Over its nearly 55 years, Walt Disney World has certainly changed a lot. Some of those changes, including the opening of three more theme parks and dozens of hotels, have been praised by many fans, while others… not so much.
Walt Disney is Not Frozen Under EPCOT
After Walt Disney passed away in 1966 from cancer, rumors began flying that he was cryogenically frozen before or after his death and stored underneath EPCOT to be revived at a future time.
However, in the early 1970s, Walt’s daughter Diane bluntly stated, “There is absolutely no truth that my father, Walt Disney, wished to be frozen. I doubt that my father had ever heard of cryonics.” Despite the clear denial from Diane and there being no evidence whatsoever that this ever occurred, so many people like to speculate that his remains are kept under EPCOT. If you really want to visit his final resting place, however, you’ll need to head to a mausoleum in the Forrest Lawn Cemetery of Glendale, California, where they’re interred.
The Current Version of Figment Isn’t Even Close to The Best
Unfortunately, many of us didn’t get to experience the OG EPCOT when it opened in 1982, and as we’ve already established, a lot has changed. In particular, the attractions available in EPCOT have changed. Many fans who grew up going to EPCOT loved the original Journey into Imagination ride and are NOT fans of the current edition.
The second version of the attraction was called Journey Into Your Imagination and didn’t last long, as audiences weren’t fans of the story, and OG attendees hated how Disney got rid of DreamFinder and barely featured Figment. The third edition, which you can experience right now, is called Journey Into Imagination with Figment, and while Figment is much more front and center, DreamFinder still hasn’t returned, and many fans feel it’s missing the original spark that made Journey into Imagination so loved.
It Used to Be “Cheap”
So here’s the thing — when we look back at what prices were when the resort first opened in 1971, it seems cheap to us. And while yes, inflation in recent years has skyrocketed pricing even higher than what the original price would be when adjusted for said inflation, Disney World was never “cheap.”
The OG EPCOT Was Boring
When you look at what exciting and thrilling attractions EPCOT has now vs. what was available back in the day, you may find yourself thinking that the original park was boring. The truth? It was far from it!
Remember, no one had seen ANYTHING like this before — no theme park was focused so heavily on the future and moving forward, and you certainly couldn’t visit 11 countries in one day anywhere else either. Park goers loved EPCOT and all its offerings, so much so that many of them still miss them dearly now, despite the fact that they’d be supremely outdated. Trust us, those of us who did get to experience these attractions miss them dearly, too, but we also try to remember that Walt’s vision was that nothing is ever fully complete!
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Disney’s Forgotten How To Make Rides Like the Great Movie Ride
What else would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments below!
Back then, Future World was significantly better; and World Showcase was more authentic. What I miss most about Future World is the immersive rides that were 15, 20, 30+ minutes long. It felt as if you had really explored the aspect being depicted in the ride. And World Showcase gift shops, in addition..as now..to having representatives of their countries as cast members, also had nothing but goods manufactured in the host country. And, for the most, many items seemed to be of higher quality than now. And no IP. It was also less crowded, and there was no drinking-around-the-world (occasional) misbehavior.
Ok , how about this one , Honey I shrunk the audience.
I’ve been visiting WDW since 1974. Ÿes, it was expensive then, but I had a job and yes I did have to save, but it was doable. Today- retired, fixed income, more or less, it is way more expensive. But loved it- still love it, just can’t afford as much as before. Demand is still very high, supply is catching up. Economics at play. (Look at the growing competition, increased economic need for fair wages because wages have not kept up to current living needs). Just my perspective.
In the 90’s WDW, YES WDW, may not have been cheap but it was affordable. It didn’t cost an arm and a leg to go.