It's very sad to see what EPCOT has become. I remember going back in ~1986 and they had video phones where you could talk to an "AT&T operator" in Communicore, and tons of other technology that showcased the future. Now, it's a construction site with some Kohl's scattered in between. So right about Disney not paying enough for talented Engineers, also. Congratulations on 10 yrs btw.
Minimizing labor costs above all else seems like a recipe for killing any edge Disney had over its theme-park competition, especially in Orlando but really in general. I see Universal and SeaWorld and even Hersheypark moving forward like crazy, and what has Disney got? Well, they had a big burst of activity several years ago. They've got a new coaster at Epcot that would be a huge draw at many parks, but it seems like the reception has been mixed. But they're cutting back on what made them special.
I very much enjoyed late 80s through 90s Epcot the 25 years my father worked at WDW. I can truly and sadly say that Epcot (the intelligent version) is no more, it's just dead. What in the world is inspiring and informative about Cosmic Rewind?
I really wish they could have come up fun technology, maybe with a new version of the video phones. Some kind of kiosk - maybe like that interactive thing in the rooms in the Halcyon (I only know about this from RU-vid, I can't afford it!) Some way of keeping EPCOT just ahead of technology and more true to its origins, while using current or "futuristic" tech.
@@MattMcIrvin With Tron and the new Guardians of the Galaxy rides, it seems like Disney is moving to becoming more like Universal and SeaWorld instead of concentrating on what made it different from these parks. If that's the case, Universal and SeaWorld will win out because they offer so much more value for the cost. Disney made a huge mistake laying off its employees during COVID, and now it's paying the price.
@@cturnbull789 I will always remember them for laying off thousands of employees, while all their executives got their multi million dollars salaries and bonuses. All the creative imagineers quit or retired, they went to Universal and other companies. Disney is now stuck in an IP, rehash, reskin and remake flux on everything but it makes not supporting them so much easier.
You're absolutely right when it comes to price. The very fact that the parks are so crowded proves that the prices are not even as high as they could be. Vote with your wallets, people!
MK only had about an 87% capacity rate during the entire year of 2021. Universals Islands of Adventure had 127%. So the reservation system has definitely turned off a lot of guests but the ones visiting are happily paying more money. That was their plan and it’s working.
That also means that annual pass holders should not renew their passes. But they could loose the chance to renew them if they don't. So that gives Disney a guaranteed income.
You know you are SO RIGHT- I can never forget about the $11M Bonuses for the Execs - when the front line workers( you know the ones who actually make the money for the parks, for without them, no rides, no nothing) Had to STAND in a food pantry line- Thanks to donations the STAFF ran it and I dont think that the EXECS even contributed to it.
EVERY modern large corporation does this. It's one of the great failings of the US business model. And if the execs do a bad job? They get paid millions upon millions to leave!
And that’s actually the real reason for inflation right now. That Covid relief bill to help companies went all to either the executives of companies or they used the majority of the money to buy more stocks in their own company. Corporate greed.
Think how far 24+ million could have gone to paying labor and Castmembers (I am joyfully writing this in the future, after Chapek was fired). But why did they renew his contract & now pay him that small fortune??? It's make NO sense to me, and if I was a shareholder, I would want answers. I don't see Board Members taking cuts to pay for their repeated mistakes
My wife and I have been huge Disney fans for years. We had Disneyland annual passes for years and took multi week trips to Disney world each year. We stopped going completely when Chapek took over. It’s been over two years since we’ve stepped foot on a Disney property. In that time we have purchased annual passes to Universal, Busch gardens, silver dollar city, Dollywood and six flags and still came out spending less. At times we miss Disney, but can not in good conscience give them our money any longer. Until they start treating cast and fans right we are done!!
