Just my opinion:
Right now, we seem to be on a global technology plateau. There are new technologies coming out, but they are enhancements of existing technology - 4K TVs and faster cell phones for example. There's not much available right now that is new, groundbreaking and earth shaking (think TV, radio, Internet, etc, when introduced.) Part of the problem is that for almost the last 10 years, companies have been focused on surviving and not innovation due to a poor economy and reduced consumer spending. Hopefully, things will change in the future. Also, I look at how much technology changed in the 1990s and early 2000s. We got used to that, and now we don't have it.
Also, part of the problem that Disney appears not to know what they want to do with Epcot. Futuristic attractions, or just a bunch of Disney IP attractions? Not to mention, they rely on corporate sponsorship that has dried up over the past several years.
I agree. I think that Epcot Has long been a victim of that "survival over innovation" mentality, and it is a shame. While I believe it is an impossible task to keep up with the "future" Disney has missed the mark for recognizing that guests would enjoy the journey learning how we got to where we are, and perhaps speculating on where tomorrow might take us. A company that is as environmentally sound as Disney has an opportunity to look towards the future by updating the lands and attractions in existance. Living with the Land is an example. Yes, the journey is informative, but why not have expand so that The Circle of Life is not just a place to take a nap? That film has not been updated in years, adn why hasn't it been?
How about the Living Seas? Right now Marine Science is a huge field with so many areas that are exploding with interest. Why has Disney passed chosen to ignore the possibilities that our oceans hold for us, as well as educating guests in marine conservation?
Like you, I think that Disney had no idea what to do with FW in Epcot, so they did nothing. They recognized they could not keep up with the "future" so they kept up with nothing. I think that there is a huge expanse of real estate that could be used to explore our World: where we are, how we got here, and what we can look forward to.
I completely agree! I think EPCOT is at its best when it's showing people the PRESENT! Things like Living With the Land and Mission: Space are showing people how scientists are currently tackling problems and doing research in fields that people may not know a lot about or have never thought about. Sure, there is access to the information, but does that mean that anyone will care to look it up? EPCOT succeeds in making its guests care about things that they may not have before in ways that are new and exciting. THIS is how they should tackle their new attractions. They don't have to be crazy technological advances.
Exactly. My DGD is an Ag student who is leaning towards Marine biology, but as part of her education the agriscience program has exposed her, and through her eyes all of us, the many areas of research there are in "agriculture." Worldwide, scientists are using technology to make advances in medicine, travel, food production, and on and on and on. What has Disney ignored this? My gosh, there is more that could be done to brighten Epcot than adding a M&G or a new food booth.
I've never been to Epcot... in fact, I've never been to Walt Disney World. I want to be able to see Epcot the way it is today at whatever time I will end up making my first trip out there, which could be next year, or ten years from now. I understand that I have the internet and new technology all at my fingertips, but I would still just love to put all that away and move it off to the side so I can go on a learning experience attraction. Like I said, I have never been to WDW, but I have been to DLR at least once a year for about 5 years. I am, and was when I started going there, a teenager with a Smart Phone and I realized during my third visit that when I spend all that time on my phone rather than the parks, I'm missing out on everything. Since then I have adopted a philosophy of either turning off my Smart Phone or locking it down to the most basic call and text functions. I don't allow any internet in my park experience and have tried encouraging others to do so.
Why does this matter? Well, I strongly encourage everyone to just power down on their trips and then experience the parks for what they are and not ruin their idea of reality by living in their phone. This is especially a good idea for Epcot. If people went in there with the idea of not having the internet readily available to them, they could appreciate the ideas that the attractions at Epcot are offering. I'm not saying that Disney should confiscate phones upon entry to the park, but just give people the suggestion that maybe we don't need our current technology if we can observe the future without it.
If that seems like a bad approach, then maybe they try expanding their hands on options.
I think that you may be missing the point becuase you have not been to Epcot. Powering down will not change the empty pavilions or stagnant exhibits. It is a shame really, because those of us posting here love Epcot, and while we recognize that it is an impossible task for Disney to keep up with the "future" in Future World, we also see that the apathy has gradually reduced this wonderful part of the park to a shell of it's former self> The potential was and is still there.
I will also say that for this park, I would encourage DIsney to create ways to use the technology of smart phones so guests could use then to interact with the exhibits, having guests powering up rather than powering down. There is an entire World that might be opened up via smart technology, why not go there?
