I am mad about that and the news of MK and Rivers of America going away forever ... BAD idea (like i just said I am not against Cars ... somewhere else ... I actually like the idea)
It looks like an airport. It looks like a knock off of Charlotte airport. You could swap in major airport footage for Communicore Hall and we would have a hard time telling.
“It’s evolving, but backwards” Seriously, tho, what Walt once said about EPCOT always being in a “state of becoming” is and should never be used as an excuse for doing a bad job or making dumb calls.
Disney definitely Missed the Mark!! There are so many things they could have put there. Dump out the souvenir shop. Maybe a museum of Disney past, showing models and videos of all of the previous shows and attractions. Moana is excellent…so much interaction for kids and adults. The garden…boring!! Bring back a fountain!
@@MannyEmm Disney World is way overdue for a museum space but EPCOT did need a festival center I just wish more was put into it. It shows to me that Disney cares less about giving guests a great festival experience, and cares more about putting in the minimum amount of money to extract even more money from their guests.
@@MannyEmm it feels soulless and reeks of corporate meddling. Even the outdoor part is lacking, though I like the gardens and journey of water. I really miss the fountain of nations!!
I’m not the first to say it but it looks like a seasonal pop-up store in an empty store in a third rate mall. Think a really bad Spirit Halloween . . .
fountain of nations should have been expanded and made into a miniature east coast World of Color that would come alive at night with projections and lights every hour or so
@@twoblacklabs904 @bluegold12026 @kdusel1991 I've seen people defend it on some WDW discords and a reddit account here and there blaming COVID (one example) like Universal didn't continue building an entire park during a pandemic
@@bluegold1026The main defense was that initial impressions were made based on it being before a major festival so decor was sparse. The defenders, which I thought had a fair point, mentioned that it could possibly be livened up during an actual festival and it wasn’t entirely fair to judge it. Well, a festival has passed and is underway so I think it’s fair to say that it is extremely underwhelming and uninspired now.
My biggest problem with the outdoor entertainment area is how you can hear it from anywhere in the whole non world showcase part of the park. The noise ruins the immersion of all the other spaces.
Bringing up Light Lab is really funny considering that the Muppet Labs theming over at the Odyssey is more up at that alley. Which begs the question of why Odyssey is getting more theming than the new building.
Would it be so difficult to find an Imagineer who actually loves and understands its history, and let them tackle a "new Epcot"? Is that really so hard? A Joe Rohde? A Tony Baxter? A Bob Weis?
Talent-wise I bet they could get the team started up overnight. Budget-wise? Good luck convincing the shareholders that smaller details like this are worth spending money on nowadays, even if it's a huge reason that people like the Disney parks so much to begin with. Customer loyalty and goodwill is just another monetary resource to be extracted as intensely as possible.
Creative and critical thinkers are the last people that corporate wants: Celebrity employees are the bane to executives as they might carry more influence over their consumers. Walt’s nephew Roy Edward Disney carried so much influence over Michael Eisner to the point where Eisner was forced to resign from his CEO position as the general public sided with Roy E. Disney. Seriously, I cannot think of any Imagineers who have such influence as their predecessors within the company now.
I’m glad the the original plan for the festival center was axed, that building was ugly, but what replaced it was a tragically minimal effort. I can’t imagine that’s what imagineers would choose to create if they had a choice.
I was born in 88 and was lucky enough to see EPCOT through the 90s. It was INCREDIBLE for a little history and technology curious kid. Seriously can't understate the impact 90s EPCOT had on me. I can't go anymore as it makes me so sad.
Communicore Hall is not good. It has bland conference center vibes. You can get a bland Disney conference center at the Contemporary, and EPCOT already has the Odyssey building for festivals, so Communicore Hall is redundant. Everything else about World Celebration, I like. The stage show has fun kinetic energy. The lightning is good if you can ignore the parts that don't work, and the general park "feel" with areas to relax is great, especially when the weather is nice. I know we weren't supposed to talk about World Discovery, but holy cow that area is a mess. It will feel better when Test Track opens. But right now you just have Guardians with the awkward spacecraft on a pedestal, Mission Space with discolored panels, and the former Wonders of Life Pavilion in quarantine behind work walls. What a mess.
I was hoping they would’ve still done that play pavilion to replace the wonders of life pavilion, I heard they started installing props for it and then they just stopped
I adore the Communicore stage; I think it breathes life into the middle of the park. I liked the Encanto show during the day, and then La Calle was great at night. I’m always down for a show that teaches you simple dance steps, it just brings excitement to the atmosphere. I’m holding out hope that they ran out of time for Food and Wine, and they’ll completely deck-out Communicore Hall for the Arts festival. We’ll see 😅
This is what happens when you gut the maintenance department and Imagineering in pursuit of a few more dollars added to executive bonuses. An entrance designed by a first year horticulture student and a multi use area that looks like a warehouse.
This is true for the entire new Future World area unfortunately. The entire area behind Spaceship Earth is a bunch of static concrete with extremely little protection from the sun. Being there in August with the sun just blasting down and reflecting off all the concrete planters and pathways, with practically zero awnings provided for shade, was just absolutely brutal.
Removing the Fountain of Nations & replacing it with a planter (that some said looks like a lady part) was Basic Half-A**ed Refurb #1. And don't assume that one year of Chapek versus years & years of Iger is the root cause.
@@kdusel1991 I don’t disagree. Some people think it’s magically going to be better because he’s gone. Iger and others at the top are most of the cause.
I don't like Disney's new design choices. Disneyland is my home park and Downtown Disney was fantastic in the early 2010's. Now, it just looks like a mall. I've never been to Disney World, but I always say that I like Epcot Center over Epcot based on my research and it's true. I do like Remy's and Gran Fiesta Tour because those two don't get a lot of love. I think they should bring back the Fountain of Nations and the og JII.
@@Luni25 When I say Epcot Center, I'm talking about the 80's to early 90's. I believe in the mid 90's, they dropped the Center part and just made it Epcot. To me, those are two different things. I understood how that would be confusing tho
The terrible design comes from two places... A severe lack of imagination and innovation that Disney has been snuffing out for years now, and a desire to drive people to spend money. They got people in the park, now they want to make you bored to drive people (and their kids) to shop shop shop. That was my biggest take away from Galaxys edge, the whole place was designed to make you spend money.
