Epcot Entertainment Being Refreshed, Long Time Acts Being Replaced

[DisneyKim22]

I enjoyed each of these acts, but after seeing them each a couple of times, I passed them by on subsequent visits. I always wished the entertainment would change more frequently. It's an easy way to keep the overall experience fresh for repeat guests.

I liked the music of Off Kilter, but if I'm not mistaken, you can buy it on a CD (and I just might). Let's see what's coming next. ...for now I refuse to believe that the lumberjack show is going to be as boring as it initially sounds.

[LittleDreamer]

The flag act is Sbandieratori Flags. I will confess my own ignorance. I have never thought Italy and flag waving. I did a little internet research and flag throwing is an Italian tradition dating to the Middle Ages (or thereabouts depending on the source). Flag waving started as a way to keep military skills up between battles. Shows usually include costumes with heraldry, musical accompaniment of drums and trumpet. The YouTube videos I saw on this do look entertaining.

I was pretty sure this was the act that was coming to Italy, but I'm not sure if it is the same group. The act was a popular one at the Italian Renaissance Festival that used to be held at Vizcaya in Miami every year. They are pretty impressive if given enough room, which is the one thing I'm worried about. The wind might be to high for them to do it out on the island but it could get pretty crowded doing it in the courtyard. Of course the group I was used too was 15 people so Disney's could be smaller.

[Gator]

This just in from Disney :

"After such a positive response to our changes in the World Showcase, we've decided to make some changes to Future World as well. The first change is to the Imagination Pavilion. It will be the addition of a 3-D experience called 'Imagine Profits', featuring Bill Gates and Pauly Shore. The second change will be to the Universe of Energy. Instead of climbing into ride vehicles, you'll be able to make the planet greener by simply walking through the attraction under your own "energy". At the end of the "ride" will be a new gift shop called "Universe of Energy Bars", where you can replenish your energy that you spent running as fast as you can to get out of this attraction. We feel these changes will freshen up Future World and enhance the experience of our guests to match what we believe the future of the World will be."

All this to say, are they really replacing Off Kilter, a Celtic music group, with a.... Celtic music group?

[GrumpySue]

I might be able to enjoy a Lumberjack show, if I could eat a Beaver Tail while doing so........

[Altair]

I wonder how quickly the idea of just adding more acts got shot down?

[DisneyGiant]

For me, the biggest criticism of Epcot is that they haven't been changing acts with enough regularity. To keep the park fresh you have to have new acts. Yes the Off Kilter is good but it's been about 20 years or so. I hope that this signals a new era where we get to see new acts every couple of years.

Agree with this - but Epcot is sorely in need of new attractions too. Currently, it is a half day park at best.

One of the main reasons we get park hoppers is to go to Epcot restaurants for dinner & now with FP+ we're considering stopping that as well.... You can't get on any of the remaining Epcot attractions at night (except maybe Mission Space - but we don't ride that any way).

[cer]

I might be able to enjoy a Lumberjack show, if I could eat a Beaver Tail while doing so........

funny.

[mandaep]

Nothing new or surprising. Change is always abound at wdw and that change is typically a not so bad thing. I'm sure the performers didn't expect to stay around forever.

I will say with that ironically enough I wish I could have fully enjoyed every second of the old British Invasion show before it left and when we took our mother in law bc we kept telling her about it and had he excited (she's a huge fan) then it was gone

Oh well! We arrive the 29th and I can't
Wait to check out the new acts!

[Tekneek]

I wonder how quickly the idea of just adding more acts got shot down?

Immediately. Typically they take away more than they put in when it comes to Epcot. It has been that way for more than a couple of decades now.

[PirateLover]

Fife and Drum Corps probably is the one that bums me out the most. I'm glad British Revolution is still sticking around. I enjoy those shows (as I did the predecessor British Invasion) and will actually plan around seeing a show.
Off Kilter was fun, but not really my thing to watch over and over. I've only caught Mo'Roccan a few times. Most of these are just atmospheric to me as I wander around, so I'll give the replacements a shot. Fife and Drum Corps really appealed to the history lover in me, though. I always stopped to enjoy them.

