New Entrance Sign

[CTXRover]

I don't think it's great, I think it's awful. They are having a celebration that isn't celebrating anything, and they're going to completely skip over something that is worth celebrating at Walt Disney World, the 25th Anniversary of Epcot/EPCOT Center. All so they could have some generic celebration so that they can try and blend the identities of the individual parks together and destroy their uniqueness. This isn't being done to illustrate why we love Disney, it's being done to exploit it.

Epcot's 25th doesn't happen until October 2007. The Year of a Million Dreams will be starting to wind down by then and something will need to come along as a marketing strategy for the late 2007/2008 season. the YOAMD is simply a marketing strategy during a year when there is no big milestone anniversary to celebrate. There are a lot of indications already that they will celebrate Epcot's 25th on some level. However, it is the first non-MK style park to have a big milestone anniversary, and for that reason, I imagine it will be park specific and not a resort-wide celebration which they can carry off with a MK anniversary (as it is the entire resort's anniversary too). They didn't even announce the HCOE until exactly 1 year from when it started and that was a much bigger, global celebration which involved a lot more planning and $$. I imagine the earliest we could hear anything on Epcot's 25th could be this October, but more likely sometime earlier next year. It'll probably involve basically what is being rumored, a new Illuminations, perhaps a parade and likely some enhancements or a brand new addition to Epcot's attraction roster.

That said, they need to keep anniversary celebrations limited to keep their special appeal. This new marketing strategy is just that, a marketing strategy. Disney is the king of marketing and without it, well, they wouldn't be filling the parks quite they way they are capable of. I think the idea of honoring guests and reminding CM's to do "special" things is important and nice. Its a different kind of gimick, and hopefully it will pay off.

 

[Pongo]

Hmm... maybe it's just the picture, but something makes the new sign not mesh with the rest of it. I don't know what it is. Maybe I just have to see it in person.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

This celebration is fifteen months long, so it will be still be running fairly strong by the time EPCOT's important birthday comes along.

 

[head mouse]

This celebration is fifteen months long, so it will be still be running fairly strong by the time EPCOT's important birthday comes along.

Let me direct you to THIS THREAD

Aesthetically, i don't like the sign.

I think it looks out of proportion to the rest of the archway, and the blue clashes. Maybe if they change the rest of it a bit, maybe back to the multicolor flags or maybe blue flags, but as it is, i don't like it.

I think the sign looks great. The blue adds the "fairy tale" feel to it. Fits in perfect with Walt Disney World

 

[CTXRover]

This celebration is fifteen months long, so it will be still be running fairly strong by the time EPCOT's important birthday comes along.

It will essentially be winding down by October 1, 2007, even if it "officially" ends December 31, 2007. The 50th anniversary celebration was supposed to be 18 months long running to the end of October, yet most things on both coasts started disappearing at the beginning of September, 2 months early. I imagine in those first 12 months of this "celebration" most of the big prizes will be given out already.

Again, I really don't see this affecting the possibility of an Epcot 25th anniversary since it will likely be a park-specific anniversary. It isn't something that can easily be celebrated at all 4 parks (but they certainly could make it work), let alone any type of worldwide campaign. In fact, I imagine something else will be used as a marketing ploy in 2008 in addition to whatever is planned for Epcot's 25th. If they completely pass it by without something, then I will be upset too. Until then, enjoy the next year of free prizes just for being at the right place at the right time in a Disney park

 

[basas]

Can't say I'm a huge fan of the new sign...why can't we have just a LITTLE while with out some tacky promotion/ "celebration" going on where they need to put a banner and sign on everything they can find? Millennium Celebration (acceptable), 100 YoM (not acceptable), Magical Gatherings (Completely ridiculous), HcoE (a good celebration, and having one every few years isn't a problem), but now this 'year of dreams'....it's just not needed and cheapens everything down. IMO.

 

[Enderikari]

Aesthetically, i don't like the sign.

I think it looks out of proportion to the rest of the archway, and the blue clashes. Maybe if they change the rest of it a bit, maybe back to the multicolor flags or maybe blue flags, but as it is, i don't like it.

Really... You are starting in on the Year of Million Dreams with claws drawn, aren't you... Wait til it starts, then judge

 

[celestia]

I don't think the sign is that bad, I do wish it was a little smaller though.

It is hard to see by the photo and nobody has mentioned yet, it does have a nice shiny look to it as well. It has the appearance of being a satin ribbon.