All great ideas and I agree (hurry up)! Epcot is my 2nd favorite park and I would love for them to add more...anything! Boom box and you in lights haha!
I think in terms of Epcot they should play to their strengths and add a more "world showcase-y" vibe to future world. It would be so cool if countries could sponsor different pavilions and show off their innovations in technology and science. I know that would be difficult to arrange but I think it could be really great and mix together a 'world of the future' vibe rather than what feels like two separate entities.
As a Californian, I'm thrilled to have the Electrical Parade BACK, I've missed it terribly. Florida has borrowed it too long! I agree they should have left you with an alternative
+That Sounds Fun They had a decent night parade here for the 60th anniversary of Disneyland. I understand that the Florida parks capitalized on this anniversary and had merchandise and decorations as well. Did they also have the night time parade with what looked like neon bar lights?
We just got back from Disneyland a couple weeks ago. Their Main Street is much better in terms of merchandising. The name of the store is *actually* relevant to what's inside, unlike much of the stores on WDW's Main Street. Ellen's is wildly dated and takes 45 minutes of someone's valuable day. Unfortunately, you're guaranteed to always be behind-the-curve with the theme of technology, so Disney may have painted themselves in a corner with that one. Horizons, World of Motion, The Living Seas... oh, my heart. As for World of Avatar, my husband is like, "You'd better transport me to actual *bleeping* Avatar Land at this rate!" X-D
It has definitely taken a while! You're right with the technology, it's definitely hard to keep up - but with areas like Innoventions, I think they really needed to take it back to their "World's Fair" concept, and have rotating exhibits on yearly contracts that aren't necessarily as "involved" as some of the things they put there - just so they can be updated much more regularly!
The biggest disappointments for me with the refurbished Space Mountain is that the you used to be able to see part of the ride at the end of the queue and that the new cars don't glow on the sides. I used to love watching all of the other cars going through the ride.
We went in to HS expecting to spend a half day, check out Fantasmic and the Star Wars fireworks.. But the Star Wars stuff brought us back for another visit. It was really good. If it's a taster for Star Wars land then I'm on board. Agreed about Electrical Parade, though... They should have dropped something new in there.
Hopefully Star Wars land can do a lot to bring up Hollywood Studios popularity again. I've no doubt that once it's open it's going to be amazing, it's just a shame the journey that it's taken to get there!
Aha I'm with you Sarah! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely ADORE wishes, but I can quote the entire show... The Imagineers will 100% have new and incredible ideas for a 'wishes' replacement and I think it's about time they sort something out! You never know, they could be planning something for the near future? Celebrate the Magic has been replaced, and the Welcome Show is soon to be as well!
Agree - Doughnut was going to the parks in the 90's and on our recent trip she found many of the rides have not changed that much. As for Wishes - we have seen far better displays outside of the Disney bubble.
completely agree with what you say abut epcot! Walt wanted it to be a hub of education and to 'keep moving forward' and for it to be an image of the future! its a shame its somewhere perhaps Walt wouldn't be proud of
I agree with a lot of what you said especially Epcot. Sadly I think what with the opening of Shanghai Disney and falling numbers of American visitors to Florida, it has left them short of money (hard to believe I know) whereas Universal seems to have more cash available. Maybe Disney have got too many fingers in too many pies and have spread themselves so thinly that they can't afford the upkeep of their most valuable assets. Back in the day they had good sponsors and now they don't seem to be around. I agree about the Wonders of Life pavilion, it was awesome and different. I first went 25 years ago and yes WDW is still amazing but it is lacking in certain areas.
I 100% agree. Hopefully the falling numbers will be a wake-up call that they need to invest more and can't just rest on the Disney name to get them by.
No I missed one cut! I promise I edited the rest of it haha. Just cough really loudly during that bit and we will pretend it never happened. haha. I was too distracted by my ice cream sundae that I was eating during editing. New rule for life, #filmbeforefood
A great example for Disney's crappy merch would be the thing I bought when I went about 2 years ago, being a huge Indiana jones fan, I decided to pick up a 20 dollar action figure, when I got home and took it out, the figure and everything else felt like someone you would expect to find with a dollar store figure.
