If by "proper rides" you mean roller coasters, don't bother. People like that should just stop going to EPCOT altogether and ruining it for the rest of us who want something more fulfilling, something more to chew on than just dessert. For some of us a """"proper ride"""" is an immersive masterpiece like The Haunted Mansion or Horizons or Journey Into Imagination. If people want g-forces, they can go to Six Flags. This isn't to say that the park can't have the occasional thrill, the best theme parks have a wide variety of types of attractions, but those thrills should be something that contributes towards expanding your understanding of the world.
That is an incredibly simplistic view of people. Most people are a lot more nuanced than just being a brain-dead adrenaline junkie. Most people experience some degree of curiosity and if EPCOT was doing its job right it would be sparking the embers of that curiosity into a roaring flame.
I was/am a full-blown coaster junkie. However, EPCOT provided a place to just enjoy the art of a dark ride in profusion. I agree completely with you that those ride types just don't belong in EPCOT. The various rides in EPCOT really gave a wide variety of things to do and ways to enjoy the park. It was nice not hearing screaming from various areas of the park. It is why I don't want to see UoE become Guardians. I don't think that people have changed much over the years. EPCOT could still have the educational tilt to the rides and be very successful. However, I do like rides and and would prefer EPCOT add rides that tie in to the overall theme.