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News New Park Entrance coming to Epcot
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
JohnD
Well-Known Member
I’ll let others decide whether the fixtures themselves will look horrible during the day but wouldn’t they be reflecting the sun? You might have a day version of the effect they want to achieve at night. It could be distracting both in look and sunlight that could reflect in guests’ eyes? Or maybe it won’t do any of this. Just asking.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
I think they will completely disappear...if you are looking for them, you will see them, but as small as they are, they will not be noticed... and the net gain will be worth it... I am actually surprised it was not done a decade ago...
Restoring the main entrance is great, this lighting will be beautiful...I am SURE of it...
Now the other changes are the ones we need to be more concerned about....
Restoring the main entrance is great, this lighting will be beautiful...I am SURE of it...
Now the other changes are the ones we need to be more concerned about....
Brenthodge
Well-Known Member
That last statement echoed the point I was trying to make. People who get up in arms about every single little change start to minimize the weight of voices behind truly egregious decisions.
SplashJacket
Well-Known Member
From my understanding, is it'll give SSE a Tron-like lighting package which is a massive win! They will probably only be noticeable when walking underneath SSE, but it still should be a massive net improvement. At night, the area under SSE is very ugly, the shops bleed out a very unattractive white light. Seeing the area be lit up a soothing blue will be a massive improvement. I am very excited about this update.
And as @MisterPenguin said earlier, these devices should fix the lack of light on the top of SSE.
hpyhnt 1000
Well-Known Member
There's definitely a balance to criticism, and I agree the new SSE lighting should be a net gain overall.
That said, I do think it's fair to analyze details like these lights because this is a company that still likes to tout its attention to detail. Things like non-period appropriate fixtures, poor paint and material choices, haphazard changes or additions, and improper scaling and siting can all add up to an area that just feels sloppily built and...off, for lack of a better word.
Unfortunately, we've seen many of these issues in recent builds, particularly the Rat expansion in World Showcase. From the poor scaling of the creperie to the completely out of place blue building, there are small but noticeable flaws throughout that really should not exist in a new build. Does that mean the Rat expansion is not a net gain? Or course not (debate about the IP-ification of EPCOT aside) but they do detract from the area, especially when looking from an artistic and design standpoint.
Calling out these kinds of issues is also important for something like the theater spotlights at DHS. Yes, it's great they are coming back, but they should never have disappeared in the first place. It's only because of Disney's own neglect that this became an issue that needed fixing. The company then touting it on social media as some remarkable piece of achievement and ingenuity only adds to the absurdity.
montyz81
Well-Known Member
I'm surprised nobody picked up on my small and brief Sonny Eclipse quote.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I have a different take on a lot of this. For example I didn't mind the hand and the wand because it served a double purpose. Not only something different but also to finally ram into the empty heads of many people that did not think EPCOT was part of WDW and instead many thought it was a completely different destination. What I did take offense to was those heinously shiny things added to SSE around the wand to make a unsuccessful attempt to show magic coming off the wand. Why did it bother me? Because SSE's geodesic spear is, or at least was, a one of a kind in the world. The simplicity, creativity and beauty of the design was mind blowing and something that could not go unnoticed. A historic building if you will. Those sparkles made it look cheap and unsophisticated.
I don't believe that many will even notice the new lights being attached except at night, but it just made one of the most intricate and rare visions on earth, just another show prop. For that I cannot forgive them. I will reserve complete judgement until after I have had a chance to witness it, but I'm not feeling it to be a good attachment to SSE. There are so few things of beauty in the world anymore that I just hate to see it compromised.
I don't believe that many will even notice the new lights being attached except at night, but it just made one of the most intricate and rare visions on earth, just another show prop. For that I cannot forgive them. I will reserve complete judgement until after I have had a chance to witness it, but I'm not feeling it to be a good attachment to SSE. There are so few things of beauty in the world anymore that I just hate to see it compromised.
Prototype82
Well-Known Member
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the wand billboard was unforgivable, cartoonish and tacky. I honestly don't think SSE's look will be compromised during the day. We are talking about a vibrant blueprint of light celebrating the shape of this piece of architecture. I have no doubt it'll move a grown man to tears. Looking forward to pausing quite a bit in this space once we have the finished result.
CastAStone
5th gate? Just build a new resort Bob.
I feel like the SSE nippling needs it’s own thread?
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
But then again.... It all started with a cartoon mouse. Seemed pretty appropriate to me.
tirian
Well-Known Member
I agree completely. The wand was tacky, garish, and out of place — to the extent that I think anyone who liked it probably has bad taste in general in all areas of life.
