The $4.6 Billion Dollar Mistake of EPCOT

[@IamSnowbird]

To me Epcot is a permanent world's fair. It is actually my favorite park. I love that each part is different. I hope the new neighborhood concept doesn't ruin it.

[@orlandotouristtraps7410]

If I could be Mouse for a day and decree an attraction be built at EPCOT it would be a central pavilion with technological wonders not terribly unlike the large electronic trade shows in Vegas. This should be a very in expensive attraction to create because any tech company would jump at the chance to display their latest and greatest creations--- it is until Disney starts charging them millions for a small booth. They could have it be a walk through with a flow to it and keep all company logos no larger than a small 12 inch sign at each exhibit. I love seeing old movies of the homes of tomorrow and kitchens of tomorrow from early Disney offerings. Why not have universities compete with their own mockups of the intimate solutions to small space living. The possibilities are endless but it would all take some curating but disney just wants to build something, staff it with a handful of people and forget about it.

[@ralfmaximus4295]

It's exactly this failed futurism that attracts me to Epcot. Retro-futurism is fun in itself (hello Tomorrowland!) but the added layer of perpetual 1980s World's Fair pathos is SO unique that I hope they never completely abandon it. It might even be useful to lean heavily into it. The one thing I'd like to see more of however: optimism. Optimism for the future instead of gazing fondly at what was or what might have been. For example: as much as Test Track 2.0 is a commercial for Chevrolet, its overriding theme is boundless enthusiasm for future transportation tech. Same with Mission: Space. More of this, please. Less of Frozen & MCU IP in the park.

[@ralelunar]

EPCOT's always felt like a park of give-and-take and compromise, which can be a very optimistic thing. The problem with having IPs in the park is that the IPs don't teach us anything about humanity, like a worlds fair or a future convention does.

[@peanutismint]

I totally agree with the draw of the park as a way to step back in time to 1980s retro-futurism. That’s probably my favourite aspect of visiting the park. Having said that, I disagree with not having more Disney IP in the park as I believe these two aesthetics can coexist happily, and if I’m right then why on earth would we say no to new, exciting attractions in an already beautiful and nostalgic park?? Like, having a Frozen ride in Norway doesn’t bother me. I never rode the old version because it’s not that interesting to me so it’s not hard to just let it pass by. If anything it’s kind of crazy that NORWAY out of all the pavilions has an attraction when so many arguably more iconic countries like Japan or The UK do not....!

[@nlpnt]

Experimental Prototype Community Of Theearlyeighties.

[@CrumsTheCreator]

@@ralelunar The issue is that it doesnt sell. And they want to maximize profit.

[@stanfordite]

@@CrumsTheCreator Yes it does sell. And when I seize Disney in a hostile takeover it'll be "What would Walt do?" first, profits last." Disney and the parks can survive on their names alone.

[@douglasjgallup]

I don't get when make say Epcot doesn't have an identity. It's a permanent world's fair in essence. My only gripe is that I wish more countries would be added to the showcase.

[@nightisright1873]

Truth be told nobody knows what a world fair is anymore

[@melasnexperience]

I would argue that nothing has hurt Epcot as much as the reliance on sponsorship. Its history alone shows how many things had to be canceled because the sponsors didn’t like it or couldn’t pay for it. Especially Kodak.

[@MYKroe]

As a biological scientist for 36 years, I mourn the loss of The Wonders of Life, that apparently hinged on Met Life sponsorship. Life, in this case the EPCOT focus on human life, is such an amazingly curious thing, with ever evolving discoveries. Sadly, the fate of the of the pavilion was determined by an insurance company, much like how our health care system in the United States is dictated by health insurance companies. Regardless, thank you for an interesting summation of the history of EPCOT.

[@inspiredfigmentsarchives]

It wasn’t because of Kodak or sponsorship or their ability to pay for a proper refurb… it was Disney themselves that killed EPCOT aswell as the Journey Into Imagination pavilion. They changed how the sponsorship model was handled later on.. and used “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” to artificially lower attendance levels on the Journey Into Imagination ride through an intentional lessening of focus on the ride in marketing, signage, positioning of queue ropes. and monorail spiels throughout the pavilion in favor of ‘Honey’ being marketed at the main headliner experience within the pavilion, ‘not’ as an extra experience within the pavilion like before. (This wasn’t the case when Magic Journeys & Captain EO were there as far as I’m aware). Thus they could later prove the case to Kodak (and possibly other Disney high execs) that it should be drastically altered/rethemed to Honey’s ‘Imagination Institute’ as opposed to having the tech & spfx simply updated, enhanced, & improved in the preexisting beloved ride. Both the ‘99 & ‘02 disasters never would’ve happened had they kept the focus within their marketing on the pavilion as a whole (not ‘just’ the 3D movie).

[@HR-wd6cw]

I think it was a combination of failed ideas and sponsorship in the end. Yes many sponsors pulled out after a few years, but if something is doing well, they usually stick with it. So it's probably a bit of both -- bad ideas on the part of Disney, and sponsors simply responding by pulling out of contracts or not renewing them.

[@ChrisRuzin]

I guess my taste in Disney parks is different than others. My favorites are Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

[@w4tkn]

I too have loved Epcot the best, it feels like there are wonderful experiences to discover and it's very rewarding. I'm not too keen on it being characterized but I understand why they are going that way.

[@jamesmarshall6619]

Same though I think mine keeps changing because Animal Kingdom was my least favorite at one time, now Magic Kingdom is my least favorite.

[@Dfturcott]

I love Epcot because it was there, 10 years after I graduated from high school where I had studied Japanese for four years, that I was able to order a beer in Japanese at the Japan pavilion and impress my dad.

[@jimmysunshine2348]

Exactly. When EPCOT was built Walt Disney’s ethos still had a hand in it’s creation. The future was something viewed with hopefulness. Since Michael Eisner left the company, it has been led by corporate bean counters with no vision for the future. Future World suffered the most, languishing into irrelevance.

[@wakeupscreaming9883]

Yeah, it's run by people who only know how to acquire other IP's. There might be some new things in the parks, but I'm not seeing the innovative leaps and bounds Walt Disney accomplished.

[@porcelainthunder2213]

It worked okay. When things really went downhill for futureworld was when the internet took hold in the 90s, and corporations really no longer needed to showcase their new tech in person. Like the 50s and 60s modernism plagued tomorrowland, the 80s modern design also got old even quicker. Funny how the 60s retrofuture seems to be coming in again.

[@CaptRudy]

For those of us who do not need rides and electronic chaos, the learning about the culture of other countries face to face is amazing for those who don't travel there

[@Lil_Angry_Bitch]

Why are you paying $140+ to visit a theme park with no rides when you can go see the real actual countries?

