Originally Posted By Lewis Goofy <<I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that many visitors, particularly children, find the WS, as nice as it is, boring.<< You have got to be joking. "Many visitors (guest?) find WS boring" I have never seen anyone bored in WS. Just the oppisite I see guest laughing eating and drinking and just having the best time in WS. "Particularly children" the Kidcot areas are always full when I go by them and sometimes there is a line. I see nothing except smiling,laughing children having a magical time. You use the word "nice" to describe WS...WS is fascinating and the most immersive experience in all of WDW. Plus every evening Epcot presents IllumiNations which is viewed from around WS. Boring I think not most guest IMO find they can not do everything in WS in one day.
Originally Posted By Lewis Goofy <<Is it my imagination, or have I read here that the movie was changed a few years ago?<< It was updated in Summer 2003 I believe.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> I would be fine with bringing in another country that had a ride similar to Maelstrom, but nothing further up the thrill ladder. To put in something like a ToT or Rock n Roller Coaster would destroy the Showcase experience. << I always felt that WS could use a circulator PeopleMover to help move people around that big lagoon space. Early concept art for the original Epcot "International Neighborhood" shows PeopleMovers passing by up high. Walt envisioned them taking guests and residents everywhere on property. It would be marvelous to see how the Imagineers could move such a thing through the International WS spaces and still maintain the visual ambiance.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I like the idea if they were at the back of the pavillions and travelled through buildings with art work, music or AA's representing that country. Wouldn't want them at the front as it would ruin the visual ambiance. But what a cool way to view Illuminations!
Originally Posted By MrToadWildRider <<I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that many visitors, particularly children, find the WS, as nice as it is, boring.<< >>You have got to be joking. "Many visitors (guest?) find WS boring" I have never seen anyone bored in WS. Just the oppisite I see guest laughing eating and drinking and just having the best time in WS. "Particularly children" the Kidcot areas are always full when I go by them and sometimes there is a line. I see nothing except smiling,laughing children having a magical time. You use the word "nice" to describe WS...WS is fascinating and the most immersive experience in all of WDW. Plus every evening Epcot presents IllumiNations which is viewed from around WS. Boring I think not most guest IMO find they can not do everything in WS in one day. << First of all are you actually correcting me because I used the term "Visitor" instead of "Guest?" I'm sorry I didn't realize someone VISITING Epcot cannot be called a VISITOR. Second, how many kids do you know? Seriously, have you ever been around children? Most do not list "Eating" and "Drinking" or shopping on their lists of what's fun. Kidcots are relatively new and kids do enjoy them, but let's be realistic they're mostly glorified coloring stations. How many kids do you actually see reading the placards in the art cases in the Mexico exhibit? For that matter how many adults? I think you're also wrong about "nothing but smiling, laughing children" There are many children who do enjoy the World Showcase but there are also a lot who find it for the most part dull. How many children have you seen get excitted about buying stuff in a Morroccan bazzar? How about walking through a Japanese garden? There are many pavillions where children will find very little exciting unless a street performer is currently performing in that area. There are lots of great cultural exhibits throughout the WS and they're very educational and beautiful but you have to understand people don't go to Disney World to go to a museum, they go because they want to enjoy things they don't other places. You throw a boat ride next to China and have a couple of animatronic dragons and historical Chinese figures like Confuscious in there with a narrative about the country and I gaurantee you the China Pavillion would have more VISITORS and leave more people enlightened about the country's past and culture. Have you ever been in the circle vision 360º they have in there? It's wonderful, but ever look around the room? I have, and the last three times I've been there the room is not nearly filled to what it is meant to hold. The same is true in Canada and France and it's worst of all in the post-ride Norway movie. That last one is the most compelling because it's part of a ride that often draws big lines. People don't want a movie, they want a boat ride, they want an animatronic figure to say Bon jour, because that's what they expect in Disney World. AS for the most immersive part of WDW I disagree. Other than being inside the Mexico pavillion I've never once felt like I wasn't in a theme park. The architecture is beautiful and they've done excellent work to recreate famous locations from around the world but it's not that immersive in my opinion. You can't have immersive when at any given time by turning around the illusion is entirely shattered by looking out across the lagoon and seeing all of the other countries all lined up. The World Showcase has for the most part been void of any real new additions for quite some time, while nearly every last bit of Future World has been alrered atleast once if not many times. I don't want to see them ruin WS like they have some of Future World but they have space in the WS which is what they largely lacked in Future world. They can actually add to rather than replace in WS and I think it needs it pretty badly. I'd be interested in seeing survey results of people who VISITED the World Showcase of different age groups and see what they say, but my guess would be more attractions/rides. By the way when I say rides I'm not talking about RnRC here, I'm talking about Rio Del Tiempo, Maelstrom etc.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <There are many children who do enjoy the World Showcase but there are also a lot who find it for the most part dull.< Both of my children - and all of my nieces have always loved WS -- of course we do help them learn while they are there .....and this is part of their nature as opposed to just looking for thrills.... they also love the restaurants - and shopping--are you kidding me. Do you have girls ? If you do and they don;t like to shop I am shocked...Of course if parents are walking around 'bored' - and as you say not reading / learning - then the kids will follow suit. <AS for the most immersive part of WDW I disagree. Other than being inside the Mexico pavillion I've never once felt like I wasn't in a theme park.< Don;t understand this either. How many theme parks can you go to and spend time with people from the actual countries. Have you ever taken the time to talk to them, ask them about where they are from etc.---- we have always done this and I have found they especially love to explain to kids where they are from and why they are there etc. In germany I use my rusty German to speak with the waitresses ( and waiters too but I prefer the waitresses-LOL) - and they are more than accomodating -- it does make the experience totally immersive. Kidcot and those types of stations have been around for quite a while- although not always called kidcot. Hand puppets - masks - getting your name written in arabic in Morocco -- I remember when my 21 year old was younger and doing this stuff.... have you ever seen all the little kids dancing to British Invasion or Off Kilter -- set attractions - ? Taken part in a street show in the UK ? <You can't have immersive when at any given time by turning around the illusion is entirely shattered by looking out across the lagoon and seeing all of the other countries all lined up. < If this is true for you - never never go to Disneyland-- because the outside world around there will shatter the illusion as well. If one doesn;t wantit to be immersive , then it won't be -- but that would be true of anyplace you visited. If you go to a foreign country- and all you see is the hotel and ride a bus past a few attractions - it would not be immersive either....it would be boring ! One has to take the time to enjoy what is there in WS -- if not - then yes it is only a theme park -
