New modern day costumes coming to American Adventure?

[Neverland]

New costumes are (were?) indeed happening. The women look like navy, red, and white flight attendants, and the men have navy suits with patriotic ties. Honestly, I think of Soarin' when I see them. Mexico and the UK are (were?) also set to get new costumes, although theirs remain traditional (as traditional as WS gets, anyway).

However
The new costumes are no longer listed on the Disney website. None of them. Not just AA. Dunno what that means. The UK and Mexico ones were rather nice.

 

[tirian]

Yes, all the other countries are getting updated versions of traditional costumes. (Does that make sense?) I think WDI intends to separate AAdv. from Liberty Square. This makes sense to me, as I always found the atmosphere at AAdv. and the HoP too similar.

 

[Ashmgorm]

I think, if anything, that they should change the horrible pajama suits that the cms wear around AK. The WS costumes seem fine to me!

 

[WDW1974]

Count my position as very, very skeptical. Reading the editorial from Orlando Attractions leaves me troubled, as the suggestion of flight attendant uniforms inspires extremely negative images in my mind.

WDW1974: How best to protest this stupidity? Please provide a name and address, if possible.

Contact Erin Youngs, EPCOT's VP of the moment. Her email is likely Erin.Youngs@disney.com. If not, I'm sure we have a CM here who would gladly look it up and PM you with it. ... You can phone her as well by calling the WDW switchboard number and asking for her office.

 

[WDW1974]

Oh, and let me state that this is yet another example of WDW management taking something that isn't broken and 'fixing' it while so many things that are truly broken sit ... it is the textbook example of lousy management.

 

[WDW1974]

I think the point is really that all those World Showcase costumes are period costumes. Some from long ago, some from more recent times. The German clothes are actually only representing Bavaria which is only a part of Germany - and they aren't even historic, but a fashion invented in the late 19th century as a "rural dress". I think the same is true of most of the other costumes: they are a fashion from a specific time which now has become the stereotype of a "national dress".

But I still think it fits the theme of the pavilion just as the historic costumes fit the American pavilion. They do fit the architecture and ambiance and that is what is important. A "modern, professional look" does not connect to time and place at all - it can be worn everywhere. Just look at any large city in the world today: people all look more or less the same.

The funny, but also very sad thing about this is however: At the same time when two new areas open at DCA with various new different costumes that connect to the lands, WDW goes for a generic everywhere look. What was the title of that other thread?

Um ... that would be Two Coasts One Very Different World if I recall correctly!

 

[WDW1974]

Walt Disney Imagineering.

Apparently guest feedback for the last few years is that World Showcase is dated, and that costumes are the main issue. WDI was tasked with changing this, and the new costumes are being championed by them. They are aiming to make World Showcase a modern day version of the "world", not a time-capsule museum.

Just before anyone jumps on the current Epcot VP, this was long before her time.

AA and Mexico are the first up.

I'm looking forward to see what they come up with. Epcot does not need to be a museum.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions...oming-to-Epcot's-World-Showcase-pavilions.htm

I don't for a second believe this came from WDI without being asked by TDO first. That just doesn't follow what I've heard on costumes (admitedly not my best subject since I don't wear any!) ... There is no way, NO way, that guests feel that costumes are WS's biggest issue ... even taking the average intelligence of people into consideration. I am sure they did one of their patented research surveys with all answers leading them to a decision that was already made.

And while I agree that EPCOT shouldn't be a museum, it shouldn't also have things changed just for the sake of it ... when so much needs to be done. Taking a Colonial American building and staffing it with folks who look like they are welcoming you onto Delta Airlines is probably a bad idea.

As to EPCOT's cuurent VP ... well, she probably will be replaced soon anyway (from what I hear, Disney is gonna play musical chairs again with some execs ... why? ... just 'cause.)

 

[WDW1974]

So very true - not to mention, this change was announced nearly 6 months before it's going to happen! There are still many rounds of approval and production that have yet to start before anything is set in stone!

One can hope that someone will come to their senses ... although I never assume that.

There are a couple other pavilions that are changing first, AA was announced prematurely and then quickly pulled.

Any guesses why? I wonder if Lonnie has gotten a stern talking to by his managers yet ...

 

[WDW1974]

World Showcase is meant to be a permanent Worlds Fair. Not a boring museum.

