Epcot is sad

[JennaDeeDooDah]

A few months back, I had a dream that they brought back Horizons and put it right next to Mission Space. The really cool part was that they had these glass sky walks where you could walk between the two attractions. It was stinkin' cool! Unfortunately, I woke up, there was no more Horizons, no glass sky walk, and Mission Space still makes me a little sick.

 

[lugnut33]

Added my comments (opinions if you will) in red:

I would love to see some upgrades at Epcot. But its by far my favorite park. Here are a few of my favorite things :

Entrance music Please get rid of the tombstones, bring back the futuristic statue, keep the awesome music
Soarin' needs update, but I still love the ride
Club Cool good
The big fountain (can't remember the name) Fountain of Nations is awesome, more people need to stop and watch
Mouse Gears it's a nice store
Cast members in World Showcase (I could start a whole thread with stories from here) A+
The goofiness of the ride in Mexico I do not like the video screens, give me animatronics instead
Living with the Land needs some updating at beginning, but I always have to ride this attraction
Sunshine Seasons getting a bit on the pricy side
The bakery in France A+
Illuminations greatest contemporary musical score
Green tea in Japan I need to do this
Smelling the Laila in Norway I need to do this, thanks for the tip
Frozen margaritas in Mexico who doesn't like booze, but they need to keep the price reasonable
The music that changes every few yards love it
Candy in Japan
The beautiful landscaping in Canada Always amazing

Could Epcot be improved? Yep. But there's truly no other place like it.

 

[JillianMarie]

Did I miss something? Isn't EPCOT in reality, just that, a theme park? Granted, it is a theme part that endeavors to teach you a little something about our history, our future, and the world around us, but still, it is a theme park first and foremost. It is there to entertain you, not educate you. I don't recall ever seeing any marketing materials from Disney selling EPCOT as an educational and cultural experience.

I completely agree with you. It's a theme park. Frankly, anyone who looks at it as an authentic, cultural experience needs to take a long hard look at their own expectations.

However, at the same time, it still makes me vaguely uncomfortable that it equates 'cultural immersion' with 'theme park'. There's just something that I find vaguely unsettling about the concept. And I hardly think someone raising these issues should be outright dismissed as just a trouble maker or pot stirrer. In a world where there is an unspeakably racist and divisive NFL team name as well as something an entire campaign around halloween of 'I am a culture, not a costume' I don't think these are issues that are entirely out of line to actually examine instead of just sticking heads in the sane and say 'oh, it's just a theme park'. The issue isn't whether there ARE mariachi bands in Mexico - because anyone with two brain cells can say yes and that's a ridiculous argument to make - I think the issue is probably is it ethical to reduce a culture to being just one thing.

This is probably going pretty far off the rails, I just think it's important to actually think about things rather than ignore them and having a conversation about it shouldn't have to be so contentious. There's nothing wrong with liking it - it's fun! I dream about those ham and cheese croissants they're so good! But a summary dismissal of anyone who might have some questions about the execution is unfair.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Mariachis are offensive? The Forbidden Palace is offensive (even if it really isn't the Forbidden Palace...)? Didn't representatives of the countries approve the architecture or is that just Morocco? Maybe it's offensive that Mexico serves Mexican food and tequila too. I understand the World Showcase isn't everybody's cup of tea, and some people are disgusted by it because it doesn't have enough rides (gasp) but culturally offensive? If visiting Epcot China and watching the movie makes you want to take a trip to China and see all those different provinces and lifestyles that won't fit into the pavilion (but are in the movie, aren't they?) then what's wrong with that?

I'd really rather spend the day at Epcot than MK so no, I don't think it's sad. But I do hate the choose your future at Spaceship Earth. I wish they'd left the ride alone. But no, everything has to have a computer screen or the kiddies lose interest, says the current management.

 

[AmyB2006]

So true, lol. The thing I find most offensive about EPCOT is Captain EO. Mainly because it is just terrible. So very terrible. Trying to have a CM at the beginning explain (i.e. lie/pretend) to the audience that it is kitchy and retro is beyond

OMG I'm so glad someone else sees this!!! Lol. It is God awful and should have never been dug out of the trash receptacles.

Like I've said before, apparently when you're alive it's not ok to be a child molester, only when you're dead, then we'll celebrate by bringing back your horrid movie.

 

[WolfpackFan]

It is really hard to find a starker contrast than between the timeless charm of MK and the sad, outdated 1980s retro-futurism of Epcot. The place looks like it came out of a bad Jetson's episode. I felt insulted by the choose your future ending of spaceship earth. Horizons at least treated the issue seriously.

As for the World Showcase...does anyone else find it borderline offensive? Mariachis in Mexico. Pagodas and forbidden palace architecture in China?

Each to his own, I guess. Epcot is my favorite park and I love WS.

 

[maxiesmom]

This is probably going pretty far off the rails, I just think it's important to actually think about things rather than ignore them and having a conversation about it shouldn't have to be so contentious. There's nothing wrong with liking it - it's fun! I dream about those ham and cheese croissants they're so good! But a summary dismissal of anyone who might have some questions about the execution is unfair.

I think if the person who had the questions wanted an honest discussion, and not just to stir the pot, they wouldn't have phrased their thoughts in a manner designed to get people upset. Who but the OP would compare Epcot to a bad Jetsons episode?

The OP didn't want honest discussion. They wanted to get people upset.

