Has Epcot reached a new level of depressing?

[maxiesmom]

I feel like you didn't read my posts at all. I understand things must change as time progresses, especially with Epcot, a park that is all about looking towards the future. However, things need to change for the better, not change for the worse.

It is your opinion that the change has been for the worse. For some of us, it has been for the better.

 

[Tonyz]

Do you mean the ones over by Journey into Imagination? If so, they're still there.

They're like my favorite thing in Future World! I'll cry if they ever leave.

 

[Tonyz]

What's depressing to me is Disney fans who live in the past. Tired of hearing how everything decades ago was "better". Do we really want to still have those rides that predicted a 60's idea of a future that never was or will be?

Don't let nostalgia fool you.

Move on. Things change. If you don't like it, don't go. For us personally we LOVE Epcot.

Ethan

Bingo. If we're being honest, WDW is better now than it's ever been. It's always changing, but 95% of the time it's for the better (not always though - RIP Adventurer's Club).

 

[jrt1176]

Anything is bound to lose some luster if you do it over and over again. Especially, as we get older.

I love WDW, but I think if I went as much as I did when I was a kid that it would certainly lose some magic. Now I take my niece and the magic, for me, is seeing her experience it all.

 

[Ambear]

I love Epcot and I still think it's my favorite park. But it was so hot last weekend that it was really hard to enjoy walking around world showcase and I was trying not to get lost in future world cause for some reason I still don't have the map down. I would say I was depressed I couldn't enjoy it as much as I usually do. I've learned to keep my trips in Fall or Winter .

I did walk by the wonders of life pavilion and everyone around me was commenting on it and asking what it was and could they go there. It does seem sad, because I hate abandoned buildings. I don't necessarily miss what was originally in there though, as I don't remember it.

For Figment, I was happy because during the ride at the end with all the Figments the kids were absolutely loving it. But then I was also kind of sad in the Figment gift shop because I heard one lady asking why half of the stuff wasn't even Figment and she wanted to know why he wasn't represented more. And people keep saying he's going to be replaced... I know to not believe it yet but it does make you wonder when the activities in Image Works are completely lame and don't work since I never got the two emails I sent myself with my alien Figment RAWR!

As mentioned by a PP, it does seem like a good idea to do away with the concept of future world and just make it the concept of maybe science and human ingenuity. Then Imagination, Health, Land, Sea, Cars, and History would all still work and there wouldn't be a rush to keep it up to date as much.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Change it to Experimental Prototype Community of TECHNOLOGY instead?

 

[kbelle8995]

What's depressing to me is Disney fans who live in the past. Tired of hearing how everything decades ago was "better". Do we really want to still have those rides that predicted a 60's idea of a future that never was or will be?

Don't let nostalgia fool you.

Move on. Things change. If you don't like it, don't go. For us personally we LOVE Epcot.

Ethan

Some things are better some are not. I love Epcot now and I loved it then. I watched some videos on Youtube of the Old attractions. Some things have held up some have not. I still love the Original Journey and would love Dreamfinder to make a return. I think the Wonders of life has stood as a Meeting area during Festivals for far too long. Why not make a fun Pavillion about Weather featuring Frozen?

May I add that while I don't care for Ellen, I didn't think much of the Orginal Universe of Energy. Although I did like the song.

That said Epcot is still my favorite park and I would much rather be there than at MK on most days. Most parks get to a point when they need to be rehabbed. Epcot could use a rehab here and there. However I still think the Studios needs it worse. And AK is getting one.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I slightly understand OP's point. I was at Epcot during it's first year. Back then, there was a spirit of idealism and of a bright, shiny future (at least in Future World. I've never cared for World Showcase).

But that represented the future of the early 80's. Our culture's idea of the future has changed. Now, most sci fi focuses on a dystopian future instead of the "everything is great" future. Having a Future World themed around that would be depressing.