I am TIRED of them raising prices after they already took stuff away. You have the point though that people still pay… even all the ones complaining lol. I wish we could all come together and put an end to it or make them offer moren
I think the crowds will be a lot lower next year. You have to remember there's a lot of people going this year who had booked florida trips pre covid (like me and 10 other people I know of)
Agreed with all these points. The persistent emptiness of the Wonders of Life pavilion especially irritates me to the CORE 😡 such a waste of space when you consider the lack of attractions in Epcot in general and over the last 20 years, and I’m definitely of the opinion that a returned focus on “edutainment” for Epcot, as much as I love a good festival, would be wonderful. Such as an attraction that revisits what Life gave us, which was the human aspect of science, and what made me _become_ a scientist 😩 The Play pavilion idea might’ve been good had it been completed in a MUCH more timely manner because it seemed like a modern version of the imaginarium mixed with communicore imho (*with a crap ton of unnecessary IP of course but I’m sure I don’t need to add that I’m irked by the increase in IP in Epcot ANY dang way🙄 lol)
I love it when Brayden can put another spot on video, professional and informative, unbiased, unlike a lot of other influencers, and do it rolling out of bed, genius.
I’m one of the people who said we’re done with Disney and we are. No trip this year and do not plan on returning. Spending our money elsewhere. As always, found this video very informative. Keep up the great and objective work!
Maybe Disney should just take a page out of Universals playbook and just not announce anything 🤔 I mean at this point the amount of canceled projects combined could make a great 5th gate alone 😅
Instead of a 5th Gate, they need to add to the other parks. Epcot could restore Horizons at the Wonder of Life Pavilion and add rides to the countries --- a Alpine Ski Mt at Germany, Alladin at Moracco, Bullet Train at Japan, Sword in the Stone at Britain, Asgard & the Nine Realms (Old Myth) at Scandanivia. At Animal Kingdom, bring in the Beastly Kingdom, Rebuild the Tiger River to what it once was, Add a third attraction based upon the Way of Water to Pandora and the Evcavator to Dino Land. At Hollywood Studios, add an Indy Ride, Zootopia, add Mary Poppins, put in the Theatre with rotating Broadway Disney Productions. At Magic Kingdom, Discovery Bay anchored with Journey to the Center of the Earth with 20,000 Leagues, add Disney Springs with Frozen, Tangled and possibly Encanto, restore Mr. Toad and remove the Princesses Meet and Greet, possibly Gesyer Mt with Western Adventure. Make Jungle Cruise with Dewane Johnson and expand it behind Pirates with maybe a Fire Mt. Disney World is going to have to make a major investment to keep up with the Universal Expansion. They need to ADD attractions and maintain what they have, but the infrastructure of a new gate means more than whereas adding to existing parks with NEW attractions is a better choice and I am not implying repurposing existing buildings like they are doing with Splash Mt which should not be removed. Princess could be an attraction in Disney Springs.
@@wesalex19 In order for Disney to add those things to their parks, each park would have to be the size of Epic Universe and have an unfathomable amount of money. And let’s face it; that’s never going to happen. Even it if COULD happen, no one would be able to afford going there. Guardians of the Galaxy alone was $500 million, the most expensive attraction ever built anywhere. Costs are just going to keep going up. It’s time to think outside of the mousetrap.
I found a 5 night cruise on the Disney Dream for 2400 for my wife, 2 year old daughter and myself. That’s $480 a night for three people and includes food, soda and character experiences. Seems like a no-brainer to do this instead of deal with the hassle of the parks. 😅
Disney has been using the PT Barnum approach lately with announcing projects then canceling them. They want people to get excited for things that are returning instead, which guests still eat up but it’s become their new normal. They need to do what Universal does and not announce anything until the projects are well into construction. First the Main Street Theater, then Cherry Tree Lane, now the entire Play Pavilion? Come on, Disney. 😒
Just bring the Wonders of Life Pavilion back. It is a great theme and deserved a refresh. You can maybe repurpose some of the infrastructure for PLAY if you brand BIG HERO 6 and Baymax, you can even incorporate the INSIDE OUT cast. Create a big audience eater attraction for families (sandwiched between Cosmic Rewind, Test Track and Mission Space).
