The Land: Update. Like it or hate it. . . here it is:

[Lee]

FYI...

A small tidbit about the food court from Laughing Place:

"Disney has announced the Land Pavilion's Sunshine Season Food Fair will undergo changes as part of the transformation that has included the closure of Food Rocks and the addition of Soarin, which opens in 2005. Sunshine Season Food Fair, the lower level food court currently features a variety of locations for guests to select and purchase their food items, similar to the traditional food court layout at most malls. At his October 18th presentation at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, Chef Dan Powers from the Land Pavilion discussed the anticipated changes. He described the new layout as similar to the food courts at the Walt Disney World hotels that enable guests to visit a variety of food stations before gathering at a centralized check-out location to purchase their food items. The new area will feature made-to-order items. During today's presentation Chef Dan prepared a sesame-crusted pan-seared tuna that could be among the menu items at the transformed location."

Enjoy!

 

[speck76]

FYI...

A small tidbit about the food court from Laughing Place:

"Disney has announced the Land Pavilion's Sunshine Season Food Fair will undergo changes as part of the transformation that has included the closure of Food Rocks and the addition of Soarin, which opens in 2005. Sunshine Season Food Fair, the lower level food court currently features a variety of locations for guests to select and purchase their food items, similar to the traditional food court layout at most malls. At his October 18th presentation at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival, Chef Dan Powers from the Land Pavilion discussed the anticipated changes. He described the new layout as similar to the food courts at the Walt Disney World hotels that enable guests to visit a variety of food stations before gathering at a centralized check-out location to purchase their food items. The new area will feature made-to-order items. During today's presentation Chef Dan prepared a sesame-crusted pan-seared tuna that could be among the menu items at the transformed location."

Enjoy!

I like this better.....one thing that I really dislike about SSFF is that if you want a meal and a dessert (from the bakery/ice cream area), you have to wait in two lines.....I would prefer being able to get all of my food, and then eat, not having to wait in multiple lines.

 

[ogryn]

FYI...

A small tidbit about the food court from Laughing Place:

"Disney has announced the Land Pavilion's Sunshine Season Food Fair will undergo changes as part of the transformation that has included the closure of Food Rocks and the.....

That sounds good Lee. I'm looking forward to see what they do with this now.

 

[dxwwf3]

Thanks Lee!

Well this certainly doesn't sound that bad at all. I don't know about the limited seating or how many choices you will have at the food court, but it certainly doesn't sound as bad as I thought it would.

 

[dxwwf3]

One thing that I sort of forgot about and I don't think has been mentioned is:

How does Nestle fit into this? Are they dropping sponsorship and that is why they want to change the theme of "The Land"? Or is this a way of trying to get Nestle out and try to bring in someone else?

I'm surprised I didn't think of this before.

 

[ogryn]

... or is it another 10-years and then change it scenario?

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

When I left The Land on Saturday, I was very sad. The balloons in the Land were one of my first Disney memories and I'm so sad to see them go. I must have taken 5 or 6 pictures of the balloons alone, just so I can remember them. I ate in the Sunshine Food Court for one last time and enjoyed the music they play there.

What's going to happen with the Garden Grill? Also, has anyone else noticed that the posters by the construction wall for Soarin' Over CA just has the name "Soarin'" on it? Do you think it will just be called Soarin' until they get a FL film made? Just a thought!

TheDisneyGirl02

 

[speck76]

One thing that I sort of forgot about and I don't think has been mentioned is:

How does Nestle fit into this? Are they dropping sponsorship and that is why they want to change the theme of "The Land"? Or is this a way of trying to get Nestle out and try to bring in someone else?

I'm surprised I didn't think of this before.

Nestle is still on board....their logo is all over the Soarin' signs.

 

[dxwwf3]

Nestle is still on board....their logo is all over the Soarin' signs.

But how are they going to feel about a "Travel Agency" theme? Why would a food maker want to sponsor a Travel pavilion?

 

[Lee]

Why would a food maker want to sponsor a Travel pavilion?

That's easy....
Because it isn't going to be a "travel pavillion" any more than Universe of Energy is a "Jeopardy" pavillion.

 

[figmentfan]

My favorite restaurant in Walt Disney World is the Garden Grill. Love the aspect that you can look down on the ride, and the decor is wonderful. Also, the food is GREAT!!!!!!!! I also LOVE the Sunshine Food Fair. Great food and great atmosphere. Living With the Land, Awesome!!!!!!!

When I was little, I really didn't like the Land pavilion, but since I grew up, I started to see the meaning behind the pavilion, and now since most of the orginial pavilions are destroyed at Epcot, this is my FAVORITE pavilion.

DISNEY: "Please don't make me start to HATE the Land Pavilion again!"

Disney, you have destroyed many of my favorite attractions: Mr. Toad's, 20K, Dreamflight, Wonders of Life, Horizons, World of Motion, Journey Into Imagination, Living Seas (the sea cab ride), Monster Sound Stage Show, Superstar Television, and now THE LAND PAVILION?!?!

Do I need to take my business elsewhere..............maybe Universal? I hope not!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tomm4004]

>Disney, you have destroyed many of my favorite attractions:

Mr. Toad's - Pooh replacement is Okay

20K - zilch

... Horizons, World of Motion - prefer these over TT and M:S

Journey Into Imagination - new version vastly inferior

Living Seas (the sea cab ride) - certainly not what it used to be

Monster Sound Stage Show - a classic. Maybe they'll bring it back. A lot of people probably haven't seen it.

Superstar Television - They want interactive? There it was!

and now THE LAND PAVILION?!?! - I just hope they keep the ride.

