How I Would Fix Epcot: Part 1
I don't know how many people know this or not, but Epcot is my favorite park at Walt Disney World. It's not really even close. The idea of future and technology made Epcot so interesting to me, not just as a kid, but to this very day. Epcot was proof that there did not have to be characters or movies to make a great Disney park. All that was needed was some imagination and creativity.
The problem with the future is that it is constantly changing. So, Epcot has had to go under several renovations in the past. Going into Disney World's 50th anniversary in 2021, Epcot was set to undergo a major transformation. It would blend some of the past, present, and future into the parks.
Instead, COVID-19 happened, and the future of my favorite park is in jeopardy. Do not worry, it's not going to close. However, it is in a state of flux, and we actually do not know what is going to be open by the 50th in 2021.
I'm going to try and do a massive undertaking in this two part EJ Experience article. I am going to try to fix and renovate Epcot to its glory. You will see some changes to existing attractions. You will see some old attractions making a return. In the rare occasion, you may see some attractions get removed. And no, there is no correct way to change Epcot. This is just how I would perfect the park.
For those that are not familiar with the current layout of Epcot, here is the 2020 park map:
Park Entrance and Spaceship Earth:
I would not change that much to the park entrance, since the three glass spires are already coming back to the front. However, Spaceship Earth needs some form of a renovation. I know the original plan was for Spaceship Earth to undergo a two year renovation, but I really don't think that's necessary. You can keep a good portion of the ride and only make minor tweaks to the show scenes. With all of that said, the ending to the ride has GOT to GO. I've always hated the ending where you "choose your own future". It's corny, it's cheesy, and the graphics for that part were really not that impressive for Disney standards. Have an ending where you are looking at the Earth in the future ("our Spaceship Earth", if you will). Also, bring the Tomorrow's Child song. Epcot's music has always been important to me, and that is a common theme you will see in my vision of Epcot. Finally, please keep Judi Dench. Disney fans love her. Although if you bring in Neil Degrasse Tyson or Morgan Freeman, I will not turn that down
Future World East:
Keep Wonders of Life, but with a massive overhaul.
I'm getting the toughest pavilion done with and out of the way first. I was struggling as to how I would solve the issue of Wonders of Life. Is it worth keeping the original idea? Should I gut it and go with a different concept? Is the Play Pavilion sufficient?
In my opinion, the correct answer is a little bit of all three. In my Epcot, I am keeping the whole ideas of the inner workings of the human body. It might not be the best of fits, but it goes under the umbrella of technology. Use that with the new Wonders of Life. There can be a kids play area, and it can promote fitness and health. If you want to, you can put a Mousercise gym. Once Buzzy is found, Cranium Command can be rebuilt. Once change that I would make, on the other hand, would be to get rid of Body Wars. Since you have a similar ride in Star Tours, you can make a completely different ride concept. What ride that would be can be decided later on. Wonders of Life can still be incorporated into my Epcot, but it cannot have that 80s carnival style feel to it. Instead, make it look a little bit more futuristic. I prefer an updated blue light and darker WOL, but any color scheme could work.
Universe of Energy: Replace with New Horizons
If you ask any diehard Disney fan which ride they want back in the park, there's a very good chance that Horizons would be among the most popular answers. Horizons was a sequel to the Carousel of Progress, where park guests could look into the future and see what life would look like. Based off of videos I have seen, it is one of Disney's best dark rides of all time. Sadly, in 1999, Horizons was torn apart due to the land that it was on being unsafe. The building would have collapsed in on itself. It was just a matter of time.
It is now 2020. Disney knows that the fans love Horizons. Any time that a new pin, shirt, or poster is released to honor the ride, it sells out astronomically quick. 21 years later, I think it's time to bring back the glory. I know it will be a tough squeeze on the old Universe of Energy site, but it is a better natural fit for Epcot than Guardians of the Galaxy. Not like Guardians of the Galaxy is bad, but it'd be better off in Hollywood Studios. Plus, this makes New Horizons visible from the parking lot, standing next to Spaceship Earth. It should catch the eye of tourists, and they will be fascinated to take the trip that they've always dreamed of.
Mission: SPACE: Stays as is, with the restaurant getting built
From Horizons' new site to Horizons' old site. Mission: SPACE opened in 2003 to mixed reviews. It was one of Disney's most intense rides ever created, complete with g-forces that made you feel like you were actually going to space. The ride has been filled with controversy, as many feel that the ride is too strong for Epcot and for Walt Disney World in general. To counter this, Disney added a second mission for those who wanted a less intense mission.
Coming soon, a restaurant called Space 220 is going to be built next to the attraction. This restaurant is going to make you feel like you are eating aboard the International Space Station. To be honest, the concept art actually looks pretty neat.
I know this might not be the popular opinion, but I would keep Mission: SPACE the way it is right now. The whole space theme works just fine in a future and technology themed park. In a park that, for right now, lacks thrill rides, Mission: SPACE could be that one strong thrill ride. That is, until...
Test Track: Reverts back to the old version of the ride
Who remembers the old version of Test Track? The loud tools banging in the waiting line, the old test cars, the great theming, Old Test Track was great. It is so 2000s, and it was so beautiful. I still cannot believe that Disney redid this into the version we have today. The higher ups at Disney decided to take the photo up above and turn it into this:
All the theming that was there before was gone. In its place was a modernized version that looks like it was straight out of the movie TRON. Which, coincidentally, had a sequel released around the same time Test Track got redone. Funny how that works.
