vintageepcot
New Member
I would pick magic kingdom because it is still original and they are expanding.
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Which park would Walt be most pleased with?
- Thread starter AREM
- Start date
SirGoofy
Member
Agreed. Even with the expansion, it would still struggle to beat DLP and TDL.
Zummi Gummi
Pioneering the Universe Within!
I haven't been to any of the parks outside of the U.S., so based strictly on the U.S. parks, I'm going to say Animal Kingdom, simply because of the immersive nature of the theming.
I agree with another poster in that after finally visiting DCA this month, I don't quite get all the hate. It's a nice park, great attractions and will spectacular when the expansion is done!
I agree with another poster in that after finally visiting DCA this month, I don't quite get all the hate. It's a nice park, great attractions and will spectacular when the expansion is done!
Absolutely agree. AK is just breath taking. The beauty of that park is unmatched by any other Disney property.
I think Expedition Everest would have been the single thing that would have overwhelmed him.
krankenstein
Well-Known Member
Add to the fact that the original in Cali is still better. :shrug:
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
I would like to think however, that he would be thrilled that they used the concept, and name, for a park that embodies the spirit of what he wanted.
If he would have lived longer, I'm thinking we still would have seen a EPCOT Park.....The EPCOT City Concept, although grandiose, might have been too perfect. Waltopia, anyone?
Disney SEA is a contender as well.
PintoColvig
Active Member
Gotta be DisneySea for me. Funny thing is I've never been there myself. However, the overwhelming sense of most who've been there is that it is the top park in the world. Can't wait to visit there myself.
I would not have chosen MK as the first choice either, but keep in mind that Walt was well aware of the fact that plans called for "a second Disneyland" to be built on property. And while his primary focus and interest were on Epcot (the city, not the theme park), all indications are that he was excited about what was being discussed as far as plans for the Magic Kingdom. Keep in mind too that the things that tend to endear most of us to DL tend to be things like the fact that it was "the original" and the fact that Walt had a hand in developing that. Those aspects wouldn't apply from Walt's point of view. Also, he was very much what would be described today as a "techno geek" and loved cutting edge engineering. MK has that, and I think it would have impressed and excited him.
Based on what I've heard, seen and read, I would agree with most of the people on this thread who say that DisneySea would have impressed Walt the most. The one drawback there would be the limitations imposed by the theme. Walt didn't like limits and barriers. But I think the attention to detail would please him greatly.
Now the one that baffles me the most is the one person who voted DCA as the number one choice. :hammer:
I agree. I love Epcot and have long considered it my favorite Disney park (although DAK is really neck and neck with it truthfully). But it is not Walt's Epcot.
bgraham34
Well-Known Member
Exactly Walt would not be pleased with Epcot one bit. It is nothing at all that he had envisioned.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
Perhaps it "will be" a fantastic park once the additions are made to it, but until then, why don't we rate it based on how it is currently?
I think Walt might have been intrigued by the concept of themeing a park around the history, culture, etc of a particular state. After all, that is a very cool concept with all kinds of possibilities. The problem is, how much of DCA truly is based on anything that can be directly attributed to California? Not much. I think that would have disappointed Walt tremendously. Additionally, a major portion of DCA is based around the type of outdoor entertainment (amusement parks) that Walt detested and was a huge driving force in him developing the concept for Disneyland. I think he would be extremely unhappy to see the name "Disney" on that park.
As a sidenote, and getting back to an earlier point you made, I also happen to disagree with your assertion that it will be a "fantastic" park once the additions are put in place. The additions are too little too late and will, at most, barely put DCA within the caliber of other Disney parks. But this park has a LONG way to go before it could ever be seriously considered "fantastic".
In what ways does it "embody his ideas"?
