The EPCOT approach to making a sequel?

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2006)

I saw a documentary a few weeks ago about the making of EPCOT Center in Orlando. In it, the producers tell us that the Imagineers had two different plans for what EPCOT should look like, and in the end, they decided to just "push the two plans together" into one park.
Okay, now fast forward a few decades. Disney is pressed for what exactly to do in the blockbuster Pirates sequel, so they push together no fewer than 11 stories or subplots into one nearly three-hour film:
1.) Elizabeth and Will: "I do," or "Uh, let's wait on this, honey?" 2.) Jack Sparrow: the quest for Davy Jone's locker (okay, chest-- ha ha), the god among the natives, friend or foe (to Elizabeth and co.), etc., etc. etc. 3.) Will and Bootstrap (daddy): "Who loves ya, kid?" "I'll save you, dad." 4.) Davy Jones: she loves me, she loves me not; join us or die; this old heart of mine (ha ha); etc., etc. 5.) East India Trading Co.: Will and Elizabeth, we have a little favor to ask you... 6.) The Commmodore: wait till you hear what happened to me... 7.) The Governor: Oh, sweetie, just get on this easy boat to England... 8.) Tia Dalma: Now, which one of you two hunkies be cuter? 9.) The Krakken: No, it's my story! Watch me grab another boat! Ha ha! 10.) The key: No, I'm half (or more) of the movie! Ha ha ha! 11.) Pintell and Ragetti: We're back!
...and on and on and on.
Don't get me wrong, folks-- I really liked the movie. It just seemed a little over ambitious, story-wise. Half of these topics/ issues in half as much film-time would still have been great.
Disney folks, please: scale back the Pirates 3 one, okay? Those 40 oz. Cokes we buy in the lobby are just too tough on our bladders when you ask us to really focus on all of these plots and subplots past the two-hour mark, sorry. ;-)=
And please, don't even get me started on how repetitive (and derivative) some of this film's scenes seemed: Will and the Commodore's fight on the rolling millwheel is too similar to Will and co.'s rolling escape earlier in the skeleton ball from the natives, and Sparrow's own flight from the natives is easily stolen from Indy's dash from the Hovitos in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Sigh. ;-)