The Epcot Overhaul: An Irresponsible Waste of Money

Epcot has been in a pretty bad state for a long time, aging with a post-modern aesthetic that was very particular to the 90s and attractions that feel old and poorly maintained. In 2017, an Epcot overhaul was announced by Disney and over the next few years, ideas were presented on how the park could be revitalized until construction walls finally went up in 2019. However, this project has been a disaster of mismanaged funds and creative loses and now, five years later, the project is complete. Buildings were demolished only to be rebuilt and the center of the park became a concrete heat trap, emulating a Silicon Valley corporate park. The Epcot overhaul was a financial and creative disaster that only accentuated issues in the park, so it's time to reflect on what happened and discuss why it all went so wrong.
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[@officialmonarchmusic]

You know what putting up all of these Walt statues reminds me of? How Chef Skinner used Gusteau's image to sell cheap, corporate products and frozen foods after his death in Ratatouille

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I love how out of touch Disney leadership is with their IP sometimes. I find it funny that they emphasized that Tiana's has an employee owned co-op, yet Iger went out of his way to condemn the writer's strike.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@PoseidonEntertainmentThat’s the OTHER thing. They don’t realize how ridiculous they are being

[@hypnobearcoup2505]

Yeah, Walt wouldn’t want his name or image on what the company is now.

[@AmusementLabs]

You could've showed 54 minutes of modern minimalistic airport B-Roll and I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Airports are actually exactly the kind of place that I think this kind of architecture and aesthetic should exist lol

[@AmusementLabs]

@@PoseidonEntertainment oh definitely, it's sterile and somewhat calming. I do wonder though if the sentiment of 'this is Disney being lazy' would be the same had Disney done this first decades ago before airports took on this general look. A 'who did it first/got to it first' kind of scenario.

[@ksquallfangirl]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Ironorchids]

Damn 😂

[@Gnomereginam]

Fancy office canteen was the vibe I got the most, at least airports are kind of exciting.

[@zigywig1711]

They spent 5 years and millions of dollars to build a generic looking public park 😂

[@ChiefBlueScreen]

Counterpoint: What if public parks have taken so many design cues from Disney over the years that it makes it harder to stand head and shoulders over the "competition?"

[@atsunome]

On brand for modern Disney, lol

[@zigywig1711]

@@ChiefBlueScreen With all due respect that seems highly unlikely. Disney has always been head-and-shoulders above the competition, at least in the past

[@diegojaime2701]

Damn. Haha facts

[@djgdedj]

​@ChiefBlueScreen justifying the digression from the worlds premier theme park to any old public park (with Disney's admission price) is insane levels of disneycope

[@hazeldavis3176]

Oh, it's themed. Themed to an Apple Store, a Marriot Extended stay and a pretty good-sized Kohls.

[@mattthepianist8313]

A Marriott in the Philippines has more theming than whatever Epcot has

[@BobothePirate24]

Well said

[@moglet12345]

An overpriced entrance to them for sure 😂😂😂😂

[@dougrs1983]

lol good one!

[@Player_Zhirow]

Actually,Apple stores having theming in their layout

[@jackylsmith8138]

All they did was rip out a great fountain. Year down a building, then rebuild half of it and put in a walk through water exhibit, that has issues days after opening

[@BAKER22-l4u]

Ignorant and idiotic

[@Radi0inactivity]

if they touch my dusty janky animatronics in Spaceship Earth and replace them with IP slop i swear to god i will vomit blood

[@largol33t12]

Oh, I KNOW that's what Bobby Eager wants to do next. I sincerely don't understand all the record-breaking crowds. There is nothing to see! The rides don't even look interesting. I don't understand why people are still flocking BACK to Disney World if they've been there before with all this IP oversaturation and corporate garbage infesting the parks.

[@batshtcrazy5293]

😂😂😂 I bet they will. Get the bucket and washclothes out now.

[@david40k]

they wanna make it pixar globe, it will be a slow dark ride that just projects movie clips at every scene.

[@Tortidis987]

Spaceship Earth is my favorite ride in the park, and while it could definitely use some love, my favorite part of the Epcot overhaul (even above Cosmic Rewind) is that they scrapped the planned re-theme of SSE.

[@isismena893]

If they touch Spaceship Earth with intention of anything but some fresh damn paint and updated animatronics (not new, updated) I swear I will riot. I’ve been riding that with my dad since I was 4. I love it still at 30. Why do they not understand, it’s not something you outgrow, and it’s not something kids/adults can’t both enjoy. It totally captured me as a kid and I still enjoy it as an adult. We are smart human beings who aren’t so freaking dull we need IP in every ride thrown in our face to make it fun for us. How much hate mail must Iger receive?????? A solid ride is a solid ride. Chris Pratt isn’t what makes gardians a solid ride. I can’t. Rant over.

[@Kolbatsu]

EPCOT becoming an IP riddled mall says a lot about the limited imagining of these suits and how they envision the future. A big dead mall.

[@Draanor]

Modern Disney does not have passion. All the people who care about the story, the art, and the craft were chased out years ago. Disney is now a company run by bean counters and Disney fan artists. We're so far from parks made by people who want to make something new and world class.

[@bostongeis5123]

When you say fan artists, are you talking about artists who reuse whats already been made to an obsessive extent?

