5 years…. Disney built a fancy garden - Universal builds a whole park, hotels, new infrastructure.

5 years for a garden, ugly purple chairs, rust themed benches (wtf?!), and a statue. Honestly, the fountain was way better for me. Also, the fact everything is already breaking is nuts. Disney has truly lost its way.

That planter in the middle of world celebration really needs to be a fountain. I’m am an architect and that’s pretty easy to see that it was a budget cut. A fountain there would add some dynamic movement and sound that would elevate the ambience around the space.

"Put a fountain in it and make it kenetic!" Nailed it 100% about the fountain. Make a mini version that lights up and shoots up in different patterns to match the show happening on Spaceship Earth. Seating all around it so you can sit and watch. Seemed like a no-brainer.

What I find most disappointing is that the architecture style they are going with isn’t timeless. I thought the whole purpose of new Epcot was to find a design that last forever. Just like how original Epcot felt like a trendy 80’s shopping mall, this Epcot feels like a 2020’s trendy 5-over-1 apartment complex. Right now I actually really like, but it’s disappointing knowing how fast it will fall out of fashion.

Disney is now like Starbucks and Apple... trading on brand name and no quality or value for the dollars spent.

I get where Disney is going with this Epcot overhaul. You can’t “Dream of a better tomorrow” unless TODAY sucks 😂

They have cheapened and basically wrecked the EPCOT experience while raising prices to go to the Park. It is no longer worth the time nor the money. Totally agree, they should have just upgraded Illuminations.

disney has truly butchered epcot. i cannot believe they did this to the only epcot we have.

I think having Walt a bit to the side makes it great for photos with Walt. It places you in the center of the photo. I can picture Walt enjoying the idea of making the "guest" the center of attention.

14:00 Walt always asked imagineers to "plus it" in some way. The new center core has not been plussed- losing that big climate controlled space (and a water feature) is a minus.

1000% agree with everything. 4 years for lazy, cookie-cutter garbage. This is why Disney is in panic mode. All creativity and innovation has left the building and fans are picking up on it. Sales are on a downward spiral.

My Daughter and Granddaughter are both long-term cast members at Disney. I am a pass holder. And I can tell you the budget cuts are painfully evident throughout the parks. Magic Kingdom Christmas Decorations are so lackluster, that it appears they did not try at all. And overall, I see things as degrading. There are fewer street performances, and the Magic Kingdom parades are shorter and less frequent. Any place they can cut cast members, they are. Now I hear they are shutting down the Indiana Jones show and will replace it with something that requires far fewer actors. All with the idea of cutting costs. The result is a less than exciting experience and guests will soon start finding alternatives to Disney. It is simple, you cannot keep raising prices and reducing quality and think that will me a model of success.

Thank you for continually being unafraid to say what most of us are thinking. It can’t be easy with all the Disney shills jumping down your throat. People like them are a big part of the reason Disney’s in decline these days.

A planter and some benches... wow.

The EPCOT overhaul has been a disaster on the whole, with the only bright spots being the entrance plaza and Cosmic Rewind, which is fun despite being misplaced. Disney only has one chance to right the wrong here: blow fans away with the new Journey Into Imagination

Only reason why it would take you 5 years to complete a garden is if you planted the trees and watched them grow

I was in Disney during September, last time I was at EPCOT before September was 2015. I was shocked at how awful the situation is there. The Connections Cafe felt much like a modern Starbucks (funny enough there is one in the cafe). There was nothing special about it. Felt very much like as a modern Starbucks like I said and a bland, uninspired, not unique structure. Where are the imagineers!? Where are the past Disney magical touches to everything built. The new things being built don’t represent anything EPCOT is supposed to be. It’s modern-corporate Disneys attempt at improving the park

Those light pole bases are a lawsuit waiting to happen.

I was a Guest Relations host and VIP Tour Guide based at Epcot from 96 to 2003, a great time when the magic still could be felt! I was excited for the Epcot “overhaul” as proposed in the concept art but as we all know they over promised and under delivered. That is never a good thing. Epcot was about discovery and obviously I support “change” but the changes are often taking far too long to deliver uninspiring aesthetics. I agree with Brayden, four years to unveil an ugly planter amidst a sterile mall-like courtyard that is out of balance just feels messy. Disney used to be about exceeding expectations. The Fountain of Nations was iconic and deserved a proper replacement. I feel like people (certain Disney personalities) just wanted to make a name for themselves with this overhaul rather than staying true to the foundations of Epcot.

I have seen a lot of shows in my life and nothing in the whole world can hold a candle to illuminations reflections of earth. It made me tear up and gave me goosebumps! It was the most magical show ever! The introduction, the music , the fireworks the world globe!!!! Breathtaking!!!!

