CommuniCore Hall's overlay for EPCOT Festival of the Holidays looks like a sad Macy's display

Much fuss has been made about EPCOT's Communicore Hall since it first opened over the summer. Originally pitched as a place for "guests to relax, a dynamic space to anchor our EPCOT Festivals, and everything in between," CommuniCore Hall had a ton of promise "limited only by boundaries of imagination."

As it turned out, Disney's imagination was quite limited. When CommuniCore officially opened, guests were shocked to discover lackluster and plain it was. The interior drew comparisons to an airpor lounge or a high school cafeteria.

It was nothing like the concept art Disney originally showcased. And while we expect some changes to occur between the concept art and final product, no one foresaw just how bland and lifeless the final building would be.

There was hope that the building would come to life with EPCOT's first festival, but Food and Wine Festival came and it only made things worse. The building became occupied with pop-racks filled with festival merchandise, looking like a T.J. Maxx or standard department store.

At that point, just about all hope was lost. CommuniCore Hall would never live up to the hype and expectations of the initial announcement.

Which brings me to today — the start of the 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. With the new celebration comes a new overlay for the controversial building space. Rather than looking like a department store, it now just looks like an ad space for Balsam Hill, a company that sells artificial Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, and other holiday decor.

The highlight of the space is Glittering Grove, an "enchanting forest of twinkling trees." Either the enchantment has run off or someone chopped down this forest cause it's a handful of trees with lights on them. It looks like a Macy's holiday display.

Other decorations include an eight-foot tall Gingerbread Spaceship Earth and tables covered with holiday patterns of snowflakes, presents, and more. The only real reason you'll want to visit this space, aside from the tables and air conditioning, is the Experimental Prototype Cookies of Tomorrow festival kitchen. Other than that, it remains a disappointment.

It's safe to say, CommuniCore Hall will never deliver on the promise of its concept art.