I think part of the problem with Future World was that it was created in a very unique time. Computers were just starting to become popular, and it was easy to be amazed at those 8-bit graphics. You couldn't go to a mall and find a simulator ride. Museums with interactive exhibits were more rare than they are today. But if you look at what's available in the real world today, computers are everywhere. We watch movies that feature lifelike (or at least what we think it was like) dinosaurs that look much better than what Ellen fights on UoE. It takes much, much more to amaze us than it did in the early 1980's. So much more, that I think it's price prohibitive, especially when maintenance and upkeep of the attraction are factored in.

I work with a guy in IT who was with Disney when they computers on display were actually the ride servers for most of EPCOT. He said they would laugh at the guests amazement over stuff that they had in the basement of the MK.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I work with a guy in IT who was with Disney when they computers on display were actually the ride servers for most of EPCOT. He said they would laugh at the guests amazement over stuff that they had in the basement of the MK.

Maybe the basement has the real future technology and they just give us LEDs to stare with amazement at now...

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Wonders of Life is not abandoned. It is not in constant public use. 2 different things.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I love epcot!!!!! Depressing? Uhhhh....no.

 

[1234lucky]

Having been to Epcot several times in the 80s and early 90s and then not again until this year, I thought FW seemed like it was in need of some updates and a new attraction or two. I like the more open feeling but it did feel like it could use more attractions. Innovations, the figment ride and Ellen's ride seemed to stick out to me as the most in need. We still loved it but it did seem like there was room to grow and change for the better

 

[hopeful4fl]

The vision of Walt with Epcot is/(may?) not being met, which causes consternation for some people.
As a Disney enthusiast and a customer, I truly enjoy Epcot in all it's manifestations and evolutions as described by several members. Change is inevitable and should be welcomed (ref to book "Who moved my Cheese"). For those that had some of their favorite rides (from the past) replaced, may hate it, but in the end we need to trust it was done to better the experience for all (and the knowledge that revenue generation dictates most decisions).
I prefer Epcot to most other parks for 2 simple reasons:
1> It is unique. For I, no other "place" comes close to bringing together the cultural and innovative experience that Epcot does
2> (Sorry guys) It is not crowded relative to other parks. At my age (again..... sorry guys), I enjoy Epcot for point #1, and can appreciate the details in the Architecture of that place.

 

[IrishNYC]

We just returned from WDW two weeks ago. We LOVED Epcot. The last time I or my husband were as kids there they were just building Epcot, so it was all completely new to us.

So, while you reminisce about what used to be, those of us who haven't been there a billion times since 1982 can find lots of value in our time at Epcot. We loved it so much that DH and I are planning a trip back without our 5 year old so that we can spend a lot more time in Epcot.

 

[kbelle8995]

We just returned from WDW two weeks ago. We LOVED Epcot. The last time I or my husband were as kids there they were just building Epcot, so it was all completely new to us.

So, while you reminisce about what used to be, those of us who haven't been there a billion times since 1982 can find lots of value in our time at Epcot. We loved it so much that DH and I are planning a trip back without our 5 year old so that we can spend a lot more time in Epcot.

I've been to Epcot a billion times since the 80's and I still love it. I was a Epcot kid from the drop. Yes there are things that need to fixed but there are still many wonderful things in Epcot still.

Recently I Posted Spaceship Earth on facebook as my favorite icon and have loved in every incarnation.

 

[Planogirl]

What's depressing to me is Disney fans who live in the past. Tired of hearing how everything decades ago was "better". Do we really want to still have those rides that predicted a 60's idea of a future that never was or will be?

Don't let nostalgia fool you.

Move on. Things change. If you don't like it, don't go. For us personally we LOVE Epcot.

Ethan

I love change. This is one reason why I adore the competitor down the road. They are all about change.

I love GOOD change. I don't love change just for the sake of change. You see good change and I see bad change. Just different strokes.

