Epcot Overhaul & Re-Imagining: 8 Huge Rumors
Beyond the Epcot Re-imagining Details that were announced at the D23 Expo, there are a lot of rumors for new rides and re-themed areas of Future World and World Showcase. Without a doubt, Epcot is the focus of Walt Disney World’s plans prior to 2021.
There are still several concepts are floating around for an Epcot “re-imagining” that have yet to be announced. No matter what does end up being built, it’s an interesting time for the park. Big plans for Epcot are most definitely going to change the look and feel of the park. Imagineering has put Epcot veterans at the helm with the intent of restoring the park to its former grandeur, and even Parks & Resorts chairman Bob Chapek indicated that he’s told the Imagineers to “dream big” with regard to an Epcot overhaul that would stay true to the park’s original vision while offering something “timeless, relevant, and family friendly.”
In other words, we know things are on the horizon for Epcot: some of these things have been confirmed since we originally shared the rumors (and will be marked as such), while other possibilities are still on the table. A steady stream of rumors continues to trickle out, all with varying degrees of credibility. For this post, I thought I’d assemble the “best” of these rumors, and share them in the order of least-likely to most likely, along with my own commentary on each rumor…
Note that this list is based upon a combination of permits that Disney has quietly filed, insider sources, and credible rumors that have started floating around. I’m compiling everything here on the basis of what I deem most likely to come to fruition (based upon track records of those who have shared the info and a general smell-test). That does not mean that all of these changes will occur.
In other words, this is basically no better than Second Hand Disney News, and I’m correspondent Anthony Crispino. “Did you hear this thing where Spaceship Earth is changing its name to Golf Ball Racers? I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be like the hit attraction Rocket Rods; I got it from a reliable source.” 😉
Frankly, at this point I’m not inclined to believe any Epcot rumors until they’re officially announced by Disney, and even then, I have a sense of healthy skepticism. Even the things that were announced at the D23 Expo could be canceled or changed–it happens all of the time with Walt Disney World announcements. I’ve been burned plenty of times believing something that was a “sure thing,” most notably with the overhaul of the Journey into Imagination pavilion a couple of years ago that got pushed aside when Frozen proved to be a smash hit. (The rest of that, as they say, is history.)
Anyway, with regard to an Epcot reimagining, the question is not “if” but rather “what?” and “when?” Beyond the timeframes for specific attraction updates and additions, this more generically also pertains to what the overarching vision (if there is to be any) for Epcot will be going forward.
Does restoring the park to its former grandeur mean trying once again to “entertain, inform and inspire and, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.” Or, does it simply mean making the park popular and “Disneyfying” the attractions? Time will tell.
While we cannot answer that overarching question, what we can offer are a glimpse into rumored proposals for Epcot…
Note: This post does not cover everything that was announced at the D23 Expo. For more on what else is coming, including the Outer Space Restaurant, new Reflections of China film, Central Spine Redesign, and more, read our Epcot Reimagining Details Announced! post.
One of the most exciting things about the D23 Expo with regard to Epcot is that a lot was teased, but left unannounced. Parks & Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek indicated that they have other surprises up their sleeves, and even hinted at a possible return of the Tapestry of Nations parade (hence the above photo–from a performance during the presentation.) He and Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald shared many details, as well as some timelines for the projects. Additionally, we offer some predicted timetables for this work in our Construction Impact at Walt Disney World post.
7. Figment Refresh – The most unlikely of all these rumors, and yet there’s still a pretty decent chance of this happening. The new-look Epcot will continue to use Figment as its mascot, and the park’s iconic character having an attraction worthy of his legacy just seems logical.
The latest fanning of the flames on the Figment speculation came over the weekend by way of WDWNT’s posting about survey questions pertaining to Figment. Personally, I cannot envision a scenario where Epcot receives a large-scale overhaul and the current incarnation of Journey into Imagination survives that. The attraction is not a big draw, and its guest satisfaction scores are not high.
