What do you think of the EPCOT Central Spine redesign?

[po1998]

MouseGear used to be a very beautiful, 2 level store that carried mostly EPCOT themed goods and had a higher end Gallery space...Years later that was dumbed down to the wal-mart like shop full of miscellany that is now is... I wouldn't mind losing it altogether for a special, beautiful shopping venue... Go to World Of Disney if you just wans miscellaneous Disney stuff...
But with the removal of all the buildings, I am afraid it will be Spaceship Earth, then a dead zone park of trees and planters that goes on for Acres before you actually get to any attractions, shops, or restaurants... So part of me likes the general feel, but it feels vacant...

Same could be said for the MK Emporium which now occupies the entire length of the west side of Main St.


WDW thinking...just in case not everyone can make it to DS, we will have a massive generic merchandise store in MK and EC, and to a much lesser extent at AK and DHS.

 

[Bocabear]

but now if you went under the train station and there was no main street, but a long walkway of trees and planters to the hub, it would feel...kinda vacant, don't you think?

 

[HMF]

Im pretty sure Martin has said Mousegears,as it is configured now, is going away as part of the redesign.

It looks to me mouse gear is the only part of the innoventions building that will survive the remodeling I believe Martin (btw, I am in the U.K. Right now.) said that it would be rethemed and re named.

 

[Viget]

It'd be nice to have a sub-forum for Epcot like we have with DHS and have with Avatar and had with New Fantasyland ...

This.... with stickied dedicated threads for discussing the various known projects (GoTG, Ratatouille, M:S and restaurant, maybe DVC and gondolas??) , rumored projects (Brazil pavillion, Coco overlay of Gran Fiesta, proposals for JII, other rumored WS pavillions), and of course a mega sticky thread for speculation on the "front of the house" spine redo and concept art. That's just ripe for discussion...

@wdwmagic , can we make it happen? Please?

 

[mickeysaver]

Why is Mousegear being removed a big deal to anyone? Do you honestly think Disney won't open a brand new and improved "Mousegear?"

I just happen to love the store. I have many memories there from trips over the past almost 20 years and losing it, as is, will be a little sad. That's all.

 

[Daveeeeed]

It'd be nice to have a sub-forum for Epcot like we have with DHS and have with Avatar and had with New Fantasyland ...

This.... with stickied dedicated threads for discussing the various known projects (GoTG, Ratatouille, M:S and restaurant, maybe DVC and gondolas??) , rumored projects (Brazil pavillion, Coco overlay of Gran Fiesta, proposals for JII, other rumored WS pavillions), and of course a mega sticky thread for speculation on the "front of the house" spine redo and concept art. That's just ripe for discussion...

@wdwmagic , can we make it happen? Please?

Yes please! and a new sub-forum!
@wdwmagic

 

[ppete1975]

Bring back the Centorium!!!
"the store sold items such as solar toys and sculptures, natural food cookbooks, sprout jars, electronic toys and games"
And I remembered alot of NASA toys!! Alot of the toys were not disney they were educational... AND IT WAS TWO STORIES!!!
http://waltdatedworld.com/id76.htm

 

[EpcotMark]

That's when it was called Centorium. The upper level was futuristic toys kits etc, later it was the original Art of Disney location at Epcot. When Mouse Gear came in the second level was leveled.

Correct. That all happened just before the Millennium Celebration in 1999. Second level is partially still there, just used as backstage offices now.

 

[EpcotMark]

What I cant figure out is where they are going to put all that stuff that is still there. Restaurants, Epcot Computer Central, Character Greeting, Guest Relations, and the Main merchandise shop of the park that brings in tons of money. There needs to be a huge central space somewhere else if they plan to relocate that. I suspect that whatever they have planned will be done by the time the park has its 40th anniversary on 10/1/2022.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I loved the Centorium!!!

 

[JohnD]

very sad to hear this

I don't think it means MouseGears the store is going away but "as configured" it is. There is one major gift shop in every theme park. You can be sure, there will be one in Epcot.

 

[JohnD]

Why is Mousegear being removed a big deal to anyone? Do you honestly think Disney won't open a brand new and improved "Mousegear?"

Obviously. Of course, they'll build a bigger and better MouseGear.

 

[peter11435]

What I cant figure out is where they are going to put all that stuff that is still there. Restaurants, Epcot Computer Central, Character Greeting, Guest Relations, and the Main merchandise shop of the park that brings in tons of money. There needs to be a huge central space somewhere else if they plan to relocate that. I suspect that whatever they have planned will be done by the time the park has its 40th anniversary on 10/1/2022.

There are some structures still visible in the artwork. There is a building in the location that is currently guest relations and computer central. Other structures can be seen that will likely be merch and f&b locations.

 

[ppete1975]

There are some structures still visible in the artwork. There is a building in the location that is currently guest relations and computer central. Other structures can be seen that will likely be merch and f&b locations.

WHERE ARE THE FIVE STARBUCKS?!?!?!?!

 

[montyz81]

Where are the pictures?

 

[Bairstow]

Bring back the Centorium!!!
"the store sold items such as solar toys and sculptures, natural food cookbooks, sprout jars, electronic toys and games"
And I remembered alot of NASA toys!! Alot of the toys were not disney they were educational... AND IT WAS TWO STORIES!!!
http://waltdatedworld.com/id76.htm

I got some pretty neat stuff at the Centorium when I was a kid- especially this neat water/sand sculpture thing.

I also remember that up on the second floor in the Art of Disney section they had a bunch of surplus animation cels from things like Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles for sale for a couple bucks. Wish I had gotten some.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

If you guys are complaining about the merchandise in WDW, the merchandise is even more generic in DL and TDL. Even Shanghai had more attraction specific merch than DL or TDL.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The memory of Communicore is slated to be removed and only the gift shop is lamented? *

This was the center of it all. One of several concentric circles that make up EPCOT's underlying design, which wI'll be lost. (The way DHS is a double grid pattern design, one superimposed at a 45 degree angle over the other. But tell that to the planology amateurs who designed Toy Toddler Land and Star Wars: Megabucks on Edge)


The new design is green, ecological, open, lots of light: very 2017. Fair enough, decent enough. But will it correspond well with the remnants and basic pattern of what's left of 82 EPCOT? Or will it ten years later look like the umpteenth time Disney has overlayed an area with an ill-fitting new layer. As in TL, current EPCOT central plaza, the two Fantasylands that don't correspond, the MK hub that now works against Main Street and the castle rather than support them.


* Edit: hang on...actually, the Centorium does deserve to be remembered! What a great shop that was! Vying with the Mitsukoshi for best in EPCOT.

 

[Rich T]

...I am afraid it will be Spaceship Earth, then a dead zone park of trees and planters that goes on for Acres before you actually get to any attractions, shops, or restaurants... So part of me likes the general feel, but it feels vacant...

It feels like a potential festival of churro carts, glo-stick vendors and DVC booths.

 

[Bolt]

It feels like they just flat out gave up on the old layout. I don't know what happens to the Starbucks, Electric Umbrella, and MouseGears. (WOL becomes one big GIft shop!)

Get your fill of Beverly before Club Cool goes away though.

Wonders of Life becomes Wonders of Merchandising, a shrine to Chapek.

Woah - is this true?! Are they really making Wonders a Chapek shrine?! Jeez - they've lost their way...