Epcot ‘Reimagining’ Details Announced
Epcot is going to be reimagined, and details have been shared about some of what that will entail for Walt Disney World’s second gate.
The big news Guardians of the Galaxy replacing the Universe of Energy (which will close August 13, 2017) as what appears to be a total overhaul of Future World. In addition to an aesthetic overhaul of Future World, this will also include substantive changes and additions to both Future World and World Showcase.
This was just announced during the Walt Disney Parks & Resorts panel at the 2017 D23 Expo in Anaheim. This was easily the most announcement-dense D23 Expo ever, and we’ll have updates on everything in the very near future…
In addition, it was confirmed that a Ratatouille dark ride (see our Ratatouille Trackless Dark Ride Coming to Epcot post for more info) will be added to the France pavilion.
From the concept art (see below), it appears that the permits uncovered were correct, and the Ratatouille dark ride will be an expansion to the France pavilion.
Both the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction and the Ratatouille dark ride will open by 2021, according to the Disney Parks Blog.
Also announced was a new ‘green’ version of Mission: Space that will have guests orbiting our planet. It was described by Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald as “Soarin: Around the Earth.” This is being created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Lucasfilm’s VFX and animation studio.
Directly adjacent to that will be a new themed “Space Restaurant” that will offer guests the opportunity to travel into space for amazing dining experiences with views into the stars.
The new space restaurant will be operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, which has multiple other restaurants at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
The only other World Showcase announcement was that Reflections of China, the classic CircleVision attraction, will be receiving a new film, shot with state of the art technology.
Tom Fitzgerald also teased that there was a lot he wanted to share about Epcot, but that some of the plans needed to be shared at a later date. We are pretty confident that several other rumors on our 8 Huge Epcot Rumors list will be part of this overhaul.
The inference was that the goal was to have Epcot’s reimagining complete in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021…
My Reaction
I’m not really how much I can say about Epcot, its mission statement, and its loft aspirations that I have not already said. In my Why We Can’t Let EPCOT Go post, I think I succinctly (at least as far as my writing goes) covered why so many of the changes to Epcot made in the last two decades miss the mark, and why this park is so important. I won’t rehash all of that here, but I will cover some thoughts on this latest announcement, specifically.
Okay, I will say a bit more…
I’ll start with the good. The first thing they shared–the piece of concept art showing a new aesthetic vision for Future World–gave me goosebumps.
Even though there are a lot of vague brushstrokes and it’s hard to tell what, exactly, is happening in some areas, this art feels reminiscent of Ryman’s original EPCOT Center art and some of what was created for WESTCOT. Perhaps that was an intentional choice to tug at the heartstrings and give it unearned goodwill (in which case, it work), but it was oddly reassuring.
It was probably reassuring, at least in part, because it signified that key parts of Epcot are not changing, and there’s the potential for reinvention in areas that have stagnated and are showing their age–I’m looking at you, tombstones and pin trading shades.
I was also relieved to see that Guardians of the Galaxy would be occupying the existing Universe of Energy building. Don’t get me wrong–I am not excited to see Guardians of the Galaxy enter Epcot–but if it’s going to happen, at least it’s not visually intrusive like at Disney California Adventure.
Likewise, I can get behind the changes at Mission: Space and the addition of the Space Restaurant. Mission: Space is hardly anyone’s favorite attraction, and breathing some life into a concept that has so much (squandered) potential is definitely something I can get behind.
As for Ratatouille coming to France, I’ve already offered extensive commentary on that in our recent post on the attraction. I don’t think it’s the best attraction, but with some tweaks, it could be great. The concept art also looks promising, and it’ll be a nice expansion to France.
A closing date for Impressions de France is conspicuously missing from the Parks Blog post (the same one that does provide a closing for Universe of Energy), so I’m wondering if maybe we won’t lose it? I’m still preparing myself for the worst–I would personally miss that great film, but I can recognize that it has had a good run.
In other World Showcase news, I can get behind a new Reflections of China film. I just hope someone besides Tom Fitzgerald is behind this. We do not need Reflections of CGIna.