With Journey into Imagination, it’s more a question as to whether the future holds a new attraction with Figment and Dreamfinder, or Disney intellectual property, such as Inside Out. I don’t think the survey is telling either way: management is already aware that Figment is quite popular with Annual Passholders and serious fans, but his selling power with regular guests is more of an unknown.
6. United Kingdom Attraction – The variations of this rumor do not seem particularly credible to me, but there are multiple sources indicating that various concepts are being kicked around for the UK pavilion. Depending upon who you ask, this is everything from an attraction featuring the Loch Ness Monster or Mary Poppins.
Rather than choosing between Loch Ness Monster and Mary Poppins, I’d like to humbly propose to Imagineering an attraction that features both. Just think of the possibilities: you fly above Nessie as Mary Poppins, while engaged in an epic battle for the ages. Everyone knows Poppins’ umbrella doubles as a laser stun-gun and all sea monsters have laser eyes.
Joking aside, it seems like this is a pavilion that is having blue sky ideas pitched for it, but I don’t see it being a top priority. Especially with the pavilion next door being the surest bet to receive a new attraction on this list.
Post-Expo Update: Despite no announcement at the D23 Expo, this “rumor” seems to be gaining traction in the fan community. We have heard nothing from reliable sources. It seems the conversation about a potential attraction in the United Kingdom is being intensified because of the pending closure of Great Movie Ride, which could supply Audio Animatronics for this attraction. While that is definitely possible, it’s not an actual rumor coming from folks in the know–at least it’s not something we’ve been told.
6. Coco in Gran Fiesta Tour – If Coco is as authentic in its depiction of the culture surrounding “Dia de los Muertos” as Moana was with Polynesian cultures, this seems like it would be a natural fit. A no-brainer, in fact. The real question is whether it’d be worth making a reasonably popular attraction (with limited queue space) even more popular.
I think this one probably hinges upon Coco‘s box office success this fall. If it’s a smash hit, it might behoove Disney to find a way to integrate the film into the attraction and somehow accommodate larger crowds. If not, that money would be better spent elsewhere, especially considering the Gran Fiesta Tour has enjoyed a surge in popularity since its Audio Animatronics were added.
5. Spain – Most longtime Disney fans are aware of World Showcase’s history of unbuilt pavilions, most notably Equatorial Africa, Spain, and Israel, all of which were actually announced by Disney. If you’re not familiar with these concepts, there’s a lot about them in Walt Disney’s Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow. At the time this book was written, it was still believed that these pavilions were coming to EPCOT Center, so the book spends time discussing them.
They were such sure things that Danny Kaye spoke with Alex Haley, author of Roots, about the Equatorial Africa pavilion, which would be opening in “about a year” as they stood over a detailed model of the pavilion at its future site in EPCOT Center Opening Day Celebration TV special:
Africa would now be redundant, and I don’t think modern-day Disney would deem Israel stable enough or sufficiently free from controversy to build that pavilion. (For the same reason, Russia, Greece, Egypt, and Iran are also highly unlikely candidates at this point, even if they were once considered.)
Of the unbuilt pavilions that were planned, Spain is now the most sensible. Its name has popped up a lot when insiders discuss a World Showcase expansion, with some pointing to Gigantic as the concept for the ride. With that now having been delayed multiple times, I think Imagineering would take a wait and see approach with the movie.
This means that a decision on Spain would either be delayed until Gigantic‘s popularity is known, or the pavilion have a non-IP concept. The original plans called for a cultural dark ride, film, and tapas restaurant. Films are becoming passé for Disney, so I don’t see that happening, but a restaurant and high capacity dark ride seem plausible.
Post-Expo Update: While we don’t have any concrete updates on the Spain rumor, specifically, we’ve heard that a second new World Showcase country is still on the table. It now seems less likely to occur in general, and also more likely that if it does, it won’t be Spain.
