What do you think of the EPCOT Central Spine redesign?

[mikejs78]

You speak for me as well. I actually resent having to get my phone out when I'm at WDW. I might see something related to WORK.

There is that danger, absolutely. I've gotten good at ignoring it when I've explicitly stated "ON VACATION." Granted, I might answer it at the hotel later.

I specifically go and disable work notifications when I go on vacation these days. That way I have to explicitly go into my email app/Slack to check on things (which I may do at the hotel early in the morning or late at night). But this way I don't get distracted in the parks (or the beach, or anywhere else I'm on vacation).

 

[MisterPenguin]

Reminds me of this famous pic:

Do you think if they didn't have their smartphones they'd all be staring at the portrait and discussing the artist's use of light and motion?

 

[Ripken10]

The funny thing is, I'm in technology and run multiple websites, active on every major social media platform... Yet I hardly use my phone most of the time - especially at the parks. I couldn't care less what's going on in the outside world while I'm there. I use it for MDE and not much else.

Clearly I can only speak for myself. I see tons of people glued to their phones in the parks, and it's rather sad. Especially the younger demographic. They're more interested in social media than experiencing the parks and being present. This is where parents need to step up and curtail their usage more.

Agree with you on most. I too am in the IT field as well as maintaining websites as side jobs. I don't use my cell phone a great deal. At wdw, most days I don't even bring my phone with me. While it certainly is not a majority, it would surprise many how many actually do this - not bring their phones in park.

As an aside, one could argue that phone make it harder to stay together. Back when many of us were young, we would set meeting points and you had to be at that point at that time or else. People today take that for granted "well we can find you later via text". Went to an amusement park once with my family years ago, and they relied on the phone for meeting. We waisted more time trying to find people then anything "oh she said she will meet us at that ride now". I left the trip missing the old way of just meeting as said time, no exceptions. Because you had no choice.

 

[JohnD]

Reminds me of this famous pic:

From what I remember about that pic, it's taken out of context. If memory serves, they were given a project about Night Watch or some other painting and had to use their smart phones to look it up.

Edit: Yep. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...al-story-behind-the-kids-on-phones-photo.html

 

[HauntedPirate]

Call me old fashioned (it's OK, I don't mind, actually ), but Disney should still provide wait time information, as they do today with tip boards, without requiring guests to have a smart phone to get said information.

An interesting conundrum - The more people use smart phones, the dumber they seem to get. And I'm guilty of excessive smart phone usage in my daily life, it's just not something I want to do in the parks, for the most part. I want to look around, listen to the background music, see the details (that are left), smell the smells, hear the noises, etc.

 

[peter11435]

but Disney should still provide wait time information, as they do today with tip boards, without requiring guests to have a smart phone to get said information

The in park tip boards have already been removed for a while now.

 

[P_Radden]

From what I remember about that pic, it's taken out of context. If memory serves, they were given a project about Night Watch or some other painting and had to use their smart phones to look it up.

Edit: Yep. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...al-story-behind-the-kids-on-phones-photo.html

Good to know, thanks!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The in park tip boards have already been removed for a while now.

I was gonna ask that...

I believe the removal of the tipboards was highlighted on boards as being a sign of the times as it referred to the App...

Aka...this entire thought line is largely irrelevant when you look at it from the sequence of events.

The parks will become more App based...and they even blew smoke that the BANDS were gonna be a digital tool.
That was a smokescreen...but an official one.

 

[Jenny72]

I am not elderly (although elderly-ness approaching faster than I'd like) and I use a flip-phone because I don't want the temptation to always be connected to the internet, and I don't want my kids begging me to play Candy Crush all the time. But I have considered getting a device just for going to the parks now. I used to be the one who would direct a group and know instinctively exactly where the lines would be longer or shorter, but now it's all online, and everyone else knows before I do. I really, really don't want to spend my day at Disney staring at a device to decide where to go next, but....between the crowd levels now and the amount of online information, you're sort of tanked if you don't have a smartphone. Hate. It.

 

[fngoofy]

I am not elderly (although elderly-ness approaching faster than I'd like) and I use a flip-phone because I don't want the temptation to always be connected to the internet, and I don't want my kids begging me to play Candy Crush all the time. But I have considered getting a device just for going to the parks now. I used to be the one who would direct a group and know instinctively exactly where the lines would be longer or shorter, but now it's all online, and everyone else knows before I do. I really, really don't want to spend my day at Disney staring at a device to decide where to go next, but....between the crowd levels now and the amount of online information, you're sort of tanked if you don't have a smartphone. Hate. It.

