Disney guests are not overly thrilled with EPCOT's new Showcase Gardens that just opened

The newest addition to EPCOT, Showcase Gardens has opened but early impressions have left a lot of negativity at this Disney World park.

It was going to be so grand! The early looks at the transformation of EPCOT was going to be epic. A two-story building to serve as the hub of the EPCOT festivals giving a sweeping view of World Showcase from a new level...gone. An all new immersive and interactive play area...gone.

The central fountain that delighted guests and enchanted young kids, a central point with Spaceship Earth as the backdrop...gone. In its place is a garden, pavers, and a rather interesting concept that has many seeing, well, body parts.

The gardens opened officially at EPCOT and many guests are not all that thrilled with what four years of construction walls bought them. Admission price hikes, closed walking routes that made you circumvent the park instead of simply walking through it all led to a rather underwhelming experience so far.

There are still construction walls up in other areas around Celebration Showcase and many are wondering what disappoint lies behind them.

For some, the area is a perfect setting to read or to do some work. I personally have been to EPCOT many times and looked for a new spot to write articles and this seems like it might just be a good spot the next time I go. Certain parts of this area even have charging stations!

The benches are needed and for some folks who can't get around as much as others, having a nice tranquil area is not a bad thing.

It seems like the biggest point of contention is the removal of the fountain. Yes, the fountain is an incredibly pricey upkeep but it was also iconic. Now it is simply non-existent. It's hard to imagine that when Imagineers rolled out the concept art four years ago, this is what guests thought they would be getting.

I have yet to see this for myself but the above statement in the Tweet above isn't without merit. EPCOT was supposed to be the world of the future but in the side-by-side above, it appears that the old version was far more techy than the new version which looks more like it was designed in the 1950's.

Will guests find this area a peaceful and relaxing spot to eat their lunch or to just relax during long hot days or will this become nothing more than a pass through for guests going from one side of the park to another? Time will sort that question out.

Most guests or at least those that are basing their opinions on the images provided by others, are finding the new upgrades to not really hit the mark in terms of what they were expecting. To be honest, if I am judging the new area by images alone, I too would agree.

There simply is a lack of imagination and instead it looks quite boring. No, you couldn't put a new attraction here but they could have used a little more outside-the-box thinking. After all, is this not Disney Imagineers? Judging by the images, there isn't much to imagine.

At least not when you look at what it was supposed to be...or at least part of it.