Now, the bad. The whole concept of Guardians of the Galaxy in Epcot bothers me. I also find it downright insulting that Tom Fitzgerald used a “found photo” of a young Starlord at Epcot to help explain how the attraction fits.
If someone visiting EPCOT Center makes them thematically appropriate for an attraction in the park, you should all look forward to a ride based on my great grandpa reciting passages from Reader’s Digest in the near future.
I get that Disney is making decision for Epcot with a larger demographic than hardcore fans in mind, but do not insult us by making up some excuse as to how this fits the original vision for EPCOT Center.
It does not matter how much lipstick you put on it or layers of backstory are flung onto the walls of the queue and post-show, a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction has no place in Future World. These characters are an inorganic fit for Future World, and any attraction featuring them necessarily will be shoehorned into Epcot.
I can already anticipate the responses defending these additions: that Future World is stale, that the edutainment component of the original EPCOT Center has failed, that people go to theme parks to be entertained. I think these are some fair, but arguable, points. That’s why I’m so eager for a reboot of Future World–I just want one that stays true to the spirit of the original.
I’d add more to that: the edutainment component of EPCOT Center “failed” because of an extreme imbalance in the nature of attraction and due to Disney ignoring Epcot for decades. Moreover, pure “entertainment” attractions that were shoehorned in were likewise failures.
Finally, educational topics are as relevant as ever. As with anything else, it’s a matter of presentation.In their heyday, the original EPCOT Center attractions resonated with guests, who learned something while being entertained. Learning has not suddenly become boring. “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” was watched by an audience in the hundreds of millions. Americans are transfixed by SpaceX’s every move, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is treated like a rock star. The tech companies of Silicon Valley are a driving force of American innovation, and they rank as some of the world’s most admired companies.
As such, my ultimate conclusion would not be that Epcot needs thrill rides or a new mission statement to be relevant. Future World stopped being “relevant” when Disney started ignoring its mission statement, not due to that mission statement being broken. The problems Epcot faces today were not caused by its lofty ambitions, but of Disney “updating” it by shoehorning in characters and going the cheap route on keeping the park fresh.
Edutainment remains as viable as ever. What isn’t viable is trotting out woefully outdated attractions, shoehorning characters into existing attractions in a half-baked manner as a bandaid, and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new attractions that are just flat out weak.
I really hope that the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction replacing Universe of Energy will be great. I suspect it will be, as the rumors about it indicate it has a real wow-factor. However, it still perturbs me, and that this is deemed appropriate for the park makes me question the long-term vision for Epcot.
I also worry that this approach of ‘putting whatever, wherever’ will have long term consequences. The net result is that 10-20 years from now every park will look the same: like a hodgepodge of attractions not designed with theme in mind, but on the basis of which franchise could fit where in any given year. If all four parks follow the Magic Kingdom model because it’s the most “successful” park at Walt Disney World, it weakens and cheapens all of them.
For Epcot fans, I know it might be easy to accept attractions that are poor fits if it means a significant overhaul to the park, as the park has been neglected for so long. Surely, whatever is to come must be better than the current stagnation, particularly in Future World, right? Personally, I do not think so.
The park needing significant changes (and I don’t think that’s in dispute) does not mean we should just gladly accept whatever. Theme still matters, especially at the most unique theme park ever created. After years of stagnation, the answer to Epcot’s problems does not lie with quick shots in the arm, but with a comprehensive vision that re-establishes its unique identity in ways that entertain and capture the imaginations of guests.
On the plus side, I think we are also going to get that. I’m optimistic (perhaps to a fault?) that some of the yet-unannounced reimagining of Epcot will maintain the original spirit of the park, and serve to further the original vision for the park. I suspect that Imagineering wants to toe the line with changes to Epcot, adding some crowd-pleasing favorites that do not fit, while also attempting to reinvent the park in the spirit of EPCOT Center’s original vision. The former is clearly going to happen. Whether I’m just delusional about the latter or not remains to be seen.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the Epcot announcement at the D23 Expo? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment that this is not the change that Epcot needs? Are you excited about this, or do you wish Epcot would return to the vision of the EPCOT Center era? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
I really want to see more accessibility in Epcot. Disney has been known as a leader in the field but too many rides and attractions are not available to people in wheelchairs and on scooters. The ones that are tend to cater to a much younger crowd. Also audio description for the low vision/blind community and more tactile things in the different nations would go a long way to make them more accessible. ASL or closed or open captioning in the shows would also help.