Disney really dropped the ball with these changes. Really feels like the unique character of EPCOT is gone.

Universal is going to build an entire state of the arc theme park in the same time it took EPCOT to made insignificant changes.

The office park Garden that took 4 years and a billion dollars was supposed to be a VIP super VIP garden in the sky like something out of the hunger games. They were going to have VIPs and the rich view the fireworks and attend luncheons in the elevated garden above all the little people crawling around down below.

Not replacing the Fountain of Nations with another fountain is analogous to designing a car & choosing to leave out its tires. Moving water adds kinetic energy to a setting, including a nice suburban office park. Which is what the World Celebrations Gardens remind me of. If there's nothing wrong with that, it shouldn't have taken years to build & complete. NASA giving a forewarning to EPCOT: Houston, we have a problem.

If they would have built the EPCOT they originally showed in concept art we would all be very happy and amazed, however we got the budget cut, severely scaled back version of the “new” Epcot and it just plain sucks, another ho hum project done with current leadership, but hey at least they got all the lights to work for a solid 24hrs before those all started going out….SMH 😂

Good run down. I 100% agree about the lack of seating compared to Disneyland. I was an AP at DL prior to moving to Orlando and my first reaction was the lack of seating and Disney World parks. You don't see a lot of folks at Disneyland using trash bins for surrogate tables to eat food, because there's adequate seating.

BRING BACK THE “FOUNTAIN OF NATIONS” DISNEY !!! You have all kinds of water features at Moana’s but can’t put a fountain in World Celebration area ?! Make Epcot the “Worlds Fair” it once was please.

4 years construction for park bench

Whoever designed this mess should be fired immediately. It’s embarrassing how low Disney has gone. As a dvc member, this “overhaul “ is completely unacceptable and a joke.

Universal could have built all of that in less than 6 months

Hooray! We got a Cooter Planter.

my favorite thing about universals strategy is that they don’t even announce something until it’s broken ground or even deep into construction. nothing is promised that won’t get built

4 YEAR courtyard! Hot Dang!

it looks cool at night (maybe what they were going for in Pandora at night), but during the day it (when the park is actually open) it just seems like a modern park you would see anywhere. Most infuriatingly is how could this have possibly taken 5 years.

Where. Is. the. Shade? Yeah the pin pavilion thing was weird, but it provided at least SOME shelter from the sun.

The fact half the lights have failed already is genuinely appalling

Disney needs to keep EPCOT open late. It's better at night, and it leans more adult. As an adult (who's not a big drinker. I'm not talking about partying) I'd much rather have that park to go to at night for a lot of reasons; the weather, possibly less kids, the parks take on a more cozy feel with ligjts, and there's more options for dining. There's no reason why that park can't be open until midnight or later.

At this point I just want to see more rides in Epcot

they have taken many years to slowly destroy EPCOT....Disney continues to be LOST

Wonder why the fireworks in Luminous look soooo good? Simple....Erick Tucker!...the fireworks mastermind behind Reflections of Earth!

I have always complained about lack of seating at WDW, especially as I got into my senior citizen years.

These recent changes in Epcot are par for the course with Disney parks recently. Not bad changes, just underwhelming time and time again.

The new area at Epcot’s old Future World’s Communicore is exciting as a Starbucks Cafe facade! And boring as the Moana’s all wet path to nowhere. Sincerely?! I am missing that old Giant Fountain a lot!!!!

I was a landscape designer before retirement; that project, including the synched lighting, is a 6 month project. Only if my crew installed it, the lighting would work. And be more interesting.

The entire overhaul from start to finish has seemed like a massive regret for Disney. Originally they regretted starting the project now that they have half assed it, it feels like they regret not going for the original plan lol its the perfect example of why the company is failing but the new show gives me hope they might actually be willing to try and fix the issues not just focus on the next Quarter and the stock price. I really feel like Disney would be better off going private but they need a visionary to lead it with a real imagination! Disney desperately needs a ceo to be like Walt to let the imagination guide the ship and the money will come. People are starved for fresh ideas and a return to good value for money with a quality focus not mass production of copy and paste lol

He gets the point every time !! Disney should hire this guy

Been waiting for this one. The 'center' has the imagination of any mall in America.😢

They need to revise the Georgia O'Keefe planter.

Getting rid of Fountain of Nations was just wrong and just not upgrading Illuminations was just a big missed opportunity for Epcot. Disney acts like they've forgotten how to use their brain.

After hearing that Imagineer speak, I can see why things aren't going so well for Disney.

REALLY lame that they ditched the fountain. WTF were they thinking?! Oh yeah..."cost savings", I'm sure...sigh.

Yup! I was one who tripped on those. I was like, why would they do that! Kids are going to be tripping all the time over them. Guaranteed they will change that.

