How I’d Fix Epcot
Epcot has just wrapped up a years-long renovation, but there are still a few changed that need to be made.
Ever since I first went to Epcot in 2017, the park has been in a constant state of construction. As someone who didn’t grow up knowing Epcot, I’ve appreciated the update that the park has undergone in the little time I’ve been familiar with it. I will gladly take Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind over Ellen’s Energy Adventure any day, thank you very much.
Yet from what I understand about what Epcot used to be, it seems like exactly what I love about Epcot now: it’s kind of lame? But it’s also charming in the way it attempts to blend educational elements with actual entertainment. Yet I always adore that Epcot, in many ways, is kind of boring in places. It’s a remarkable park, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something so wild about one of Disney World’s biggest parks having so many things to do that are just based on learning and not necessarily trying to “entertain” in the conventional ways. Epcot is maybe the strangest theme park I’ve ever been to, but that’s also what makes it so great.
What Does Epcot Need To Do?
Unlike Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, which are both undergoing major changes right now, Epcot has basically wrapped up a significant overhaul of the park. Lands have been renamed and changed, new rides have been added, new restaurants, and event spaces. In the last decade, Epcot has been shifting, and for now, it seems, Epcot is done with the update. But I still think Epcot could use a few changes that could make it better.
For my update of Epcot, I want to do the following:
Give World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature a much-needed update
Find ways to make World Showcase even more exciting to explore.
Bring more edutainment to Epcot with some nostalgic flair.
OK, let’s get into improving Epcot.
Give Spaceship Earth the Attention It Deserves
Back in 2019 at D23, Disney announced a whole slew of new projects, some good (Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind! Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway!), some bad (HarmonioUS! Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser!), and some things that were shelved for later. One of the biggest things that has been lost to time was an update to Spaceship Earth, which would have “new scenes reflecting the universal nature of the human experience,” along with “a new guide and all-new narration will focus on the storytelling that brings people together.” Oddly, given the size of the refurbishment, this plan would’ve also meant that Epcot’s icon would’ve been closed for its 40th anniversary. Six years later, and it seems like Spaceship Earth’s update plan is no more.
As of this writing, Spaceship Earth has just reopened after a two-month refurbishment, and despite a few slight updates to things, the ride remains unchanged. Which is a shame, as people who don’t even know anything about theme parks know about the “big ball” at the center of Epcot, and I imagine many of them visiting for the first time would be slightly disappointed to find it’s a rickety dark ride with out-of-date animatronics and a Dame Judi Dench narration. As I said, I love that there are parts of Epcot that are just inherently lame, and Spaceship Earth is part of that as well, but this ride could definitely use a substantial update — especially given it’s the central ride of the entire park.
I don’t necessarily think this is an update that needs to happen ASAP, especially considering all the other construction going on around Walt Disney World Resort. But once we’ve got Cars Land, Villains Land, Tropical Americas, Monstropolis, and all these other major projects wrapping up, it would probably be the perfect time to shut Spaceship Earth down for a complete overhaul, and by that time, it could be theoretically ready for Epcot’s 50th. Six years later, I’m still so curious as to what Disney’s Spaceship Earth plans consisted of, but they always say no good idea dies at Disney, so hopefully it’s just a matter of time before this ride gets the love and care it deserves.
What Are You Doing, Communicore Hall?
Last year, I took my mom to Disney World for the first time, and I told her how long it took for this space to open. When she saw what was inside, she just looked at me like, “this? This is what’s in here?” I think that’s most people’s response when they see Communicore, which seems like a big ol shrug of a location that is so centrally located, yet such a waste of time. Sure, there are character meet and greets, some food offerings, and a Coco-themed dance party, but the inside has all the charm and excitement of an airport lobby.
Communicore is getting better, and I do appreciate how they decorate this space based on whatever festival is happening. During the holidays, I loved the gingerbread Spaceship Earth that put on a show. But it’s not exactly a space that I want to take my time to go explore, especially when it’s so easy to head right into World Showcase from World Discovery or World Nature and completely bypass it altogether.
I think this area is on the right track somewhat, but I definitely think more should be done to make it a hub for whatever festival is happening. Before you head into World Showcase, this should be an essential stop that gets you pumped for whatever you’re about to walk into. Make this essentially the hype-up center for the festivals. Give me photo ops, merchandise, special food booths, etc. Just make this into a key location for Epcot. This area has definitely been improved since its opening, but I just need it cranked up a bit more.
Hey, Remember Wonders of Life?
I’ll be honest, I don’t remember if I’ve ever been in the Wonders of Life pavilion, but I’ve always been so fascinated by the things that existed there, like Cranium Command and Body Wars. This area is still on the map, just a yellow dome wasting away into nothingness, and right next to the park’s biggest ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, no less. But an old abandoned pavilion is perfect for something I think Epcot truly needs at this point: a celebration of its past.