Regardless of whether Spain comes to fruition, expansion in World Showcase makes a lot of sense. It does not seem like there’s any end to the perpetual “Festival Season” in sight, and expanding World Showcase would provide some breathing room and added capacity for guests during these popular (and financially lucrative) times of year. Even if Disney cannot find sponsors for new countries, it seems like building-out World Showcase (even if it’s in the model of Italy) makes complete sense. To that end, I suppose another possibility for Spain would be building the pavilion first, and the attraction later…although that didn’t work out so well for Germany or Japan! We’ll cover the Top 4 rumors for Epcot on Page 2…
Epcot does indeed need help, and i think if integration of marvel has any chance in the parks it could start in future world. I am a bit of a nostalgic when it comes to Epcot, as I appreciated its message even as a kid. So I hope the world showcase maintains its character, but I am all for future world getting a revamp. Great article as usual Tom! I am a long time follwer and first time commenter!
Ratatouille in Disneyland Paris is a wonderful ride, I absolutely loved it. It would be great in the France area. For England tho I would LOVE there to be an Alice in Wonderland dark ride, it could be really weird and creepy.
I’m a bit surprised an (animated) Alice in Wonderland dark ride is not rumored for the UK. Given that a Mary Poppins remake is happening, I guess that’s the more marketable movie right now, though.
Alice to UK would be awesome. Even a clone of the hedge maze attraction in China would work. Epcot just simply needs a few more “non movie” attractions in world showcase, and quickly. Especially as the future world is rebuilt\ redone.
With the recent success of the Beauty and the Beast live-action remake, I would think that there is a good chance that the France pavilion would get a clone of the Beauty and the Beast trackless dark ride currently being built in Tokyo. For me, this would be preferable, as it ‘feels’ like a better fit – although logically I’m not entirely sure why…. I suppose one of the issues with this is that there is already a BatB area in Magic Kingdom.
I’m also not convinced by the argument that they should build a pavilion for country X because WDW has a lot of visitors from country X. Is there any evidence that tourists are attracted to Disney recreations of their own country? (This is a genuine question). I’m not sure people could be drawn to WDW from Brazil by a small re-creation of a Brazilian scene combined with a shop, a quick service place and a beer cart. As a visitor from the UK, I can’t say that the UK pavilion holds any appeal, apart from five minutes wandering through the shops to see what the rest of the world considers to be ‘quintessentially British’ (turns out it’s Manchester United and Doctor Who) and to work out, to the nearest thousand percent, the markup on 30p chocolate bars…
OLC has released cost estimates for its Beauty and the Beast area, and it’s ~$750 million. Given that Epcot needs multiple attractions, that’s way too much for Disney to spend on a single addition. No way will Epcot get that dark ride.
As for the Brazil pavilion, people love familiarity. It’s not about drawing Brazilians to WDW (that’s already happening). It’s about giving them a familiar restaurant, shopping, and bar options once there. (Think of how popular a bar playing soccer would be.)
I like the Idea of Brazil more than Spain or other alternatives simply because that is an entire continent that is unrepresented in World Showcase. I know Spain has it’s own culture, but it’s neighbors France, Morocco, and the UK are all in the WS already.
Personally, I’m amazed that some type of Polynesian Pavillion has not been rumored… Especially, with the success of Moana and a logical frozen-type ride to accompany it. Heck, they could double down and have a stitch ride on addition to a Moana ride…
Also, the best part of the ratatouille experience in Paris is the themeing of the attached restaurant… Any rumors a out something like this?
Moana has been rumored for Adventureland.
No rumors that Bistrot Chez Remy would come to Epcot. My bet is that it would not, given that it lacks the realism of Epcot’s France.
I loves me some good imagineering rumors. I am excited to see what they actually announce in a few years. So Tom, I’m sure you do some blue-sky armchair imagineering, I would love to hear some of your ideas.