Only rides and (some) lands are truly themed anymore. Hotels, restaurants, common areas, etc. used to be something you couldn’t find anywhere else - they were magical and otherworldly. Now everything looks like a Holiday Inn Express.
Disney saying is the happiest place on earth and the most magical place on earth and then is going boring generic architectury i would prefer it to be too much and be considered tacky for some than being bland like this
A few weeks ago I got the chance to hear the CommuniCore Imagineers talk about this project. While I can't share details of the particular talk, what I can say is these Imagineers were super passionate about this project and truly gave their all, from themeing callbacks to OG EPCOT to the green spaces to colors used/lighting/etc etc. They are absolutely proud of what they did and I can promise you that this space regardless of how "lack-luster" it seems to Disney fans, was created with as much love as possible. Next time you are in CommuniCore, pay attention to the lighting, the shapes of planters and buildings, see how Walt is sitting elevated looking over his dream park of Epcot and just know that it was made with love from the Imagineers. As for CommuniCore Hall, just give it time and it will be better! (Disney disclaimer: I do not speak for the brand or company. I am speaking in this capacity as a fan who sees the passion that went into new EPCOT.)
My specific thoughts are that I am so grateful that I am old enough that I got to see EPCOT Ctr. in the 1980's as an adult. It was great then. Now it's just bright lights and garbage.
I'm too young to have gone to Epcot Center, and Disneyland is my home park, but I have researched Epcot Center and I can say with confidence that I prefer Epcot Center over Epcot. I will say, I do like Gran Fiesta Tour and Remy's because those are two Disney IPs that don't get enough attention.
I was born the same year Epcot opened and I've always loved it. One of my first baby pictures is in front of Spaceship Earth, I remember meeting Dreamfinder and Figment when I was 5. I was always more into science than fantasy, so it was just a dream come true for a nerdy little kid like me. I always wanted to go back for an anniversary/birthday, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Did Disney even mention 2022 was Epcot's 40th? Very sad.
i am so lucky i got to ride Horizons a few times and World of Motion at least once ... also (i forget the # sometimes .... 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at MK twice) I am just happy Epcot wise they "ignored" LIving with the Land .. LEGIT one of my favorites even back in Classic Epcot .. and when i say ignoring it I mean they DIDN'T remove it for no reason Spaceship Earth is a fav too
@@Xmetalfanx I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have ridden all the ones you listed. My first trip to WDW was in February 1983. EPCOT Ctr. was about 4 months old and not very impressive. There were still a lot of things still to be built or opened. Imagination only had the movie at that time and the line for that ran all the way back to SSE. The following year is was quite a lot better. With 48 trips over 40 years we average a little over 1 trip per year. Most of those were from Vermont.
The main point you nailed here is that when Disney makes changes (good or bad) they are going to be there for 10-15 years. We can disagree on good and bad changes (and we disagree on Splash/TBA), but definitely agree on how long they last. At the end of the day, I believe Disney has to make attractions BETTER than what they replace - coming close or being "on par" with what proceeded the replacement is not enough and will only look worse as time goes on. Source: Disneyland's Tomorrowland. On a positive note, the outside of the Communicore building looks great. The lighting is nice and the geometric design does play along with spaceship earth. The inside of the building... well... I'm sure there's A/C! Lol!
The hall was definitely affected by the last head of Imagineering with her background in architecture and whatnot. The same could probably be said about some of the newer attractions that opened recently, since they had Covid and Chapek going against them.
I was joking with friends on Discord about how bad Communicore is and that it's basically just a glorified merch shop. It needs more or it's not really going to be popular. Also, perfect timing on the vid drop! Gave me something good to watch while waiting in line to get into MK for the Halloween Party
Moana should have been at least twice the size. It should have taken the same footprint as Innoventions. The water from there should have flowed like a creek all the way through the gardens.
Disney has been taking the beige trend too seriously. When I last visited Epcot it was the day before Communicore Hall opened and I didn't even notice it. When I saw Disney vlogger videos on the opening I realized I had walked right by it.
New Epcot is a mess to me. I feel it is much harder to navigate the gardens than it was to just walk around the Fountain of Nations. I don't hate Connections Eatery or the Creation Shop, though I think their look is somewhat generic, but at least they just updated what was already there. The Fountain of Nations area used to feel sort of majestic and like a hub for getting places around Epcot, but now without clear through-paths I did not find it as easy to navigate. And communicore hall looks like they literally took a conventional center hall and chucked it into the center of a theme park. It's awful. No longer the pride in theming and site lines and wonder things used to have. The Journey of Water was done well...I just think it's placement is a little awkward.
Yeah, if I took over Disney, I would implode Communicore Hall, Las Vegas style since it's slop. I'd restore the old building and make it a physics pavilion. Sorta like Innoventions, but it wouldn't need to be updated every 5 seconds. It'd kinda be like the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. You'll have interactive exhibits that demonstrate various physics principles and wow people. The east building would have interactive exhibits revolving around manufacturing. Also, I'd get rid of the weird planter and restore the Fountain of Nations.
@maiastephanie2986 That was another idea I'd do as well. I'd keep the time travel and big bang elements as well. The story would be similar to Dinosaur, but about energy. I'd also try and keep the songs from Cosmic Rewind and possibly add some more, considering that they're part of what makes the ride great.
@@nkjellman I know I'm probably in the minority on this but I actually like that Guardians is in Epcot. I do miss Universe of Energy, but tbh it got old quick.
Put in designed, multicolor terrazzo flooring (even vinyl), paint murals on the walls and install mechanical mobiles hanging from the ceiling. There Disney, you owe me $100,000.
I was really hoping that it would be dressed up and look festive like it did in the concept art, but it seems like even for the festivals it’ll be “modern” And very corporate looking. And that’s sad because that’s not what EPCOT is.
I'm going during the festival of the holidays. Maybe they'll do something with it hopefully?? I do like that it has AC though. Walking around outside in the heat of the summer can be brutal.
