I don’t blame you. The scent of gas in that area is nasty. Very un-Disney smelling.
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It used to be a lot larger. But the track was shortened multiple times over the years to make way for other attractions.
That would probably be a better overhaul. Cause a Tron one wouldn’t feel right unless it was bikes.
Still, a Tron overhaul would probably look insane at night.
Yeah. Plus, with Test Track already being Tron-esque, and the Tron coaster going in, if they made Speedway like Tron, then it would mean Disney would have to make another 2 or 3 Tron movies. (Of course, that might not be a bad thing. I liked the Tron movies!)
Indeed!
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Epcot Future World. I’m spoiled. I got to see Epcot multiple times in the 1980s. All the attractions were truly futuristic. Figment was a big deal. The Seas had a ton of marine life and the whole Aqua Lab theme. I had my first video chat with an insurance salesperson outside Body Wars. The fountains always danced and Capt. EO was the first 4-D film I’d seen.
I go now and everything is run down, pavilions are either gone or shells of what they were. I can’t wait to see the updates / refurbishments they will be making in the next couple years. I only go to Epcot now for World Showcase, which I love, and Test Track (when it is actually working)
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Yeah… I’d love to see this. Also, update it with electric cars. For Wreck-It-Ralph fans, like myself, the rumor is that an attraction based on the IP will take over the Stitches Great Escape / Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter space.
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I remember they had lots of telecommunication concepts that we all take for granted now, but at the time were really amazing. I don’t think anyone really knew how fast technology would be moving over the next decade, but EPCOT couldn’t keep up. I still love Spaceship Earth.
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Agreed. I was at Epcot 4 times in the 80s as a kid. And from a kid’s eyes, Epcot was amazing. And so unique. There may never be another theme park quite like 1980s Epcot.
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I think the problem is there’s nobody worrying sci-fi books anymore making predictions about the future. Or are there? I don’t read many books. Back in the 50s-80s, there were comics, books, tv etc all creating inventions of the future. Who is doing that today?
They don’t have any material to work from.
The issue IMHO is the future always catches up. Same problem with Tomorrowland. I appreciate how Disneyland Paris did it with Discoveryland.
I think the fact that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea seemed like a death trap probably held some excitement, if not attraction, for me.
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I was bummed when 20KLUTS (is that the acronym???) was removed. Thought not as upset as when 2 of my favorites Mr. Toads Wild Ride and Alien Encounter were removed.
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Oh, dear.
You must read James A. Corey (it’s actually two guys), who has written a series of books that the TV series The Expanse is based on.
And of course, watch The Expanse. It’s awesome. Every episode is movie-quality and the science is pretty accurate. I also like how they treat politics, sociology and religion- it seems just like what I would expect things to be like in a couple hundred years.
And of course, the hero is from Montana.
The last open space on Earth.
Never heard of it, but just googled it. Looks like a show I would enjoy!
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Yes! It started out on SyFy, and while it was popular, the quality of the series made it very expensive- as most good scifi is. So they ended it.
Well, Jeff Bezos got wind of that and bought the franchise so it could continue on Amazon. That’s how good it is. I just finished the 5th book, Nemesis Games. I don’t like to read ahead of the show.
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@darkmite2 … I saw the Carousel of Progress, Mr. Lincoln (precursor to the Hall of Presidents) and Its A Small World at the 1964 Worlds Fair. That is nearly 2 decades before EPCOT opened.
It still amazes me what the Imagineers were able to do without the benefit of CAD and CGI
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I don’t think its a matter of couldn’t, it a matter of wouldn’t. Zero spend on updates across FW for years - they wouldn’t even update Soarin’ with digital projectors despite the terrible condition of the film (and the fact that they already had digital projectors at DCA). The few “updates” they did were very lame (I’m looking at you, Test Track). Plus their idea on maintenance seemed to be to run an attraction until it ground to a halt, and then close it permanently if they couldn’t get more corporate sponsorship.