There’s a reason I write a blog, and don’t work for Imagineering. 😉
There’s just no stopping the IP barrage that’s coming. Let’s hope something can be imagined to restore journey as a tie to Epcot’s glory year’s. Has anyone looked up project Gemini that was proposed by imagineering a while back for Epcot? A fun read on what could have been or still could be.
There’s a nod to Project Gemini in this post. Overall, some interesting ideas, but I think we’re probably better off that the whole project did not come to fruition.
Considering the path imagineering was proposing to go down with ride ideas your right on gemini. What I found interesting was the idea to change the core of future world in and around innovations to more of a “hanging gardens of babylon” look. In the process facilitating a change from future world to discovery land.
I would love it if the Ratatouille ride came to Epcot! Disney is not a priority when we travel abroad, so I doubt we will ever make it to the Paris park. I’m also sad we missed Remy when he appeared at Chefs de France.
Tom, any chance there is a rumor that India would grab a spot in the World Showcase? 1 billion people. The Taj Mahal. Great food. Huge variety in cultures and languages. I understand the pull for Spain and Brazil but come on. It’s the 2nd largest country in the world! There is so much they could do with The Jungle Book or with the variety of holidays celebrated there or even the cultural and Bollywood dances!
The last time we were at WDW we ran into a number of Indians and Americans with an Indian heritage. It will be huge Disney. Let’s do this!
India makes sense, but I’ve heard absolutely nothing to suggest it’s even on the table. I have heard that Spain is the front-runner for the second pavilion, but there are a couple of options based upon what can attract sponsors. I do not believe India is one of those options.
I too would love for them to keep the Impressions de France film…updated of course. I think they should make it part of the Ratatouille queue and make everyone watch the film before riding the ride…or figure out a way that the wait would be the same whether you watched the film or not. Design it so it’s something to do while waiting or you can do nothing while waiting.
I’d also love to see Spain and Brazil pavilions. A ton of opportunity for both countries.
If they’re going to keep Impressions de France (which I’d *love* to see happen), I hope they do not update it. Even though the original is dated in parts, with Imagineering’s current fixation on CGI, I’d rather the brilliant original just be kept rather than roll the dice on some hokey replacement.
I agree. I really hate the CGI in Soarin’. It looks so fake…especially the Taj Mahal. That scene bothers me every time I ride it.
If they did a Brazil pavilion, then they could move the three cabelleros ride there and then make a coco ride in Mexico. I know a lot of people are dying for the Yzma pull the lever roller coaster. A Latin/ South Americans pavilion in EPCOT would be ideal.
When there this Christmas, after having seen Moana, my family came up with a (silly/dream) idea for a Polynesian/Moana themed area on small islands in the lake or nearby. To be completely honest, I just want anything and everything Moana, but I certainly think the cultural hinge could make Epcot an interesting place for it.
I’d like to see the Crush’s Coaster added to the Living Seas!
I like the Brazil rumor. Cariocas on the Disney Magic is one of my favorite rotational restaurants in the DCL fleet (and Tianas on the Wonder). If they could bring a version of that shoreside, it would be incredible!
A very interesting article! I would rather see additions of actual attractions to World Showcase than new pavilions (not that I would look a gift pavilion in the mouth).
I recently heard a rumor that Pop Century might be changed over into a second Art of Animation resort. I have no idea if there’s any validity to the rumor, but I ran with it anyway and made some of my own suggestions for the idea.
https://lebeauleblog.com/2017/05/08/how-would-a-second-art-of-animation-resort-be-themed/#more-74307
The last version of the “France” rumor I read indicated that Ratatouille wouldn’t replace the Impressions de France theater, but that a new film might be made to replace it. While that’s a bummer to me since IdF is one of the “quietly underrated” experiences I am most looking forward to seeing if/when I finally make it to WDW; if a film AND the ride are both there that will be fantastic for capacity and the experience. Let’s just hope they don’t CGI it up too much like the new Soarin’.
Of course, what I read was every bit as much rumor as your report, so nothing is certain.
