Imagine walking into Epcot from the parking lot and walking under or through a giant hotel before you reach Spaceship Earth. If plans are approved, this may very well be the scene at the entrance area of Walt Disney World’s 35-year-old vision of the future.
If approved, the resort will stand at one of two proposed sites (seen above), either between The Land and The Seas pavilions in Future World, or directly over the entrance to Epcot, most likely connecting to the preexisting monorail station in some way. If the design located in front of Spaceship Earth is approved, it shouldn’t block the view of Spaceship Earth completely, but rather be used to frame the famous structure between towers or something of the sort.
It is no secret that the Walt Disney Company sees a lot of promise in the idea of resorts connected to or inside of the theme parks. This isn’t a new concept as Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Hotel Miracosta are already in existence (both opened way back in 2001), as well as the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris, which is sprawled out in front of the park’s entrance, requiring guests walk under it to enter the park. Disney has also already announced a Star Wars hotel that would in theory be connected to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, home of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Guests pass under the Disneyland Hotel in Paris to enter Disneyland Park.
The hotel is still in the very early stages of development, which means it could end up in front of Spaceship Earth or off to the side, or maybe not even happen at all. Either way, should it happen, it will offer quick and easy entrance into Epcot from the front of the park and offer unparalleled views of Future World.
Some new, very bright, white lights are pointed at the Fountain of Nations, illuminating the taller water features. A strange addition considering this will all be bulldozed in the park’s overhaul.
Feel the Flow, There It Goes…
Signage was removed pointing guests towards the Universe of Energy. It now points towards what’s left of Innoventions, which is just Colortopia at this point.
A closed Universe of Energy pavilion behind walls.
Some new phone cases for sale inside of MouseGear.
A little late, but a Limited Release World Showcase pin has been released at Pin Central to commemorate the 35th anniversary. It retails for $14.99.
A large line of classic Mickey and Minnie Mouse merchandise has hit all of the parks. I’m usually not a fan of such generic stuff, but the line looks pretty nice.
There’s also a new line that evokes colors of the late 80’s/early 90’s that I’m pretty crazy about.
OOGA CHAKA
Outside of the park, work has commenced on the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster ride.
A series of barricades make sit hard to get too close, and security is patrolling the area to combat “corporate espionage”. Since this is a first-of-its-kind ride system, Disney will be very strict about letting guests see the construction.
Today, the “strategic partnership” between Siemens and the Walt Disney Company comes to an end officially. Siemens has released a statement summarizing the twelve years of the deal coming to a conclusion today:
When Siemens and Disney began to explore the mutual benefits and opportunities of forming one of the largest marketing alliances in the technology sector for the entertainment space, it was a natural fit. The two organizations have many share values such as Innovation, Service, and Quality as well as a worldwide brand presence. Since 2005, the opportunities to leverage this technology alliance extended across The Walt Disney Company including theme parks and resorts, studios, networks, publishing, and digital. On October 10, 2017, the Siemens-Disney Alliance reached a mutually agreed upon conclusion.
Sponsorship Activation Timeline:
October 2005 Siemens US and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Sign 12-year agreement
October 2005 ABC SuperSign at Times Square, presented by Siemens
October 2005 IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [July 2013, presented by Siemens]
November 2005 Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [November 2013 – 15, presented by Siemens]
January 2006 – April 2010 Disney’s Electrical Parade at Disney California Adventure, presented by Sylvania, a Siemens Company
January 2006 – November 2008 Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company
May 2007 Siemens VIP Center at Epcot Opens [private executive meeting and guest lounge]
February 2008 Spaceship Earth, presented by Siemens
March 2008 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Epcot, presented by Siemens
April 2008 – March 2015 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Disneyland Innoventions, presented by Siemens
November 2010 it’s a small world at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [August 2013, presented by Siemens]
About Siemens USA
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis. With approximately 351,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $88.1 billion in fiscal 2016. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.4 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Siemens technology was also used to create several new theme park attractions, including Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.
Our latest photo report brings us to Epcot as we countdown to the extinction of the Universe of Energy, the start of the Food and Wine Festival, and the relaunch of Mission: Space…
If you open the front door to the space, you are greeted by a screen telling you that it is closed and will not reopen.
