You're exactly right! Not everyone felt that the old Land featured the best design possible, and, after ten years of that design, I was ready for some fresh changes, too. There are a lot of great things that are coming with the new pavilion, and I think that The Land still has a promising future - - and most of you have expressed this view quite well.
What I've tried to do is point out some key, meaningful elements of the traditional pavilion that have been lost. This does not mean that the new pavilion is inherently bad - - I'm sure that the Imagineers referred back to the threads of symbiosis as they redesigned the pavilion. Many of us have found some significant, interesting elements in the new pavilion. But many of us, also, have enjoyed some elements of the old pavilion that will be missing from the new one. Elements that have always defined the Land experience for many Epcot fans.
What I mean by "Food Fair" is that sense of earthy celebration and joy, which the food court used to show in its spirit and decor, yet no longer does. I encourage you to read through the original posts on The Land, when we weren't sure exactly what the rehab would be like - - and you'll receive that sense of common consensus regarding the warm, vibrant, original, spirited celebration of symbiosis. I am also a writer for D-Troops, and I can say (with much gratitude) that the Imagineers may have taken some cues from Disney fans in keeping the balloons, in keeping a lot of the earthy elements of the pavilion instead of overhauling everything. Our messages have circulated around the creative teams, and they care about long-time guests and Cast Members who have come to know and understand the pavilion and its messages (since the designers of the '82 pavilion are not the same designers of the new one).
Our only concern (and I'm speaking for those who can identify with what has been lost from the pavilion) is that the spirit of life and celebration represented by the balloons is no longer a unifying factor for the pavilion. Sunshine Seasons, now, is practically carbon copy of what we may find at one of the All-Star resorts, not installed in a spirit of originality, but rather in a spirit of functionality.
Our concern is that Epcot may become too random, no longer presenting its themed pavilions with that spirit of optimistic, creative unity. Remember those old Epcot symbols? They were a way of uniting all of the pavilions, and they were featured throughout the Future World decor. The pavilions were all united in purpose, and their themes were interconnected. They spoke about "big ideas" and general ideas and industries; in essence, there was a symbiosis to the entire park.
But note that the Land symbol has been removed from the pavilion, replaced with a just a coat of white paint. Future World West (the side with The Land) has become increasingly (to borrow a word of one of our WDWMagic posters) schizophrenic. We have a pavilion defined by the human senses, a pavilion defined by the experience of Soarin' (the lower level of The Land was designed to resemble an airport terminal to match Soarin'), and a pavilion that will be defined by Finding Nemo (HINT: in the not-too-distant future, the story of The Living Seas and the hydrolators will likely be completely changed into an exploration of Nemo's habitat!).
The areas of Epcot are becoming more and more narrow and strained in their approach to their themes, and now big "disconnections" are happening among the pavilions. They just don't flow together as well, and what we see happening in The Land - - with the disjointedness between the old aspects and the new aspects - - is a small-scale representation of what's happening in the big picture.
Some members of my family recently made a visit to Epcot, and spoke with some Cast Members who we have befriended over the years. Many long-time Cast Members, who have worked at Epcot for years and have known the older incarnations of The Land, do not like the new changes. If you ask some of them, they won't even feel like talking to you about the new Land. They identify with what has been lost, with what I have been trying to point out in my posts. Several feel embarrassed about the new Sunshine Seasons restaurant and its lack of theming. Other Cast Members have reacted without such displeasure, but rather with acceptance: they see the idea of Epcot as slowly dissolving, and have accepted some recent and impending changes as a sign of what's inevitable. I (and many other fans, including those who run D-Troops) have the hope that some of these traditions may continue.
Not all of you necessarily care about this dimension of Epcot (and it is a dimension of Epcot that was purposefully crafted by its creators. For you, what I am writing must seem like propaganda - - but it's not. Each of you has wonderful, strong, important opinions - - and Disney created The Land for you. . . you are its audience. What you think and have to say is important, and Disney is interested to hear it. Many of you don't mind losing some of the traditional show aspects of The Land, and that's fine! But there are others of us who see it as a problem.
I am wanting to point out, overall, that there are many important dimensions of The Land that have been lost, and this will significantly change the experience for many of us. We're all excited about the new Land, but not all of us are excited about all of it. For many of us, it's a symptom of a wider change occurring around Epcot - - for some of us, it's a change for the better. For others of us, it's an uninspired change.
I hope this clarifies any misunderstanding. But there's one important thing: we each are concerned about The Land and it's role in Epcot's best interest. The Land has been reopened, and it's a cause for celebration! So let's continue to share our opinions with civility, and let's each enjoy whatever strikes us deepest, whatever moves our heartstrings, and whatever lifts our spirit in the great pavilion that is The Land!
Captain Buzzy
