Rumor in Orlando: EPCOT may be transformed as Disney integrates Star Wars into existing Parks [View all]
When a relative asked if I would like to join them in Orlando this week, I jumped at the chance for a few snow free days. We went to Epcot on Tuesday mostly because I had never been. I grew up 10 miles from Disneyland (California) and went to Disney World as a child in the year that it opened but I had never been to Epcot.
What a disappointment. On paper EPCOT seemed to promise a kind of World's Fair experience with its combo of technology as entertainment, areas based on countries of the world and corporate sponsors. $94 to get in (ouch) and there are almost no rides. The "world showcase" is basically just stuff to buy -- food, souvenirs, and stuff. The best thing in that area was a 10-piece mariachi band in Mexico. Not sure why but I thought the countries represented had some stake and say in how they are presented (for tourism and such). The exhibits are so old they should change the name of the park to EPCOY (experimental prototype community of yesterday). The exhibit for Canada had a 360 circle vision theater and you could hear the film projectors running as a very youthful Martin Short narrates. 9-screen Circle Vision debuted 60 years ago (1955).
Back in the tech area, Siemens sponsors an energy thing/ride where the Ellen DeGeneres of 1995 has a dream that she is on Jeopardy. She takes a phone call on a cordless phone that has a small antennae while watching a CRT TV that is 2 feet deep. Even the hyped "Test Track" felt like different guts stuffed in to the shell of Space Mountain. Captain EO anyone?
The crowd was light and booze was for sale EVERYWHERE. They were selling shots for $8.49 so when you buy coffee they ask if you want to add Jameson's, Baileys, etc for $8.50. In Mexico, the same rolling cart that sells bottled water and sodas offered a flight of 3 shots of tequila. Really seemed like they needed revenue anyway they could get it. It really creates the sense that Disney has thrown in the towel on Epcot and it is waiting to be replaced by something fresher. We asked an employee, I mean "cast member", how old the Ellen ride was. She didn't know but said that she had heard that a make over was in the works and Star Wars was in the mix.
It certainly seems like a good fit. They could paint that big globe thing black and have a Death Star. Morocco could be Tatooine with a few sign changes but hopefully Disney will finally spend some bucks and put tired Epcot to rest.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/04/disney-star-wars-theme-park-plans-are-ambitious
= new reply since forum marked as read