Also, they need to take a page from Universal's book with their merch, because Universal's merch is beautifully well done and fits well with what it's themed to, Disney needs to start doing that.
We agree with the merchandise comments, sometimes we go and see the same things over and over again. We have really liked the bespoke homeware merchandise you can buy in World of Disney and Co-op at Disney Springs though! Also we would like to see more entertainment available at Hollywood Studios seeing as nearly half the park is currently closed. What do you think?
Definitely! I know Star Wars land is going to be a huge draw to that park *eventually* - it's just a bit of a shame that right now it's having a bit of a tough time keeping people entertained!
I agree 10000% about the electrical parade I think we should get paint the night we where looking forward to this so much for our first ever trip we go in May and we where looking forward to rivers of light and that has been postponed as well
I can't even with Paint the Night. It's a combination of the most annoying parts of World of Color, Light Magic, and the MK street party. ;P Disney thinks that they can win hearts by throwing "Baroque Hoedown" into a parade theme, but it just reeks of manipulation to me. Sucks they let SpectroMagic rot - it was a worthy successor to MSEP. It was what Paint the Night was desperately trying to be.
we definitely agree about every thing especially the merchant dice and epcot we were going back to Disney this year but we have put it of till 2018 instead hope things are better X UK
I totally agree with you guys about Epcot! I don't know why they don't ask Google or Amazon or really any tech company to come and set up some cool tech stuff for people to explore!
Space mountain does have weird lighting. I go every year and it's much better without the lights. I saw the inside from the people mover when they were redoing it a couple years ago.
brand new nighttime fireworks show "happily ever after" coming in may, previews look so good! as much as i loved "wishes" i do agree it is outdated, would be nice if they did "wishes" just once or twice a week, not just get rid of it though
Disney has a genius creative team , I think if they gave them a good budget and turned them loose on Epcot they could create amazing educational attractions. I want to have fun in Epcot but I am like you guys I like to learn things and be wowed by technology .
You can thank Shanghai for the delays. :) Mostly agree about EPCOT. Must point out that Soarin' is a bonus, it doesn't replace the edu content at The Land. It's also got an essential theme: love of the earth and international unity, which connects to World Showcase. Nemo is a bonus; the edu content is still present at the Seas. Thematic disunity is a problem, but I really don't think TT and Mission:Space are contributing to that. They fit the themes of the attractions they replaced, even if I don't like them as much as I liked Horizons and World of Motion. The big losses are UoE, which is very likely to be replaced by a cheap thrill ride (and by cheap I don't necessarily mean inexpensive), and Wonders of Life, which is sorely missed. Also think that Imagination upper floor (old Imageworks) needs to be sorted. A friend who speaks regularly to Imagineers mentioned that the glass sections are failing structurally and might need to be rebuilt. Not sure if that is figuring into the lack of action over there.
I adore Energy, so I'm kind of Disney-depressed just thinking about it. Somebody said it could be the Shanghai Tron thing, which would be a nice attraction and less of an impulse addition than Guardians of the Galaxy, but still wouldn't really suit Future World at all. :(
Also, my partner and I are looking to go to Disney in September...I'm wanting to hold out to see if they will be putting out more free dining dates for around that time. Do you have any advice?
I agree about Epcot.... they've lost so much of the "education" in exchange for the "Disney-fying" of it. I think if they want a nice balance, then re-open the Body pavilion (forget what it's called- Wonders of Life??) and put something about the movie Inside Out in there. Make that their "meet and greet" prime location with other attractions or rides or shows. Anyone remember Cranium Command??? People today are SO much into healthy eating and healthy living that they could EASILY bring something like that back. And, some of it doesn't even have to be made from Disney films- how many iconic Disney things aren't even films yet or weren't films when they were created??? They could also do something with Big Hero 6 or Wall-e or Tron or even The Good Dinosaur.
A friend told me that one of the ideas bouncing around WDI is bringing the Shanghai Tron thing to the UoE space. I think it's too off-theme for Future World, but it would be better than Guardians of the Galaxy, which they seem determined to shoehorn into places it doesn't belong (Coff coff, DCA, Coff).