Walt intended the city, Epcot, to be a real working city that would also be a proving ground for the latest cutting edge technologies. In what ways does Epcot, the theme park, meet this description?? If anything, Epcot is an educational park. That's not the same thing that Walt had in mind. In fact, Walt once said, "I would rather try to entertain and hope that people learn something, than try to educate and hope that people are entertained". In other words, Walt wasn't in the business of trying educate people. His goal was to entertain. Learning was just a fortunate byproduct of his products.
njDizFan
Well-Known Member
pretty impresssive speed to be able to go on 10 attractions(3 safari,3 rapids,2 EE,2 dinosaur) tough to be a bug, rafiki planet watch(4 attractions),flights of wonder, Nemo show, Primeval whirl, Crestaceos and Oasis trails in 3 hours.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
In what ways does it "embody his ideas"?
You are right. Walt wanted a city. A city that be a "showplace of new technology that would always introducing, testing new materials and new systems. One that would be a showcase to world and a living blueprint of the future."
Instead, he got a park that did that- EPCOT Center. In it, there is the education, and the entertainment aspects of what he had set out to do.
I fail to NOT see the sprit of his ideas put into a theme park....It's there, just in a different form.:lol:
Optimistically thinking, and seeing that Walt Disney WAS realistic, while we was exceptionally creative, I think that Mr. Disney would have been thrilled that while his goal of a CITY of Tomorrow was near impossible, a park that showcases those same ideals would be much more earthly and accessible.
I think you dodged my question though, and I suspect it's because you know in all honesty that the theme park (while certainly a great theme park) does not actually meet the criteria for what Walt was setting out to do. So I will ask again, only this time more pointedly...
Tell me what about Epcot (the theme park) "introduces" and/or "tests new materials and new systems"? How is Epcot a "living blueprint of the future"? True, it showcases technology, but as I've stated, that wasn't what Walt intended Epcot to be. He wanted it to be a testing ground for technologies that weren't yet in common use.
Take Test Track for example. It's a great attraction and a lot of fun. But what does this ride really showcase that hasn't already existed for some time? Anti-lock brakes maybe? Nope, those have been around since at least the 70's.
What about The Land? Does Soarin' showcase new technology? Does the Circle of Life showcase new techology? How about Living with the Land? The most technologically advance thing there would have to be hydroponics which, again, has been around since at least the late 70's.
Let's go the other end of the spectrum and look at Mission: Space. Is that showcasing new or cutting edge technology? No. Because trips to Mars being commonplace is pure fantasy at this point in time. By the standards of Walt's Epcot, M:S would have no place there. It would be more appropriately located in Tomorrowland. You could argue that the technology it's showcasing would be motion simulators. But again, those aren't a new concept.
Even if you don't get my point, I suspect other people reading this post do. Again, I'm not saying Epcot isn't a great theme park. I think it is absolutely a great park. But to argue that it "embodies Walt's ideas" demonstrates a lack of understanding of what Walt's ideas truly were for what he intended Epcot to be.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
You do realize that the current Epcot is not what I was talking about, right? I was referring to EPCOT Center, in which these facts were realized.
Current Epcot does exhibit these qualities, but it is in my opinion that EPCOT Center showcased them in a much more succinct way.
To play your game...
Showcasing New Systems- Found THROUGHLY in Communicore, and now in Innoventions. Then, see Energy Exchange, Computer Central. Now, see Sum of All Thrills, See the new AquaCells in LWTL.
TT- That's why it doesn't work well in the park for me. However, WoM showed us the future and past of Mobility, and in it's post show was a wide array of new transportation systems. It's also (was) the most photgraphed section of WDW.
The Land? You can't look at The Land as a whole, and on breaking it down, you find that each attraction is a piece to a larger message. Soarin is pure entertainment. It's a celebration of the Land. Only adds to the experience. Circle of Life- Inspirational and educational. LWTL- Aha! Here's your answer. Its recently been updated with new AquaCells, NASA also has updated their area. So yes, it does have new things.
Mission Space? It's showcasing how technology CAN be used to get us TO Mars. And how it will be used. And how it CAN be used. If you just look at the Storyline, yeah, you get the message you gave. If you look at the broader picture, you see how it's linked to a central idea.
Of course, this is all subjective opinion.:wave: Yours too.