I’m usually in complete agreement on your projections, Tom, but I just can’t see how anyone can assert that Guardians *is* going to be shoehorned in without even the vaguest idea of what the attraction will cover. They are the GUARDIANS of the Galaxy. Somewhere in there, “guarding” means preserving. And it’s replacing the ENERGY attraction. That building is absolutely enormous – enough to house a hefty ride, as well as a meet-and-greet (inevitable) and a whole section similar to Spaceship Earth’s current exit, devoted entirely to edutainment on alternative fuels, renewable energy sources, etc.
Zero information besides a named IP and a few bland pieces of concept art, and too many people are already playing Chicken Little. I could be wrong on my assumptions and giving the continued direction too much faith, but declaring that this is basically theme park treachery, before we know anything, is a pretty far leap.
Seems that a major addition to World Showcase that was ‘confirmed’ to be announced wasn’t…Brazil.
There is a ton more in store for Epcot that was not announced at the D23 Expo.
My kids’ favourite park is EPCOT, largely due to the interactive nature of many attractions. They became habitat heroes a couple years ago and still have the bracelets to prove it! Designing your own Figment-type character and experimenting with sound after Journey into Imagination are always on our must-do list. EPCOT days are refreshing because we can “do” rather than just sit and be entertained (which we also enjoy, of course). I hope to see more additions of this sort as EPCOT is updated.
We’re going in September and I’m so sad we won’t get to see Ellen’s energy adventure one more time! I know it was long and due to be replaced but that’s only a month’s notice! Anyone else a bit sad?
Anddd just seen Great Movie Ride is shutting late august too. Seriously Disney? I have to plan my holiday 180 days in advance and then you just wipe two classic rides off the board with basically no notice?? (Rumour is not notice, although thanks to Tom for his hard work forecasting both.)
Seriously a park is to cater to you? If you planned your trip around Ellen and GMR then that is pretty sad. I go in October or March when many things are closed for refurbishment. Do I complain? No because it is what it is. I have heard for many months on many blogs that one or both of these attractions would be closing down. If you read this one I am sure Tom has alluded to these closings as well.
I AM. I loved Ellen’s Energy Adventure and am sad because we’re not going until November and I won’t be able to do the ride one more time. I’m guessing, however, that my kids won’t be sad at all.
It is better than the old days (i am thinking of the unceremonious end of 20k) but, yeah, a month is not enough time for 2 ORGINAL attractions. I would have liked to say a proper goodbye. Guess not.
“The Manimal”- Ellen’s Energy Adventure was not an original attraction, it was a replacement of the actual ORIGINAL attraction.
Kevin,
I know that. I am old enough to have ridden the original several times. But yes, you are correct. I was referring to the ride system, dina-diorama, format, connection to energy, etc. Ellen is not the same as the original but it is WAAAY closer than the original vs. what is coming in there with the Guardians.
Hey Tom, well written post but I’m having trouble following some of your logic here. I don’t understand the contractiction of simultaneously being ok with Ratatouille/other Disney character attractions while condemning a Guardians based one? How is Star-Lord destroying the original integrity of the park while Olaf isn’t?
Regardless of how I feel about the situation, I suspect there is an inherent bias at work here. Why can’t a Guardians ride celebrate the beauty of our solar system and feature them bouncing around between our planets, providing some light education on our planets while still being a thrill ride?
That’s probably not what it is, but I don’t see why we shouldn’t be open to the possibility before condemning it outright. I mean, we know what the ratatouille ride is. It’s about a rat who can cook running around a kitchen. That’s not exactly edutainment. So why does that get a pass while Guardians gets nailed to a cross? If Norway can inspire frozen, why can’t space/future inspire Guardians?
I see both sides of the argument but I really feel like it’s unfair that those attractions get a pass while everyone gets to immediately shoot down Guardians, most likely because it isn’t a traditional animated Disney property and has a certain mainstream appeal that a majority of Disney enthusiasts see as a fad or inauthentic. Thanks for your post and I’m interested to hear your response!
