Wednesday, February 6, 2013

One year on, and new habits for Habit Heroes!

Sorry guys, no write long time, and after some activity elsewhere, it is time I suppose to consider a look back at one of Epcot's current niche attractions, and a little about its history so far.

Last time Habit Heroes was mentioned on this blog (this is true!), it was when it was being blacklisted for its unintentional backlash towards the wide belted community (for lack of a generalised PC term), especially under issues of body image, bullying and even a failure to convey the message of keeping healthy – it was a rather viral campaign blogged around the web less that one tear after the attraction's soft opening. More obscurely enough (and this counts as shameless bluffing), the sweeping to light of day of Epcot's previous attraction equivalents, making for a conversational chaser with regards to what could have improved Habit Heroes from there. Hence the shameless bandwagon post here.

And now, one year on under loads of tweaking, there has been a tremendous overhaul between the two attractions as far as anyone has concerned. Believe it or not, only one YT user has provided video evidence of the previous attraction that has raised a few eyebrows (and loads of tempers), and next to it, the newer one.

Habit Heroes 1.0Habit Heroes today

As obvious, they did lay off the duelling duo Callie Stenics and Will Powers, along with the extensive cast of villains personifying the common bad health habits (in which a brave contributor has managed to restore them here, here and here), as previously featured on the former multiple-role player game site. Now they have put together an entirely new cast of heroes each representing a positive healthy habit as follows: Agent Fuel representing nutrition, Agent Quench representing hydration and Agent Dynamo representing physical activity and drive. The villains in question are reduced to diminutive pests by comparison, but some reckon they do a better job at representing the consequences of neglecting good health habits represented.
What's more, the blueprint of the attraction is prominently displayed in the second incarnation of the attraction, and especially where things used to be. Here's the image comparing these differences:
Two blueprints and how we supposed it went. Any questions?
As far as it goes, the notable difference is that there is a little more interaction-involvement with the cast members compared to the previous show, and in this case, the end of the attraction involves a little more than a beginners scavenger hunt around Epcot, each involving the good habits featured. While mixed reviews persist pertaining to the latest incarnation of the pavilion (just not the same without the villains) all that matters is that Habit Heroes has finally wormed their way back into visitors hearts after under a year of correction.

Of course, as this blog still keeps the attraction predecessor Wonders of Life in its memories, it would have only been fair to have it bring back the pavilion from the dead (or at least save it from its eventual demise). Now that Habit Heroes has gotten over its weighty hurdles, what more can we ask?
In that case, let's offer some brains back into the workforce!
Okay, kidding here. But there's a lot of things going on at the moment, so best bet is to stay tunes. If there's a burning issue you want to discuss, please leave a comment to this article or shoot off an email, I'm happy to hear it from you. All ears. At ease!