Why are they ruining Epcot ?

[tiggerbuddy]

BRAVO !! BRAVO !!!

IMHO they DESTROYED Imagination! It was so cute and had an original character.

[disneynarula]

Define "family friendly" then because I sure am missing the memo! :

It is not family friendly if your kids are not tall enough to ride or if people have health restriction. Everyone could ride Horizons and World of Motion together.

[Terra]

Okay, low blow - there is a lot of amazing rap and hip hop, unless you pigeonhole one kind of music to be 'all the same', which it isn't.

I really love Intercot, but sometimes there is just so much dissent about the present/future. Between people constantly complaining about how much better things USED to be and being upset over new ideas/resorts/theming, I feel a bit alone sometimes in trying to embrace the future.

Sure, the future isn't always going to be the same as the past. And it is hard when a company is built on the ideals of one man, who is no longer alive. But maybe, we can trust that those ideals have touched all of us so strongly, that maybe the people who work for the company have the same ideals in mind when making decisions.

Epcot used to be kind of a joke - that it was boring, more like a museum and classroom than a theme park. You just need to watch The Simpson's episode where they are trapped in 'Efcot' to see that.

I enjoy Epcot, very much. There is a good balance between fun and educational, but more importantly, all is available to avoid/enjoy. If you are a thrill junkie, you can enjoy Test Track and Mission:Space. If you are educationally motivated, you can ride The Land and walk through Innovations. If you are an uber-nerd thrill junkie like me, you can set 2-3 days aside to go EVERYWHERE in Epcot!

I don't mean to offend anyone, and of course everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I just hope people remember - "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Not my words.

Brilliant post and I agree!

[KatrinaJ91]

Wow...this whole reply is pretty much the total opposite of how I feel! Over the past 10 years, Epcot has become our favorite park and WS our favorite place to be! We love Soarin and Test Track as well as most of the other rides there. SSE was always an attraction that we would go on if the line wasn't too long, but it is not a must see every trip ride for us.

However, we cannot be in Disney and not spend an entire day (or more) in World Showcase! If you were prompted to learn more after being on SSE, how could you not be prompted to want to learn more about the culture of the countries highlighted in WS? Watching the performances in each country and seeing the architecture and cultural aspects make us love being there.

Everyone has their own opinion on everything and should have...but Epcot is definitely not being ruined. For us, it only gets better and better!

I also miss Horizons, Jeremy Irons SSE narration, JII, and World of Motion.

I agree that change is constant, but if something ain't broke, don't fix it. Why not enhance scenes within these attractions to embrace modern / futuristic technology?

I have been on Test Track and Soarin', but they lack the 're-rideability' that the classic omnimover attractions have. Don't get me wrong - cool concepts, but I dont' have the desire to return. I also miss the inspiring narration that was in some of the attractions (eg Jeremy Irons) - it prompted me to learn more about specific periods of time. SSE used to be a 'must see' attraction every time I go to WDW, but now it's downgraded to 'if I'm in the mood.' I like Dame Judi Dench as an actress, but I feel the narration has been 'dumbed down' and doesn't leave me wanting to learn more. Wasn't that one of the things Epcot was built for - learning?

The World Showcase could do with some type of overhaul. I enjoy visiting the different countries on the occasional trip, but needs some new life pumped into it. To be honest, if it weren't for the American Adventure pavilion & Candlelight Processional (& Laila perfume in Norway), I'd probably skip the WS all together.

[BhamWriter]

The biggest miss is that the Life pavilion is empty, used only for special events. There were excellent attractions there, and now they're all gone. The empty building is just sad.

As for SE, next time you're on it, count how many times Judi Dench says "fu-chah." Hint: in the teens.

[BrerSchultzy]

I understand the nostalgia...I was one of Horizons' biggest fans. Have the music on my computer. Have the tribute video from somewhere.
But I think most of my nostalgia is not for the old EPCOT, but for a time when computers and lasers and wireless things were more magic and razzle-dazzle than part of our everyday drudgery. When purple and green lights meant futuristic. When rounded, bubble fonts meant hip.
Maybe what Disney could do is pick some corner of the world, and put Horizons, World of Motion, Mr. Tom Morrow, the Computer Show, along with If You Had Wings, Mission to Mars and Magic Journeys...and we can call it Yesterland. Or, the future that we thought was coming, but never did. Maybe, as you enter, the old FedEx videos from Space Mountain could play. And the original Listen to the Land leads you from the TTC.
I'm glad I have memories. And some memories, I'm happy will stay there. I don't want to be that dad that says "isn't this awesome kids", when all they can think of is how soon they'll be away from that ride.