[@himynameiscorey]

@@Lil_Angry_Bitch exactly lmaooo

[@clevermcgenericname891]

"The least defined"? Clearly, sir, you have never started your day with a margarita that tastes like chewing tobacco mixed with like, all the tequila and ended it ten drinks later on the amazing, life changing experience that is riding Livin' with the Land after eight hours of drinking in Florida's heat and humidity.

[@ReviewTyme]

This is the way.

[@sulmer0626]

Experience at its finest right here

[@barrylieberman5954]

Newbies start in Mexico. Turn right my man, not left.

[@MakBot]

based

[@fredh8065]

@ 11:04 you see a very young Drew Berry Moore.

[@tallinex]

People singing optimistically and enthusiastically about the 21st century. Me living in the 21st century: 🤨

[@happiestplace3754]

There's a reason the lyrics say "there's a great big beautiful tomorrow" and not "a great big beautiful today". There's always optimism for the future, even when today disappoints.

[@kiwikiwi2483]

I mean, I'd say we've made improvements since then 🤷🏾

[@SirBlackReeds]

Eh, wait until 2100.

[@JMillinsBXL]

And yet despite all this negativity, it remains the worlds 7th most visited theme park in the world.

[@jake2011rt]

Department of redundancy department.

[@lolomundo5226]

While I agree that IP's shouldn't be in future world, I feel it's completely acceptable in the world's showcase honestly. I understand that the IP's might not really be culturally relevant to the individual countries they represent, but I think it's a necessity if you want kids to be interested in EPCOT. If the adults can go drinking their way around the world, a few IP attractions for the kids is quite alright with me. Also I think that IP's like Mary Poppins and Coco are actually really good pavilion tie ins.

[@jake2011rt]

This is my thought. I don't really love the IP focus lately, but the IPs present in the showcase were premiered originally as being inspired homages to the culture of the country they represent. They did things like utilizing genuine Norse folklore and folk songs in Frozen, carefully crafting the world of Coco to respectfully represent the traditions of La Dia de los Muertos, and harkening back to the basics of French cooking in Ratatouille. I am concerned, however, about MCU integration. The other IPs can be avenues by which children can learn about other cultures. Marvel is not.

[@himynameiscorey]

@@jake2011rt first half I agree. Second half… the marvel ip is a roller coaster. Its not that deep

[@moptop4355]

I agree. After it’s still a Disney park, it wouldn’t be Disney if it wasn’t riddled with IP’s and that character magic. I don’t go to Disney world with any other expectation.

[@jamesclifford5496]

Yeah, Poppins and Coco are at the very least fairly good tie-ins and at their best a great way to tie-in IP's to address modern needs of the land. However, frozen is not a good tie-in to the Norway pavilion at all. As a brit, Poppins is seen as very British and could even be said to be part of our culture. I don't think Frozen is part of Norwegian culture even in the modern day! And that's the problem - You can't find enough IP's that tie-in well to enough pavilions.

[@OldManEatsOats]

The last time i was in Epcot some drunk mom tried to fight me for reading a menu she wanted to read first

[@tulinfirenze1990]

Yay magic!

[@jorgeldejesus8465]

jajajajaja that's the most exciting ride of em all right now at epcot

[@richardm3023]

Did you kick her ass?

[@jamesmarshall6619]

Which is why it's the best park.

[@jidery]

I like Epcot, but mostly because of the food.

[@clevm002]

Sadly I think the festivals are the only reason I go.

[@pauljensen5699]

The rotating restaurant in the land isn't best or greatest, but it is a nice place to eat and recharge for dinner.

[@HollywoodF1]

Futurism doesn’t hold the same appeal that it did in the 20th century. It used to be difficult to find out what was coming. Now we have access to all the info we need, and we have a certain amount of future-satiation these days with the regular and rapid release of futurey products. I no longer yearn for a future that seems to unfold daily, and I no longer need a theme park to be my informer of that future.

[@chrishintz1077]

Very perceptive of you. Thanks. Perhaps if future doesn’t hold allure, nostalgia might (and seemingly does). Witness the popularity of superheroes that have been around for decades. There’s nothing really new in that concept, apart from updating w cgi and whiz bang gadgets. The dc and marvel renaissance is just that: a rebirth.

[@SD-ni2ys]

I would argue there is a big difference between informed of the future and experiencing it. The people of the early 80s may have been informed of touch screens and videoconferencing, but to actually experience that as something new must have been far more meaningful than just hearing about it. I do agree with your opinion on futurism in the current era, though. Most young people are more concerned with just surviving, and rightly so. It often feels like there is little to be optimistic about. I don't have an answer for what EPCOT Center should become. I'm fond of the 80's styling it maintained and am sad to see the old Communicore halls disappear, but I also understand things shouldn't remain wholly in the past and that the future doesn't belong to old farts like me. I think they're going in the right direction with the refresh, though I think we can all agree that additions of IP is a bad move (*especially* changing Universe of Energy into Cosmic Rewind...).

[@chrishintz1077]

@@SD-ni2ys thank you for your cogent analysis and thoughtful input. In futuristic terms, I/O. ;).

[@CallardAndBowser]

Disney should never have promised the sponsors that they would rebuild and refresh their rides every 2-3 years. That's insane ! Michael Eisner was the one who really destroyed the rides at Epcot. They did not listen to their guests when the guests complained the rides are not as good as the original versions. 🤓

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I think you've really nailed the problem with current leadership. They're producing attractions that are hollow and superficial, carried only by the novelty of the attached IP. It's extremely frustrating to see the legacy of creativity in this company being destroyed by Iger and Chapek. Part of the issue is simply arrogance, thinking that the Disney market is locked in. Universal may also be IP based, but their newer attractions are absolutely blowing me away with the creativity and effort that they've put into them. I think we're seeing the start of the decline of Disney parks. With so many new attractions ranging from mediocre to outright bad, it's a sad state to see this company in.

[@MyEcho4]

Not really though, I think your wrong. In any case, Iger saved the parks because that's what was lacking in the past, creativity and imagination. Something that was gone in the final years of Eisner. If it wasn't for Iger, we wouldn't have California Adventure as it is today, Shanghai Disneyland would be non existent. An entire park having a mix of Disney and the celebration of Chinese culture and traditions. Hong Kong Disneyland getting a makeover, Paris being saved from debt, I can go on. Yes Chapek did make a lot of dumb decisions but when you look at how much the parks changed in the last 15 years it's incredible. Now you say Universal has been unique with its ride and IPs, but may I remind you about Fast and Furious, how they removed key parts of the tour for that piece of garbage? Then there's Jurassic World the ride which is inferior to the classic one, and then Hagrids. List goes on. Really the only ride recently that's been good is Velocoaster. They had a few stinkers yes but honestly Disney Parks is nowhere near a decline, in fact, it's gonna get better now with new management. Arrogance is not what made Shanghai or save California Adventure. its passion and imagination.