I heard this rumor quite a while ago, but not much since. This would definitely be a cost-effective option, but Disney has seen such a decline in the popularity of films (both 3D and otherwise) in the parks that I’m not sure it makes sense to do a Ratatouille attraction *at all* if it will only be a film.
The rumor I read wasn’t that Ratatouille would be film, but that the (cloned) ride wouldn’t supplant the theater in the France pavilion. Instead, a new movie might be made that would replace Impressions de France.
The idea of the film being part of the queue that someone else suggested doesn’t seem a poor idea, but the implication I got from the rumor (part of the rumor roundup on wdwinfo for last month) was that both the ride and (potentially new) film would be separate attractions. I hope IdF isn’t updated with a bunch of CGI garbage.
Maybe there’s no rumor about it, but if I was an Imagineer given the task of restoring Epcot to its former glory, the my first thought would be to reimagine Innoventions, not remove it. The original feast of exhibits in Innoventions has withered away due to loss of corporate sponsorship, but we live in the age of hands-on science museums aimed at kids on the one hand, and high profile tech expos on the other: both obvious fodder for a restoration of Innoventions earlier purpose. WDW isn’t going to be able to compete with the tech expos as a showcase for the latest product releases, but probably wouldn’t want to go down that road anyway. Instead, reimagine Innoventions as if it was such an expo, using that as the backstory for a hands-on museum showcasing exactly the story of technological progress that was so dear to Walt Disney.
This could be wishful thinking on my part–like I said it’s what I would be thinking if I was an Imagineer. But it seems so obvious to me I can hardly believe something like it hasn’t come up in an actual Imagineer’s office somewhere. It fits modern trends in science/technology education, it’s a story right in line with Walt, and it moves Epcot back toward its original concept.
And if Disney wants IP in all things, they’ve got Big Hero 6 available for a theme.
Totally agree. It also bugs me that everything in Innoventions needs (needed to be) so sponsor-driven in the first place. Disney is a totally different company than it was in 1982 (with significantly higher ticket prices!). That Disney couldn’t put together a series of exhibits of the same caliber as a science or children’s museum is a bit sad.
I think if I had carte blanche and unlimited budget I’d do the following:
-Reimagine and reopen the Wonders of Life pavilion, maybe with new theming (a robotics pavilion? medicine? nanotech? VR?) to alleviate congestion as other pavilions are refurbished
-Add a permanent festival pavilion between China and Germany, or remodel the Odyssey restaurant into a functional space along these lines
-Knockdown the Energy Adventure entirely (RIP) and replace it with a more fast paced roller coaster type ride that features original IP (something like “Energy Riders” or “Fusion Kids” or something along those lines). Include a pre-show to set up the premise of the ride. Envision something along the lines of the Dinosaur ride at AK–a simple premise, but teaching a little about energy along the way. Use the queue to teach facts about alternative/renewable energy sources and a post-ride area that features some interactive exhibits along these lines.
-Once Energy is up and running, cross the park and redo Imagination. Bring Figment and Dreamfinder back as similar characters to their original incarnation, but this time in a state of the art trackless dark ride with overwhelmingly creative, colorful and imaginative visuals. Create a new, original short film for the Imagination Theatre that discusses how EPCOT was Walt’s original vision and how it grew to the park of today. Include classic theme music like the Horizons “if you can dream it” theme or “Tomorrow’s child”. This movie, and this pavilion overall, are very much a nod to the original idea of Epcot Center and those who still support it.
-From there I’d totally overhaul mission space–a space pavilion is great, but this ride still needs a lot of improvement.
-Then I’d make light changes to the Land–nothing major, probably a new film to replace Circle of Life. I envision an animated film that was sort of an “all-star” cast, where some of the more modern popular characters (Anna + Elsa, Moana, Merida, etc.) each talk about how important it is to care for the environment in their locale, and invite everyone to team up with them to save the planet.