[Aurora]

I understand the nostalgia...I was one of Horizons' biggest fans. Have the music on my computer. Have the tribute video from somewhere.
But I think most of my nostalgia is not for the old EPCOT, but for a time when computers and lasers and wireless things were more magic and razzle-dazzle than part of our everyday drudgery. When purple and green lights meant futuristic. When rounded, bubble fonts meant hip.
Maybe what Disney could do is pick some corner of the world, and put Horizons, World of Motion, Mr. Tom Morrow, the Computer Show, along with If You Had Wings, Mission to Mars and Magic Journeys...and we can call it Yesterland. Or, the future that we thought was coming, but never did. Maybe, as you enter, the old FedEx videos from Space Mountain could play. And the original Listen to the Land leads you from the TTC.
I'm glad I have memories. And some memories, I'm happy will stay there. I don't want to be that dad that says "isn't this awesome kids", when all they can think of is how soon they'll be away from that ride.

Very well said!

Did you know there is a website called Yesterland dedicated to extinct Disneyland attractions? Great minds...

[DisneyDawgette]

I'm a huge fan of EPCOT, and probably one of the few who enjoy Journey Into Imagintion... I have the Dreamfinder song on my iPod. However, I also have the Jeremy Irons version of SE on my iPod, and I'm pretty upset they changed that aspect. :/

But I still really love this park! Granted things can always be done to improve a park- but the same could be said for the other 3. That's the joy of WDW, it's always changing! We may suffer some losses to get new great things, but it's all in the name of progress.

[AmyCasanova]

While Dame Judi Dench is growing on me, I'll still forever miss Jeremy Irons narration only because it was such an iconic part of my childhood. I'm not old enough to remember vividly of the 'good old Dreamfinder days' that everyone speaks of. I just know I really wish they'd bring it back, even if Eric Idle is awesome.

[Tearin_it_up]

I think some sort of museum or something about Epcot's past would be a cool thing to stick in the old Wonders of Life building.

Something I'm surprized that Disney hasn't taken advantage of is putting a Wall-E attraction in either Epcot or Tomorrowland.

[P.Sherman42]

Can you really have a "Future World" that you expect to stay the same forever?

Ellen's Energy Adventure - Prefer it to the original attraction , but time for a remodel.

Wonders of life - I think this one should have stayed open. I really enjoyed Cranium Command & Making of Me, but I might be in the minority on that one. Body wars is not the best sim ride, but it would stand the test of time (isn't dated) - keep it open. 3D it later?

WOM - I prefer Test Track.

Horizons - novel enough to have stayed - put MS in Energy's place?

Imagination - they just can't get that whole pavilion quite right. Definately time for a new 3D movie at the very least.

Land - boat ride still works, I prefer Soarin' to Kitchen Kabaret and Food Rocks, don't you?

Living Seas - OK for now, it needed a ride and the Nemo theme did the trick pretty well.

SE - I prefer the new treatment. What gives it the re-rideability is the interactive stuff at the end. The old version you just went down backwards and listened to music, much better now!

Completely agree. It is called, "future world." Can't expect it to stay the same.

[Disney Doll]

It seems to me that Epcot just isn't what it used to be . ..So many bad decisions lately...

1) Horrible new narration on Spaceship earth..Jeremy Irons was the best.
2) Horizons ..Gone
3)world of Motion.. gone
4) Imagination..Dont even get me started ...(Dreamfinder)

Does anyone else agree or I am I being to sentimental ?

Ruin seems a little dramatic. There's room for improvement, but overall I'm happy with the changes.

1. Love Judy Dench. I'm not a huge fan of the interactive ending, but I think it's very practical and will prevent the ride from becoming dated too quickly. We're living in a communication renaissance so they need something that will be easy to change.