[@Clay3613]

@@MyEcho4 No, Iger was bad at stuff outside of acquiring IPs and making movies.

[@MyEcho4]

I'm talking about the parks, not outside them.

[@stanfordite]

@@MyEcho4 Both the Crooked Bobs are a cancerous tumor upon Disney and the parks and Disney is in a massive decline but they will soon be broken by Congress and have all those IPs including Marvel and Lucasfilm taken away from them. I'd take Eisner back any day over those two. I'd even rather have Donald Trump running Disney.

[@gcornell42]

EPCOT was never the same after Horizons closed down.

[@AdmiralBonetoPick]

That statement is technically true.

[@jameskeefe1761]

Yes and world of motion too

[@notmyrealname6150]

I miss the Epcot of the 1980s and 1990s.

[@jstorm7922]

This is my favorite Theme Park channel, they say what needs to be said! Love you guys!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Agreed. The Disney company has such a rich legacy of creativity in its parks, but we haven't seen that in quite a while. Yet, we have Disney shills all over the place who won't hesitate to promote the next set of ears or the next bland attraction in exchange for social media clout.

[@MyEcho4]

We still do though. I mean we just got Shanghai 5 years ago and Galaxys Edge, Hong Kong expansion, Cars Land, DLParis, Animal Kingdom with Pandora.

[@JuanGarcia-vb3du]

Fell in love with EPCOT during my first visit there in 1984. During the following years my appreciation for the park diminished. Have not returned since 2013. The Odyssey Restaurant represents what Epcot became during the years following my visit. Closed or repurposed. The World Showcase is somewhat relevant. Future World has lost its identity. Its a shame but time eventually catches up with everything. Maybe they should have done a Jules Verne style Future Word like the one at Disneyland Paris. That one holds up pretty well since its yesterday's vision of the future.

[@davidnicholson6680]

For all of these flaws, I still love Epcot. It's a nonsensical mess, but it's fun. I think the rebuild will start to fix some of these thematic problems.

[@peanutismint]

I love Epcot, in fact on a trip to Orlando last week it was the only Disney park I bothered visiting and had a great relaxing day, BUT it definitely has issues and you covered them well. Personally I think adding more Disney attractions is fine and necessary to keep it up to date with the other parks in the area. Having said that, I do wish they’d go back to a constantly revolving tech showcase in future world to make it so that guests had something new to see every year. This, in my opinion, would go a long way towards solving some of the ‘tomorrow problem’ as instead of building futurist-themed attractions that become outdated within 5-10 years, they could focus more on getting multiple tech companies to sponsor large booths (a la Communicore) showcasing their latest technological breakthroughs that rotate and change every year or so. A combination of this and the showcase of culture/foods that’s already a fan favourite around the World Showcase would keep Epcot alive for decades to come.

[@snarkus63]

It doesn't take a genius to see why an entertainment company, bereft of their visionary founder, would be reluctant to pursue the creation and maintenance of an actual working community.

[@ExpandingSound]

Epcot was ignored until it became a problem. Had they continued to show a vision for the park and update, things would have been fine. The concept is wonderful.

[@MichelleAlexandria-EM]

I think Epcot needs to go back to it's org concept of being a permanent world's fair and add REAL rides

[@whatsup5446]

You’re right about EPCOT, Disney dropped the ball by not teaming up with (for example) Apple to feature interactive technology or Tesla for a self driving 🚗 experience. Sadly, EPCOT is only a dining, shopping or an Intellectual Property attraction park.

[@Thommadura]

In the 1980's Apple - which only started in 1976 - was a very small home computer company - its big product was the Apple II. The home computer market was primarily a Techie industry. Soon After, the Kids Computer was the Commodore 64 and Disney did indeed team up with them for some Games. People forget that at that time - late 1970s- Mainframe computers were huge monsters that had to be in Air conditioned rooms, many still used Punch cards although they were being replaced with CRTs - and those huge computers were no more powerful than a desktop computer of today

[@johnpatz8395]

@@Thommadura You are completely correct, that was basically the dawn of personal computers systems from companies like Apple were just starting to hit the enthusiast market, and companies such as IBM were mostly building large mainframes for big companies. One of the big issues faced by companies adopting even mainframes back then was they were so large, complex and expensive, but we’re still incredibly basic as computers go, and to top it off most current features people think of when you mention a PC were just starting to be developed, so if company X spent 100’s of thousands of dollars on a computer today, in a year that system was completely outdated and weren’t compatible with the newer tech hardware and software, so the early adopters were faced with either replacing everything, at another huge expense, or only getting a fraction of the features newer systems offered. Although this did help many schools and universities out as companies would regular donate fairly new computers to them, and while they didn’t have the abilities of new systems, they were fine for teaching programming on, as for the most part the languages weren’t replaced, they merely evolved. The smart phone in your pocket, no matter how old or outdated it might be is far more powerful and useful, as a computer than the 4 ton 1979 mainframe a local company donated to my HS in 1981. Things still change fast in computers today, but those changes are mostly minor upgrades in speed with the occasional newly developed function/feature, but back then, the changes year to year, especially for business users was massive pull be massive, and allow for even more automation, computerization and networking of departments and machines. I first got into computers around 1978, as my HS was lucky enough to not only have a APL terminal connected to a network with many other schools in the region, but also had a small number of Commodore PET computers, which we used to learn to write programs in BASIC. A bunch of us formed a computer club and we in the club raised money to buy a SuperPET, to allow us to learn different programming languages, such as PASCAL, FORTRAN and COBAL, we also bought the school it’s first floppy drive, that was specifically for the SuperPET, which is so funny to THINK ABOUT today, as it used single sided standard density 5 1/2 inch disks which, as I recall, would hold up to 170k of data, which is nothing today, but back in the age of punch cards and cassette tape drives for storage it was a massive step up as not only was it so much faster, as the cassette tapes data storage ran at standard speed but also their ability to randomly access the date stored on the disk. With cassette date storage, it could take 5-15+ minutes to load a fairly simple program, if you knew exactly where it was on the tape, and if you didn’t know where it was, on say a one hour cassette, it could end up taking almost 30 minutes (the time to play an entire side of the tape,) although that was still better than having to feed boxes filled with punch cards through a reader one card at a time.

[@johnpatz8395]

I loved Figment, and in fact I still have a small figurine of Figment that sits on top of my PC tower. 😀

[@eurodoc6343]

The "car dealership" at Test Track predates the attraction. It was there with the previous attraction, The World of Motion.