I understand where you are coming from, but it really isn't that big of a deal. It is more a mind set that you aren't going to check email etc. while on vaca (assuming that's the kind of job you have.) I have no problem with this, my wife shouldn't, but I see her checking email while we are waiting in the queue or finishing lunch.

It really is handy to be able to see where the rest of your party is (iPhone's Find Friends has been very useful for me.) Also to check menu options for lunch, or to see what wait times are etc.
Take a look at the iPhone SE. The guts of iPhone 6 with 64GB and for about $400.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

...Back when many of us were young, we would set meeting points and you had to be at that point at that time or else...

Bingo! That was me as a kid, back in the innocence of the 70-80s. Parents could let their kids free range (and it was glorious). I had my own agenda (as did my parents) and I didn't want to be weighed down. We set up meeting times and went our separate ways. They even went back to the (off prop) hotel in the late evening and I was practically the last person out at closing. They'd pick me up in the parking lot. Good times.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I am not elderly (although elderly-ness approaching faster than I'd like) and I use a flip-phone because I don't want the temptation to always be connected to the internet, and I don't want my kids begging me to play Candy Crush all the time. But I have considered getting a device just for going to the parks now. I used to be the one who would direct a group and know instinctively exactly where the lines would be longer or shorter, but now it's all online, and everyone else knows before I do. I really, really don't want to spend my day at Disney staring at a device to decide where to go next, but....between the crowd levels now and the amount of online information, you're sort of tanked if you don't have a smartphone. Hate. It.

You bring up another great angle to this.

The app and MM+ has actually eliminated a lot of the advantages of the seasoned vet.

In my younger days...I could "attack" the park with the best of them as needed...

Know every inch of path, shortcuts (not all public accessible) and where to go, when to avoid the crowds and maximize days...even knew when to get easy walk ups In booked up restaurants...

Now that's useless...the app combined with hard reservations for everything (to control labor...nothing more) makes that knowledge irrelevant...by and large.

I may spend less energy walking quickly now...but the experience is less enjoyable and the angst is higher. For sure.

 

[HauntedPirate]

The in park tip boards have already been removed for a while now.

I knew the MK tip board was removed years ago, but didn't realize they were gone at the other parks.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

Reminds me of this famous pic:

I bet they're all checking the WDWMAGIC forums.

 

[trainplane3]

I figured I'd toss this up here. Obviously a fan creation and 100% not legit, but a fun look at a layout that could work. Some good ideas, some bad. They explain the reasoning of what they thought up in the blog post. I'm sure someone will poke holes in it (like usual) but I thought it was neat enough to share.
Also, I do wonder if that's close to how the Space Restaurant will be shaped?

Source: http://imagineerland.blogspot.com/2018/01/epcot-2018-plan-dream-version.html

 

[smile]

I figured I'd toss this up here. Obviously a fan creation and 100% not legit, but a fun look at a layout that could work. Some good ideas, some bad. They explain the reasoning of what they thought up in the blog post. I'm sure someone will poke holes in it (like usual) but I thought it was neat enough to share.
Also, I do wonder if that's close to how the Space Restaurant will be shaped?

i prefer ideal build-out for this sort of thing - interesting stuff

 

[JohnD]

I figured I'd toss this up here. Obviously a fan creation and 100% not legit, but a fun look at a layout that could work. Some good ideas, some bad. They explain the reasoning of what they thought up in the blog post. I'm sure someone will poke holes in it (like usual) but I thought it was neat enough to share.
Also, I do wonder if that's close to how the Space Restaurant will be shaped?

Source: http://imagineerland.blogspot.com/2018/01/epcot-2018-plan-dream-version.html

He obviously calls it "Dream" for a reason. Here's his "realistic version" of how he thinks it may transpire.

Source: http://imagineerland.blogspot.com/2018/01/epcot-2018-plan-realistic-version.html

 

[marni1971]

I figured I'd toss this up here. Obviously a fan creation and 100% not legit, but a fun look at a layout that could work. Some good ideas, some bad. They explain the reasoning of what they thought up in the blog post. I'm sure someone will poke holes in it (like usual) but I thought it was neat enough to share.
Also, I do wonder if that's close to how the Space Restaurant will be shaped?


Source: http://imagineerland.blogspot.com/2018/01/epcot-2018-plan-dream-version.html

To answer your question that’s not close to how the Space Restaurant will be shaped.

 

[jaxonp]

To answer your question that’s not close to how the Space Restaurant will be shaped.

Gimme a shape, sir?

 

[marni1971]

Gimme a shape, sir?

Banana. And a square. And another square. And an existing square.