Not only did the Communicore Hall concept art look more exciting than what we got, but the giant planter in the gardens was supposed to have more elaborate details that would change with each current festival. That also became nothing. It’s too bad that we didn’t get any of the kinetic elements that were teased in the concept art for the World Celebration Gardens (i.e., the wishing tree). Also thanks for reminding me about Light Lab! I absolutely loved that when I first went in 2018.
The show may or may not be fine- but it took a beautiful quiet space (the gardens) and added noise pollution. It literally has places to sit and rest and work. And that worked before the stage shows started.
I have 3 reactions to this video. 1. The worlds of Epcot and their themes clashing with each other is pretty valid. Despite this, I think they’re doing an okay job at maintaining the spirit of trying new things and exploring other cultures. 2. I was also at Epcot this weekend! I was on spaceship earth and I just love this ride so much. But it makes me fearful for the future that we won’t get new, non IP rides in the same vain of all the rides at Epcot. We don’t need test track with lightning McQueen, Inside Out’s journey to imagination, etc. leaning too much into IP I feel is cheapening the appeal of Epcot. 3. Epcot still has a general cohesion of identities. Hollywood studios does not. I’m calling it now: Hollywood studios will undergo a name change/rethemeing to align with all their IP-based lands, which clash against each other even worse compared to Epcot *edit
It's not a total loss. If they could add some seasonal theming to it the way Universal does with their tribute stores they might make it more appealing. And get rid of the merchandise which you can get just about everywhere else. Just use it as a food court with plenty of seating.
Ok, let’s be realistic about the “why” of why we didn’t get the world celebration we were promised… to sum it up in one word “HARMONIUS”. Harmonius went SO FAR over budget that it significantly ate into the world celebration budget causing multiple delays and cuts to projects. Couple that with the fact that the communicore/ innoventions buildings were entirely built with asbestos containing materials, so all of that abatement had to take place before anything, including demolition could happen. As for the fountain of nations going away… and this is just my assumption/ educated guess, is that there were significant infrastructure updates/upgrades needed to rehab the fountain, and it was determined to be more expensive a project than corporate had a stomach for. Also, remember, with the Innovations building, that was literally the “nerve center” of the park. All of the computers that ran the park were located there, and I’m sure that wasn’t an easy logistical task to take on, as several of those systems were still in active use!
The reason Disney is okay with making more money from each guest, while making less money overall because attendance is down is because on the corporate side it makes their business look more efficent. Its such a stupid strategy that needs to be talked about more.
Communicore Hall feels like a place holder. Disney probably doesn’t know what they’re going to do with it yet, so they went with the bare minimum functionality until they figure it out. I also just got back from WDW, and as lame as Communicore Hall is, at least it’s air conditioned. I will never go to Florida in September again, ever.
September heat is tame compared to the hottest parts of July and August, just went in September for the first time after having always gone in the middle of summer and it was a world of difference
Since all I can see is what has been shown to me, please tell me this: is Communibore. . . er. . . Communicore Hall simply a shell with barely any interior touches? If it is really nothing but a shell, I suggest you won't have to tear it down to renovate it. Just renovate the inside by planning it out, building the things that will go into the inside, and then close it for a month to complete redo the inside. That way, you take a Bob Cheapskate project and turn it into something that will actually wow the park guests without starting from scratch.
Disney management: okay, let’s make it a multi-purpose space, a blank canvas. Then we will let the creatives decorate it to their hearts’ content. Afterwards…. We’ve got to siphon off money for the missteps in the film division. Here’s a couple grand .. do your magic
I think the word you're looking for here is "simplified." Gotta be as simple and non-offensive as possible to as many people as possible. We can't have our customers distracted by show when they need to be focused on one thing only: spending money. Nothing else matters. But by trying to cater to everyone, they satisfy no one.
I have to wonder at what point during the planning that Bob Chapel and/or Bob Iger walked into a generic conference hall in a Bakersfield Mariot and said "This! This is Disney! This is Communicore!" But, but, what about those stock buybacks, executive bonuses, and Bob Iger's 2nd mega yacht? Sure, they hade to crater ten thousand carriers or mostly older workers, but think of the stock value to a handful of filthy rich investors! Think about the billionaires! We visited WDW las year, and I have to say it was a disappointment overall. And Epcot, outside of Cosmic Rewind, felt old, lifeless, and kind of like a flashy bar when the lights go up. The whole visit was overpriced and less than magical.
I know WDWNT is a polarizing channel in the Disney community (I personally really like a solid majority of their stuff but not 100%) but in their late night show they did an interstitial commercial filming new Communicore like a Community College advert and it was uncanny. The whole point of Disney is that they build things that look unique and creative, even if that means being weird or cheesy or difficult to make happen. Not this cookie cutter "every new mall" vibe
They could have just not spent money on destroying the old innoventions building and the fountain of nations and instead use that money to refurbish it I think that’s one of the most frustrating part about this is that they wasted money on this building
I’m not a Disney goer at all, and I want one time in 2007 when I was 17, but I just don’t understand what they were going for. I always thought Disney wanted to stand out more and not just blend in with stuff like this. Like what is it supposed to be? An outdoor seating area/food court? A food court when there’s literally an entire world showcase for food?
The center of the planter should be a water pond that collects water, from the large pole/lights surrounding it, they should be squirting water in some way to the center..
Good honest reaction Dallin, i walked into communicor hall, and immediately walked back out. They ran out of money on this project because they lost money on awful movies. They absolutely need to demolish that building and re-do it.
I just don’t understand why they built a new building. Maybe there were structural/electrical issues? Because they could’ve gutted Innoventions and made exactly the same thing.
dunno if anyone else has mentioned it but this kind of feels representative of one of disneys biggest issues right now: they dont even have to try anymore. i see a lot of people pointing at this and then comparing it mainly to universals epic universe and claiming that its gonna trigger disneys downfall but i dont think theres any universe where thats true. its like disney figured that its the sole vacation spot a lot of people consider and decided to get complacent with it.
Seems like I didn’t miss much when I was there a couple weeks ago. I only had one day in Epcot 😢. Loved Living With The Land! Also ate and drank my way around the world. Fantastic! Epcot has become my favorite park at DW!