I guess it’s what we’ve come to expect from Disney - disappointment😞

What a beautiful thumbnail that shows exactly what an “upgrade” we got.

what amazes me is experiencing these innovations in the 90s. It was mind blowing and state of the art and I cherish the memory. Seeing these same innovations done 30+ years later is pretty unremarkable however.

Knowing what Walt wanted to do there… watching what the company did… I would keep him as far as possible, I see that statue and I think he would think “Seriously??… some F’in’ plants and a drawing on the floor? That’s it?” I’m sorry that statue looks great but makes me sad.

it took 4 years…wow. oh well, what are ya gonna do? the honest truth is, disney is cheaping out a lot lately. thanks for this video. the forky flash was the best part. 😂

I agree Brayden, the center should have been a fountain. The old fountain was one of my daughter's favorite things when she was a little girl. As far as Luminous, I liked it, but there's too much narration. The nighttime shows should be music with a little dialog, not dialog with a few songs. However, as I recall, Harmonious also was choppy in the beginning and they tweaked it, so maybe this will improve as well. We'll see.

Can’t get away for that Disney vacation, or can’t afford it this decade? Just go to your local Starbucks’ outside bench, and pose for a picture, post it on social media saying “Hello from EPCOT!”

Love the fountain edits. You are exactly right. People generally like plussing the parks. But as said on the Imagineering Story, "it's gotta be as good if not better than what was there before, you can't take away. Our guests know when they're being shortchanged". In hindsight, the propaganda of that doc is quite humorous. They really laid out the Imagineering philosophy in public to then just ignore it going forward.

The explanation of walts placement was not the easiest thing to listen to. The area is nice, mostly the lighting features, but we need attractions. Overall it's a nice to look at.

It’s giving every Starbucks I’ve ever been to… those take like 6 months to fully build including the actual shop structure 😆

Basically they did little or nothing. Most towns have nicer parks then what they have built. Again this is designed by stock holder cheap money.

Disney is almost there with Luminous, all they have to do is keep the new lights and pyro but bring back IllumiNations soundtrack.

Many years ago now I remember with fondness when Disney changes were so exciting that every video he created here on Mickey Views had Brayden exclaiming "Wow!" I miss those days..

It's been so fun to watch this channel grow!

Nobody ever mentions how downhill the shops have become in the various countries in World showcase

Hello Brayden, I've always enjoyed your perspective! As a long-time Disney fan living near Tampa, I find your insights spot-on. While I'm excited about the Epcot revamp, especially the additional seating areas, I can't help but wonder about the central area replacement. I've been inspired by attractions like the Bellagio Fountains in Vegas and wonder if something similar could have been explored. I'm genuinely curious about Disney's decision-making process at the corporate level. It seems like recent changes, such as the Splash Mountain retheme and the Epcot updates, may reflect an imbalance between leaders' visions and fan expectations. What role could a more fan-focused decision making process play? ( i.e. focus groups or even anecdotal information gathered in the parks)The creations of DVC run of the mill hotel style buildings on Bay Lake and the Grand Floridian, while may resonate with some; to me sorely miss the Disney quality mark. I like to look to the Disney Springs creation in the recent past as a fantastic project! The brick by brick attention to detail , cohesive theming, and immersive experience showcase Disney's commitment to creating memorable spaces is still alive and well. However, it's interesting to see how new leadership is handling budget considerations and allocating those across various projects..Keep up the stellar work ; your updates are fun to watch and feature real journalistic reporting blended with your opinions - opinions that I resonate with. I absolutely love it, and I hope you keep up the inspiring work! It would be wonderful to link up with you sometime in the parks.🔥🔥🌶🌶💯💯

I am literally literally ROFL at the "baby with the bath water comment". So true 😂

I agree with you about the center, giant planter. Reminds me of the miss with the poly reception area, which still looks cheap and lacks any poly feeling that once was their.

Epcot was my Dad's FAVORITE PARK!!!! He would Love this!!! He loved Science, technology etc.

Terrific, transparent, honest review!

Brayden, outstanding job!!! As always, excellent coverage and great analysis of EPCOT’s updates! Keeps up the great work!! Will stay tuned for more!

Epcot center was wonderful. Universe of energy, the living seas, world of motion, horizons .. omg .

Brayden, you are spot on with your review. I was there yesterday with my daughter. Other than the statue, seating, and lighting it was shockingly plain and lackluster. We said the identical comments about the center planter. So disappointing. They should have just updated what was already there. So many bad decisions one after the other. I’m a passholder of 25 + years. I guess younger generations won’t know what they missed in the EPCOT that I knew and loved.

