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EPCOT Center opened in October 1982 as an ambitious change of pace from The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. There were no familiar Disney characters (at first), and the tone focused on presenting a broader world to guests. In particular, the optimistic view of the future and remarkable technology at Future World connected with kids like me. There have been quite a few updates to the original model for the park (now just called EPCOT), and some have been successful. The challenge is maintaining a coherent theme, which isn’t there at this point.
With that goal in mind, Tim Grassey joins The Tomorrow Society Podcast to discuss how to fix the park. There’s no easy answer, but our conversation digs into some ways that Disney could make it even better. Grassey wrote an article for Micechat in December about one possible approach for Disney to fix EPCOT.
The idea of shifting Future World’s theme to one of discovery intrigues me. That choice still connects to past attractions that I loved like Horizons, World of Motion, and Journey Into Imagination. In fact, a good portion of early Future World was about more than the future. There are ways to fit some current attractions into that theme while making necessary updates to others. Universe of Energy and the current Imagination pavilion are prime candidates for an upgrade. There are ways to use familiar characters in EPCOT without decimating the theme.
The podcast also covers Grassey’s background and how he got into theme parks in the first place. We discuss more than just EPCOT and also dive into upcoming expansions like Pandora and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There is so much happening in Orlando in the next few years, and it’s fascinating to speculate on what will happen next.
Read Tim Grassey’s “Fixing Epcot” Article from MiceChat from December 24, 2016.
So as I was listening to this episode I began thinking “Wouldn’t it be great if DIsney gave Tony Baxter $1.5 or $2 billion and let him go nuts renovating EPCOT.” Then 10 minutes later Tim Grassey says he’s heard rumors that Tony is keeping his schedule clear in case they ask him to help bring EPCOT back up to snuff. If that actually materializes it would be a dream come true for DIsney and EPCOT geeks everywhere.
I really enjoyed hearing Tim’s opinions on finding the right IPs for future EPCOT attractions. Personally, I don’t want to see movie based IPs in EPCOT, I think there are better ways of refreshing and plussing the existing pavillions. Mission Space could be updated with Elon Musk and SpaceX for a more realistic trip to Mars. The Wonders of Life building could become a planetarium featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson or Michio Kaku. The energy pavilion is a tough one, fossil fuels are viewed negatively by many people and the ride system is prone to breakdowns. I think it’s time to gut the building and start with a fresh attraction. However, simply adding a Guardians ride is lazy and uninspired. Maybe an attraction based on the history of aviation could be developed.
The west side of Future World is better off with only the Imagination pavilion needing serious upgrades(bring back Dreamfinder!).
World Showcase still looks fresh for it’s age but a new country or two would certainly liven up the area. The never-built Switzerland pavilion with a Matterhorn roller coaster would fit nicely between Germany and Italy. An Egyptian pavilion with the Sphinx and pyramids would be visually stunning. Maybe an Australia pavilion where the African Outpost currently sits.
We’ll probably have to wait until Pandora and Star Wars are up and running before any significant changes come to EPCOT but it’s fun to imagine what the future may hold for our favorite WDW park.
Thanks Ron. It sounds like we’re on the same page with thoughts on Epcot. I believe that Disney will likely try to put IP into the attractions. If they do that, I just hope it’s not the laziest approach (i.e., Guardians at Energy). I also agree that they probably will wait for a while before doing anything. We may get one attraction change in the next 2-3 years, but that may even be optimistic given the usual pace. Frozen Ever After nearly took two years!
Like Tim and I discussed, this is still a lot of potential at Epcot if Disney makes the right updates. The Tony Baxter idea is intriguing, though I know it’s a super long shot. I’ll keep my hopes there until I hear differently. Right now, everything we’ve heard about Epcot is just a rumor.