Disney has truly lost its way when it comes to design in their parks and resorts. Everything that's not "inspired" by their IP has the same corporate office look to it that is based on today's design trends. Disney design used to take you to a different time or place by being as authentic as possible to whatever theme they were trying to convey, and in most cases those have remained timeless. I'm very curious to see how dated many of the newer installations like Communicore Hall or the refurbs on rides and resorts will in ten years, and how Disney will handle it at that time. I'm not sure what I expected from Communicore Hall, but it is a huge disappointment. Six years to build a cafeteria is crazy, but that's what you get when the executives that are running these parks are running them through spreadsheets in an office, instead of using real creativity to innovate and improve the parks for their guests. As always, great video.
It is crazy to think the same company designs this and Space 220 for the same park and similar spaces. Communicore Hall a complete failure of design and imagination.
Opening day Epcot Center cast member here. (World Key Information Service) I haven't been to Epcot in about 4 years or so. I'm sure I probably won't be able to recognize Future World. I'm sure the new aesthetic will be bitter sweet when I finally make it back.
I haven’t been to the parks and probably won’t be back for 5 years. My opinion is based on what I saw in 2023 and what I have viewed on RUclips. Celebration Gardens is a waste of space. They should have taken the money and built Cherry Tree Lane in England. You used to have things to do there in the ‘80 when it opened and just let things get old and out of date. Now it’s just a place to sit in the heat. So many small attractions could have gone in there like in Dinoland. I think Communicore Hall isn’t ready yet. If you look at the Media Event there are doors that open up to reveal booths and stages, so cooking demos and the like may still be possible. They had to get it open. Now to talk about the elephant in the park, why haven’t they done anything about Figment and Journey into Imagination and the Wonders of Life pavilions. They need to bring back Dreamfinder ( a younger Steampunk version like in the first issue of the Marvel Comic) and do Inside Out in a remake of Cranium Commander.
I miss the old Communicore. I want ny picture painted byba robot again. I want the behind the scenes of how Epcotbis controlled by computer...I want cool stuff again.
I'm sorry I just found your channel and don't know what to call you. We appreciate your videos. People that listen to opinions will make better videos! Feedback is gooood! Looking forward to all your videos. Epcot has GREAT potential. Disney needs to put in a new great attraction in EVERY PARK EVERY YEAR. Spending a bunch of loot and a year to redo a ride everyone LOVES (Splash) is ludicrous, politics be damned.
This really showcases the importance of vision and theming. Yes the old Communicore looked like a dated version of the what we thought the future would be at least it looked like SOMETHING. This just looks like a corporately mandated “made it look good” airport food court
Looks like the abandoned wing of a mall after its anchor store closes.
they gave communicore the same ceilings as my college’s cafeteria 💀💀💀
It looks like an abandoned train station.
This wouldn't even be impressive for a college cafeteria.
it straight up does look like my college cafeteria 💀💀💀
I'm still mad about the Fountain of Nations.
Dude, same.
I am mad about that and the news of MK and Rivers of America going away forever ... BAD idea (like i just said I am not against Cars ... somewhere else ... I actually like the idea)
I am mad about the fountain that used to be in the middle of The Land pavilion.
@@youmatgleI wish they'd keep the gardens but get rid of that planter and put the fountain of nations in the middle of the gardens.
It looks like an airport. It looks like a knock off of Charlotte airport. You could swap in major airport footage for Communicore Hall and we would have a hard time telling.
Concourse F at Hartsfield looks better than this
@@AmusementVision even terminal C at MCO looks better than this.
That's an insult to Charlotte-Douglas 🥲
@@stacyr2775 Logan Airport in Boston looks better than Communicore Hall
That’s what I said! Airport terminal for sure!
“It’s evolving, but backwards”
Seriously, tho, what Walt once said about EPCOT always being in a “state of becoming” is and should never be used as an excuse for doing a bad job or making dumb calls.
This is the pixie dusters' universal excuse for every horrible Disney Park decision.
@@SirBuzz
Imagine Walt just starts haunting them for twisting his words
@@SagittariusAyy Haha. His ghost should issue a fact check on those buffoons.
Seems to be the way Disney design is going, and it's very disappointing. Generic and corporate-looking is not what I want from Disney architecture!
so true 😔😔
Disney definitely Missed the Mark!! There are so many things they could have put there. Dump out the souvenir shop. Maybe a museum of Disney past, showing models and videos of all of the previous shows and attractions. Moana is excellent…so much interaction for kids and adults. The garden…boring!! Bring back a fountain!
@@MannyEmm Disney World is way overdue for a museum space but EPCOT did need a festival center I just wish more was put into it. It shows to me that Disney cares less about giving guests a great festival experience, and cares more about putting in the minimum amount of money to extract even more money from their guests.
@@MannyEmm it feels soulless and reeks of corporate meddling. Even the outdoor part is lacking, though I like the gardens and journey of water. I really miss the fountain of nations!!
@@SailorDisco that festival pavilion looked way better than communicore hall. I wish we got that plus the gardens and moana.
I’m not the first to say it but it looks like a seasonal pop-up store in an empty store in a third rate mall. Think a really bad Spirit Halloween . . .
Even Spirit Halloween has better theming, and they're a three-month deal anywhere at best!
Honestly, I feel like that's an insult to Spirit Halloween.
fountain of nations should have been expanded and made into a miniature east coast World of Color that would come alive at night with projections and lights every hour or so
I don't know what's worse - Disney absolutely failing at making Communicore Hall what it should be, or the people defending it.
Who defends THAT?!?
I have yet to see anyone defending it.
@@bluegold1026I haven't heard of people defending this abomination either
@@twoblacklabs904 @bluegold12026 @kdusel1991 I've seen people defend it on some WDW discords and a reddit account here and there blaming COVID (one example) like Universal didn't continue building an entire park during a pandemic
@@bluegold1026The main defense was that initial impressions were made based on it being before a major festival so decor was sparse. The defenders, which I thought had a fair point, mentioned that it could possibly be livened up during an actual festival and it wasn’t entirely fair to judge it.
Well, a festival has passed and is underway so I think it’s fair to say that it is extremely underwhelming and uninspired now.