I also think the world show case is becoming less educational as they add characters to it like Norway becoming Frozen i like Frozen but i loved the Maelstrom it was so interesting and informative learning about the mythology of the country and past especially since I have family from there I felt so connected to the ride :( I also feel a bit like this with Mexico becoming all about Donald it detracts from Mexico but I guess it draws guests in
They have actually got rid of all the Donalds in the actual pavilion apart from the ride. I was looking to get a Mexican Donald plush and they didn't sell them anymore. I am with you when it comes to the Frozen ride. It will interesting to see what they have done with it when we go back.
The tech companies like Google and Tessa and Apple need to sponsor future world stuff...Disney doesn't seem to like to work with these sorts of companies, but they should
Google! That's a great idea. I'd love to see a Google sponsored "come try the future of tech" area behind Spaceship Earth! They'd be a very good candidate! I also think I'd love to see a Tesla sponsored Test Track instead of Chevrolet. They just seem a bit more... futuristic!?
I want more lion king merchandise as it is a classic and their just is not enough. I love the lion king and on my last trip the merchandise they did have I already owned , was bad and expensive or I could buy in England .
that's really a shame about the merchandise... At Disneyland you also have a pirate and a haunted mansion shop but they also have a shop that has a lot of small world and Star Wars shop Tomorrowland and the shop that is in our frontierland has stuff that you can't get anywhere else and Main Street usually has a clamour of all of them but then also has stuff that is unique to Main Street... I hope that they do mix it up and put certain things in certain places because I always find it fun to go into the different shops and find different things... Also in Adventureland we have a shop that is Indiana Jones as well which is really cool.
That Sounds Fun I hope you guys are able to make it next time you come to the states it really is a magnificent place . it's small and intimate and you really get a feel for Walt Disney the man himself
Disneyland has the same basic problem with Merch (and a lot of other things) that WDW does, honestly. They carry the same stuff. They used to have lessees bringing in unique things (like Dianne's estate jewelry at Jewel d'Orleans). Up until the mid-90s, there was even an antique shop. Not anymore. DLR also tends to coattail all of WDWs technological and instrastructural investments, and usually a day late and a dollar short when they implement (like, they're finally adopting FP+, but you'll have to pay extra for it). And DL park is so full that there's almost no "give" space left. Fun, out of the way spots that used to offer respite have been almost entirely comandeered for VIPs (old Disney Gallery, Court des Anges) or Star Wars (BTR). DL APs are so expensive that my boyfriend and I switched to WDW Platinums because the savings were significant. It's stupid when it's more cost effective for a Californian to travel to Florida for Disney theme parkage than to drive down to Disneyland, but it is what it is. Disneyland's not worth the price. Management actively works to discourage annual passholders from existing.
Yes. The MSEP that was running at MK is actually Disneyland's parade; some parts (like the Casey Jr. train float) are seriously old school, like from the 1970s incarnations of the parade. It's back at Disneyland right now.
I just want them to open things they keep delaying! Like River's of Light for example! Wasn't that supposed to open last summer? What in the world is causing this much of a delay?!
love most of these ideas, but with Epcot, its a nice idea that you want learning experiences but as you said Ellen energy adventure never has anyone riding it, so why would Disney put in more rides like that! they just go with what the crowds want to entice more guests! people want rides, not being taught like a museum, not for 100 dollars for a day!
We definitely feel there's a way to mix the two, we've talked about Test Track before but the previous iteration of that ride was far more informative and grounded than the replacement. It was a look at how cars were tested to be safe, and explained something grounded in technology but also reality. The new Test Track is missing a lot of that, and has turned it more into "themed thrill ride" instead of a "themed informative thrill ride" - which is more what we feel that EPCOT should be. That's fine if you don't agree, but we definitely think EPCOT should stay true to trying to teach people things!
yeah, totally! there always a way to get the right balance! i prefer the old edition of test track, i just feel like with ellens they really got the balance wrong, its way too long(isnt it like 45mins?) and just plain boring once you've seen it once, living with the land on the otherside i could go on multiple times per trip! I think i came across wrong, i was meaning to point out Disney recent moves seem to be all about a money grab, the cabana's you could higher in magic kingdom for example, it does seem to be slipping from the days where everything was about the vision and each park had a distinct identity, the only park i feel that has actually kept that is animal kingdom!