[@satellafelix4597]

didn’t all the chased out imagineers go to universal instead? 🤔 that probably explains a lot

[@officialmonarchmusic]

@@satellafelix4597 Yes. Chapek downsized Imagineering by almost 50% in 2020/2021. There's even rumors that Joe Rhode's resignation was NOT voluntary, and was MANDATORY because he's known as an "expensive" imagineer. But that's just a rumor. But yeah, Chapek's gutting of Imagineering was the single worst move they've probably made. Plenty of others left just because they realized how bad Disney was getting, and plenty of them went to the place that was hiring: Universal Creative. Although, I don't think too many of them are working on Epic Universe because these projects take SEVERAL years, maybe on expansions?

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

I don't know this for a fact. But I suspect there still ARE people who care about artistry around. But one can't build on wishes (no matter what the marketing says). It takes money to run a project - and they're not getting that. And where they do get green-lit... the project gets knee-capped by cost-cutting.

[@JStryker47]

Nah, even fan artists would've had a lot more talent and passion for their work, than these... people... that they've employed now.

[@ndep93]

If there ever was a physical manifestation of Disney's stunning incompetence in recent years, it's this flower patch they put in Epcot. What a disaster!

[@TheJosep70]

I visited Epcot in 1985 for the first time and was blown away by its outlook on the future and how well conceived everything was. I even remember seeing a sign advertising the upcoming opening of the Spain pavilion (my country). Sadly, the idea was abandoned and it was never built.

[@Ironswiftness]

Still miffed they took out the insanely awesome fountain of nations to put in... a planter?!

[@RariettyC]

Did Disney fire all the water feature staff? Hearing that the Imagination Pavilion jumping fountains aren't 100% either is heartbreaking

[@batshtcrazy5293]

Meanwhile Epic Universe will have over 50 fountains throughout the parks. I mean honestly, Disney could recirculate their water features, and build more places to cool off and enjoy the sounds of such. But no. Here's some more benches, lights, and ground effects that don't work. Enjoy! 😒

[@cindy92359]

Fountains get expensive to operate. Anything with water gets expensive. Anywhere they can cut costs is what gets changed, including getting rid of those pesky humans who work there. That is why you don't see any shows with live performers any longer.

[@pepedomingo4061]

legit they couldve planted full grown trees there to provide more shade that fountain was so sick

[@osuzorba]

@@RariettyC They had been broken in Splash Mountain for at least a year before they shut it down too.

[@braidanbones4646]

Ok but, why does EPCOT look like a community college now if it's not even going to educate?

[@Swrqltr]

Spot on thank you 😂😂

[@solcarlosofficial]

I would have LOVED a dark ride for Mary poppins. You start in a carousel and then it detaches and you fly over the Mary poppins world.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That would never have happened, although it would be an interesting fit for Fantasyland.

[@nancy9478]

I would love that.

[@wyw876]

Trackless + all the seam-hiding techniques from all the haunted mansions around the world? Ah, the possibilities!

[@tulinfirenze1990]

I once visited the home of a very senior former imagineer and he showed me his own portfolio of concepts that originally landed him a job with WDI. One of those concepts was this VERY attraction.

[@anonpony1693]

@@tulinfirenze1990 Tony Baxter right? How did you come to personally know him?

[@_harveyd]

I like the statue personally, he's sat there where you can sit with the big man and a beer and ask to yourselves where it all went wrong.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

If people started taking photos with Walt with beer in hand, the statue would be removed quickly.

[@_harveyd]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I have a buddy who loved holding a cigarette with his bust in Hollywood Studios

[@largol33t12]

@@_harveyd Reminds me of a funny thing I saw in Madame Tussaud's in London. They had an exhibit with all wax figures of evil dictators like Hitler and Saddam. Many tourists would stand in front of "Saddam" and give him the finger or pretend they were punching him or kicking him in the testicles!

[@MioRaem]

How did the stars align so utterly wrongly that a failed weather anchorman became the boss of all things Disney for decades?

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

You can blame Eisner for buying ABC lol

[@SICProwl]

Guardians should have gone goofy and the plot should have been them visiting a Space Theme Park that was so oddly similiar to Disney that Peter is just perpetually confused while everyone else is having fun on rides. Maybe even him Peter think some Theme Park "Villain" was real and you're there to help him, only to see we just destroyed a theme park on our journey.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

I am tired of Guardians taking over rides, like the Tower of Terror. :/

[@SICProwl]

@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 I had no idea they did that - that actually annoys me. ToT is fine the way it is. Disney just wants to IP everything with current day stuff that it's ruining what made it special

[@NiarahHawthorne]

@@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396 So much this. I haven't been back to Disney in a decade, and now I probably never will. Why do that when I can go to a place like Knott's Berry Farm, who actually kinda care a little about the customer experience, their roots, and has better food than Disney on average for 100 bucks or less?

[@ImABigKidNow88]

"The original framing of this statue looked as if Walt was sitting on a toilet, which I thought was appropriate symbolism for how he would view the park and company executives today". LMAO. Touché

[@Ace-du7vw]

"doesn't meet the disney standard" i don't think disney has a standard anymore

[@Bald_Sauerkraut]

Having been in some of the areas, not the full product yet. I can say this, It feels like a medical campus, stale, sterile, and mildly depressing. I don't know who signed off on this, but they should be fired for wasting this money and highlights Disney's and Imagineering's complete lack of vision and leadership. to again put no shade in that area is criminal, and it in fact ruins EPCOT.

