- News all the latest
- Theme Park explore the park
- Resort tour the resort
- Future looking forward
- History looking back
- Community and meetups
-
ℹ️ Heads up...
This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks. - Thread starter BigAl
- Start date
- Favourite Ride
- Eejanaika (Fuji-Q Highland)
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
WDW Epcot: General Discussion
Rose Of Dawn
TS Member
Even though it's unlikely I'll ever go on it, I'm dreading to think of the queue times for when Maelstrom becomes Frozen. It's very likely it'll dwarf even Escape From Gringotts.
Scott
Former TS Team Member
It will be worse if Imagineering can't find a way to somehow increase capacity. It's currently a 700-900pph ride.
Alastair
TS Team
The Imagineers can do anything! Guaranteed that when it opens it will be 2000pph. Through magic.
I am I orlando now and rode Maelstrom last Thursday and i thinks it's a really poor ride and the current theming is bad, it's calling out for an update and while I prob wouldn't go on a frozen based ride personally I can fully see why Disney would use this property. (My user name has nothing to do with this ride) Currently in the stores there are signs limiting guests to only 5 pieces of frozen merchandise as they struggling to keep stock on the shelves.
This will help breath some new life into Epcot and hopefully will see some other additions/updates in the coming years with other outdated rides/attractions updated. However has usual with some diehard Disney fans there will be outrage with what ever ride they decide to update/remove and suddenly becomes everyone's fav ride!
This will help breath some new life into Epcot and hopefully will see some other additions/updates in the coming years with other outdated rides/attractions updated. However has usual with some diehard Disney fans there will be outrage with what ever ride they decide to update/remove and suddenly becomes everyone's fav ride!
Sam
TS Member
Screamscape has a really interesting editorial on the park, Epcot has Failed.
I agree with him. As much as the cultural sanctity of the World Showcase is attractive to us guests, what the park really needs to do is stick something like Ratatouille behind every pavilion. Wouldn't it be amazing if every single country had its own top class dark ride?
I agree with him. As much as the cultural sanctity of the World Showcase is attractive to us guests, what the park really needs to do is stick something like Ratatouille behind every pavilion. Wouldn't it be amazing if every single country had its own top class dark ride?
Benzin
TS Member
It's even arguable than Epcot never even fulfilled the original aim of the place (i.e. Walt's ideas for it)...
The sponsorship driven way in which Epcot worked is weird anyway, though this could be said for most Disney rides having SOME form of sponsor involved to help pick up the bill... Whilst of course people would probably like it to stay as a non-character park, it's clear that it didn't bring in the punters nor give them a 'Disney' experience...
As Sam said, every country having some form of dark ride would go a long way in improving the park's ride offerings... Irrespective of any character tie-ins they could put in... Now where's that Mt Fuji coaster concept?
The sponsorship driven way in which Epcot worked is weird anyway, though this could be said for most Disney rides having SOME form of sponsor involved to help pick up the bill... Whilst of course people would probably like it to stay as a non-character park, it's clear that it didn't bring in the punters nor give them a 'Disney' experience...
As Sam said, every country having some form of dark ride would go a long way in improving the park's ride offerings... Irrespective of any character tie-ins they could put in... Now where's that Mt Fuji coaster concept?
rightbackgranty
TS Member
I'm really torn. I agree, the business model of the park has failed - the world is more accessible these days than it has ever been and there is less need for what is essentially a glorified travel agent.
However, I still love the concept of the park and would hate to see World Showcase become 'Disney-fied' to a large extent. Don't get me wrong, I love the films and characters but I think that the best rides at WDW don't involve any of the characters at all - Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, Test Track, Space Mountain, perhaps the one exception being Toy Story Mania. I feel the park does need something extra - a dark ride of decent quality in most of the areas would help draw more crowds - but tying each in to a character would do the park no benefits.
From visiting recently I'd say that World Expo needs the least amount of work. A couple of the Pavillions needed work (Norway the noteable example) but they were a lot sleeker than the 'Future World Pavillions' at the entrance of the park. Despite by Disney-tinted glasses Innovations looked tired, Universe of Energy was very out of date and The Wonders of Life hasn't had anything in for almost a decade. It was sad to see so many empty/tired looking buildings in a Disney property when other parks are crammed full. If any area needed working doing it was these.