Oh definitely - I like the idea behind Ellen's energy adventure, but it's a very long ride and it's definitely not a "do this multiple times a trip" ride!!
Stop dissing Disney! If you want educational "space" information then go to Kennedy Space Centre. Disney is designed for fun. If I want educational stuff I'd go to school, college, university etc. Don't make it an education going to Disney parks!
I'm sorry that you felt that we were "dissing" Disney, that's not the case at all! We love Disney, but nothing is perfect and the day Disney stops innovating and improving is the day Universal Studios will overtake them. As for EPCOT we're not saying make it all into a museum and have everything be factual but the original quote from Walt Disney himself regarding EPCOT is: "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." I think the old Test Track was a great example of demonstrating technology. Showing people through a ride and pre-show how cars are tested for a variety of different things (safety/handling/environmental resistance) was an insight into how cars were designed and made, and how they refined their designs for the future is a great way of being informative but not boring! The new test track has some concept cars int he lobby, a mini game that doesn't really do a great job of demonstrating the way cars are designed and a ride that doesn't capture the feel of the way cars are now tested with computer modelling rather than physical crashes. Any time EPCOT has the opportunity to be informative about current/future technology but decides to go with something kind of unrelated to the way technology is actually going is a bit of a shame in my opinion! Keep the fun, of course! It's a theme park at the end of the day. But I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting it to inform people at the same time, and I really hope that the new Innoventions space is used for something exactly along the lines of the original EPCOT message, and shows of some great inspirational technology!
We all love Baroque Hoedown, Sarah...I've got it as my phone ringtone!
Totally agree about Epcot. No lie I think body works is why I'm a nurse now. My fascination with human biology started with that ride :')
Losing that area of the park with no replacement is definitely a bit of a shame!!
All great ideas and I agree (hurry up)! Epcot is my 2nd favorite park and I would love for them to add more...anything! Boom box and you in lights haha!
RIP Mainstreet Electrical Parade. I would happily take it's place though! haha
Agree for the merchandise! I love to see more niche and obscure merchandise for some of the hardcore fans would be great!
That's why I love World Showcase so much. At least it's something a bit different.
I think in terms of Epcot they should play to their strengths and add a more "world showcase-y" vibe to future world. It would be so cool if countries could sponsor different pavilions and show off their innovations in technology and science. I know that would be difficult to arrange but I think it could be really great and mix together a 'world of the future' vibe rather than what feels like two separate entities.
That's an interesting idea!
As a Californian, I'm thrilled to have the Electrical Parade BACK, I've missed it terribly. Florida has borrowed it too long! I agree they should have left you with an alternative
They should have done! I'm sure they'll come up with something though - the Electrical Parade is going to be a tough hole to fill though!!
+That Sounds Fun They had a decent night parade here for the 60th anniversary of Disneyland. I understand that the Florida parks capitalized on this anniversary and had merchandise and decorations as well. Did they also have the night time parade with what looked like neon bar lights?
We just got back from Disneyland a couple weeks ago. Their Main Street is much better in terms of merchandising. The name of the store is *actually* relevant to what's inside, unlike much of the stores on WDW's Main Street.
Ellen's is wildly dated and takes 45 minutes of someone's valuable day. Unfortunately, you're guaranteed to always be behind-the-curve with the theme of technology, so Disney may have painted themselves in a corner with that one. Horizons, World of Motion, The Living Seas... oh, my heart.
As for World of Avatar, my husband is like, "You'd better transport me to actual *bleeping* Avatar Land at this rate!" X-D
It has definitely taken a while! You're right with the technology, it's definitely hard to keep up - but with areas like Innoventions, I think they really needed to take it back to their "World's Fair" concept, and have rotating exhibits on yearly contracts that aren't necessarily as "involved" as some of the things they put there - just so they can be updated much more regularly!