In general, once Disney removes an attraction's main infrastructure, it's not coming back. Also Disney was burned financially by EPCOT's Edu-tainment concept and if not for the festivals perhaps, the park might have faltered. I think a lot of people forget that and I am certain that is why Disney doesn't want to return to the edu-tainment concept as a driver for any new pavilion.
@@phillyguy199 I have never once heard that about the original intentions of Epcot being a failure. If anything the lack of updates/care was an issue - would love some citations/ actual evidence @PhillyGuy.
Oh man. All those visions and projects only end up cancelled. I don't think there is anything you can take for granted when Disney announces something.
Disney is acting like a company in financial trouble. They're drastically raising prices, announced nothing significant at D23, and I hear (anecdotally) of rides in states of disrepair
Overall park quality has been on the decline for awhile. Rides either down, or elements not functioning. Cleanliness not up to par. Prices creeping up. Convoluted trip planning. Projects taking far too long to complete. Not respectively representing their classic IP's or attractions. Not to mention their divisive political positions. Yet people keep going.
Nailed it! EPCOT is nothing more but a food and alcohol venue with a little entertainment sprinkled in. I LOVE Disney, and have many special moments there, but I don't think I will ever be able to afford to return again. They have priced me out. I don't blame cast members for demanding a living wage, they're trying to raise families too, executives could make a little less and still live very comfortably.
I know it would never happen, but would love to see a brand new pavilion replace the PLAY spot… Disney still has to have those old Weather pavilion blueprints around somewhere 😅
I think the issue of voting with your wallets is tough for attendees of Disney resorts. Many of them are not local residents and not frequent customers. Going to the parks is like a special occasion for them. Thus they feel compelled to “go all out” and spend whatever they need to make their experience memorable regardless of any price hikes or blatant ripoffs. It’s sad that it’s happening but it’s a smart business move for collecting more profit.
@@MrStGeorgeIllawarra I agree that people can easily take their business elsewhere for vacations, but I was mainly referring to the large amount of customers who are big Disney fans that don't visit the parks frequently. In general, I think people who have a tight budget would obviously choose to go somewhere other than Disney but many of the people who continue to go and fill up the parks are either extremely devoted to the brand enough to pay premiums or have enough disposable income to not worry about or even consider the rising costs.
I went recently just a week ago due to my cousin getting married in Miami, so my family figured we’d take this opportunity to do Disney as well. Mind you we haven’t gone to Disney since 04, so with all those years behind us we figured we’d “go all out” as it were. Circumstances being what they were it didn’t make any sense not to.
What ever happened to sponsorship of pavilions? Isn't that how EPCOT started out? The Wonders of Life began as a sponsored attraction with Met Life. Wouldn't it help if Disney partnered with Apple, or Google, or some other well funded commercial organization that could show the brand and at the same time help carry the load?
Under Iger, the sponsorship model was largely abandoned as Disney sees the real estate better utilized promoting their own product rather than being sponsored by someone else's. EPCOT's detractors have tried to reframe the story into one where Epcot's sponsorship model "failed," which couldn't be further from the truth. Disney did not seek to renew the Siemens sponsorship in favor of doing a self-funded update, which is now "paused." Such a mess
Unfortunately, the business model of 10 year sponsorships has gone the way of to dinosaur. Companies are "tight" with $$$$. Even Six Flags had "short term" sponsors.
If this was old Disney, I’d rather them demolish the Wonders of Life building and just put something unique there. But current Disney would either make it a sitting area or a themed area that has nothing to do with EPCOT haha.
Be careful what you wish for because the Wonders of Life demolition arc might not be far off. 😪 I think anything they'd replace it with would look like a warehouse (see Communicore Hall, Guardians of the Galaxy). "Value engineering" leaves no room for unique construction methods like were used for Wonders.
