The WDW News Today Podcast - Episode 3: The Reimagining of EPCOT
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- Eric and Tom discuss the reimagining of EPCOT. The good, the bad and the optimistic future.
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:23 The Reimagining of EPCOT
00:08:25 Introduction of studio IP
00:14:53 NIghttime Spectaculars
00:23:18 Introduction of new films
00:30:37 Eric's dream of a rootfop chimneysweep show
00:32:21 Present day World Showcase
00:41:25 Center of the park
00:45:29 Eric and Tom argue with a surprising winner
00:57:52 Connections and Creations
00:58:58 Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
01:09:45 Hypothetical Discussion about Future World
01:27:12 Spaceship Earth
01:34:07 Journey of Water Inspired by Moana
01:47:12 Remy and more
01:53:05 Good news coming
DO NOT CANCEL THIS! Honestly these podcasts have been my favorite thing y'all have ever produced outside of Timekeeping
With Pete gone, we all need more of Tom’s opinion. He’s seen it all, seen the best and worst of the hotels, restaurants, etc. so his opinion goes a long way for us. Don’t hold back Tom.
Tom allows for others' opinions and he doesn't cut people off and that's what I really love about this network.
@@bdchiaccio He's also not a sexual predator, so that's a big plus.
Do not cancel this show…I love it! Great job guys 😊👍♥️
Fantastic show fellas. Please keep it going. You guys are naturals and are so clearly comfortable with each other it seems like this podcast has been going on for years.
Also please keep teasing and disagreeing with one another. Especially when claims are made that disney architecture is the best thing since the beginning of mankind! :). Hillarious but also adorable and the disney nerd love shines through.
When they were talking about the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster and brought up Inside Out, I immediately thought “ Why don’t they have a family friendly coaster themed to Inside Out with spinning ride vehicles and call it the Emotional Roller coaster!?”
Please don’t cancel this show / podcast. I love listening to you guys!
For a future Podcast, can you walk us through how to book a trip to the international Disney parks (passports, visas, ground transportation, etc.)? Thanks!
The Disney community needs a pod like this!!!! I enjoyed this episode from start to finish!
Controversial take, I like Epcot forever significantly more than illuminations because it's not 20 minutes of bordem in the middle and it's a nod to theme park attractions.
Don’t forget, in addition to accomplishing very little in Epcot, the have raised prices through the roof. Great job Disney!
Ride concept: new horizons
Basically just a updated horizons for the modern century but also the names just really funny.
Love the idea of having chimney sweep show and the idea of beauty and the beast villagers saying bonjour.
Indeed. Similarly though, on Jojo's recent Disneyland vlog, Belle did a coordinated dance in front of the train station with the Main Street Band and it was amazing.
I miss walking out to the Epcot Exit Music after Illuminations and walking over the light up pavement. It is the small things and for some reason the music and experience was emotional for me.
Love Epcot music! Tomorrow’s Child, Universe of Energy, Energy, you make the world go round, it’s fun to be free, Imagination, listen to the land, veggie veggie fruit fruit, horizons!
Please keep this going! Love it so far! Spicy Tom is very important to hear in long form.
Definitely need more tables during food and wine. Maybe with umbrellas. I might be asking for too much.
Chairs. Need chairs.
I've only been able to visit WDW a very small handful of times (all in the 80s and 90s) and Epcot is definitely my strongest memory. One of my earliest baby pictures is my dad and I in front of Spaceship Earth 6 months after it opened, I have a very fond memory of meeting Figment AND Dreamfinder when I was 5. I was a nerdy kid who loved edutainment and I do think having having everything IP based does Epcot a disservice for kids who might not be into princesses or even Disney in general.
Honestly, if I had Bezos or Gates money, I'd absolutely open up my own edutainment park with its own geodesic sphere.
Epcot, for me, was the thinking man’s park, more adult, and somewhere I could go by myself. Loved the communicore exhibits, the Fountainview Bakery, original Test Track, and all of world showcase. Made my reservations for lunch via video at the front of the park. I miss it all.
