Our complaints about Epcot between the 2000’s and now, are we living in our worse WDW nightmare?

[mysto]

I agree. Horizons is like Carousel of Progress. People go on it to take a break from the heat. People today don't want to be educated at theme parks, they want thrill rides. Look at how many people say that AK is a half day park. They do the rides and that is it, they have no interest in the trails and learning about animals and nature.

Once upon a time I had FP+ sceduled for the rides, and I rope dropped the trails. That's the way I like to do AK. I'm still hoping they'll let me do that again someday. I can kinda sorta simulate it now with LL, but not really.

 

[marni1971]

, a building that was rotting

You believe that?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

People today don't want to be educated at theme parks, they want thrill rides.

'People today', and 'the new generation' have been said to not like classic Disney parks since EPCOT opened. This is why Eisner brought in the toons and Michael Jackson and Barbie and stunt shows.

Yet nobody talks about those anymore. What the park's fans remember is Horizons, original Figment, SSE.

But Disney persisted and persisted. Destroying EPCOT ever more and more, until their 'today's guests want' became a self-fulfilling prophecy. EPCOT's audience of interested, curious kids and adults with a love for its lyricism, poetry, art and beauty has been replaced with the current mob: self-absorbed, sometimes to the point of agressive, inebriated, loud, instant stimulation driven, rampant star-of-the-show-syndrome, barely interested in the place they're at beyond what would look good at their social media feed.

And yes, now they do want beer and superhero coasters for a theme park.

 

[MagicRat]

You believe that?

By rotting I meant smell, have you ever walked in it?

 

[marni1971]

By rotting I meant smell, have you ever walked in it?

Many times. But the building wasn’t at fault.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Yes, I've been pretty absent. I've finally gone off WDW. The infamous tipping point has been reached. I'll return at some point, but for the first time since my first two steps onto MS in 1979 I have no overwhelming, burning, all-consuming desire to be at WDW.

But I'll take the great FoxFurr's point of view: this may no longer be my WDW, but perhaps it is somebody else's. And I don't want to rain on their parade with disillusioned comments everywhere. I'll leave the World and this website for them to enjoy.

They’re lucky, they can go into Disney with that dark cloud of disappointment and never know what they’re missing, I guess I can say I wish I was a newbie who never cared to look at Disney World in the past. But what I don’t understand is what jobs do these new people have because I want in on that money.

 

[eliza61nyc]

They’re lucky, they can go into Disney with that dark cloud of disappointment and never know what they’re missing, I guess I can say I wish I was a newbie who never cared to look at Disney World in the past. But what I don’t understand is what jobs do these new people have because I want in on that money.

There is some truth to that. I don't have any friends or co workers who want the "old" epcot because they don't care or know about the "old" epcot and that's not a bad thing. I dont understand why it's so wrong for folks to go on vacation there and actually be happy or enjoy themselves. It's almost like folks here (not saying you specifically) are actually upset because people like wdw. There is no luck to it.????

So I was a chemist in my former life, I don't think I made tons of cash, my late husband started his own business, believe me, those first few years we definitely wouldn't have call ourselves rich. Like most folks we simply prioritized stuff. Some years the financial Gods where in our favor, other years not so much (lol tell me how a roof starts leaking in 4 different places) I am retired so thankfully I'm past the "college tuition and saving for a house" stage. we loved Disney so we saved for it , now we live in the ridiculously high northeast usa so lol we might be immune to $4.00 cokes. My son and his family are going in October, he's a camera man for a local tv station, his wife is a philadelphia school teacher. as far as I know they do the same thing. save for vacations.

 

[Lilofan]

They’re lucky, they can go into Disney with that dark cloud of disappointment and never know what they’re missing, I guess I can say I wish I was a newbie who never cared to look at Disney World in the past. But what I don’t understand is what jobs do these new people have because I want in on that money.

We go regularly. Investing long term in the markets, our money working harder than we do, taking part in selling shares at times , enjoying the vacations , thanks stock market! Don't need to be a high paying exec !

 

[HauntedPirate]

'People today', and 'the new generation' have been said to not like classic Disney parks since EPCOT opened. This is why Eisner brought in the toons and Michael Jackson and Barbie and stunt shows.

Yet nobody talks about those anymore. What the park's fans remember is Horizons, original Figment, SSE.

But Disney persisted and persisted. Destroying EPCOT ever more and more, until their 'today's guests want' became a self-fulfilling prophecy. EPCOT's audience of interested, curious kids and adults with a love for its lyricism, poetry, art and beauty has been replaced with the current mob: self-absorbed, sometimes to the point of agressive, inebriated, loud, instant stimulation driven, rampant star-of-the-show-syndrome, barely interested in the place they're at beyond what would look good at their social media feed.

And yes, now they do want beer and superhero coasters for a theme park.