The biggest disappointments for me with the refurbished Space Mountain is that the you used to be able to see part of the ride at the end of the queue and that the new cars don't glow on the sides. I used to love watching all of the other cars going through the ride.
That's a bit of a shame! I hadn't noticed that.
Those things are SO low - hard af to get into and out of. The old ride vehicle seats rode high but they weren't a struggle to use.
We went in to HS expecting to spend a half day, check out Fantasmic and the Star Wars fireworks.. But the Star Wars stuff brought us back for another visit. It was really good. If it's a taster for Star Wars land then I'm on board.
Agreed about Electrical Parade, though... They should have dropped something new in there.
Hopefully Star Wars land can do a lot to bring up Hollywood Studios popularity again. I've no doubt that once it's open it's going to be amazing, it's just a shame the journey that it's taken to get there!
Aha I'm with you Sarah! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely ADORE wishes, but I can quote the entire show... The Imagineers will 100% have new and incredible ideas for a 'wishes' replacement and I think it's about time they sort something out! You never know, they could be planning something for the near future? Celebrate the Magic has been replaced, and the Welcome Show is soon to be as well!
I would love it to be updated. So fingers crossed something is announced soon.
I agree with the educational side
Agree 100%.
Agree - Doughnut was going to the parks in the 90's and on our recent trip she found many of the rides have not changed that much. As for Wishes - we have seen far better displays outside of the Disney bubble.
I would love them to change it out at some point. I like it. I just feel that it has been going on for way to long!
completely agree with what you say abut epcot! Walt wanted it to be a hub of education and to 'keep moving forward' and for it to be an image of the future! its a shame its somewhere perhaps Walt wouldn't be proud of
They could really turn it around! Maybe they might move onto it once they FINALLY finish Hollywood Studios
I agree with a lot of what you said especially Epcot. Sadly I think what with the opening of Shanghai Disney and falling numbers of American visitors to Florida, it has left them short of money (hard to believe I know) whereas Universal seems to have more cash available. Maybe Disney have got too many fingers in too many pies and have spread themselves so thinly that they can't afford the upkeep of their most valuable assets. Back in the day they had good sponsors and now they don't seem to be around. I agree about the Wonders of Life pavilion, it was awesome and different. I first went 25 years ago and yes WDW is still amazing but it is lacking in certain areas.
I 100% agree. Hopefully the falling numbers will be a wake-up call that they need to invest more and can't just rest on the Disney name to get them by.
WE NEED PAINT THE NIGHT!!
I SECOND THIS!
Another awesome video
No I missed one cut! I promise I edited the rest of it haha. Just cough really loudly during that bit and we will pretend it never happened. haha. I was too distracted by my ice cream sundae that I was eating during editing. New rule for life, #filmbeforefood
Come on Sarah, get your priorities straight! More like #FoodBeforeFilm
A great example for Disney's crappy merch would be the thing I bought when I went about 2 years ago, being a huge Indiana jones fan, I decided to pick up a 20 dollar action figure, when I got home and took it out, the figure and everything else felt like someone you would expect to find with a dollar store figure.
Also, they need to take a page from Universal's book with their merch, because Universal's merch is beautifully well done and fits well with what it's themed to, Disney needs to start doing that.
I agree. I have some amazing items from Universal.
We agree with the merchandise comments, sometimes we go and see the same things over and over again. We have really liked the bespoke homeware merchandise you can buy in World of Disney and Co-op at Disney Springs though! Also we would like to see more entertainment available at Hollywood Studios seeing as nearly half the park is currently closed. What do you think?
Definitely! I know Star Wars land is going to be a huge draw to that park *eventually* - it's just a bit of a shame that right now it's having a bit of a tough time keeping people entertained!
I agree 10000% about the electrical parade I think we should get paint the night we where looking forward to this so much for our first ever trip we go in May and we where looking forward to rivers of light and that has been postponed as well
Yeah that was not the best. Fingers crossed they have something there before you go!
