There has been some effort to lighten the disappointment people could feel over the changes that were announced for Epcot today. After a grandiose display held in the Odyssey at the park, the new concept art is a hard pill to swallow…
Rather than many of the many amazing things that were teased for Epcot in the Epcot Experience Center, the actual changes for the theme park will result in a net increase of exactly one attraction. That’s a ton of money spent to result in very little change. Gone is the radical effort to swap the load and unload points for Spaceship Earth. It may receive some type of refurbishment, but it’s hugely scaled back. The two-tiered plaza that would have offered Disney a new revenue source for VIPs to watch fireworks is also gone. In its place is essentially a cheaper version of the building that was already there… only this time it includes an outdoor theater that is unlikely to be utilized for major acts. We can assume that with confidence given that the biggest theater is across the World Showcase Lagoon.
Imagine knocking down one building just to erect a new one.
Of course there are a ton of trees being added. There’s a smaller fountain than the original fountain they tore down for this. How silly this must all feel to have put the theme park into a state of disarray and construction only to build back lesser versions of what was already there. And in case you’re wondering why there’s such a “greening” of Epcot in this new version, it’s simply because trees are relatively cheap. So is a new Moana attraction that has guests casually walk through small exhibits and perhaps see Moana in the flesh. There’s even a single splash pad. In other words, nothing revolutionary here at all.
The scale at which Epcot has been cut back is astounding. We’ve known that cuts were going to occur due to the pandemic and the possibility of a recession, but there begins to be a bit of wonder / worry when we see this level of chopping block. Is Disney concerned about their ability to invest in the parks based off of future financial difficulties? Surely that’s the only reason you would see Disney accept trying to revolutionize the park only to mostly offer a lesser version of what was already there. Think about the things which are being removed:
- The Spaceship Earth Rework
- The viewing pavillion all of this was centered around
- The Mary Poppins attraction (perhaps long term)
- A more grand version of Cosmic Rewind that would have featured animatronics
- A new area for the Imagination Pavillion to reside within.
I don’t know how much cheaper that shell-of-a-building will cost (and again, it literally follows the footprint of the prior building) then the original multi-tiered structure that would have had an entire nature park on top, but it’s orders of magnitude.
It’s not like I enjoy writing these sorts of articles either. I want Epcot to be magnificent. In some ways it still can be. But these cuts to the park’s development are significant, they need to be recognized as such, and we need to pause to wonder why Disney would go so short of what it could have been. It may be a harbinger for severe slashes in park budgets going forward.
For all the news that should be fun, keep reading That Park Place. As always, drop a comment down below and let us know what you wish could have been included in an Epcot redo!