I totally agree with you Tom! Star Tours is the best Star Wars ride and feels the most like Star Wars❤
100% agree!
Love the podcast/discussion format. Please keep this going. Good enjoyable content.
I absolutely hate that I didn’t get to see the more worlds fair epcot. That park in the 80s was right up my alley . But you’re right I’m D lander and I went to epcot for the first time last October and fell in love.
As a mental health therapist I couldn’t agree more with the idea for the inside out ride Tom! We need more things that help teach about emotions… also totally agree with the idea of chimney sweeps Eric and would live if Belle and Gaston would be walking around the town or calling out from the windows
"There's a lot going on at Epcot yet it feels like we haven't gotten anywhere" is the best summary of my own thoughts on this never-ending state of becoming
This was fun, Eric went toe to toe with Tom and held his own. Loved it. Tom and Eric are great. You guys are my favorites.
Love Star Tours- so underrated. The wait times are usually low and it doesn't break down all the time. Tried Smugglers Run it is fun and we did ride multiple times letting our girls pilot us. Never rode Rise yet- I am worried about the drop I had a massive panic attack on FOP!! Shaky legs walking off
Flight of Passage was a much more intense flying feeling than I got from Rise. It's also just the one drop and not multiple like in FOP.
Ok here’s my first comment of the first 3 episodes. I had a few thoughts that almost pushed me to comment but when Tom said “Star Tours is still my favorite Star Wars ride” I had to say my peace… I totally agree! ROTR is for new fans with the new characters and yeah it’s an incredibly immersive experience with a fantastic set, the story does absolutely nothing for those of us who love the original trilogy. Smugglers run does offer a set that is a huge emotional connection for me and I honestly would love for the MF to have just been a walkthrough like Swiss family treehouse 😂 but Star Tours is where it’s at! Like Tom said, humor, nostalgia, and heart. Nothing better.
I'm really liking this new podcast series.
Like others, I skipped this episode but listened when TC recommended we do so. I'm so glad I did because I learned tons and, let's face facts, there's nothing better than micro-rants by TC.
I hope this series has a long life.
These pods/videos are excellent. The two of you can have stimulating conversation and it’s not boring bc it’s factual and genuine. Please keep this up !!
I absolutely love these podcasts, they’re great discussions and bring up a lot of interesting points.
Epcot is probably my favorite park of all, so I was really looking forward to this discussion! Even though I did go to Epcot in the 90s, I don’t have as many memories as I do from my trips in the 00s, so that is where my personal nostalgia resides. I forever will miss when the park was about edutainment, though I guess I can understand why that might not appeal to a modern audience. Edutainment Epcot is gone and all I can do is cling to what remains (my beloved living with the land).
I see both sides of the guardians coin. While I do agree it’s the final nail in the “old Epcot is gone” coffin, I do appreciate what they did with it. I can say I fell victim to buying a Rocket Nuimo just because I enjoyed the ride so much, and I view that purchase as a reminder of how much fun I have on that ride, but it does not have the staying power many of the other classics do. I guess I can hope that someday it will lose the guardians IP (it kinda makes my blood burn seeing marvel in the parks but that’s another story) and become something more appropriate, though I hope it keeps the music component because I do believe that adds immensely to the experience. I know Tom sees the pavilion as mocking but I appreciate that there was effort at all to maintain some semblance of fitting in. Idk! Maybe I’m a little rose colored about it because I have so much fun on it and it’s still novel to me.
If I remembered Horizons I would probably be extremely bitter about Mission Space. But I do have fondness for it just because it is pretty unique and is probably the best utilization of a simulator I can think of. Star Tours has charm and humor but it just doesn’t do it for me otherwise. I will say tho when I went on it last month I was like “where’s Gary Sinise :(“ the new pre show sucks.
