Has Epcot reached a new level of depressing?

[LaughinPlace289]

I debated on whether or not to chime in on this seeing as the thread is over a year old. But as a self-proclaimed Epcot purist I can certainly sympathize with the OP and thought I would add my two cents.

Spaceship Earth is definitely not what it used to be. Disney's intentions were to make the ride more interactive which they certainly did. And though I miss the days of the Jeremy Irons narration (he had the perfect voice for it), the attraction would not be what it is meant to be without being updated as we progress. I definitely miss the old decline "back to Earth" section of the ride. It was almost mesmerizing. The new version was a huge downgrade. That said, I still love Spaceship Earth.

It was a shame to see the Wonders of Life pavilion go. Body Wars was a great attraction and was more deserving of a upgrade rather than being removed completely. Totally agree with this one.

Test Track, Mission: Space, and Soarin' added a much needed flair to Future World and Epcot as a whole. I have always loved Epcot and I only enjoy more now that they are around.

In regards to the Norway pavilion, once again I completely agree with the OP. Maelstrom was another attraction that definitely needed and upgrade. Turning it into a Frozen themed ride is not right in my opinion. Save the princess themed rides for Fantasyland. But then again, it will certainly bring more crowds which is Disney's main concern.

Epcot still is the best. Depressing is too harsh of a term. Overkill? Maybe.

 

[KittieKat]

I totally agree with the OP. Epcot is pure 90s corn and definitely needs largely updated. Sure they have put some Band-Aids on (new frozen, test track). The new idea for the HISTA theater is laughable.

Will l I still go? Yeah. To me it reminds me of my childhood and I don't mind 90s corn. But they definitely need a future world update before too long.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Future World needs to be in one of those slideshows that show shuttered mega-malls.
How many square feet of dead space is in just that part of the park?

I give Disney somewhat of a pass on its current state because its not like you can have 3/4 of your properties under the knife at one time.
Have to assume that when Star Wars Experience is near completion Miley Cyrus and her wrecking ball come to FW.

Well let's think about this.. it's taken how long to build Avatarland? Deal was signed in 2011 and it MIGHT open in 2017. Only 6 years!!!!

So figure only 5 years for Star Wars.

Gee we might get some improvements to Epcot announced around 2020

And of course with half of future world shuttered and most of World Showcase just being ignored we will still be expected to pay top dollar.

 

[Megara5115]

I went to Epcot for the first time last year and it was not what I expected. I loved walking around the different countries and that was great but Futureworld definitely surprised me. I couldn't believe how outdated some of the attractions are... like I said it was just so ODD to me that here I am in Disney, the premier theme park in the world in 2015 and this is seriously what they are featuring? I know it has nostalgia for many people and if I was one of you I might not be so harsh in my judgement.

I guess people keep paying (myself included) so there is really no fire lit under them to keep things fresh.

 

[dreiwhit]

My family and I really enjoyed our day in Epcot. We enjoyed it so much that we are going to spend two days when we get back.

No depression, but I was surprised to see the places in Future World that had closed.

 

[Reckoner]

Future World needs to be in one of those slideshows that show shuttered mega-malls.
How many square feet of dead space is in just that part of the park?

I give Disney somewhat of a pass on its current state because its not like you can have 3/4 of your properties under the knife at one time.
Have to assume that when Star Wars Experience is near completion Miley Cyrus and her wrecking ball come to FW.

Don't be surprised if some interesting things happen a little quicker than that. Not MUCH quicker, this is still a Disney timeline we're talking about...

 

[leebee]

Epcot used to be our favorite park. Now? Not so much, mostly because of the "things" that no longer are. I don't mean things like "Horizons" and "Innoventions;" I mean the little things that made Epcot different. I remember an Epcot where the water fountain in the center of Future World constantly played music that the water exhibit kept time/tempo to, and there was often a light show at night. After Illuminations, we used to sit there and 'sing to the water" as folks left the park. I think Disney missed the mark with the Spaceship Earth remodel. They had the opportunity to include a section on "We Did IT!" because a lot of the previous displays were things that have become "every day" in our world, like Skype (for example). Instead we get an non-themed backwards ride with a stupid interactive screen so we can make "original" stories with our faces in them. The old Test Trak used to give you a small glimpse into the assembly lines of Detroit, into how cars were made. Now we get yet another useless, "original" interactive design option. DUH. Ellen needs an upgrade, and the loss of the Life pavilion makes me want to cry. Future World has lost its focus, its function. Now they just throw things in there to keep people busy- and so they don't notice the empty buildings. In World Showcase, there was a character bus- sometimes it had characters, sometimes international Barbies, etc- that circled WS several times a day, stopping to entertain and meet&greet. There was "locally-flavored" musical entertainment in the courtyards of many of the countries: Bagpipes in Canada, "rock" in the UK, oom-pah band in Germany (where we'd all do the chicken dance in the Platz), mariachi band outside of Mexico. There were Living Statues in France, Masquerade characters in Italy, acrobats in China. Norway had Maelstrom! There was Tapestry of Nations/Dreams. WS used to be non-stop internationally-themed entertainment, in addition to shopping and food. Now? Not so much. Epcot has become a shadow of its former self. Yes, there are still things there to enjoy, but it's an empty shell of what it used to be.