The idea of “having to do with Epcot” is such a lame argument to say that any new additions don’t fit. Epcot was and partially still is in shambles and needs all the love it can get. Reusing the wonders of life building is just smart fiscally and logically since it’s a visually appealing building and isn’t in disrepair, it’s like saying they should’ve torn down the universe of energy building for guardians just for the sake of it
This is not MY Disney anymore- I am so happy I was able to experience it when I did. But thanks to Brayden - you keep the "Spirit" alive- Keep up the Great work.
I have the same sentiment. I was one of the millions who enjoyed Epcot at its peak in the 80s-90s. I'm going to keep my memories (which cost NOTHING) instead of spoiling them with today's Lightning Genie Disney+ Express Hopper (after 2PM!) lanes.
I've always said WDW is like the NFL. People always complain about ticket prices yet they continue, year after year, to pack stadiums. Salaries go up dramatically as a result and fans shake their heads about that too. Until fans say enough is enough and stop patronizing, prices will continue to rise. Basic economics....supply and demand.
It seemed like Play was going to be, in some ways, Communicore revived. But I guess the same reasons that made Communicore wither away applied here--if they couldn't get corporate sponsors to underwrite the costs, and they weren't even planning it here, it wasn't gonna fly. I was honestly excited for the big blast of announcements a few years ago, only some of which have materialized. In an absolute sense, there's a *huge* amount of new, cool stuff at Disney World since the last time I went that would, other things being equal, draw me in. Pandora is new to me, Galaxy's Edge is new, Toy Story Land is new. But it just doesn't sound attractive any more--the total experience just does not sound good.
Yet another solid video from Brayden. Your info is always spot on and I’m here for it. I’m with many when I say I’m disappointed with price increases, delays or cancellations of attractions. I get Disney is a business. Increases will happen. My family goes every couple years or so. We budget and save. Lately we’ve just started staying off property cause it’s expensive. I started taking our oldest on 2 day trips for one on one time with dad and that’s when we stay on prop. For families it is expensive. Plus the addition of ILL and genie+. Sad for all of this.
Okay. Use the Wonders/Play building to build a new dark ride: Horizons 2.0. That wouldn't be labor intensive to staff -- and long-time fans would flip out. Think about that "choose your ending" reimagined now that we have virtual reality. Imagineers, you're welcome.
Now that we have an official Fantasmic date... it makes no sense Disney didn't announce it at D23. They could have talked about the new additions and enhancements. Instead they talked about hypothetical stuff that none of us actually believe. Just shows you how terrible the current leadership is. They have no idea what they are doing over there... starting with Bob and Josh. Only thing they are good at is raising prices 👎
People might be shocked with soda prices, but I think they'll be more shocked to find out that Six Flags and Cedar Fair have the audacity to charge even higher. I'm surprised that Disney hasn't attempted to match their prices.
Disney could raise prices much more on everything. I feel like the lightsabers they could be charging double and that would do nothing but increase interest where the price becomes so outrageous content creators would be online showing off their $500 super overpriced custom lightsabers. I BOUGHT DISNEY'S $2K LIGHTSABER!!!! 😱
They should turn the old Wonders of Life Pavilion into a Planetarium, it would work perfectly for the space theme of the World Discovery land within EPCOT. I'm sure Disney could make some amazing planetarium content and the building is already domed so it wouldn't need to be a complete rebuild of the site.
Rumor has it it is only delayed. They need time to upgrade the free activities area to include a Lightning Lane Queue for the Disney Greedy+ App. They are also renaming it the PAY! PaVillian.
Bob paycheck deserves literal jail time but I definitely have gone overboard planning for the best strategy for Genie+ but it’s definitely out of desperation. I haven’t been to WDW in 6 years and so much shit has opened up since then. We don’t have time to wait in lines all day and have to miss out on so much bcuz at this rate who knows when or if we’ll be able to come back? Many of my family members (there’s 19 of us going)have never been and we’ve had this Christmas vacation planned for two years. The amount of price increases since we booked is horrendous but even more horrendous when your consider the amount of things they’ve cut. It’s disheartening how visibly corporate and greedy they are now. I wouldn’t have a problem with genie plus if we were able to just buy it and get in a lightning lane but the fact that we have to play it like a damn slot machine 😒
I was surprised at how few people attended EPCOT, last year. For such a gigantic space, with enormous capacity, the all-for-food push could be improved with more and better things to do to pull more people in.