I didn’t give Frozen Ever After a pass, and only reluctantly do with Ratatouille since I feel the film is partly a love letter to France. Guardians of the Galaxy does not involve any of the themes of Future World.
I realize that ship has partly sailed with Future World, but this is the most blatant disregard of theme yet. At least the outside does not look like a fortress-powerplant-whatever.
I think they should do an Inside/out ride , I think that could be very educational. Also an “Up” attraction best Pixar movie I’ve seen. Attached to a South American pavilion or in Animal Kingdom
I was SO sad to hear about GotG entering EPCOT. There is a difference between fantasy and hope. EPCOT is supposed to be about hope for the near future, showcasing the newest technology and science. Putting in GotG jus feels like saying “well, hope is dead, all we have now is fantasy.” The excuse was so flimsy. I think the space restaurant sounds great. The remake of mission space sounds good. But why couldn’t the rest of futureworld be updated in a way that is in keeping with its purpose?
How could they start off saying they wanted to stay true to the mission of EPCOT and present something timeless and then announce an out-of-place flavor-of-the-month like GotG? Why destroy futureworld?
Perhaps I’m just really optimistic, but I do believe Guardians of the Galaxy can be a good fit for Epcot if done right. There was a lot in the movies regarding different planets, star systems, and space colonization that can fit within an “edutainment” frame. The issue is really if Disney is willing to invest the time and energy into making sure it’s done in a spirit true to Epcot rather than going for the low hanging fruit of a basic ride/exhibit with IP tie in.
I do see a new vision of Future World. Guardians, Space, and the new Space restaurant will contribute to outer space lifestyles. It is more dynamic than a static edutainment approach.
You compared the current space projects and education shows with the new attractions. Disney shouldn’t mimic that style of education and space technology. They are still a work in progress. Within a few years, Disney will again confront an outdated educational exhibit. Whether SpaceX will succeed is still unknown. Disney should not be picking winners and losers in the space race. Before SpaceX, government was running the space program. Now, companies self-finance and the government contracts what they need. It has yet to be played out.
Epcot has a bright future. It will live on with improved attractions. Certainly it was stale because the previous corporate and government sponsorship model broke down. With Disney assuming control as the sole corporate sponsor, obviously Disney will promote its own IP. Epcot can’t continue as a world’s fair type attraction without sponsorships. It has a new mission. Epcot serves as an appropriate backdrop to food and garden festivals. Unlike an actual fair with a separate amusement park area, the attractions are all over the park including World Showcase, which previously were ignored for having prominent attractions.
I found the new artwork with a forested plaza to be odd. We’ll see what they intend the Innoventions buildings to become.
I am heartsick that they are ACTUALLY adding GoTG to Future World (and with such an insulting justification to boot).
Your points about how theming should matter are well-articulated but seeing how they are adding a rollercoaster NEXT TO a rollercoaster over at MK, I should not be surprised.
This is not the way.
Nice review. The next few years will certainly give Epcot a different look for sure, hopefully for the better. I am curious to see what they plan for a space restaurant. Not mentioned, and the one I am not looking forward to, is what sort of changes they’re planning for a nighttime show to replace/upgrade Illuminations at all?
I also think Impressions is staying…at least I hope so. I’m a bit bummed about the GOTG announcement as well, but the update to Mission Space: Green will actually get me to ride it, so that’s cool. I don’t know how I feel in general.
I’m glad they’re adding some more rides to do in Epcot, esp. the Ratatouille one as the World Showcase could use some more life (I don’t know if it’s as strong as it could be, but at least it’s a real ride and not a film)! Personally, Future World has more points of excitement to me than most of World Showcase, even though Future World has lost some great attractions in the past few years and does have wasted space. I agree if Mission Space somehow becomes more like Soarin’, that would be a great remake of an underutilized ride.
I’m personally super disappointed the new restaurant will not be Disney owned. The non-Disney owned restaurants are a major disappointment in their allergy care (and that’s the main reason we go to Disney and we are not alone in coming just for allergy food care)! Currently almost all of Epcot is not Disney owned, so while we like Coral Reef, it gets old to only have one or two choices.
