Kodak is gone from the Imagination Pavilion.

[Figment632]

All traces of Kodak are being removed from the JII pavilion and any mention of Kodak has been removed from the park maps. It was obvious that Kodak’s sponsorship was at an end when EO reopened and there was no mention of Kodak. Also most of Image works has been walled off the only thing open are the Figment music stands and the gift shop area.

Photos courtesy of Imagineer2017 of clubd23.com

 

[nytimez]

Hardly surprising since Kodak isn't much of a company anymore. They may never stop the bleeding at this point.

Kodak continues to suffer big losses

 

[Figment632]

That leaves GM ans the only original EPCOT Center sponsor. IMO I think corporate sponsorship of pavilions is going the way of the dinosaur.

 

[mgpan]

Perhaps when they take these and all the other current construction/rehab walls and MK Main Street printed tarp overlays down they can use them to construct a maze attraction in the old Wonders of Life Building. Seriously, I'm wondering if when we go in October we should put a gallon of paint and some paint brushes in the stroller and see if they have a new attraction where you get to paint walls like Tom Sawyer's friends.

 

[Figment632]

Perhaps when they take these and all the other current construction/rehab walls and MK Main Street printed tarp overlays down they can use them to construct a maze attraction in the old Wonders of Life Building. Seriously, I'm wondering if when we go in October we should put a gallon of paint and some paint brushes in the stroller and see if they have a new attraction where you get to paint walls like Tom Sawyer's friends.

This is nothing go look at DCA right now half of the park is walls.

 

[mgpan]

Thanks for all your frequent updates. At least it helps in the park planning by letting people know things that are closed/unavailable that won't end up appearing on Disney's site. I do understand that rehabs/closures are the norm for this time of year at Disney parks and appreciate keeping things in good order, but I'm beginning to feel like sort of a sucker for booking with one of their special promotions now. It's beginning to resemble the phrase that "nothing is free"!!!

 

[Figment632]

Thanks for all your frequent updates. At least it helps in the park planning by letting people know things that are closed/unavailable that won't end up appearing on Disney's site. I do understand that rehabs/closures are the norm for this time of year at Disney parks and appreciate keeping things in good order, but I'm beginning to feel like sort of a sucker for booking with one of their special promotions now. It's beginning to resemble the phrase that "nothing is free"!!!

Well the ride is still opened just not Imageworks.

 

[willijen]

Thank you! I really appreciate you posting this. When we took our son (4yrs old) last October he didn't care for the ride, but we had to drag him out of ImageWorks. When we go next month, we'll just avoid the pavilion altogether in order to avoid disappointment. Thank you again. It's a little detail, but means a bunch to my family.

 

[patsal]

There is a lot walled off and being revamped! I did mention during the late July vacation that I was glad I was not here for my one and only trip it would have been a huge disappointment. IMHO the tarps and walls are one of the the reasons for the continued discounts, this way no one can really complain too loudly!

 

[Figment632]

There is a lot walled off and being revamped! I did mention during the late July vacation that I was glad I was not here for my one and only trip it would have been a huge disappointment. IMHO the tarps and walls are one of the the reasons for the continued discounts, this way no one can really complain too loudly!

There is nothing being revamped the Kodak stuff is being tourn out and IW will be left mostly empty.

 

[CandyMandy]

Hardly surprising since Kodak isn't much of a company anymore.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Oops.
2) This is going to cost WDW a bundle.
3) Sure, Imagination support was a lot of bucks.
4) But, as the sponsor, Kodak paid for ALL of the parks maps/guides & printing.
5) That is a lot of money.

NOTE: I wrote a while ago that sponsorship at WDW was being withdrawn by many companies. Being a sponsor is no longer the automatic business-magnet it used to be. People are not automatically patronizing WDW sponsors like they are with NASCAR - who have the most loyal patrons of sponsiors of any sport. Welcome to the real world, WDW.

 

[pilferk]

Hardly surprising since Kodak isn't much of a company anymore. They may never stop the bleeding at this point.

Kodak continues to suffer big losses

Kodak is going to go down as one of the best examples of a company who was unable (unwilling??) to adapt to new tech.

When you build your company around film and processing...and then see that those two products are going to be obsolete...perhaps it's best not to prolong the inevitable (Advantix!), but find a way to join the new market and invest in some R&D.

Their inkjet printers are not remotely the best value on the market. They continue to make good professional photo printers (and their "self serve" kiosks are also pretty good), but even those are being pushed aside by competitors offering better value in terms of buy in cost and maintenance.

