Originally Posted By HauntedMansionFan I was just sitting here, waxing nostaligic about the very first time I visited EPCOT Center in 1986...everything seemed so new, so magical and so innovative...just wondering if anyone else on here misses the good old days of EPCOT 'Center,' too!
Originally Posted By brotherdave Oh how I miss the old EPCOT Center! The new additions, though nice, don't match up to the splendor that was EC in the 1980s! Horizons, World of Motion, Kitchen Kabaret, and the original Journey Into Imagination were ALL classic Disney attractions that could have been updated, but should never have been removed!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN I miss the way all of WDW was in the 80s, period! Clean, efficient and very magical...in many unexpected ways. As it is now? M'eh!
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn The EPCOT Center of the 80's is the only EPCOT that there ever was. Listen up Kids: Things actually were better 20 years ago than they are today.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Listen up Kids: Things actually were better 20 years ago than they are today.>> I can’t speak to the 80's because my first visit was in 1991. That was still essentially the original EPCOT though. Some parts were better, some parts were worse. I enjoyed Horizons but have a hard time understanding why anyone misses World of Motion. The exhibits in the Communicore were BORING. Innoventions is much better. The World Showcase of 1991 was a good place to shop and eat but not much else. I think far more entertainment is presented there today than what I remember from 1991. Personally I prefer today's Epcot. The first time you see ANYTHING it is more awe inspiring that after you've seen it 20 times. I still think much of the nostalgia for the "good old days" at WDW is based on that and little else.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Yeah my first visit was 1998, but I can say that I miss Horizions terribly...I think I was among the last few lucky ones to ride it. Also I miss the old Imagination. I barely caught that one too. I missed Captain EO, but I don't feel bad about that one. I miss the Wonders of Life pavillion terribly...Cranium Command and Body Wars were among my favorites. I do NOT miss Food Rocks really...it was good, but soaring is better. I miss the Hydrolators.
Originally Posted By NYthrillseeker Wow, it's funny that someone should bring this up the day I'm getting on a plane to go down to WDW. I'll be in Epcot tomorrow, and I really do miss the Epcot Center of old. My first visit to EC was in 1984 when I was 10. I remember it very well, and went back in '86 and '89. Even though I love the humor that Ellen Degeneris brings to Universe of Energy, I miss the old original show. But I guess most kids found it too boring. I LOVED Horizons and getting to choose between space, sea, and desert. I even have a soft spot for World of Motion. I still love Epcot more than most people do, but I agree it's just not the original. I haven't tried Soarin yet, I'm sure I will tomorrow. The Kitchen Caberet was a great show, and Food Rocks was great as well. I hope they don't ever change the Spaceship Earth, it's still as good as ever, but with a new end song. Whatever happened to Tomorrow's Child? If you haven't been to Epcot in the 80's, you won't really know what you missed. One last thing, they need to get rid of that stupid sign saying Epcot over the SE, we know it's Epcot!
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl I'm with you on all counts DVC Dad.. I just loved Wonders of Life and Horizons. I have a button at home from Captain EO. That movie was great, but it scared the bejezus out of my then 5 year old son!
Originally Posted By Chelledun I'm kind of torn. My first visit was around 89 or 90, and I was fairly young, and I thought Epcot Center was the coolest place ever. I liked the Land better then, and liked World of Motion better than Test Track. Mission Space is probably my least favorite ride, while I liked Horizons a lot. JII was definitely at its best in the 80's and early 90's. But there are things I like better now too. I like the Universe of Energy better now with Ellen, because she is my favorite ever. Although I like to listen to Tomorrow's Child on CD, I still like SE better now. I love the new Nemo attraction and the spruced up Living Seas. So, overall, I guess I'm about even with pros and cons of the changes. I do love to try new things, and some of the old attractions might have become really stale for me by now.
Originally Posted By BlueOhanaTerror My first visit was when it opened, in 1982. For my money, Epcot Center started going downhill around 1989. By 1991, the focus was being lost. And there was always a plentitude of entertainment in WS. Whoever said there wasn't as much back then, probably just caught the park in a week when less was scheduled.
