Disney has recently claimed they would double their theme park spending over the next ten years. They might have to because their most recent “attraction” is a garden in EPCOT that already has broken lights, and it’s only been open for about a week. 

PHOTOS: MORE Broken Lights In Brand New World Celebration Gardens at EPCOThttps://t.co/kh2zEWdmj4

— WDW News Today (@WDWNT) December 11, 2023

File this article under opinion. 

Recently, Disney has finally opened up parts of EPCOT that have been walled off since before the pandemic.

While the pandemic certainly stalled construction, many question why it took five years to complete the Moana-themed “Journey of Water” walk-through area and especially the new World Celebration Gardens with “Dreamers Point.”

Neither of these areas should have taken five years to complete—especially the garden area.

Original plans unveiled in 2017 showed a festival pavilion and expansive changes at the EPCOT resort in Walt Disney World. While we have gotten a new entry fountain, store, Starbucks/eatery, water walk-through area, and now a garden, they are clearly scaled-down versions of what was originally presented. 

Many Disney parks fans are underwhelmed. 

Disney keeps teasing large projects but instead produces meet-and-greets or reskinned attractions. 

Back in 2022, during a D23 panel about current and upcoming projects, Disney just showed the “blue sky” art of “What is beyond Big Thunder Mountain” or what could be added to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But it was all “maybe.”

Their announcements were mostly focused on current projects reaching completion and meet-and-greets like Figment or Mirabel.

Even this year, during Destination D23, the announcements were mostly things like a new Tree of Life projection show featuring “Zootopia.” Or a new ‘Country Bears Jamboree’ show featuring new song recordings based on popular Disney IP songs. Turning Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom into ‘Indiana Jones,’ which is what the same ride system at Disneyland is already based on.

The one “big” announcement was the addition of Encanto to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where Dinoland U.S.A. sits. That is, “IF” they actually follow through and don’t cut the plans back considerably, as was seen with EPCOT. 

Relatively cheap projects like the new garden area in EPCOT are not going to cut it anymore.

Here comes Epic Universe.

Universal Orlando is bringing a whole new park to the Orlando area in 2025. Epic Universe is already set to feature Super Nintendo Land, with both the Super Mario Bros. area and the Donkey Kong area that are in Japan—Universal Monsters, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and a new ‘Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ are also coming. 

Three new hotels will be opening soon as well. Two of them, the Stella Nova Resort and Terra Luna Resort will be value-priced with consumers in mind. Disney keeps focusing on expensive hotels and Disney Vacation Club (DVC) properties that are cost-prohibitive for many.

Universal is also opening a new Dreamworks Land area in their Universal Studios Florida park next year.  However, some attractions will be reskinned ones, and others will be new.

Disney has to step up its game if they want to stay competitive here in the United States. Disneyland may be getting some new areas soon after they get through the Anaheim bureaucracy. 

Of course, this is all my opinion, but I’m seeing similar sentiments pop up more and more within Disney fan circles.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!