And along the lines of a PP- Epcot should re-institute the "after 4" pass, so people can come in, for a reduced price, and have dinner. Going to Epcot is an easy thing for those with multi-day passes- just add hopping- but an after 4 pass would allow locals to come in and enjoy dinner in WS.

 

[aleksandr]

I find that I need to separate the Epcot of today from the Epcot of my youth.

We started going back to Disney in 2011 after a very long break. This was the first trip my now 12 year old son took to Disney. He absolutely loves Epcot. We went 3 times this year. We typically skip AK to do an extra day at Epcot.

I'm able to appreciate the park through his eyes. He doesn't know anything about what Epcot was like in the past.

He's never heard the older versions of Spaceship Earth. Honestly, my memories are such that I remember the displays, not the narration, so I have zero issues with the current SSE. The "Welcome to your future" computer thing is getting a bit tired, but whatever.

Mission: Space has always been there for him, and he is willing to ride it every time. It is an enjoyable experience, even if it lacks depth.

Test Track is an exciting ride that I'm occasionally lucky enough to convince him to ride every couple years.

While I do miss the original Living Seas pavilion, I do have an appreciation for Finding Nemo, even if the characters are just shoe-horned into an existing ride. He still enjoys it. And Turtle Talk with Crush is usually an absolute riot.

The Land, we normally skip as he is not a huge fan of Soarin, but we do try it every few years. Living with the Land I think we did once, and while he enjoys the thinly veiled environmental propaganda of the Circle of Life, there isn't much point to seeing it regularly.

My son absolutely loves Journey into Imagination. He has little frame of reference for previous iterations, although he did recently read the Figment comic book series and laments that he never got to see Dreamfinder. This year, we saw the short film collection in the old Captain Eo theater and enjoyed it, even though we've seen all of those films before.

I am dismayed that he'll never get to see Body Wars or Cranium Command, and I think Disney missed a golden opportunity to re-open and re-theme Cranium Command into an Inside Out attraction.

As for World Showcase, we rarely go far as we are usually thoroughly exhausted by the time we get there. But, the Agent P World Showcase adventure is definitely fun, and it usually takes us as far as Mexico, China, and Norway. The Gran Fiesta Tour is almost always on our list, as there is very rarely a line and we can appreciate the old Three Cabelleros themed movies.

As for Norway, I personally find the thought of Maelstrom being replaced by something Frozen as aberrant, but I'm not sure he'll care either way. He didn't care for Maelstrom, and doesn't care for Frozen.

All in all though, we never lack for things to do and see at Epcot...

 

[W.E.D.]

I sort of fall on both sides of the debate here. I have the nostalgia for the EPCOT of the '80s. This is what keeps me coming back to a FW that is indeed in need of some pixie dust. But what do they do with it? When it was built they could keep up. Now technology changes/improves what, every six months? How do you possibly keep up with that when you can't get a new pavilion/attraction even planned in that time?
I agree with some PPs that I am fed up with the addition of characters from the animated films. This park was supposed to be educational entertainment. IMHO the Frozen makeover is a travesty. You have the MK. You have DHS. Put the film-related attractions there. I'm 100% of the opinion Frozen is in Norway because it was cheaper to do an overlay than build a new ride. Why not fill up some of the --nine, is it? -- slots for new countries in WS.

We always spend a lot of time at EPCOT. I'd probably say it's our favorite park. But they really do need to come up with a way to give it a new sparkle.

 

[Bullseye]

Just got back a couple weeks ago. Went to Epcot three times...not depressing at all. In fact one of those visits was during a tropical storm and it was even funner

Thats right... I said "funner"

 

[SaintsManiac]

I said it a year ago and I will say it again. It's my favorite park. We visited Epcot twice on our trip in December. It was not enough. Staying at Boardwalk next year so we can spend more time there

 

[ArwenMarie]

I said it a year ago and I will say it again. It's my favorite park. We visited Epcot twice on our trip in December. It was not enough. Staying at Boardwalk next year so we can spend more time there

I really enjoy Epcot when we stay at an Epcot resort. I love being able to pop in there at night. Maybe I like it best in small doses

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I'm curious for the people who indicate they spend multiple days in EPCOT what prompts this? Does your travel party demographic lead to drinking around he world over a multi day span, is it because to use FP for the main rides you have to use multiple days? How do you define a day? Is it 9-9 of just a few hours multiple days?

 

[MrRay]

While many of the rides and pavilions could certainly use a lot of work, my absolute favorite place in Disney World to be is wandering around World Showcase the hour before illuminations starts.

 

[luvmyfam444]

We haven't been to Epcot in several trips, we never buy hoppers so we end up giving up a day somewhere else if we go over there & it's not worth it to us.