I am disappointed to see Guardians of the Galaxy come in, just because it’s meaningless to me and feels like that and Star Wars stuff should stay far away from the traditional Epcot feeling and Magic Kingdom world–they should both be Hollywood Studios I think. Edutainment just needs to include some ride to make it more popular–think Living with the Land. I’m a bit embarrassed to say it, but I’m included in the bunch who won’t sit still to watch a country’s movie or such while at Disney World, but will ride a little car/clamshell/boat and watch the same information. If I just wanted to watch a movie, I’d do it at home on Netflix. I definitely agree it also needs updated badly, as technology keeps changing and yet their scripts or talking points are decades old in most cases.
no one cares about your allergies. get over it please. bring your own food,
Classy.
Amanda, you are absolutely correct in saying you are not the only one who goes to Disney b/c they cater to food allergies. I started planning yearly (if not more) vacations b/c I can ACTUALLY EAT with my family/friends & enjoy the vacation too, instead of just sitting there watching everyone else eat wonderful looking food while I pick at yet another salad. I’m a huge Disney fan too, so it just makes it that more wonderful!
I am taking my family to Disney this coming October. Do you think we should skip Epcot now that so many things will be closing this summer ? My kids are young, 6&3.
As far as the announcements, the only thing that seems to be closing this summer is Universe of Energy, which…your kids probably wouldn’t have liked anyway. I’d never suggest skipping Epcot.
Now Hollywood studios on the other hand will only have 4 rides left that one you may want to skip
Ok ! Thank you ! I’m glad to hear that because I’ve been looking forward to our dinner at the living seas restaurant. =)
Oh I didn’t know that about Hollywood studios. Bummer.
It depends what interests them/you the most, but I still think Epcot is a great park. From what I’ve seen, the closing won’t impact most of the best rides for kids: Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo (and it’s massive aquarium after the ride), and Soarin (if they make the height requirement). If your kids like aquariums, be sure to have lunch or dinner at Coral Reef–one whole wall of the restaurant is the aquarium!
In the World Showcase, they’ll enjoy the Donald Duck boat ride in Mexico and Frozen in Norway. Also, be sure to get the kids’ the “passports” and get them stamped in each country–that was one of my fondest memories of Epcot from childhood!
Awesome ! Thanks for the tips ! And we already have a our dinner at living seas booked =)
I meant to say dinner at coral reef. Not living seas. Don’t know why I was calling it that.
I agree completely with all of your mixed emotions. So bittersweet (mostly bitter though TBH) as a fellow child of the 80s and EPCOT Center fan.
I wonder how much of the IP invasion of Epcot has to do with social media and the importance of making big, sexy announcements. A headline of “guardians of the galaxy attraction coming to Epcot” sounds much more exciting than say, a world of motion announcement would. In today’s headline, instagram, and 140 character driven media, can you imagine a D23 announcement of something like world of motion or horizons? “Disney announces slow moving attraction taking guests on a whimsical tour through the history of transportation” just wouldn’t garner enough attention and clicks these days.
So I guess this is disney giving people what they want. I just wish people wanted what I want!
I’d love to see Impressions de France stay. I never miss a chance to see it
Does this mean they are leaving the Orange side of M:S the same? That seems odd.
Thanks for the announcements and thoughts.
I am pretty sure that we get to keep Impressions de France. The concept art pretty well matches the architecture on the backside of the existing showbuilding and shows the new attraction going into the expansion plot between France and Morocco. So seems that the showbuilding at least and hopefully the film get to remain. That fact ends up being a highlight of the entire panel for me.
We can hope!
The only way the concept art makes sense is if your orientation of the map makes sense, but is there enough space back there for a walkway that wide and landscaping on the other side? Part of me is worried that the back of the pavilion is truncated, which eliminates Impressions de France.
I really hope you’re right, though.
I hope that they call the mission space restaurant, mission: plate… it would be awesome. outside of that, I reckon it might take over the old wonders of live pavilion, which means it could blend with both Mission Space and Guardians
It won’t be…it’ll be placed between Mission: Space and Test Track.
From what I hear the food will be so good you could consider it out of this world