What a bummer for Wonders of Life that just feels like it's hurdling towards being completely torn now. I think a lot of guests enjoy and appreciate temperature controlled interactive and meet n greet spaces. It can be a great place for everyone to get out their wiggles and have a brain/body break from standing in lines. I know we still enjoy ImageWorks/The What If Labs after riding Journey into Imagination w/Figment even though those exhibits are super dated.
If it were up to me, I would turn the pavilion into a new ride. There needs to be more rides in EPCOT. I would prefer it not to be IP based; however, that is not going to happen. If I had to choose an IP I would say make it a Wakanda themed area bc first we know it won’t happen in AK. Also the dome is similar to how Wakanda blends in.
A very very very long time ago it was rumored Microsoft wanted to sponsor the pavilion and put a coaster in it which would utilize virtual or augmented reality.
@@MickeyViews wow that’s seems interesting, that roller coaster would have made more sense than cosmic rewind(although it is a good ride). Do you think in the near future, like 2028 beyond after epic universe Disney will ever build another gate? And where do you think on property they would build it?
Build a dark ride in Wonders which can projection map all of the classic defunct rides that don’t exist any more and tout it as Future world theme Time Machine
great Supply and Demand analysis Brayden. Disney may eventually get rid of the reservation system... when they price to a level that evens out. Don't expect cuts anytime soon. Let's see what happens in 2025 when the new Universal Park drops in FL.
We just went last week to Magic Kingdom on a Tuesday to Wednesday- we went to the Halloween party which was Completely Oversold it was Jammed packed and difficult to see the parade and fireworks And of course there was trash everywhere. We stayed at Coranodo Springs which we never will again- The room was dirty and hair in the sinks One big thing we notice was the cast members were not friendly like they used to be and that was at the resort and the parks. We only go twice a year Once for Halloween and next 2 days for Xmas We will see how that goes we booked at Hilton off site for Xmas definitely not worth the money to stay on property anymore
LOL! Speaking of "unfriendly" cast members, I wore a pretty mini tiara/comb over a top bun and a cast member told me I "put those Bibbity-bobbity bi#*hs in their place"! I was aghast and just about spit my drink! LOL!
@@MemeinAndDreamin That was a couple of years ago. I doubt that the cast member is still there, even if I did recall exactly who it was. I'll never forget what was said, though.
What’s the deal with Disney just straight up lying about new attractions they plan to bring here lately. Just like the splash mountain wasn’t anything close to what they revealed. Disney is slowly losing me!
They announce stuff before they even have a concrete plan. The hype surrounding upcoming projects is a product of its own to keep people talking about Disney, going to Disney, and thinking about the brand.
Braydon I gave up my passes when I saw what Disney was doing and I bought Universal and upgraded my Busch Gardens passes, I now spend less than I did for my Disney passes!
For us, we do some of the things at Epcot but the main reason we go is to eat. I was thinking they probably workshopped the play pavilion after it was announced and it was such a random amalgamation of things that people didn't really understand what it was going to be about.
I'm lucky to be a local with an annual pass. I feel like I can still get a great value from that, though I spend a LOT less in the parks than I did 5-10 years ago. If I was an out-of-town visitor, I wouldn't even consider Disney right now, and if I had DVC I'd probably be looking to sell it. In the end, it's all supply and demand, and until Disney decides to increase supply, either with a 5th park or a 3rd destination _(Texas maybe?),_ they'll stick to raising prices and limiting access.
This will be the first year in 5 years my husband and I won’t be making even 1 trip to Disney. While we could afford to go we’ve also gotten to that point where enough is enough. This year I went to the Hoh rainforest in Washington instead of Disney and it was well worth it. The PNW is beautiful.