[biggun35]

How about Rush instead of the Lumberjack Show at the Canada Pavilion?

[SurferStitch]

DH was pretty bummed when I told him that the Fife & Drum Corps was getting the axe. We love watching them when we visit. He even had his picture taken with them a couple years ago. It's the pic that pops up on my phone when he calls me.

World Showcase... A tribute to all nations, but mostly Ameri.... doh... wait a second... what would Sam Eagle say??

[Susan A]

We love Mo Rockin!!!

[Tekneek]

No, they'd be for Eat to the Beat.

You must be talking about a Rush tribute band, then. Rush still sells too many tickets and albums to sign up for the has-been tour circuit.

[Melanie]

You must be talking about a Rush tribute band, then. Rush still sells too many tickets and albums to sign up for the has-been tour circuit.

You got that right!

[TheAdventurer]

I love these changes! I especially love seeing something actually Italian in the Italy pavilion--the World Showcase players had a place in UK, but there wan't anything really Italian since Masquerade, but the flag throwers should be both awesome and authentic.

I liked MoRockin, but the new act sounds more authentic to me. And I can't wait to hear the new celtic folk band in the UK.

The sticking point is I've always loved Off Kilter, and I don't know how I'll feel about the new lumberjack show, which just seems silly

But overall I give big thumbs up to the live entertainment changes.

Any chance we can get Speldmans Geldje (or however it's spelled) back in Norway if they promise to play "Let It Go"?

[brad192]

The only one I'm ticked about are the World Showcase Players. They always made me laugh, and I always wanted to be in one of their shows. It's a line item on my bucket list. I'm an amature thespian with a lot of stage experience, and it would have been a great time for me and the Players to interact during one of their performances.

*sigh* Guess I'll have to scratch that one off my list.

[Strmchsr]

So the Lumberjack show went into soft opening today. A friend of mine sent me a video. I'll see it live on Wednesday. It's basically a bunch of banter with guys doing things like you see on the Lumberjack games on Outdoor Channel - cutting logs, climbing logs, etc. Mildly entertaining but I don't see it having a lot of staying power. I was trying to have an open mind even as much as I loved Off Kilter. I was truly hoping for something awesome but it came across as mostly "meh." Hopefully the show will improve as they work out the kinks but watching dudes in flannel cut logs only holds my attention for so long.

[Melanie]

So the Lumberjack show went into soft opening today. A friend of mine sent me a video. I'll see it live on Wednesday. It's basically a bunch of banter with guys doing things like you see on the Lumberjack games on Outdoor Channel - cutting logs, climbing logs, etc. Mildly entertaining but I don't see it having a lot of staying power. I was trying to have an open mind even as much as I loved Off Kilter. I was truly hoping for something awesome but it came across as mostly "meh." Hopefully the show will improve as they work out the kinks but watching dudes in flannel cut logs only holds my attention for so long.

Sigh.

[MNNHFLTX]

So the Lumberjack show went into soft opening today. A friend of mine sent me a video. I'll see it live on Wednesday. It's basically a bunch of banter with guys doing things like you see on the Lumberjack games on Outdoor Channel - cutting logs, climbing logs, etc. Mildly entertaining but I don't see it having a lot of staying power. I was trying to have an open mind even as much as I loved Off Kilter. I was truly hoping for something awesome but it came across as mostly "meh." Hopefully the show will improve as they work out the kinks but watching dudes in flannel cut logs only holds my attention for so long.

The thing I don't understand about the lumberjack show is that it's playing on a stereotype that I thought many Canadians themselves do not care for. Yes, Off Kilter had men in kilts, but at least they threw off the stereotype by playing Celtic rock music.

I just saw a video of the lumberjack show and while it might be interesting to watch once, I don't think I would go back for multiple performances. The announcer himself was kind of annoying, repeatedly telling the audience how "amazing!" the lumberjacks were.