I can't even with Paint the Night. It's a combination of the most annoying parts of World of Color, Light Magic, and the MK street party. ;P Disney thinks that they can win hearts by throwing "Baroque Hoedown" into a parade theme, but it just reeks of manipulation to me. Sucks they let SpectroMagic rot - it was a worthy successor to MSEP. It was what Paint the Night was desperately trying to be.
we definitely agree about every thing especially the merchant dice and epcot we were going back to Disney this year but we have put it of till 2018 instead hope things are better X UK
I totally agree with you guys about Epcot! I don't know why they don't ask Google or Amazon or really any tech company to come and set up some cool tech stuff for people to explore!
Fingers crossed that a sponsorship comes up for renewal sometime soon!
they should bring back the old journey to imaginations showcase and ride :(
I would be so up for that!
Space mountain does have weird lighting. I go every year and it's much better without the lights. I saw the inside from the people mover when they were redoing it a couple years ago.
completely agree w the epcot thing!
They could make it so much better!
brand new nighttime fireworks show "happily ever after" coming in may, previews look so good! as much as i loved "wishes" i do agree it is outdated, would be nice if they did "wishes" just once or twice a week, not just get rid of it though
I really can not wait to see the replacement of Wishes. I really think it will be amazing.
Disney has a genius creative team , I think if they gave them a good budget and turned them loose on Epcot they could create amazing educational attractions. I want to have fun in Epcot but I am like you guys I like to learn things and be wowed by technology .
That would be so good if they did. Make something amazing Disney! We know you can do it!!
They moved The Electrical Parade to California and will bringing us Paint The Night. But I've seen it in Hong Kong and I hope they make it longer.
OlsenMania they moved the electrical parade *home*
Hopefully when Hollywood Studios is done with construction, Epcot will be next!
fingers crossed!
do you two have any plans to head to florida? loved your 2015 vlogs.
We do. Just need to decide when!
I am really enjoying your videos :-) Epcot just needs a huge overhaul, Frozen proves that.
I love EPCOT. I wish they gave it a bit more attention.
That Sounds Fun : We shall see, I'm hoping so!
RIP Camp Minnie Mickey 1998-2014
It was the best place for Character Meet and Greets!
You can thank Shanghai for the delays. :)
Mostly agree about EPCOT. Must point out that Soarin' is a bonus, it doesn't replace the edu content at The Land. It's also got an essential theme: love of the earth and international unity, which connects to World Showcase. Nemo is a bonus; the edu content is still present at the Seas. Thematic disunity is a problem, but I really don't think TT and
Mission:Space are contributing to that. They fit the themes of the
attractions they replaced, even if I don't like them as much as I liked
Horizons and World of Motion. The big losses are UoE, which is very likely to be replaced by a cheap thrill ride (and by cheap I don't necessarily mean inexpensive), and Wonders of Life, which is sorely missed. Also think that Imagination upper floor (old Imageworks) needs to be sorted. A friend who speaks regularly to Imagineers mentioned that the glass sections are failing structurally and might need to be rebuilt. Not sure if that is figuring into the lack of action over there.
We are pretty gutted about UoE, so fingers crossed that they doing do the cheap thrill as you say. That would really annoy me!
I adore Energy, so I'm kind of Disney-depressed just thinking about it. Somebody said it could be the Shanghai Tron thing, which would be a nice attraction and less of an impulse addition than Guardians of the Galaxy, but still wouldn't really suit Future World at all. :(
Also, my partner and I are looking to go to Disney in September...I'm wanting to hold out to see if they will be putting out more free dining dates for around that time. Do you have any advice?
Free Dining offers are usually out around April time so fingers crossed you get a good deal. We loved the dining plan so much!
I agree about Epcot.... they've lost so much of the "education" in exchange for the "Disney-fying" of it. I think if they want a nice balance, then re-open the Body pavilion (forget what it's called- Wonders of Life??) and put something about the movie Inside Out in there. Make that their "meet and greet" prime location with other attractions or rides or shows. Anyone remember Cranium Command??? People today are SO much into healthy eating and healthy living that they could EASILY bring something like that back. And, some of it doesn't even have to be made from Disney films- how many iconic Disney things aren't even films yet or weren't films when they were created??? They could also do something with Big Hero 6 or Wall-e or Tron or even The Good Dinosaur.
