New pavilion coming to Epcot and it's not a real country

[Pumbaa7287]

Ok yes I got your point but thematically does TSMM fit in MK? Maybe in storybook circus but not really. Basically anything at this point fits in at DHS. If you were to build another frozen ride at MK what would it be? All indications are that the frozen ride will be a dark boat ride at Epcot.

I see your point, and I'm sure the imagineers do as well.

BREAKING: Coming Winter 2018 to New Fantasyland: Frozen Fantasy, a new dark SLEIGH ride starring all your favorite Frozen friends. Follow Anna, Kristoff, Elsa, Olaf, and Sven as they try to escape a rampaging Marshmallow set upon them by the evil Hans!

 

[nco91590]

I guess I'm just not a Disney purist. I never think that their main goal is to keep everything exactly the same for decades. I don't know what kind of staying power Frozen has but they are looking to cash in. Can't blame them for that.

Disney is trying to attract repeat visitors with the DVC push. I don't know about you guys, but the last couple times I have visited, I thought the parks needed a bit of sprucing up. The animatronics on half the rides weren't working!

I will say, however, that WS is my favorite place in WDW. I'm not to thrilled with all the crowds it will attract.

 

[Oathkeeper13]

I'm not happy about this. Epcot was designed to be an educational park with limited Disney Character. I have no problem with character meet and greets, or even a ride based on a disney movie, but an entire pavilion is taking this way too far. I don't mind that Malestrom is getting revamped and will be featuring Anna and Elsa, I would be in full support of a Remmy ride being put in France.

There is no question that Epcot is in desperate need of updates and a few more rides, but giving a fictional land its own pavilion goes against everything Walt intended for the park.

 

[rteetz]

I'm not happy about this. Epcot was designed to be an educational park with limited Disney Character. I have no problem with character meet and greets, or even a ride based on a disney movie, but an entire pavilion is taking this way too far. I don't mind that Malestrom is getting revamped and will be featuring Anna and Elsa, I would be in full support of a Remmy ride being put in France.

There is no question that Epcot is in desperate need of updates and a few more rides, but giving a fictional land its own pavilion goes against everything Walt intended for the park.

This won't per say be an entire frozen pavilion just a new meet and greet building right next to Norway. While Norway will have a frozen ride in it too. The you have Akershus with the princess dining. So there really isn't much Norway left.

 

[DanBoris]

Thanks for the two pictures you posted DanBoris. Can you share the link that you found the originals at?

You need to go here: http://www.sfwmd.gov/ePermitting/PopulateLOVs.do?flag=1

and search for application# 150113-12

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks!

 

[PrncessA]

I am on the fence on this issue. On one hand Epcot and Norway in particular need a huge overhaul, but on the other I LOVE the simplicity and pace of the World Showcase. This will greatly change the pace of the World Showcase and disturb easy flow I feel it has now. Like the chaos that ensued when Anna and Elsa were meeting in Norway and you couldn't move through the Norway pavilion.

 

[OKW Lover]

In looking at these plans it doesn't appear that the Norway pavilion, as it stands today, is changed at all except for a small slice along the left (as facing from the promenade) side. So, apparently the shops etc are unaffected.

 

[mindygirl5238]

I'm certainly not a Disney veteran, & I am a mother to two very Frozen-loving little girls, & I still think either one is a bad idea. I completely agree that this stuff doesn't belong in Epcot. We dine at Akershus & I promise you I will be standing in line for the stupid ride & to meet A&E, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it being there. But putting in a M&G next to a ride, & building a mini Arendelle next to Norway are two completely different things. One is much easier to stomach than the other.

 

[BillyTheEpcotDuck]

Is this the same as the Frozen thing that is taking The Maelstrom spot? #RIP

 

[ThurlFan]

I guess I'm just not a Disney purist. I never think that their main goal is to keep everything exactly the same for decades.

I'm not asking for things to remain the same. I just think if you're running a theme park the additions and changes should, you know, fit in with the theme...

 

[luisov]

I wouldn't mind if they add Ratatouille at France or Alice at the UK. Let's face it, Epcot is not working anymore, and to be honest, the new generations are no longer impressed with 360 theaters and little boat rides about sustainability. Epcot has been far from its original concept for quite a long time, so why bother? I feel like this park has become a huge source of nostalgia that won't offer many interesting experiences to those who didn't visit the place back in its glory days.

There's one thing I agree with though: if these plans materialize in the pavilion everyone is claiming it will be, I really think it won't work aesthetically. Not a good idea to mix buildings that actually exist with buildings that are merely inspired by Norwegian architecture. I'm hesitant to call this an actual pavilion.

 

[Pumbaa7287]

I wouldn't mind if they add Ratatouille at France or Alice at the UK. Let's face it, Epcot is not working anymore, and to be honest, the new generations are no longer impressed with 360 theaters and little boat rides about sustainability. Epcot has been far from its original concept for quite a long time, so why bother? I feel like this park has become a huge source of nostalgia that won't offer many interesting experiences to those who didn't visit the place back in its glory days.

There's one thing I agree with though: if these plans materialize in the pavilion everyone is claiming it will be, I really think it won't work aesthetically. Not a good idea to mix buildings that actually exist with buildings that are merely inspired by Norwegian architecture. I'm hesitant to call this an actual pavilion.

