Options for Epcot.? food for thought.

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So I've been chatting on the other forum about various changes to Epcot. Now let me admit, I am a natural cynic. I believe in my tag line, I think Iger and Disney have shown lately the direction they want to move in as far as the parks and they are not going to some how support challenging, imaginative things. that's just me.

So what options do you think there could be for Epcot? I firmly believe that it's original intent is dead, I didn't experience it but I don't think that this current guard is going to spend the capital for that.

So what could be a viable option? Another poster said there could be some other type of ethos that can help futureworld?

Do you think there is some thing realistically WDW could do that would make future world shine again?
 

"El Gran Magnifico"

Bring Me A Shrubbery
Premium Member
Yes. I believe the "original" intent is dead. I also agree that the IP infusion will take place in both FW and WS.

Sadly, I don't believe FW can be saved. Not in it's current state - And not holding true to it's original vision.

More so, because it's past "saving" FW for me. And if that's the case, my current thought process is how do I turn EPCOT into a park that I'd like to visit. Even if it means FW needs to be re-named and/or re-themed.

I think "imaginative" and "challenging" are subjective. So if they want to revive interest in that area - I'd like to ask that they give us something worthwhile. I get that the IPs are coming. Just make it immersive and coherent.

Now, if this is more about the current tract - i.e. "re-imagining" FW vs "saving" it - then there is a lot they could do.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Epcot could easily be called "Eclecticot," due to the lack of themed lands forcing rides to conform to a (sometimes) awkward vision -- in Futureworld, anyway. So I foresee more iterations of shorter rides with less edutainment and more family-oriented thrills.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Do you think there is some thing realistically WDW could do that would make future world shine again?
This is a question we should not have to ask ourselves. The Imagineers are capable of creating something that most people would not even think possible. Whether it be IP based or completely original, they could blow us all away. The travesty here is that they will most likely not be allowed to do so.

And at this point, I cant even blame Disney anymore for tossing together discombobulated areas/attractions that completely lack cohesiveness and just slap an IP title on it , because a majority of people will herald it as the eighth wonder of the world. And if anybody even dare point out that what they created is enjoyable, but simply out of place, they will be meet with the one size fits all rebuttal of "You are just a purist who wants them to rebuild Horizons".
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
EPCOT, even from the beginning in 1982 was not what Walt intended.

The Walt Disney Company did the best they could and what made the best sense business wise when it opened and are still trying today.

Today with the World Wide Web, social media, streaming services, smart phones, everything is immediate and literally at your finger tips. No need to go anywhere to see new and exciting advancements.

We all must accept that EPCOT will continue to evolve into what it needs to, in order to survive.

As I see it, the world showcase should be able to continue to be itself with regular updates and hopefully additional countries.

As for future world, who knows, it will evolve into something that is new, and on the bright side, everybody likes new stuff, right?
 

FettFan

Well-Known Member
So I've been chatting on the other forum about various changes to Epcot. Now let me admit, I am a natural cynic. I believe in my tag line, I think Iger and Disney have shown lately the direction they want to move in as far as the parks and they are not going to some how support challenging, imaginative things. that's just me.

So what options do you think there could be for Epcot? I firmly believe that it's original intent is dead, I didn't experience it but I don't think that this current guard is going to spend the capital for that.

So what could be a viable option? Another poster said there could be some other type of ethos that can help futureworld?

Do you think there is some thing realistically WDW could do that would make future world shine again?

Stay true to the original theme of Future World as a showcase for science and technology. If thrill rides are to be made, ensure that they jive with that theme. (Mission Space and Nemo can stay.... Spaceship Earth, Soarin', and Test Track need to be modified.... Wonders of Life needs to be resurrected... and the Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Eric Idle have GOT to GO.)


PS - Also, remove most of Frozen from Norway. If you're going to keep Elsa and Co. around, at least have them like on a diplomatic mission to Norway and they team up with Erik the Red to pillage the British Isles or something.

leif-eriksson-discovers-america-hans-dahl.jpg

Unfortunately most people would think this is Gimli.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Stay true to the original theme of Future World as a showcase for science and technology. If thrill rides are to be made, ensure that they jive with that theme. (Mission Space and Nemo can stay.... Spaceship Earth, Soarin', and Test Track need to be modified.... Wonders of Life needs to be resurrected... and the Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr. Eric Idle have GOT to GO.)