I never looked at Epcot that way in that they don't have to repair or build quickly since it is a food destination. And that literally is my husband's favorite park because it IS a food destination! But I still want rides and experiences-so I will still sadly go and take what I can get while we have walls up everywhere...
This Disneys business model now - Big announcements, huge promises. Then scale it back, then scale it back some more, then cancel most of it, then put the prices up. I don’t think I’ll ever visit again.
My last visit was the first day the MK opened after the pandemic. I bought my universal pass a week later and haven’t stepped foot on Disney property since
Regarding prices, many people will take their families, even though it is expensive, thinking “ok we need this, and deserve it, let’s do it now, as we don’t know when we can come back again”.
Thanks for the News!! I don't usually give much weight to what WDWNT reports. I'd luv this to be my 1-stop shop for Disney news weekly.... [Even if it's just to hear there is no real news to get too excited about.]
With all the artifacts Disney owns, if they wanted to go cheap, they could have just made the pavilion into a museum. People would have liked it and it could have been done on the cheap.
In a few years Disney is going to have a major problem. They have the time now to plan for it but it seems like they just don't care. I'm very curious to see what type of effect Epic Universe will have on Disney.
It’s also possible that the old Wonders Of Life pavilion may soon be demolished to make way for a completely new attraction that’s not as expensive as the Play pavilion project if they decide that doing anything with the old structure will be too expensive.
Outstanding Braden if only people did as you say , thank GOD they still have water fountains around the parks, thanks and keep up the great work always look forward to hearing you comments
I am a long-time DVC owner and have started doing resort only stays. We eat at a sit-down once or twice in a week and otherwise, we don’t eat on property. I haven’t purchased a sofa in the parks since the 1990s.
I always wondered if there is a reason Fantasmic has never been replaced for another show? I feel like they change shows for the other parks quite often but ever since I was a kid Fantasmic has been the only night show at Hollywood Studios. Of course I love it, just I wonder if they will ever change it
The poor Wonders building just can't catch a break. It's actually depressing how long it's been in limbo/ unused. I guess it's back to being a warehouse again, maybe Disney will paint it blue so it can "disappear."
Very key point on what Epcots appeal is today. For Parks fans we will always want Epcot to be that Disneys World Fair, the general public wants to see their IPs while stuffing their face with slightly foreign food and alcohol (which is very understandable, that sounds fun too) I’ll be surprised if they do anything besides bulldozing in the next 5 years.
Here in my home of the Bronx NY I was driving yesterday through Co-op City and thinking to myself, "It's insane to believe there was once a theme park here that was considered the East Coast Disneyland. Most don't even know it was ever here.". I'm referring to Freedomland which closed due to financial issues etc. I predict that years in the future many will be driving through a sea of buildings in Orlando, having that same thought I had yesterday.
Brayden, awesome video as always. In my opinion, the Park attendance is made up of A)Annual pass holders B)International travelers & C)People that love Disney so much that they will pay any price to go. The groups above will always guarantee Disney a steady revenue stream.We are located in Tx. As a family, we have to save a lot to visit. We try to go every 5 years. We were there in 2017 and had a BLAST!! We averaged 10 attractions a day! Our most recent was Christmas 2021. What the heck!! We had to be on our phones the WHOLE DAY!!! Horrible cell service and we averaged 4 attractions a day!!! FOUR!!! Unfortunately,We are Group C.... but I have 3 more years in convincing my wife that Epic Universe is a better option. Hopefully, more people will have the courage to spend their money better...
The issue with raising food prices is they are taking advantage of the fact where else are you going to eat or drink in the parks .. you can always bring your drinks and save the money but food not so much you don’t want to eat cold sandwiches at the park you want a hot meal .
This is a good point. And even if someone was of a mind to swing it the way my family used to wayyyyy back in the day for Disneyland trips when we lived in SoCal - bringing snacks/lunch and going back out to the car midday to eat it - the parking situation at WDW parks makes that not as feasible. Hell, the crowds make it non feasible, you’d lose way too much time trying to do so especially if you’re parked in Unicorn 😅
I think all your analysis is spot on. But if Disney think they can push us around, they are wrong. I won’t visit the parks any more. And I’m a stock holder and long time annual pass holder.