Right ... a World's Fair where Cast Members don't know how to dress appropriately, I guess.

I miss the WDWMagic of yore when people didn't complain about every announcement...SOMETIMES, WDI still does good work.

Good point. They sure do ... in Anaheim ... in Hong Kong ... in Tokyo ... on the high seas ... thanks for reminding me/us.

 

[WDW1974]

I don't see how colonial costumes are any more "dated" in 2012 than they were in 1982. It's not like they were the current style back then, so changing from the current costumes doesn't really address the issue of World Showcase being dated. World Showcase is dated, where it is dated, not because of costumes, but because Disney hasn't updated technology from the 1980s. It's dated not back to thematic periods portrayed in the costumes, it's dated to the 1980s. Addressing costumes doesn't fix that in the least.

If anything, modernizing the costumes only creates more problems, because "modern" is a moving target, where as colonial is pretty well fixed in time. Unless Disney constantly updates the modern costumes (want to take bets on that happening?), the new costumes will be dated in a few years.

The "Disney isn't a museum" argument is treated as some sort of panacea by some on here to justify any change. Well, with regard to World Showcase, in some ways, it SHOULD be a museum. This is reflected everywhere in World Showcase from the architecture, to the cuisine, to the costumes. This is for good reason--the most culturally interesting aspects of these countries are, to some degree, time capsules of earlier times. I certainly wouldn't want to walk into Japan and see a giant Sony animated billboard and a McDonald's restaurant...

I don't need to "see the costumes before passing judgment" in that regard. The new costumes could look awesome, but no matter how awesome they are, the fact remains that they are not a legitimate fix to any complaints that World Showcase is dated.

Beyond all of that, I really hope Lonnie doesn't lose his job because of all this. He's an awesome Cast Member.

THIS!

I rest my case (at least for now!)

 

[rioriz]

Question,what if,what if,WDI saw a majority of guest and some CM's felt the wardrobes were outdated....would it be wrong for them to not do something about it...seriously...if they provided evidence that those living outside this forum wanted a change, why would it be wrong for them to answer the request.

I as a former CM know that some of the international CM DID NOT like the wardrobes due to being dated and uncomfortable!

So again should we hold WDI responsible for responding to what some MAY have called for in the first place....

 

[COProgressFan]

Yes, all the other countries are getting updated versions of traditional costumes. (Does that make sense?) I think WDI intends to separate AAdv. from Liberty Square. This makes sense to me, as I always found the atmosphere at AAdv. and the HoP too similar.

Not sure I get why liberty square and AA having a similar feel is a problem? And would new costumes that have no relation to time & place of surroundings really help that?

Of all the issues Epcot and WS has, this is "fixing" something that doesn't need to be fixed.

 

[TP2000]

The thing is, there are already "Flight Attendant" style costumes in Epcot. Soarin' anyone?

Is this really the appropriate look for a Colonial-inspired pavilion? the first place.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Exhibit A in the accusation that Disney can't tailor a mens suit to save their lives.

Through absolutely no fault of the CM wearing this uniform, this suit looks lumpy, dumpy and frumpy. The shoulders are lumpy with sloppy epaulets slapped on them covering the cheap seams. The fit of the jacket is dumpy and looks more suitable to 40 pounds of potatoes than the human body, and the sleeves of the suit jacket are either too long or his shirt sleeves are too short, or likely both; there's no sign of a shirt under that jacket at his wrists as he bends his arms. But it's also easy to see the jacket length is way too long on his torso. He looks like he's wearing a 44 Long when he should be in a 42 Regular. The very generous break in his trousers isn't too bad, but it's not exactly good either.

Really, this poor CM looks like a cross between a used car salesman who has never known a tailor, and an Aeroflot flight attendant from the Soviet days when the home office in Moscow ran short of proper uniform sizes.

And if anyone thinks this suit actually looks acceptable, I'd like to speak to your tailor please.

Obviously CM's can't all be French fashion models, or have the absolute perfect fit and cut with bespoke uniform pieces. But if they are going to put CM's in business suits, they really need to try harder. It's embarassing, really.

 

[BrerJon]

I'm usually the first to criticise inane TDO decisions but I don't think this one is too bad, but there is some misconception going on.