[@hiker64]

So lucky to have been on the Epcot Center opening crew. It was the perfect job for an adventurous and curious 18 year old in a department that took me into all of the construction sites and to meet so many creative folks from Imagineers to artisans from around the world. Even met my wife there in 1985. Epcot will always be a special place for me. (us).

[@Thommadura]

DO you remember laying Sod that night before the World Opened? I will never forget it!

[@chrisbaier6252]

I went to EPCOT in 1990 as a college kid and I liked it cause I was geeky. Went back in 2012 and it felt sad (the future world part). Stuck in the 80s, attractions I remembered had closed. I wonder if they tried to approach current tech companies (Apple, Google, Amazon, Walmart, etc) to sponsor pavilions. But, in order to compete with universal, they need to change and have more rides, I suppose. Peter Pan’s flight is very popular in DW. They could copy and modify that for Epcot in England. Maybe make it longer.

[@patfer1189]

The thing is that Disney already solved this problem in Discovery Land in Euro Disney (and even some elements of Disney Sea in Japan): either embrace a 'retro' future style or an imaginary one like steampunk and such. Attractions like Spaceship Earth, which are iconic, can work and be left alone (normal updates aside) and re-work the rest from there, but embracing the idea of the retro and less contemporary future could even work thematically in blending World Showcase with everything else while keeping popular attractions with ease and giving Epcot a fresh look. Ironically the original Journey Into Imagination, not the poor attempt at it existing now, was more in line with a style like that from the get go. If anything Disney right now is going through a similar problem like Apple: they were the innovators and trend setters. No they seem just hellbent on catching up and slapping a brand they own on everything, usually a facelift of one of those old innovative attractions (Guradians of the Galaxy, Finding Nemo) or something someone else did (Ratatouille) as opposed to coming up with truly new and original attractions.

[@cornjobb]

i've always thought epcot didn't really work because it isn't walt's idea for the area. they had a long spell even debating whether to go ahead with it after walt's death because there was no longer that vision. epcot, especially, wasn't going to be a community, so what did it end up being? a conglomerate of theme park ideas that barely touched on what he originally intended.

[@catalinawilsonc]

Epcot is a summary of the human experience it has culture , tech and a vision of tomorow but faces it's realistic issues of clash and it just feels like a mess. But hey the food is amazing and it's got some great drinks hopefully it gets better after the refurb in future world tho

[@technosworld2]

GM's exit always had cars on display, ever since World of Motion in 1982

[@PhillipLaRue]

No kidding. “Oh no, sponsors want to sell THINGS instead of inspiration!”

[@FLStelth]

I'm glad I visited numerous times in the 1980s when it was good. Living in Florida, I used to go twice a year. The last time I went was 2016. I don't feel the need to return because it's such a sad shadow of what it used to be. Disney used to really treat you like a guest...now, you're clearly just a customer. The greed of the Walt Disney Company is overwhelmingly blatant.

[@DarMar106]

Epcot needs to evolve. I get Disney fans hold it in a special place due to it being “Walt’s last dream” but it needs to change. World Showcase could stay the same but Future World needs help. I know the infusion characters into the park is controversial but it’ll help boost attendance. Regular folks tend to find the park boring

[@TheOnlyBongo]

What Disney should do is revitalize Figment somehow. It's clear the original just isn't coming back, but at the same time the current Eric Idle incarnation is just so horribly drenched in outdated cheese stank (Uncharming outdated cheese mind you) that Disney really needs to do something with the attraction. We may not get the original back, we may not get the imagination center and rainbow tunnel back...but at its core its an underutilized building with an extremely likeable and marketable figure that reaches to the kids and their parents/adults with nostalgia bait, which is hot stuff right now. All the hatred towards the current use of the Future Showcase may be forgiven if they just revitalized one of their most underutilized EPCOT mascots instead of...I dunno, taking him out back Old Yeller style and putting another MCU ride in its place.

[@DarMar106]

@@TheOnlyBongo Ya Imagination definitely needs a ravamp. And Figment is still super popular and have endless possibilities. With all the technology available today a new Imagiantion attaction could be a feast for the eyes

[@happiestplace3754]

@@TheOnlyBongo it's all about 💰💵💰💵.

[@stanfordite]

No it doesn't. Epcot can survive on its name alone and will after I seize Disney in a hostile takeover. The average guests are rubes and idiots who will always come. Quoth P.T. Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."

[@lake3857]

I think in order to fix Epcot they should: 1). Turn Future World into the future technology showcase that its meant to be by adding new additions and attractions every 2-5 years, rides that can be interchangeable and easy to replace, but the experience comes from having a high tech ride system or exhibit. I wouldn't mind IP's in this area. 2). Make World Showcase have classic rides, rides that are meant to be around for 50-100 years, rides like its a small world or matterhorn. In many ways world showcase is already doing this, but I fear with IP's it will be hard to call these rides classics. Thats why they should just theme rides to real world stories.

[@phillyguy199]

The problem with your Future World idea is that a good attraction costs tens of millions of dollars to build. Back in the day Splash Mountain was something like $70 million. And junky, cheap attractions like the ones they built at the first iteration of Walt Disney Studios Paris, are just that -- junk. I think their existing attractions like Spaceship earth need minor refreshes periodically. I cannot to this day understand why they replaced World of Motion or fiddled with Journey into Imagination. Horizons was a favorite and yet instead of storing the showpieces that comprised the ride and building a new building on stable ground, they ditched the idea for Mission Space, which very few people like. I agree with you about World Showcase; Disney should at least add some new countries. Why Disney uses the excuse of "we can't find a country to pay for their pavilion?" is beyond me. Pre 2Oth Century Fox purchase, cash-wise Disney was in a good place.

[@lake3857]

@@phillyguy199 Nice. The reason I suggested Future World should add attractions that could be easily replaceable is that the future world/ tomorrowland problem is that the future always comes too quick and the rides become outdated. So having rides that can be updated easily would be a smart route cause its fast and does not require them replacing entire pavilions. Ride systems like simulators (even though we hate screens) or some new technology that guest have never seen. If Disney really wants to have future world they need to think ahead and stop making excuses. I agree with you the attractions shouldn't be presented as cheap.

[@phillyguy199]

@@lake3857 I think in theory your idea sounds good but in practice, the results won't be up to Disney standards. It could work for an Innoventions/Communicore experience, though. However, updating a pavilion like Spaceship Earth, old World of Motion, the Land, etc isn't that hard since they aren't all future prediction. Carousel of Progress is another good example. Disney only needs to update the last scene to make it futuristic by today's standards. And look how they are returning Tomorrowland back to 70s Tomorrowland. To me that shows tech gets dated but building styles and forms not necessarily so. All said, however, Disney is once again taking EPCOT in a direction that will only dilute its original concept. They are done with Future World.

