R.I.P. EPCOT Center/Epcot '94/Epcot '95/Epcot

Picture by "Justin at EPCOT" - http://justinatepcot.blogspot.com/2016_03_01_archive.html

By now you have probably heard the rumors of "new and exciting" additions coming to the Experimental Proto...aw hell who are we kidding...Epcot. On one hand the new additions excite me, replacing old stale attractions that need to be updated more than being replaced. It was once said:

To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome.

Epcot Center is inspired by Walt Disney's creative genius. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, the wonders of enterprise, and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.

May Epcot Center 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. —E. Cardon Walker, October 24, 1982 

 Epcot is quickly becoming Magic Kingdom 2.0 with a bar and all you can eat buffet (for a price). With Donald and friends moving in at the Mexico pavilion and Elsa converting a pavilion based on a real nation into a fictitious land goes against everything Epcot stands for. Nemo at the Seas? It is cute but by no means gives you the excitement of our seas and what the depths of our planet have to offer.

Enter the latest rumors of converting one or more Future World pavilions into "Guardians of the Galaxy." It does not fit. It does not make sense. It does not celebrate human achievement through the "wonders of enterprise." The only place this ever could have fit within Epcot was when the "Great Movie Ride" was planned to be built next to the Journey into Imagination pavilion. 

 

But the Universe of Energy is old and boring and needs to be replaced. Yes you are correct...it does. Not at the expense of the concept and them of Epcot. You can't tell me with innovators like Elon Musk that human vision and ingenuity cant be expressed in new shows and attractions throughout the park. There is no reason Guardians of the Galaxy should be considered unless all options of the true spirit of Epcot have been exhausted. 

Society may be to blame. People no longer care about the nostalgia, history, vision and heritage of what the Imagineers and Walt Disney set out to do. I understand Walt did not have direct input on the theme park Epcot, however his ultimate vision of EPCOT led to the development of the theme park known as EPCOT Center/Epcot '94/Epcot '95/Epcot. People want quick thrills and no longer have the patience for story and dialogue that have made Disney (and Universal) attractions special. 

Putting Guardians in Future World is as bad as putting a Circus in the middle of...oh wait...nevermind. Not exactly the best fit.

Am I against the "Disney-fication" of Epcot? No. I do remember a time when Epcot had no characters except a few robots and a small dragon with his friend that found dreams. It wasn't until the outcry of guest feedback that led to the Fab 5 to enter the Future and the showcase of culture from other lands. I am willing to bet that there has never been an outcry by guests to add Guardians of the Galaxy.

Sure the new additions may be entertaining but doesn't exactly offer "hope to people everywhere."  

What are your thoughts? Will they eventually change the Epcot Dedication Plaque as Epcot continues to make changes away from its original vision?

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