Gran Fiesta Tour continues a revival at Epcot
One of the most heated debates in the Disney fan community stems from the introduction of characters into Epcot. Since Mickey first came to Epcot, reportedly because Michael Eisner thought a Disney park without characters was a bad idea, the purists have lashed out at the very idea. But in the last couple of years, things of gotten much worse for the purists. They could barely handle Mickey and Goofy in space suits, or even a double-decker bus filled with all the kid favorites, but now we have character driven attractions. And the latest, the Gran Fiesta Tour, is proof the concept can work and will likely move forward.
It amazes me how people were convinced this attraction was not right for Epcot even before they ever saw. Just having characters there, a departure from the original Imagineering concept for the park, was enough to peak their anger. Usually this type of criticism starts with the “Walt wouldn’t want this” nonsense, but the Epcot we got in the early 1980’s was so far removed from Walt’s idea to make any such argument baseless. Instead, we get this idea that the original concept for the park is the best one, with no changes allowed to that vision. This reminds me of my favorite Diane Disney Miller quote about her father…
“…with the park, it’s something you could change, something that can grow. But the people who really love it won’t let them change any of the old attractions. I don’t think he ever thought that would happen.”
She was referring to Disneyland, but somehow the same problem has grown with Epcot as well. Despite the terrific success of Turtle Talk with Crush, and the new Nemo ride, the quality of the experience didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was not like the original Epcot rides.
The problem I have with this argument is that the original concept was by no means perfect, to the point where Disney felt the need to re-work it in order to stem falling attendance. Yes, some of the dark rides were terrific, especially Spaceship Earth and Horizons, but they were all very similar to each other and the overall experience grew dull as a result. The Living Seas is a more entertaining experience now that Nemo and Crush have arrived. The same can be said for Test Track (which replaced the campy World of Motion) and Ellen’s Energy Adventure (which replaced a poorly veiled Exxon infomercial called the Universe of Energy). And nothing better exemplifies an improvement then the Gran Fiesta Tour. The Three Caballeros have injected energy and an entertainment value into a ride which used to be nothing more than a cool dark place to nap on a hot afternoon.
And what is even more interesting, is that these new character driven rides do a better job at immersing people into a new environment than the ones they replaced. Donald and his friends are much more engaging tour guides than the faceless voice of El Rio Del Tiempo. And Crush and Nemo actually get kids excited about the world under the sea, rather than making them sit through a melodramatic documentary followed by a terribly anticlimactic ride through the aquarium.
Perhaps I am letting my own experience get in the way, but I certainly wish the Epcot we have now was there in the 1980’s when I was a teenager. Back then, I enjoyed the park once a trip at the most. If my parents wanted to go back, I would cry boredom and then often go by myself over to the Magic Kingdom to do something fun. If all of the amazing rides Epcot has now were there then, I would have never complained. Now, I find myself there more than any other park. My applause goes to the Imagineers for re-inventing an amazing park and a great ride.
Biblioadonis said,
June 7, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Kudos!
I was waiting for a post like this. My brother and I were just talking about this.
Would Disneyland still be popular if it had been left “as is” in 1966 after Walt passed away? Or any of the parks after that?
Sure we miss the old attractions, but how many times did you ride El Rio over the past few years? We always rode it because of our kids and the low wait time. Now we really are looking forward to it because of the addition of the characters.
What would Walt want? A park full of happy people. Coming back over and over again. Not just for nostalgia–but for the excitement and the love.
Mike said,
June 8, 2007 @ 1:02 am
I for one will not miss El Rio Di Tiempo. It was d-u-l-l.
David said,
June 8, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
This is just me. I want to see WDI’s newest and greatest. I’ve seen the old stuff, and I love most of it too (though not the Universe of Energy), but when I hear something new is coming I get excited. And recently, the new stuff has been terrific.
Candice said,
June 8, 2007 @ 7:12 pm
Definitely!!! When I was a kid, I HATED going to Epcot because it was soooo boring. Kids need to be entertained. I understand having something for the adults, too, but there can be a happy medium. Which, I feel like they’re definitely starting to accomplish. I actually like going now that I’m an adult…BUT…it’s not the older rides that I like, it’s the new ones that the kids enjoy too.
Maybe it’s just that I’m still a kid, though…and still need to be entertained.
Raidermatt said,
June 9, 2007 @ 10:21 am
Well, I’ll take a shot at trying to explain the real issue.
Yes, some want no changes anywhere.
Be gone with them. They are not relevant to this conversation.
The biggest problem Epcot had wasn’t that Eisner brought in characters, it’s that at the same time he (or those at his direction) basically cut most of the additions and expansions that were planned for Epcot in the mid-late 80’s. The Imagineers knew what they were getting into with Epcot, specifically Future World. It was going to need periodic updates to remain relevant. When those updates never materialized in any meaningful way, the park became stagnant. (World Showcase is a different animal in that it really has a completely different vision/theme than Future World, but it hasn’t helped that it hasn’t had a new country or attraction in 20 years.)
