Sunshine Seasons

[Testtrack321]

Sunshine Seasons itself?

No story

No themeing

No Imagineering

...boring and regressive in these aspects. Food is yummy, but expensive.

Story? So random farm style buildings in a gaint blue pavilion that has a rock show about food next to it is story? I'd agree if it acually had a story all through out the pavilion, but come on Grizz!

 

[General Grizz]

Story? So random farm style buildings in a gaint blue pavilion that has a rock show about food next to it is story? I'd agree if it acually had a story all through out the pavilion, but come on Grizz!

Come on Grizz?

Farm style buildings are not random. The Land was a pavilion dedicated to food production (Listen to the Land, Kitchen Kabaret...disliked Food Rocks) and man's interaction with nature (Symbiosis, Circle of Life) in order to work effectively with it. (Remember that Epcot is a park that celebrates human achievement, and our abilities to work with The Land). Who produced the food? The farmer.

The pavilion kept much of its farming atmosphere, but added a more ecosystem/gardening theme more into the 1994 Rehab. That's why all the signage was themed back when. This all contributed to the story of man and nature.

There is absolutely no story or theming to the new Sunshine Seasons.

I dare anyone to write a paragraph of this area in an Imagineering "Field Guide to Epcot." How the design of Seasons food-court contributes to the story... it just doesn't.

If I took a photo of the food court a month before the pavilion opened, anyone would passingly assume it's a standard resort food court. But yet, story is integral to the theme park environment.

 

[mousermerf]

There doesn't need to be a story - Imagineers themselves taught me that. There is no story to riding Dumbo. It exists as a flight of fancy.

Theme is not story - theme is controlling idea.

The original idea of the Sunshine "Season" Food Fair was the bountiful harvest, a single season.

Sunshine "Seasons" is based on the idea that there is much to be offered from the land, reguardless of season. The food reflects the various seasons, and the design of the area represents them as well in the seating modules and balloons overhead.

The interior of the Land is a move away from place-replica theming, as was done with the Food Fair, to a modernized ideology where the idea itself is supposed to speak versus the surroundings.

Painter used to think pictures only had meaning if they depicted something realisticly. Later, we've learned the connotative values of color and trhe ability of the mind to be freed from the used of a graphic norms.

If you can't accept it, well tough shiza - atleast appreciate the millions of stylized gobos that project appropriately themed patterns onto the table tops.

 

[General Grizz]

There doesn't need to be a story - Imagineers themselves taught me that. There is no story to riding Dumbo. It exists as a flight of fancy.

Theme is not story - theme is controlling idea.

The original idea of the Sunshine "Season" Food Fair was the bountiful harvest, a single season.

Sunshine "Seasons" is based on the idea that there is much to be offered from the land, reguardless of season. The food reflects the various seasons, and the design of the area represents them as well in the seating modules and balloons overhead.

The interior of the Land is a move away from place-replica theming, as was done with the Food Fair, to a modernized ideology where the idea itself is supposed to speak versus the surroundings.

Painter used to think pictures only had meaning if they depicted something realisticly. Later, we've learned the connotative values of color and trhe ability of the mind to be freed from the used of a graphic norms.

If you can't accept it, well tough shiza - atleast appreciate the millions of stylized gobos that project appropriately themed patterns onto the table tops.

I'm speaking specifically about the Sunshine Season Food Court serving area... (not really talking about the main atrium in my previous posts). How was this improved (besides the food?) Sure, improve the food, but I don't see why a good story or unique environment should be sacrificed.

 

[mousermerf]

Standardized asthetics - preventing disjoined individual visuals from being able to detract from the overall theme. In short, the individual food stands are not important - the overall idea is.

They are part of a whole and needed to function as such.
Not to mention by making them distinct you'd imply they were seperate entities - counter productive to the entire scatter-style service.

 

[General Grizz]

Standardized asthetics - preventing disjoined individual visuals from being able to detract from the overall theme. In short, the individual food stands are not important - the overall idea is.

They are part of a whole and needed to function as such.
Not to mention by making them distinct you'd imply they were seperate entities - counter productive to the entire scatter-style service.

Okay...but...

Why not theme it to.. oh.. "The Seasons?"

You know, suns, moons, backdrops. Imagineers have been hired for a reason.