As someone who is curious about the history of Epcot and all the experiences I didn’t get to see, I was very excited about the idea that Cosmic Rewind would be a celebration of old-school Epcot. And while there are some well-hidden references, the gist of these references seems to be Star-Lord just listing a bunch of things that no longer exist. In my mind, I hoped that Cosmic Rewind would have something almost like The Collector’s Warehouse in Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! at Disney’s California Adventure, just themed to former Epcot rides and experiences.
But I think the Wonders of Life pavilion could easily turn into a celebration of all things old Epcot, like Kitchen Kabaret, Maelstrom, and Horizons. In recent years, I feel like Epcot has started to lean more into nostalgia for its previous experiences, and I would say there’s more nostalgia for what this park used to be like than any other WDW park. Epcot is full of such strange and wild concepts that no longer exist, and I know people would love to revisit or get to see for the first time. Too much great theme park stuff gets lost to time, relegated to YouTube videos and rumors. But the love for old Epcot is there, to the point that I think having a dedicated space to all that used to be could actually be pretty great.
Burn Mission: SPACE to the Ground
I’m going to say it: Mission: Space is the worst ride in Walt Disney World. I’ve ridden both the Green and Orange Mission, and they’re simply different levels of discomfort. Going on Mission: Space is a ride that asks, “Hey, do you want to feel like shit for the rest of the day?” I almost never feel sick on rides, but I get nauseous just thinking about going on Mission: Space. It is a day ruiner, and I want it to burn in hell where it belongs.
Now that goes there, I truly don’t know. It’s hard to imagine a space ride that wouldn’t interfere with what Cosmic Rewind is doing next door, but also not feel like something that should probably go in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom instead. There is part of me that likes the way the ride vehicle for Mission: Space sort of encompasses you and traps you into the vehicle, so I’m cool with keeping the design, just like, tone it down a few degrees, for the love of god.
As for Space 220, I truly believe this restaurant should’ve been in Tomorrowland, if for no other reason than it makes it easier to get rid of Mission: Space next door. Now I’ve only been to Space 220 once, where I sat in the bar area, had a few great appetizers and a nice drink, and I enjoyed myself quite a bit. But Space 220 is also a cool concept that is fairly one-note. Once you’ve done the elevator up to the restaurant, you’re basically just looking at a giant window to “space,” which is cool, but gets old. This is such a small update, but I wish something more had happened in that screen to keep me excited about waiting around there. Let WALL-E and Eve dance around for a bit. Throw a Star Wars vehicle in here and there. Have the Guardians fly by on their way to Cosmic Rewind. Give me anything other than that glimpse of space. It’s a very cool idea, but it doesn’t take long for Space 220 to show you all its tricks.
Restore Our Beloved Figment to What He Was Before
Again, as a fairly new person to the world of Epcot, I have not seen Figment in all his beautiful glory. My take on Figment at this time: I love the little guy, but his ride sucks and I don’t want to see him on it. As someone who never saw the older iterations of this time, it’s wild to me that Journey Into Imagination With Figment used to be better, because it’s hard to imagine someone seeing the ride the way it is now and saying, “now THIS is the ticket!” Journey Into Imagination is bad, and yet, I will pay tribute to that purple weirdo every time I go to Epcot out of reverence for the ride I never got to see.
An update to Journey Into Imagination has been a long time coming. Due to the fandom around Figment, he’s become the unofficial mascot of Epcot, and Disney has really leaned into that once they realized they could sell hella Figment merchandise without having to have, you know, a good ride behind him. But it’s clear that fixing Journey Into Imagination has long been a consideration for Disney, especially since, like me, people love Figment but think the ride sucks shit.
At this point, I think the best thing to do would be just bring this ride back to its previous glory. Bring it back to what it previously was. Bring back Dreamfinder. Make this ride actually feel like exploring the imagination, and not, what, the five senses? That’s not imagination! I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched videos of the older version of this ride because I don’t want to be disappointed, but anything has to be better than this.
And I think we can all agree that every part of that pavilion needs to be improved (although I am a low-key fan of the shorts theater). The little games after the ride? Bring those into the 21st century. If you have to bring Inside Out into all aspects of this pavilion, so be it — it would make perfect sense! This is such a cool building, hiding one of the most disappointing rides in Disney history. Our boy Figment needs better representation!
World Nature Needs Some Refreshing
There might not be a better example of what I mean by the idea that Epcot is sort of lame, but that’s fun, than in World Nature. This is without a doubt the part of this park that feels the most like it’s trying to teach kids something, which is the opposite of what kids want to do on their vacation. However, it’s also kind of delightful in how lame it is, and I love that about Epcot. But World Nature needs some help.