The chimney sweep idea is SO good and charming, I wish Disney would do more things like that. I remember when I went during covid precautions and Anastasia and Drizella showed up behind Cinderella’s castle and chatted with us guests, and even though that was because of cautionary measures it was pretty magical to just see characters acting out things in their appropriate areas. I love when you turn a corner and see something pleasantly unexpected like that, Disney is so capable of doing more of these and it would be so simple. But back to Mary Poppins, I may be a little biased because it is my favorite Disney movie, but there absolutely needs to be more representation of her in the parks, even if only because of how important that movie was to Walt and Disney history as a whole. I would be happy with a Cherry Tree Lane recreation, she deserves at least something, and UK Epcot is perfect for placement.
I’ve talked about Test Track before, I’m so excited for the new iteration because I hate the current version. It’s so nice to have an attraction someone is willing to throw money at, and it helps that it’s a fun ride system. I have high hopes for it!!
With regards to Figment, his ride needs replaced badly. And I feel like WDI knows this, they seem very keenly aware how beloved Figment (and the dream finder!!) is(are). I can just hope that they put in the investment to do something good with it.
For the night entertainment, it’s hard to top Illuminations for me. Just something about the torches being “blown out” and the globe opening up.. it was a lot of magic to me that I haven’t had dethroned. Flashy can be cool but it’s ultimately forgetful, I feel like there was a heart and soul in Illuminations. Hell it might just be nostalgia. I am curious to see where new ones go though.
I can take or leave festivals, they’ve felt more of a locals thing to me than for guests like me that only go once a year or so. They add a neat extra thing to do while you’re there but they haven’t improved the experience to me. Maybe it’s because it seems to have bred a weird drinking culture in Epcot that I don’t particularly care for (and I say this as someone who drinks a cocktail every night I’m at Disney, I’m on vacation but I’m not here to get shwasted yknow?)
I typed a damn novel and have more to say, but I have a lot of love for Epcot. I don’t particularly love what it is now and I long for what it used to be, but I’m optimistic this is just a “low period” and it can only get better from here. Disney has made a ton of missteps (especially in Epcot and especially in HS) but recent news has made me hopeful that they’re listening to fans. There’s a lot of (understandable) pessimism in the fan community lately and I think I just want something nice to dream about.
Glad I am not the only one who thinks Star Tours is the best Star Wars ride!
I really enjoy "Mission Space", but hen again I'm a fan of extreme rides and an aerobatic pilot. So the 2.5 G of that is something that I'm used to. Also "hi" I saw you at Le Cellier but didn't want to interrupt
I'm with you, Tom, on Spaceship Earth and the Contemporary. Truly amazing structures ahead of their times. I teach college courses on the history of American architecture.
I agree, but couldn’t they have left a few rooms without Incredibles stickers?
Star tours is my fave!! The Falcon ride is impossible and I’ve been to DW 3 times since 2020 and every time Rise has been down :/ Star tours never disappoints ❤
My wife has no idea why I spend my time listening to this, but I loved it! Keep these coming! Thank you!
You’re the voice of reason Eric.
I am that person that loved harmonious - I cried I laughed I smiled - I loved it - but I guess I was one of the few
I love Epcot mainly because when I took my kids there for the first time they loved living with the land, soarin, test track, and spaceship earth. 3 years old and talked about those rides for months! Now it has GOTG one of my favorite roller coasters it just cements it to be great for me. Hollywood Studios is a place I always think we don't need a full day but always ends up being one of our best days! lol
I was born in 1996. I wish I could experience the true EPCOT center, but I do miss the older EPCOT I got to experience. The worst part of the reimagining to me was getting rid of the OG entrance music and replacing it with royalty free music library BS.
Please don’t cancel. This has become one of my favorite video. Love these podcasts.
One of the better Disney podcasts at this time. Thank you for filling a spot once held by a now shamed Disney podcast.