"In short, the individual food stands are not important - the overall idea is."

...and how is the overall idea shown in the Food Court area?

SCENARIO: You are blindfolded and are placed directly facing the food serving stations. When the blindfold is taken off, how could you tell that you were in the "Land" pavilion...and not in, say, the Pop Cenutry Resort (or any other standard quick-service setup for that matter)?

 

[mousermerf]

By the food offerings - they are showcased extensively in an onstage area. They are meant to be the attraction and indicator. If you wouldn't get it - they placed a sign at the entrance labeling what food is what season. It's a little artsy, but it's not "wrong."

 

[mousermerf]

By the way, you can't envision the view as partial - just seeing the food service area. You cannot get to the food service area without going through the rest - it's designed that way. If you could enter from outside and right to the food court i would agree to an extent.

But you can't, so i don't

Also, extensive theming would again be counter-productive to function, people need not linger in that area, that's why it's successfull. The weinies are out in the atrium.

 

[Bluewaves]

Good food, the ice cream is stil there and now they have big cookies as well, woohoo.

Anyway the land needed a refurb, its also about exploration now so thats a good thing.

Anyway never much cared for the old food setup too plain and too healthy at least I can find something decent to eat now even though it is comepletely overpriced, but its Disney World what do expect???

Churro, sir??? That will be $10

 

[imamouse]

Well, though the fountain is gone, there's a new construction wall up outside over the "rockbed" that look a lot like a fountain - so we might get a waterfall soon.

Thanks, mousermerf - an outdoor water feature would be a nice addition. I just wish it were inside. I found the sound of the water while having lunch both relaxing and rejuvenating. Oh well, what's done is done. Any idea when the construction walls will be coming down?

 

[tirian]

Because I work at Epcot, I've had the opportunity to try the food at Sunshine Seasons many times...

...and everything except a chocolate-chip cookie has been TERRIBLE. I personally love healthy food, but the recipes are absolutely bland! The Asian dishes are extremely expensive and offer very small servings; you pay less and get more food at the quick service location in China! The grill selections are underwhelming, too. I've purchased the rotisserie chicken and flatbread meal, and was so disgusted that I almost demanded my money back. The piece of chicken was tiny (I did complain about that, but no one offered anything), but the flatbread was good. Yeah, it's pretty hard to ruin flatbread! Anyway, that particular meal cost me about $10 (we don't get our discount at Sunshine Seasons). I should have left Epcot and stopped by Boston Market! By far, however, my worse experience at the food court was the Asian noodles plate: $7.99 for a couple of chicken tidbits and a lot of half-steamed vegetables.

I realize that many of you have had good experiences with the new dining options, but consider yourself lucky. I've tried many of the options over several months' time, and I've never been impressed. From now on, whenever I feel like a light, healthy meal, I'm going to World Showcase. I will never again waste money at Sunshine Seasons.

 

[rainfully]

^^ That's funny because I've liked everything I've tried there EXCEPT the chocolate chip cookie... :lol: I remember I found it dry and kinda bland.

 

[General Grizz]

I had the palm-sized chicken on the lettuce. Good, but a rip-off.

 

[tirian]

Yours was actually palm-sized?! Mine was only about three fingers-sized!


No fair! Grizz's chicken was bigger than mine!

:lol: :lol: :lol:


~~~~~ P.S. It was a fresh-baked cookie.

 

[mousermerf]

Tirian,

I think they have issues making Asian food - the noodle station was a horrid before. But, i've also had really good and really bad days with the china pavilion.

As for the rest of the menu, i've mostly heard good things - most people complaining about their choices when they wanted a burger, very few unhappy with what they did buy. I've personally only paid for food from the bakery section and enjoyed all.

Other items i've sampled i didn't dislike, but i thought the sandwiches were a little bland. I'm not a fan of froofy bread though - i prefer jsut plain wheat.

 

[Stormy Horizons]

The restaraunt (refurb) is relatively new, maybe they will change some of the food in the future. I, like several of you, love the turkey sandwich; however, I remember the tuna sandwiches that they used to serve before the Land got the whole makeover. I wish they'd add tuna sandwiches back to the menu.
I was also sad to see the fountain go, it's been there for as long as I remember. The waterfall idea would be a nice change though.