Of course a Nemo-ized Living Seas is an improvement. That pavilion and its concept of the future had not changed substantially in nearly 20 years. In fact, key elements of it not only were not updated, they were simply removed.
The question isn’t whether the Nemo version is an improvement over what was there before. The question is would updating the pavilion while sticking more to the original vision of Epcot be a better option for the park, and for the resort as a whole.
Difficult to answer I know. We can only see what’s in front of us. But this isn’t really about characters, and it’s not about trying to decipher what Walt would want. It’s about homogenization. WDW has 4 theme parks. Is it better off making all parks closer in feel and theme to the Magic Kingdom? Or would it be better served by keeping a greater level of differentiation between the parks? All still family-oriented entertainment of course, but beyond that….
Sure, Epcot wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea. But neither was the Magic Kingdom. Epcot broadened WDW’s appeal. Let’s face it, there’s people out there who don’t want to be bothered with “kid’s stuff”. We all know them. Epcot pulled more of these people into the fold.
Charcater-driven attracitons in Epcot are really just a result of the decision made long ago to not only abandon the Future World concept (come on, really, what is futuristic about it today?) but also to make it more like a “typical Disney park”.
THAT’S really what the issue is, not just that some fans want nothing to change.
Mike said,
June 13, 2007 @ 1:43 am
I will only disagree with you on one point Matt, and that is that the Magic Kingdom isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Lets face it, when people think of Disney or WDW then think the Magic Kingdom. When people plop down several grand for a vaca to WDW its with the Magic Kingdom in mind. Those who wouldn’t like it, probably wouldn’t give WDW much of a thought anyway.
I like the Nemo-ized Living Seas. Turtle Talk is great. But I would add more hands-on scientific exhibits such as those at the pavillon in the old days mixed in with the new ride and Turtle Talk
Raidermatt said,
June 14, 2007 @ 9:21 am
Sure, MK is the biggest draw, but I think Epcot went a long way towards expanding the base. A lot of families aren’t of a single mind when it comes to Disney. Mom might be into it, but Dad might think it’s kid’s stuff. When you provide some family options that aren’t “cartoonish”, you can make Dad a little more willing to come back sooner.
I think by making Epcot more like MK, they aren’t providing that incentive for the less “pixie-dusted” family members. After all, as you said, the people who like the MK-type experience are already hooked. Does a Nemo Living Seas really make them more likely to visit?
For comparison’s sake, it would be nice if we could see some recent plans/concepts that Imagineers drew up that weren’t Nemo-ized.
Anonymous said,
June 28, 2007 @ 2:26 am
Thank goodness I was alive to experience EPCOT Center firsthand before the executives started to make it suck.
Whenever my friends ask me what EPCOT Center used to be like, I usually draw this comparison:
There are attractions in this country that are historical villages. When you walk through the gate, you were transported into a village in the 1840’s, or 1600’s.
EPCOT Center was just the opposite. When you walked through the gate, you felt as though you were in the 22nd century. When I was a kid, I wanted to LIVE at EPCOT Center. I never found any of it dull for a moment. I didn’t need Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Nemo, Woody, Kim Possible, Captain Sparrow or any other stupid character to keep my interest.
Now, Epcot is just another theme park. They’ve stripped it of it’s soul. One of my friends went there not too long ago & he nearly cried at all the changes. He originally was going to stay there for four days. He only stayed for one. He told me to save my money & just look at all the old pictures I took during earlier visits.
If “Finding Nemo” turns your screw when the lights are out & the doors are closed, good for you. I watched the movie. I like the movie. I even bought the DVD.
I don’t want Finding Nemo in my Living Seas. Kim Possible belongs on the TV screen, not in my Journeys Into Imagination. Donald & his two feathered friends can get the heck out of the Mexico Pavilion.
If your kids are bored with science, then you don’t need to Pixar-ize EPCOT, you just need better kids.
KINGCRAB said,
June 28, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
David, please delete the above uncalled-for comment.
KINGCRAB said,
July 4, 2007 @ 10:37 pm
Also, Anonymous, not only could you be any more innacurate with your above comment, but you were EXTREMELY mean-spirited and discriminatory with the unnecessary remarks that you made, especially the final sentence regarding “needing better kids”. Any kids or parents that may have read that would’ve VERY offended by that.
We all have to get used to change and learn to embrace such changes. And the character-themed attractions at Epcot are excellent and DO keep with the theme of the park. The ‘toons are great and they are here to stay.
David said,
July 5, 2007 @ 12:11 am
Well said, KingCrab. Persoanlly, I never like science. Did that make me a lousy kid? I liked history and english. Science…boring!! Therefore, hearing about the wonderful ways Exxon is making our petroleum lives better was awful…annoying