Why are they ruining Epcot ?

[tiggerbuddy]

Oh, How I miss Horizons....

[ValenciaCalling]

Oh, How I miss Horizons....

You and me, both...

[tiggerbuddy]

I wish all of the old rides could come back and Soarin could stay.

[Exo]

Cronkite was the best SSE narrator.


I wish they would open a "vintage" theme park with all the retired rides.

[Gator]

It seems to me that Epcot just isn't what it used to be . ..So many bad decisions lately...

1) Horrible new narration on Spaceship earth..Jeremy Irons was the best.
2) Horizons ..Gone
3)world of Motion.. gone
4) Imagination..Dont even get me started ...(Dreamfinder)

Does anyone else agree or I am I being to sentimental ?

I dont' think so at all.
1. I love the new narration and the music is better than it was before.
2. Replaced with something far better - a thrill ride with some "horizons-future" themes.
3. You think Test Track was a step backwards?
4. My kids love Journey into Imagination - it has a catchy song and is a interesting and fun dark ride.

The one thing I think they've made a bad decision on is keeping Universe of Energy in it's current state. It's a truly terrible and boring attraction that needs to be redone. 6 trips - 1 visit to UoE. And never again until the current "comedy" routine.

[bertasso59]

Totally agree,in an attempt to lure the teen guests they have pushed adults to the back burner,and EPCOT was designed to be the place for us!
Attractions like WOM,Horizons and the original Imagination were the best Disney had developed in years and they abandoned them
EPCOT is still my favorite park but its a shadow of what it once was

[tiggerbuddy]

Very Well said Bertasso !!

Attractions like WOM,Horizons and the original Imagination were the best Disney had developed in years and they abandoned them
EPCOT is still my favorite park but its a shadow of what it once was
__________________

[goofygirl64]

I too agree...I don't even care if ride JII anymore. I loved the old version, it was one of my favorite attractions there. And yes, Walter Kronkite was THE all time best narrator for Spaceship Earth!

[ValenciaCalling]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There are two types of people: The guests who truly appreciated Epcot, and the guests who didn't. The same can be said about classical music and rap. You either understand and appreciate quality and brilliance...or you don't.

[SBETigg]

I loved Epcot as it was, and I love it as it is. I don't think it has been ruined at all, only changed as change becomes necessary. I look forward to seeing more changes in the future, even if it means missing some of the old. To me, Epcot is more about evolution and change than any other park. To keep it stagnant is what would ultimately ruin a park like Epcot, especially in Future World.

[lightyearfan]

i disagree me and dw love Epcot, and think that the changes are fine. it's a touchie subject, but lets face some reality WDW must change things up imho otherwise why keep going back? in time everything changes, look at Madison Square Garden the worlds most famous arena, it's going threw a complete overhaul now as a huge NYR fan does this bother me, and the answer is no, the building compared to others is outdated and needs the change, it's the same theory with WDW. me and dw feel that sometimes change is good, i would agree with the figment ride should have remained the way it was, im just glad that i've taped everything so even the old shows and rides from all the parks are forever saved.

victor

[tiggerbuddy]

Actually Epcot is very sad now. Seems almost all the exhibits have been remade with the ADD in mind and that sense of wonder and that you could do anything when you grew up is gone.

[Jared]

I wouldn't quite say Epcot is ruined. That strikes me as a bit strong. It still offers a unique theme park experience, especially in World Showcase, and it remains one of Disney's fine achievements.

But I'm afraid there are a good number of apologists in this thread. It seems pretty clear that Future World in particular lacks any sort of vision right now, and that has been the case for several years. The park was designed to inspire and pique our curiosity and imagination. It doesn't seem to have those same aspirations these days.

Test Track and Mission: SPACE are nice attractions, but they lack and wonder and creativity of their predecessors. I agree with the masses about the new Spaceship Earth narration -- it was written for children, and not even smart ones. Imagination is just plain sad. Disney needs to invest in Future World. Actually, it needed to invest in it years ago. It used to be "Today World." Now I'd call it "Historyland."

