Random Observations

This latest trip to Walt Disney World and EPCOT provided lots of food for thought. Below, in no particular order, are some observations and musings, some of which will stand on their own, some of which may be developed into later, more detailed blogposts. Bear in mind, it's just a sampling of thoughts ... feel free to add yours!

• With just four small snips, the "Spirit of Norway" film could be perfectly timeless and run forever ... but it would also help if they could project it digitally so the worn-out 70mm print wouldn't look so scratchy.
• It's still a mystery why some people resist that downright majestic five-minute film.
• Whoever decided to move Norway's stroller parking to the lagoon side of the World Showcase Promenade deserves at least a commendation, if not a medal of some sort.
• Journey into Imagination is not a horrible attraction, it just assumes kids are a lot dumber than they are
• It's a crying shame that the entire upstairs of the Imagination pavilion is used only for storage; it looks eerie up there, like it was abandoned in a hurry.
• The Nemo ride that now opens the Seas pavilion is atrocious and gets worse, not better, with time; at least the old, oft-maligned reef ride gave us something to look at beyond cartoon projections.
• How odd it is that "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" has a hard time getting anyone to see it at Disneyland, yet it remains a top attraction at EPCOT.
• Spaceship Earth gets better with every ride, and the video descent is pretty good -- too bad it's all played for laughs instead of having at least some basis in reality (it comes across like one of those cheesy "futurism" cartoons from the 1950s).
• The new moving images of the caveman fighting the mammoth that open Spaceship Earth are just wonderful
• Judi Dench isn't a bad narrator, she just comes across as a bit smug -- especially when she says, "Remember how easy it was to learn your ABCs?" and "Call it the first backup system." Ugh.
• At the Magic Kingdom, it's easy (too easy) to find Magic Kingdom merchandise; DHS merchandise is a snap to find at DHS; Animal Kingdom is filled with DAK-themed product ... so how come there are about 10 SKUs of EPCOT merchandise at EPCOT?
• That said, it's such a thrill and delight to see "old-school" EPCOT logo items.
• But, really, couldn't MouseGear have a whole "EPCOT" section, including futuristic/technology-driven doo-dads and thingamajigs?
• The Fountain of Nations is a kick to watch when it goes into full "water ballet" mode, particularly at night when it's spectacularly lit -- and, astonishingly, each nozzle and light has to be programmed manually. To whomever does that job: Congratulations, you do it astonishingly well!

• Among the things I never knew (or realized) about EPCOT: The park's west side is ruled by water, curves and lots of flowers and trees -- while the more tech-heavy east side is all sharp lines and grassy areas, and gets the harshest sun of the day.
• There seems to be a lack of consensus about whether the EPCOT Center logo on the ground in front of the Fountain of Nations marks the original "center point" of Walt Disney World, or whether it's the center of the wonderful set of inventors' quotes and landmark dates between Innoventions and The Land.
• Boy, those hallways in the southwest section of Innoventions are awfully barren; can't someone add more artwork, a mural or some sort of permanent displays in this area?
• On that note, EPCOT seems to have more unused areas than most theme parks, which is a shame.
• Speaking of unused, can't Odyssey be turned into a permanent, multi-faceted "princess dining" experience? There could be a Belle seating area, an Ariel seating area, a Jasmine seating area, a Snow White seating area ... and still room to spare, and the building wouldn't just sit there unused most of the year.
• An EPCOT cast member told us, shockingly, that EPCOT management is thrilled to have the old Wonders of Life pavilion sit empty, because they can use it for festival headquarters "and it takes pressure off of other locations in the park." Really? Is that the official line? That's pathetic.
• Ballzac has got to go.
• What a missed opportunity that the Teacher's Center doesn't still exist.
• Soarin' is a great attraction but really, really makes no sense as part of EPCOT. (The same cast member told us, "As long as it pulls in guests, no one will see a need to change the film." Yes! That's the Walt spirit!)
• Once you know about the show buildings behind Germany and Japan, they're all you see.
• Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is just wonderful -- it would be great if someone could figure out a way to communicate the "story" to guests in some fashion.
• The old World Key reservation stations outside Guest Relations are still there, just clumsily boarded up; never noticed that before.
• Spaceship Earth is like a great painting; I could stare at it for hours and just contemplate it. It's a truly inspirational and awe-inspiring piece of architecture that is unfairly dismissed as an "amusement park icon."
• How is it Disney can spend $4 billion to buy Marvel and pay its top executive $51 million a year ... but it still "needs" corporate sponsors to run its attractions?
• Epcot is fantastic ... but, man, with someone in charge who had genuine vision, EPCOT could be truly, jaw-droppingly extraordinary. Maybe that day will come.