The problem with chasing "today's guests" is that their tastes change far too quickly. The Imagineers that built EPCOT Center didn't build it just for guests of their day. They built it for guests then, tomorrow, and into the future. But management had such limited vision that they couldn't be bothered to do what needed to be done in the mid-to-late 90's, then Bob came in, and here we are. Aim for the lowest common denominator, that'll bring in the money.

Knowledge, experience, and history are damnable things to have when it comes to Epcot (and Disney in general) - Too many are so quick to dimiss those with it, calling them "purists", "Stuck in the past", et al. When did having taste and standards based on what Disney itself used to pride itself on become something that is looked down on? Being dumb and blind to the past isn't an excuse for you to enjoy the present and put down those who know what was and what could be. Change for the sake of change isn't something that should be applauded. Change that builds upon and improves something is what should be the minimum to strive for.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

It's almost like folks here (not saying you specifically) are actually upset because people like wdw. There is no luck to it.????

It's simple. If you really enjoyed something, and then it was changed, and the changes caused you to no longer enjoy it, but now somebody else enjoys it ... that still doesn't change anything about the fact that you no longer like something you used to enjoy solely because it was changed.

A lot of people enjoyed EPCOT Center and no longer enjoy it since it became Epcot (or they enjoy it less). You like Epcot? Terrific. It still doesn't change the concept that they had something they enjoyed taken away from them. It would be unnatural for them not to be upset.

 

[eliza61nyc]

It's simple. If you really enjoyed something, and then it was changed, and the changes caused you to no longer enjoy it, but now somebody else enjoys it ... that still doesn't change anything about the fact that you no longer like something you used to enjoy solely because it was changed.

A lot of people enjoyed EPCOT Center and no longer enjoy it since it became Epcot (or they enjoy it less). You like Epcot? Terrific. It still doesn't change the concept that they had something they enjoyed taken away from them. It would be unnatural for them not to be upset.

And that's cool but to assume that today's guest go to epcot with "a cloud of disappointment " is flat out wrong.

 

[MagicRat]

I don’t understand how one group calls animal kingdom a 1/4 day park for what it has and then blasts Epcot for becoming IP and a lack of an educational base. Do the same 1/4 park goers at animal kingdom do the exploration trails or the wilderness explorer sites? What about the safari or the train to the animal veterinarian lookin?

We missed out on the Safari, Bugs Life, River Journey, and the train and got to the parks at 11:00 with a pretty quick ability to work the lightening lane and fast walkers. I just don’t see how you can call it a 1/4 day park or you must not be doing the edutainment parts.

 

[Jrb1979]

I don’t understand how one group calls animal kingdom a 1/4 day park for what it has and then blasts Epcot for becoming IP and a lack of an educational base. Do the same 1/4 park goers at animal kingdom do the exploration trails or the wilderness explorer sites? What about the safari or the train to the animal veterinarian lookin?

We missed out on the Safari, Bugs Life, River Journey, and the train and got to the parks at 11:00 with a pretty quick ability to work the lightening lane and fast walkers. I just don’t see how you can call it a 1/4 day park or you must not be doing the edutainment parts.

For my family, we have no interest in the trails the explorer sites or shows. We go to the parks for rides. For us only MK is a full day park. For us we loved the edutainment parts at the original Epcot cause they were rides not walkthroughs. The new Moana we have no interest in.

 

[MAGICFLOP]

Yea, we live in a new brand of stupid society for sure. But the ride shutdowns I saw on my trip were all day/rest of the day shutdowns. Usually a dumb guest will just set you back a few ride cycles. Dumb guests are a problem for sure. But I think Disney has a very big maintenance problem first and foremost.

I understand breakdowns... after all these attractions are high tech and mechanical.... but.. if you paid $35 bucks to get in you go with the flow... they are charging top dollar... so its hard to swallow..... if I pay $200 for dinner, then no excuse for wilted lettuce in the salad..

 

[MagicRat]

I understand breakdowns... after all these attractions are high tech and mechanical.... but.. if you paid $35 bucks to get in you go with the flow... they are charging top dollar... so its hard to swallow..... if I pay $200 for dinner, then no excuse for wilted lettuce in the salad..

For a bad salad or a messed up lightening lane day, go to guest relations and tell them about it. They will do their best to correct it, even if you don’t have the lightening lane they will try to remedy the situation. Maybe smile instead of frown though it generally helps in everything!

 

[FutureCEO]

However misguided, there was at least an attempt in the 90s/early 2000s to keep Epcot unique from the other WDW parks.

Now that's completely gone.

That, to me, is a shame.

Just wait til Disney get's to Animal Kingdom now that Joe Rhody is gone

 

[Lilofan]

I understand breakdowns... after all these attractions are high tech and mechanical.... but.. if you paid $35 bucks to get in you go with the flow... they are charging top dollar... so its hard to swallow..... if I pay $200 for dinner, then no excuse for wilted lettuce in the salad..

I would address wilted salad immediately to the dining room manager.