PS - Also, remove most of Frozen from Norway. If you're going to keep Elsa and Co. around, at least have them like on a diplomatic mission to Norway and they team up with Erik the Red to pillage the British Isles or something.

leif-eriksson-discovers-america-hans-dahl.jpg

Unfortunately most people would think this is Gimli.
OMG I am such a dweeb because I immediately said, Why is Gimili not with Legolas!! sorry.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
I think Disney at this point is just fine with EP being "the event park". Everything seems to be geared towards promoting more and more events bolstered by booths with food & drink. Its working for Dis because it continues to drive in the locals and attracts outside guests who book reservations and are happy with attending all the different themed events. Why worry if its containing a FW theme or if attractions mesh with flowing thematic ideas. Just put anything in there that guests will ride and the events will take care of the park. They appear to be satisfied that theres 3 other parks that are themed well, if EP is different who cares, its still profitable.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This is a question we should not have to ask ourselves. The Imagineers are capable of creating something that most people would not even think possible. Whether it be IP based or completely original, they could blow us all away. The travesty here is that they will most likely not be allowed to do so.

And at this point, I cant even blame Disney anymore for tossing together discombobulated areas/attractions that completely lack cohesiveness and just slap an IP title on it , because a majority of people will herald it as the eighth wonder of the world. And if anybody even dare point out that what they created is enjoyable, but simply out of place, they will be meet with the one size fits all rebuttal of "You are just a purist who wants them to rebuild Horizons".


There is some truth to both sides @wdisney9000, I totally own up to the fact that I'm a late comer to the world and it's hard to imagine all these glorious things, I've watched Martins videos and while they make me smile maybe because I did not experience it, I sorta of look at them and say "yeah that's cute, probably be boring today but it's cute". you are right, I really don't think about whether or not some thing "fits" into a "theme". I think frozen is way better the malestrom so I admit I'm glad they got rid of it, I never thought if it fit into the pavilion.

so I'll agree with you yes I can see how folks think Frozen ever after is misplaced.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Today with the World Wide Web, social media, streaming services, smart phones, everything is immediate and literally at your finger tips. No need to go anywhere to see new and exciting advancements.
When Disney opens Star Wars Land there should be no need for people to go see the new and exciting advancements in the attractions and the technology they have. They can simply watch it on their smart phone, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, etc correct?

This is the biggest misconception in regards to Epcot and also the most common excuse as to why any attraction or IP is acceptable to put wherever they feel. The park was never about technology. Showcasing science, communication, travel, culture, the past, present and the future are far from being strictly based on technology.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
When Disney opens Star Wars Land there should be no need for people to go see the new and exciting advancements in the attractions and the technology they have. They can simply watch it on their smart phone, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, etc correct?

This is the biggest misconception in regards to Epcot and also the most common excuse as to why any attraction or IP is acceptable to put wherever they feel. The park was never about technology. Showcasing science, communication, travel, culture, the past, present and the future are far from being strictly based on technology.

Star Wars is fiction. And it's gonna be cool to be inside the movies when Star Wars land is open. It's gonna be cool to see if Disney can still wow us with a super cool attraction when we have super HD, virtual reality, big screens right in our living rooms!

It was my understanding that Walts original concept for EPCOT Center was a place to showcase new technologies. In my opinion, we need not go anywhere to see that today, it's just a few taps on a phone now.

Before the WWW, social media, streaming services and smart phones, Disney did give it a try when EPCOT first opened, it was cool, we made dining reservations on the video screens in EPCOT, if folks saw that setup today, they would laugh at it.

Today companies do not need PAY Disney and set up a place to demonstrate their stuff at EPCOT, they just put it on the web.

Disney will do what it thinks is best with EPCOT, but It really doesn't matter what Disney does with EPCOT, folks will come anyway.

50 years ago, I remember my grandfather saying to me, the best place to see a baseball game is right in front of the TV. And for the baseball purest, he was right, but who doesn't want to be actually in the park for the big game!
 
