Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
And there's the issue. They belonged in the Magic Kingdom. EPCOT is now becoming MK 2.0
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News New Park Entrance coming to Epcot
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
For sure it's fair to say that, conceptually speaking, the new infusion of IP into EPCOT ran along similar lines to a Six Flags. What EPCOT is foundationally about . . . not just historically, but presentationally - the style with which these attractions were to be realized . . . is fundamentally at odds with that of the IP's themselves. The same way that sticking a Superman cutout on a roller coaster and painting the track Red and Blue doesn't really make the roller coaster have anything more to do with Superman, because Superman has nothing to do with Roller Coasters.
Nothing in the Moana movie suggests the tonality of EPCOT in any element, yet Journey of Water was meant to be an EPCOT-like exhibit, even though its host and her movie share practically no DNA with that style of attraction. Much the same way that Finding Nemo the Movie never once touches on the scientific foundings of The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Though at least Finding Dory did some work to retcon that.
Just put Moana in Adventureland where she belongs and would vibe with the tone of the land and the park. Instead we get a walkthrough that will compromise both on her property and on EPCOT in a half-hearted effort to justify the ill-fitting presence of one in the other.
jmuboy
Well-Known Member
Very well said! I would up about GOTG is the Covid 19 cost cutting would just finally kill this Moana attraction. Its a MINIMAL value add (possible net negative), zero attendance driver, zero revenue driver (for such an after thought of an "attraction") ....so why build it when money is tight. Bob I and Bob C and Bob W ........I hope all 3 of you are you reading this?!?
mikejs78
Premium Member
I think the idea of IP having to specifically deal with the subject matter doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If you go back to a lot of the PSA-type cartoons at Disney produced in the 40s and 50s, they all use characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc. I don't have an issue per se with a character or IP being used in such a way that promotes something that is Epcot appropriate as long as it's done well.
IP in the park is not new. Ever since 1994, it's been used in various atteactions. For example, Circle of Life. Lion King did not really have an environmental message. By your logic, you could argue that Lion King didn't belong and was a Six Flags style IP infusion. however, I would argue that it is completely appropriate for Epcot. Using Disney IP to communicate a message that fits with the ideals of the park is certainly a valid and reasonable way of doing things. Now, I have other issues with Circle of Life, from a quality perspective, but that's not the same argument.
Where I do have an issue with IP and Epcot is where the IP is used in such a way that has nothing to do with Epcot. Two examples of this are Frozen Ever After, and the Finding Nemo ride. While Nemo's place in the pavilion itself is done pretty well, especially in the aquarium section and in Turtle Talk with Crush, the ride itself is merely a cutesy book report ride that has very little to do with Epcot or the seas. Frozen, I think, speaks for itself. Conversely, attractions like Grand Fiesta Tour and Ratatouille makes sense to me and fit with the theme of Epcot. If they redid the Nemo ride to make it more about ocean life and our relationship with the seas, I'd be much happier with it. Same with Guardians - if they use the Guardians characters to present a theme that is appropriate to Epcot, such as the origins of the universe or some other such thing, that to me will be a good creative success in the spirit of Epcot. If, however it's simply a high speed roller coaster with 70's music and lots of quips from the cast, I won't be happy with that. That to me is Six Flags infusion of IP.
We can debate whether IP belongs in Epcot at all, but that ship sailed the minute Michael Eisner demanded that the characters be found in Epcot when he first became CEO. So now, I think the best approach to satisfy the IP goals of Disney leadership but still remain true to the park is to make sure that the theme of each ride is in the theme of Epcot or the pavilion that it represents, and not get bogged down in pedantic details like whether or not the IP itself matches the theme. Of course, it has to make some level of sense. To have Moana talk about water makes sense, because in the movie water was very much a prominent device used.. If they put Moana in mission space, that would be completely out of place because you can't really draw a reasonable connection. But if they were to redo the Nemo ride to make it more in line with exploration of the seas, I think a lot of people here would be very happy.
It was bound to happen. Eventually, nearly every band turns into a cover band.
October82
Well-Known Member
So, is Avengers Campus also in California Adventure? Does the Disney company exist in the MCU? Does the MCU exist in the MCU?
October82
Well-Known Member
And Pixar Pier belongs in DCA because Pixar is a company located in California.
FigmentJedi
Well-Known Member
Yes to the first two, not so much the third because the idea is that we're trying to pretend that the Happy Ending MCU is all real. Stark Expo Hong Kong is actually being held at Hong Kong Disneyland and Cosmic Rewind exists because Star Lord told the Xandarians that a World Showcase-style pavilion at Epcot would be a great way to introduce themselves to humanity.
halltd
Well-Known Member
I think that's because that's what guests say. Wasn't the biggest complain about DAK after it opened that there wasn't enough "Disney"...meaning characters? I think this is also the complaints they've been getting from guests about Epcot. They do all these surveys (which personally I don't like), and that's what people say. Can't really fault them for giving the people what they ask for. It's not their fault the guests only associate Disney with cartoon characters.
Do they now?
OvertheHorizon
Well-Known Member
I met up with friends a few years ago at Epcot. They had been to Epcot previously, but their kids never had much interest in it so they hadn't spent much time there. I introduced them for the first time to the movie in China, The American Adventure, and Impressions de France. They loved it all. I expect their kid's reactions to Epcot were typical and the reason for Disney wanting to inject more IP.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
If Frozen was in the Magic Kingdom, I think more people would consider it a mediocre to bad ride.
It's not on the level of Little Mermaid just because of the AAs, but if they'd built FEA from scratch and it was exactly the same, I can't imagine it getting the pass it seems to get now because people know it was shoehorned into an existing space.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
As it stands, all Marvel attractions take place in the parks that they're in. They are self referential to their surroundings.
Haymarket2008
Well-Known Member
There is no reason why they couldn't have fit those show scenes into the Snow White's Scary Adventures space. Easily could have been a bus-bar attraction instead of the boat ride. Basically the same ride minus the flume. Missed opportunity.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know what Guest Satisfaction Ratings are like at Frozen Ever After?
It's anecdotal, but I feel like I know far too many people who have said they either regret waiting as long as they did or they lucked into a short wait and would have been mad if they'd waited longer. If people consider the "new" ride for one of your biggest animated franchises a "waste of a Fastpass" it would seem like something's wrong.
Though clearly there are people who are into it, which is why I wonder about its ratings.
Marc Davis Fan
Well-Known Member
I think it - partially - is their fault. They could do more marketing/messaging about the spectacular immersive experiences, how you leave the real world and go on fantastic adventures, etc. Indeed, that's similar to how Disneyland introduced itself to the public via the original TV show, etc.
No Name
Well-Known Member
Moana was kind of slapped onto the Journey of Water idea but that’s really the only example. Oh and Sam Eagle feels kind of slapped onto Regal Eagle. I can see their point especially in relation to Six Flags Over Texas history of abandoning theme, but it definitely doesn’t apply to Guardians.
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