[@lake3857]

@@phillyguy199 I disagree about the buildings because modern/ futurism building designs do get outdated overtime and that's why they still need to update them eventually. Unless the buildings are based on real world things like World Showcase is, those epcot pavilion designs show their age and need some updating. If Epcot is suppose to be a permanent world's fair, well make World Showcase have long-lasting attractions but make Future World have attractions that can be cycled out with new ones. It just makes no sense to have Journey Into Imagination in Future World. Carousel of Progress while its message is good, it is not a modern technological marvel since it has been around for over 50 years now. They should use Future World to display the latest tech and that means it needs to be replaced every few years. I wouldn't mind them using screens in future world, I think there is a way to use screens successfully (universal has proved this with spiderman, escape from gringotts and forbidden journey.)

[@phillyguy199]

@@lake3857 Latest tech belongs in Innoventions and Communicore. The pavilions were meant to cover broader themes and concepts. IMO Spaceship Earth's geodesic ball looks just as fresh as it did in 1982 along with the other pavilions. If they were so dated, why is Innoventions East being repainted to appear mostly as it did in 1982 and why did they turn the entry plaza back to the original design along with the fountain? And Tomorrowland is reverting back to 70s Tomorrowland because like EPCOT those futures never came. Do you have a geodesic ball in your hometown? Do you travel to work in a peoplemover? Everything in Horizons is still somewhere in the future. Disney keeps cannibalizing EPCOT because they don't have a clue what they are doing.

[@ethandurnell932]

That ending almost brought a tear to my eye. Beautifully written and such a wonderful episode.

[@flavious27]

EPCOT works when TDO lets it be what it was supposed to be. Having a park that is educating about how technology, (past, present, and future) has / can affect all aspects of our lives and other countries around the world is needed, especially now. IP can help get kids involved but it should be a compliment to the attraction, not the attraction itself. What EPCOT needed was updates to what was being showcased as future tech and also to have newer tech in the park to show what it can do. That last part is easy to do because you give tech companies basically a pop up and also a testing lab.

[@ocker2000]

I got to see Epcot when it was only a few years old. Loved the concept of both the marvels of future technology and a trip around the world. So it is sad to see that Disney did not manage to develop this concept further around the latest public media experiences and virtual world, the electrification of the world around us, climate change solutions, healthy humans, future of space travel to the Moon and Mars and space mining, and meanwhile promoting the notion that the world has become a smaller place and its economies interlinked that only thrives when there is peace with shared cultural shows and music that people would pay for to see in person. But that vision is too lofty for Disney. It seems that the age of hollywood in dreaming of a better future is over for now.

[@galactica1981]

Why does Disney need sponsors for the attractions at Epcot? It doesn't have sponsors for rides at other parks. It's not like they couldn't afford to build and maintain these attractions. It just seems to me that they have been really cheap when it comes to Epcot.

[@douglasjgallup]

100% I've always wondered the same thing. If they can pay for tower of terror at the studios or Tron at magic kingdom, why can't they just do the same at Epcot. I've also wondered why they don't create themed hotels attached to the country pavilions -- call it the Disney International Hotel.

[@carlrood4457]

Thank you for pointing out the somewhat frightening aspect of "Walt's vision" for EPCOT. As to what Epcot became, well, I've been to both ends. I was there when the technology really was exciting and new and when it was retro. Never had much use for the international pavilions, especially as kid.

[@waverly2468]

I visited Epcot in 1987 and again in 2019. Disney has given up on the idea of an "educational" experience and is turning the Epcot pavilions into standard rides wherever it can. The Norway pavilion now has the "Frozen" ride and another pavilion is a movie theatre with short films. The Canada and UK pavilions are pretty much abandoned except for their respective stores where you can buy stuff from those countries.

[@breenotcheese746]

I think it would be really helpful to Epcot's theme if they moved the Carousel of Progress there.

[@shanestuddard2606]

In a way, they did exactly this. It was called Horizons. It was the Carousel of Progress 2.0.

[@Anynom]

A good showcase of the issues of EPCOT. I LOVE the old rides like Horizons and World of Motion but acknowledge how they can be dated for today's younger crowds. Yet still a great touch to enthrall that seems lost today. Although I'll point out that the old pavilions were just like the "selling" you complain about today. World of Motion always had a "car dealership" thing to exit through and ditto for other sponsors. Still, I miss Wonders of LIfe and others and too bad the new generation never saw EPCOT in its prime.

[@gwcrispi]

One thing makes up for all of Epcots shortcomings. The Food and Wine Festival. OMG, the food is just wonderful.

[@vibrolax]

My most memorable Disney experience was sitting inside the GE Carousel of Progress for two hours while a typical Florida thunderstorm raged outside. The cast members turned off the sound so we wouldn't be driven mad by the vapid patter of the audio-animatronic characters. It was an apt metaphor for the Carousel of Mindless Consumerism of which Disney is a prime exemplar.

[@Guernicaman]

While the original idea for EPCOT may not have worked in a 1982 America, I feel like it could've potentially worked in countries like Japan, China or even Rusia. Also, not sure what's so bad about living in a community where you have a guaranteed job, potentially for the rest of your working life before retiring. You can't own your own land? Oh - you mean like the rental market in America? Heck, even w/a property, you don't own your own land until you pay off the loan you owe the bank. Corporate America existed then & exists now - perhaps worse. So you couldn't vote for mayor while working for EPCOT? Big whoop. You could still own stock in Disney, vote for governor & president, who theoretically woukd have power over a corporation. Not saying EPCOT would've been a perfect utopia. But it would've been a social experiment worth persuing for the sake of impeoving society as a whole. And as any experiment, it could change & evolve.

[@MoonjumperReviews]

The only thing problematic about EPCOT Center is the way modern Disney has managed to destroy what was once, arguably, the most amazing park on the planet. It was wondrous and wonderful. I first visited EPCOT shortly after it opened in 1982 (I was eleven) and I didn’t care if I ever went to Magic Kingdom again; EPCOT was the best place I had ever seen, and my family and I visited multiple times throughout the 80’s and early 90’s. The last time I visited EPCOT was in 2010-and I was appalled how they had destroyed it (and I’m sure it’s only gotten worse). You’re absolutely right, replacing its educational and forward thinking aspects with commercialized Disney characters, where there’s little difference between EPCOT and Magic Kingdom, it’s lost its entire identity and purpose. The international pavilion, each section once operated and employed by liaisons from each individual country for authenticity-no longer. As far as “Future World” (and the same applies to Magic Kingdom’s “Tomorrowland” which has also been completely destroyed), I fail to see why the wondrous, timeless hopes for the future are now assumed to be so “outdated.” Sure, in 1982, we were making dinner reservations in EPCOT on a touchscreen terminal and now we can do the same thing on our phones. But big whoop. We haven’t built colonies in space, and on the moon and Mars. If anything, our aerospace capabilities have taken a step back to the point that a rocket carrying a billionaire into suborbit for three minutes is considered a big deal. We’ve gone backwards. We haven’t reached the levels of technologies that Walt Disney himself once envisioned. Is THAT why it’s considered outdated? Are we basically saying, “well, this is what we thought the future would be, but we’re in the future now, and the future sucks-so let’s rip down all hope for future advancement and replace it with today’s stagnant reality-and oh look, there’s Frozen!!” I think that, sadly, misses the whole point.