EVERYONE saw the writing on the wall, back in the mid 90's. Eventually, digital was going to beat out film. Capacity, quality, etc were all growing at a pace that everyone in that industry could trend out and tell the future. Consumer buy in was huge, even early on. Pros were slower to adopt, but even they started to get on board when Nikon brought out their D series. Kodak seems like they were the only ones who couldn't (or wouldn't) change course.

Fuji (the second biggest producer of Film and provider of film processing) was able to do it with only a few hiccups in their business model. They all but abandoned the imaging solutions division and invested heavily in Electronic imaging. The economy is hitting them (like everyone else) but the company, at least, looks stable.

It's sad to see how far Kodak has fallen.....

 

[safetymom]

Kodak signs still up in JII. Kodak is still on the park maps and the picture spots still have Kodak on them.

 

[tiggspring]

Thank you! I really appreciate you posting this. When we took our son (4yrs old) last October he didn't care for the ride, but we had to drag him out of ImageWorks. When we go next month, we'll just avoid the pavilion altogether in order to avoid disappointment. Thank you again. It's a little detail, but means a bunch to my family.

My kids range in age from 5 to 11 and loved imageworks. The color wall/floor was a big hit to get some energy out. Why would they have to close that off if Kodak pulled out? Its not like any of it was super complicated technology.Pull the signs but don't wall off what's there without something to replace it with.

 

[BamaEd1]

Kodak signs still up in JII. Kodak is still on the park maps and the picture spots still have Kodak on them.

As far as the maps go, maybe they are just using the ones that are in the pipeline and gearing up to reprint minus Kodak. The signage would have to be reprinted without the logo which would take time and money (of course). Those may be there for a while.

I'm hoping for a good sponsor for the Imagination Pavilion. Of all of the EPCOT pavillions, that one has the most potential to me. Sombody like Apple Microsoft, or some other cutting edge type company could go nuts in there. Of course, if I were one of them, I wouldn't write one check until I saw some blue-prints for a MAJOR refurb of the entire thing.

 

[Figment632]

Kodak signs still up in JII. Kodak is still on the park maps and the picture spots still have Kodak on them.

They are being removed as you typed this.

 

[safetymom]

The area around the edge of the room is still open. The kids can still play. It is the middle of the room that is walled off.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

1) Oops.
2) This is going to cost WDW a bundle.
3) Sure, Imagination support was a lot of bucks.
4) But, as the sponsor, Kodak paid for ALL of the parks maps/guides & printing.
5) That is a lot of money.

NOTE: I wrote a while ago that sponsorship at WDW was being withdrawn by many companies. Being a sponsor is no longer the automatic business-magnet it used to be. People are not automatically patronizing WDW sponsors like they are with NASCAR - who have the most loyal patrons of sponsiors of any sport. Welcome to the real world, WDW.

Scup,

I hear what you're saying...but wasn't this inevitable? Advertising as we know it has changed so much in the last 15 years that i actually wonder why they bother to pay for ads at all. I'll i have to do is go on google and punch 25 keystrokes and i have access to any product i want by the thousands....

billboards, signs, and sponsorship could be going away permenantly.

I could think of a new sponsor that would benefit from WDW...Winkflash. It would be a perfect place to invest advertising bucks....but...as we know, WDW wants you to buy their pictures at a nice 300% over retail markup...

Kodak probably decided 'no mas' when the demand for 35mm film went from probably tens if not hundreds of thousands of rolls per month at WDW to zero in about 5 years....that being 5-8 years ago.

It would have been nice had they never had kodak in the first place...as we know it impacted the construction of EPCOT negatively

the great american sponsors:
kodak...gone
coke...gone
amex...gone
United Tech...gone
metlife...gone
GM...all but formerly gone

EPCOT is still the greatest themepark ever conceived/constructed....but it certainly isn't the "showcase for american products" that Uncle Walt talked about with his stick pointer

 

[pilferk]

I'm hoping for a good sponsor for the Imagination Pavilion. Of all of the EPCOT pavillions, that one has the most potential to me. Sombody like Apple Microsoft, or some other cutting edge type company could go nuts in there. Of course, if I were one of them, I wouldn't write one check until I saw some blue-prints for a MAJOR refurb of the entire thing.

\

I agree...it needs a REAL refurb (and not the shorehorn type ones they've tried previously.

I'd love to see them get Phineas and Ferb worked in there...though that might be counter to the whole Epcot vibe. But they have to do SOMETHING. The current attraction is not interesting to anyone. Too tame for teens. Too boring for the kiddies. Not nostagic or educational enough for the adults.