However if I had a nickel for every time someone said that if you don't like it don't go then I'd be rich. Maybe that tiresome quote should change.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I love GOOD change. I don't love change just for the sake of change.

I think this may ultimately be where the problem lies in that there is more bad change than good over the years at EPCOT. MS, Test Track, Nemo, Soarin all good in my opinion.

Tron Track, Journey into Imagination light, Circle of Life, Living with the Land boat drivers, EO, Innoventions,UoE, Wonders of Life all bad in my opinion.

 

[ChrisFL]

Ah, I love these debates.

People always seem to confuse their opinions for facts

There are some facts to be shared from this.

Fact:

Epcot (Formerly EPCOT Center) no longer has a unified overall theme that it did when it first opened.

Opinion:

That is part of the reason it became "Epcot" instead of EPCOT Center, since it is just a theme park to Disney

Fact:

Early on, Disney worked with futurists and science fiction authors, such as Ray Bradbury to come up with ideas and plans for EPCOT Center. That hasn't been the case after the first few yeas.

Fact:

Wonders of Life was a large pavilion with several smaller attractions included that is now "closed" and used as a festival center.

Fact:

Horizons was replaced by Mission:Space, an attraction that is notorious for making people sick, having a few deaths attributed to it and eventually had to offer a non-spinning version just to keep enough of guests riding it.

Opinion:

Horizons was a huge loss to the spirit of EPCOT Center, and ironically, its ability for the guests to ACTUALLY CHANGE the ride experience is actually more advanced than Mission:Space which only gives the illusion of changing the ride experience with a bunch of buttons that don't do anything.

Fact:

Journey into Imagination was changed due to Kodak's contract with Disney. The second version, Journey into YOUR Imagination was rated so poorly by guests it was changed in less than 2 years to the version we see today (With Figment)

Opinion:

The second and current versions of the attraction are VERY poorly done compared to the original.

Opinion:

I like the current Test Track better than the old version.

Fact:

Innoventions keeps having more and more things closed.

Opinion:

It is barely worth going through except for the A/C.

Opinion:

I adore Judi Dench but the narration due to the script of Spaceship Earth is silly, nearly as silly as the go-go dancer in the 1960's computer room. The previous versions were much better.

Opinion:

I still visit Epcot and enjoy it, but there is definitely something missing.

Opinion:

There's too many people saying Epcot is just fine and only mentioning World Showcase.

Opinion:

Via Napoli is amazingly good.

Fact:

The World Showcase was created to be made as an accurate historical or modern representation of certain countries in the world, complete with Cast Members who are from those countries.

Opinion:

It was not created to have unrelated characters shoehorned in that fit the agenda of "Synergy" within the company.

Fact:

EPCOT Center was a project that the Disney Imagineers spent 15 years agonizing over, as a tribute to their hero and the company's founder, Walt Disney. It was the constant effort put forth, to turn a radical city concept that they felt couldn't be built, into a legitimate world-class theme park experience that still kept the heart and spirit of Walt's vision alive.

Opinion:

That effort has been fading for a long time.

Opinion:

EPCOT Center affected the lives and futures of many people, especially children like me who grew up thinking positive about the future.

Opinion:

It was more than a theme park.

 

[MainMom]

I look at it through my kids eyes. They would be bored to tears with the old stuff. My DD still talks about how terrible she thinks Country Bears is. Give them movie themed rides/attractions. Give them updated technology. Give them thrills & memorable experiences. That's what my kids want. They like test track, soarin, the sea with nemo, spaceship earth & mission space. They tolerate living with the land for me. They don't care about figment unless it's hot and the line is short.

 

[hookedonears]

In general, I couldn't agree more with OP. OP's observation is a little off on #6 though. Have you seen the new Disney movie. Disney has jumped head first into the global warming cr&pola. I saw the ending of that movie coming a mile away. I really expected that the device that was designed to destroy us all, was going to be an oil & gas drilling rig and was shocked when it wasn't.