Completely forgot about this project
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News New Play Pavilion to replace Epcot's Wonders of Life
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Disney is hoping you do.
And that there ever was anything in the building before.
Skibum1970
Well-Known Member
Honestly, I was never a fan of the plans for this building. I wish that they would add a nice dark ride but maybe the building structure or size wouldn't allow for it to happen.
Goofy Ninja
Well-Known Member
I'm hoping they cancel this one. I'd much rather see something else like a Baymax or Wall-E attraction.
itsy bitsy spider
Well-Known Member
I'd rather see a new version of the Wonders of Life pavilion than some cheaply thrown together halfass pavilion.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I think it's unlikely it sits empty for 10+ more years, but I'd still take that over Play! -- because if Play! was actually built and opened, we'd almost certainly be stuck with it for much longer than 10 years and the whole concept was a ridiculous waste of space for an EPCOT pavilion.
If there was some kind of guarantee that Play! was only going to be around for a few years instead of being left to rot for decades (like, say, Imagination...), then sure, it'd be better than nothing. Since that was very unlikely, it's essentially opportunity cost, both of the use of the pavilion itself and of the funds that were going to be spent on Play! potentially being allocated to something better (yeah, that seems unlikely too).
No Name
Well-Known Member
I’ll see you in 2033!
doctornick
Well-Known Member
Agreed. The idea that Disney will "build something better" if indeed this is cancelled seems silly, especially given how the space has already been sitting (essentially) unused for years. Wonders of Life closed 16 years ago and it took a long time just to get this modest project approved. Do people really think that Disney is about to go and approve an even larger budget for a more ambitious reworking in the near future? I mean, keep on dreaming if you like, but Play was the best shot we had for something in this space in the next 5-10 years.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
That doesn't change the overall point, though.
If the "something" going in that space is a terrible use of the space, it's still not a good idea -- because we know Disney isn't going to replace it after a few years. It will sit there for decades, whereas if the space is empty, there's at least the chance of something better. They are more likely to replace the empty space in the next decade than they are to change the Play! Pavilion if it was built and opened.
Not only is Imagination a good example, Dino-Rama is an even better one. It was designed to be a quick and temporary fix and it's still there 20+ years later.
Something isn't inherently better than nothing when opportunity cost is involved.
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No Name
Well-Known Member
Why do you believe that something better would’ve been built if Dino-Rama wasn’t there? Everything they’ve done leads me to believe it would still be an empty plot of land. The fact that the main attraction has been closed/gone for 3 years without any replacement in the works is telling.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
It absolutely could still be an empty plot of land -- and that would probably be preferable.
Dino-Rama is well-executed for what it is (i.e. it successfully executes the intended theme) but it was never a good idea from the start. Its presence diminishes Animal Kingdom because it's so out of place with the rest of the park. While Play! Pavilion wouldn't really have that issue at EPCOT, especially considering you'd have to go inside the building to see anything, it would still be both eliminating a place to develop something actually worthwhile and siphoning funds that could be used to better effect elsewhere.
Of course there's the capacity argument, but considering Play! Pavilion wasn't even using the attraction space, it's not like it was going to have any significant effect on capacity either. I'll take the chance, even if it's a small one, of something better eventually opening there instead of having the space permanently committed to such a waste.
I understand why people feel otherwise, though, if only for capacity's sake. I just don't personally think that having something is automatically better than nothing when taking all factors into consideration.
The opposite. I think the idea was a good one but failed in execution.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Why do you think it failed in execution? It's pretty spot on for a roadside tourist trap.
It's just that nobody really wants to see that in the middle of a theme park.
It's not though, IMO. It's far too pristine and perfect to be anything remotely "tourist trap" like. It's too Disney. It doesn't look "cheap" by tourist trap dumpy roadside attraction standards. It just looks cheap by Disney standards. The distinction is important. It needed to strike the right balance. Something bordering on derelict but not quite, more of a tongue in cheek homage but pushed to the extremes. What we got was bright colors, newness and off the shelf rides. I think back to A Goofy Movie where Max visits Lester's Possum Park.... It should have been more like that. That aesthetic would have gone a long way in establishing the backstory. For DAK, a worn, aged yet charming aesthetic would have been ideal. I think they had a good idea. They just faltered on execution. It's meant to be nostalgic. It's not.
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MagicHappens1971
Well-Known Member
I have to disagree, I think they did an incredible job with the execution, of a bad theme. Unlike Toy Story Land, where they poorly executed a bad theme.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
It's an idealized version of a roadside tourist trap for sure, like most things at Disney. I agree that it's nicer than an actual crappy roadside tourist trap, but that would have been worse than what exists -- it just needed to evoke one, and I think it's pretty clear that's what it's supposed to be (at least for anyone who knows what that is, and I think the number of people who do know that is rapidly declining).
The fact that TriceraTop Spin could be plopped down in Toy Story Land and work as-is kind of proves how lax WDI was with DINORAMA's theme. We can agree to disagree. It had the potential to be greater.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
I agree. You can drive down the 192 and get the same feeling.