[@BostonWriterBlog]

My kids renamed "Ellen's Energy Adventure" to "Dad Takes a Nap." I hated that ride, but I loved the length of time it allowed me to sit in an air conditioned environment. 😆

[@TheShape063]

Been calling the planter in the middle of EPCOT the EPCUSSY because it looks like..... yeah

[@susanlund967]

I thought of that immediately for some reason.

[@cyndiebirkner704]

Glad I'm not the only one to notice that...

[@disneylandguy10]

I think you hit the nail on the head about the music - the old entrance loop and Future World theme were absolute gems that did such a good job of establishing an atmosphere of simultaneous grandeur and fun (also not to mention the Future World loop is insanely catchy). I actually enjoy the new music, but I totally agree it fails to create any source of wonder and it does feel generic. Guess I'm using my earphones when I walk around in the park!

[@denisemcgilvrey3966]

When you think back to the innovative and over the top architecture of the original buildings in future world and compare them to the box that is Communicore Hall, you can’t even convince yourself it’s the same company that built them.

[@atsunome]

Disney has really fallen. It shocks me that ANYONE still bothers with it anymore. I’m Australian, so trips to the US are very few and far between, so we have to make the most of our travels - My whole family went to Disneyworld in 2008/2009ish and loved it, but by the time 2019 rolled around, we all saw the absolute state of it and collectively wanted to visit Universal instead, not even bothering with a single day at Disney, lol. It’s shocking to see that it’s gotten even worse since then.

[@perfectberry9008]

It’s so sad to see the downfall of Disney parks in real time due to mismanagement and greed 😔

[@IRDeady]

Your calm tone and speech makes the criticism so much more burning. I'm not even in to disney stuff and I just keep thinking "Daaaaaaang, he just said that!"

[@samuelwitwicky3900]

Once again corporate is making bare minimum promises and somehow fails to deliver what they promised, wishing everyone accepts their joke of excuses.

[@sarahlovesx]

when they first announced the 50th anniversary overhaul i was actually really excited because epcot was my family’s favorite park! but after our last visit when we were leaving in the afternoon after having done everything we wanted to, i literally looked over to my mom and said “i feel like we used to be able to spend a whole day in epcot.” at the time i put it down to us mastering disney world hacks and tricks but after this video, i’m thinking it was actually just because epcot just isn’t as interesting as it used to be! and maybe it’s because i’m not a kid anymore but it’s not even a park for you to explore like magic kingdom. you just move from attraction to attraction and fight the festival crowds. i haven’t gone back since the walls came down last week but wow am i not as excited as i was 5 years ago.

[@sarahlovesx]

what i DO love is the new japanese restaurant. the one before it sucked but the one before that was good so i’m glad to have a sushi restaurant back !!

[@jimt9245]

Original Epcot was the Encore still was heavily influenced by the standards set by the first generation of Disney Designers. The park had a unifying theme where all the planning and attractions worked in harmony. But as we known Disney has a Tomorrowland issue that is future exasperated at the Epcot scale. We unfortunately are witnessing how with each successive CEO, we are seeing Epcot and other parks getting future from the original themes and heart. Looking at that removal of the fountain feature, it symbolizes how many kinetic features have be removed leaving the lifeless husks. great video as always

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I don't agree that Epcot had the Tomorrowland issue. With the exhibits in Communicore and the ride post-show areas, sure, but definitely not the rides. This is an older video, but I spent a lot of time here breaking down the myth of "outdated" Epcot: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3ybd5imlqabrZo

[@jimt9245]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Perhaps I reacted in haste with labeling Epcot with an Tomorrowland issue. I view Epcot as an larger exploration of Tomorrowland just as Animal Kingdom is an extension of the spirit of Adventureland. It just feels Disney has an identity issue with how to curate and improve original attractions, while adding new complimentary rides. I can't see any of these changes in the last 5 years as being memorable. Unless I am being transported to a Target Snack Bar. Thank you for the video suggestion.

[@jimt9245]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I appreciate the time and effort that goes in to these videos. And I believe I had seen that one previously. The Term "Tomorrowland Issue" comes from my Disneyland centric experiences, but I could have more generically described the issue as does the Remodel reinforce, shift or contradict the theme of the area. The Communicore aesthetic still leads me back to other contemporary works as the previous mentioned Apple Store, Target and let's throw in Starbucks or a modern McDonald's. And those are all retail motivated in nature. Like the aesthetic of the Electrical Umbrella of the 90's, the hollow version of Communicore will become like an old Taurus or Mustang II. Does these latest remodel of EPCOT add value or devalue the experience? Disney used to be able to do theming well, which is the opposite of a contemporary response of the world outside of the park. And similar to Tomorrowland, how should Disney curate/maintain a vision of the future with EPCOT. This should be a gradual process at a smaller scale rather than a large scale closure for several years. As time and trends will continue to move. These construction walls are as much a part of our memorable experiences as the end product of Communicore. As being in theme and on stage, the construction process could also be a part of maintaining this city of tomorrow.

[@manuellubian5709]

One of my old College professors was actually on the original Communications team that designed the audio and the Acoustics for the Epcot Center itself. And he was on the design team as far back as the early 1980s. I think to some degree he would probably be very hurt and shocked at some of the changes that were made in today's time frame of, the Epcot Center property.