[@bohemianh]

Soaring is one of the best rides at Epcot the line is always long! I was sad to see the Viking boat ride turn into Frozen zombie ride....

[@adamlemons7909]

Spot on! As a Florida resident and Disney fanatic for over 40 years I absolutely agree with your points and opinion. As my first trip to Epcot in November the year it was opened I can say that it is disappointing to see what it has turned into, but even more so where it appears they are going to take it.

[@RTCMAHL]

Disney has a place for companies to display latest/future technologies for millions to see and yet nothing is there. Literally the building is gone.

[@bikingD]

Greatest Entertainment park ever. I say entertainment park because it is part worlds fair, part expo, part amusement park. It is everything in a world filled with generic themed amusement parks with bunches of roller coasters. I hope the future isn't that fate with stupid decisions like Guardians of Galaxy roller coasters. This sort of stuff could just destroy EPCOT and make it just another kids amusement park. I remember going there a week after it opened and love it to this day.

[@billmulvihill8452]

You can’t experience roller coasters, unless you ride them! And they’re not just for kids……

[@bikingD]

@@billmulvihill8452 Ok love coasters just saying Epcot is more then just a thrill park. It is just more refined then the rest that's all.

[@billmulvihill8452]

@@bikingD Thanks for responding. Just think that you can learn a lot more about things on the internet than a trip to EPCOT will do for you. I remember the Malestorm ride in the Norway Pavillion and the Sphere. The fireworks show at night was impressive as well. For me, it kind of lacks excitement, and the original concept was never implemented, but in hindsight, would have failed anyway…

[@bikingD]

@@billmulvihill8452 Don't know been going since 82 and enjoy it. Also enjoy Cedar Fair Parks, Universal and other Disney Parks but Epcot is different. It had the World's fair vibe. Has Flower festivals, Wine and cheese festivals. It is more refined. Just think putting Guardians where great Dinosaurs once roamed. Big mistake marketing wise. Losing the adult demo for kids that's all. Could have easily with modern tech did something really special in there vs a coaster. Look a Test Track or Mission Space or Soren. Fun exciting rides but keep the Epcot spirit alive.

[@billmulvihill8452]

@@bikingD I get it.. BTW just went to Cedar Point 2 weeks ago for the first time. Rode all the big coasters at the age of 67. My feet and body were hurting big time by the end of the day.😂

[@tulinfirenze1990]

The Danny Kaye special makes my heart feel warm. I watch it about once per year.

[@OffWorkTony]

Went to Epcot in April for part of my honeymoon.. got drunker than shit. 7/10 visiting again next month 😂😂

[@jeffhidalgo198]

CONGRATULATIONS on the nuptials! A few years ago, During the food fest at night, there was so many pub crawlers! It felt like New Orleans! I got 2 different women to flash me!

[@klzfc]

I went for the first time in 2000/2001and was severely underwhelmed by EPCOT. The well known Pressler and Eisner failures at that time probably had the biggest effect on how I viewed it. Through the overwhelming feeling of absolute greed in general that I felt in the entire resort, I still enjoyed myself at he other parks, but EPCOT kind of felt this the most. Future World closed down pretty much after 6pm and with really just Test Track left open that I could see more than once, I only had the World Fair side. Innoventions was pure greed and as a techie, I had much of what was presented there at my own house (especially a lasting impression of the House of the Future presentation) and outside of an IBM display, the rest felt like I was getting infomercials, with the bonus that I paid to get in to see. Test Track was actually fun and while outdated, Spaceship Earth was at least a nice view of what people thought the future of communication could still be. Having grown up in NYC, the World's Fair side was moderately interesting, but I already grew up knowing and seeing other cultures and their native foods and cultures throughout, and I don't drink, so the alcohol part was uninteresting. This left very little to do for me if I wanted to watch Illuminations after it started to turn to evening. This combination was not really a good value for me, and honestly, not much has been added that made me feel the need to revisit since then.

[@TheCoasterGays]

The way you described this gem of a theme park was spot on. The nostalgia this park hold for almost every Disney fan is woven so tightly into our hearts. Love your content!!!!

[@tomc8888]

The biggest problem is how over the last several years Epcot has become less of a permanent Worlds Fair and more a vehicle for IP promotion. Oddly this has happened more in World Showcase than in Future World, with Mexico, Norway and now France becoming homes for attractions that belong in the Magic Kingdom. This push started during the Eisner era, and Eisner even threatened to change Spaceship Earth into a roller coaster. What's truly sad is that Epcot has been dumbed down over the last 25 years or so. Horizons? Gone. The Living Seas? Now an IP promotion. Mexico? Gone to Donald Duck. Norway? Now an IP promotion with bupkis to do with Norwegian history or culture. Spaceship Earth? Currently undergoing remodeling, but who knows.

[@DailyGraceDispatch]

Epcot is my favorite park. It’s quite genuinely the most Disney thing Disney has ever made. Its a permanent worlds fair, and its a park that celebrates global diversity in culture and in nature, with a hopeful and optimistic outlook on the future. Spaceship earth beautifully represents the history of communication between people, and the seas pavilion was at one time one of the largest aquariums in the world. To this day it is an incredible rehabilitation center and permanent home for so many incredible sea creatures. Epcot’s s attractions are strong and getting stronger. Soarin’ and test track are epic, and the frozen overhaul of maelstrom is really quite charming. With the guardians coaster, play pavilion, ratatouille and the Moana journey of water walk through coming soon, the park is going to have so much more kinetic life and energy. I believe with the themes of the new neighborhoods that are being established the “future problem” that has always troubled Tomorrowland and future world will not be a problem any longer.

[@incasolja1]

before disney revealed their theme park revamp plans a few years ago i had already revamped epcot along with the other parks but especially epcot similar to what they decided to do with the campus but so much better themed involving marvel star wars pixar etc it is epic but no one at disney wanted to listen

[@night_speed]

Epcot has always been my favorite park and it's nothing but pure nostalgia. From the overly optimistic predictions of the future to the long walk around the world and of course Captain EO starring Michael Jackson. The whole place is perpetually stuck in the 80's in a genuinely non-ironic way. Dinosaurs, deep sea life, outerspace and hands down the best example of true 3D film making done the right way using 3 cameras and a gigantic wrap around movie screen instead of what passes today for 3D by converting 2D films digitally and showing them on flat screens. Epcot had everything without cramming the latest Disney princesses down your throat. It really is retro futurism at its best.

