NEW! Epcot News and Rumors... GIGANTAMUNDO updates, finally!

[MKCP 1985]

The Swan and Dolphin are owned by Tishman and operated by Starwood. The hotels were designed in great detail by Michael Graves.....the balloons are not going there.

I was j o k i n g! :hammer: Where will the balloons be going - probably to joesauctionsales. If they were to be relocated (recognizing they won't be) I think it could be fun to see them in the large colorful lobby of one or the other of those Gravesly detailed resort hotels, but I liked your suggestion of "Weatherland." :animwink: The ceiling might need to be raised though. :wave:

 

[CTXRover]

Is there any reason for the balloons to go? I can understand having to remove the fountain in order to open up even more room to maximize space to get to and from Soarin', as well as providing enough room to add additional ramps, stairs, escalators, elevators or what have you, but I can't imagine any logical reason the balloons would have to go. Re-doing the pavilion at ground level to accomodate what should become a much more heavily visited Land pavilion is obvious, but I just can't come up with any reason the balloons would have to go as well. Won't they fit with the "new" theme of The Land? (As an aside, I know it wasn't popular among a lot of folks, but I liked the Land Travel Agency idea that was tossed around a while ago....a lot was made that the concept of Soarin' didn't fit in with the "old" theme of the pavilionh, so I'm all for re-themeing to give the pavilion a new feel and concept that better conveys why we get to cruise through the land and now can "soar" over the land, etc....)

I am upset to see the Sunshine Food court go. Hopefully whatever replaces it will still provide good food. I always eat at the BBQ place for lunch whenever I visit Epcot. It will be sorely missed. But Soarin' should more than make up for it

Great update by the way...always a joy to read :sohappy:

 

[Figment1986]

grizz... what a big mouth you have.... hehe

Great information... (Sad they have to alter Land so much to get this ridem to fit in with the theme....)

 

[Horizons1]

Great update Grizz but it will be sad to see the ballons and the fountain go . If only they would leave them and lets hope The Lands retheming will actually be good.

 

[chucknstuff]

Grizz is the bear!!!!!!!
Where can I sign up for the D-Army???
I will start a division for us northern folks to help out...

 

[disnyfan89]

We should give the land a chance!! As much as everyone loves the look of the Land the whole place does need a new look! Epcot is about the future and when you walk into the land it looks very 80s like and doesn't scream future at all!

WoL is a wonderful pavilion but it should only be open all summer and all through thanksgiving and Christmas because there just isn't enough people to really justify it being opening during the slow months when there is only a few people in the park! It only seems like people go up there because of the "weenie" effect it has on them! People look up and see the DNA statue and then notice the building behind it and say to them self's "WOW! Look at that!!!! I wonder what could be in that building up there on the Hill! Lets go take a look!" Lots of people love Body wars and Cranium Command but the average guest will only see it once because other rides (Star tours) and shows (Fantasmic!, Indian Jones, Beauty and the Beast, Philharmagic, HISTA, The American Adventure, Carrousel of Progress) have more Icons that you already know and will remember more! We could make a more impressive pavilion that would be hard to forget but Disney just doesn't want to put money into any new pavilion!

 

[FigmentJedi]

Crap, WoL is closing and the Land fountain and baloons are going away. My only question is why remove the baloons when an air themed ride is coming in.

 

[General Grizz]

WoL is a wonderful pavilion but it should only be open all summer and all through thanksgiving and Christmas because there just isn't enough people to really justify it being opening during the slow months when there is only a few people in the park!

UoE has about 8,000 a day as does Imagination.

There are 23,000 Epcot guests on average, 11,000 of which visit Wonders of Life (that's 49% of Epcot parkgoers).

Why can't it be open full time?

 

[maelstrom]

Well, maybe I'm too obsessed, or too emotional, or too something, but I'm sitting here crying my eyes out because The Land will never be the same again. It's closing four days before I arrive in WDW. I'll never get to see it the way it is again. I guess it doesn't mean THAT much to everyone else, but I feel like I'm losing someone really close to me.

 

[Nicole]

Great update Grizz! It's fantastic having such a good "secret source"!

I recently talked to a family from CA about Soarin' at DCA and they said it's the best attraction at any Disney park. Not sure how much credence to give their opinion since they were strangers to me, but it was a pretty definite feeling.

 

[General Grizz]

Well, maybe I'm too obsessed, or too emotional, or too something, but I'm sitting here crying my eyes out because The Land will never be the same again. It's closing four days before I arrive in WDW. I'll never get to see it the way it is again. I guess it doesn't mean THAT much to everyone else, but I feel like I'm losing someone really close to me.