My biggest problem with the outdoor entertainment area is how you can hear it from anywhere in the whole non world showcase part of the park. The noise ruins the immersion of all the other spaces.
Hear what? Music?
Bringing up Light Lab is really funny considering that the Muppet Labs theming over at the Odyssey is more up at that alley. Which begs the question of why Odyssey is getting more theming than the new building.
It probably wouldn't be so tragic if it wasn't for the fact that OG Epcot was so amazing
Would it be so difficult to find an Imagineer who actually loves and understands its history, and let them tackle a "new Epcot"? Is that really so hard?
A Joe Rohde? A Tony Baxter? A Bob Weis?
Talent-wise I bet they could get the team started up overnight.
Budget-wise? Good luck convincing the shareholders that smaller details like this are worth spending money on nowadays, even if it's a huge reason that people like the Disney parks so much to begin with. Customer loyalty and goodwill is just another monetary resource to be extracted as intensely as possible.
Creative and critical thinkers are the last people that corporate wants: Celebrity employees are the bane to executives as they might carry more influence over their consumers. Walt’s nephew Roy Edward Disney carried so much influence over Michael Eisner to the point where Eisner was forced to resign from his CEO position as the general public sided with Roy E. Disney.
Seriously, I cannot think of any Imagineers who have such influence as their predecessors within the company now.
They got rid of all the creatives in 2020.
A lot of the creative talent in the industry is over at Universal working on Epic Universe instead
I’m glad the the original plan for the festival center was axed, that building was ugly, but what replaced it was a tragically minimal effort. I can’t imagine that’s what imagineers would choose to create if they had a choice.
I was born in 88 and was lucky enough to see EPCOT through the 90s. It was INCREDIBLE for a little history and technology curious kid. Seriously can't understate the impact 90s EPCOT had on me. I can't go anymore as it makes me so sad.
Communicore Hall is not good. It has bland conference center vibes. You can get a bland Disney conference center at the Contemporary, and EPCOT already has the Odyssey building for festivals, so Communicore Hall is redundant. Everything else about World Celebration, I like. The stage show has fun kinetic energy. The lightning is good if you can ignore the parts that don't work, and the general park "feel" with areas to relax is great, especially when the weather is nice.
I know we weren't supposed to talk about World Discovery, but holy cow that area is a mess. It will feel better when Test Track opens. But right now you just have Guardians with the awkward spacecraft on a pedestal, Mission Space with discolored panels, and the former Wonders of Life Pavilion in quarantine behind work walls. What a mess.
I was hoping they would’ve still done that play pavilion to replace the wonders of life pavilion, I heard they started installing props for it and then they just stopped
@@MoiveGuy24...probably because their group liability insurance cried out in terror?
I adore the Communicore stage; I think it breathes life into the middle of the park. I liked the Encanto show during the day, and then La Calle was great at night. I’m always down for a show that teaches you simple dance steps, it just brings excitement to the atmosphere.
I’m holding out hope that they ran out of time for Food and Wine, and they’ll completely deck-out Communicore Hall for the Arts festival. We’ll see 😅
I loved the Encanto show too! It was a great break during the day. Grabbed a drink and just sat and played the trivia and sang along.
This is what happens when you gut the maintenance department and Imagineering in pursuit of a few more dollars added to executive bonuses. An entrance designed by a first year horticulture student and a multi use area that looks like a warehouse.
So true, you are right
The Encanto show area doesn't have enough cover. It's hot as heck out there in the summer and there's not nearly enough shade.
This is true for the entire new Future World area unfortunately. The entire area behind Spaceship Earth is a bunch of static concrete with extremely little protection from the sun. Being there in August with the sun just blasting down and reflecting off all the concrete planters and pathways, with practically zero awnings provided for shade, was just absolutely brutal.
You said the solution - actually use the space like an exhibit, a festival center - theme it. It’s an empty hallway - they can do whatever they want
Removing the Fountain of Nations & replacing it with a planter (that some said looks like a lady part) was Basic Half-A**ed Refurb #1. And don't assume that one year of Chapek versus years & years of Iger is the root cause.
Chapek is definitely the fall guy
That new planter in the middle does look like a ladies you know what lol
@@MoiveGuy24 I’ve been told that
@@Alex-sh2ll doesn't change the fact that he still made terrible ideas during his reign.
@@kdusel1991 I don’t disagree. Some people think it’s magically going to be better because he’s gone. Iger and others at the top are most of the cause.
You are so right. It reminds me of the small unique shops in a mall a long time ago. Rings and Things?
I don't like Disney's new design choices. Disneyland is my home park and Downtown Disney was fantastic in the early 2010's. Now, it just looks like a mall. I've never been to Disney World, but I always say that I like Epcot Center over Epcot based on my research and it's true. I do like Remy's and Gran Fiesta Tour because those two don't get a lot of love. I think they should bring back the Fountain of Nations and the og JII.
Sorry, when you say EPCOT Center over EPCOT, do you mean the World Showcase over Future World? Cause there’s just the one EPCOT park.
@@Luni25 When I say Epcot Center, I'm talking about the 80's to early 90's. I believe in the mid 90's, they dropped the Center part and just made it Epcot. To me, those are two different things. I understood how that would be confusing tho
I can't figure out og JII?
@@BobothePirate24 Original Journey Into Imagination
@@disneygirl5577 didn't get there until 2014. I'll go watch a video. Figment deserves a modern banger of an attraction.
The terrible design comes from two places... A severe lack of imagination and innovation that Disney has been snuffing out for years now, and a desire to drive people to spend money. They got people in the park, now they want to make you bored to drive people (and their kids) to shop shop shop. That was my biggest take away from Galaxys edge, the whole place was designed to make you spend money.
Only rides and (some) lands are truly themed anymore. Hotels, restaurants, common areas, etc. used to be something you couldn’t find anywhere else - they were magical and otherworldly. Now everything looks like a Holiday Inn Express.