[@capt.morgan1777]

Bro, you are hitting the nail in the head with this content! Keep up the good work! Bring back the magic!

[@GamingTeacher]

Yep, the Bob Era of Disney (Iger-Chapek-Iger) is truly disastrous for a lot of Disney.

[@merefinl6914]

As soon as you mentioned silicon valley tech campuses I immediately saw the resemblance to the giant circular Apple Park campus. The funniest part of that comparison is that Apple Park is hated by employees for being impractical and having extremely limited capacity.

[@terryr7622]

I feel nothing but sadness when I see the state of the Disney parks. Glad Walt didn’t live to see this😕

[@PhotographerPhilosophy]

I will NEVER forgive them for removing Fountain of Nations!

[@Tortidis987]

Epcot was already a husk by the end of the 90's. Cosmic Rewind, for better or worse, has people excited to go to this park again for the first time in decades. That ride has gotten so much attention and praise that I don't think anyone but the most diehard Epcot purists would ever agree that the park is in worse shape than it was pre-Guardians. It doesn't fit the theme of the park and I 100% agree that the storytelling elements are poorly executed. But as a dance party on wheels, it is one of my favorite rides. The glory days of Epcot are long gone, but I am super excited for the re-imagining of Test Track, ironically not considered part of the overhaul.

[@zooweamama5799]

Also any executive designing a park plaza thing with zero shade should be required to walk around their own theme park for 8 hours straight in the middle of a summer day before pitching

[@AmusementVision]

Another thing I've also wanted to point out is how each era of Epcot perfectly shows what Disney cares about at that time. With this current iteration I think we all know where there minds are at.

[@cyndiebirkner704]

Glad they finally got rid of those idiotic "tombstones" in the entrance area.

[@leeindustries6540]

Communicore hall looks like a school cafeteria

[@adamkone1660]

Im baffled that 2 years in guardians is still on inconvenient virtual pass system. One that distributes all passes in 2 seconds each morning and doesn't allow you to pick return times. If i remember correctly, the original fast pass allowed you to pick times to return... in like 2005. To me this is just another sham they employ to make you buy genie and lightning just to ride their exciting new ride. Supply and demand ppl

[@alibutterfly82]

When I was quite young (probably somewhere around 5) in the 80's, we went to WDW as a family. Most of our family trips were camping as we didn't have a whole lot of extra money, but for whatever reason this time, my parents were able to afford that. I remember EPCOT was my ABSOLUTE favorite as a kid. The idea of imagination personified in Figment, the fun adventure of Captain EO, the great music in all of the attractions that I listened to on my record soundtrack on my Fisher Price record player over and over again... it surpassed even the Magic Kingdom for me, as a kid. I loved that you could learn about things and spark your imagination and creativity at this place. How the park is now, I feel pretty certain this would not be any small child's favorite park. They've hollowed out all of the things that made EPCOT really special, and honestly I don't even know for what... I can't see how this is going to make them any more money or bring any increase in positive publicity over time. Tragedy, really.

[@MorbidlyObeseChell]

imagine paying $300-$500 for a 2-3 day ticket only to find that the park is a cleaner more generic version of what you can find in your local county fare, and it is full of gift shops that look like an apple store. I understand that attractions need to be updated every few decades to remain relevant, but this is just sad and lazy. What upsets me most is there are people who WILL shell out the money to do this and will shell out the money to buy these overpriced products no matter how much the quality dies, just because they see the micky logo and assume that the price is worth it with out taking two steps back and relising "is it really worth $300 to stand in a hot line for 3 hours for a 2 minute ride".

[@patrickcutter6811]

I miss the Epcot of maelstrom, body wars, cranium command, original test track etc era.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

Coivd maybe played a bit of a role in this project's failure. But that can only go so far to excuse the lack of effort they put into this, especially when there's still so many untapped ideas from the original plans of the World Showcase, and Spaceship Earth is still in dire of need an update.

[@DainRiffgin89]

This is endemic to Disney, across parks, movies and shows: everything is so bland, devoid of creativity, and entirely soulless. It all just screams corporate, as there doesn't seem to be any imagination left in this company. Hopefully when Epic Universe opens up it gives Disneyworld a run for its money, maybe that will be a wakeup call. Probably not, given how detached from reality Iger and the Board seem to be....

[@Illuminations2000]

The remodel is so bad. Definitely Apple Store/city park/college campus vibes. The musical theme of the park is really bad. Luminous music is just awful, the pre and post shows are even worse. The IP overload is really getting old. We need leadership that truly understands EPCOT.

[@douglasermedia3390]

My last visit to EPCOT was 13 years ago, but I don't see anything in this video that'd make me ever want to return & see how uninspiring the park has become compared to what I remember. The spectacular fountain they've torn out (to save $$) was one of its best features.

[@kandikidzora]

As a very known EPCOT fan girl, I am so glad you finally did this video! I’m so happy you did it, but damn does it hurt my heart. As I have said many times on your videos and many others, I will die on the hill that fight wanted an updated IP EPCOT, Tron would have been so much better in EPCOT with Guardians working so much better in TomorrowLand. The Grid would have been freaking AMAZING! If there’s one thing I fan girl more than EPCOT, it’s Tron

[@upsidedownlex]

Poseidon back at it again with another eloquently put drag of disney's corporate mismanagement. 👏

[@stardustlatte]

26:51 I think this is a great idea to replace cosmic rewind! Keep the same ride system as the one you described, but for the shrinking aspect, have Antman be the superhero instead of Guardians. This way, ridegoers can “shrink down” to the size of antman and help him on an adventure. A good way of keeping the education factor is teaching kids the science behind the shrinking technology as well as other real world science things. (Scott’s character is really nerdy about that so it helps!)

