New Epcot retro T-shirts

[Kuhio]

I'm not especially fond of retro merchandise except for EPCOT Center stuff, and that's more due to the design of much of the products than out of a pure a sense of nostalgia.

I've always appreciated the design aesthetic of the original Future World icons... I thought they were executed really well: simple and straightforward, all with a consistent feel and look, and able to communicate an identity and information quickly and easily. Retro merchandise that features the EPCOT Center iconography -- as opposed to just "retro" images or phrases -- usually gets a second look from me (though not necessarily a purchase).

For me, things really went downhill with the multicolored Epcot C "pinching" the planet Earth logo...

 

[Tigger1988]

For me, things really went downhill with the multicolored Epcot C "pinching" the planet Earth logo...

It's not pinching it, it's a globe.

 

[plaz10]

I think they understand perfectly fine that us foamers are in their parks, buying their shirts.

They learned their lesson: no need to redo Imagination, for all our tough talk we're still there, and they can rub it in by selling us retro merch for a 'classic Disney experience'.

Exactly. As much as we all complain and put down Imagination, SSE decent, Nemo effects not working, etc...
Does it stop any of us from planning trips? Nope. They know that with these "classic" Disney shirts - they can throw us a bone in the cheapest way possible and it will still work. EPCOT fans will buy them and and be happy with that as it's better than nothing.

 

[TinkerBell9988]

You know it is quite sad as I read this post because you are 100% correct. I realize Epcot...EPCOT has had a bit of an identity crisis over the years (from a marketing and sales perspecitve) but if the park could revert to "retro" management, entertainment, etc. it would be a better place.

A few marketing concepts I was indirectly part of may or may not have included:
-Epcot '94
-Epcot '95
-EPCOT to Epcot
-Trying to implement festivals all year round such as the ill-fated Kite-based festival that never got off the ground after the first year! whoops...
-Exploratory concept of splitting Future World and World Showcase into two entities (non-gated shopping WS vs. gated theme park FW)

It is sad that the discovery (discovery as a real term not branding term) of Communicore is gone.

In my opinion I really think the entertainment offerings peaked right before the Epbots (sp?) were let go. Seems if I remember once they left there was a mass exit of many of the acts found around the park and replaced with guys drumming on garbage cans. I would take Future Corps over what they have now in a heartbeat.

Even though the technology is dated how fun would it be to make dining reservations via World Key or see a retro performance of "Mistake on the Lake?"

I almost feel embarrassed to be part of the upcoming anniversary seeing how the park is a mere shell of what it used to be.

Oh well...I will get off my soapbox now filled with SMRT-1 parts....

Wow. I really loved your post. Stay on the soapbox, please! :wave:

 

[Kuhio]

It's not pinching it, it's a globe.

I realize the intent was not to represent pinching or piercing, but that's the most prominent visual statement, which is one reason why it's a poor logo.

If the "C" and "O" together are supposed to represent a globe, the logo does a pretty lousy job of it. Globes are typically mounted so they can be spun about an axis that goes through the North and South Poles. With the lines on the "O" that suggest lines of latitude and longitude on the Earth, this particular globe would be mounted in such a way that it would be spun around an axis that goes through a continent or ocean.

The other likely suggestion from the "C" and "O" is that of an orbit (or Saturn-type ring) around the planet -- alluding to themes of aerospace and astronomy, which would fit in with the other half of Epcot, Future World. But the fact that the "orbit"/"ring" doesn't overlap the planet at all -- which presumably would have been done to make the logo read more clearly as the word "Epcot" -- makes this visual statement less effective as well.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter how ambitious a logo is -- and an effort to suggest both the Future World and World Showcase aspects of Epcot at the same time is pretty clever -- if the primary impact is instead something else entirely. If my initial visual impression is that of the planet being pinched or pierced, and I only come to the conclusion that the logo is attempting to depict a globe or a planet with an orbit after I've spent a couple of seconds analyzing what the logo's designers could have been trying to say, then the logo is not an effective one.

