The State of Epcot

[Imperius]

GOTG coaster or dark ride?

 

[GAcoaster]

I didn't get specifics on attractions, just a "mini land" with two attractions

 

[Imperius]

That's interesting and weird. Not sure it needs a mini land and not sure how it fits Epcot done that way.

 

[WAJAS]

I didn't get specifics on attractions, just a "mini land" with two attractions

That's interesting and weird. Not sure it needs a mini land and not sure how it fits Epcot done that way.

I think your friend may be confusing a miniland with a pavilion. Maybe a revival of a former or current Future World pavilion is planned? Imagination? Wonders of Life? Innoventions?

 

[GAcoaster]

No, WoL and UoE coming down for a GotG mini land is what I was told.

Innoventions is at some point supposed to turn back into Communicore along with the EPCOT Center name change.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

No, WoL and UoE coming down for a GotG mini land is what I was told.

Innoventions is at some point supposed to turn back into Communicore along with the EPCOT Center name change.

The park doesn't deserve the name if it's just going to be filled with Nemo, Frozen, Guardians, and who knows what else over the next few years.

 

[WAJAS]

No, WoL and UoE coming down for a GotG mini land is what I was told.

Innoventions is at some point supposed to turn back into Communicore along with the EPCOT Center name change.

It's worse than we thought. It's... spreading!!!

Seriously though, they better pull the most polished piece of turd out of their pocket if they think that makes any sense in Future World. A ride is one thing, but a miniland?

 

[Nick]

Did the Guardians rumor pop back up again? I thought that was dead for the France attraction?

 

[GAcoaster]

France (Ratatouille) is still on track as well

 

[Parkscope Joe]

France (Ratatouille) is still on track as well

Pun intended?

 

[Nick]

France (Ratatouille) is still on track as well

Do you know which expansion pad the ride would go on? The pad between Morocco and France or the piece of land on the other side of the building along crescent lake?

 

[belloq87]

The park doesn't deserve the name if it's just going to be filled with Nemo, Frozen, Guardians, and who knows what else over the next few years.

No kidding. That would be kind of a baffling decision on Disney's part.

I've got no problem with Ratatouille coming to France, provided it's an addition to everything already in that pavilion and not a replacement for Impressions.

Guardians is another story. Would I rather have it overtake Tower of Terror? Hell no! But I struggle to see how it's going to match even an extremely loose interpretation of Epcot's theme, so I suspect Disney won't even try to make it fit. As such, I won't be terribly thrilled if it comes to pass.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

No kidding. That would be kind of a baffling decision on Disney's part.

I've got no problem with Ratatouille coming to France, provided it's an addition to everything already in that pavilion and not a replacement for Impressions.

Guardians is another story. Would I rather have it overtake Tower of Terror? Hell no! But I struggle to see how it's going to match even an extremely loose interpretation of Epcot's theme, so I suspect Disney won't even try to make it fit. As such, I won't be terribly thrilled if it comes to pass.

I'm on exactly the same page. At least Ratatouille is actually something of a celebration of French culinary culture, and could easily be translated into a fulfilling experience that fits thematically as part of the France pavilion. Not that it WILL, mind you, but it COULD conceivably work much better than Nemo or Frozen

As for Guardians, it's just pure science fantasy. There's no way it can be made to have anything to say on the legitimate exploration of space, much less either of the sciences belonging to the pavilions it's rumored to replace. The only connective tissue I see with EPCOT is 80s nostalgia, and to pursue that avenue for the park is completely wrongheaded thinking.

 

[belloq87]

As for Guardians, it's just pure science fantasy. There's no way it can be made to have anything to say on the legitimate exploration of space, much less either of the sciences belonging to the pavilions it's rumored to replace. The only connective tissue I see with EPCOT is 80s nostalgia, and to pursue that avenue for the park is completely wrongheaded thinking.

I mostly agree. I do think (if given resources and money from Imagineering!) I could probably devise a Guardians-centric storyline that would kinda/sort fulfill an "edutainment" mandate, but it would still be an awkward fit.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

I mostly agree. I do think (if given resources and money from Imagineering!) I could probably devise a Guardians-centric storyline that would kinda/sort fulfill an "edutainment" mandate, but it would still be an awkward fit.

Oh, sure, you could totally force something, but there very little chance that it wouldn't feel incongruous.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

In the terms of Epcot, you can't please everyone.

there are going to be many sides that will either like what they are doing, or will hate it and call Disney out of going away from what Epcot Center originally was. There has to be a change, in one way or another; and forgoing the original concept of EC may be something that they may have to do.

