Changing technology vs. changing guest expectations 

A person talking on a video screen in 1982 might have caught your attention easier than the slightly more off-putting interactive exhibits that exist today, however in both cases, the guest needed to take the initiative to learn about the future. As available technology changes in terms of theme park attractions, so do the ways that guests react to being placed in a futuristic environment.  

Take for instance Test Track. Before there was Test Track there was World of Motion, an attraction occupying the same space that exhibited the history and future of transportation. Like Spaceship Earth, World of Motion pursued another common theme of Future World—using the past to better explain and inspire guests to look toward the future. In 1982, the building where World of Motion was housed was of a futuristic design in itself. Guests might not think much of a large circular building in a theme park today, but in the early 1980s this architecture was jarring compared to most structures, and definitely gave off a futuristic vibe. 

Image: Disney

The end of World of Motion would hint at what was to come later with Test Track, as guests would not only see futuristic transportation designs, but they would also see a detailed breakdown of what would go into designing and building them. The original incarnation of Test Track featured more of an increase in ride technology than in theme, a feature that might lead us to believe that this attraction was straying away from what Card Walker had mentioned during the dedication speeches. Where Test Track during its opening years gave guests a behind the scenes look at what goes into testing vehicles before they are allowed to be sold on an American market, the ride technology is what took the more futuristic role. In such, Test Track would become the longest, and fastest ride at Walt Disney World, fulfilling guest expectations for more thrill rides, which Epcot was harshly criticized for its lack of in the early years. 

Today's version of Test Track has reverted back to the ideas presented in World of Motion, and in other early Epcot concepts. The ride technology has not changed all too much. Of course, the ride does look different, and might be more reminiscent of "Tron," than of the original Test Track attraction, but the way the ride functions is essentially the same except for the theme. Rather than simply showing guests what goes into the safety testing of cars, the attraction now allows guests to design their own cars of the future. 

Is learning outdated? 

Image: Disney

Test Track is basically forcing guests to do what they've recently moved away from doing while at theme parks: learning. There is a huge difference between enjoying Test Track because you like fast rides, and enjoying it because you learned something about how to make a car more powerful, or energy efficient, AND you were able to test out this design in a fun, high-speed thrill ride. In general, guests are becoming increasingly disinterested in learning-based theme park attractions. This is evident through the struggles museums deal with almost every day. As someone who has worked in multiple museums, I have firsthand experiences of seeing guests leave a museum with disappointment because there were no videos or costumed reenactors giving them information they still could have gotten from a less interactive exhibit.  

Theme parks are beginning to have the same problems. When the ride technology wasn't there to create something like Test Track, more guests were interested in sitting down for a show,, or participating in an exhibit that would teach them about the future. Like many guests, I love thrill rides, but I also feel that it is unfortunate that the very technology that has on the whole made for a better theme park experience, has also let some of the most interesting aspects of Future World fall to the wayside.  

When I hear someone say that Future World is no longer futuristic, I have to really think about how Disney has adapted the theme park to meet the changing expectations of guests, and only judge it from there. Assuming guests are more likely to prefer a ride attraction over anything where they need to initiate the learning for themselves, it makes sense that the park has changed as it has. 

Putting nostalgia aside 

Image: Disney

When discussing any Disney park, especially Epcot, it is important to put nostalgia aside as it leads to biases and skewed opinions of what the park is actually like. For instance, preferring Horizons to Mission: Space might have something to do with Horizons being a more memorable part of your childhood visit to Epcot. While I do think Horizons was a top-notch attraction, the fact that it was replaced with a futuristic thrill ride leads me to believe that it's removal was part of Disney making changes to meet guest expectations. Guests wanted more thrill rides, so more thrill rides they were given.  

Nostalgic preferences of Epcot, or rather EPCOT Center, are topics for a whole different article—for proof that nostalgia really does impact our expectations of the current state of the park, just ask any Figment fan which version of the Journey into Imagination attraction he or she prefers. While Epcot has remained overwhelmingly true to the original intent of Future World, I can understand where some guests might worry that the vision is changing. Closing the Wonders of Life pavilion is definitely one change in Epcot's history that I can't really defend as being beneficial to the park's theme. Closing an entire pavilion without replacing it with anything new does not meet the park's mission or guest expectations. Of course, the majority of guests probably are not aware that the pavilion was ever anything more than convention space, so closing it may have simply been a wise business decision, but it is not something I would have expected at park opening in 1982.  

Similar points can be made regarding the changes and closures of some of the exhibits inside Innoventions, or as you may remember is "CommuniCore," which presumably have become less popular with guests over time. If attractions within these areas are closed and replaced with something new and futuristic, I see little evidence except for nostalgia that would suggest this was a poor decision. With many original futuristic Epcot concepts such as Earth Station, Communicore, and Wonders of Life, going the way of the dinosaurs, it is understandable why some guests can be disappointed with the current version of Epcot. Regardless of when and how our favorite attractions are removed or changed, I think the future is still a huge part of Future World, we just need to take some extra initiative in finding it among the additions of rides and character meet and greets.