[Gator]

Sad? C'mon man. It's not sad. Is it what it used to be? No. But used to, people made it a once a visit park. It had a horrible reputation as being boring and too much like school to most kids. It's still educational - just not to the point it used to be. It's more experience-educational. For instance:

1. Fly through California
2. Learn about communications with a much-easier-to-hear voice and superior music to before
3. Fly to Mars
4. See how they test the safety of autos
5. Explore the oceans
6. Pique the Imagination of youngsters
7. Learn about new crop planting techniques
8. Taste sodas from different countries
9. See new inventions of the future
10. Learn how to nap as dinosaurs liquidate into fuel

After listing all this, it's hard to call it "sad". Honestly, it's much better now because people now come to Epcot to have fun instead of just getting drunk in the World Showcase. I know how it feels to see things you like go, but really, some of those old attractions at Epcot had to go to make room for something better.

[Snow's Mom]

I love Epcot, but I can give you one sad thing. My daughter did "Kidcot Funcot" years ago and made the coolest mask, with stamps from all the different countries and die-cut "charms" hung on the sides. It was really a great keepsake. And my DD got a free character poster at the last stop! She took it all to school for "show and tell" when we got home.

Now...you get a cut-out of that bear...Duffy?....you color him and get a stamp at each country. Tried to encourage my youngest niece and nephew to do it, but they lost interest right away. The passports are still cool, though.

[Jared]

Sad? C'mon man. It's not sad. Is it what it used to be? No. But used to, people made it a once a visit park. It had a horrible reputation as being boring and too much like school to most kids. It's still educational - just not to the point it used to be. It's more experience-educational. For instance:

I agree that "sad" is an unfair descriptor. Despite the park's shortcomings, it remains a spectacular experience. (I stand by my claim, however, that the Imagination pavilion is truly "sad.")

I actually agree with Disney's decision to try to make Epcot more fun for children. It's a theme park, not a museum, and I understand why kids don't want to be lectured on vacation. That shift in philosophy is not an excuse for poor upkeep and an obvious lack of commitment to keeping Future World relevant.

[texas211]

Sad? C'mon man. It's not sad. Is it what it used to be? No. But used to, people made it a once a visit park. It had a horrible reputation as being boring and too much like school to most kids. It's still educational - just not to the point it used to be. It's more experience-educational. For instance:

1. Fly through California
2. Learn about communications with a much-easier-to-hear voice and superior music to before
3. Fly to Mars
4. See how they test the safety of autos
5. Explore the oceans
6. Pique the Imagination of youngsters
7. Learn about new crop planting techniques
8. Taste sodas from different countries
9. See new inventions of the future
10. Learn how to nap as dinosaurs liquidate into fuel

After listing all this, it's hard to call it "sad". Honestly, it's much better now because people now come to Epcot to have fun instead of just getting drunk in the World Showcase. I know how it feels to see things you like go, but really, some of those old attractions at Epcot had to go to make room for something better.

I generally agree with your points, but, I do miss the older vision of Epcot. I feel your points represent a commentary on society as a whole. Rather than learn sources of knowledge, must have some multi-sensational experience. Why people have to walk everywhere w/ their ipods on, or be socially connected while eating a burger, need a cell phone that plays music, movies, tv, surf the internet, email, update 12 social sites, and oh yes, text.

[Tearin_it_up]

I think one simple solution would have been to turn Universe of Energy into Missin Space instead of Horizons

[cpaulfox]

Having been going to the parks for well over 20 years it's always interesting to see what changes are made !

I got bored with EPCOT a few years back and didn't go for a while. I went again this year ! What a disappointment !!!!

The Park (very much like Tomorrow Land in MK) is a dull and boring place that seems to be stuck in the past and not really know what it's supposed to be about !!

The two halves of the park were once about who we are and who we could be.
Now it's just a mish mash of rides that don't seem to belong anywhere in particular.

Along with Tomorrow Land in MK, which has also lost it's way, it seems very dated.

Parks like Universal are slowly but surley taking the lead in new technology and the rides that excite and inspire.

Disney needs to look to what Universal is doing and run very fast to catch up !

I left EPCOT feeling sad that it was not what it once promised to be.

[AlliMo]

All I can say is that I am so glad that I got to experience Future World as a kid and adult before any of the changes. I still love it now because of the memories I have and what is left of the park today. The new stuff is just ok but I will always love Future World because of what it was... I hate that this thread made me sad...