Love the podcast show! I wanted to agree that it is SO disappointing that they did not at least do the Cherry Tree Lane section in the UK Pavillion. Mary Poppins is iconic - really important in Disney filmography, and I feel like it would not have been that expensive to do. I hope that it isn’t off the table forever… and the dancing sweeps entertainment is a great idea. I don’t even care if there’s a ride, or if all they drop in there is a spinner. If they’re going to splash IP all over EPCOT, that movie deserves a nod more than most.
Keep it up! Best podcasts ever. Tom, Eric...Disney really needs to watch and listen to these podcasts. and I agree Tom, I love Star Tours too. lol
Man after listening to this it makes me want to travel back in time to old EPCOT. I still do love modern EPCOT but the older version(s) seem so much better. Love the show BTW can't wait for the next one!
Awesome planet is amazing, one of the very few shows I watch regularly, the problem is the lack of setup in the queue.
That incredible ARCHWAY OF LIGHTS you walked thru en route to the Epcot Christmas tree just went away!!!??? Why??? They paid for it then opted out??? Just like Santa at canada, I miss him!!!
I love these podcasts. Please keep them going.
As a teen in the 80’s, I remember all the actors in each land. England had street performers like you would see at a Renaissance Fair; Italy had singers; China had dancers and dragon dancers. My family did actually view any 360 film that a country offered, as well. My cousin, brother, and I had fun in that Imagination pavilion… the carpet that had musical tones you could play music on sticks out in my memory.
50:17 I would imagine Yzma (or Disney Management) saying _"Pull the lever!!!!"_ 😂😂 That would be a fun News Tonight skit 😂
I agree with you. An Inside Out attraction would be amazing. I love the chimney sweep show idea. Star Tours is still one of my favorite rides too.
Please keep up this show format .... keep up the great work
Wish they would hire y’all or consult for future Disney changes
The guy singing about energy like it’s the love of his life 😂😂 yes! The original songs were so memorable for me visiting as a 9 year old in the late 80s, and illuminations music still gets me today. I have vivid visual memories of MK as a kiddo but the music in Epcot, that has so many memories.
Keep it going!!!
I've listened to about 95% of this episode on my commute back and forth the last couple of days. As an "Original EPCOT" visitor and enthusiast, I've really enjoyed most of the discussion. Tom, do your research and find that the R. Buckminster Fuller-designed Montreal Biosphere, built as the USA Pavillion for Expo 67 (historically one of the most successful World's Fairs ever), predated Spaceship Earth, was taller than Spaceship Earth, and it had a monorail running through it, clearly influencing both Disney's Contemporary Hotel and Spaceship Earth. Yes, Disney was at Expo 67, where the original version of the Canada CircleVision 360 film was presented, titled "Canada 67".
Keep the podcast coming, I listen to it in the car on my drive home.
Another great listen 👏🏽🤣 You guys talk like brothers lol
Good show! Maybe one of the greatest of all time...
*Theme of the day* 🎶 _"That's too expensive!"_ 🎵😂😂
Another great episode!!! ❤
As a non-local the festivals destroy the enjoyment of exploring World Showcase, it's just a crowded mess.
I agree with Tom re Spaceship Earth.
I also feel bad for those who didn't experience the original EPCOT Center - yet another sign that Gen X is the chosen generation. lol 😉
Do we really think there will ever be an Imagination overhaul? They sell Figment merch hand over fist, even with a terrible attraction - what's the incentive to change it?
Love you guys!
*makes smug face** I was the last guest. “How much you wanna bet. I have the receipt, it’s on my wall in my home” (proceeds to repeatedly insist wrong year). Classic!!
Epcot should add more pavilions. I fully advocate a pavilion for India. India is currently projected to be the world's next superpower by 2035; it should be properly represented at Epcot with a pavilion. (There is more to India than the Taj Mahal; an Islamic structure. Islam represents 15% of India; Hinduism represents 80% of India.) A pavilion for Africa reflecting the diversity of Africa: north, south, east and west. South America...perhaps represented by Brazil.
