A Critical Look at Disney's New Plans for Epcot

Plans for a revised Epcot are rapidly moving along. It seems as if someone finally has a real vision for the once grand park or that the suits at the Walt Disney Company are ready to admit they are not willing to invest in the work necessary to continue on with its original vision to inspire as well as entertain. Just in case you've forgotten what that was, here's the words:

To all who come to this Place of Joy, Hope and Friendship

WELCOME

Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. 

May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.

E. Cardon Walker

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Walt Disney Productions

October 24, 1982

Beginning with a brand new tree and flower filled, fully redesigned entrance, the Imagineers are finally removing the Legacy stones to a more appropriate place. This will make for more pleasant views as well as a much more welcoming environment. 

Old is new again.

When I saw the concept art for the new entrance as well as an additional piece of concept art for the transformation of Future World's Wonders of Life into a "play" pavilion, I wasn't entirely sure what to think.  But I'm clear on it now.

This design works both sides. 

Upon further reflection after really looking at the concept art and thinking about the current for us of the Walt Disney Company, I'm encouraged but not at all surprised by the design choices. 

There's a combination of character infusions in the form of topiary art and several nods to the original EPCOT Center. The acrylic fountain looks similar to the one that was there when the park premiered. The twelve flags along the entryway use the classic park logo. This approach was well thought out- and very, very strategic! 

The "money men" that run the Company are letting us know it's not our parents' park. By giving the entry Disney animated characters in topiary form, they are hinting at a new vision and direction, all the while pandering to original park lovers. By adding design elements we remember, they're increasing our emotional attachment to the place, and our willingness to open our wallets. 

Let's be honest, the suits have been using the same methods for years in order to sell merchandise. How many times do we see the beloved Figment and Dreamfinder and iconic emblems placed on pencils, mugs, sweatshirts and more just to move product? All the time.

Say goodbye to the Communicore hub as we know it.

And what exactly is that big brown box?

There is one major not so subtle change to Spaceship Earth: The entrance for the attraction. This is now moved to the backside giving guests entering from the front of the park a much nicer view than just seeing a lengthy queue front and center. Aesthetics and sightlines are seeming to matter in this reimagining of the opening scene.

Looking even closer, once inside the park, we see that Innoventions / Communicore no longer exists as we knew it. This is a very good thing! 

It's not a popular thing to say among EPCOT Center purists, but I am really looking to open vistas of other Future World structures from the park's main thoroughfare. This park is massive, but it's difficult to realize all that is in Future World. 

Now that the content of the old buildings reflects a constant failure to bring fresh ideas to light, a new approach to the space was needed. With the Western side building disappearing and a reinvention of the Eastern side, these changes will create a more welcoming environment. This makes it more appealing for guests to explore areas of the park they may not initially seem interested in. Better crowd dispersal and more exploration could be the end result. Of course, a stronger attraction line up would help too! They'd better get working on refreshing the curb appeal of these buildings, however! There's not a moment to waste.

Goodbye Festival Center / Wonders of Life! Hello Kid's play area.

Until this year's D23 or another announcement, the only other official hint of what's to come reflects changes to the Wonders of Life building. This is the continuation of Epcot's transition to Magic Kingdom 2.0, which began long before Frozen took over Norway's Maelstrom boat ride. International Culture is now replaced with Disney Culture i.e. Disney Intellectual Property in this park.

Given the Wonders of Life building is right next door to the new Guardians of the Galaxy coaster (which is sure to have a height requirement), I'm sure the suits thought "We'd better give smaller guests who can't ride something else to do, so let's put it there." 

You can almost 100% bet the decision to add a "play" pavilion in this form got approval in this manner- the same basic approach used to justify Marvel in the parks:

Statisticians - “Epcot needs an attendance boost.”

Public opinion poll - “ It needs to be more "Disney.”

Suits- “Well then, let's get more animated characters into the park. What properties are not big enough for their own major attraction?”

Researchers - “Wreck It Ralph, Up, Zootopia, Inside Out and a bunch of others.”

Suits to Imagineers- “Great! Get them into old Wonders spot. Throw in some character meet and greets. Make it all look good, but be sure to build it as cheaply as possible so we can constantly add the hottest movie characters and sell even more merchandise.”

Characters, characters, characters.

As far as I'm concerned, this new plan is not a wise or optimal approach. Yet, it will do exactly as they planned, bringing more kids into Future World. The plus side is this decision frees up other locations from turning into similar venues.

The official plans will keep developing, and there is certainly more to come. Ratatouille and Guardians are only the beginning of the new Epcot. 

The original vision of the park is disappearing for good. Partially this comes from the failure of Humanism which was the core inspiration for the park. Humanism results in hopelessness, loss of optimism. We see it in our society as people get more and more desperate and angry, needing entertainment to bring them any  brightness. Disney quickly comes to the rescue with reminders of a happier world- even if it is a character induced dream.

(Even fans get into the act re-Imagineering the park. The top image is a plan from the folks at Imagineerlandblogspot.com. Top Art copyright Imagineerland. Other images copyright The Walt Disney Company.)