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erasure fan1

Well-Known Member
Today with the World Wide Web, social media, streaming services, smart phones, everything is immediate and literally at your finger tips. No need to go anywhere to see new and exciting advancements.
I am in total agreement with @wdisney9000 on this one. In my opinion this is just a convenient excuse. Like you said, it's going to be cool to go into star wars. But what else is cool? Going into and seeing real places that 95% of people will never get to see. The concept of Epcot was fine, you can still wow people with things like the living seas. Disney just doesn't want to, because keeping things current, costs more money. I can look at pictures of dinosaurs on line and even watch jurassic park, but riding through it is still much better. People got bored because Disney let the tech get stale. I guarantee that if energy had updated its dinos with modern tech and to look like what we know them to look like now and retool the story, it's popular.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
Star Wars is fiction. And it's gonna be cool to be inside the movies when Star Wars land is open. It's gonna be cool to see if Disney can still wow us with a super cool attraction when we have super HD, virtual reality, big screens right in our living rooms!
Would it no be "cool" if they built the Rhine River attraction in Germany Pavilion or perhaps a unique attraction in Future World about the past, resent and future of Space exploration? Or are you are saying that its ok to ignore your very own comment about not needing to see anything new and exciting if its fiction or features a movie character?

Before the WWW, social media, streaming services and smart phones, Disney did give it a try when EPCOT first opened, it was cool, we made dining reservations on the video screens in EPCOT, if folks saw that setup today, they would laugh at it.
I am well aware of the WorldKey Stations and I highly doubt people would laugh at them, especially if they were displayed in a historical feature. There are people who appreciate history without requiring fictional characters attached to it. There is much to learn from history. Perhaps if they put Darth Vader stickers on the kiosks, it would be cooler to certain people.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
Would it no be "cool" if they built the Rhine River attraction in Germany Pavilion or perhaps a unique attraction in Future World about the past, resent and future of Space exploration? Or are you are saying that its ok to ignore your very own comment about not needing to see anything new and exciting if its fiction or features a movie character?


I am well aware of the WorldKey Stations and I highly doubt people would laugh at them, especially if they were displayed in a historical feature. There are people who appreciate history without requiring fictional characters attached to it. There is much to learn from history. Perhaps if they put Darth Vader stickers on the kiosks, it would be cooler to certain people.

Don't get me wrong, As you see by my icon I am a big Horizons fan and miss it very much. I loved communicate, but Disney simply can't keep up with technology in order to show anything that is really new as technology moves too fast.

Showing the WorldKey as a historical feature, like the history of technology; teletype, rotory phones, early computers, radio tubes, the first transistor, I would love to see that, not so sure a kid would.

The past present and future of space travel would be great! I would love it. Let's call it Horizons 2.0 😀

Would I have loved to see Walts EPCOT, yes. Do I miss old EPCOT Center, yes. It sounds like I would love your version of EPCOT.

As for the energy pavilion, I would have liked them to keep the ride system and refresh the content, I thought that ride system was cool and had a very large capacity!

Having said that, I am still looking forward to the new ride, not because it's guardians, although I did enjoy the movies, but because it's new and a coaster.

I am not apologizing for what Disney is doing with EPCOT, I am just saying they are doing what they think is best. EPCOT was never going to be Walts EPCOT and it will never be our EPCOT Center as we knew it
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
So I've been chatting on the other forum about various changes to Epcot. Now let me admit, I am a natural cynic. I believe in my tag line, I think Iger and Disney have shown lately the direction they want to move in as far as the parks and they are not going to some how support challenging, imaginative things. that's just me.

So what options do you think there could be for Epcot? I firmly believe that it's original intent is dead, I didn't experience it but I don't think that this current guard is going to spend the capital for that.

So what could be a viable option? Another poster said there could be some other type of ethos that can help futureworld?

Do you think there is some thing realistically WDW could do that would make future world shine again?
FW was dead long before Iger ever got to power. EPCOT has been a joke for decades pretty much the moment they decided not to every add or change the existing country expos the whole point of EPCOT died. At this point FW should just be bulldozed and forgotten. When you refuse to keep pumping money into something that is supposed to represent the future then you're going to be a failure at some point and that happened way back in the 90s or maybe even 80s.
 

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