Couple exams into my architecture license and, although I've agreed with Tom on this episode about 99% more than I've ever agreed with him, no one in the architecture field or any of my program (and I have a masters) had even mentioned spaceship earth as an iconic structure.
The lack of fenestration, relationship between inside and outside of the structure, wayfinding in/out/around the structure, it's total lack of utility, etc. are some of the many issues. It's much closer to an art assembly, so the art community would probably give it some love.
I would disagree with your point that no one in the architecture world considers Spaceship Earth to be an iconic structure. Buckminster Fuller and his geodesic structures were and are still considered some of the most iconic structures of the mid 20th century. In the late 1960s the geodesic dome was considered to be the structure of the future. You may want to consider a different architecture school for any more post graduate work. One that looks at all kinds of different buildings and considers the importance of them in the world. Form may follow function, but the form is what makes Spaceship Earth iconic.
@@gregorycerven3484 congrats on that stupid statement, but I said that they never once talked about it (also at 3 different firms these forms were never mentioned once) and that still holds true. Med rev, modern, post modern architecture is far more ubiquitous than geodesic that have new build numbers right above never.
Getting back to the main point that Tom thinks that architecture (as an industry) holds spaceship earth as a top 10 greatest structure is unbelievably false. I've never seen it mentioned once (but then again I do it for a living so I'm not watching UA-cam videos on architecture in my free time). Architecture is pushing the boundaries on materials, height and creating spaces in difficult climates as I'm sure you know from all the CE we need to take.
Maybe your firm works with tons of different forms and doesn't use any boilerplate details? idk. Or maybe you're just a blowhard on the Internet who watches a ton of UA-cam and knows to work Google, the world may never know...
Tom....say you're sorry for being SOOOOOO wrong about the pin central. Eric for the win!
Tom always throwing cedar point under the bus. Y’all need to put some respect on the name of Americas roller coast. RIDE ON
I'm gonna keep wearing Worlds of Fun gear now to troll him. -Eric
@@WDWNT this is the way
Love the podcast guys
It’s sad to see Epcot like this, Epcot was the one park Disney built where it was an actual REAL place not trying to take you into a world of fantasy but an actual REAL place that had REAL buildings with barely any facades ( apart from world showcase )
We never knew the original spirit of Epcot. I wish we did. First visit was 2010 with our young kids. At the time it was our least favorite park, just not a lot of attractions and the education theme was mainly non existent. It did however have my favorite ride in all the parks, Soarin. Not sure what it is though, it is now a close second with Hollywood Studios. I do like the beauty of the park and the new additions. The park was getting tired, really tired. Gone is the original feel and concept that Epcot was when it opened, and I don't see it ever coming back anywhere to that level
I know that people always say IP attractions are not as good as non-IP attractions. But i feel like with the Disneyland tv show and park special events on tv (parades and things) over the years, made some of the non-IP rides well known. The strategy has changed, but i dont think ot was ever, people will cone to a Disney park and be surprised by the rides they find.
Another great dicussion, this format really suits you and WDWNT Tom. Epcot still has much potential despite much of what we loved about it being taken away. At least we should always have drinking around the world 😂😂
Btw, absolutely agree Star Tours is absolutely the best Star Wars ride still. It captures that magic of the movies themselves better than any other ride even 2.0 (and in French for us DLP fans 😂😂) , how Smuglers Run with the Millenium Falcom doesn't do that is bizarre (Excpet if you get the pilots seat, and call pull the lever for HyperSpace)
Fantastic podcast! P.s....Please bring back the news today episodes into a/the podcast feed.
The EPCOT Forever music was sung by a chorus of sad children, thus representing the feelings of EPCOT adults as they experience EPCOT Forever.
I like the Universal rides. you can bash screens but Spiderman holds up. Also I think the Kuka-arm is unique. And I'm very excited to experience the creative track for Donkey Kong.