[@MattSeabolt]

Great video. I love Epcot. I hate to see it go down the road of just more characters and IP's

[@cassandrawills4293]

I love Epcot, it’s definitely the “adult” park out of the park in DW, the world showcase is awesome, and now with the upgrades coming in late 2021 and 2022 it’s just getting better!

[@Josh-hz8vz]

More like 2022-2024 at this post Covid pace.

[@nightisright1873]

So you mean completely ignore future world

[@HR-wd6cw]

IDK when I went to the park in FL about 22 years ago, I found Epcot to be one of my favorite parks out of the 4-5 that were around at the time (Magic Kingdom was probably my 2nd favorite). Of course this was back in 1999, and I've read that it's sort of been in decline since then, with many failed experiences that ended up getting shutdown after a few years due to low attendance rates, etc. But what I really liked was the different areas of Epcot that represented the different cultures around the world. And to me, that was interesting. But I'd say ever since 2008, and the recession, people have been viewing discretionary income differently, and with the looming inflation and pandemic, that will make things worse for places like Disney that are more or less luxuries for those can afford it.

[@johnw3922]

When I was there a few years ago Epcot was largely a botanical garden and that was awsome.

[@cool2443]

What they need is a separation of the retro futuristic and cultural exploration into two different parks. Maybe an “Epcot” and a “World Pavilion” as two separate parks

[@oneearrabbit]

Sure, Test Track exits into a car dealership. Are we forgetting that World of Motion the ride Test Track replaced exited into a GM car dealership?

[@pault5557]

But I would argue it didn’t FEEL like it. There were shows like “Bird and the Robot” and the “Water Engine” show, and some really cool futuristic cars!

[@TrainerCTZ]

7:55 What's going on here? People riding racing dolphins under water at Epcot?

[@PhillipLaRue]

Likely concept art for Horizons

[@MyEcho4]

Hmmm...I don't know. While I understand, I still think it's just best to wait and see. We don't know how well Harmonious is gonna be, Moana looks to be interesting and fun, the other IPs is hard to say as well. And Mary Poppins is still in development. Who knows, maybe they'll continue to add and return some stuff from the past. I'm just gonna wait and judge it when it's finally open. It does need to recognition it deserves and I feel this expansion is a good thing to help that.

[@Andronos]

you had Morocco and Norway's years reversed. Norway opened 5/6/1988 and Morocco opened 9/7/1984

[@leekenney9214]

Epcot was one of my favs at Disneyworld.. all of the the different countries, food, the water everywhere.. was a nice time..

[@illinest]

My family is going early next year and I'm just over here wondering how many days I can get to Epcot. I'm gonna give the video a fair shake but if you ask me - the world showcase is the best thing in Orlando. If they have to sacrifice Future World I won't cry too much but let's not mess with world showcase.

[@meganruchwatercolors7186]

Soarin is my favorite ride but the old one and love the old world showcase! They both were truly magical!!!

[@danielramsey1959]

Disney needs a knockout ride in this park, not a themed coaster nor anything intense, just something absolutely revolutionary. Or they can buid an Elysium where only the ultra rich can visit.

[@briansieve]

I don't know if there are any World Fairs anymore. But they were exactly both things. They were always technology AND pavilions from different nations. I have often heard the dilemma that led to shoving the models together. But I never understood it. Back in the 70s and 80s everyone knew that a world's fair was both.

[@briansieve]

The problem is not the World Showcase concept. The problem is the neverending parade of penny wise, pound foolish executives. They simply refuse to reinvest any of their billions and billions in the park. Kevin Yee defined it for the whole company. Decline by degree. But really it's just lazy and greedy and short-sighted and gimmicky. And now that Imagineering is clearly run by people who do not respect theme (giant eyesore show buildings looming over the parks, insane scaffolding dwarfing carefully scaled force perspective in World Showcase), it's kind of all bets off. Universal is killing Disney now because they care about the experience and Disney continues to put profit before magic.

[@tulinfirenze1990]

Stop making sense!

[@SNS3000]

The World's Fair is still around but like most events in 2020, it was pushed back due to Covid 19. It was scheduled for Dubai this time.

[@retrochristmas7329]

I loved the feeling if epcot. Its like the future as seen by the 80s. The music the buildings it all is so nostalgic. Its a shame they are removing it all.

[@FloridaDIYer]

Love the use of tilt shift photography in this video.

[@stanfordite]

The solution: Bring back old attractions like they never left including Horizons, original Journey into Imagination with the Dreamfinder, and Maelstrom. No IP attractions allowed under any circumstances. If that means keeping Epcot trapped in the 80s/90s forever, so be it. Make Epcot great again.

[@dnightwalker]

10:30 for a moment there I thought the song from the "Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence" was playing in the background.

[@orlandotouristtraps7410]

I have to say I do like Epcot, warts and all and while there are things to bitch and moan about it is still one of my favorite Disney Parks. The main problem with EPCOT is it has zero to do with a community of tomorrow and I think it's success is almost accidental. To a first time visitor EPCOT is a huge playground to explore with rides and attractions they have never experienced before but the meat and potatoes and what keeps the light on at the park is clearly its alcohol and food offerings. It is no less than a continual ticketed food truck and street bar crawl venue.

[@pmw1718]

It's my favorite park. It would be awesome to add a few more countries somewhere too

[@jimsterrett8214]

Unless laws were very different in the 1960s, owning a home is not a requirement for voting in USA.

[@no_rubbernecking]

Yeah that kind of jarred me too. But i think what he was alluding to was the fact that the Reedy Creek municipality was set up by a special Florida statute. What made it special was that the Walt Disney Co. was the sole landowner _and_ was given the power to name the officials who would be in charge of the city, so that in effect the park and the city gov't would be one and the same entity, with no municipal public elections. And any time the city (aka Disney) wanted permission for major zoning or ordinance changes, they would need to go directly to the legislature. But to my knowledge this never proved necessary because the original chartering statute was extremely open-ended in granting permissions in advance. Essentially, people moving there would be forfeiting all suffrage over local govt. powers (which can have extreme impact on one's life) in exchange solely for the privilege of working in the park. After Walt's death, the company seems to have realized that few if any would agree to this because Disney naturally always had the option of recruiting people from outside to come in ... so who would buy the argument that "you have to accept this deal because it's the only way you can work in the park", when in actual fact that was an obvious lie. It was never necessary, it was simply just what Walt wanted, and he wasn't even around any more at that point. But there's also a parallel with HOA law here. HOAs are considered quasi-governmental entities, because they exercise many of the same powers of a municipality. Therefore, while their elections are not technically public, they are subject to state regulation and in Florida they are fairly tightly regulated. In fact today the state even has community development districts for many of their communities, which each encompass only one development and have fully public elections, but in every other respect they're identical to a traditional HOA. But as you might expect, Reedy Creek's unique, specially-written charter makes all of this impossible because it removes the voting rights of residents, regardless of whether they own a home or not. So... even if a Reedy Creek resident bought a condo or townhome so that they "owned it jointly" with Disney, they still have no say in any local policy or action, because the municipality in which they bought their home assigns all of this power to Disney by state statute. Our host tried to abridge all this by just saying "they would have no vote coz they wouldn't own their home", which as you correctly note, is not entirely true.