 

[Cornballman]

:shrug:How come I only ever see the retro in the EPCOT stuff? Am I missing all the other parks "retro" stuff? I bet the MK had some killer designs back in the day.

 

[captainkidd]

Shrinking happens from the material. Anything that is 100% cotton is is almost definitely going to shrink if you put it in the dryer. I had a nice quality Ralph Lauren shirt that I accidentally put in the dryer once and was never able to put it on again.

With those retro shirts, it's worse. Not that they shrink any more, but they're already tight to begin with. I got one of the Monorail shirts last year. Went through the dryer once by mistake, and now my 11 year old is wearing it. Target calls them "slim fit" shirts. Many vendors sell them at concerts now too.

 

[Kuhio]

Exactly. As much as we all complain and put down Imagination, SSE decent, Nemo effects not working, etc...
Does it stop any of us from planning trips? Nope. They know that with these "classic" Disney shirts - they can throw us a bone in the cheapest way possible and it will still work. EPCOT fans will buy them and and be happy with that as it's better than nothing.

I agree and I've certainly had these exact thoughts, but then I wonder...

How much of an impact do the folks in product and merchandise design really have on the rest of the company -- in particular, on those who design attractions and decide whether and how to expand the parks?

If I work in product design, my goal is just to create merchandise that's going to sell. If I put a character or theme on a T-shirt and it's just not popular with the public, no matter how much I might personally like it, I'll probably move on to try something else. If I use a character or theme and it sells like hotcakes, then I'll probably try to create more merchandise along the same lines.

To the extent that "Disney" or "Disney Parks" or "Disney Orlando" isn't just a monolithic entity where every employee is moving in the same direction with regard to the development of WDW as a whole, do the particulars of merchandise sales have any effect at all on attraction or park development?

I'm just imagining a scenario where someone in product design realizes that, say, Donald Duck merchandise is actually incredibly popular with guests. Anything with Donald just flies off the shelves. This person writes with a detailed memo explaining why, despite the conventional wisdom, Donald is actually much more popular than Mickey Mouse among WDW guests, and -- hey, I bet more attractions featuring Donald would really please people. Maybe change Mickey's PhiharMagic to Donald's PhilharMagic, since he already has a prominent role in it. Or maybe create a dedicated meet-and-greet for Donald on Main Street. Or maybe even a new attraction! After all, product sales would seem to support it.

The person in management who receives the memo skims it, gives it exactly two seconds of consideration, and then thinks: "Yeah... I don't think so." The memo goes in the recycling bin, and nothing Donald-oriented gets developed, despite the fact that guests really love Donald -- at least as suggested by brisk merchandise sales.

 

[plaz10]

I agree and I've certainly had these exact thoughts, but then I wonder...

How much of an impact do the folks in product and merchandise design really have on the rest of the company -- in particular, on those who design attractions and decide whether and how to expand the parks?

If I work in product design, my goal is just to create merchandise that's going to sell. If I put a character or theme on a T-shirt and it's just not popular with the public, no matter how much I might personally like it, I'll probably move on to try something else. If I use a character or theme and it sells like hotcakes, then I'll probably try to create more merchandise along the same lines.

To the extent that "Disney" or "Disney Parks" or "Disney Orlando" isn't just a monolithic entity where every employee is moving in the same direction with regard to the development of WDW as a whole, do the particulars of merchandise sales have any effect at all on attraction or park development?

I'm just imagining a scenario where someone in product design realizes that, say, Donald Duck merchandise is actually incredibly popular with guests. Anything with Donald just flies off the shelves. This person writes with a detailed memo explaining why, despite the conventional wisdom, Donald is actually much more popular than Mickey Mouse among WDW guests, and -- hey, I bet more attractions featuring Donald would really please people. Maybe change Mickey's PhiharMagic to Donald's PhilharMagic, since he already has a prominent role in it. Or maybe create a dedicated meet-and-greet for Donald on Main Street. Or maybe even a new attraction! After all, product sales would seem to support it.