A friend told me that one of the ideas bouncing around WDI is bringing the Shanghai Tron thing to the UoE space. I think it's too off-theme for Future World, but it would be better than Guardians of the Galaxy, which they seem determined to shoehorn into places it doesn't belong (Coff coff, DCA, Coff).
I really hope they don't add Guardians of the Galaxy to EPCOT. Chuck it in Hollywood Studies. It would fit so much better there.
if u guys have snapchat, the technology in the whats next in tech live event thing is what epcot needs
They did change celebrate the magic, I would be very sad if Wishes changed
We definitely understand that it's a much loved show - we just don't think it's the best it could be or even the best show they've done!
Yeah, they'd have a riot on their hands if they messed too much with Wishes. Or Reflections of Earth. These shows are the roots of many an ugly cry.
I also think the world show case is becoming less educational as they add characters to it like Norway becoming Frozen i like Frozen but i loved the Maelstrom it was so interesting and informative learning about the mythology of the country and past especially since I have family from there I felt so connected to the ride :( I also feel a bit like this with Mexico becoming all about Donald it detracts from Mexico but I guess it draws guests in
They have actually got rid of all the Donalds in the actual pavilion apart from the ride. I was looking to get a Mexican Donald plush and they didn't sell them anymore. I am with you when it comes to the Frozen ride. It will interesting to see what they have done with it when we go back.
The tech companies like Google and Tessa and Apple need to sponsor future world stuff...Disney doesn't seem to like to work with these sorts of companies, but they should
Google! That's a great idea. I'd love to see a Google sponsored "come try the future of tech" area behind Spaceship Earth! They'd be a very good candidate! I also think I'd love to see a Tesla sponsored Test Track instead of Chevrolet. They just seem a bit more... futuristic!?
I want more lion king merchandise as it is a classic and their just is not enough. I love the lion king and on my last trip the merchandise they did have I already owned , was bad and expensive or I could buy in England .
That's a shame! We saw some in Animal Kingdom, but it does seem to be a bit of an unrepresented film merchandise-wise!
that's really a shame about the merchandise... At Disneyland you also have a pirate and a haunted mansion shop but they also have a shop that has a lot of small world and Star Wars shop Tomorrowland and the shop that is in our frontierland has stuff that you can't get anywhere else and Main Street usually has a clamour of all of them but then also has stuff that is unique to Main Street... I hope that they do mix it up and put certain things in certain places because I always find it fun to go into the different shops and find different things... Also in Adventureland we have a shop that is Indiana Jones as well which is really cool.
Disneyland sounds like such an amazing place. I really want to go someday. If not only just to shop! haha.
That Sounds Fun I hope you guys are able to make it next time you come to the states it really is a magnificent place . it's small and intimate and you really get a feel for Walt Disney the man himself
Disneyland has the same basic problem with Merch (and a lot of other things) that WDW does, honestly. They carry the same stuff. They used to have lessees bringing in unique things (like Dianne's estate jewelry at Jewel d'Orleans). Up until the mid-90s, there was even an antique shop. Not anymore. DLR also tends to coattail all of WDWs technological and instrastructural investments, and usually a day late and a dollar short when they implement (like, they're finally adopting FP+, but you'll have to pay extra for it). And DL park is so full that there's almost no "give" space left. Fun, out of the way spots that used to offer respite have been almost entirely comandeered for VIPs (old Disney Gallery, Court des Anges) or Star Wars (BTR). DL APs are so expensive that my boyfriend and I switched to WDW Platinums because the savings were significant. It's stupid when it's more cost effective for a Californian to travel to Florida for Disney theme parkage than to drive down to Disneyland, but it is what it is. Disneyland's not worth the price. Management actively works to discourage annual passholders from existing.
I head the night time parade is now moved to Disneyland?
Disneyland has a parade called "Paint The Night" which looks amazing! I really hope WDW gets a good replacement.