Future World, is having the same issue as all the Tomorrowland's that have existed. It was a celebration of the future, and what it could hold. But, if given time later in from something new added to Epcot's FW, it will become outdated as it would already happen. And as for World Showcase, there are still ways you can work around having Disney characters but making it thematically sensical in many means.

I may not want GoTG at Epcot, but if it means getting rid of two VERY outdated sections of the park (WoL and UoE) and if Ratatouille comes to the Paris area of Epcot, I am going to give it a chance. As long as it's something that benefits the park and helps change it to become something better than what the hell it is right now, as what it is right now; isn't working.

 

[GAcoaster]

Do you know which expansion pad the ride would go on? The pad between Morocco and France or the piece of land on the other side of the building along crescent lake?

Not sure, but I'll try to find out.

I LOVED the original EPCOT Center and what they have now I find just sad. While I would like to imagine EPCOT Center being restored to what it was originally, that ship sailed long ago and they've decided it's just time to IP the crap out of the place. It is what it is and it's not going back to what it was any time soon. As long as they are investing in the park and finally doing something to improve it (even if it's not my idea of what it should be) I will embrace it and try to see the best in what they do and be happy that I can remember what it used to be.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Not sure, but I'll try to find out.

I LOVED the original EPCOT Center and what they have now I find just sad. While I would like to imagine EPCOT Center being restored to what it was originally, that ship sailed long ago and they've decided it's just time to IP the crap out of the place. It is what it is and it's not going back to what it was any time soon. As long as they are investing in the park and finally doing something to improve it (even if it's not my idea of what it should be) I will embrace it and try to see the best in what they do and be happy that I can remember what it used to be.

Personally speaking, I would assume that the best alternative would be the Moracco/France pad although that's just me.

And I agree with you. I am fully willing to give it a shot, as I think that it could be a great move to add capacity to a park that needs to have more than just beer and food. Although with GoTG, the thing I'd be more curious about is simply how it'd be done.

Would it be the rumored coaster? or would it be a dark ride? Either way, I am interested to see what happens, if that is the case.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

Future World, is having the same issue as all the Tomorrowland's that have existed. It was a celebration of the future, and what it could hold. But, if given time later in from something new added to Epcot's FW, it will become outdated as it would already happen. And as for World Showcase, there are still ways you can work around having Disney characters but making it thematically sensical in many means.

I would argue that the mistake that Disney made was not in building yet another Tomorrowland that would become outdated, but in not really sticking to the format they set up for Future World, with moderate investment to update the existing attractions and significant investment to EXPAND the park. Moderate investment to update the finales of Spaceship Earth, Energy, Motion, exhibits in ImageWorks, The Land, The Living Seas, effects and aesthetics in Horizons, working with sponsors to switch out venues in CommuniCore, etc. Major investment should have been spent on ADDING attractions to Future World, instead of replacing them. Journey Into Imagination shouldn't have been touched. Test Track should have been added to World of Motion. Space should have gotten a big Life/Land-style pavilion and not replaced Horizons. But the Eisner regime didn't the same vision as the one the park was built with, and the vision (or lack of one, seemingly) they had didn't end up serving the park well in the long run. But WED built the majority of the park to last with bits and pieces that would need to be updated. Look at Spaceship Earth for the best example, because they've more or less followed the plan with that one.

 

[OLSinFLA]

I would argue that the mistake that Disney made was not in building yet another Tomorrowland that would become outdated, but in not really sticking to the format they set up for Future World, with moderate investment to update the existing attractions and significant investment to EXPAND the park. Moderate investment to update the finales of Spaceship Earth, Energy, Motion, exhibits in ImageWorks, The Land, The Living Seas, effects and aesthetics in Horizons, working with sponsors to switch out venues in CommuniCore, etc. Major investment should have been spent on ADDING attractions to Future World, instead of replacing them. Journey Into Imagination shouldn't have been touched. Test Track should have been added to World of Motion. Space should have gotten a big Life/Land-style pavilion and not replaced Horizons. But the Eisner regime didn't the same vision as the one the park was built with, and the vision (or lack of one, seemingly) they had didn't end up serving the park well in the long run. But WED built the majority of the park to last with bits and pieces that would need to be updated. Look at Spaceship Earth for the best example, because they've more or less followed the plan with that one.

Yeah most of the original EPCOT attractions really explored the past, then the present, and then some snippets of the future. The future part was always designed so it could be updated without having to change the rest of the pavilion.