The Park Formerly Known as EPCOT Center

[PeterAlt]

Not sure exactly where to put this because this is a general WDW interest subject, but I know it will be moved here no matter where I put it so I am saving the mods from doing extra work by voluntarily putting it here.

Any way, which of the four parks is in the worse shape and needs TLC desperately? EPCOT. If you look at FW alone, only TT is fresh and is in no need of major work. Consider the needs:

Wonders of Life replacement
A fix for M:S (recycling the centrifuge into a new attraction)
A major update for UoE
Imagination Pavilion ('nuff said)
Soaring (new film, digital projector, additional simulator)
Millennium pavilion replacement (close enough to FW)

I could go on, as there are many many things in FW that desperately need to be worked on. All these things could cost billions, which the company seems unwilling to spend.

Meanwhile, the company struggles with how to expand DHS and seems ready to spend a lot of money on a Star Wars themed land there. The condition of DHS is not so desperate compared to EC. Additionally, DHS is not so easily expandable. Any expansion there will require the removal of some attractions. Most of the attractions there are still very fresh, popular, and are in good condition. It would be a shame to see any removed.

However, EC is another story. I propose turning FW into Star Wars Galaxy and turning World Showcase into a free shopping, entertainment, dining, and resort zone. New internationally themed resorts can be built at the current countries or vacant country lots. The current attractions and rides there would require special tickets, like DisneyQuest is now. The gates into the Star Wars theme park would be the center bridge where WS and EC currently transition, while the east and west entrances into WS would close to public traffic, and the current gate at SSE.

I'm not going to tell the Imagineers how to do their job, but they have a lot to work with and more space than they could ever have than at DHS. One obvious thing they could do is make SSE a Death Star, but the Imagineers know better than me and may decide to do something completely different with SSE. There's no limit with what their imaginations could dream up for the space formerly known as FW.

I know what many of you are probably thinking: "What about Star Tours? Doesn't it make more sense to build Star Wars Land at DHS and have it incorporate Star Tours? Why put Star Wars in two theme parks?"

Why put Harry Potter in two theme parks? In fact, my idea could include a mini-Star Wars Land at DHS that would include Star Tours plus Galaxy Transport - a themed automated people mover exactly like Hogswarts Express that would transport people with park hoppers back and forth between the park formerly known as EPCOT Center and the newly enlarged Star Tours section of DHS.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

 

[Hakunamatata]

 

[monothingie]

 

[KeithVH]

In before the lock!

 

[Joe]

I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

When was the last time you had a drug test?

 

[PeterAlt]

What? Would you rather EC rot? There's money to do something thanks to Star Wars. Is it wrong to take advantage of the situation and kill two Greedos with a single blaster shot?

Some attractions would stay mostly intact like TT. Minor theme tweaking will make it fit in. Maybe give it a Corellian theme.

 

[marni1971]

Thoughts?

Thankfully you're not in charge.

The park needs help but the building blocks are all in place. A billion would more than do it if WDI got their house in order.

Far better than ripping it in two, tearing the heart out, destroying one half of a theme park and dumping an IP on the other half.

DHS has plenty of room. As discussed ad nauseum.

 

[PeterAlt]

Thoughts?

Thankfully you're not in charge.

The park needs help but the building blocks are all in place. A billion would more than do it if WDI got their house in order.

Far better than ripping it in two, tearing the heart out, destroying one half of a theme park and dumping an IP on the other half.

DHS has plenty of room. As discussed ad nauseum.

I don't know about you, but I got a good laugh out of it reading it after everyone's comments... And to think I was actually serious at the time when I wrote it is by itself hysterical! I really was serious. Honestly! But what in the world was I thinking?! Lol

The funniest line in that post was when I suggested that it was "obvious" that the Imagineers would make SSE the Death Star but I wasn't going to tell the Imagineers how to do their jobs. When you realize I said this with sincere seriousness, it's just funny on a whole different unintentional level!

EDIT - In all seriousness, though, EC isn't getting anything even close to a billion for the foreseeable future while Iger is in charge. We can dream and hope that his successor will be like Brian Roberts of Comcast or Eisner and understand that kind of investment is necessary and is good business.

 

[PeterAlt]

@marni1971 - ya know, if I were in charge, first thing I would do would be to pay a visit to WDI and the model shop. I would look over all the models and proposals made over the many decades and search for the great ones that somehow got lost in the shuffle. I would then ask the research and marketing people to find out which ones are most likely to be popular with guests of various demographics and fully fund the construction of the good ones that research concluded would score high.

Basically, I would be no different than when Eisner was in charge up to the mid 90's (maybe even build more). So, I think you do want someone like myself in charge... Lol... Okay, I'll stop day dreaming!