[@nancy-d2m2j]

Our first visit ever to Disney World was Jan 1997, and we loved it. Our last visit was in 2009, and we could see things changing for the worst. I won't miss going any more as it has declined so much in quality, and the prices are ridiculous.

[@SamBrown-fb2ib]

Always been a huge fan of your videos, nice to hear somebody holding disney to a higher standard! I'm working on a passion project video essay on the decline of the parks, do you have any recommendations on where to acquire b-roll?

[@coltoncvg7404]

DO NOT GO TO SPACE 220 (Unless your rich) So it costed us, a family of 4, 500 ish dollars. Yes that is with drinks but the service was ok, the food was ok, the drinks were cool. But the bathrooms were messy, and the table next to out table was trashed completely by the last guest and the table wasn’t cleaned up.-

[@coltoncvg7404]

The screens of the restaurant were the only aspect of space. The atmosphere just felt like a fancy restaurant. And you won’t be able to find the entrance. It’s like hidden behind a ride entrance, and there is one temporary sign there to direct.

[@MsBigact]

I dunno. I like a Disney park filled with Disney IP. And I absolutely LOVED Cosmic Rewind; it's a combination of two amazing things, space mountain and Guardians. And the queue is super cool.

[@duphasdan]

It breaks my heart to see the place destroyed so much since my visit as a child in 94.

[@Zhohan-]

They got rid of the national restaurants? It’s actually over.

[@Killercutsvideo]

That's because there's only Bob Iger at the helm, there are no board of directors only yes men .Whatever mad idea he wishes will be approved no matter how truly terrible it is.

[@donaldwright8567]

I feel like Chapek tried his best to redirect efforts into fixing a lot of the problems that Disney is suffering from. However, he inherited a lot of Iger's projects while they were in development and already had tons of money poured into them. Thus, he was financially forced to follow thru on them. I also remember hearing that he was also getting a lot of push back from some within the Company who were more set in their ways with how Iger ran things.

[@danielvandersall6756]

If the redo of Test Track doesn't look like World Of Motion, I'm doing the cruises from now on.

[@thomashartwell4335]

I think what's interesting about your Inner Space idea for Cosmic Rewind is...they probably could have done just that AND still shoved in a Marvel IP with Ant-Man. And while I'd still bemoan the IP, you could *easily* do a ride set in Pym Labs that deals with genuine science and gives you a little education while also being a thrilling IP coaster. IMO it just showcases how thoughtless a lot of these IP shoves are when with just a little more thought you could easily have something that matches both the park's integrity and the core of the IP you want to introduce.

[@Soandnb]

I was never a super hardcore theme park experience chaser, but even my dopey-ass younger self realized that Epcot was distinctly "un-Disney", which I grew to appreciate more and more as I got older. It's strange, because my younger self found the park "boring" when I was actually there, but also the one which I had the most fond memories of.

[@arnoldbreuer]

Just WOW! Maybe you should dive in how Efteling recreated and implemented an old haunted ruin castle attraction called: Spookslot. Dance Macabre will become an all new area opening in a couple of months as a cathedral. The effort taken for the storytelling, theming and keeping a lot of elements of the old (declining) ride is unmentionable. Even the building up for the opening, a couple making-off are made with actors and a story line. And for a lot less then Disney (Company) showcases some new flowerbeds.

[@jacquelinejanewashere]

Epcot was an amazing park in the 90s and 2000s when I'd visit FL I'd skip every other Disney park but always visit Epcot needless to say I'm disappointed in whatever this is that they are trying to do to it

[@jordydejong3376]

great vid, I think the number 1 problem with the Disney parks at the moment is a lack of direction , leadership , management and planning. The best example of this is remy's adventure , a ride somehow costing 270 million to build, and is just an average screen heavy darkride Compared to symbolica at the eftling that only cost 35 mil to build , and uses actual animatronics instead of screens everywhere. And yes Disney build a whole facade and that also costs a lot of money but the efteling build a whole castle for that ride alone. Both these rides are trackless darkrides , build in the same year , with the same amount of vehicles btw Lets say because of location , supply costs and labor etc , you double the cost of symbolica , even then should not cost more then 70mil , so where did 200 million dollars go. And for the people that are crying that remy's adventure is superior , just look up the pov's for both rides and judge for yourself. Its kinda insane to think about , but they overspend 200mil on a meh darkride , and then have no money to even build a fountain at the end of the project

[@Chellekathryn]

it's not just EPCOT, disney in general has turned sterile and dull... I mean i was so hyped for the new tiana ride, and the end product? Beyond disappointing without a soul

[@Ddilly]

Communicore hall is so awful bc you could find the exact same quality of interior space at literally any conference center across the US 😭

[@mixedpersonality]

Your idea for Cosmic Rewind would totally work, and if they really wanted to slap an IP on it they could just use Ant Man. Some sort of quantum showcase or subatomic testing kind of thing

[@soulspin]

Perfect

[@cataquackwarlord5389]

I first came to Epcot in the early 90s, and the optimistic yet realistic vision for the future was a big part of what attracted me to it, and formed the foundation of my passion for immersive and imaginative park experiences. If I go back there now, I'm likely going to feel heartbroken at what the execs have done to the once amazing park.