They are *not* modernising the World Showcase countries, but giving them different (but still historical/traditional) costumes. The UK one is actually more historically accurate now, and each costume is designed to fit the theme of the specific attraction. So the modern pizza restaurant in Italy wears modern Italian clothes, while the traditional restaurant is more traditional etc.

American Adventure is a ride that features JFK, 9/11 and the shuttle - so it's totally appropriate to have 'American Adventure' timeless costumes instead of colonial ones (how often did George Washinton watch the space shuttle?), however *outside* the attraction, where it *is* colonial themed, they will keep the traditional costumes AFAIK.

From what I can tell lots of the costumes are the same as the old ones, with pieces dyed a different color or accessories added, so not as much of a major change as is coming across from some posts here.

 

[jumblue]

But when the big philosophy is "One Disney" in order to cost cut across the board, wouldn't you think they'd simply cut one set of costumes and have them all in the same colonial pieces?

I know we kind of want them to start working outside the box, and start place making... but this is kind of out of left field, even for them.

Maybe they're trying to troll the foreigners? They fly in on the plane, a bunch of people at the airport are already dressed this way. Then the host country is dressed just like the people at the airport.

"America, spread your golden wings,
sail on freedom's wind, across the sky..."

Theory 2: American Airlines is now sponsoring the pavilion.

All joking aside, I'm hoping by "modernizing" they simply mean updating materials/colors to something more aesthetically pleasing to a modern audience and more comfortable for the CMs.

 

[threeyoda]

All joking aside, I'm hoping by "modernizing" they simply mean updating materials/colors to something more aesthetically pleasing to a modern audience and more comfortable for the CMs.

Judging by what most people have been saying about the changes, this is what I'm expecting. Making them more authentic and more comfortable. While it is just basically a wait and see thing, I think people here are overreacting.

 

[cspencer96]

What some people on this forum will never understand is that Walt Disney Imagineering and TDO are not always wrong, and they can, in fact, do some things right. Remember, they run a property twice the size of Manhattan and have been functioning almost as a private company with its own personal guinea pig government for more than 40 years.

All joking aside, I'm hoping by "modernizing" they simply mean updating materials/colors to something more aesthetically pleasing to a modern audience and more comfortable for the CMs.

Exactly what I think. The costumes are outdated, especially to my generation, and look incredibly uncomfortable. And with the dramatic advances in clothing and fabric technology (think Nike and Under Armour technologies, they pour millions into research on how to keep people comfortable), the Imagineers could seriously do better than thick petticoats and multi-layered cotton garb in the Florida sun.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

What some people on this forum will never understand is that Walt Disney Imagineering and TDO are not always wrong, and they can, in fact, do some things right. Remember, they run a property twice the size of Manhattan and have been functioning almost as a private company with its own personal guinea pig government for more than 40 years.

Exactly what I think. The costumes are outdated, especially to my generation, and look incredibly uncomfortable. And with the dramatic advances in clothing and fabric technology (think Nike and Under Armour technologies, they pour millions into research on how to keep people comfortable), the Imagineers could seriously do better than thick petticoats and multi-layered cotton garb in the Florida sun.

Exactly.

And I don't know about Epcot, but any costume I've ever had the pleasure of wearing has been primarily made of polyester. Not fun in the heat. I think to the people having to wear the costume for hours on end in the heat, this could be a welcome change.

Besides, for AA specifically, the indication is that these will replace the costumes worn by Cast Members inside the attraction. Those outside will apparently still be in period costumes from my understanding.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I'm all for updated colonial costumes. New fabric, new design, more comfortable. Great.

But I'm not for a 'modern' outfit, not even for just the attraction itself. The AA is not that big, rather they kept it all in one style.


The VoL, in historical and in red-white-blue modern outfits:

As to 'WS is not a museum'. Well, no indeed it isn't. (Incidentally, most modern museums are 'not a museum' either, in the sense of 'an unevolving place to preserve and present artefacts in unaltered state'. But I digress.)
The museum-look is the one akin to the bottom pic. The theme park look is more elaborate, more playful, allowing for full period costumes. In fact, period costumes is what helps distinguish WS from a museum. (And from a Las Vegas style binge drink mall, but I digress again)

 

[Captain Chaos]

Lilly, when was that last picture taken? Is that recent or for a private event?