tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post896372486654720539..comments2023-11-05T00:52:41.562-07:00Comments on EPCOT Central: Every Post Critical Or Trenchant?Epcot82http://www.blogger.com/profile/14763893513279437902noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-46639877201029054842008-03-04T10:44:00.000-08:002008-03-04T10:44:00.000-08:00It's paradoxical, I suppose, that those who enjoy ...It's paradoxical, I suppose, that those who enjoy and admire Disney's creative output are often the harshest critics of the company that produces them. Looking at things critically, however, is not necessarily the same thing as being critical. People love all things Disney because of the fanatical attention to detail, the consistent level of near perfection, and the deep rooted memories associated with Disney music, movies, stories, parks, and characters. When Disney fans critically evaluate products, films, and theme park attractions, most do so through a well-informed, concerned, thoughtful lens, not out of spite or meanness.<BR/><BR/>Nonetheless, sometimes Disney fans do focus on the negative. I am personally guilty of this offense. I find it nearly impossible to enjoy the Disney-MGM Studios with that awful hat at the end Hollywood Blvd., and every time I visit the Magic Kingdom, my heart aches for the leafy oasis that once was the Hub. The parks are not museums, of course, and it’s true that they will never be complete “as long as there is imagination in the world,” but there’s a need to preserve the beauty, the dignity, and the grandeur found only at Disney parks.<BR/><BR/>Despite my concerns, I am happy to note that there is much good to be found in today’s Walt Disney Company. At Walt Disney World, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Expedition Everest are innovative, enjoyable, and memorable attractions. The enhancements to favorites like the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and the American Adventure also come to mind. The six disc set of Disneyland music, the restoration of classic Disney films released on DVD, and the always reliable Walt Disney Classics Collection help bring a little of that Disney spirit into our daily lives. And there is much to anticipate in Disney’s future: the renovation of Disney’s California Adventure, the return of hand-drawn feature animation, and the gems sure to be found in this year’s set of Disney Treasures. <BR/>It is important - no, vital - that Disney fans acknowledge, in writing, ways in which the company continues to “exceed guest expectations.”<BR/><BR/>It is my hope that well-intentioned, articulate, and sincere essays like those found on EPCOT Central continue to appear on web sites. It’s disconcerting to hear fellow Disney enthusiasts say things like, “Well, it isn’t as bad as I feared” when referring to the California Adventure or “It’s awful, but at least they kept the song” after viewing the revised “O Canada.” Settling for mediocrity is not an option for a company founded by the Walt and Roy Disney, two men dedicated to imagination, quality, sincerity, and heart. We need to continue to remind the Walt Disney Company that theme park guests, movie patrons, shareholders, vacation club members, and children of all ages believe in the Disney Company. It’s not slick, trite, insincere marketing campaigns that bring people to Disney: it’s the magic. The Disney faithful ask that the time honored - and highly successful - tradition of quality and heart be preserved at Disney parks, nurturing and inspiring new generations of “dreamers and doers” who will someday produce new “magic.” Now that’s a dream worthy of a million years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-57093968561891168992008-01-26T16:04:00.000-08:002008-01-26T16:04:00.000-08:00I do love the Garden Grill rotating restaurant at ...I do love the Garden Grill rotating restaurant at The Land where a multilevel waterfall flows behind along with the dark ride and the animated environment with nice village houses. I would imagine a kind of intriguing and mysterious cave behind as a natural and interactive playground, yet that don't exist, whereas the deep complex and beautiful architecture is what feeds my imagination. Nemo simply burns it making it simplistic and angry. Lacking of inspiration to persistent starvation of thrills and superficial impression rather than a genuine enthusiasm to the feel of the place, now threatened not having its core energy in mind and supervision as it used to be for decades.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-55774422669658288572008-01-25T10:33:00.000-08:002008-01-25T10:33:00.000-08:00There's a big difference between constructive crit...There's a big difference between constructive criticism, and negative criticism and most people have difficulty understanding that. On this website I have always seen positive, constructive comments about the direction EPCOT could be taking. <BR/><BR/>The best thing to have come from the "meager" 25th Anniversary tribute that Disney put together is the retrospective. It demonstrates the excitement and vitality that surrounded the opening of the park and it's initial years of operation. If that same excitement could be tapped into today, it would make a world of difference in people's perceptions of the place. And I'm not talking about the artificial hype that is associated with much of the marketing that we currently see from Disney. If Epcot is ever to capture our imaginations again, the effort needs to be genuine.<BR/><BR/>I don't think that I would mind a show such as the Three Caballeros in the Mexico pavilion if it were genuine to Mexico. But the tie-in to an old Disney property just seems like they are milking the cash cow dry. Likewise with Nemo in the Living Seas. There are some scenes in the Finding Nemo movie where Pixar goes beyond the cartoon genre and into the realm of serious art. I understand that the ride was probably designed long before the Pixar-Disney merger, but I still see it as a missed opportunity to showcase that Pixar can do some serious and entertaining artistic work. Yet what we ended up with was the most basic and simplistic retelling of the story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-57914877196181619722008-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:002008-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00Thank you for bashing some of the most annoying ar...Thank you for bashing some of the most annoying arguements against EPCOT Center; how it was boring, how Disney needs to make profit, how the stuff there is still "fun" anwyay (even though it's not EPCOT).<BR/><BR/>If EPCOT Center had held true to it's original purposes, and things had been upated in a mindful manner, I believe that EPCOT Center really would have become the "eighth wonder of the world". Instead all we have now is another amusement park.<BR/><BR/>I agree with some of the comments on this page. Disney is not capabel of using epcot to its full potential. The EPCOT Center concept probably could have helped the world. It would have accelerated us into a new era of cultural awareness. <BR/><BR/>We all share this one planet and by globally working together in unity can we make it a better place. This message is too important to be trusted in the hands of Disney now a days.1983horizons1https://www.blogger.com/profile/11011014203964407464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-52647804769099498032008-01-24T23:15:00.000-08:002008-01-24T23:15:00.000-08:00Don't let Tom Staggs hear this. If the price was ...Don't let Tom Staggs hear this. If the price was right and it wouldn't raise too many eyebrows, he'd sell anything he could.<BR/><BR/>Lately, that has included the land that Walt Disney fought so long and went to such great efforts to acquire. Those kinds of sacrifices and the intent behind them (to prevent anyone else from building on Disney property) mean nothing these days.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23143199.post-42584271049596672792008-01-24T21:14:00.000-08:002008-01-24T21:14:00.000-08:00You know, there's a crazy and completely unfeasibl...You know, there's a crazy and completely unfeasible resolution to this problem: take EPCOT Center off of Disney's hands.<BR/><BR/>If a private consortium wanted to buy the place and remake it to those higher standards we know EPCOT can reach, yet still keep the Monorail connection, I think it'd be a better place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com