After rumors that the new Festival Center in EPCOT’s upcoming World Celebration neighborhood had been canceled due to COVID-19 delays, Disney is now calling the location a “festival area.”
The festival center was supposed to be a multi-level structure overlooking the World Celebration gardens (currently Future World). In a new release, Disney referred to “a newly reimagined festival area that will be home to ever-changing events in a unique new environment.”
What this means is unknown, but the project could be something fairly simple like an astroturf lawn and/or temporary structures to host festival offerings until Disney deems a more permanent solution necessary.
The “festival area” will be behind Spaceship Earth, taking the space once occupied by the already demolished portion of Innoventions West.
Hints to the project changing have included shopDisney pulling a poster featuring the Festival Center and Disney removing it from the EPCOT Experience model. Though Disney has not confirmed that the Festival Center is canceled, the wording of “festival area” does suggest that they are at least considering something simpler.
Disney has also indefinitely postponed the reimagining of Spaceship Earth and the unnamed Mary Poppins attraction at EPCOT.
Honestly, I don’t know why they don’t just use World ShowPlace.
What next? Is “Journey of Water” going to be downgraded to a Slip-n-Slide covered in Moana stickers?
On a more serious note: I hope they will eventually find the money to build this as planned. I loved that design for the Festival Center as it really embodies the spirt of what we expect Epcot to be.
Good news about Spaceship Earth. Bad news about the Mary Poppins ride.
Great, the continued uninteresting/inspiring transformation of EPCOT just got a whole less interesting. Hope Chapek will at least splurge on some law chairs to put out on that AstroTurf, and maybe at least one umbrella.
The festival center was awful, it was going to be Big and gaudy,Every park has a weenie in it and this would of detracted from it. i’m not sure who is coming up with some of these ideas but they should be fired
With all of the cut backs, bare bones offerings, and shortened operating hours WDW has presented to guests since reopening this summer (all with no discounted tickets or refunds), not to mention having to wade through a Future World at Epcot torn up with construction for a very long time (an unavoidable detraction, I know), one would hope that Disney would bite the bullet and spend whatever is necessary to once again provide world-class presentations and entertainment to lure guests back after the horrible pandemic parks experience. The short-sighted decision to save money by cutting back or cancelling new projects already approved and anticipated is another slap in the face for both annual passholders and other long time, loyal fans as well. Of course, the top executives that received lucrative raises and bonuses during the budget slashing won’t be complaining about more trashed plans that would benefit guests. Not very encouraging looking forward.
Meh