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EPCOT and the Disney Channel
Jul. 18th, 2007 01:58 pmOriginally posted for disneyworld , cross-posted here for my own records.
In the Disney blogosphere and "behind the scenes" literature, a lot of things are blamed for EPCOT's initial failures and subsequent inability to maintain a steady crowd and a loyal fanbase beyond the "geek" market. Walt's death and the inability of the Imagineers to build Walt's original vision (as we've now been able to see in full on DVD) ranks pretty high. Budget crises and crunches also come up.
"Lack of thrill rides" was Eisner's motto, but his subsequent development has split Futureworld into two - a thrill side (Test Track, Mission: Space) and a kids-friendly (semi-)education side (Seas, Land, Imagination). Rather than being a place the family stays together in (Walt's success in Disneyland), its become a place where families split up - mom and the under-10s go west, dad and the teenagers go east, and Grandma and Aunt Louise head south for the World Showcase. It's a very Balkanized place right now and it's unlikely to change in that respect.
One easy target is just the typical audience - nobody wants to be "educated" on their vacations anymore (if ever - see how the educational parts of both coasts' Tomorrowlands are gone). Horizons was doomed from the start to disinterest from a crowd that had to think too much and wanted a day to stop thinking.
But really, there's a much simpler explanation, one Disney could have done (and done beautifully) but didn't.
( EPCOT: just a spot on the map... )
In the Disney blogosphere and "behind the scenes" literature, a lot of things are blamed for EPCOT's initial failures and subsequent inability to maintain a steady crowd and a loyal fanbase beyond the "geek" market. Walt's death and the inability of the Imagineers to build Walt's original vision (as we've now been able to see in full on DVD) ranks pretty high. Budget crises and crunches also come up.
"Lack of thrill rides" was Eisner's motto, but his subsequent development has split Futureworld into two - a thrill side (Test Track, Mission: Space) and a kids-friendly (semi-)education side (Seas, Land, Imagination). Rather than being a place the family stays together in (Walt's success in Disneyland), its become a place where families split up - mom and the under-10s go west, dad and the teenagers go east, and Grandma and Aunt Louise head south for the World Showcase. It's a very Balkanized place right now and it's unlikely to change in that respect.
One easy target is just the typical audience - nobody wants to be "educated" on their vacations anymore (if ever - see how the educational parts of both coasts' Tomorrowlands are gone). Horizons was doomed from the start to disinterest from a crowd that had to think too much and wanted a day to stop thinking.
But really, there's a much simpler explanation, one Disney could have done (and done beautifully) but didn't.
( EPCOT: just a spot on the map... )