We've downgraded our annual passes, we very rarely buy merch. We used to go 1-2 times a week, now we go 1-2 times a month. Refuse to buy Genie plus. We definitely have to speak with our money. Not saying we'll stop going to the parks, but we cut down a lot. We also bring our own food and drinks most days. we'll splurge on a dessert. But it's just too much.
Between the baymax show and inside out they have so much material for a new wonders of life pavillion, even just a "life" pavillion. It's a shame it's just wasted. The body wars ride system will probably be what ends up in the avengers campus as their new e ticket, lol. They even found a way to repurpose the monorail golden gate bridge from the old days of CaAdv, that will be part of the San Fransokyo reskin if the wharf, haha.
And you just explained why I cancelled my planned trip for the 50th. For me it wasn't just cost, but my line in the sand was Genie+. You want me to pay X amount for fastpass. OK . Wouldn't be happy but if it was part of a just reasonable price gouging package, I'd do it. But I am NOT going to my former happy place and spending my entire day with my nose in my phone. That is as anti-Magical as I can think of!!! Plus even Paycheck said, in response to how many more price increases, he said as long as people pay they will continue. What Disney is forgetting is we all have been through what feels like decades of hell with Covid. Folks are paying for one insanely priced trip because they haven't taken any in years. I don't see that continuing. And with the current reality of fuel prices this winter, not to mention supermarket pricing, and I know of some hard core Disneyholics who have all cancelled or put plans on hold a year or so. I don't mind the usual Disney price gouging, but if I can't pay my mortgage and afford to enjoy my time in the parks, I'm not going!
How is it that the EPCOT re-imagining was so poorly conceived? The very concepts were all wrong for a company that likes to pinch pennies. With greater design development they could have predicted the pitfalls of each failed project. Only after significant investment at various stages, they now see that the Play Pavilion is too expensive to run, the festival building was too expensive to build and Harmonious was too cumbersome to capture the imagination of park attendees. Disney needs to realize that much of EPCOT was almost alright. It just needed refurb and investment -- not demolition and new so-so attractions that are nowhere as good as the ones they replaced.
Another spot on video... albeit an obvious one. The good news is everyday more people wake up and realize the "Disney Experience" has become the "Disney Cash Grab". Regardless though of how we see it, the 💩 is really going to hit the fan when Epic Universe opens.
I'm one of those people that only go to Epcot to eat and drink. I really have no use for the front half of the park and never even heard of the Wonder of Life Pavilion so I'm not missing it. On my last visit I Ubered to Hollywood Studios first, then took the gondolas to Epcot. Came in the back way where all the food and drink are. At the end of the night I took the boat over to Boardwalk, had Ice Cream and Ubered back to the hotel from there. It would be great if we could just park at the World Pavilion, come in that way and skip the front of Epcot altogether. As for the Play Pavilion; I was never the least bit interested in it, thought it was doomed to be a failure just like that basketball thing was at Disney Springs.
Admittedly, the Play Pavilion honestly sounded like it would've stunk and gotten outdated very quickly, but nonetheless, Epcot is a total shell of its former self. Disney seems now to be in the business of overpromising and underdelivering, and this has happened without fail. Play Pavilion's cancellation, the removal of animatronics on Cosmic Rewind, entirely unrealistic concept art, the massive delays with Tron, and more. They need to take a page out of Universal's playbook and not announce anything unless they can assure it'll be ready and as described.
Good point about having conviction over price hikes. If you complain while you simultaneously continue to throw money at Disney they will never take your criticisms seriously.
Epcot is about food? That's so gross. I was there recently and we just avoided the world showcase after seeing people crowded in and spilling beer everywhere. Epcot has a limited amount of rides and we couldn't get on two of them because the lines were out of control. This is despite paying for lighting lane. The kids left crying. Shame on Disney.