Disney saying is the happiest place on earth and the most magical place on earth and then is going boring generic architectury i would prefer it to be too much and be considered tacky for some than being bland like this
OH GOD!! It went from community collage hall to a dying mall!! 😭
A few weeks ago I got the chance to hear the CommuniCore Imagineers talk about this project. While I can't share details of the particular talk, what I can say is these Imagineers were super passionate about this project and truly gave their all, from themeing callbacks to OG EPCOT to the green spaces to colors used/lighting/etc etc. They are absolutely proud of what they did and I can promise you that this space regardless of how "lack-luster" it seems to Disney fans, was created with as much love as possible. Next time you are in CommuniCore, pay attention to the lighting, the shapes of planters and buildings, see how Walt is sitting elevated looking over his dream park of Epcot and just know that it was made with love from the Imagineers. As for CommuniCore Hall, just give it time and it will be better!
(Disney disclaimer: I do not speak for the brand or company. I am speaking in this capacity as a fan who sees the passion that went into new EPCOT.)
It's unfortunate, but if that's their best it's a really bad sign for the state of imagineering.
I’m hopeful that they’ll make use of it in a better way. It is nice to have this huge space with AC to sit and rest.
My specific thoughts are that I am so grateful that I am old enough that I got to see EPCOT Ctr. in the 1980's as an adult. It was great then. Now it's just bright lights and garbage.
I'm too young to have gone to Epcot Center, and Disneyland is my home park, but I have researched Epcot Center and I can say with confidence that I prefer Epcot Center over Epcot. I will say, I do like Gran Fiesta Tour and Remy's because those are two Disney IPs that don't get enough attention.
I was born the same year Epcot opened and I've always loved it. One of my first baby pictures is in front of Spaceship Earth, I remember meeting Dreamfinder and Figment when I was 5. I was always more into science than fantasy, so it was just a dream come true for a nerdy little kid like me.
I always wanted to go back for an anniversary/birthday, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Did Disney even mention 2022 was Epcot's 40th? Very sad.
i am so lucky i got to ride Horizons a few times and World of Motion at least once ... also (i forget the # sometimes .... 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at MK twice)
I am just happy Epcot wise they "ignored" LIving with the Land .. LEGIT one of my favorites even back in Classic Epcot .. and when i say ignoring it I mean they DIDN'T remove it for no reason
Spaceship Earth is a fav too
@@Xmetalfanx I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have ridden all the ones you listed. My first trip to WDW was in February 1983. EPCOT Ctr. was about 4 months old and not very impressive. There were still a lot of things still to be built or opened. Imagination only had the movie at that time and the line for that ran all the way back to SSE. The following year is was quite a lot better. With 48 trips over 40 years we average a little over 1 trip per year. Most of those were from Vermont.
I didn’t know I’d be catching strays as a Hollywood studios fan. 😂 Thanks Dallin
My guess is it was always designed to be a shopping center to pocket even more money. If it's not a ride or attraction, it's a restaurant or shop.
I was at Epcot a good amount last week, Communicore was actually crazy I thought people were blowing it out of proportion
The main point you nailed here is that when Disney makes changes (good or bad) they are going to be there for 10-15 years. We can disagree on good and bad changes (and we disagree on Splash/TBA), but definitely agree on how long they last. At the end of the day, I believe Disney has to make attractions BETTER than what they replace - coming close or being "on par" with what proceeded the replacement is not enough and will only look worse as time goes on. Source: Disneyland's Tomorrowland.
On a positive note, the outside of the Communicore building looks great. The lighting is nice and the geometric design does play along with spaceship earth. The inside of the building... well... I'm sure there's A/C! Lol!
The hall was definitely affected by the last head of Imagineering with her background in architecture and whatnot. The same could probably be said about some of the newer attractions that opened recently, since they had Covid and Chapek going against them.
I was joking with friends on Discord about how bad Communicore is and that it's basically just a glorified merch shop. It needs more or it's not really going to be popular.
Also, perfect timing on the vid drop! Gave me something good to watch while waiting in line to get into MK for the Halloween Party
What I don’t understand is that even the shop sucksss, mouse gear was more interesting and had better gear to buy
Looks like an exceptionally clean Bus Station.
Moana should have been at least twice the size. It should have taken the same footprint as Innoventions. The water from there should have flowed like a creek all the way through the gardens.
Disney has been taking the beige trend too seriously. When I last visited Epcot it was the day before Communicore Hall opened and I didn't even notice it. When I saw Disney vlogger videos on the opening I realized I had walked right by it.
New Epcot is a mess to me. I feel it is much harder to navigate the gardens than it was to just walk around the Fountain of Nations. I don't hate Connections Eatery or the Creation Shop, though I think their look is somewhat generic, but at least they just updated what was already there. The Fountain of Nations area used to feel sort of majestic and like a hub for getting places around Epcot, but now without clear through-paths I did not find it as easy to navigate. And communicore hall looks like they literally took a conventional center hall and chucked it into the center of a theme park. It's awful. No longer the pride in theming and site lines and wonder things used to have. The Journey of Water was done well...I just think it's placement is a little awkward.
Yeah, if I took over Disney, I would implode Communicore Hall, Las Vegas style since it's slop.
I'd restore the old building and make it a physics pavilion. Sorta like Innoventions, but it wouldn't need to be updated every 5 seconds. It'd kinda be like the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. You'll have interactive exhibits that demonstrate various physics principles and wow people. The east building would have interactive exhibits revolving around manufacturing.
Also, I'd get rid of the weird planter and restore the Fountain of Nations.
you could also retheme cosmic rewind to a big bang ride (which it was allegedly originally conceived as)
@maiastephanie2986 That was another idea I'd do as well. I'd keep the time travel and big bang elements as well. The story would be similar to Dinosaur, but about energy.
I'd also try and keep the songs from Cosmic Rewind and possibly add some more, considering that they're part of what makes the ride great.
@@maiastephanie2986Cosmic rewind is pretty awesome though... At least it ties into Epcot thematically.
@@nkjellman I know I'm probably in the minority on this but I actually like that Guardians is in Epcot. I do miss Universe of Energy, but tbh it got old quick.
I like that you used the word kinetic, id love to see a kinetic sculpture over that garden bed!
Put in designed, multicolor terrazzo flooring (even vinyl), paint murals on the walls and install mechanical mobiles hanging from the ceiling. There Disney, you owe me $100,000.