Even though these lights are more noticeable than I’d prefer, SSE is going to look gorgeous at night. This entrance is pretty much the only attractive part of the new Epcot. Everything else looks amateurish.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Seriously????? You're probably right though because I also liked the Birthday cake castle. Why? Because I like my theme parks to be fun and surprising. I don't like trying to keep my dour everyday life active in a group of fantasy theme parks --to the extent that I think that anyone that can't find the fun in comical, fun spirited displays really shouldn't be in a theme park that is designed to be entertainingly light hearted and they probably must be a lot of fun at parties.
BTW, the absolute definition of garish would be to stick thousands of bright lights on a structural work of art and think that is gorgeous. It would be like putting Viagra advertisements on the walls of the Sistine Chapel. I'm sure it will be alright to see at night, but please don't imply that it is any less destructive to the image of SSE then the hand and wand was. All I can picture during the day is a round object with little pimples all over it. (some what resembling the depiction of the Corona Virus)
JohnD
Well-Known Member
JohnD
Well-Known Member
I look forward to the effect at night. None of us know what it will look like during the day yet. I prefer to wait and see instead of the default doom and gloom that tends to prevail around here.
Architectural lighting evolves along with society and technology.
There’s a new office building that just went up here that has a very prominent color-changing LED lighting package. I think it’s a little over the top, for an office building, but then again it’s just copying what we’re seeing on city skylines the world over right now. Bold color contrasts, effect lighting, and projection mapping are all very common today... even on historical, religious, and ‘architecturally important’ structures.
We can argue if the lighting on Cinderella Castle looked ‘better’ in 1980 or 2020, but I think almost anyone could agree that the representative lighting design in both years felt very much a part of their eras while staying true to the structure.
SSE has always been its own retro-future thing and since it’s never had a notable update in its nighttime ‘look’ I can understand the hesitation to fully accept this. I’m a little on the fence myself, actually, but I’m interested to see how it plays out. My gut instinct is that the 1982 lighting design is timeless, and that this look will feel dated in 5 years... but that’s just my opinion. I don’t think EPCOT needs to stay stuck in 1982 design language, but I’m also concerned that putting in some strobes and color changing washes is a little ‘late to the party’ in 2021. It’s a tough call, honestly, but I respect that they’re trying not to stay stagnant with the structure.
There’s a new office building that just went up here that has a very prominent color-changing LED lighting package. I think it’s a little over the top, for an office building, but then again it’s just copying what we’re seeing on city skylines the world over right now. Bold color contrasts, effect lighting, and projection mapping are all very common today... even on historical, religious, and ‘architecturally important’ structures.
We can argue if the lighting on Cinderella Castle looked ‘better’ in 1980 or 2020, but I think almost anyone could agree that the representative lighting design in both years felt very much a part of their eras while staying true to the structure.
SSE has always been its own retro-future thing and since it’s never had a notable update in its nighttime ‘look’ I can understand the hesitation to fully accept this. I’m a little on the fence myself, actually, but I’m interested to see how it plays out. My gut instinct is that the 1982 lighting design is timeless, and that this look will feel dated in 5 years... but that’s just my opinion. I don’t think EPCOT needs to stay stuck in 1982 design language, but I’m also concerned that putting in some strobes and color changing washes is a little ‘late to the party’ in 2021. It’s a tough call, honestly, but I respect that they’re trying not to stay stagnant with the structure.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I’m a long way from a doom & gloom person. I just don’t take kindly to anyone saying that I have no taste. SSE is more than just an attraction it is a masterpiece in engineering. Adding show lights will cheapen it in my mind. I may even like the night show just not the gaudines.
EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
I'm sure it will line up with the thousand points of light and the story inside, urging us each to make a difference.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
Being a commercial designer and lighting designer I have wondered for years why they did not do this long ago... The lights will fit in a natural junction of the structural lines... They are small enough they will basically disappear unless you are specifically looking for them, and at night they will add some kinetic energy to the monument... I am sure they will not be on all the time but limited show sequences, and then they are not lit, they will pretty much disappear... They should not cheapen, but enhance the structural and sculptural beauty of Spaceship earth...
Like I said before, this with the restoration of the Entrance Plaza are actually a real enhancements...the rest of what they are doing with Communicore and the park in general are questionable.
Like I said before, this with the restoration of the Entrance Plaza are actually a real enhancements...the rest of what they are doing with Communicore and the park in general are questionable.