Don't cry. I have a feeling that Disney won't screw it up. Will we be happy? Who's to know, but I will let you know the design plans if I can find them.

I documented the entire pavilion, and I'll have it available to you in a tribute video.

*wipes your tears*

 

[marksniles]

Great Wonders of Life Video. What software did you use to make it? You should make one of those for all of the EPCOT pavillions. A little trip down memory lane. You did a super job!

Congrats!

Mark

 

[TinkerBell9988]

General Grizz,

Your update was enthralling... hehe. I am appalled at some of the things that are going on with WoL and the Land, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Assemble the troops :animwink:


I want my balloons!!!!

 

[General Grizz]

Great Wonders of Life Video. What software did you use to make it? You should make one of those for all of the EPCOT pavillions. A little trip down memory lane. You did a super job!

Congrats!

Mark

Pinnacle studio.

I have one for the Land in the works. I have THE GRIZZLY EXPERIENCE - DISNEY SQUARED in the works for Carousel of Progress and Spaceship Earth.

 

[speck76]

UoE has about 8,000 a day as does Imagination.

There are 23,000 Epcot guests on average, 11,000 of which visit Wonders of Life (that's 49% of Epcot parkgoers).

Why can't it be open full time?

Maybe the guest satisfaction scores are low. Afterall, we do want quality in the parks, not quanity. No matter what "our" feelings are for WoL, if the "general public" does not like it, it is a bad thing. The pavilion is very dated, Body Wars is also dated technology, and is a dinosaur compared to other simulators in Orlando. Also, the pavilion is bound ot have higher numbers due to A) its location next to MS and TT and B) its 2 major attractions.

There is such a thing as addition by subtraction....this might be a case that more people complained about the attraction when it was open, than complain the the attraction is closed.

 

[General Grizz]

Maybe the guest satisfaction scores are low. Afterall, we do want quality in the parks, not quanity. No matter what "our" feelings are for WoL, if the "general public" does not like it, it is a bad thing. The pavilion is very dated, Body Wars is also dated technology, and is a dinosaur compared to other simulators in Orlando. Also, the pavilion is bound ot have higher numbers due to A) its location next to MS and TT and B) its 2 major attractions.

There is such a thing as addition by subtraction....this might be a case that more people complained about the attraction when it was open, than complain the the attraction is closed.

You know, if I think Disney really cared about its guests, they would respond to the out-datedness of the pavilion (which happens to offer that which Test Track and MS don't - a family experience), they would invest in updating the pavilion instead of RUNNING it while being closed to guests. . .

 

[donaldduck1967]

Awsome update. thanks General

 

[KevinPage]

UoE has about 8,000 a day as does Imagination.
There are 23,000 Epcot guests on average, 11,000 of which visit Wonders of Life (that's 49% of Epcot parkgoers).
Why can't it be open full time?

Grizz,

You can use numbers to justify any argument. But honstly, how many people do you think visit Epcot so they can get on Imagination or WoL? Very few on a good day. Test Track and Mission Space bring in the crowds, the other attractions are filler that people will visit since they are already in the park.

Don't you think that WoL(if open) and Imagination are going to get even MORE people once Soarin' opens? Disney sure hopes so as they plan on having this ride bring in even MORE people.

I enjoy Cranium Command, but if it isn't placed next to 2 MAJOR rides, you can guarantee that it's #'s would be lower. (and to compare ridership levels for a show and moving attraction is apples to oranges)

Epcot is arguably my favorite park, but Future World needs a big overhaul and redoing both The Land and WoL are a great first step. Yes, I also love the wand.

I guess the only point I agree with you on is ONLY CHANGING the ending of Spaceship Earth. Once you start the descent down you can change everything except the neon light city and music.

 

[KevinPage]

Don't cry. I have a feeling that Disney won't screw it up. Will we be happy? Who's to know, but I will let you know the design plans if I can find them.
I documented the entire pavilion, and I'll have it available to you in a tribute video.*wipes your tears*

The day you admit that you enjoy the redo of The Land is the day Eisner steps down and says,"Roy was right, I must go now". :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[joel_maxwell]

dont get to upset Grizz about your balloons............. you will have them hanging in you den when you win the bid on ebay after joe puts them up. you can even make them go up and down.

how tragic would it be if they replaced the balloons with "hang-gliders" to fit the soarin theme. lol that would be simply tragic. :lol:

Edit: thanks for the wonderful updates Grizz. i can sleep better knowing SSE possibly wont be a rehab screw-up. :sohappy: