EPCOT rumors

[ddank]

Rumors are circulating on other boards and from Jim Hill about a Canada river rapids ride with a brother bear overlay to block the giant show building of SOARIN from the Canada landscape. Also supposedly WDI is exploring the idea of leveling the innoventions buildings and creating a giant gardenlike area, giving future world a more natural, open and less concrete look. Just in case anyone on here cares about actual park rumors. Not sure if I buy any of it but take it for what its worth.

 

[grinningghost]

Whether or not there's any truth to it, I'd love to see a river rapids ride in Canada - but please, make it longer than Kali!

 

[Chuck S]

Since WS pavilions are generally "sponsored" and the Canadian pavilion hasn't even had a new CircleVision movie, I would say the Rapids ride is a remote possibility, at best..unless some new sponsors step up to the plate.

Leveling the Innoventions buildings to turn into gardens would certainly be a major waste of assets. I'd love those buildings used and repurposed for some new attraction, maybe an Imagineering pavilion--showcasing the ride/attraction development process. Or a walk through "EPCOT Past & Future" having some props/ride vehicles from Horizons, World of Motion, the music from the original Universe of Energy, Listen to the Land. Then end the walk through with a preview of new proposed attractons that may or may not be built.

 

[WDWHound]

The rumors that I have seen for project Gemini (the redoing of Future World to a more natural environment) did not include leveling the Inoventions Buildings. Instead they were talking about placing lots of trees everywhere in Future World, including the Fountain courtyard, which would partially hide the buldings. The idea was to make FW into a forest/garden environment which you would explore and come upon the various buildings and attractions. Here is a map of what was rumored to be proposed. Note the Inovention buildings are still there, just modified slightly.

The map was taken from Jim hills site. Here is the link:
http://www.jimhillmedia.com/legacy/index.htm?../articles/02192003.1.htm~contentFrame

 

[SnackyStacky]

I LOVE this! I know plans can change, and not to get my hopes up, but even the fact that it's a rumor is a step in the right direction.

See that? A car 3er with no "yeah....buts".

Well - one caveat: I wish they wouldn't theme it to Brother Bear. It's going into Canada, and Brother Bear seems a little too cartoonish, and just not along the lines of a World Showcase ride. Not to mention that I don't know how enduring the Brother Bear characters are.

But I'm STILL glad they're thinking of a new ride, AND that they recognize the Soarin' show building ruins the sightlines!!!!!

 

[Ames]

The rapid idea in Canada sounds great to me!

But as far as a garden area in future world? No thanks...and I'm not digging this tree idea either...sounds like AK--which we all know makes that park extremely hot and stuffy.

Also on that map it indicates Living Seas being Little Mermaid based and it is now being changed to Nemo based.

And if they get rid of Spaceship Earth (interior ride) I will be one angry Disney fan

 

[WDWHound]

It should be noted that the map I posted fro Jim Hills site is approx 1 year old . Regulars here will remember the stir it caused with the possibility of SE becoming Time Racers. Since then, some of the details have changed. The Little Mermaid theming was replaced with Nemo theming after the success of that film. Also, the plans to change SE were scrapped (at least for now) as it was determained that the sphere was not able to support such an attaction. Still, I plan to film a complete ride through when I visit in December just in case.

Its interesting to note the Wonders of Life has gone seasonal, which seems to indiciate its not long for this world. Also, they just added a fountain between Mision Space and Test Track, right where the map shows a small loop in the Junior Autopia.

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"...and I'm not digging this tree idea either...sounds like AK--which we all know makes that park extremely hot and stuffy."***

Shade trees make things hot and stuffy ????? Please explain.

 

[deusEx]

I'd love to see a water ride in Canada, but I just can't see Canada sponsoring a major ride like that. They already agreed to a new movie. It was announced a while ago in one of our Toronto Newspapers. So I can't imagine Canada will shell out money for the new movie and a major ride.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Somebody had some fun with Photoshop on that one. Look at where the Soarin buildings are. Totally wrong and totally off scale. I think the Studios and Epcot both need a water attraction. A I would still like to see one added to the back of the 20K lagoon and made part of Toontown.

 

[YoHo]

It's not like Grizzly River Rapids cost all that much. I think the Theme of GRR as is fits in better to Canada then making it a synergy thing. But you all know my opinions on Synergy.

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by OnWithTheShow
Somebody had some fun with Photoshop on that one. Look at where the Soarin buildings are. Totally wrong and totally off scale.

I've gotta agree with you on this. Those builings are way too small. They would have to be soaring over a big screen TV to make it fit.

 

[Ames]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
***"...and I'm not digging this tree idea either...sounds like AK--which we all know makes that park extremely hot and stuffy."***

Shade trees make things hot and stuffy ????? Please explain.

Shade trees would be fine but it states forest area to explore which to me sounds like very lush vegitation...AK is very lush in turn slowing down air flow and circulation on the paths.

Haven't you ever noticed how visits to AK always seem extremely hot and humid w/no wind? It's because of the vegitation

 

[barreloflaughs]

Yikes....I haven't seen that drawing before.

I'm trying to imagine what this would do to Epcot traffic patterns. I can imagine myself getting lost in the hedge maze and missing my fastpass return time!

carl
barrel

 

[DancingBear]

Would they get rid of the Canada movie if they did this? Would seem strange to have two attractions in Canada and still none in Germany, Italy, Japan, England, Morrocco (am I missing any?). Haven't there, at various times, been thoughts of a water ride for Japan, based on Mt. Fuji, and a boat ride in Italy (perhaps more comparable to Mexico's ride than a flume), based on Venice?

 

[Ames]

An Italian boat ride would be lovely. Is there room for anything in Japan? I mean I supposed back behind it but...please don't take anything out. I love Japan!!

 

[daber]

A building was built in WS Japan for "Meet the World", which was installed in Tokyo instead, so yes there is room for a ride there. Never heard why the sponsor never built anything in it's place.

 

[KNWVIKING]

***"Haven't you ever noticed how visits to AK always seem extremely hot and humid w/no wind?"***

Honestly,no. I was there over July 4th holiday and didn't notice AK to be any hotter or stuffyier then the rest of Central Florida, but to me, anything over 70F is too hot and stuffy.

 

[AllisonG]

We can all agree that Epcot is in need of some help. I would love to see some of these changes (except SE). I have heard of this project for sometime now and am hoping they start to implement them.

 

[ddank]

Leveling Innoventions is not part of Gemini since Gemini does not exsist and I'm not sure it ever did. Future world needs a facelift and innoventions is useless and seems to require many CMs to operate it. If they do not plan to build a dark ride through there I say bring the sucker down and start fresh. But I vote for dark ride with an old school EPCOT feel that would somehow span innoventions east and west. And or somehow link it up to the base of SSE. Make it some sort of seemless experience rather than several disjoined walkthroughs. EPCOT needs a dark ride to end all dark rides to make everyone who hates the new thrill ride era of WDW happy. This would be a great place for it.