 

[jknc]

Don't be surprised if some interesting things happen a little quicker than that. Not MUCH quicker, this is still a Disney timeline we're talking about...

Let's hope.

Sadly only those not blinded by pixie dust see FW for what it truly is today.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Don't be surprised if some interesting things happen a little quicker than that. Not MUCH quicker, this is still a Disney timeline we're talking about...

Yeah, they can clone something from someplace else.

Sadly, I don't have much hope for Epcot. Current management seems clueless and think that adding a new line for the same attraction is a top notch improvement.

I am still trying to figure out how Universal can build two "Harry Potter" themed lands while Disney can't finish Avatar and then rolls out a ride like Frozen that seems to be completely unreliable.

They will only get motivated to fix Epcot when the gate and food/drink profits start to sink (and I am doing my part to remind them that it needs love!)

 

[wdw&sonny]

Epcot never was what Walt envisioned-"community of Tomorrow" showcasing a futuristic city.
Combining "future world" with the "world showcase" still seems like two diverse ideas colliding and never did make much sense to me.
It's more like a theme park attached to a mall.

The Epcot of the 80s was more like a grade-school field trip to a museum with educational aspects of our world packaged into interactive venues. (Like Henry Ford Museum and Deerfield Village).

Since, attendance suffered, the imagineers abandoned the "plan" and added attractions that we wanted...thrilling rides like TT and Soarin-that have nothing to do with anything Walt imagined. They are just fun... and the crowds returned.
Now, they are reskinning old attractions into new ones to further immerse us in the movies (Nemo, Frozen) with as little cost as possible to them. I got to think Figment will soon be reskinned into some more popular movie scenes, keeping the same track.
It's a formula that's obviously working.
I just wish they'd put more thought into a grand, long-term plan and find some unifying themes for the park (or for any of the parks).

 

[GreatLakes]

Epcot is still my favorite park. I'll be in Florida in October and will shoot over to Disney for one day and will be hitting Epcot.

That being said I do think there needs to be some updates to Future World with a focus on returning to edutainment instead of adding more thrill rides. A new Wonders of Life should open with a focus on nutrition and health. Mission:Space should have been a ride in a larger space themed pavilion much like Soarin' is a ride in a larger pavilion. I'd like UofE to be updated to reflect all of the changes in energy we've made in the past decade+. Journey Into Imagination should be redone.

World Showcase also needs to expand and update. I love Impressions de France but a new film showing modern France is due. The children in that movie are pushing 40 in real life now. There is room for additional countries, put a few ACTUAL REAL COUNTRIES in. The Norway pavilion is gone but I don't want to see any more imaginary places make their way into WS.

Just my feelings, I'm sure many disagree.

 

[Keyser]

I'm curious for the people who indicate they spend multiple days in EPCOT what prompts this? Does your travel party demographic lead to drinking around he world over a multi day span, is it because to use FP for the main rides you have to use multiple days? How do you define a day? Is it 9-9 of just a few hours multiple days?

We almost always spend 2 days at Epcot, but are not going 9-9 at any park. Usually our trip is 6 days in parks: 2 MK, 2 Epcot, and 1 each for AK and DHS. This year, we considered dropping the second day at MK, but not the one at Epcot. We are a family of 2 parents, 2 kids, no alcohol, so we're definitely not on the drink around the world plan! We do take afternoon breaks, though, and then evening in Epcot is usually just dinner and probably 1 or 2 rides (we used to do Soarin' and another, but that is tougher with the new FP+ system). We have always found more than enough to keep us busy for 2 days. In fact, if you want to do most of the Future World stuff, as well as do much more in the World Showcase besides just walk through it, I don't know how you fit it into one day.

Figure a morning like this: We hit the Land at rope drop (Soarin', Living with the Land, Circle of Life) - by the time we're done it's after 10:00. We spend time at the Seas (yes, we look at all the tanks and spend some time watching the large tank, plus Turtle Talk and the Nemo ride part). Finish with that and we're after 11, probably closer to 11:30. If we were aggressive maybe we get Spaceship Earth or Imagination or something else in with a Fastpass or a short line. Get lunch and we're now after noon and we've visited less than half of the Future World pavilions. Walk through some of World Showcase - maybe half the countries. Some we can spend 1/2 an hour at, others maybe 15 minutes. But, we easily spend a couple of hours there and more if we do any of the movies/rides or watch performers. So, we've hit mid-afternoon (time for a break) and we've seen about half of Future World, half of World Showcase. Assuming we don't do much after dinner besides one or two rides, we need a second day to see the rest.

Now, if we skipped more of the Future World stuff (in fact, we usually skip Energy and often skip Imagination or Mission Space), and didn't try to look around the countries much beyond walking through them, then sure, 1 day is OK. Or, if we went 9-9 we could probably do it in a day (but we don't go 9-9 in any park). But, if we wanted to really see the stuff that we find interesting, it's hard to do it in just one day. That's as opposed to DHS and AK, where we've always found we could see everything we cared about in a day (again, including leaving for an afternoon break).