The Head and The Heart (EPCOT vs. Epcot)

Life is a constant power struggle between the head and the heart. More often than not, the heart sides with the past while the head aligns itself with the future.

 

As you may know, I have recently rediscovered my love for Walt Disney World ("WDW"), specifically Epcot (or EPCOT Center, as it was once called). Yesterday, I found an impassioned article by Disney blogger and uber-fan Suzannah Mitchell. It sang the praises of the old EPCOT Center and lamented its demise, while offering love and hope for the future and the current incarnation of Epcot. Ms. Mitchell is definitely not alone on an island (Pleasure Island?). There are many others, including myself, who have grown up with the old EPCOT and echo her sentiments.

 

The battle between the head and the heart rages on. The kid in me loves EPCOT Center and misses it terribly, while the adult in me appreciates what Epcot has to offer.

 

For most children born & raised on the east coast, the main selling point of WDW is the Magic Kingdom. Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Main Street USA, and so on. There are parades, balloons, bells, whistles and lots of Disney princesses in and around Cinderella’s Castle. It was all fine and good for me. I loved it.

 

However, the real magic for me was housed within the old EPCOT Center. If you break it down to its lowest common denominator, the Magic Kingdom is primarily a fairytale world that embraces the past. EPCOT Center was all about the hope and promise of a better tomorrow in the real world.

 

What appealed to me was the idea that everything in Future World represented what COULD happen. Through technology, science, understanding and the passage of time, anything was possible. I first visited WDW when I was eight years old. Even then, I knew deep down that Mickey and Goofy were just cartoon characters and we couldn’t really fly like Peter Pan. Lord knows I tried countless times to jump off the edge of my bed and get a running start on the front lawn, with no success.

 

Besides, on the day of my very first trip to Orlando, the morning temperature was 28 degrees. If this truly was a magic kingdom, it would always be sunny & 75.

 

EPCOT represented a world that was possible because it was already happening. I’ve always been a fan of history, video games and computers. For me, EPCOT was nothing short of paradise. 

 

The first stop was always Spaceship Earth, the iconic symbol of both EPCOT and Epcot. Grand and magnificent, it taught us about human history and showed us a world of constant fluidity and change. It brought us “Tomorrow’s Child.” Then, we exited through Earth Station, featuring AT&T’s WorldKey Information System. There you could do something unheard of in the mid-80s. You could talk to the person in the TV! Yes, it was real-time video chatting with a live representative, through whom you could book your dinner reservations in the World Showcase that very same evening. Imagine that. Today, you need to book your meals three months in advance, if you're lucky.

 

While the adults made dinner plans with the person in the TV, I stood in the atrium, fascinated with the Earth Station films. They were short, computer-generated videos dedicated to each Future World attraction, shown in CircleVision 360. I watched them loop over and over.

 

By far, my favorite exhibit was Horizons. It was the only attraction that encompassed all of the themes of Future World. Its structure was amazing – a giant, raised pyramid-like edifice that just echoed the world of tomorrow. It showed us how 21^st Century living could be achieved on desert land, undersea, and in space. The best part was that each patron chose the ending to the ride. Desert, sea or space, majority rules. Then, you were treated to a 30-second spot via seemingly invisible projectors that would take you wherever you chose to live.

 

I could go on and on, but the point is that everything at EPCOT Center was perfect in my child heart. It was the world I wanted to live in.

 

As time went by and I grew into adulthood, I kept the memories safely locked away. Life went on. I actually tried my hand at desert living. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t like the Imagineers said it would be.

 

Not long ago, I met a nice girl and settled down. This nice girl happened to be a Disneyphile who frequented Epcot with her friends.  Suddenly, the memories of my childhood were reborn. I began to revisit the old EPCOT and compare it to the new Epcot.

 

The Zannaland article rhetorically asks if Epcot is now a product influenced by today’s society or if society is influenced by the ideals of today’s Epcot. It’s the old chicken and the egg argument. I believe you are what you eat. In my opinion, it tried to appeal to too many segments of society and slowly began to shed its skin. It started with Wonders of Life. I don’t remember much about that particular exhibit, except it was too “busy.” Body Wars seemed like an attempt to make an EPCOT-themed “thrill ride.” We didn’t need thrill rides at EPCOT. That’s what Space Mountain was for. Heck, that’s what Six Flags was for….

 

Oh NO!! SIX FLAGS!! It’s all YOUR fault!!

 

Whereas the other exhibits tried to educate and inspire, Wonders of Life was all about the id. Once that Pandora’s Box was opened, you couldn’t close it again.

 

World of Motion was replaced by Test Track. CommuniCore became Innoventions. All of the other attractions were changed and/or renovated, including Spaceship Earth. RIP Walter Cronkite’s voice overs. EPCOT Center was renamed Epcot. Suddenly, this was a place where ADD-riddled kids could have FUN. What is this, an amusement park, for God’s sake? Inconceivable!

 

Ironically, the one pavilion that was all about the 21^st Century wouldn’t be around to see the year 2000.  The company line was that Horizons became “outdated” and no longer represented the foreseeable future. Hogwash! The real reason for its closure was a sinkhole that threatened to engulf the entire building within six months’ time. In January of 1999, Horizons closed forever. Its once-awesome structure was slowly demolished and eventually replaced by Mission: Space.

 

We yearn for the past to feel that sense of satisfaction. What we don’t realize is that we have already achieved satisfaction through other means. Kids today want action, not inspiration, but we are not kids anymore. We can revisit the past through World Showcase. Its shops provide adults plenty of spending options. The view of the lagoon is a wondrous site, especially with Spaceship Earth in the background. It has become a popular hangout for grown-ups.

 

As for the kids, they have Test Track, Mission: Space, Soarin’ and everything else to satisfy their id. And what of the prologue and the promise? The education of our youth in hopes of a better tomorrow? I suppose the best path to a better tomorrow is to make a better today. Yes, The Living Seas is now a massive commercial for Finding Nemo. They still have the aquarium though, and I like aquariums. By trying to appeal to a larger segment of people, Epcot has become a place where everyone can feel welcome and have an enjoyable experience.

 

In essence, it was ahead of the curve in that respect. Walt Disney himself said that EPCOT would be ever-changing and would never be completed. The place that was once billed as an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow became exactly that. It truly was a world of constant fluidity and change, just as Walter Cronkite eluded to all those years ago.

 

I still miss Horizons dearly, but you always feel a greater sense of loss when the death is untimely. Test Track is fun for kids of all ages. Soarin’ must be great. The wait is so long that I still haven’t been able to get in. As Billy Joel once said, the good old days weren’t always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems.

 

The head and the heart have been equally satisfied through the magic of Epcot. The memories are safe and secure. I have YouTube and Jeff Lange’s DVD’s. The future is bright because the heart is happy today. The nice Disneyphile I met became my wife last year. We honeymooned at WDW. It was my first time back in twenty years. It was different. It was marvelous. I went back again last fall, and I can’t wait to go back again. Surely, that’s what Disney strives for. 

 

It was the best time of my life. Isn’t that what we all strive for?