 

[speck76]

That's easy....
Because it isn't going to be a "travel pavillion" any more than Universe of Energy is a "Jeopardy" pavillion.

Thank you Lee!

It is about time someone else pointed this out......the short-sightedness around here is absurd.

 

[General Grizz]

That's easy....
Because it isn't going to be a "travel pavillion" any more than Universe of Energy is a "Jeopardy" pavillion.

Ha... ha.

Good Sunshine Season news. Thanks for posting that.

 

[joel_maxwell]

>Disney, you have destroyed many of my favorite attractions:


20K - zilch

easy buddy, easy, not true!!!

we are getting a meet and greet! they are the bomb! lol

id rather see a bathroom go up then a meet and greet.

 

[dxwwf3]

Thank you Lee!

It is about time someone else pointed this out......the short-sightedness around here is absurd.

Hey I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here. I'm not trying to ruffle feathers. Just trying to figure this Land change over out.

 

[dox]

First just wanted to say there are valid points being made by all. Although I disagree with Grizz, I think it is important for a voice like his to speak out and an important reminder for the Imagineers. However, that being said, I belive, with all due respect, some of y'all are just plain bonkers. Everyone keeps referring to the peacefulness, tranquility and ambience of The Land. What??? The entire pavillion looks like some mall from the late 70's. It is and has always been from it's inception incredibly noisy and difficult to get around. As for Soarin' disturbing the integrity of the pavillion, how exactly did Kitchen Kabaret and/or Food Rocks fit in??
Personally, as strange as this possible rumor (yes it's still a rumor folks) about a travel agency theme seems. God only knows how subtle it may be and what it may emphasize. I assume the purpose of the theme is to emphasize the "journey" aspect of the boat ride and Soarin'. Based on what I've seen about Soarin' on The Travel Channel, etc., it fits in perfectly with this Pavillion and if anything widens the overall theme and purpose of the Pavillion to include this country's natural beauty (yes I know it also shows the Golden GateBridge and DL).

I love Epcot and have been going to Epcot since 1983. The majority of my trips to WDW are spent at Epcot. Personally, I think all the changes at Epcot have been positive with the exception of Imagination. But I can't blame them for changing that ride either. Attendance at that ride was dreadful. I can still remember the huge lines for HISTK, while the lines at JIYI were walk ons. Unfortunately they made a huge misstep. But I think that most surveys would show that MS and TT were for the better despite the number of us who may disagree with those changes. The one complaint made by many visitors to Epcot and all of WDW are the lack of "Rides". By rides I mean attractions along the lines of MS, SM, Splash, etc. Soarin, though not a thrill ride, is a great addition to Epcot.

One more thing...i know i'm blabbering at this point...i am so tired of everyone who complains that TL at MK and Future World at Epcot isn't about the Future anymore. B.C. when was it that it actually dealt with the future. Grizz I assume you were of a thinking age at the time Epcot opened ( I was about 11 then I believe). If you were, then you surely remember that Future World's biggest criticism was that it had nothing to do with the future and was one huge commerical for it's corporate sponsors. Many of you are way too young to remember those criticisms. WoM, which yes I enjoyed, was a history lesson in transportation. :snore: There was nothing futuristic about this attraction at all. The finale was incredibly cheap. SE which we all love again another history lesson. I've heard Grizz and others defend these rides arguing that the to learn where we are going we need to learn where we are heading. Well unfortunately Epcot spent no time telling us where we were going other than short little moments at the end of the rides. And exactly how Figment meshed with Future World i have yet to hear anyone explain other than general platitudes. Sorry to go on so long, but as mean as Jim Hill was to Grizz (totally uncalled for btw) he had a valid point to make beneath all the venom but us disney fans getting too carried away.

 

[HauntedPirate]

This all goes back to Eisner's exclamation that they are, to paraphrase, fooling guests into believing they are having a good time. I believe his words were "using sleight of hand to fool the guest", but I'd have to go digging for the quote and context.

I fail to see how a ride like Living With The Land is not "forward-looking". It gives a history of food production, and then explores where food production is and/or could be heading. M:S is not "forward-looking"; it's a thrill ride, plain and simple. SE was "forward-looking", and could be again, with the right rehab.

Just a thought.

 

[dox]

...SE was "forward-looking", and could be again, with the right rehab...

Please explain how it "was" forward looking. If anything, the current ending is a bit more forward looking than SE ever was, esp. the ending's original incarnation.

I do wholeheartedly agree with you that the Land boat ride was and is "forward looking" as you say. In fact, it was prob. the most futuristic attraction at all of Epcot.

 

[prberk]

...but these are all symptoms of a greater problem, Disney has no vision for EPCOT. Where once EPCOT was the mot organized well laid out theme park, it’s starting to become the hodgepodge that Disney/MGM has become.

I personally love the Land, but also feel that it could use an update, but to kill the theme just to slap in an e-ticket ride – shame. Disney needs to stick to the concepts of EPCOT not try and reinvent them. Let’s hope Disney will come around and do the right thing by EPCOT and the Land.

I completely agree. EPCOT is completely unique, and people understand it that way. It serves its purpose best when it complements (and rises above, in some ways) the other parks, not when it tries to BE them.

Keep it contemporary and ever-changing, but themed to celebrate where we have come from and the promises of the future.

I have said before, and will say again: what EPCOT needs most is a live daily or weekly TV show broadcast from it, celebrating innovention and culture. Perfect for The Discovery Channel or even weekly on The Disney Channel or ABC. Keeps the theme in front of the audience in a friendly format, while both promoting WDW and restoring the formerly immense goodwill of the Walt Disney Company in the eyes of the public. (And yes, this goodwill DOES translate to loyalty and sales over time, as parents trust the company's product and program content.)

Paul