2. We love Mission Space. It's an awesome thrill ride and certainly unique. My kids aren't big enough to ride, but I have a 4 year old who loves all things space and he'll be on the tame version in another year. I certainly think it's a family attraction.

3. Test track is another favorite. Just look at how popular that ride is. Disney made a great addition there.

4. They certainly need a new 3D movie. I doubt many would dispute that. However, my kids like the imagination ride. I prefer the original, but it was a part of my childhood so I know I can't be completely objective.

I would like to see updates to Enery and I think they need to do something with the life pavilion.

2.

[Disney Doll]

I love Epcot, but I can give you one sad thing. My daughter did "Kidcot Funcot" years ago and made the coolest mask, with stamps from all the different countries and die-cut "charms" hung on the sides. It was really a great keepsake. And my DD got a free character poster at the last stop! She took it all to school for "show and tell" when we got home.

Now...you get a cut-out of that bear...Duffy?....you color him and get a stamp at each country. Tried to encourage my youngest niece and nephew to do it, but they lost interest right away. The passports are still cool, though.

Agree 100%. The old kidcot masks were much more appealing to my kids. My kids couldn't care less about Duffy. And the Sharpie sponsorship? Who decided it would be a good idea to give kids access to bunches of permanent markers

[kingdisney]

You all can argue about SS all you want. Personally I miss the Living Sea's pre show. Nemo just can't stand next to how epic the original narration was....

[I]"Try to imagine, just for a moment, that somewhere in the endless reaches of the universe ... on the outer edge of a galaxy of a hundred thousand million suns ... deep within a cluster of slowly forming planets, a small sphere of just the right size lies just the right distance from its mother star ... cooling in the coldness of space. Try to imagine."[/I

Now compare that to "Just keep swimming...just keep swimming..." There is a drop off somewhere. I'm all for improvement but the Nemo attraction just feels forced and made for little children. Can we have a teen/Adult line and a children line? Disney has managed to pull off different rides in one with the new Star Tours. If it isn't broke don't fix it. I learned more about the sea's that I could take back with me to school from the original ride....than I ever have with Nemo.

[Crow]

ok so lets move ahead and add a new country...
well they try to get more people to stay longer in the parks so they arent tempted to go offsite.
Living Seas..well idk. the Nemo ride is short. but standing in the last version waiting to b admitted wasnt too fun either.
Mission Space. i do it once a trip. Horixons i would have done more probably.
Test Track my gf likes..its the ADD thing..lol
she needs some of the thrill things, whereas Im happy in ws
The Life pavilion..yes do something w it.
JII isnt that great now..i ride it once
Soaring was a good addition i think.
Energy needs some...energy
they should add another boat type ride, like i think they were originally planning in Germany or something behind Japan

[Tigerinvestigator]

You all can argue about SS all you want. Personally I miss the Living Sea's pre show. Nemo just can't stand next to how epic the original narration was....

[I]"Try to imagine, just for a moment, that somewhere in the endless reaches of the universe ... on the outer edge of a galaxy of a hundred thousand million suns ... deep within a cluster of slowly forming planets, a small sphere of just the right size lies just the right distance from its mother star ... cooling in the coldness of space. Try to imagine."[/I

Yep who could forget..."and it rained and rained and rained"

So many different thoughts and opinions expressed here. I guess my favorite is build a pavilion (maybe around the odyssey) with a little bit of all the lost attractions. Call it the "Memory" pavilion and like BrerSchultzy said include If you had wings, Horizons, World of Motion. Maybe at the end of the attraction (which would be a slow moving dark ride) they could have a dining experience with "lost food" as well. Polynesian burgers from Adventureland Veranda, paper straws with stripes on them, and a box of raisens with every meal!

[CaptainSad]

This how I rate the Narrators over the years.

4. Judi Dench
3. Vic Perrin
2. Jeremy Irons
1. Walter Cronkite

At least I have been able to see them all...

[Stu29573]

This how I rate the Narrators over the years.

4. Judi Dench
3. Vic Perrin
2. Jeremy Irons
1. Walter Cronkite

At least I have been able to see them all...

I agree that Cronkite was by far the best, followed by a great effort by Irons. Vic Perrin, I missed, but Dench...oh my word, why Dench?