I haven't been to WDW for a while and haven't seen the lights on Spaceship Earth yet. I think after seeing the sphere in Las Vegas, it's not going to be nearly as impressive.
The Mexico pavilion ride (especially the indoor plaza) already has so much Coco energy I'm surprised they haven't gone in that direction.
the discussion about Great Engineering Feats and Spaceship Earth was a very funny debate. I spiritually agree with Tom, but my brain agrees with Eric
Having the chimney sweeps would be cool, but I would also want Admiral Boom shooting the canon every hour. Not real of course, just some sound effects on a speaker and a smoke machine.
The Great Movie Ride should’ve been updated. I like the Runaway Train ride but it should’ve been in a different location.
Great episode. I feel like if it went 30 more mins Eric and Tom may have started brawling over the top 20 impressive engineering feats in architecture.
Tom if you hadn't watched the defunctland epcot episode you should. The history of what walt wanted and what we finally got is an interesting watch.
Watching every day!
Harmonious as a show was great! During the day though those stargate things were such an eyesore
There were roaming characters on EPCOT... I remember in World Showcase there were these generic, Small World style characters, dressed in the traditional costumes of the various countries. Back when I was a kid in the 80's, parents were like "hug a character"! And I was like "Pass, that's nobody I know".
I do have to say that the guardians coaster isn’t a new type of coaster. Gringotts at universal is basically the same system. Not as fast, but the vehicle points you in a specific direction. Same thing. More examples is wonder mountain guardian from canadas wonderland and my home park, Lagoon built their own roller coaster called primordial which is a themed shooter coaster that points the vehicle in the direction it needs to see. It came after guardians, but they were both being constructed at the same time. Not hating on Disney, just saying that it was the first coaster to do so is incorrect. Loved the episode and can’t wait to see more!
They’re not even close to the same thing though, Gringotts barely even can handle a very short coaster portion.
True story because it happened to me! 25 years ago, I was part of a conference team, and the conference was held at the grand Floridian. We had some downtime so we were offered a backstage tour. We went through the tunnels in the Magic Kingdom, and we came up near Casey’s. Standing in the back stage area was Cinderella❤ Cinderella from the waist up. From the waist down, Cinderella was wearing short shorts. OK it was hot, but explain why she was smoking a cigarette!!! I’ve never forgotten that! She went from “Princess Cinderella” to “Cindy the bar chick” in a hot second. 😢
Epcot is mine and my kids favorite! They love interacting with the cast members from the different countries and trying new foods! I would love to see more educational experiences looking to the future. Same with Tomorrow Land in MK- diesel engines really lol
Drunken beer barrel spinner ride in German pavillion with educational queue about brewing. (Similar to ride at drayton manor in uk)
Love the podcast!!!
I agree with Tom! Spaceship Earth is amazing and the Contemporary is tops! Eric is just a contrarian. ;) ❤
Only went once 2012, liked Epcot but not that much. I'm a Disneyland die hard, the original, original ❤ Walt walked the streets of Disneyland.... my fav ❤
I miss the pre-Siemens version of Spaceship Earth!
I really enjoy these
Gravitron predates Mission Space by 20 years making people sick at carnivals around the world! 😂
The festival booths need to be built into the landscape as to not impede the walkway and also as its permanent now let’s have the registers under a fixed roof and not umbrella so when it storms, the employees don’t have to hide in the booth and it closes
Yea love this new show keep it TOMMY
Talking about engineering advancements… can I get a shout out for the washing machine and the dryer? Took a three day process of washing clothes to one. As a Disney adult and mother. This was the best invention ever. lol.
There needs to be more rides at Showcase. If there were more rides there would be less crowds everywhere. Either wait 2 hours to ride Frozen or wait 2 hours to ride Rat. But most people know that’s not worth it, so the massive crowds remain a thing.
Tom, with all this Pinak slander, you forgot to mention that she did the amazing new EPCOT anthem performed at D23 Expo 2019, which is supposed to release when World Celebration opens.
I LOVED MAELSTROM