Could "Inside Out" revitalize the Pavilion of Life?

[Mr Mannn]

Maybe actually get people to visit the pavilion?
Or is it truly dead? Wah.

 

[rteetz]

This has been brought up before. Nothing has been done yet and nothing has been announced so the outlook for it isn't great.

 

[minnie mum]

TPTB don't seem interested in revitalizing anything in Epcot for the foreseeable future (that abomination in the former Norway notwithstanding) . Nor, from what I have read, are they likely to until Starwarsland is completed. So Epcot will continue to moulder away for at least another 5 years.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Honestly you know as much as we do here. Something tells me we might find something about Epcot out either when Frozen opens or Soarin' reopens but that's just me being optimistic

 

[Optimouse Prime]

I wonder if the problem is that they're not entirely sure what to do with Epcot, in particular Future World, at this point. I remember visiting it in '84 when it was new and have such fond memories of it all, and while I don't think it was quite as bad as people say, it did feel dated(and this could be me talking with nostalgia goggles firmly in place). Ultimately, I think they need to really come up with an overarching concept for the area and not just replace everything piecemeal.

 

[newdeal]

this is the perfect thing for them to do because they could do it without disrupting capacity at the rest of the park. Doing an expansion of Soarin that required them to shut down the whole ride for 6 months was a terrible decision

 

[Mac30188]

To quote the old football adage, "Sometimes its X's and O's, sometimes its Jimmy's and Joes"

There is nothing wrong with the vision of future world, there is a significant problem in execution and commitment. IMHO, they have never dug themselves out of the hold from the similar ride mistake when the park opened. It seems in general, they have had more bad misses on rides at Epcot than in any other park. The funding of rides by corporate sponsors also seemed to be a model that just is not working out as well as intended (too little bang for their buck for the sponsor).

Could Inside Out revitalize life pavilion? Yes, but it has to be done well. If it is a half hearted attempt that translates into a third tier walk on ride that no one will even remember is there 3 years after it opens or a ride that is just used to escape the sun and take a break, you are better off saving time, money resources and not doing it at all until you have a better idea.

 

[Networth]

Doing an expansion of Soarin that required them to shut down the whole ride for 6 months was a terrible decision

Yes because doing nothing is a much better plan.

 

[HopperFan]

this is the perfect thing for them to do because they could do it without disrupting capacity at the rest of the park. Doing an expansion of Soarin that required them to shut down the whole ride for 6 months was a terrible decision

It may not seem like it - but it is a major renovation so 6 mos is a drop in the bucket. Spaceship Earth has had about 4 renovations and the last one took 7 mos.

No one is going to die from lack of Soarin' - I mean Epcot limped along for almost 20 years without it. But if someone is unable to enjoy Epcot without it then they can just delay their optional trip. The attraction needed renovation of some major parts (screen and projection) and expansion (which required major queue work) - it had to happen some time.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Maybe actually get people to visit the pavilion?
Or is it truly dead? Wah.

Just because there's a superficial similarity between Cranium Command and Inside Out doesn't mean Disney will invest hundred of millions
to bring back the Wonders of Life Pavilion with an Inside Out theme, nor that Disney would want to deal with the ongoing operating costs.

The former Wonders of Life pavilion is now the Festival Center. It's a major part of the Flower & Garden Festival and the Food & Wine Festival. The interior has been updated so that it no longer looks like Wonders of Life.

If Disney finds a pharmaceutical company, insurance company, or medical services company to foot the bill, Wonders of Life could return. But that seems unlikely. Disney is losing, not gaining, sponsors at Future World.

 

[Eoghann]

Could it? Yeah, it's ideal material for it.

Will it? Who knows. The most optimistic way I can look at this is that they might announce some Epcot plans at the next D23.

With AK, DHS and Disney Springs all active projects right now and with Paris and China draining their capital, I just don't see them picking up another WDW project right now.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

With AK, DHS and Disney Springs all active projects right now and with Paris and China draining their capital, I just don't see them picking up another WDW project right now.

I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but: I feel like Animal Kingdom, MGM and Paris needs it more than Epcot does right now. Say what you want about the condition of the park but Epcot seemed perfectly fine to me in 2014. The only major thing that closed (other than Maelstrom which wasn't shuttered which is why I'm not including it) was Innoventions and honestly I don't think the park necessarily needs Innoventions for a boost. That's why I feel like the Epcot Character Spot expansion is a great decision on their part. To me it's a good utilization of that small space and a lot better than having it empty showcases of corporate technology. As much as I see room for improvement in Epcot, whenever I look at MGM in comparison, I just think MGM needs it more considering their closures were shuttered and a big majority of the park right now is empty waiting for something to happen. Epcot at least has Wonders of Life being used as the festival center and the second floor of Imagination as a DVC lounge. MGM has a rotting Catastrophe Canyon (which is just starting to come down) and huge clouds of uncertainty above it

 

[newdeal]

Yes because doing nothing is a much better plan.

What I am saying is that they could have planned a way to keep it open at half capacity. While the work was being done on one screen keep the other open, then switch to run the new theatre, and the refurbed theater while the one that was open gets refurbed as well...