[@Sir-Ray]

A total waste of money. They should have left well enough alone, and concentrated on development of new attractions, not some water works, re-building a building torn down for no reason, and corporate looking green area. The only positive thing to change was the EPCOT ball with the lights, and the planters in the front instead of those big blocks along with a similar to the original fountain.

[@TheCubeTube]

Incredible video! Disney just spent 5 years turning Epcot completely minimalist, an aesthetic that’s already on its way out! Not to mention that people are tired of new IPs in the parks! Very well made video, and I completely agree with you!

[@Ira88881]

Shouldn’t the parks also be a place and opportunity to CREATE new IP…instead of recycling old movie IP?

[@thewalkingdad68]

Hearing that TOT is reaching it useful lifespan. To replace all the motors that drive the lifts, the tower would essentially have to be torn down to get them out.

[@SergGirl]

Took a theme park that inspired optimism and made it a symbol of cynicism and bleakness. Go team.

[@b_d15]

Late stage capitalism at play. When the guiding force of a company is strictly driven by ROI and stakeholders, the culture manifests everywhere. Same reason Apple doesn’t feel innovative anymore, they rely on the safe bets that don’t push the envelope like they used to. There’s always a certain threshold large corporations cross that prevents them from taking creative risk. Disney can’t seem to hit it out of the ballpark anymore in their studios, parks and other ventures because it’s a creative company at its core being driven by quick financial wins and instant returns. In short, the company expanded so fast that it lost sight of its original ideals. While creatives obviously can’t run the show, fostering a healthy environment for them to do what they need to do is imperative to long term buy-in from consumers.

[@aeriellejane]

“Vomit IP all over the park” 😂😂😂

[@pricesparks2221]

It's not that nobody is talking about how bad the Epcot overhaul was mismanaged, it's just that we're used to it by now. It's not shocking or surprising, it's just par for the course with the current Disney management. Disney is the corporation that everyone loves to hate, and they've brought that completely on themselves. It's so sad for those of us who truly love the parks, but that's why my family goes to Universal every year now, while Disney has become a once every few years vacation for us. While not perfect, Universal has continued to up their game and clearly is on the right track with Epic Universe.

[@Goblin_Wizard]

they’ll have to do something great when the money runs out.. right?

[@AuthorCertifiedGoof]

Good grief! What a mess! One of my favorite songs on my instrumental playlist is the old Epcot entrance music. I smile whenever it comes on. It’s an hour of great orchestral music from all the great attractions of Epcot’s past. Hearing that it’s been replaced with a terrible new track is disappointing. I’m known at work as “The Disney Guy”, a name I was once proud the bear. But now I tell people that I love Retro Disney, not the soulless, creatively bankrupt, greedy mess that it’s become. I also have the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth soundtrack as well, also a beloved mainstay on my playlist. You’re not kidding when you say that score was incredible! The main theme stays with you long after it’s over!

[@bradye21playsIndieHorror]

It looks so soulless. Although my recollection of the entrance to Epcot as a kid is... Nothing. We walked through to the world showcase. I don't remember anything else.

[@woody72691]

Disney parks are dumpster fire and I still don't understand adults who are obsessed with these places

[@hstafford078]

I do miss the original EPCOT. It was my favorite park, even if we did routinely skip Universe of Energy. Everything else was great. I do miss eating burgers at the Odyssey Restaurant, and all of the original rides (Horizons, Imagination, and even the original History of Motion). They are all gone, never to return, but I will cherish the memories; especially having to ride Horizons three times minimum in order to experience each of the future vehicles.

[@Art_V101]

They should play Impressions de France like from 5pm on,I hate that Beauty and the Beast show,the music alone in Impressions de France is better than that Beauty and the Beast show,more IP trashing the park.Also Mission Space needs to go,I used to ride it more frequently and rarely if ever anymore,not really because of the intensity but the claustrophobia/anxiety inducing aspect of the seating area,bring back a new version of Horizons!!!

[@AkiDave]

Disney, let alone EPCOT disappointing Park Guests? Must be a day that ends with a Y lol

[@alexprieto4815]

This video was so well made. It’s truly awful what has happened to Epcot. As a kid, it always made me so curious and interested in science, the planet, space, history, agriculture etc. I guess I was a “boring kid” and now it’s just MGM Studios with a loosely executed Future filter.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I disagree, original MGM Studios had a lot of interesting educational value too

[@RoddyPipersCorneas]

I dunno if I'd like to be involved in a tour with "Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye," talking about what they think is "science," lol

[@MikeOnTheHomestead]

2:50 "If I were a major shareholder, I would certainly be extremely concerned wondering what about the company is so fundamentally broken that allowed this to even happen." Good thing you are not a major shareholder for your sake. I do not understand all the Disney hate that is going on right now. The only rational thing I can think of is that people can not recreate some of their favorite memories that they had when they first experienced the parks however long ago that was. Disney as a company does not owe anyone anything. If you do not like it, you do not have to give Disney your money. This visceral connection to what was seems almost unhealthy. Things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Nothing ever stays the same. This constant focus on the negative is frankly sad and depressing. This constant focus on why you are upset is just a symptom of you projecting what you want onto your audience and frankly, that is a bit narcissistic if you ask me, especially if you are not in a position to effect the change. It is one thing to share facts on what is different. It is another thing to arm chair quarterback on what you would have done differently. Is your opinion really that important? Apologies for the rant but sometimes the internet just really sucks and this video is brought that out of me today.

