Monday, February 12, 2007
Going on a Trip in Our Favorite Rocketship
I find myself reading a lot of blogs regarding Disney lately, primarily the ones regarding a populist urge to get the Parks to take better care in maintaining current rides and in making healthy decisions for the parks' growth. My two favorites are ReImagineering and EpcotCentral.EpcotCentral really got me thinking of how this park could be retooled. It really is my favorite for just being in - it's landscaping, buildings, design of the walkways, and lighting make it a joy to just stroll through, without having a particular destination in mind. However, what makes it fun for me makes it precisely not fun for kids - walking only captures their imagination for so long (thank the heavens for amply number of ducks and bunnies to pick up the slack).
Ride and attraction wise, Epcot has in recent years been catering to a more teen audience, and this leaves the little ones out in the cold. With the loss of Horizons, Universe of Energy, and Body Wars, there's far less to take the little tykes on, and Mission to Mars, Test Track, and Soarin' don't make up for it, given the minimum height requirements. So what to do?
EpcotCenter has recently railed against the inclusion of Kim Possible as an attraction at Epcot. Currently, teens gets clues from a Kim Possible character that resides in the remains of the original ImageWorks facility on the second floor of the Imagination pavilion (now only open for special events). The clues take the teens to various places around the World Showcase to earn some sort of prize.
I don't share EpcotCentral's hate for the concept behind the Kim Possible quest; getting an audience to actively participate in the parks that otherwise wouldn't is always a good idea. But I'd argue they used the wrong set of characters, and missed out on a golden opportunity to get young kids interested in Epcot.
They should have used the Little Einsteins.
For those who have not seen them, the Little Einsteins are a group of multicultural children who travel around the world in an anthropomorphic rocket on various missions. Along the way, they introduce children to different pieces of classical music, as well as famous works of art. Currently, the characters hang out in the backlots of MGM.
To me, this is a much more logical fit for Epcot. Teens now have thrill rides in the park to garner their interest: little children don't. But now, they could interact with characters they are most likely familiar with (Little Einsteins airs daily on Playhouse Disney). Disney could reopen the second floor ImageWorks area: it's sounds and light oriented interactive displays go hand in hand with the lessons that are taught in the series, and would create a welcome area for parents with younger children to take their children and let them loose. From there, the Einsteins could send children on a mission: to gather clues from various pavilions in the World Showcase (these missions could also vary, to encourage repeat visits). Then, each of the missions would be tied to the unique art and music of that country - given that most of the pavilions already showcase art and music from the host country, it would be easy to integrate into the existing infrastructure with very little additional costs to the company). It enforces the ideals behind Epcot's founding (learning and fostering a better understanding of world cultures), expands on the show's basic concepts, and builds a fun and enjoyable experience for the children who otherwise would also grow up with the opinion that Epcot is the park with nothing to do.
I oughtta be an Imagineer, I tell ya.
Labels: Disney, Sheer Awesome
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