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Worst mistake in Epcot history
- Thread starter HMF
- Start date
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Probably Journey into Imagination.
I’m not sure how they could have updated Horizons - that was always going to need a major redo.
Illuminations needed an update - hopefully they will bring back some of the Illuminations sections one day with the current tech.
But Journey into Imagination would still be popular today, and didn’t need the update it got. That’s what makes it so sad.
I’m not sure how they could have updated Horizons - that was always going to need a major redo.
Illuminations needed an update - hopefully they will bring back some of the Illuminations sections one day with the current tech.
But Journey into Imagination would still be popular today, and didn’t need the update it got. That’s what makes it so sad.
Centauri Space Station
Well-Known Member
Imagination is the correct answer
TikibirdLand
Well-Known Member
IMO, the big mistake is ripping out Communicore and the Fountain of Nations. They *could* have used Comunicore for the Play! attractions (after all, that's exactly what it was in original form) or they could have put their Festival "table" there. The FoN just needed more lighting and creative programming for it. It could have been the daytime equivalent of that mistake on the lake without the huge budget. Think Disney's Bellagio's fountains.
Disney needs to be required to watch @marni1971 's tribute video for figment. They NEED some real imagination. Seems some "get it" -- returning the entrance to it's 1982 glory with some modern touches. Others don't (Moana's Journey of Dirt and Wonder of Closed Attractions).
Most important mistake is lack of maintenance. JII would have need to be made into JIyI had they properly maintained the first one by refreshing on a regular basis. EPCoT wouldn't be in such a dire state had Future World remained relevant.
Disney needs to be required to watch @marni1971 's tribute video for figment. They NEED some real imagination. Seems some "get it" -- returning the entrance to it's 1982 glory with some modern touches. Others don't (Moana's Journey of Dirt and Wonder of Closed Attractions).
Most important mistake is lack of maintenance. JII would have need to be made into JIyI had they properly maintained the first one by refreshing on a regular basis. EPCoT wouldn't be in such a dire state had Future World remained relevant.
Sans Souci
Well-Known Member
Yes.
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
Agreed 100%. It inspired me to tears in it's original form.
Splashin' Ryan
Well-Known Member
At the moment I definitely feel it's the conversion of Illuminations to Harmonious because it feels like it's the gate opening up to future bad IP choices of integration BUT
I think if kept up well and updated regularly, Horizons had the chance to still be a groundbreaking attraction in the modern-day whereas mission space has just stayed for the most part the same.
Also, I think it's worth noting that they were forced to remove horizons, it wasn't necessarily a choice, the building itself was literally cracking and sinking so I see it as one of the few justified moments in Disney history for removing an attraction.
I think if kept up well and updated regularly, Horizons had the chance to still be a groundbreaking attraction in the modern-day whereas mission space has just stayed for the most part the same.
Also, I think it's worth noting that they were forced to remove horizons, it wasn't necessarily a choice, the building itself was literally cracking and sinking so I see it as one of the few justified moments in Disney history for removing an attraction.
TikibirdLand
Well-Known Member
Well, that's the rumor anyway. There are plenty of foundation companies that would disagree with that assessment. Indeed, they fixed the Corvette Museum in Kentucky. So, I think the whole subject is up for debate...
Losing the original Imagination ripped out EPCOT Center's heart. Losing Horizons ripped out its soul.
Untrue urban legend.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
interesting the votes have imagination and harmonious tied.
vikescaper
Well-Known Member
It’s a three way tie for me. I miss all three equally but IllumiNations hurts the most since it is the most recent.
RoysCabin
Well-Known Member
I think it has to be Imagination. A great case can be made for Horizons being the superior attraction in many ways, but the original Imagination was the kind of attraction that deserved to be held up alongside Pirates and Mansion as an all-timer, the kind of attraction that would be replicated in parks the world over. Whereas Horizons would necessitate updates, the original Journey was a ride that could essentially remain the same, just with some effects tweaking, for as long as Disney wanted it to remain. Figment remains a park icon to this day largely off the strength of an attraction that hasn't been around for over twenty years now, that's how impactful it was.