We have a video and photo tour in case you never were able to experience the Siemens VIP Center:
VIPs of course could get “back-doored” onto Spaceship Earth.
The Siemens and Disney contract is set to expire September 30th, 2017, so expect the references to the company to vanish and Project Tomorrow to close by then.
Feel The Flow, Here We Go…
With the Universe of Energy closing forever on August 13th to make way for the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster ride, Disney has stationed a PhotoPass photographer outside of the building.
As we near the closing, guests are certainly showing up in larger numbers to say goodbye…
The bridge from Odyssey to Mexico has seen better days…
The repainting of the exterior of the Mexico pavilion continues, but apparently Disney isn’t happy with what they did. Above, you see blue paint starting to ascend the structure last week.
This week, the blue paint moving upwards on the structure vanished.
Work continues on Choza Tequila, now set to open during the Food and Wine Festival.
Some lovely new booths for the festival have popped up, like this one in Africa.
This new Italy booth is rather nice as well. Don’t forget that the Festival kicks off August 31st. And no, that’s not a typo… and I’m upset that it’s not (I don’t want to stand outside and eat hot food in August).
Club 33 preparations have moved into the lobby of the American Adventure.
The Chat Lounge will not return to the Food and Wine Festival this year as a result (also, it appears Chase is no longer a sponsor anyway).
The Torii Gate in Japan was repainted recently and is looking great!
The remodeling of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Japan continues…
The pearl jewelry area in the store was moved to a new location that is quite nice.
A new jewelry area has opened further into the store.
They were sold out of Yunker, probably because we ate it on the last WDW News Tonight.
Over in MouseGear, there is some new apparel to be found.
The Electric Umbrella has begun to offer mobile ordering.
Push and Pull
In what is becoming a more regular occurrence, we witnessed monorail teal getting towed through Epcot a few days ago…
We have already previewed two batches of merchandise that will be released to celebrate Epcot’s 35th anniversary this October (which can be seen here and here), but now we have even more of the merchandise line to share with you today.
While we don’t know the edition size or exact release dates of these pins, we do know they will be released on or around the anniversary date of October 1st, 2017.
The always popular hinged pins that open into three parts will be making an appearance as well.
The above pin and below boxed jumbo pin should be released on October 1st, 2017 (for obvious reasons).
The Spaceship Earth pin comes in the above box and will be rather large in size.
Among the other items being released are a keychain, magnet, and mug.
Epcot will celebrate its 35th anniversary on October 1st, 2017. No official events have been announced by Walt Disney World at this point, nor has any of this merchandise we have previewed.
The Siemens VIP Center (formerly Base 21) behind Spaceship Earth was abruptly abandoned this week when Siemens left the space months ahead of the end of their deal with Disney Parks. Even though the contract is set to expire on September 30th, Siemens staff left the space forever on Monday, July 31st, 2017. Apparently the relationship between the two companies soured rapidly after Disney turned down a new monorail fleet for Walt Disney World that Siemens offered in lieu of compensation for a new sponsorship deal.
Since 2007, Siemens employees could access the space to relax and enjoy refreshments, and Siemens executives had plenty of board room space inside to hold various meetings. If you have never been inside, be sure to watch our video tour below.
In a sign that another sponsor is not yet lined up and may not be at any point, Disney executives toured the space with Siemens staff ahead of their departure to decide what will stay and what will go. Siemens was supposed to return the Lounge to its original form upon departure, but Disney could choose to keep it as it is now. Regardless of what stays and what doesn’t, Disney is going to be taking over the entire corporate lounge and meeting space immediately.
Now the question is, will Disney use this space for internal meetings and such, or will they begin to hold special events in this building like dessert parties and such, also making the lounge and board room bookable for guests looking to hold special events in the park? Only time will tell, but the ability to enter this lounge for regular park guests is likely something people would happily pay for. Sadly, it seems it is too late to make this space the Epcot Club 33 location as construction has already begun on the upstairs venue at the American Adventure.
