen show up in various ways far more regularly.

Winnie the Pooh was also in that decade (and forgotten) but it's a whole different thing.

 

[Brer Oswald]

If Disney goes the Frozen Ever After route, I wouldn't be shocked if Big Hero 6 goes here... Because... Erm.. "San Fransokyo" or something I dunno. It'd make no sense. But neither does Frozen. I'd be confident enough to place money on it, though.

Honestly, if Big Hero 6 was actually set in Japan, I think they would have rushed on the opportunity. But the movie takes place in an American city. There’s no way around that.

 

[jt04]

The sequel could take place in Tokyorlando.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I'm not sure it has the staying power for that, especially since it will almost certainly be another 5+ years before Disney thinks about building something else at EPCOT. That would make Big Hero 6 over a decade old and it already feels like it's mostly forgotten (at least in the US). I personally forgot it existed until you mentioned it in this comment because it never seems to be represented or discussed anywhere compared to other recent movies from Disney animation -- it feels like the odd man out from that decade of DAS films. Tangled, Moana, Wreck-It Ralph, and of course Frozen show up in various ways far more regularly.

Winnie the Pooh was also in that decade (and forgotten) but it's a whole different thing.

Uhh... I think you seriously underestimate the popularity of Baymax and the movie itself. People are still talking about it all over the place and it's been on 3 outdoor movie screenings within a 40 mile radius of my town since covid started. I'd say it's on Up or Finding Nemo level popularity.

It's not Frozen popular, but I'd say the film is pretty darn up there. On top of that, it had that TV show from 2017-2021. There's also that planned "Baymax!" series coming in 2022 I believe? It's absolutely a possibility.

And since popularity is what we consider a contender.... Then why do we have Tron coming to Tomorrowland? See, that's another thing. It doesn't matter what the IP is based on, as long as it's going to be a "thrill ride." (*Cough* Splash Mountain *Cough* Twilight Zone *Cough* Aerosmith *Cough* AVATARLAND!!! *Cough*) Woo! There's a draft in here.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Honestly, if Big Hero 6 was actually set in Japan, I think they would have rushed on the opportunity. But the movie takes place in an American city. There’s no way around that.

Oh, I completely agree. It was be atrocious. But I wouldn't put it past the company to loosely tie it in to the pavilion. I would not be shocked. And neither should you, if it were to happen.

Let me know how you feel about Moana not being placed in Adventureland instead of Epcot goes.

There also was a time where I'm sure people were scratching their heads at America Sings in Tomorrowland as well.

 

[UNCgolf]

Uhh... I think you seriously underestimate the popularity of Baymax and the movie itself. People are still talking about it all over the place and it's been on 3 outdoor movie screenings within a 40 mile radius of my town since covid started. I'd say it's on Up or Finding Nemo level popularity.

It's not Frozen popular, but I'd say the film is pretty darn up there. On top of that, it had that TV show from 2017-2021. There's also that planned "Baymax!" series coming in 2022 I believe? It's absolutely a possibility.

And since popularity is what we consider a contender.... Then why do we have Tron coming to Tomorrowland? See, that's another thing. It doesn't matter what the IP is based on, as long as it's going to be a "thrill ride." (*Cough* Splash Mountain *Cough* Twilight Zone *Cough* Aerosmith *Cough* AVATARLAND!!! *Cough*) Woo! There's a draft in here.

Maybe I am!

In my personal experience, though, I almost never see anything related to Big Hero 6 and see stuff related to the all the others regularly -- like 100x as much. This thread is actually the first time I've heard or seen anything related to Big Hero 6 in months and months (hence why I'd forgotten it even existed) whereas I seen someone referencing all of the others on basically a daily basis. With that said, it was definitely financially successful.

Tron is a separate argument IMO because it's a cloned ride. I don't think they would have built one from scratch if it didn't already exist elsewhere. I imagine it was in development for Shanghai not long after the Tron sequel came out so it seemed like good synergy at the time (even though that movie didn't perform well).

Aerosmith was big again when that ride opened (or at least when it was in development) thanks to Armageddon, and Avatar was the highest grossing movie of all time. Twilight Zone was a fit for the theme of the park, plus as an anthology series it was always just a name more than anything else so it's a bit different than a ride actually themed around an IP. Who knows about Splash Mountain, but I think it was at least partially a way to reuse all the America Sings AAs. Definitely wasn't anything popular at the time, though.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Uhh... I think you seriously underestimate the popularity of Baymax and the movie itself. People are still talking about it all over the place and it's been on 3 outdoor movie screenings within a 40 mile radius of my town since covid started. I'd say it's on Up or Finding Nemo level popularity.

It's not Frozen popular, but I'd say the film is pretty darn up there. On top of that, it had that TV show from 2017-2021. There's also that planned "Baymax!" series coming in 2022 I believe? It's absolutely a possibility.

And since popularity is what we consider a contender.... Then why do we have Tron coming to Tomorrowland? See, that's another thing. It doesn't matter what the IP is based on, as long as it's going to be a "thrill ride." (*Cough* Splash Mountain *Cough* Twilight Zone *Cough* Aerosmith *Cough* AVATARLAND!!! *Cough*) Woo! There's a draft in here.

BH6 is nowhere near Up or Nemo in terms of popularity. Good grief, that’s just beyond absurd. Because it played at 3 outdoor theaters within 40 miles of you during a pandemic proves absolutely nothing. Nor does any of this have anything to do with the Morocco pavilion.