This is something I don't get about all the complaints about characters in WS. There are characters all over WS. Alice IS in the UK. Remy from Ratatouille was in France's restaurant until recently as an Animatronic. most countries have some form of character meet and greet, which is all it seems like this is.

Mexico-Donald is on the ride and is a M&G
Norway-Princess Breakfast and soon A and E
China-Mulan M&G
Germany-Snow White M&G
Italy-N/A
America-N/A
Japan-N/A
Morocco-Aladdin and Jasmine M&G
France-Belle and Aurora M&G
UK- Mary Poppins and Alice M&G
Canada-N/A

Not to mention the character training spot where you can see all sorts of characters all the time.

Now, many of these characters do hail from the actual countries that they're posted in, but not all. Agrabah, for example, is a fictional land in the middle east. Most likely it's not even in Morocco, yet there's no outcry that they meet guests there.

 

[wallrock]

I wouldn't mind if they add Ratatouille at France or Alice at the UK. Let's face it, Epcot is not working anymore, and to be honest, the new generations are no longer impressed with 360 theaters and little boat rides about sustainability. Epcot has been far from its original concept for quite a long time, so why bother? I feel like this park has become a huge source of nostalgia that won't offer many interesting experiences to those who didn't visit the place back in its glory days.

There's one thing I agree with though: if these plans materialize in the pavilion everyone is claiming it will be, I really think it won't work aesthetically. Not a good idea to mix buildings that actually exist with buildings that are merely inspired by Norwegian architecture. I'm hesitant to call this an actual pavilion.

Epcot isn't working anymore because Disney abandoned the concept, not because people weren't interested. One issue with showcasing science and technology is that you have to try and keep up with the changes. That means spending money on a regular basis. There have been a lot of changes in how the world fuels itself since the Universe of Energy opened up and the suits chose instead to let the attraction languish. Similar examples can be seen all over the park.

Not bothering means basically giving up. At that point just forego any really creative thought and throw up the coasters and sell cotton candy instead.

 

[wallrock]

This is something I don't get about all the complaints about characters in WS. There are characters all over WS. Alice IS in the UK. Remy from Ratatouille was in France's restaurant until recently as an Animatronic. most countries have some form of character meet and greet, which is all it seems like this is.

You do realize that Maelstrom is being replaced? That's a bit more than a meet and greet.

 

[rteetz]

Epcot isn't working anymore because Disney abandoned the concept, not because people weren't interested. One issue with showcasing science and technology is that you have to try and keep up with the changes. That means spending money on a regular basis. There have been a lot of changes in how the world fuels itself since the Universe of Energy opened up and the suits chose instead to let the attraction languish. Similar examples can be seen all over the park.

Not bothering means basically giving up. At that point just forego any really creative thought and throw up the coasters and sell cotton candy instead.

Exactly Disney gave up on the concept years ago. I think once world of motion and horizons left was about the point that things started changing. Future world really isn't about the future anymore. I will say tho that I don't mind having character meet and greets in world showcase but I think the movie based attractions shouldn't be there.

 

[ThurlFan]

Exactly Disney gave up on the concept years ago. I think once world of motion and horizons left was about the point that things started changing. Future world really isn't about the future anymore. I will say tho that I don't mind having character meet and greets in world showcase but I think the movie based attractions should be there.

To me, it's not even worth arguing whether the changes at Epcot are because

A) The public isn't interested in the concept of the park as it existed at opening (let alone in the mind's eye of a certain someone)

or

B) Disney decided not to spend cash/imagination on upkeep/improvements.


The truth is that both of those realities make me sad.

 

[luisov]

Epcot isn't working anymore because Disney abandoned the concept, not because people weren't interested. One issue with showcasing science and technology is that you have to try and keep up with the changes. That means spending money on a regular basis. There have been a lot of changes in how the world fuels itself since the Universe of Energy opened up and the suits chose instead to let the attraction languish. Similar examples can be seen all over the park.

Not bothering means basically giving up. At that point just forego any really creative thought and throw up the coasters and sell cotton candy instead.

I agree that Disney abandoned the concept. However, I stand by my statement that new generations are not interested by that anymore. It was impressive back in the 80's when it opened. Nowadays children are not impressed by that. They want to ride attractions and meet characters. Entertainment/media/culture has changed, and being quite honest, most kids nowadays don't want to go to Disney to learn about hydroponics and new energy sources. Not saying that many kids aren't interested in that, but out of 20 kids, 5 want to learn the history of France, 15 want to ride Test Track and Soarin over and over.

With the right investment, Epcot could still be a great park in its original form even though children interests are very different if compared to the 80's. However, just like Tomorrowland, Epcot would have to update its rides every 5 years, given the rate at which technology is changing and the fact that we are reaching the future we once thought was still pretty far away.

That doesn't mean that the entire concept of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow should be dropped though.

 

[Pumbaa7287]

You do realize that Maelstrom is being replaced? That's a bit more than a meet and greet.

I do, and I realize that they redid the Mexico ride to add Donald, and the world still spins on its axis.

 

[North of Mouse]

I also hate the changes that continue at Epcot. What was always my favorite park, and I'm sure the same is true for many adults is going to be gone for good.
It's a shame.