 

[rteetz]

I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but: I feel like Animal Kingdom, MGM and Paris needs it more than Epcot does right now. Say what you want about the condition of the park but Epcot seemed perfectly fine to me in 2014. The only major thing that closed (other than Maelstrom which wasn't shuttered which is why I'm not including it) was Innoventions and honestly I don't think the park necessarily needs Innoventions for a boost. That's why I feel like the Epcot Character Spot expansion is a great decision on their part. To me it's a good utilization of that small space and a lot better than having it empty showcases of corporate technology. As much as I see room for improvement in Epcot, whenever I look at MGM in comparison, I just think MGM needs it more considering their closures were shuttered and a big majority of the park right now is empty waiting for something to happen. Epcot at least has Wonders of Life being used as the festival center and the second floor of Imagination as a DVC lounge. MGM has a rotting Catastrophe Canyon (which is just starting to come down) and huge clouds of uncertainty above it

Animal kingdom is getting it so they are good for a while once that is finished.

Epcot isn't bad in areas like world showcase but future world has huge dead spots that are under utilized. Innoventions is basically nothing it's just empty. Wonders of life once a large popular pavilion is now a festival center. Imagination is now a DVC lounge and a ride that's almost always a walk on. Epcot would be amazing if they just fixed those dead spots.

DHS is also getting help right now. Epcot should be next but we have yet to see if that will happen.

 

[rteetz]

What I am saying is that they could have planned a way to keep it open at half capacity. While the work was being done on one screen keep the other open, then switch to run the new theatre, and the refurbed theater while the one that was open gets refurbed as well...

They can't do that because that would only increase wait times. The new theater involved an all new queue to have the flow work. It's best the way they did it shut it down get it done instead of spreading it out over an entire year or longer.

 

[Eoghann]

I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but: I feel like Animal Kingdom, MGM and Paris needs it more than Epcot does right now. Say what you want about the condition of the park but Epcot seemed perfectly fine to me in 2014. The only major thing that closed (other than Maelstrom which wasn't shuttered which is why I'm not including it) was Innoventions and honestly I don't think the park necessarily needs Innoventions for a boost. That's why I feel like the Epcot Character Spot expansion is a great decision on their part. To me it's a good utilization of that small space and a lot better than having it empty showcases of corporate technology. As much as I see room for improvement in Epcot, whenever I look at MGM in comparison, I just think MGM needs it more considering their closures were shuttered and a big majority of the park right now is empty waiting for something to happen. Epcot at least has Wonders of Life being used as the festival center and the second floor of Imagination as a DVC lounge. MGM has a rotting Catastrophe Canyon (which is just starting to come down) and huge clouds of uncertainty above it

Well I love AK so while I'm happy about the new stuff they are getting, I never had a shortage of things to do in that park. DHS desperately needed it, unquestionably, but work is already underway there so...

But honestly while World Showcase is okay for what it is (kinda stale but what's there is okay) Future world is in danger of turning into a deserted inner city. It looks horrible, far too much of the space is now empty and really take away Test Track and Soarin and what do you actually have? Put it this way, who would pay just to visit Future World?

I don't consider things like DVC lounges to be a significant plus (and I'm a DVC member). That's like saying putting ATMs in a store is a major upgrade.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Animal kingdom is getting it so they are good for a while once that is finished.

Epcot isn't bad in areas like world showcase but future world has huge dead spots that are under utilized. Innoventions is basically nothing it's just empty. Wonders of life once a large popular pavilion is now a festival center. Imagination is now a DVC lounge and a ride that's almost always a walk on. Epcot would be amazing if they just fixed those dead spots.

DHS is also getting help right now. Epcot should be next but we have yet to see if that will happen.

Well I love AK so while I'm happy about the new stuff they are getting, I never had a shortage of things to do in that park. DHS desperately needed it, unquestionably, but work is already underway there so...

But honestly while World Showcase is okay for what it is (kinda stale but what's there is okay) Future world is in danger of turning into a deserted inner city. It looks horrible, far too much of the space is now empty and really take away Test Track and Soarin and what do you actually have? Put it this way, who would pay just to visit Future World?

I don't consider things like DVC lounges to be a significant plus (and I'm a DVC member). That's like saying putting ATMs in a store is a major upgrade.

Ok phew I was expecting a lot worse whenever I saw these notifications. I do agree that I too love Animal Kingdom and my problem with the park was only that it was way too hot on the inside (probably still is) but the help that I meant was from the nighttime part. It was always a dream of mine to see it at night and I think that was the only thing they were trying to "fix" was everyone's misconception that it was a half-day park. I'll admit I do see your point on World Showcase being ok but I deep down want more pavilions. Of course no country is really willing to help now and I personally believe the countries should be involved. And yes Future World does rely so heavily on Soarin' and Test Track that without the two of them, the rest of future world is just weird, not in a bad way though but weird as in not enough to support themselves (even though Spaceship Earth is one of my favorite attractions ever). At least in my eyes it's not terrible

 

[rteetz]

At least in my eyes it's not terrible

As a Disney fan why should we settle for "at least it's not terrible" Disney used never do the status quo because they set precedence, they innovated, they went above and beyond expectations. Now not so much and many people are ok with that.