In the summer of 2015, Pixar released what was arguably their greatest film to date, Inside Out. A film brimming with emotion while also providing countless laughs for all ages, Inside Out is a genuine animated classic. The characters are so richly developed and the story line is superb. On top of that, the animation itself is gorgeous, rivaling anything Pixar has ever created. As Pixar seems to always do, they once again set the bar extremely high for any subsequent animated films in the coming years.
I say all of that to say this: Inside Out along with Joy, Sadness, and all the emotions from the film need a home at Epcot at Disney World.
Recently, it was announced that the Epcot cult-classic 3D attraction Captain EO would be closing in December of 2015 to make room for a Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival. While I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what Disney can conjure up next, I must also admit that I believe that this theater and in particular this area coupled alongside the building currently inhabited by Journey Into Imagination with Figment would be a perfect way for Inside Out to make its presence felt in the Disney Parks.
Today, I give you four reasons why I am advocating for Epcot to get an emotional update.
First of all, this area we are discussing is currently labeled the Imagination Pavilion. Can you see the obviousness of this scenario? Primarily, Captain EO is a film for the senses and Journey Into Imagination is literally all about how we think and sense things. The area is already designed for attractions and/or shows centered around our brains and imaginations. If you've ever seen Inside Out, or for that matter, if you've ever seen a preview for the film, you know that the entire movie is set inside the mind of Riley. Throughout the movie, we catch a glimpse at how Riley's mind works as we see her dreams, memories, and, of course, how she imagines different things. Joy and her group of emotions could take over the Imagination Pavilion at Epcot and they would not only fit seamlessly, I think that area would be an instant must-see at Disney World. Why not have a popular movie based in the brain take over a pavilion designed to celebrate the brain? I can see character greeting spots being added here, drawing even more families to Epcot and maybe even alleviating some pressure off the new Frozen area coming in 2016. Plus, Captain EO and Figment can be easily replaced by, for instance, an attraction powered by Joy and a show hosted by Anger. Be honest, who wouldn't want to watch a show hosted by Anger? To me, this makes almost too much sense.
Secondly, as I mentioned above, Epcot is in need of some family friendly attractions. Take away The Seas with Nemo and Friends, I would argue that Epcot doesn't have another attraction area (excluding the new Frozen area as mentioned before, which will also help with this problem in the future) that is specifically designated for families to enjoy together. Adding an entire area focused on one of the most beloved films of recent memory would greatly attract families to Epcot like never before. Currently, in my opinion, the perception of Epcot is that it's a park for adults traveling alone or for families with older children. Coupling the new Frozen area with an Inside Out area would be a formidable duo too great for families to ignore as they would then see Epcot as a park that requires a full day of attendance during their vacation, and that's something Epcot and Disney World at large could desperately use.
Furthermore, other Pixar movies already have a strong presence throughout the Disney Parks. Over at Disney's California Adventure, Cars and A Bug's Life already have a specially designed area and both are extremely popular, drawing thousands of guests to Anaheim everyday. Back in Central Florida, it was just recently announced that the Toy Story franchise would be getting its own unique area at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the coming years in addition to the Toy Story presence already found at the Magic Kingdom and in Pixar Place at Studios itself with Toy Story Midway Mania and the popular Buzz and Woody meet and greet. Finding Nemo will probably only continue to expand its presence in the years to come with the release of its sequel, Finding Dory. We can already find the Tank Gang at Epcot at the Living Seas and Disney's Animal Kingdom at Finding Nemo- The Musical. I bring all of this up to prove that bringing a significant Pixar addition to a Disney Park is by no means unprecedented. In fact, I would suggest that it is actually a theme and a focus for Disney to get more Pixar into the parks. I hope that assumption is correct.
Finally, Inside Out fits picture-perfectly into the theme of Epcot. One of the main themes you will find at Epcot, and one of my personal favorites, is the challenge of advancing fearlessly into the future. This is evidenced by such attractions as Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space, and the interactive Innovations. Epcot puts a tremendous focus of taking life by the horns and creating a brighter future one day at a time. I say that by allowing people to understand their minds and imaginations more and more, albeit in the form of an animated movie, would be beneficial to Epcot in further supporting the claim that the future is indeed bright. Imagination is crucial for innovation, and the Inside Out gang can help guests learn that in a very Disney way.
All in all, to me, adding Inside Out to Epcot's Imagination Pavilion makes perfect sense. Here's hoping that Disney decides to give these great emotions a place in the parks sooner rather than later. We could use a theme park focus that isn't Frozen after all.
-Cody Fleenor
No comments:
Post a Comment