[@walden2317]

Horizons! Horizons horizons! Was the best ride of all the time. It used the suspended omnimover system, which continually Was able to have people coming on The ride quickly inefficiently. You couldn't wait to see what was around the next corner of this Amazing view of The future. You were left you with such a positive feeling about what the world could be. It was the best rendition of what walt disney really wanted have caught to be. It is so sad that they replaced us with mission space which no one could even go on without getting sick .

[@cannukian1]

One big thing too is Denny furloughed a lot of their staff during COVID. Experienced people. Universal did not they took care of their employees.

[@1983horizons1]

38:40 I haven't been since they took the fountain out, so that was a wild shot to be able to see straight across to The American Adventure from directly behind Spaceship Earth. Instead of blocking the view like the fountain, the towers create another framing device for EPCOT's *Axe historique*. Although, I guess it might have one too many frames now and not enough features.

[@playlistnation423]

I think it's insulting the intelligence of children to say EPCOT wasn't interesting to kids. I went as a little kid and was OBSESSED with Spaceship Earth and Innoventions (the science-nerdy part of the park) and the Kim Possible (later Phineas and Ferb) spy games at World Showcase and the Kidcot sections. Disney thinks kids are stupid, and it really shows not just in their more recent films, but in the parks as well.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah, as a kid it was my favorite park for sure. I liked how unique it was

[@TopangoSpez]

Epcot was also my favourite park as a kid! I had a blast in all the pavilions that no longer exist. I went back recently as an adult with my kids: I was disappointed and the kids were bored 🥲

[@alxndria1]

I agree. It was always my favorite park, I loved The Land and the original Living Seas. I love museums and EPCOT was really like a museum theme park initially.

[@connorblack99]

I was gonna say, I loved old Epcot

[@MrHolyfuckingshit]

Sure, but I'm assuming you were a kid before the invention of the iPad and TikTok. Most kids today don't have the attention span to take interest in anything that isn't loud, colorful, and obnoxious.

[@greenpad]

What's crazy is 90's culture is making a major comeback. If they had made these spaces ultra-tacky/kitschy, with bright colors everywhere, the younger generation would have loved it. And those of us that miss that decade would too. It would be interesting to dig into *why* this happened. Does it have a lot to do with laying off imagineers and hiring architects from a huge CA firm? I have to assume so. Also, do the designers in CA just never visit FL? I get that CA has perfect weather all the time but most of the rest of the world does not. The lack of shade structures at new rides and outdoor queues, just baffles me.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It seems like you know the answer, they definitely hired architects from California and Las Vegas firms. It's not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that work, but rather that Disney property is the last place that you should ever find current design trends.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

It’s pretty hot in California. Probably due to climate change. Still, a lot of the businesses in my neighborhood didn’t have AC but had fireplaces. They didn’t have ceiling fans either. When it has heat waves in the 90s, even the beach won’t save you. If you easily burn, even a 70 degree day in the summer, which isn’t the norm, could blister burn you if you have lighter skin. I lived in an older neighborhood that had character, but there is a lot of flat rectangular buildings, probably because the heat warps wood and everything has to be earthquake stable…but that is a more modern thing. 80s surf culture for one, is very bright.

[@adamkenway7308]

The imagineers, who work in California, have always had this issue when developing attractions for WDW. There's never any shade. Toy Story Land and the Tron queue are two easy examples.

[@hadrianryan4179]

It's never anything but sunny here either and we don't even have shade at bus stops. These goons are trained when their brains are young and squishy that the only goal in architecture and design is to keep people moving and making their owners money. Taking a break in the shade doesn't do that.

[@wildmarjoramdieselpunk6396]

@@hadrianryan4179 I thought it was more “OMG sun is SO good for you!”. That was my experience. People in CA are supposed to love sun at any cost.

[@MidcourseDiscourse]

Disney seems so obsessed with immediate revenue, to the point where it feels like NOTHING they're building now has any staying power. The IP-driven attractions are an attempt to capitalize off of hype, which will inevitably die down. Epcot used to be such an antithesis of what parks were typically like, offering incredibly deep and rich experiences. This overhaul is just a reflection of Disney's crooked attitude towards its guests.

[@maxpowr90]

It's apparent to many people that Disney is creatively bankrupt at this point. There is almost no "imagineering" going on.

[@candidapm2474]

While I would agree that there seems like they don't know what to do with Epcot (what is was meant to be, what it is now, and what they want it to be seems to result in a mish-mash of themes) there is a lot of Disney IP that withstands trends/time. Literally have IP themed things that have been around for decades and some that don't last long (but you don't know until you build it and see if it has legs or not with the customer base).

[@andrewraphael3800]

Even Universal's Epic Universe, whilst IP driven seems to be more considered - either using properties with historical strong appeal (Harry Potter, Super Nintendo, Universal Horror) or a strong thematic appeal (How to Train your Dragon is essentially a viking/dragon land for non-fans of the film series). Plus the execution is incredibly imaginative. I doubt once the MCU fizzles the bland Avengers Campus will have lasting appeal.

