EPCOT’s much-delayed transformation promised a fresh and exciting future for the beloved Walt Disney World Resort theme park, but recurring maintenance issues are already raising concerns. The newly completed World Celebration neighborhood, part of EPCOT’s massive multi-year overhaul, has faced criticism from fans after several features reportedly failed just weeks after being repaired.
The overhaul of EPCOT included transforming Future World into the World Discovery, World Nature, and World Celebration neighborhoods and introducing attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. While some updates have been celebrated, others have sparked disappointment among Disney Parks fans.
Broken Lights and Tripping Hazards
Redditor u/jayhero19 recently shared their frustration over ongoing issues in World Celebration, including broken lighting fixtures and cracked pavement.
“World Celebration is falling apart before our eyes,” they began. “Listen… I’m a diehard EPCOT fan. I’ve made many posts in the park’s defense since the walls came down earlier this year. But I am beyond stunned at how quickly this 5+ year-long refurbishment has deteriorated.”
According to the guest, some lighting features that had been fixed weeks earlier were already malfunctioning again. “The lighting fixtures on the pavement, in the trees, and around Communicore Hall are either broken completely, or are in such abysmal shape that it would be in their best interest to break,” they wrote.
Another guest confirmed that the newly repaired lighting in World Celebration was already failing. “Was there last week and a chunk of the lights were having a seizure,” u/vette91 wrote. “Couldn’t tell if it was purposeful or something broken.”
Temporary ropes around cracked pavement sections have also raised questions about safety in the newly renovated area.
One Disney Parks fan pointed out the potential for tripping hazards due to uneven pavement. “I noticed on a recent visit to the park that there are temporary ropes around random sections of pavement,” the guest recalled. “Upon closer inspection, it appears that large cracks have formed. Large enough to trip an unsuspecting guest.”
Disney Parks Fans Speak Out
Other Disney Parks fans echoed their disappointment, criticizing the quality of EPCOT’s refurbishment.
“It’s such a shame that they completely disrupted the entire front half of the park for the better part of a decade only to budget cut the update into the ground and not even have what’s left functioning properly,” u/LadPrime commented.
Guests have also expressed frustration over lighting malfunctions on high-profile features like Spaceship Earth. Redditor u/observer_of-reality shared their disappointment after noticing issues with the Disney park’s signature attraction: “I spotted, and called my wife’s attention to, one LED on Spaceship Earth that was dimmer, and sometimes displayed a color that clearly was not supposed to be in the pattern.”
Disappointment in the EPCOT Overhaul
Many Disney Parks fans expressed frustration with the quality and longevity of EPCOT’s updates, suggesting they’d rather spend their money at other theme parks.
“Don’t support any company for the companies’ sake,” said u/N64SmashBros. “They could not care any less about you, just your attendance and $. If you think it is more than that, you are sadly mistaken.”
“I’ve been going to Universal more frequently as a local and the overhaul experience and morale over there just feels brighter,” u/horizons_butler83 wrote. “I wanted to be excited about Disney stuff but all they seem to do is announce closures of classics for stuff that doesn’t stack up to the old things.”
What do you think of the recently completed EPCOT transformation? Let Disney Fanatic know in the comments!