The person in management who receives the memo skims it, gives it exactly two seconds of consideration, and then thinks: "Yeah... I don't think so." The memo goes in the recycling bin, and nothing Donald-oriented gets developed, despite the fact that guests really love Donald -- at least as suggested by brisk merchandise sales.

I've never really looked at it as seperate entities...but I really agree with what you're saying. I never thought of it that way but it's very true - departments may not all be on the same page. Winnie the Pooh has actually sold more merch than all the fab 5 combined (big baby market) but you only see Pooh's name on 1 attraction and at 1 eatery (and he's just there greeting - not "owning" the place ala Chef Mickey) so I definitely see your side.

It would be ideal if departments took the sale of certain products more seriously and saw that since retro EPCOT is a big seller in clothing that perhaps bringing back some of those ideas would also be good.

But one part of me always says - I trust Disney. I trust that they know what they're doing. Even though I may not see their big picture all the time or understand or agree with what they're doing...I've gotta figure they know what they're doing.

It's similar to McDonalds. They say "Why doesn't McDonalds serve breakfast all day as its their biggest seller?" I have to assume they know this idea and there is a good reason they aren't doing it.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The quality of the retro shirts available in the parks is such that they're going to shrink. It has definitely kept me from buying some of them and ultimately not wearing others because the material is too small. They had some high quality shirts available at the Mickey's of Glendale store at the D23 Expo last year that were much better investments than the stuff available in the parks.

 

[John]

I don't give a flying (blank) about retro tees.

Here's an idea, why not retro management? How about retro entertainment? Or retro attention to detail? Or just plain retro Disney quality.

They can take their tees and shove them ...

And that includes Orange Bird tees who only seem to be purchased by males between ages 14-24, who all have many key things in common!

Ditto

 

[MegaPowersPT]

Does anyone have the SKU for the grey shirt? Might have to go through the mail order for it. Wish they would sell these shirts on disneystore.com!

 

[njDizFan]

I don't give a flying (blank) about retro tees.

Here's an idea, why not retro management? How about retro entertainment? Or retro attention to detail? Or just plain retro Disney quality.

They can take their tees and shove them ...

And that includes Orange Bird tees who only seem to be purchased by males between ages 14-24, who all have many key things in common!

Hold on...

First you tell us your are not really a 1%er and now you say you don't care for retro Epcot Center tees.

Next thing you will tell us you don't have a Horizons tattoo!!

~74 not living in the past~

 

[scbb11Sketch]

I like the graphic of the gray one, but man are those images huge. Like some others said, the shirts look like you have to be a giant to fit in to them. The graphic doesn't need to cover the entire front of the shirt. It's much too overbearing. They should shrink them down 50% and then the shirts would be much more attractive.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Why do these never come in girl-cut sizes =(

They would have to make them out of the traditional womens see through t-shirt material. Seriously does every single womens shirt in Disney World have to be see through? I bought shirts at the UK pavilion, ToT, HM, and two at my resort last trip and every one of them is see through. Only the womens are, though - not the mens.

I guess we're all ready to have a -bouncing day in the rain in case a wet t-shirt contest breaks out or we have to spend double the amount that men do by purchasing a matching tank top with every shirt.

 

[muteki]

The shirts that are the thinner, softer cotton feel great but shrink up like crazy when you wash them. The thicker, standard shirts don't do this as much. I tend to get a size larger if the shirt is made of the thin stuff, no chance of me remembering not to dry it.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

How about retro entertainment?

Be careful what you wish for:

 

[flavious27]

The one on the left is new. Nice looking.

Well if they are retro, would they really be new?

I like the one on the right because it looks like something from age, the one on the left just is more of the same lame shirts.

 

[DarthGrady]

Sigh. I would love one of those cool retro shirts, but Disney's shirts run small. I usually wear a XXL shirt, but theirs fit like a Large.