[@MidcourseDiscourse]

@@candidapm2474​​⁠Totally. I’m not saying IP doesn’t have a place in Disney, in fact, Disney is built off of nostalgia for its IPs. It just seems to be done in a cash-grabby, hype-driven sort of way these days. With rides like Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Peter Pan’s Flight, the IPs were introduced to create compelling stories and experiences, not just make the ride a billboard for a certain movie, brand, or streaming service.

[@MidcourseDiscourse]

@@candidapm2474 ​​⁠Totally. I’m not saying IP doesn’t have a place in Disney, in fact, Disney is built around nostalgia for its IPs. It just seems to be done in a cash-grabby, hype-driven sort of way these days. With rides like Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Peter Pan’s Flight, the IPs were introduced to create compelling stories, not just make the ride a billboard for a certain movie, brand, or streaming service.

[@zapkido2830]

i appreciate how your tone has increasingly gone from "i think disney could turn this around" to "am i going insane?? do you people not see this?? why are you praising these parks??" these past few years. insane how people will tolerate this continual corporatization of everything they love and get angry when people point it out.

[@Eilavamp]

Channels like this are increasingly important for lighting a fire under this company and it's increasing laziness. Coupled with the absolutely damning video by Jenny Nicholson on the absolute failure that was the star wars hotel, it makes me wonder if anyone at Disney is listening to this increasing dissent and starting to sweat. I hope so, because it seems we're just getting less and less, and being charged more and more. They aren't even consistently cleaning their attractions (Tron is disgustingly filthy) and apparently the CMs who work there have put in tons of work orders to have it cleaned. Just falling on deaf ears.

[@FrankHuber]

as a German I am very oriented in being critical and enjoy this channel very much while most Disney KZbinrs will bend reality to continue praising anything new

[@jimt9245]

Perhaps modern Disney wanted to capture and preserve the spirit of the suburban shopping malls, since they are dying everywhere else.

[@esterdalia3878]

🤣🤣🤣... If I had been drinking anything, it would be everywhere now😂.

[@CristheGirl]

Out of all of the abysmal changes they've made to this once amazing theme park, the absolute worst is changing the music. Thank you for talking about that because it is SO crucial to EPCOT for me and so many others. Truly heartbreaking all around :(

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

One of the worst things is not hearing the Ellen's Energy theme, which to me, really represented inspirational Epcot more broadly

[@CristheGirl]

AGREED, easily the best part! And did it have to change? Was it truly holding EPCOT back? Nope….. just a pointless change that proves how much they don’t understand their history & fans.

[@biggirldances]

I’m upset they changed the music too, but what we have now isn’t actually that bad. It still sounds inspiring and makes me happy when I’m walking into the park. Now what they did ruin was putting that stupid stage next to communicore and have this super loud band playing music, and at night there’s spotlights going everywhere. It completely ruins the immersion. It’s so awful.

[@redwolfgamevideo]

The loss of the future world theme is what does it for me, I tear up when I listen to it now.

[@Cargo_Bay]

They took the dancing fountain. Taking the music was just the rotten cherry on top.

[@michaelschroeck2254]

What I have always respected about Poseidon is that he is not hating to hate , he is hating because of a passion for what used to be and what COULD be.

[@RichyRIchy29]

@RandomGamerCory yeah but sometimes people hate on things bc it's profitable on YT & this falls into some channels content I enjoy lol. Poseidon always articulates his opinion as objectively as possible & explains his positions extremely well

[@REfan001]

golden age fallacy

[@Rgoid]

Nah. He hates just for the sake of hating.

[@threemar3]

I get why you say this, but when it comes to a universally known company like Disney, it's almost impossible not to be aware of what they're doing and have an opinion on it. Everyone shitting on Disney for their handling of Star Wars, the MCU, and even their own properties are typically doing it because they don't want these things to be ruined. I can't imagine the parks being a much different story.

[@threemar3]

​@@REfan001do you need a gold star for incorrectly throwing around a term you just learned?

[@mrjuanchoca4294]

I can't get over how sterile and generic Epcot looks now. Most of these new spaces look like they are ripped right out of an Apple Store and suburban mall. Everything just look so uninspired and generic.

[@Cargo_Bay]

At least outside this central area, its mostly untouched. World Showcase is still Worldshowcase, and the other pavillions are there still. But this central area is just so bland and indistinguishable.

[@3Gads]

The inside of Communicore Hall is the most basic convention center looking thing I've ever seen.

[@RyRySoup]

Yea with murals of old Epcot attractions just to tease us and piss us off remembering how it used to be

[@annieyoung7317]

A place for a lot of people to sit and look at their phones

[@ttintagel]

I guess that's fitting, since EPCOT is so driven by special events and festivals these days.

[@Duskool]

@@RyRySoup should rename it to Journey Into Imagination (Of Your Own Nostalgia)

[@yosukehanamura3507]

I've seen convention centers and hotels that look WAY more visually striking than this

[@bakedbeanlover5775]

How did Universal make two world class rollercoasters, the interactive fantastic Nintendo world and break ground on a third theme park in the time it took Disney to make a public park. Ik that it’s done to death that Universal is better but I think it’s true now.

[@buddermonger2000]

It wasn't always this way. But the top dog lost what got it there in the first place, and the scrappy second place was forced to still play catchup to the startling behemoth until it finally eclipsed it in all but brand power.