[@sonofsarek]

Biggest problem with Disney: It’s super expensive and still full of riff raff. Most of the rides are boring.

[@rickw1954]

World's fairs and Epcot Center were designed for a culture of people with a natural curiosity and a long attention span. There was a time back in the 80's and 90's when rides like Spaceship Earth, "the history of communication", was both fascinating, enlightening and relevant. I remember going through the ride wondering, what's the "Information Age" going to be like? Now we're living in the 21st century and it's the Information Age on steroids! Everything today is on a hyper-fast pace, we are over-informed, over-entertained and easily bored, with a very short attention span. Unfortunately, the younger generation would rather see this on KZbin without leaving their room. It seems the older generation are the ones who still have the longer attention span for museums, world's fairs and theme parks. As long as we have an increasing older generation, the appeal of Retro-Futurism of Epcot Center will survive.

[@toasTr0n]

I was in 100% agreement up to the KZbin comment. But isn't the overstimulated younger generation of today the older generation of tomorrow? If they have no patience for world's fairs today, what makes you think they will be when they're older?

[@stanfordite]

The younger generations all have ADHD. and will be forced against their will to have longer attention spans against their will and have their tastes dictated to them. Kids need to be turned into clones of their parents and grandparents or there shouldn't be ANY future generations at all.

[@JahRootsRadio]

First time I went to Epcot was in the 80’s. That’s when E. T. was the ride in the golf ball. The scene where E. T. and Elliot rode in the bike up in the sky and the ride you sat in resembled a bike and it took you up in the sky with Elliot and E. T. man what a blast that was. What a time to be alive. Second time to Epcot was in 2018 I took my then 12 year old daughter like my parents took me. Of course it wasn’t the same. The ride in the golf ball was yuck. She didn’t like Epcot at all. Its truly changed.

[@carlrood4457]

HAven't been in a few years, but on trips with the kids Epcot was the one we'd almost certainly skip on shorter trips. The walking to kid friendly attraction ratio wasn't good. Add in how little shade there is and it's almost torture pushing strollers around.

[@jaxcell]

Well this was a drag, somehow I think this guy could find only the negative in a box full of kittens.

[@TheCompton2010]

Refresh spaceship earth, redo the innoventions areas, blow up and replace figment ride, replace mission space, add log flume ride to Canada, add river ride to Germany, and animatronic dark ride to America…. Finally, Add more kiosks that sell Canada’s beer cheese soup around the park :)

[@leesmith2045]

Epcot is THE perfect park for a two week destination resort. It is a palate cleanser for the colour and in your face nature of the other parks. It has fantastic dining options that far exceed expectations for your first WDW trip, it caters to the adults in the group (the ones paying) and operationally, it is a huge capacity soak. Every one of the 4 WDW parks plays a different role and Epcot is no different, it is balance defined.

[@LR-iv8ew]

When I first visited EPCOT in February of1983 I was only 11 yrs old. Thirty eight years later I still can still feel the "Magic" of that place. Why can't they create that same "Magic" today for an 11 year old ? The corporate bottom line is outweighing the creativity and innovation. It's depressing to witness. Guardians of the Galaxy just puts a bow on the "Jump the Shark " moment of the rising of a woke Money Hungry company that does not deserve to use the Disney name. It's beyond disgraceful !!!!

[@Thommadura]

Obviously nobody Blew some Fairy dust on YOU. With the exception of the dark times after Roy died and before Eisner where money was an issue and the company was almost bought by SONY, this company has always been the quintessential definition of Creativity and Innovation. There were people who will never be replaced of course - Walt at the top, Dick Nunis - several others. However - if someone told Walt that his Company would someday be as big as it is, he would have laughed. THE problem is you do not get to see all of the various proposals for the parks.

[@stanfordite]

Congress will be breaking up Disney and taking away all those properties Crooked Bob bought. A little thing called antitrust. Was used to break up the Rockefeller oil empire and Ma Bell. I plan on seizing Disney in a hostile takeover and I will absolutely create that same magic you once experienced. I will make Disney great again and drain the corporate swamp. Disney will go "slept" and learn its place as just an animation studio with theme parks that asks "what would Walt do?" to get things done.

[@docsnavely1010]

The closing of this video is a wonderfully insightful analysis.

[@rodakscreens]

To me, Epcot should be a celebration of human culture and achievement. Truthfully, inspiring wonder and sparking the imagination of generations past, present and future should be the goal of every theme park. Humans are so wired to just expect every single experience to be the same as the last that they've forgotten the thrill of discovery, which is why it is utterly hysterical that a company as hellbent on homogenizing the entertainment industry is in charge of such a unique concept as Epcot. That said, it doesn't surprise me that they never tried it again.

[@alphalifestyleacademy]

I love Epcot but have thought it needed updated but now I understand why. Thanks for the video.

[@cyborgasylum7353]

It’s a permanent worlds fair. Leave it at that. It’s a theme that works and best describes what the park is

[@justimagine2403]

What is the technique where you show snapshots and time lapse them? Is it time lapse? It makes everything in that part of your video look like a perfect miniature? Love seeing that!

[@martygeorgescu4159]

EPCOT was Walt's personal baby, his MAGNUM OPUS. Long may it live !!!!!!!

[@lymancopps5957]

Epcot is the manifestation of Disney’s corportus culture devoid of creativity. Future world should be a modular, ever changing spectacle.

[@yotsubafanfan]

My second least favorite park. The only reason I like it at all is because of the old school aesthetic and the incredible arts, food and wine and flower festivals. (The art one being my favorite. ) The night show however is second only to Fantasmic for my favorite night show.

[@BoundyMan]

Epcot was never made to always be the same. The changes however weren't planned in advance. Disney however is learning from their mistakes and are improving slowly but surely. This is why I like Epcot more than Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. We just need to be patient and realize that changes takes time and money, though I myself am guilty of being impatient with Epcot being improved.