That doesn't even get into what a masterpiece of crowd-flow it was: get on the ride, exit into the Image Works, make your way down to the Magic Eye Theater, and before you know if you've spent multiple hours in the pavilion with some highly memorable experiences...and I haven't even talked about how unique Dreamfinder and Figment were as walkaround characters, given that Dreamfinder would actually talk with you, that Figment might toss your hat around, etc., all surrounded by the leaping fountains, which themselves were easy enough to spend a good deal of time splashing around. It was a masterpiece of WED design.
And why was it lost? Because of horrible queue placement for Honey I Shrunk the Audience. What was it replaced with? The less said, the better.
That's not to minimize the other losses. Horizons, again, is arguably the apex of WED's work, and it was replaced by a more tech-savvy version of a carnival ride that has a huge show building that could easily make for an amazing larger pavilion on the topic of space, yet manages to be utterly uninteresting...and I'm not actually trying to bash Mission: Space here, the ride can be fine, but it really feels like a wasted opportunity. Losing Reflections of Earth is gutting, but at least a case could be made that it needed updating...just, again, not into a "sing along with the same songs you hear at every other park!" replacement that removes the way that Illuminations spent years serving as an exclamation point on the park's old thesis statement of bonding over shared humanity.
But keeping the original Journey was a slam dunk for Disney, and they somehow blew it.
That doesn't even get into what a masterpiece of crowd-flow it was: get on the ride, exit into the Image Works, make your way down to the Magic Eye Theater, and before you know if you've spent multiple hours in the pavilion with some highly memorable experiences...and I haven't even talked about how unique Dreamfinder and Figment were as walkaround characters, given that Dreamfinder would actually talk with you, that Figment might toss your hat around, etc., all surrounded by the leaping fountains, which themselves were easy enough to spend a good deal of time splashing around. It was a masterpiece of WED design.
And why was it lost? Because of horrible queue placement for Honey I Shrunk the Audience. What was it replaced with? The less said, the better.
That's not to minimize the other losses. Horizons, again, is arguably the apex of WED's work, and it was replaced by a more tech-savvy version of a carnival ride that has a huge show building that could easily make for an amazing larger pavilion on the topic of space, yet manages to be utterly uninteresting...and I'm not actually trying to bash Mission: Space here, the ride can be fine, but it really feels like a wasted opportunity. Losing Reflections of Earth is gutting, but at least a case could be made that it needed updating...just, again, not into a "sing along with the same songs you hear at every other park!" replacement that removes the way that Illuminations spent years serving as an exclamation point on the park's old thesis statement of bonding over shared humanity.
But keeping the original Journey was a slam dunk for Disney, and they somehow blew it.
Incorrect. There was no sink hole.
mysto
Well-Known Member
There must be a trans dimensional gateway somewhere! Help me find it! I need to escape the mundane.
Maybe there will be a sinkhole under the Brazil pavilion.
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
I don't know which one annoys me more. The "Horizons sinkhole" or "Yeti can't be removed without taking down part of the ride and building".
mysto
Well-Known Member
So many changes have turned out to be disappointments huh? I'm not sure I care which one is worst, it's the count that tells.
We're unsure about communicore/fountain because it's unfinished. But their decision to back off on the original plan is typical cost cutting that has marred so many potentially great additions over the years. I actually thought the platform overlooking the park was going to be fantastic, well until they filled the lake with metal anyway. I also think there's supposed to be a new fountain which is potentially great.
There are some bright spots, the rat ride and expanded "paris" was a solid addition. GotG is going to be great (whether or not it fits) and was not diminished by cheapskates.
We're unsure about communicore/fountain because it's unfinished. But their decision to back off on the original plan is typical cost cutting that has marred so many potentially great additions over the years. I actually thought the platform overlooking the park was going to be fantastic, well until they filled the lake with metal anyway. I also think there's supposed to be a new fountain which is potentially great.
There are some bright spots, the rat ride and expanded "paris" was a solid addition. GotG is going to be great (whether or not it fits) and was not diminished by cheapskates.