Communicore Hall is to new Epcot what the black hallways of nothing are to Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights
I was really hoping that it would be dressed up and look festive like it did in the concept art, but it seems like even for the festivals it’ll be “modern” And very corporate looking. And that’s sad because that’s not what EPCOT is.
I'm going during the festival of the holidays. Maybe they'll do something with it hopefully?? I do like that it has AC though. Walking around outside in the heat of the summer can be brutal.
@@kdusel1991 And I’m going during the festival of the arts, so I’m hoping that there will be something interesting there
Not only did the Communicore Hall concept art look more exciting than what we got, but the giant planter in the gardens was supposed to have more elaborate details that would change with each current festival. That also became nothing. It’s too bad that we didn’t get any of the kinetic elements that were teased in the concept art for the World Celebration Gardens (i.e., the wishing tree).
Also thanks for reminding me about Light Lab! I absolutely loved that when I first went in 2018.
That planter is definitely asking for something . . . But it’s a family park.
Thanks, Georgia O’keeffe.
The music ❤❤❤❤❤
I understand them wanting it to be a blank slate, but if you’re going that route you have to actually transform it for each event.
The show may or may not be fine- but it took a beautiful quiet space (the gardens) and added noise pollution. It literally has places to sit and rest and work. And that worked before the stage shows started.
I have 3 reactions to this video.
1. The worlds of Epcot and their themes clashing with each other is pretty valid. Despite this, I think they’re doing an okay job at maintaining the spirit of trying new things and exploring other cultures.
2. I was also at Epcot this weekend! I was on spaceship earth and I just love this ride so much. But it makes me fearful for the future that we won’t get new, non IP rides in the same vain of all the rides at Epcot. We don’t need test track with lightning McQueen, Inside Out’s journey to imagination, etc. leaning too much into IP I feel is cheapening the appeal of Epcot.
3. Epcot still has a general cohesion of identities. Hollywood studios does not. I’m calling it now: Hollywood studios will undergo a name change/rethemeing to align with all their IP-based lands, which clash against each other even worse compared to Epcot
*edit
Those Communicore Hall pics look like a cheap imports kiosk at a dying mall. That's embarrassing.
It's not a total loss. If they could add some seasonal theming to it the way Universal does with their tribute stores they might make it more appealing. And get rid of the merchandise which you can get just about everywhere else. Just use it as a food court with plenty of seating.
Ok, let’s be realistic about the “why” of why we didn’t get the world celebration we were promised… to sum it up in one word “HARMONIUS”. Harmonius went SO FAR over budget that it significantly ate into the world celebration budget causing multiple delays and cuts to projects. Couple that with the fact that the communicore/ innoventions buildings were entirely built with asbestos containing materials, so all of that abatement had to take place before anything, including demolition could happen. As for the fountain of nations going away… and this is just my assumption/ educated guess, is that there were significant infrastructure updates/upgrades needed to rehab the fountain, and it was determined to be more expensive a project than corporate had a stomach for. Also, remember, with the Innovations building, that was literally the “nerve center” of the park. All of the computers that ran the park were located there, and I’m sure that wasn’t an easy logistical task to take on, as several of those systems were still in active use!
The reason Disney is okay with making more money from each guest, while making less money overall because attendance is down is because on the corporate side it makes their business look more efficent. Its such a stupid strategy that needs to be talked about more.
Communicore Hall feels like a place holder. Disney probably doesn’t know what they’re going to do with it yet, so they went with the bare minimum functionality until they figure it out.
I also just got back from WDW, and as lame as Communicore Hall is, at least it’s air conditioned. I will never go to Florida in September again, ever.
September heat is tame compared to the hottest parts of July and August, just went in September for the first time after having always gone in the middle of summer and it was a world of difference
As someone from the Pacific Northwest, let me just say, that going in the summer would just be madness. Zero percent chance of survival for me.
But they spent 5 years REIMAGINING the while area. It's a turd. But yeah MAYBE they'll spend money on something good in the future...
I’m literally in Communicore Hall right now. They have Mac and Cheese.
Since all I can see is what has been shown to me, please tell me this: is Communibore. . . er. . . Communicore Hall simply a shell with barely any interior touches? If it is really nothing but a shell, I suggest you won't have to tear it down to renovate it. Just renovate the inside by planning it out, building the things that will go into the inside, and then close it for a month to complete redo the inside. That way, you take a Bob Cheapskate project and turn it into something that will actually wow the park guests without starting from scratch.
im family friends with the VP of epcot and can tell you she is definitely one stressed out lady lol
That's really cool actually! Could you tell her to make communicore hall better lol. It sucks.
I have a feeling the VP already knows Communicore Hall needs help.
hearing that old epcot music makes me want to cry
Disney management: okay, let’s make it a multi-purpose space, a blank canvas. Then we will let the creatives decorate it to their hearts’ content.
Afterwards…. We’ve got to siphon off money for the missteps in the film division. Here’s a couple grand .. do your magic
New Disney buildings look like fast food buildings. Generic and “modern.”
I think the word you're looking for here is "simplified."
Gotta be as simple and non-offensive as possible to as many people as possible.
We can't have our customers distracted by show when they need to be focused on one thing only: spending money. Nothing else matters.
But by trying to cater to everyone, they satisfy no one.
@@bluegold1026 and that's why they're gonna let Epic Universe walk all over them.
Like new McDonalds or a new Wendy's
I think the outside of the building is super cool especially at night, but aside from that, yikes.
Also, bring back Fountain of Nations
I have to wonder at what point during the planning that Bob Chapel and/or Bob Iger walked into a generic conference hall in a Bakersfield Mariot and said "This! This is Disney! This is Communicore!"
But, but, what about those stock buybacks, executive bonuses, and Bob Iger's 2nd mega yacht? Sure, they hade to crater ten thousand carriers or mostly older workers, but think of the stock value to a handful of filthy rich investors! Think about the billionaires!
We visited WDW las year, and I have to say it was a disappointment overall. And Epcot, outside of Cosmic Rewind, felt old, lifeless, and kind of like a flashy bar when the lights go up. The whole visit was overpriced and less than magical.
