Re-Imagining EPCOT Future World

[merry_nbright]

With the completion of Pandora drawing near, well, sort of drawing near, I can't help but think EPCOT is going to be next for a major reboot. Which, let's be honest, Future World desperately needs some love. So, I thought it might be fun to see what people's ideas would be to try and bring EPCOT's Future World back up to date! What would you keep the same? What would you change? What would you add or take away? I love threads like this and I can't wait to hear ideas to make Future World futuristic and educational again!

 

[JimmyV]

What would you change?

I think that the original concept of partnering with major corporations was/is the only way to keep FW fresh. But Disney is intent on extracting/extorting fees from these companies that keeps pushing them away. So Disney should bite the bullet and invite high tech companies into FW at a low enough cost to entice them to come and stay. Then those companies could set up pavilions to showcase cutting edge and future "blue sky" and "drawing board" technology so that FW could become a hands on destination much the way the massive Consumer Electronics Convention is in Las Vegas. Imagine LG, Samsung, Apple, HP, IBM, GE, Google, Microsoft, Boeing and a whole host of other companies showing off what the "real" future might hold. Let the true futurists show us what is on the horizon. Disney Imagineers are good. But they can't hold a candle to what the real engineers are doing around the world.

 

[Duffywannabe]

Well Epcot needs a new E ticket attraction. Not another theater or a retheming of current rides. They need less empty buildings and placeholder movies. Innoventions needs to be something. Not empty space.

I would start with the entrance. It's just blah. They need a cohesive plan all through future world for new and updated attractions. Right now almost anything would be better than what it is.

 

[Mitzicat]

I remember as a 8 year old going to Epcot and learning so much. Horizons (let's pause for a moment of silence!) was amazing to me - not because of the "ride" but what could be! Video teleconferencing...in 1982 I never thought I would have an opportunity to experience this. Well today I use it once every two weeks and talk to folks around the country all at the same time.

JimmyV took my thoughts exactly. I want to see what the world could be like in 20 years.

Journey into imagination wasn't just a fun ride with a purple dragon. It explored how we use our brains to think and see things. I think someone coined the phrase - edutainment. But you were being education and entertained at the same time. The living seas presented conservation and protection of animals. Living with the land told us about future farming opportunities and healthy eating. Some how Future World needs to get back to that spirit and not overlay the current Disney movie onto an attraction.

At least once a week I joke with my office mates about how easy it was to learn your ABCs...thank the Phoenicians. (that always cracks me up!) I remember these things because I learned them at Epcot! Kids don't realize they are learning when it is run and interactive.

 

[merry_nbright]

Mitzicat - I couldn't agree with you more! That is, literally, what I was thinking they should do. Everything was so well done and taken care of, they can very easily have that again and I think it would be a huge success! My brother always had trouble focusing on EVERYTHING. But when we went to EPCOT back in 1991, all he wanted to do was play in the What If labs upstairs of the Imagination Pavillion. I really think they can make it as great as it was, maybe even better, as long as they go back to the main, core values of what Future World was meant to be. Definitely bring back something for Wonders of Life as well.