Snow White to get a semi-permanent meet and greet at the Germany pavilion

NewfieFan

NewfieFan

Well-Known Member
Gorjus said:
EPCOT doesn't exist; not the way Walt wanted it. He wanted a community you lived in. Celebration is closer to Walt's dream of EPCOT.

You can't educate people if they don't come and stay for a bit. Characters, alcohol, live entertainment and Kim Possible get people to the WS pavillions and keep them there long enough to possibly learn something.

As someone who spends a lot of her time with the characters in World Showcase, I can tell you that MOST guests have no clue why a character is in a certain country. As cast members, one of our duties is to educate them in a fun way. Guest: "Who are we in line for?" Me: "Well, we are in *name a country*. What Disney character's story fits with this country?" Some figure it out, some need help and then get that happy suprise face when the light turns on and they learned something.

Families are the mainstay of WDW. Everything has to be geared to them. So many families just walk around the lake and never ever step foot inside the countries attractions to check it out. But now, let's use Germany as an example. The kids are playing Kim Possible and moving around the pavillion checking things out and learning things while playing. Mom and Dad can be enjoying beer or wine while following the kids around. Also, Dad can get in the nice long line for Snow White with his beer and wait with the kids while mom gets to shop or explore the pavillion.

As for the princesses in Norway, and speaking of plaques, there is a plaque outside the Norway restaruant that explain why the princesses are there. It says something like.....Her Royal Highness, The Queen of Norway, invites you to a meal with the storybook princesses.

The number of guests that know as much about Disney as we all do on this board is miniscule. Most are just looking for a fun time, not purity.
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Great post... puts it in perspective! Hopefully, there are more CMs like you "educating" the tourists!
 
toystorymaniacs

toystorymaniacs

New Member
This is one of those threads that really makes me want to quote Seth and Amy from SNL and say, "Seriously!" I mean seriously, you are going to get so up and arms and over dramatic (saying your jumping off a building) over a meet and greet? Seriously, tell me how this really impacts your vacation if my nieces want to meet Snow White in Germany?:shrug: You can still get your beer and walk through the stores.

My family loves Epcot, we all love to learn. My husband take our oldest and our nieces and nephew on the "behind the seeds tour" every trip. My 7 year old is as equally excited about the Kim Possible Mission as he is the tour of Morocco we are planning. Epcot is not dumberd down by any means, Disney like any good teacher knows if you don't have your studnets intrest they aren't going to learn anything.
 
ChrisFL

ChrisFL

Premium Member
Gorjus said:
Families are the mainstay of WDW. Everything has to be geared to them.
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I guess this is my problem...this thought that everything has to be geared toward families. It's not the same situation at the other Disney parks in the world, I know because I've been to nearly all of them except for Paris

For example, Tokyo DisneySea is constantly referred to as the best modern Disney park experience anywhere....and it wasn't designed just for families (aka families with little kids) There's plenty of exploring and incredible scenery that many adults enjoy.

Most of the guests there are adults, couples, groups of guys or ladies...strollers are very rarely seen.

Now does that mean that families shouldn't be the main focus? Of course not, but I think Disney is doing themselves a disservice by pushing more and more toward the families with young kids crowd.

Epcot was on the same track and it was working fine, but if there can't be synergy these days, how will it work (thinks Disney management)?

Nearly everything goes back to synergy...it's a miracle we got anything like Expedition: Everest.
 
Figment632

Figment632

New Member
NewfieFan said:
Where is Nemo plastered all over the place? He's in one pavillion!
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What other character has a whole pavillion dedicated to them? It's ridiculos if they wanted to but one attraction in a pavillion like Circle of Life that's one think, why does it have to take up the whole area?
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Disney Tokyo, Yes it is more educationally oriented than Epcot is now but in Asia generally education is regarded as vital and FUN. In the US due to the dreadful public school systems all joy in learning is sucked out of people at a young age.

So EPCOT needs a 'weenie' to draw people especially children into the pavilions at world showcase in this case the weenie is characters and in most cases the Characters fit. If you have seen Snow White Castle at DL you would recognize it as a German castle, Cinderella castle is French, etc

Snow White is perfect for Germany as it will draw the kids in and they will learn something in the process. If the families with kids just walk by they will learn nothing.
 
krankenstein

krankenstein

Well-Known Member
ford91exploder said:
Disney Tokyo, Yes it is more educationally oriented than Epcot is now but in Asia generally education is regarded as vital and FUN. In the US due to the dreadful public school systems all joy in learning is sucked out of people at a young age.