Yes. The MSEP that was running at MK is actually Disneyland's parade; some parts (like the Casey Jr. train float) are seriously old school, like from the 1970s incarnations of the parade. It's back at Disneyland right now.
When are you going back to Disney?! ☺️
We are looking to go back in the near future. :)
universal are currently wayyy above disney! they just opened a hotel and at the same time are building that adventure one aand expanding cabana bay👀
I am really looking forward to staying there again for a few days which I would of never said about 6 years ago.
me too!
ive heard they are updating epcot and building some new things. I dont whether its true or not
Fingers crossed!
I just want them to open things they keep delaying! Like River's of Light for example! Wasn't that supposed to open last summer? What in the world is causing this much of a delay?!
Yes it was. Apparently, they have had loads of technical difficulties and barges keep sinking.
close entirer epcot only fun is soaring
I forgot to ask if you guys are going back to WDW this year? What are your plans, if any?
Not this year but we have a trip in the works for pretty soon. Nothing finalised yet.
love most of these ideas, but with Epcot, its a nice idea that you want learning experiences but as you said Ellen energy adventure never has anyone riding it, so why would Disney put in more rides like that! they just go with what the crowds want to entice more guests! people want rides, not being taught like a museum, not for 100 dollars for a day!
We definitely feel there's a way to mix the two, we've talked about Test Track before but the previous iteration of that ride was far more informative and grounded than the replacement. It was a look at how cars were tested to be safe, and explained something grounded in technology but also reality. The new Test Track is missing a lot of that, and has turned it more into "themed thrill ride" instead of a "themed informative thrill ride" - which is more what we feel that EPCOT should be. That's fine if you don't agree, but we definitely think EPCOT should stay true to trying to teach people things!
yeah, totally! there always a way to get the right balance! i prefer the old edition of test track, i just feel like with ellens they really got the balance wrong, its way too long(isnt it like 45mins?) and just plain boring once you've seen it once, living with the land on the otherside i could go on multiple times per trip! I think i came across wrong, i was meaning to point out Disney recent moves seem to be all about a money grab, the cabana's you could higher in magic kingdom for example, it does seem to be slipping from the days where everything was about the vision and each park had a distinct identity, the only park i feel that has actually kept that is animal kingdom!
Oh definitely - I like the idea behind Ellen's energy adventure, but it's a very long ride and it's definitely not a "do this multiple times a trip" ride!!
avatar land has totally lost its hype at the moment and isnt there only gonna be one ride? it was announced 6 yrs ago!
Who even knows! I guess when they eventually open it, we can see if it was worth the wait.
i hoooope so!
carlgrimestan ™ I think 2 rides....a boat ride and a flight ride, they may have plans for add one with the release of new avatar movies
Mindy S niceee!
Stop dissing Disney! If you want educational "space" information then go to Kennedy Space Centre. Disney is designed for fun. If I want educational stuff I'd go to school, college, university etc. Don't make it an education going to Disney parks!
I'm sorry that you felt that we were "dissing" Disney, that's not the case at all! We love Disney, but nothing is perfect and the day Disney stops innovating and improving is the day Universal Studios will overtake them. As for EPCOT we're not saying make it all into a museum and have everything be factual but the original quote from Walt Disney himself regarding EPCOT is:
"EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise."
I think the old Test Track was a great example of demonstrating technology. Showing people through a ride and pre-show how cars are tested for a variety of different things (safety/handling/environmental resistance) was an insight into how cars were designed and made, and how they refined their designs for the future is a great way of being informative but not boring!
The new test track has some concept cars int he lobby, a mini game that doesn't really do a great job of demonstrating the way cars are designed and a ride that doesn't capture the feel of the way cars are now tested with computer modelling rather than physical crashes.
Any time EPCOT has the opportunity to be informative about current/future technology but decides to go with something kind of unrelated to the way technology is actually going is a bit of a shame in my opinion! Keep the fun, of course! It's a theme park at the end of the day. But I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting it to inform people at the same time, and I really hope that the new Innoventions space is used for something exactly along the lines of the original EPCOT message, and shows of some great inspirational technology!