Epcot's Gateway Gifts closing for short refurbishment next week

Jan 08, 2020 in "Gateway Gifts"

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Gateway Gifts overview

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Posted: Wednesday January 8, 2020 2:44pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Epcot's Gateway Gifts will be closing for a brief refurbishment next week.

The gift shop located underneath Spaceship Earth on the eastern side will close from January 13 through to January 18, reopening to guests on January 19 2020.

Gateway Gifts overview

This will complete the remodel of the stores by Spaceship earth, with the Camera Center on the western side already back in operation after its refurbishment.

In other gift shop news, the Gift Stop store, located outside of the main entrance near to the bus stops will have its final day of operation on January 18 2020.

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FigmentsBrightIdeas2 days ago

Totally see your point regarding the atmosphere and fountains, but I think this music was better for the area personally. :

Chef idea Mickey`=2 days ago

That's all you really need, now is Disney even capable of building copy back a building and facade?

Yeah, I get that. I just think that, since there's really no chance of JoW going away in the foreseeable future, it's best to further embrace the asymmetry and lean into the west being the "garden side" and the east being the "shopping and dining side". Keep the structures more minimal and rounded in shape so that it feels like there's an intentional contrast. As it stands, CommuniCore Hall is even sharper than its counterpart, which I don't think works visually.

Sir_Cliff2 days ago

Ah ok, now I understand. I thought you meant more those kind of structures distributed across the entire central spine area. I could see that working now that the symmetry has been forever thrown off. In and of itself, I don't think trying to mirror Creations with Communicore Hall was a bad plan once they axed the table building, though. All I am picturing as an alternative is a structure that more directly mirrored Creations while incorporating the same features, though, so perhaps I am lacking in imagination (or Imagination!, as the case may be). Overall, though, I think I am more positive on how Creations and Connections turned out than most.

Cmdr_Crimson2 days ago

I think at this moment this makes me feel a little better..

Chef idea Mickey`=2 days ago

That's what's scary with gutting Magic Kingdom even more so than Epcot!

Centauri Space Station2 days ago

I would add Awesome Planet and Space 220

Agent H2 days ago

Heads will roll? You think people will suddenly get fired for this almost a year after it finished?

aladdin20072 days ago

The cars fiasco will be irrepairable to MK, this mess at Epcot is somewhat repairable/changeable, if they had anyone with a vision or who isn't clueless, and they don't sadly nor a management willing to spend again most likely. And they spent how much on this?

Chef idea Mickey`=3 days ago

You can imagine, you could even imagine if something on the East was instead West side like Club Cool and Starbucks which use to be as more liklier than Creation's or Connection's one of them going on that side or both the possibilities is endless. If we had the other Communicore building rehabilitated it would be what the Communicore Hall is, the meet and greets area would stay, does it mean we would not lose Baymax? Epcot's center core right now is basically Epic Universe Celestial Park where either sides doesn't have identical symmetry. Epcot's center is concrete, Epic's is water. The only improvement you could do is either when Communicore Hall is demolished move the meet and greets to Connection's Eatery. Build a smaller Communicore Building or unique fitting architecture structure with a dome to house Starbucks. Perhaps The Connection's Eatery could move front where Starbucks is and the back is the character meet and greets. Just brainstorming here.

James Alucobond3 days ago

That's not what I meant. I don't want them to demolish Creations or Connections. I want them to demolish CommuniCore Hall and, rather than build the table, replace it with the kind of structures and landscaping that were originally supposed to be situated in the southeast portion of the area where Creations now resides. I think those structures could nicely encapsulate F&B, M&G, performance, and possibly even attraction spaces quite easily. Picture with arrow indicator to what I'm talking about for reference:

Sir_Cliff3 days ago

They can level CommuniCore Hall for all I care, though I will say that one aspect of this refresh that I actually quite like is the rehabilitation of the other Communicore building. It really gives a sense of what could have been if only they hadn't ever proposed that table building. With Moana not going anywhere, I don't know they can ever really restore symmetry to the area. I would personally prefer, though, some effort to more effectively mirror Creations than to demolish the remaining building as well.

Chef idea Mickey`=3 days ago

Your right, they aren't wider and even though you have many options to flow in paths doesn't improve a change as if you could run faster. It doesn't appeal to me to walk beside Communicore Hall, I still prefer walking middle or down Creation's unless it's park close and it's empty everywhere.

DreamfinderGuy3 days ago

I was there for many rope drops, no, it wasn’t. The current perimeter walkways aren’t much wider than they were when the FoN was there, CommuniCore Hall arguably makes it worse because it encourages loitering in the walkways. Walking past the Fountain of Nations wasn’t an issue, and even if it was, you had multiple other options to get from World Showcase to SSE even during park clearing.