Epcot Spine and Entrance Project

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

It won’t be completely empty. Yes there will be more greenery but also things in the space.

What "things? "

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The flags, the added green space, the multiple “lanes” of entry all plusses to me.

However, The “ unknown” new wall location, the interactive Kiddie area, the lack of an xtra QS eatery, loss of Club Kool, lack of Any type of ride all Far outweigh any gain to me... so far.
Looking forward to the progress and changes along the way.
The Legacy tiles...feels like an afterthought now... that Truly Bothers me. People felt Invested, and I don’t mean monetarily ...
it’s part of the Epcot History. I hope it gets the Respect it deserves.
What’s next, ripping out all the Bricks at Magic Kingdom for “new” Granite tiles, ugh!

The expectation is there will be some food and beverage locations in the new pavilion ... maybe not a full on QS, but will be food (if it is supposed to be a City setting, maybe something the equivalent of food trucks could work, or like the Warf area in DCA with multiple stalls)

And there could be something like a ride or attraction ... I mean, something like Toy Story Mania is "interactive" (not saying there will be something that significant, but I think this will be more than just a handful of small "Project tomorrow" level activities)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What "things? "

Starbucks East and Starbucks West?

I giant hat with a pin trading booth at the bottom?

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Starbucks East and Starbucks West?

I giant hat with a pin trading booth at the bottom?

That is so like yesterday.

It'll be a giant hat with a DVC sales booth at the bottom.

 

[BrianL]

The expectation is there will be some food and beverage locations in the new pavilion ... maybe not a full on QS, but will be food (if it is supposed to be a City setting, maybe something the equivalent of food trucks could work, or like the Warf area in DCA with multiple stalls)

And there could be something like a ride or attraction ... I mean, something like Toy Story Mania is "interactive" (not saying there will be something that significant, but I think this will be more than just a handful of small "Project tomorrow" level activities)

They could do a VR style thing. That might be a good place for one.

 

[jarestel]

It's nice to read that most of us are quite accepting of the proposed changes. For me personally, I'd like to see Disney do something more new than old and I think they will. Regardless of how one felt about the old park entrance, trying to replicate the images of days gone by would be a missed opportunity, IMO.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

They could do a VR style thing. That might be a good place for one.

I'd also love if they had some sort of climbing area/ropes course, etc. I know the laws in the U.S. would make it hard to do something like the Challenge Trails at Shanghai Disneyland ... but maybe something more akin to the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at DCA in California

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's nice to read that most of us are quite accepting of the proposed changes. For me personally, I'd like to see Disney do something more new than old and I think they will. Regardless of how one felt about the old park entrance, trying to replicate days gone by would be a missed opportunity, IMO.

i do hope it is more of a nod to the history of the park - the timelessness of EPCOT - than truly trying to recreate the old. So combining new with the old with the best of both worlds - but I do get your point

balancing advancing to the future while acknowledging the draw of nostalgia to many Disney fans is a balance Disney often has to handle

 

[rteetz]

Looks like entrance work will begin this spring

http://blogmickey.com/2019/02/more-...a-legacy-and-epcot-entrance-project-timeline/

 

[jarestel]

i do hope it is more of a nod to the history of the park - the timelessness of EPCOT - than truly trying to recreate the old. So combining new with the old with the best of both worlds - but I do get your point

balancing advancing to the future while acknowledging the draw of nostalgia to many Disney fans is a balance Disney often has to handle

I agree, but to me the original Epcot was about the future while the Epcot of recent years has morphed into a tribute to the past. If any park could get away with "modernizing" without a lot of grumbling from the fans, I expect it would be Epcot.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I agree, but to me the original Epcot was about the future while the Epcot of recent years has morphed into a tribute to the past. If any park could get away with "modernizing" without a lot of grumbling from the fans, I expect it would be Epcot.

they have the same issue (at least with Future World) as they do with Tomorroland in MK - the future is always coming so unless you are going to constantly be updating it, your view of the "Future" will become outdated very quickly

Why i think in some ways it makes more sense to treat things more as a retro view of what the future was thought to be .... and then more a focus on discovery than things of the future. but we shall see

I am just glad EPCOT is getting any kind of love

 

[boscfan]

I can't wait, I still don't get exactly what it is, but its gotta be better than what they had.

 

[jarestel]

I am just glad EPCOT is getting any kind of love

Yes, absolutely!

 

[cvaska]

With that start date, it looks like someone is an eager beaver to get started on the project

 

[Dfan79]

Yeah, it's about time. Anything has to be better than just a seasonal food festival building. Its been wasted for so long, that people longed for Body Wars and Buzzy to return.

It is meant to be a pavilion not just a place where people can drink wine and eat cheese.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

With that start date, it looks like someone is an eager beaver to get started on the project

not sure how long this will take but I am sure they want this done (the entrance way) before the 50th celebration starts - and probably before Guardians and/or Rat is open ... last thing they want is tons of increased crowds and the entrance way is partially blocked due to the construction

Plus makes sense to focus on the entrance way (e.g., construction walls up everywhere) when most of the attention will be on what is opening at DHS and away from EPCOT

 

[Dfan79]

Disney seems like they're putting a lot of things off til the 50th anniversary. So they can say they are adding 50 new worthwhile things to Disney World. They don't want to be stuck saying "Well... we just added this trash can in Liberty Square. It can hold different things... like cups..and plates.. and bottles... Yeah."

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

they have the same issue (at least with Future World) as they do with Tomorroland in MK - the future is always coming so unless you are going to constantly be updating it, your view of the "Future" will become outdated very quickly

Why i think in some ways it makes more sense to treat things more as a retro view of what the future was thought to be .... and then more a focus on discovery than things of the future. but we shall see

I am just glad EPCOT is getting any kind of love

Yes, I think the "Future that Never Was but Always Will Be" idea for Tomorrowland is perfect for MK, and Space Mountain, COP, Buzz, Astro Orbiter, and TTA all fit this well. Laugh Floor and Speedway, not so much. Tron will fit, I think.

Future World is more difficult. They don't want a copy of the TL theme in MK, it needs to be different, and the solution is to make it grounded in reality. It doesn't really have to be about the future, per se, but about science and technology in general. All of the current attractions fit this well, except for Short Film Festival. Hopefully they can make Guardians fit, and not stick out like a sore thumb.

Hopefully the new pavilion will have the type of exploration that was lost with the gutting of Innoventions. ​

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yes, I think the "Future that Never Was but Always Will Be" idea for Tomorrowland is perfect for MK, and Space Mountain, COP, Buzz, Astro Orbiter, and TTA all fit this well. Laugh Floor and Speedway, not so much. Tron will fit, I think.

Future World is more difficult. They don't want a copy of the TL theme in MK, it needs to be different, and the solution is to make it grounded in reality. It doesn't really have to be about the future, per se, but about science and technology in general. All of the current attractions fit this well, except for Short Film Festival. Hopefully they can make Guardians fit, and not stick out like a sore thumb.

Hopefully the new pavilion will have the type of exploration that was lost with the gutting of Innoventions. ​

Fully agree - I did always like that aspect of the cancelled Project Gemeni that would have changed Future World to Discovery World and had the East side be about discovering technology and the west side discovering the natural world

Seems like they are moving towards that concept (at least a bit) even if not changing the name

 

[Mome Rath]

So, what about the Fountain of Nations, will it remain the same, be updated, or be removed? I've not seen anything specific (and I ask because it is a family favorite of ours).