There’s no excuse for them to keep canceling projects and raising prices when they are making insane amount of money from genie plus and lightning lane alone.
I think it would be cool to have a planetarium. It's already domed. They could do some pretty cool stuff and it would be low cost for labor. A nice place to escape the heat.
very excited that fastasmic is reopening up in time for my January trip. Fastasmic is one of our many favorites. I really hope the new changes will be good. It was such a let down from Enchantment from HEA!!! Anyone know any rumors from the rehearsals of cast members on how the new additions are looking? I noticed they never mentioned Malificent the dragon? Wonder if that giant puppet is still going to be there?
I can’t wait to see how Disney is in a year or 2 once all the pre covid booked holidays are all done. They are walking on hot coals with raising the prices every month. It’s getting ridiculous. I was one of them that had a pre covid holiday booked to Disney world but after hearing about all the price increases, introducing genie plus and taking perks away I decided to cancel and booked somewhere else. (Land of legends in turkey) Il never pay to go to Disney again. I’ve completely given up which is sickening as Disney world used to be the best place on earth. No where compared to it in my eyes.
Looks to me like Disney Quest V.2 - it would’ve failed. Cancelling it was a good call. This real estate area should go to a state of the art new attraction.
Well my family are done with Disney after this trip in December. I was plain on buying a lot of shirts and other things on this trip but since they keep raising the prices I’m buying food and nothing else.
How did WDW management NOT factor in the labor /casting costs for the Play Pavilion in the first place?! Certainly they new and budgeted in advance. Why use it as an excuse now?
I've given up. Disney has always been an expensive adventure. You got quality service and goods back in the day. Now not so much. The quality of everything has gone down and the prices are insane for what they offer 😔
The "Play" building needs a new roof, perhaps a modern squared-off roof of glass or LCD screens like what a few of the cruise ships have. Second, the walkway into the building feels too cluttered, with too many trees blocking the building. That building has been plagued for over 20 years, there must be an Imagineer in that company that says the time has come to start fresh and re-design the whole building. As a Disney lover I've been rattling my brain as to what I'd like to see go in there, and what I've come up with is a modern way of saluting theme parks of the past and Expos. Perhaps a dark ride for the family taking us through the most popular Expos, like the 1939 Expo in New York, the 1962 Expo in Flushing Meadows etc.
I heard from a reliable source that they were turning this pavilion into a building where unsuspecting guest would wander in and huge magnets would suck any residual cash out of their wallets. The plan was met with an enthusiastic response from current Disney leadership. 😂
I haven't been to any of the Disney Orlando parks since 2016, and with the way that prices have gone up up up, I doubt that it's going to be on my "possible future vacations list" anytime soon. Unfortunately, the people who visit Disney "once in a lifetime" are willing to spend, no questions asked, the unreasonable Disney prices for food, drinks, merch, line perks (lightning lane, etc.) while the Annual Pass holders or "Disney every year" regulars may not. It will be interesting to see what Disney does when the recession hits full force in 2023.
Spot on comment. Echoes what one of my daughters recently said. We used to go 1-to-3 times a year when my daughter's were growing up. I moved here just on the edge of the Disney bubble when I retired. Then was hoping to go every week. The changes at WDW were severe to me. She told me her inlaws were down, and I said "I bet they're frustrated". She replied "Dad, they're not like us. They only go once every 5-6 years. They are not going to notice the changes. She's right I believe, just as you are - people don't know if they go every few years.
Hey Brayden…here’s a request…how about diving into your “sources” and finding out what the HECK is going on with the dining plan. They swear it’s coming back…but when? At this point, I honestly don’t see what the hold up is anymore. Any clue on this?
Another great video Brayden. We’ve decided to vote in our small way and for the first time in many years, we have no plans to visit any park in the future. One ‘no’ vote makes virtually no impact, but maybe more of the masses will start to follow and stop being taken advantage of.
