New vertical construction in the center of EPCOT expands beyond Communicore Hall

trainplane35 minutes ago

I liked the disclaimer saying it was paid for by Disney, it really was an ad. That said, still always neat to see behind the scenes footage and would like more of it. They also gave us some raw audio from Luminous that didn't make it onto the soundtrack. My favorite bit was them saying Luminous was in development for years.

dmc49311 hours ago

Writing this as I watch the show in my hotel room (spoilers I guess): They’re glossing over each big change very quickly. Unsurprising I guess, but some of these segments are like “the entrance wasn’t great but we changed it! The end” I hated how they described the inspiration for remy’s, as if it stemmed from some ties back to Walt and his time in france in the war or whatever, don’t act like it wasn’t a plop in place from Paris Pretty great Luminous clips throughout, probably my favorite part of the episode overall. Crazy how they casually talk about the crunch they were under the last couple days but don’t acknowledge when development started or why it started (no mention of Harmonious basically) Some cool GotG clips but it’s funny how they try and tie it into the theme of Epcot, they do a bad job There’s no acknowledgement of past mistakes (like how was done in Imagineering Story). No mention of Harmonious or why they thought the plaza or the entrance or Ellen’s or anything else needed replacing Enjoyed the Moana clips about how they tried to accommodate everyone’s behaviors with the water effects. Moana gets #2 in my ranking behind Luminous for quality segments Plaza lighting gets a shot towards the end including the pre(?) broken ground lights There are some cool shots and clips I’m excited to rewatch to pause and dig into those once it debuts on D+ This is my response to the first bullet I wrote. Some topics got discussed more than others. The pace and how this episode is structured is SO bizarre. They’re jumping back and forth on a ton of different topics, makes no sense Unsurprisingly mainly a puff piece. End of the day there’s some cool clips worth rewatching to see.

DCBaker20 hours ago

Update: EPCOT Becoming: Inside the Transformation will be available to stream on July 19 on Disney+ and Hulu.

Epcot81Fan1 day ago

Episode 1: Planters for Fountains Episode 2: Connections and Creations: The Death of Theming Episode 3: Wonders of Life: An Abandoned Wonder Episode 4: Imagination Pavilion: The Monument to our Creative Failures

aladdin20071 day ago

As well as the new series How Disney Built America, tonight on History .

flyerjab1 day ago

Just spent the day in Epcot. I do really like the garden area and the Moana inspired walk through. The fact that there is no fountain here though is unfortunate. It totally stinks of Chapek and Jeff Vahle. A fountain and/or running water of some kind would have greatly elevated this area. I always think back to Pandora and the omni-present sound of water. It wouldn’t even have to be over the top.

Cmdr_Crimson1 day ago

Sure it will be the following day...

DCBaker1 day ago

As a reminder, EPCOT Becoming: Inside the Transformation airs tomorrow night at 10pm ET on National Geographic. A streaming date on Disney+ has not yet been announced. A 15 second trailer is available at this link: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/epcot-becoming-inside-the-transformation/video/most-recent/vdka36519989

DCBaker2 days ago

Photo of a new wayfinding sign recently installed near the Rose Walk area. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682849145_70edfb365e_o.jpg

Ayla2 days ago

There is nothing calming or restful about flashing, bright LED lights. These aren't supposed to look like the front of a Vegas hotel. I also hope they wouldn't bring on an epileptic seizure for my sister.

Epcot82Guy3 days ago

I will say, it creates a nice dynamic nature. But, it does highlight the lights not working more than you would think. And, for most months out of the year, you get 1-2 - maybe 3 - hours of that at most. So, there is a glaring issue for the rest of the day where it feels a little plasticy and cheaper than it should.

Epcot82Guy3 days ago

Having seen it in person this week, I'm torn... PROS: -The environment is very nice at night. -The lighting package here looks cool. -The music and general vibe works well (though it can get repetitive), especially its tie in to Luminous. -The garden aspects add a sense of depth. The former design felt "larger". This feels more "dense". I think both are great approaches, and the new approach feels more modern. -The interaction between Creations/Connections and the center is great. I hope they can create something similar with CommuniCore Hall. (TBD) CONS: -The area has a very different vibe in the day vs. night. During the day, it does feel a bit lacking. The kinetic energy is not there during the day. -They actually have a perfect place for a fountain in the southern planter. That area is basically dead. They could easily put in a jumping or creative fountain in the middle of the giant fountain and solve a number of problems. -The lighting being out is more noticeable than I hoped. They really need to work on maintenance here. -People gather in the center near the Figment topiary. Nowhere else... -CommuniCore hall looks quite cheap in materials, especially when compared with the other buildings. I know it's modern materials, but it is a noticeably a box clad in flat panels. Again, the lighting is a nice touch, and the mural is not bad. But, it feels much more like the TTC than anything substantial in a Disney theme park (let alone a new build). Kinda like Luminous, it feels like a really good idea given a much reduced budget. The west side of World Celebration also feels very disjointed/sparse from the east side, which is an issue. -I still hate the "missing" quarter of the central circle behind JOW. (However, doing some sort of modern archway walk way a la Rainbow Tunnel or Lights of Winter would do wonders.) TLDR - Cool idea with some cool night effects. The general vibe. Execution is uncertain and feels a bit disjointed. And, it feels noticeably budget cut, even not knowing anything more substantial planned.

HauntedPirate3 days ago

LED lighting does not provide “kinetic energy”. IMHO.

MisterPenguin3 days ago

The only panels that light are the ones that are flat (they don't pop outward into two new triangles) and the ones with a border. Flat panels with no border aren't LEDs (it seems) and the ones that pop out don't light up, tho, they seem they do when they reflect the panels that do light up.