Siemens sponsorship is still present at Spaceship Earth and IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth and should be at least until September 30th, 2017.
Our latest photo report brings us to Epcot for the first time in a while, although I think the D23 Expo should bring us some news that will make trips to the park a lot more frequent for these reports…
The Calm Before the Storm
Vera Bradley has released an Alice in Wonderland collection at Disney Parks.
Dooney and Bourke has a new version of the Sketch design for sale, a good upgrade on the old, IMO.
Some new phone cases for sale. Disney seems to be favoring these hard plastic cases now, rather than those with the rubber borders.
There’s been so many new mugs released recently that it’s kind of hard to keep track of them all.
New to the parks is the “Love is Magical” collection, which bolsters some of the existing wedding related items.
Cars 3 merchandise is available at the exit of Test Track now.
This pretty neat souvenir cup can be found at various food and drink stands around the park.
A Trip Around the World
There have been a lot of construction walls around the planters and railings at the Odyssey for a while now. Some still look pretty battered like above, but some already have new floor lights in place.
Some of the grates over the lights aren’t even painted yet.
Some are finished. Either way, it’s nice to see them paying attention to this forgotten corner of the park.
Work continues on the heavily delayed Choza Tequila outside of the Mexico pavilion.
The exterior of the pavilion is still being repainted, I’m not sure how I feel about the darker colors…
The bottom portion likely givers us a taste of the finished product for the whole facade.
Another look at Choza Tequila.
A peek under the wall reveals what should be a rather pleasant bar.
I’m woefully behind on dining reviews, but I have one for San Angel Inn that I hope to have out soon.
For whatever reason, they laid a slightly updated map of Shanghai Disneyland over the old one. It’s not all that different, but maybe slightly easier to see because the overall image of the park is larger.
The Outpost in Africa is back now selling jewelry made from seeds and other natural ingredients.
I didn’t notice the “no photography” sign until I after I took this, but how will a picture of the jewelry hurt the sale of it? I understand pictures of art and then you could print them out, but this seems odd.
Siemens AG, who has been a Disney Parks corporate sponsor since 2007, has chosen to not renew their deal.
Siemens sponsored Spaceship Earth and IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, as well as “it’s a small world’ at Disneyland Park. In the past, they also sponsored the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (as Sylvania, a company they own) and their technology was used to create the Radiator Springs Racers attraction at Disney California Adventure and used elsewhere in the parks.
The end of the sponsorship comes amidst rumors that Siemens offered Walt Disney World a new monorail fleet for free so long as they were company branded, but Disney reportedly declined.
In the midst of a rather large overhaul of Epcot, this change does make the future of Spaceship Earth a lot more interesting. It was already assumed that IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth would be going away, but this change makes the end of that show all the more likely.
On January 27th, 2017, Vinylmation Park Star Series 5 will be released at the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, and it features what is probably the most amazing character lineup to date:
Figures in series 5 include:
Henry – Country Bear Jamboree
Pele – Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
Mexican Child and French Poodle – “it’s a small world”
Computer Technician – Spaceship Earth
Goat chewing dynamite – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Waldo C. Graphic – MuppetVision 3-D
Phineas the Hitchhiking Host – The Haunted Mansion
Pirate with Map and Key – Pirates of the Caribbean
The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is home to two art exhibits that celebrate two of the most famous and influential Disney artists of all-time, Mary Blair and Herbert Ryman.
The festival certainly has a lot of offerings which I would consider to be pandering to Disney fans, and art exhibits featuring these two artists certainly fit that bill. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am overjoyed to see the work of Blair and Ryman on display, but it almost feels like a desperate attempt to draw in more annual passholders at the inaugural Festival of the Arts, especially after seeing just how small the two exhibits are.
For as small as they are, I appreciate the effort, but I hope (should the festival return in 2018) that these types of exhibits will be expanded into a larger space next year. For now, they are relegated to rather small areas of the Odyssey Festival Showplace, on the left and right sides of the seminar area.
The exhibits are open Friday-Monday now through February 20th, 2017 as part of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts.
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The Future Worlds of Herbert Ryman – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
South of the Border with Mary Blair – Epcot International Festival of the Arts
