Veggie Veggie, Fruit Fruit?

With apologies to Veggie Tales, a Thursday cartoon to brighten your day. Definitely worth a quick look, a chuckle or two, and even some consideration. Clearly done, point well made.

A Gleaming Golden Spaceship Earth

EPCOT Center! Say it again. It rolls nicely off the tongue. Here's the iconic Spaceship Earth in concept art, gleaming in the midday sun, sitting right at the front of Future World. 

Guests came into the park by the thousands long before the character invasion of recent years. They couldn't wait to be entertained and educated by Walt's amazing Imagineers- and they were not disappointed. The World of Motion, Universe of Energy, The Land, joined the incredible Journey into Imagination.  

And then there were the charms of World Showcase. Oh, well- what used to be! Perhaps the future will be bright one day.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Elegance of EPCOT Center

Long before the gorgeous Tokyo DisneySea, the best work of Imagineering was actually found Stateside. In a park that has never been recreated, EPCOT Center was a brand new theme park, a World's Fair built to last, a playground where education met imagination.

From Future World to World Showcase, at opening, the park was an optimistic statement of achievement and possibility. It was also incredibly beautiful, elegant from top to bottom.

Imagineer Herb Ryman created this masterpiece in 1978. Designed to establish a feel for the park, this rendering of the plaza around Spaceship Earth is at once compelling and full of charm. The environment sparkles, and the children exploring the park convert it was meant for all ages to enjoy. (Click to see it in very large format.)

With the dumbing down of Epcot in the late 1990's and into this century, the place is no longer what it once was. There's still delights to be found, but now characters invade where they do not belong, attractions thrill but forget to build much story, education or anticipation, and the boozy Fall Festival becomes an excuse to get sloshed. 

Gone are the original Journey into Imagination, Universe of Energy, and the World of Motion. Younger fans of the park must know it was something special in 1982 because old timers like me keep talking about it. You Tube and old photos cannot capture the majesty of Walt's last dream turned theme park.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Frozen Epcot and the Three Caballeros

The talk around the Disney World regarding the pending transformation of Norway's Maelstrom attraction to one celebrating the movie Frozen has me thinking a lot about what EPCOT Center used to be. It's now been so long since the whole premise of the park has changed that a new generation of Disney parks fans may not really know what was intended- or what they have lost- by never personally experiencing the park which opened in 1982.

The cartooning of Epcot has been slow and steady. Perhaps it came from desperation, trying to be more things to more people while attendance dropped. Or maybe those in charge lost faith in the excellence (and marketing strength) of their original product. Regardless, bringing in the characters seemed to be a way to save the day. Be it adding Nemo to the Living Seas or Simba to The Land, the increase has been deliberate and sly. Mostly under the radar to not upset older fans (and those with the disposable income) who were accustomed to the elegance of Disney's version of a World's Fair. Even Martin Short's invasion of the Canada Showcase could be argued as a cartooning of sorts. Ellen DeGeneres being added to Universe of Energy is another example of a move away from the park's original  integrity and intent.

The ultimate bastardization of World Showcase came much earlier than those changes to Future World. When the Mexico Showcase dismissed the lovely El Rio del Tiempo and accepted the newer Gran Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros, the dumbing down of the pavilion and the cheapening of the rich Mexican culture began. Gone were the riveting Aztec dancers. In its place, Donald Duck and friends became the centerpiece. The transformation was done so quickly and so cheaply that the Disney Suits couldn't even pony up the cash to reward riders with a finale that brought Audio-Animatronics of the three stars. I guess digging them out of storage or making new casts from their use in the Mickey Mouse Musical Revue was out of the question! 

The new mandate of synergy must have felt ugly to any remaining Imagineers who remember the heart and soul put into there work during the park's creation. Imagine their hard work in examining history and the tales and lore of other cultures. Imagine the thrill to educate guests in an entirely new way, to place their stamp on arguably Disney's most nuanced theme park. The loss must have been deeply felt and very disappointing. Oddly, in an effort to keep the park fresh and interesting, the powers that be have transformed Epcot from something timeless to almost instantly dated as time goes on. Well, at least now you never forget you are in a Disney park. Of course, its also more difficult to imagine you are now in another time and place.

For younger guests now visiting the park, Epcot is still a place of discovery, but it is now an odd mix of thrill rides, Disney animation stars (to mixed results), and an opportunity to drink around the World. How different it was, yes, "back in the day"- but oh, how much more rewarding and rich!

(Afterthought: Frozen really belongs in the Magic Kingdom- and in the New Fantasyland, giving guests a real E Ticket reason to go there. Imagine the famous trackless system in Tokyo put to great use! And the potential of a fantastic Christmas overlay to the ride!)


(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Listen to the Land

What a beautiful piece of concept art this is! Just viewing a little slice of EPCOT Center's Land pavilion reminds me how beautiful this park was designed to be. At the very beginning, Future World had a warmth all its own, a charm very different than that found in World Showcase, one rooted in discovery and wonder.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)