Epcot's World Showcase needs more dark rides
Walt Disney World: anyone agree?
Darkastle in Germany would be great.
Most of the countries are just restaurants and stores. A few movies too which are cheaper to make than dark rides.
EPCOT is supposed to be an educational park. I think adding a bunch of rides to the World Showcase will stop showcasing the worlds.
I think they do need some more rides in World Showcase. I believe that they could use the dark rides to show off their country's history. I know my children would enjoy them and hopefully learn something along the way.
From Formula 40
Posted October 20, 2010 at 3:43 PM
There should be some type of ride in every WS pavilion, IMO. Most casual visitors just pass right by all the ones that don't have a ride. Then again, I never felt that Epcot was meant for a casual theme park visitor.
I agree that EPCOT has an educational side, and so I am against having roller coasters and other trill rides in world showcase (unless they build a Russian pavilion, since in many languages roller coasters are called Russian mountains), but some more dark rides would be very welcome.
But before building new rides in ws I would renovate the films in France, China and Canada. One of them could be turned into a 3D ( or 4D) movie, and another could be turned in a Soarin style attraction.
Japan and Morocco do well without a ride, Germany so so, but Italy and England badly need some dark ride!
From steve lee
Posted October 20, 2010 at 7:46 PM
You know, I'm steadfastly against any coaster ever existing at Epcot, but Flavio has a REALLY good point there. The basic concepts of a roller coaster started out with the Russian ice slides of the sixteenth century. Some folks argue that Catherine the Great was one of the first people to come up with the idea of sticking wheels on the vehicles (so it could be enjoyed year round).
All I'm saying is that there would actually be a historical context in a coaster being in a Russian pavilion. But since the Russians haven't exactly kept up with the rest of the world in the coaster department, any such coaster would have to be relatively mild (sorry, no inversions on the historical coaster).
From Raul Araoz
Posted October 20, 2010 at 11:25 PM
It doesn't really make a difference to me one way or the other. World Showcase, and all of Epcot for that matter, always felt like a different beast from the average theme park. It doesn't necessarily have to be about the rides there. The only pavilion that truly fells like it needs a ride or an attraction of some sort is Italy. It always felt quite barren. I would love to see WDI bring back the gondola ride through Italian history idea that they originally had planned to go there.
What really irks me about World Showcase is that it has been 22 years since we got a new country. What the heck! The actual European continent has gotten a bunch of new countries since then.
From Rob P
Posted October 21, 2010 at 3:09 AM
How about a single dark ride that runs around the back of World Showcase taking you through each Country ? It could have a little adrenalin rush here and there to add some spice to it but would be mainly passive ( like Pirates of the Carib ) and you could hop on and off at different Countries as the mood takes you.
I agree! Any ride other than shopping and eating would be a great benefit!
I wish there was a dark ride in each showcase. This would help with over population around the area so you could actually enjoy the time in each showcase and educate you more about the culture than just showing you the building and the shops.
I know that some contries paid to be there. Is that the rule or Disney could build a new contry in WS just because it finds it could be a nice addiction
I agree with Flavio. Before adding anything new, update the old. When I say "update", I don't imply filling the dark ride with popular Disney bird characters or adding a Canadian comedian as narrator.
I'd love to see Epcot host a year-round food festival. Have tables around the pavilions with small food samples at low costs, similar in concept to the meatball bar they just opened. That way, you can sample foods here-and-there rather than settling on one snack or meal that empties your wallet and ruins your appetite. They could also serve small alcoholic beverage complements.
Maelstrom tells a good story. It's a ride and it's educational.
ABSOLUTELY!
Add my Loch Ness monster ride to the United Kingdom showcase.
From Rob P
Posted October 28, 2010 at 3:14 AM
Now if TH considered amending his UK ride to :
" The Beast of Bodmin Moor" then you'd get my attention.
I agree too! I'd love a good dark ride in the UK!
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