I could go on and on about the neglect and deterioration of FW…
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I have some thoughts about Future World and the problem Disney faces with it.
Someone mentioned science fiction. But Future World wasn’t really supposed to be science fiction, but rather, the promise of future technology transforming our world. It was created at a time where science fiction OFTEN reflected the HOPE of technology and our future.
It is also true that Future World was meant to act as a permanent World’s Fair, showcasing the latest upcoming technologies. This partly why EPCOT relied heavily on corporate sponsorship. Disney itself couldn’t be the sole determiner of what is next to come, but companies on the forefront of cutting edge technology would be!
Fast forward. Most of what we were “looking forward to” with regards to Technology has either come to fruition, or has been recognized as impractical/pointless. Living in communities under the sea may be the stuff of science fiction, but what real-world point is there? Same with living in outer space. Sure, we might be able to do it, but to what end? If the promise isn’t there, it is difficult to try to “sell it”.
Furthermore, modern science fiction is far more dystopia based. It tends to look at the failures of humanity played out in a future, rather than the triumphs. Gone are the Gene Roddenberrys who portrayed the future as an amazing dream.
Corporate sponsorship, too, is no longer viable, really. Companies are far more tight-fisted with their budges, and any future-looking ideas companies have they try to keep on the down low for the sake of competitive advantage. You might have Google and similar companies doing some cutting-edge stuff, but as a whole, companies don’t have the resources to burn on demonstrating their visions of the distant future when they are struggling to focus on the next quarter! Remember the days when AT&T would have commercials advertising the things that, because of them, we would have 20 years in the future? (“You will!”) You no longer see that kind of advertising. Remember the days of when automotive companies would show off far-fetched, sleek concept cars at auto shows? That’s a rarity these days. Concept cars now are usually slightly “futurefied” versions of what they plan to sell in the next year or two anyhow.
So, Disney now has to COMPLETELY rethink what Future World is going to be, going forward. The original vision somewhat impossible. But they can still capture the ESSENCE of that if they shift their future focus less on technology itself, and more on the “larger” social engineering changes coming to our world in the future. I do think the revised Test Track was kind of an attempt at that, but it wasn’t enough. They need to really think about what life might be like for us, say, 50 years from now. What will be different? What things need to change, technology wise, to get us there. But then, they have to figure out a way to turn those ideas into attractions.
Don’t show me a future where my grandkids will be living on the moon. That, to modern sensibilities, is silly. But what about a future where there are no longer individually owned vehicles, and we get around in autonomous vehicles that show up at our door when we need them, or perhaps a future where we have figured out how to live in harmony with nature. What will our cities and rural areas look like? Will high speed trains (hyperloops?) be a part of that future?
Disney can’t just show us science fiction. We get enough of that on TV and movies. Instead, we need to see a compelling vision of the future…or at least, what the future COULD be or MIGHT be.
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Being a lifelong Californian, I have visited WDW only twice, once with my family of 4 in 2011 and just this past May with only my DD19. There are rides that on the first visit impressed me but on the last visit were just ok. EPCOT’s Test Track is a glaring example. On my first visit TT was like “Wow”! I think I loved it because my son then 9 was so excited! After riding it twice in May, I felt like I wasted a top tier FPP. When we had extra time later in the day, we rode it again, and I felt like I waited in the single rider line for how long? I think my changed reaction was because in 2012, I rode CA Adventure’s Radiator Springs Racers for the first time. The ride was so immersive that TT pales in comparison. Hell, the long wait in the queue is well worth it so you can take in the beautiful Disney Southwestern landscape (especially at sunset).
I think they need to partner with Elon Musk for some exhibits. I’m pretty sure he has some amazing ideas about the future and he might not be shy about sharing them. Obviously he’s making lots of money, but it sure seems like he’s mainly trying to earn money in order to fund his next even bigger venture.
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