I'm sorry, but this is just not it. The "build your own car" concept has flopped, and people care more about the ride experience than how their car performed. You're still getting the same ride, no matter how fast you made your car go. Trust me, I've tried it. Bring the old version back with the pre show, and everybody can get the same experience without the competition factor.
Future World West:
Another location in Future World that needs a little bit more focus is The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion. Originally called The Living Seas, the ride took you down to the ocean floor using a Hydrolator on a slow tour through Sea Base Alpha, looking at various sea wildlife. The ride was short and there was a lack of dialogue, but it was a fun little ride.
In 2006, three years after the release of the blockbuster Finding Nemo, The Living Seas turned into The Seas with Nemo and Friends and it turned into an attraction where you relive the movie. It's an okay attraction, but it does not work for its current location. Magic Kingdom could work, but they have a ride similar to that with Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid.
In my Epcot, The Living Seas makes a return, complete with the Hydrolators. Contrary to the original, the references to Sea Base Alpha would be no more. Instead, the ride would essentially be the underwater version of Living with the Land, looking at how fish and other deep sea creatures live and thrive. The attraction would also be a lot longer as well. There is plenty of space in that area of the park, so there is no reason that this would not work. Also, you can keep the Finding Nemo characters and Turtle Talk with Crush, as there would be a meet and greet throughout the aquarium portion of The Living Seas. And yes, the Coral Reef restaurant stays, as Epcot's premier seafood restaurant has amazing theming and is everything Epcot represents.
The Land: Stays the same, with a slight twist to Soarin'
Fun fact of the day: The Land is my favorite pavilion at Epcot. I love the whole theme of gardening and wildlife that is represented in this pavilion. Out of all the original Epcot pavilions, The Land has undergone the fewest changes since opening day. And for good reason. The Land is home to Living with the Land, a relaxing boat ride through scenery and greenhouses. It is also home to Soarin', a hang gliding simulator that travels over some of the world's most picturesque places. Along with a theater showing Awesome Planet, a 10 minute film about Earth, Garden Grill is one of Epcot's best restaurants, and one of my favorite breakfast places on property. Add to that the Sunshine Seasons food court, and you've got one amazing and almost perfect pavilion.
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Everything about The Land stays the same, except for one small change to Soarin'. The current film, Soarin' Around the World, just isn't cutting it for me. It's still an amazing ride, but it's not as good as what it was. Since this is The Land, my change for Soarin' would be to switch it to Soarin' Over Our National Parks. There is no better representation of our country than our great national parks, so I think it is a natural fit for The Land. Picture hang gliding over Yellowstone or Redwood Forest. Even better, Soarin' Over Our National Parks fits in Grizzly Airfield at California Adventure, too. It just feels so perfect. Now yes, there will be a different version of the attraction in the non US Disney parks. That is actually okay for me. It makes the parks different just a little bit.
Journey into Imagination with Figment: The Original Returns
The easiest change to my list. Journey into Imagination was a fascinating ride. Guests followed the Dreamfinder and his sidekick, Figment, through the inner workings of one's imagination. Various different arts, music, and technological innovation were showcased, and it was peak Epcot. The song One Little Spark was played throughout the ride, and it was a song that was catchy and beloved. Everything about this ride was perfect.
And then Disney decided to ruin it.
Capitalizing on the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids, the ride received a massive overhaul. No more Dreamfinder and barely any Figment, Eric Idle from Monty Python fame starred. It was a shell of what the ride once was, cutting the ride time in half. Figment was re-added back to the ride in 2003, minus Dreamfinder. Seventeen years later, that is still our version of the ride.
This has been rumored to have been in the works for some time, but the original version of Journey Into Imagination has to come back. Dreamfinder and Figment are essentially the mascots of Epcot, and they should have an increased presence in their own attraction. Bring the rainbow tunnels back too, while we're at it. Journey into Imagination can be restored to the glory it once had, and I cannot wait for that day to come back.
Imagination Theater: Bring Back Captain EO
Little minor one here for me, but if we're bringing back the old Imagination pavilion, we cannot leave out one of the greatest amusement park films ever made. The George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece Captain EO was about Michael Jackson trying to defeat The Supreme Leader through song and dance. It was a masterpiece, and since that theater would be vacant in my Epcot, this would fill the void.
That will do it for Part 1 of my How I Would Fix Epcot series. Part 2 will dive into World Showcase, where there is not as much changing as Future World, but a little bit more in terms of attractions will be put in. Until next time, I'm Erik Johnsen, and I'll see you real soon.
Epcot Concept Art: https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.disney.com/media/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/asdmncv9823409.jpg
Epcot Park Map: https://i0.wp.com/blogmickey.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/epcot-guidemap-updated-new-projects-nov-2019-2-scaled.jpg?fit=696%2C928&ssl=1
Spaceship Earth: https://d23.com/app/uploads/2012/10/1180w-600h_100212_FS_FromTheArchives_EpcotOrigins_ConvergingFutureWorldWorldShowcase-780x440.jpg
New Horizons: https://i.imgur.com/nnD4R0R.jpg?1
Original Horizons: https://www.horizons1.com/img/montage.jpg
Old Test Track: https://i.redd.it/6n158tdquga41.jpg
The Living Seas: https://media1.fdncms.com/orlando/imager/u/original/20584112/seas_with_nemo_inside.jpg
Journey Into Imagination: https://www.themeparktourist.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/4562298-8567610-thumbnail.jpg?itok=JnIXkqCy
Captain EO: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0b/Captain_EO_poster.jpg/250px-Captain_EO_poster.jpg
All video credits to their respective owners
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