Originally Posted By Boca Chica Blue Ohana Terror: Your 1989 figure is definitely in the ballpark, but I always said WDW jumped the shark when the 15th anniversary ended, around 1987. The 15th was an 18-monther too. After that, Captain EO, Norway, the new resorts, Splash Mountain (really debuted around the 20th, but the greenlight was given after the 15th), and the entire MGM studios all changed the atmosphere of Disney World. Some of the changes were good, and some snowballed into Mickey's Spaceship Earth Wand. I say the 15th celebration was the swan song.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I'd gladly go back to the EPCOT of the 80s over what is there now. Just look at the Odessy talk about bland useless buildings. At least in the 80s there were double decker buses running around so you didn't have to hike around the World Showcase unless you wanted to. What do we have now? Wonders of Life is closed, Only a portion of the Imagination Building is open. Several great incredible attractions featuring automatrons ( what ever they are called ) are torn down. Gone are the attractions that use to take 20 minutes or more. Now we have rides that frequently breakdown, where you wait 45 minutes of more on a ride that takes less than ten minutes. Or worse a ride that sends you to the hosptial.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom No parades..... I could go on and on. The World Showcase looks neglected. My last trip paint was coming off of the buildings in China. Whats with equitorial Africa? Why don't they just post a sign saying "to find this Showcase Pavallion now go to its own resort and theme Park on the other side of the Disney Property. Can anyone explain permanately shutting down the phones in the bottom of SSE? Remember when you could look online at the live feeds of cameras stationed around EPCOT and other Disney Parks around the world.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I quess Disney needed the bandwidth capacity for there ever expanding Resevation Desk.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<No parades..... I could go on and on.>> There never were parades at Epcot until the Millennium Celebration; long after the 80's. <<The World Showcase looks neglected. My last trip paint was coming off of the buildings in China. >> I've never noticed this during my trips, but accept your word that it was like that on your last trip. <<Whats with equitorial Africa? Why don't they just post a sign saying "to find this Showcase Pavallion now go to its own resort and theme Park on the other side of the Disney Property.>> The Outpost was never a pavilion. All it has ever been is a refreshment/gift shop. <<Can anyone explain permanately shutting down the phones in the bottom of SSE?>> Come on Tom, be fair. When is the last time you saw a public phone ANYWHERE? With everyone carrying a cell phone it is impossible to find one anymore. <<Remember when you could look online at the live feeds of cameras stationed around EPCOT and other Disney Parks around the world.>> And boy wasn't that about as exciting as watching grass grow?
Originally Posted By mickey_ring Ab-so-lute-lee miss 1980s EPCOT Center! I could probably fill the LP web server with memories of stuff. Epcot Center was ssssssssssssssso different from the Magic Kingdom. That uniqueness was, still is(somewhat) it's greatness. Back then, Mickey and pals were not figured prominently anywhere in the park. They ruled the MK. The World and the future were all the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. I was 18 on my first trip to Epcot Center in 1984. Lonnng before a wife and kiddies, the Magic Kingdom wasn't the place to go. Epcot Center was THE place. A combo of FutureTalk plus world history (both idealistic, yes) made for an awesome vacation. Being 18 in '84, I was in the college-then-career-for-life train of thought. My view of the future was just as bright as Epcot's. Real Life Since Then has proved to be very different so I sure do miss my picture perfect world of the 80s.
Originally Posted By avromark <<Listen up Kids: Things actually were better 20 years ago than they are today.>> A lot could be said about television for children as well, compare classic Sesame Street with Power Rangers of the 90's and now it's imported from Japan and dubbed (Yu Gi Oh for example) over all I prefer EPCOT Center, but my perfect blend would include some of Epcot. It's really to bad with all that space out there, they have to remove to add. I guess it's financial, but ideally I would have liked to see the old rides updated and complimented with the new rides we have now. Then again i'd love a 5th park (and I remember River Country fondly but maybe it's cuz I was but a wee lad ) Upkeep was better then, and I think there was more selection at the restaurants. But maybe that's just me. I may be looking through rose coloured glasses at my youth.