I like the dated ambiance of The Land, but I do think it could be a bit less shitty? Like if someone told me one of the floors crashed at The Land, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. I’m just talking like, new carpeting, and give Garden Grill upholstery that doesn’t look like it’s straight from an old Shoney’s. Living With the Land? Don’t you dare touch it! Soarin’? Go ahead and make that single-rider line permanent! My biggest thing, though: get rid of Awesome Planet. It’s absolutely an informative movie that states some very necessary points that everyone needs to take to heart, but c’mon give me some entertainment with my education, and no, that doesn’t mean just making Ty Burrell narrate how the world is ending. I would bet that of all the movies you can watch in Epcot (there are a surprising amount!), this is the one that is rewatched the least.
Then there’s The Seas. Even though it clearly has added The Seas with Nemo & Friends and Turtle Talk With Crush, this segment seems like it hasn’t been touched since the ‘90s. Even though I love seeing the fish, it’s disappointing just how rough this place looks at this point. I’m sure updating a freaking aquarium isn’t an easy task, but The Seas truly needs it. Having an entire aquarium within an amusement park is fantastic, and a great example of how Epcot combines education and entertainment, but this needs a fresh coat of paint and some updates throughout, immediately.
World Showcase Should Get More Rides Appropriate for the Country
The World Showcase loop is 1.2 miles around. There are three rides on this loop. That’s it. That’s absolutely unhinged for a theme park. Imagine going to a full theme park and they said, “Look, we’ve got two dark boat rides and another ride where you’re shrunk down to mouse size.” You would ask for a refund. Now, yes, there’s plenty of other things to do in World Showcase and Epcot in general, but for an amusement park, this part of Epcot is lacking in, well, amusements.
Back to that D23 with things that were announced but never built, the U.K. pavilion was supposed to get a Mary Poppins-themed ride that would’ve basically just been teacups, but inside. While this might be a bit disappointing, the excitement over this — even after we found out what it was going to be — shows just how desperate Epcot is for more rides. And even though there are only three rides in World Showcase, I think the park has found a really nice balance of using IP to play with what countries they have, without becoming too beholden to these rides. Each of these countries would still be great without these rides, but it does add a nice extra bit of excitement about those countries.
Now, I don’t think every country needs its own ride. Let’s not get ridiculous. Sorry, random outpost between China and Germany, hit the brakes! But I would love to see more integration of IP-relevant rides within respective countries. Again, it can be something as simple as a Mary Poppins-style teacups ride, but I do think having just two extra rides, even in this part of the park, would do wonders for this area and help lower wait times on Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Do More With the Hidden Games!
I’m going to keep this one short because I want to write a whole piece about this attraction, but one of the most fun days I ever had at Epcot, truly, was going through World Showcase and playing the DuckTales World Showcase Adventure game on the Play Disney Parks App. Apparently, it was a Phineas & Ferb game before that, and before that, a Kim Possible game, but considering I don’t know shit about either of those shows, DuckTales was the IP that lured me into this.
But it’s a brilliant way to explore these countries, and I feel like I know more about what each of these countries has to offer simply because I played a silly game on an app. I think Disney needs to do a better job of advertising this amazing game, and also expand it even further to other countries. If there were a new country every time I went to Epcot, I would be playing this game over and over again. Oh, and make it so that the app doesn’t crash a thousand times when trying to play it too, please.
How About a New Country Already?
The last time Epcot added a new country to World Showcase was Norway in 1988, only four years after the park opened. In the decades since, there have been tons of rumors about which country could be added, with Disney even announcing a few that never came to be. For example, Equatorial Africa was announced, but it seems unlikely to ever happen now that we have Animal Kingdom. But not only is there plenty of room for several countries, it’s just about time they add something big to World Showcase.
I don’t know too much about what was planned for the countries that were announced and never happened, but it’s clear this has been on Disney’s mind for quite some time now — especially if they can get a country to come in and help pay the tab on the construction. Thinking about what areas aren’t covered anywhere in the parks, I do think Greece would be a cool addition (with maybe some Hercules representation?), or even Australia (kids would love a Rescuers Down Under ride, right? RIGHT??)
At the very least, if they don’t want to add an entirely new country, I wouldn’t mind expanding some of these a bit more. I’d love more to do in Canada, or more representation of the individual countries in the United Kingdom. World Showcase is such an incredible section of Disney World, but it gets easily crowded, despite there not being much to do in regard to rides. Adding space in World Showcase, either via entirely new countries or expanded countries, can only be a good thing at this point.
So what do you think? How would you improve Epcot? Let me know in the comments how you would make Epcot a better park.