 

[gina2000]

Future World needs a major league facelift. Focusing on what the future may be could be a theme for a pavilion. Showing technological progress from the dawn of electricity to the future of robotics could be another. How about the history of medicine through herbs, gardens, and rain forests?

Parts of World Showcase are fun....parts are little more than a shopping opportunity. I'd love to see more movies a la China, or interactive exhibits showcasing the culture of a nation. Why not do a country's history of dress (even ours...) from the middle ages to the present? Hair styles throughout history in one nation or around the world? There are so many cultural subjects that could be explored via film, exhibit, and/or demonstration.

How many people really want Moroccan brass lanterns?

 

[DizDaD7]

LoL, Hence the reason why he/she hasn't responded in a wHile...Doesn't want all the backlash, {which would be a polite debate}....

BTW..I too love EPCOT...A lil upgrade here n there but otherwise perfectly fine..

 

[Laketravis]

Epcot needs more beer and margarita stands.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

We love Epcot! Once of the things we love most about it is meeting cast members from the countries and that the governments of each country were very involved in the planning of each one. At least that is my understanding. Of course it would be a richer cultural experience actually travelling to the country itself, but since we can't do that, I enjoy giving our children a brief glimpse into different cultures.

Laurie

 

[Flamingeaux]

I see we have a candiate for Troll of the Month.

 

[dtats]

Nothing but video recordings and fading memories will bring back the original Horizons, Universe of Energy, World of Motion, Odyssey Restaurant, Communicores, and all the other things we all loved about the previous incarnations of EPCOT. The company made changes over the years, some good, many not-so-much.

But, that's the way it is. If you were able to enjoy those golden oldies when they were current, consider yourselves lucky. My kids don't know a thing about Horizons, except what I show them on old video tapes. And you just can't recreate that wonderful smell of L'Oranges that accompanied that ride (I've tried). And, I still miss the fun of singing along to El Rio Tiempo, too.

Having said that, the park does need to be updated, but not just "out with the old, in with the new." It needs to return to its roots. When they removed Horizons, they removed the "core" of Futureworld. Now, it seems more like a jumble of pavilions with less and less of a connection.

Take, for example, the "graveyard" they installed as you enter the park in what was once a wonderfully large, open area. The vast entry area after the turnstiles told you that you were entering something very big, and EPCOT delivered on that! Now, the space is tighter and cramped, forcing you to squeeze together. Not as cool as it once was.

I don't agree with the OP's opinion that WS just offers us stereotypical views of the host countries. But I do agree that thoughtful consideration of what made EPCOT so grand to begin with should be taken more into account when they start the next renovation. Thanks for reading this far.

<soapbox mode = off>

 

[patty57]

Epcot needs more beer and margarita stands.

I vote for a mojito pavilion in the Odyssey building.

 

[Dismom55]

HorizonsRIP I think you have made a mountain out of a mole hill. So many have pointed out that Disney did not designate what would be in each of the countries, the country reps did. To complain of what most would associate with a country is nit picking. Mexico and the other countries are just that, what attracts the most, it would be ludicrous for me as a person with Dutch heritage complaining if they had a pavilion from The Netherlands with a huge windmill, tulips and wooden shoes for sale. Admit it when you think of Holland/The Netherlands that is what you think of instantly. While since I lived there for 3 years I think The Netherlands is so much more, but many would be disappointed to go to a Dutch pavilion and not find at least wooden shoes.

OK, off my soapbox now, no hint of mean here, just my version of the facts.

 

[JillianMarie]

I think if the person who had the questions wanted an honest discussion, and not just to stir the pot, they wouldn't have phrased their thoughts in a manner designed to get people upset. Who but the OP would compare Epcot to a bad Jetsons episode?

The OP didn't want honest discussion. They wanted to get people upset.

Then it is disappointing that people choose to focus on the medium rather than actually engage the message.

And, there aren't any bad Jetsons episodes. The Jetsons was awesome. Besides, retro-futurism is pretty much all the same aesthetic so it's not a comparison entirely without merit. But it happens to be an aesthetic I really enjoy, so I certainly don't have a problem with it.

 

[patty57]

This is probably going pretty far off the rails, I just think it's important to actually think about things rather than ignore them and having a conversation about it shouldn't have to be so contentious. There's nothing wrong with liking it - it's fun! I dream about those ham and cheese croissants they're so good! But a summary dismissal of anyone who might have some questions about the execution is unfair.

It's kind of you to think this way. The reactions have been more about the nature of the OP's post. When posters are brand new, and immediately start with inflammatory posts and language, they tend to not be taken at their word.

 

[Laketravis]

I vote for a mojito pavilion in the Odyssey building.

Oh, I like that idea! And the way it's kinda tucked off to the side, they could turn it into a sort of Bahama Breeze theme......

I'm also a firm believer that once they've addressed the severe lack of adult beverage stations, they need to focus on providing more turkey leg and funnel cake carts.

Because it is, after all, a theme park.........right?

 

[MYD714]

I'm personally more offended that there is an empty half dome between UOE and Mission Space, a big empty ride building behind Germany, an Empty show area behind the UK, an empty upstairs area in the Imagination Pavilion

I would LOVE to see them reopen the upstairs to the Imagination Pavilion.

 

[Masonmj84]

According to Dave Barry, Epcot World Showcase does provide a realistic representation of the featured countries . . .

. . . if they consisted almost entirely of restaurants and gift shops.