Braden, I dare you to have a good long visit to the Disney parks in Japan. I really think you will have an amazing time and feel at home with all of the effort and detail they put into the parks there. What Disney is doing with Epcot and WDW in general is embarrassing in comparison.

The “Eye of Sauron” planter is a joke… I live in SoCal, even our open air malls like the Americana and the Grove feature large fountains / ponds with dancing water features.

So agree with your comment about seating and shade - Florida in summer is crazy hot. People need shade, some place to sit and cool off. I can't even go in the summer any more.

Really appreciate your comments. The Forky overlay was hilarious! We agree that the creative and Disney plussing that used to be the case would have meant that when things are replaced they are replaced with better things not even simply replacing with something as good. That idea seemed to go way when Rohde left. Disney will have a lot more competition when the 3rd Universal gate comes on line. Rather than reacting with "whatever" they should be more forward thinking and plan on increasing the wonder again.

Not gunna lie... bring back the fountain in the middle of EPCOT. Moana is boring and the new center is too. Disney is messing up left and right.

The hoohah planter to replace The Fountain Of Nations. That is a definition of what Disney has become.

I agree with you! Not being happy with a change does not mean that we don’t like change. They cut so much and left us with gardens after years of walls and hope!

What they really should have done for the center was put in a show fountain/splash pad combo. Doesn't have to be anything big. Just something to put on an aquatic show and be a place for the kids to play in. What would be even cooler would be to put in interactive elements in the fountain for the kids to play with.

Just got back from a weekend trip, spending a lot of time in Epcot as a big fan of the park. I do have some constructive criticism, but they are EASY fixes. First, I agree that the fountain is needed as soon as possible to replace that planter. World Celebration is so bland right now and needs something dynamic during the day for nice pictures. Second, I liked Luminous, but it's still third in my ranking of nighttime shows. The original songs in the beginning and end are FANTASTIC (you'll be singing them for days), but the cover songs in the middle fall flat. My suggestion would be to cut out the singing and narrating in the middle of the show and use the instrumental versions of the songs. We all know the lyrics to many of these songs and will sing along anyway :)

I miss the fountain too😢

I do agree with you young man. After all the time those walls stood I would have thought Disney was going to show me the "Wow Factor". But instead they gave me an intrance that looks like I'm checking into the local Radison Inn. Saying Disney cheaped out seems like an understatement.

I was just at Epcot yesterday and saw all this for the first time. While the Walt statue and new light package around the area are nice it still seems lacking without a fountain. The lights are already having problems working properly and the rusty towers area is abandoned. The Moana walk though was pretty neat but I see it breaking down in due time. The fireworks show had great pyrotechnics and a good message but the music was so generic and forgettable. None of this needed to take five years to complete and there's still some walls up for a new pavilion in the celebration area.

I was there this morning and I think that it's far far better than it was before. However it looks more like a summer project than a four year rebuild. As a local who visits at least once a week, I'll spend a lot of time enjoying the atmosphere and shade, but I think that it did absolutely nothing for out of town visitors on an expensive vacation.

This is rough. No idea what they’re thinking…a once great company now takes years to build a mediocre garden while universal builds an innovative theme park in less time?!!! It’s actually sad.

Every Time I have a point to make, you make it before me! That’s why you’re the best Brayden!! Great job as always. You are NEVER negative. Your reviews and evaluations of company behavior is always constructive, honest, and spot on! That’s not being negative. That’s being truthful, loyal fan!

I really enjoyed Luminous as well, I didn’t care for the downer in the middle about being alone and losing someone, but other than that was great. Watched it from Norway and it was a great view.

4yrs for a garden and some benches. Yep. 4yrs. No fountain, no real personality except at night. Meanwhile, Uni builds a new park and 3 hotels. I just don't get it. It's nice to have somewhere to sit and relax, though. I agree on that. But how about some food and drinks? How about something interesting, besides good old Walt? -sighs- I give up.

No one else feels weird about Walt Disney not sitting in the center of his park?

Yes! Total Chipotle vibes! You’re so right.

20:57 10000% agree! Why Not UPDATE Illuminations simply? Instead of forcefully reinventing the wheel, instead but without having good fresh ideas, first? Just UPDATE the tech!

I was so excited about Epcots new Graden I went to my computer and book my room at Terra Luna Universals new hotel that is now booking for Epic Universe 2025 also booking is Stella Nova. These new hotels look futuristic and the room kind of look like the rooms from the Star Curser but these rooms are only $160 a night. 😅

I heard that the music was not working this morning in this area. The music in Luminous is a mashed up mess

I love the new space. The architecture and garden is retro-modern and blends in with the old aesthetic of EPCOT. The old space was just a mass of hot concrete with a fountain that was straight out of the 80s

Yes, Brayden! Can't agree more about the new area in Epcot. Thank you for keeping it real.