Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Well folks, we just got back from a 3 week adventure in France, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. Many of the spots we visited are represented in World Showcase. But of even greater interest was at the 1956 Expo grounds in Brussels, where there was much that seemed to be directly lifted into the design of Epcot. I wonder if it is coincedence? We also visited Europa Park which was a great replacement for Epcot for us. And the hotels in Europa Park and Phantasialand topped any owned by Disney in our experience. But this is not about having a pop at WDW, this is more about trying to see where some of the ideas came from. Also in Strasbourg is a wonderful new light railway that could be a wonderful option for WDW to solve their transport issues. <a href="http://mb.laughingplace.com/MsgBoard-T-119367-P-1.asp?c=1" target="_blank">http://mb.laughingplace.com/Ms....asp?c=1</a>
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Walt Disney is quoted as saying, "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed. It will always be showcasing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems." He also read Ebenzer Howard's "Garden Cities of To-Morrow", as well as many other books on city planning. I forget the name now of the Eropean Park that also was instrumental in the Disney designs. I am sure Walt studyed a lot of differt versions of the World Fairs.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo It was the wonderful Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen that really made the impression on Disney. But there was so much familiarity at this expo, especially the japan pavilion, it looked almot identical to Epcot's Japan pavilion but predated it by 25 years. Lol
Originally Posted By MPierce I couldn't think of Tivoli Gardens to save my life. I'm sure the imagineers that designed present day Epcot studied architecture of previous Expos around the World. It would seem highly unlikely that 2 concept buildings that looked almost identical built 25 years apart came from 2 differnt design teams on 2 different continents.
Originally Posted By Manfried I think a lot of elements at the Montreal Expo also influenced EPCOT Center. Especially some of the film elements used.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Oh cool Manfried, in what sort of ways? And also, which films? I found a very cool website if anyone is interested, that plots the history of the World's Fairs: <a href="http://www.expomuseum.com/" target="_blank">http://www.expomuseum.com/</a>
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Well, one of the largest buildings at the Montreal Expo was the "BioSphere".... looked a ton like SSE, save for the fact that it wasn't a full geosphere. <a href="http://www.justgoodwallpaper.com/view/jlm_canada_quebec_montreal_expo_67_biosphere_1600-800x600.html" target="_blank">http://www.justgoodwallpaper.c...600.html</a> It WAS filled in, at one point, but a fire destroyed it. <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3239551514_e10b9f1618.jpg" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com...1618.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By Manfried I remember reading some stuff about the different film formats that were at the Montreal EXPO, besides Imax. A lot of them were very similar to stuff that was at EPCOT Center's opening day. Of course now they could do it all with digital projectors.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros From what I recall, there are several shots from the original O Canada film (some of which are included in the Martin Short version) that were originally used in the Expo, including the opening shot with the Mounties 'pushing' the regular screen into the 360 format. It's amazing that after all these years, something so temporary continues to be shown, and continues to be an extremely well done effect.
Originally Posted By MPierce For those that haven't seen it before here's Walt's original plan for EPCOT. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9M3pKsrcc8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...3pKsrcc8</a>
Originally Posted By MPierce Here's some more interesting facts about the development of E.P.C.O.T. Center. <a href="http://progresscityusa.com/2010/04/20/epcot-origins-1977-master-plan-5/" target="_blank">http://progresscityusa.com/201...-plan-5/</a>
Originally Posted By danyoung >Walt Disney is quoted as saying, "EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are emerging from the forefront of American industry.< Whatever Walt said about E.P.C.O.T. the city has absolutely nothing to do with the reality of EPCOT Center park. The entire concept was completely changed well after his death. I get a little pissy when they talk about Epcot being the final realization of Walt's dream, when it's nothing of the sort. I really LOVE Epcot the park, by the way - but I sure would have loved to visit that city Walt had in mind!
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<danyoung, go to the town of Celebration.>> Or Disney's Golden Oak Resort being constructed on the Disney Eagle Pines golf course just south or Bay Lake. <a href="http://disneygoldenoak.disney.go.com/?CMP=KNC-GOBrandGoogle&s_kwcid=TC" target="_blank">http://disneygoldenoak.disney....kwcid=TC</a>|20188|walt%20disney%20world%20golden%20oak||S|b|9484134829
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>For those that haven't seen it before here's Walt's original plan for EPCOT. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...3pKsrcc<<<<" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...<<</a> So improbable... but not impossible. And look how confident he looked! Look how bold the company was! Such originality! We'd be lucky if we got a 10th of that, today.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>>Whatever Walt said about E.P.C.O.T. the city has absolutely nothing to do with the reality of EPCOT Center park. The entire concept was completely changed well after his death. I get a little pissy when they talk about Epcot being the final realization of Walt's dream, when it's nothing of the sort. I really LOVE Epcot the park, by the way - but I sure would have loved to visit that city Walt had in mind!<<<< Disagreed, sorry. Sure, it's not the "total" package of what Walt wanted, but it certainly embodies the same spirit. International fellowship, prototype testing, forward thinking ingenuity. Walt Disney World DID become EPCOT, even if that's hyperbolic.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<danyoung, go to the town of Celebration.>> Yeah, go Danny ... if you want to see a depressed community with bad roads and loads of foreclosures and plenty of available office space. I just don't think Walt had Celebration or the new Golden Oak monstrosity in mind when he came up with the visionary concept that was EPCOT.
Originally Posted By leobloom Only reason I would go to Celebration is to eat at the Columbia Restaurant there. Wouldn't want to live there for anything.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I think Port Sun Light, or Bourneville with modern tech would have been more like it. Or even Milton Keynes, the town Spirit enjoyed piri piri chicken rather than being dumped in a field after a day in Oxford. In all seriousness, I love Epcot Center, but I think EPCOT would have likely ruined the company, even though I adore urban planning.
Originally Posted By brotherdave I do believe that a lot of the inspiration for the park was taken from many World's Fairs. Probably the most influential was the 1964-65 New York World's Fair that Disney was involved in fairly heavily. Aside from the four classic Disney attractions that were developed for the fair (Small World, Lincoln, Carousel of Progress, Magic Skyway) that eventually ended up at Disneyland, the layout of the fairgrounds looks remarkably similar to what would become EPCOT Center. But I think that there was also some influence from the Montreal Expo '67 as well as the one in Brussels. Whatever inspired EC, I'm certainly grateful for. It was one of the most amazing theme parks ever created. I just wish that they would not have removed so many of the big Future World attractions (Horizons, World of Motion, Journey Into Imagination) that were so reminiscent of what you would find at world's fairs, but done so well in that classic "Disney-style".