Communicore looks like a 1960's mall
Ooo liminal
60s malls have more love put into them than communicore hall!
I Know it hasn't. I Firstly Thought it was gonna be a Throwback to the Original CommuniCore, but No, it Looked Empty.
I know WDWNT is a polarizing channel in the Disney community (I personally really like a solid majority of their stuff but not 100%) but in their late night show they did an interstitial commercial filming new Communicore like a Community College advert and it was uncanny. The whole point of Disney is that they build things that look unique and creative, even if that means being weird or cheesy or difficult to make happen. Not this cookie cutter "every new mall" vibe
This is a great video. I would love to have a 3 hour conversation like this! We done gentlemen!
Disney has increasingly been running their parks as if they were purchased by a private equity firm.
You asked our thoughts. I feel this is an example of Iger putting accounting over creatives.
They could have just not spent money on destroying the old innoventions building and the fountain of nations and instead use that money to refurbish it I think that’s one of the most frustrating part about this is that they wasted money on this building
I’m not a Disney goer at all, and I want one time in 2007 when I was 17, but I just don’t understand what they were going for. I always thought Disney wanted to stand out more and not just blend in with stuff like this. Like what is it supposed to be? An outdoor seating area/food court? A food court when there’s literally an entire world showcase for food?
The center of the planter should be a water pond that collects water, from the large pole/lights surrounding it, they should be squirting water in some way to the center..
Good honest reaction Dallin, i walked into communicor hall, and immediately walked back out. They ran out of money on this project because they lost money on awful movies. They absolutely need to demolish that building and re-do it.
Of all the critiques, the timeline is what really knocks me on my ass. What an embarrassment.
Looks like you're not the only one. Hey Brickey had a video about bad World Celebrations is a well
I just don’t understand why they built a new building. Maybe there were structural/electrical issues? Because they could’ve gutted Innoventions and made exactly the same thing.
I think plans changed after they had already demolished the old building.
dunno if anyone else has mentioned it but this kind of feels representative of one of disneys biggest issues right now: they dont even have to try anymore. i see a lot of people pointing at this and then comparing it mainly to universals epic universe and claiming that its gonna trigger disneys downfall but i dont think theres any universe where thats true. its like disney figured that its the sole vacation spot a lot of people consider and decided to get complacent with it.
Seems like I didn’t miss much when I was there a couple weeks ago. I only had one day in Epcot 😢. Loved Living With The Land! Also ate and drank my way around the world. Fantastic! Epcot has become my favorite park at DW!
Disney has truly lost its way when it comes to design in their parks and resorts. Everything that's not "inspired" by their IP has the same corporate office look to it that is based on today's design trends. Disney design used to take you to a different time or place by being as authentic as possible to whatever theme they were trying to convey, and in most cases those have remained timeless. I'm very curious to see how dated many of the newer installations like Communicore Hall or the refurbs on rides and resorts will in ten years, and how Disney will handle it at that time.
I'm not sure what I expected from Communicore Hall, but it is a huge disappointment. Six years to build a cafeteria is crazy, but that's what you get when the executives that are running these parks are running them through spreadsheets in an office, instead of using real creativity to innovate and improve the parks for their guests.
As always, great video.
It is crazy to think the same company designs this and Space 220 for the same park and similar spaces. Communicore Hall a complete failure of design and imagination.
Opening day Epcot Center cast member here. (World Key Information Service) I haven't been to Epcot in about 4 years or so. I'm sure I probably won't be able to recognize Future World. I'm sure the new aesthetic will be bitter sweet when I finally make it back.
I haven’t been to the parks and probably won’t be back for 5 years. My opinion is based on what I saw in 2023 and what I have viewed on RUclips. Celebration Gardens is a waste of space. They should have taken the money and built Cherry Tree Lane in England. You used to have things to do there in the ‘80 when it opened and just let things get old and out of date. Now it’s just a place to sit in the heat. So many small attractions could have gone in there like in Dinoland. I think Communicore Hall isn’t ready yet. If you look at the Media Event there are doors that open up to reveal booths and stages, so cooking demos and the like may still be possible. They had to get it open. Now to talk about the elephant in the park, why haven’t they done anything about Figment and Journey into Imagination and the Wonders of Life pavilions. They need to bring back Dreamfinder ( a younger Steampunk version like in the first issue of the Marvel Comic) and do Inside Out in a remake of Cranium Commander.
Cherry Tree Lane in the UK pavilion would've sucked too! They were gonna put a teacup ride in there but just make it more generic.
@@kdusel1991 at least it would have been a ride and not just seating in the hot Florida sun.
Looks like a doctors waiting room
I just want them to do something with the old wonders of life pavilion
The Fountain of Nations was amazing. Not only for the water show, but the booming synchronized soundtrack. It actually made you stop and watch.
I miss the old Communicore. I want ny picture painted byba robot again. I want the behind the scenes of how Epcotbis controlled by computer...I want cool stuff again.
Great video as always!
Looks like it's ready to have a Spirit sign hung out front.
Yay im back to agreeing with you! 🎉
From the new Cars land to Tiana’s to Communicore, Offhand Disney continues to have objectively correct takes 😎
I'm sorry I just found your channel and don't know what to call you. We appreciate your videos. People that listen to opinions will make better videos! Feedback is gooood! Looking forward to all your videos. Epcot has GREAT potential. Disney needs to put in a new great attraction in EVERY PARK EVERY YEAR. Spending a bunch of loot and a year to redo a ride everyone LOVES (Splash) is ludicrous, politics be damned.
Don’t even know what there is to do there? Epcot needs some new imagineering. My god.
12:48 Saving this for easy reference in 2039.
This all may be the consequences of the failed Star Wars hotel??
looks like a bank that got turned into a spirit halloween
11:05 - it INSISTS upon itself. smdh
And yes...it's STILL my favorite park as well. Just a disappointment in some parts
The best (and possibly only) part of Communicore Hall is that it's a place to sit down that has air conditioning.
Epcot is Ep-NOT what it should be
This really showcases the importance of vision and theming. Yes the old Communicore looked like a dated version of the what we thought the future would be at least it looked like SOMETHING.
This just looks like a corporately mandated “made it look good” airport food court