-Finally, I’d make light changes to Spaceship Earth–keep the original concept, but give it a new life, new narration, and a new and more poignant ending.
I’d leave Seas and Motion (TT) as they are for now, since they’re both holding up OK. Oh and along the way I’d add a Brazil Pavilion, and add 1-2 rides in WS, either in Japan, Germany, France or the UK. Canada needs something new as well.
Mission: Space is one thing I didn’t mention in this post, and that’s because its upgrades (albeit far less dramatic than you’ve mentioned) are already a done deal.
I don’t see anything happening with Wonders of Life anytime soon; too popular of a spot for special events.
Some other ideas you have will come to fruition in their own kind of ways…
I’m totally against Ratatouille making it’s way into the “Paris” of Epcot – for two reasons. First, I think it’s nice that each park has a major unique draw as it’s headline – and for DLP, that is definitely Ratatouille. I think these unique headliners are the “weenie” that encourage Disney enthusiasts to travel, instead of sitting back and expecting the clone to come to them. Secondly, and more importantly, there is a fundamental difference between Epcot’s realism-inspired Paris, and “Pixar’s Paris” of Place de Remy. The disconnect between the realistic environs of the Paris world showcase and the Ratatouille attraction is exactly what is meant by the negative connotations of “Disneyficiaton”.
I suspect RnRC won’t see any changes for quite some time, simply because it draws the highest wait times of almost any “long-standing” attraction in the entire resort. That’s mostly due to low capacity and a paucity of other options in DHS, but while this is the case I just can’t see it being touched.
Personally, I view EEA as being one of WDW’s most underrated attractions. It’s got a good storyline, some great visuals and is physically immense. I’m a little bitter that it’s so underrated that I don’t even have a flock of opinionated bloggers to wave the pitchforks when it inevitably gets consigned to history…
The “Disney enthusiasts who travel internationally” demographic is less than 1% of all visitors to the parks, so I doubt they’re making any decisions on our basis.
If the Ratatouille dark ride happens, it won’t be with Place de Remy. It’ll be the current, realistic facades with the Ratatouille dark ride housed within them.
Tower of Terror was the second-most popular attraction at DCA. Didn’t stop Disney from changing it to GotG… 😉
I can’t believe you wrote: “I sure hope Universe of Energy is the attraction to get the axe.”
I know I’m taking it out of context, but still! I enjoy ToT but the Twilight Zone isn’t a Disney property and has no real Disney connection. I’m sure giving it a GotG makeover would just put a new twist on the ride. DHS is where GotG belongs when it comes to WDW, just like Star Wars. No issue with either IP in that park.
GotG does NOT, NOT, NOT belong in Future World. Future World is designed to be a showcase of the technologies of the future, inspiring, educating and entertaining all at once. Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t make any sense there. While I agree that the Energy Pavilion badly needs a refresh, GotG isn’t the answer, and turning over that Pavilion to that IP would put the final nail in the coffin for Future World (and EPCOT Center’s) original purpose. It wouldn’t be long after that that The Land and Spaceship Earth would be gutted in favor of whatever other IP is hot, and EPCOT will totally forsake its glorious original mission in favor of just being an overflow park for IP that didn’t conveniently or cheaply fit in MK or DHS.
Lots of properties are not owned by Disney, but are utilized exceptionally-well in the parks. Indiana Jones Adventure and Journey to the Center of the Earth are just a couple examples of this. To me, the underlying property being owned by Disney is not what makes something “Disney.” A high-quality experience is. As far as I’m concerned, Tower of Terror is far more “Disney” than something like Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
As for Universe of Energy, sadly, its time has come and gone. It’s operating on borrowed time at this point, so if it’s a question of having to lose Tower of Terror or Universe of Energy (with no alternatives), I’m choosing the latter.
With that said, I agree entirely with what you’re saying about Future World’s mission and a return to that. Sadly, I fear that ship has sailed.
I actually really enjoyed the ride in Paris so I kinda hope it does make its way to Florida