So EPCOT needs a 'weenie' to draw people especially children into the pavilions at world showcase in this case the weenie is characters and in most cases the Characters fit. If you have seen Snow White Castle at DL you would recognize it as a German castle, Cinderella castle is French, etc

Snow White is perfect for Germany as it will draw the kids in and they will learn something in the process. If the families with kids just walk by they will learn nothing.
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Um...DL has Sleeping Beauty Castle. :lookaroun
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
SirGoofy said:
I disagree, but we've been over this too many times. :lol:




Unfortunately that mentality was thrown out the window a long time ago. Now, if it's not for the family, we'll close it down and lease it to third party vendors.:zipit:
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:lol: I know.

And yes, that's exactly what I was referring to, too.
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
NewfieFan said:
Yeah, but Nemo brings people in where they can then be edutained (is that a word)!

Better than a pavillion with tubbleweeds blowing through it!
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This is true. But they could have used him much, much better.

The attraction is in Future World...What is so futuristic about it? Or Discovery-ish (is THAT a word!?:lol:) seeing that's the current spin for EPCOT.
 
GothMickey

GothMickey

Active Member
EPCOT Explorer said:
This is true. But they could have used him much, much better.

The attraction is in Future World...What is so futuristic about it? Or Discovery-ish (is THAT a word!?:lol:) seeing that's the current spin for EPCOT.
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Nothing. But the same can be said about the original Living Seas ride. There was nothing futuristic about sitting in an omnimover looking into an aquarium. ;)
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
GothMickey said:
Nothing. But the same can be said about the original Living Seas ride. There was nothing futuristic about sitting in an omnimover looking into an aquarium. ;)
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I beg to differ...:D (Of course!:lol:)

The theming, the preshow video, and the general attitude if Sea Base Alpha was VERY futuristic.

To me at least...:lookaroun
 
GothMickey

GothMickey

Active Member
EPCOT Explorer said:
I beg to differ...:D (Of course!:lol:)

The theming, the preshow video, and the general attitude if Sea Base Alpha was VERY futuristic.

To me at least...:lookaroun
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Well, if you want to include the entire pavilion, maybe back then it was. Not so much today, so the original Living Seas wouldn't work. However, I am sure WDI could have done something with Living Seas that made it relevant today, and futuristic as well, instead of Nemo. But, I wil admit, I like the ride.
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
GothMickey said:
Well, if you want to include the entire pavilion, maybe back then it was. Not so much today, so the original Living Seas wouldn't work. However, I am sure WDI could have done something with Living Seas that made it relevant today, and futuristic as well, instead of Nemo. But, I wil admit, I like the ride.
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Agreed and agreed. The ride is awesome...It should just be a bit to the south east...;)
 
protiius

protiius

Member
have just read this ENTIRE thread but now my mind is so pulped that i can't recall the various opinions that i had :snore:

although i will say that i agree with character integration into epcot only when it is appropriate. therefore, sw is a worthwhile addition.

as for "what would walt want", it is impossible to say!! i'm pretty certain that walt would not have wanted EPCOT the THEME PARK, so it's a pretty inane argument to have! walt was a visionary, so whatever we believe he would have wanted will be much less advanced that what he would've actually conceived!!
 
ChrisFL

ChrisFL

Premium Member
ford91exploder said:
Disney Tokyo, Yes it is more educationally oriented than Epcot is now but in Asia generally education is regarded as vital and FUN. In the US due to the dreadful public school systems all joy in learning is sucked out of people at a young age.
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This I do agree with...and it's sad. Hopefully somehow we can get learning to be fun (or at least to actually Happen) again in our schools in the U.S., but it's not looking good so far.

That's one thing I truly enjoyed about the original EPCOT and the field trips we'd go on as local school kids...we saw history, technology, etc. brought to life that can't be done in a 1982 classroom. These days it's a lot different, there's technology out the wazoo, but schools are getting less funding it seems like.
 

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