However, I still love the concept of the park and would hate to see World Showcase become 'Disney-fied' to a large extent. Don't get me wrong, I love the films and characters but I think that the best rides at WDW don't involve any of the characters at all - Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, Test Track, Space Mountain, perhaps the one exception being Toy Story Mania. I feel the park does need something extra - a dark ride of decent quality in most of the areas would help draw more crowds - but tying each in to a character would do the park no benefits.
From visiting recently I'd say that World Expo needs the least amount of work. A couple of the Pavillions needed work (Norway the noteable example) but they were a lot sleeker than the 'Future World Pavillions' at the entrance of the park. Despite by Disney-tinted glasses Innovations looked tired, Universe of Energy was very out of date and The Wonders of Life hasn't had anything in for almost a decade. It was sad to see so many empty/tired looking buildings in a Disney property when other parks are crammed full. If any area needed working doing it was these.
I have no issues with the frozen addition however after my recent visit I think priorities should be as above updating many of the dated areas of future world (loved the revamped test track) and also they need to sort the studios out, if they add the Star Wars land and the large Pixar expansion that should sort the studios out.
Tim
TS Member
My concern about the Frozen attraction might be unfounded as I haven't visited personally. But lets say this trend continues and all the pavilions get a character tie-in (such as Ratatouille behind France) doesn't that just make Epcot another Europa Park / Busch Gardens, aka. a Theme Park themed to other countries but not the micro-cultural experience each pavilion was intended to be?
I suppose the real question is what does this mean for Epcot in the future? Does it just become a second Magic Kingdom although based on real concepts/places? Ideally I'd rather it didn't.
I suppose the real question is what does this mean for Epcot in the future? Does it just become a second Magic Kingdom although based on real concepts/places? Ideally I'd rather it didn't.
Danny
TS Contributor
The Three Caballeros is so much more subtle and less obtrusive than Frozen inevitably will be. Disney will end up making more effort to create a god awful and in your face facade that will reach out from inside the pavilion and completely distract from the Norway experience.
The Grand Fiesta Tour, as basic as it is, is much more charming and sits naturally in its environment whereas once Frozen has been plonked in, you'll feel like the ride dominates the area and that's not how the World Pavillion should be.
Frozen has no place in Epcot, and the only reason it's been put in there is to continue milking their largest cash cow at present. No caring decisions were made and it certainly isn't a competitor for Diagon Alley which is what Disney should be looking at. This isn't what Epcot is about, regardless of if they were to install rides behind the pavilions or keep them as they are (which I'd be more than happy with).
The Grand Fiesta Tour, as basic as it is, is much more charming and sits naturally in its environment whereas once Frozen has been plonked in, you'll feel like the ride dominates the area and that's not how the World Pavillion should be.
Frozen has no place in Epcot, and the only reason it's been put in there is to continue milking their largest cash cow at present. No caring decisions were made and it certainly isn't a competitor for Diagon Alley which is what Disney should be looking at. This isn't what Epcot is about, regardless of if they were to install rides behind the pavilions or keep them as they are (which I'd be more than happy with).
Why do Disney need to be looking at creating something to compete against diagonal alley? They certainly don't need to, the resort is continuing to perform strongly and guest numbers continue to rise and so does spending. I have been a number of times in oct and this year parks were busier than I have seen before. I would love nothing more than Disney to start adding some new attractions on the scale of universals recent additions but they don't need to currently.
I read a report recently that said it would take about 10 years of disney World, not adding any new rides before would start to see big drops in attendance.
I read a report recently that said it would take about 10 years of disney World, not adding any new rides before would start to see big drops in attendance.
Danny
TS Contributor
You're right, they don't necessarily need to compete with Diagon Alley for guest figures, but it'll still benefit them and also cater for everyone whilst also delivering an astounding product. Frozen isn't going to be the astounding product that caters for everyone, rather ruining the essence of Epcot because they couldn't be arsed actually making a decent effort with it elsewhere. The franchise is set to be expanded, so I don't see why they couldn't wait and then do it justice elsewhere with a fully fledged area that would take peoples breathe away.