News New Play Pavilion to replace Epcot's Wonders of Life

[tpoly88]

I had a lot of mixed emotions about it, but as a whole pretty much anything would be a net positive over continuing to leave the building empty. Making everything in Future World East a thrill ride has killed that whole section of the park for lots of families, making Wonders the kids area would have helped at least. It did waste lots of space in the pavilion, but there's nothing saying future developments couldn't have gone into the Body Wars/Cranium sections. Doing nothing is wasting more space than Play would've.

obviously i'm not an imagineer or engineer but I still find it unbelievable that they cannot find something to do with this building and space. for a while they were using it during the festivals, especially the F&W and i liked the educational events they put in there. Given that Body Wars is still there, it seems to me that they could refurbish it and have either a Wreck it Ralph Sugar Rush ride, a Wall-e ride or even Moana, with themes inside for the kids and grown ups to enjoy together (not make the ride intense). Given that Star Tours keeps going and with refurbished missions, cant understand why you'd let an asset just sit like that. Guess they feel it wont bring more people to Epcot? We were walking around there yesterday and saying that Epcot still has a lot of space they could use for more Rides or different attractions. i hate seeing things be vacant like that.

 

[doctornick]

obviously i'm not an imagineer or engineer but I still find it unbelievable that they cannot find something to do with this building and space. for a while they were using it during the festivals, especially the F&W and i liked the educational events they put in there. Given that Body Wars is still there, it seems to me that they could refurbish it and have either a Wreck it Ralph Sugar Rush ride, a Wall-e ride or even Moana, with themes inside for the kids and grown ups to enjoy together (not make the ride intense). Given that Star Tours keeps going and with refurbished missions, cant understand why you'd let an asset just sit like that. Guess they feel it wont bring more people to Epcot? We were walking around there yesterday and saying that Epcot still has a lot of space they could use for more Rides or different attractions. i hate seeing things be vacant like that.

Reportedly, a lot (if not all) of the Body Wars infrastructure has been pillaged over the years, sometimes for repairs for Star Tours. If they were going to put a ride there now, even using the same ride mechanics, it would pretty much be a new build.

 

[tpoly88]

Reportedly, a lot (if not all) of the Body Wars infrastructure has been pillaged over the years, sometimes for repairs for Star Tours. If they were going to put a ride there now, even using the same ride mechanics, it would pretty much be a new build.

Ah, that makes sense then. Shame. thanks for the info

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Reportedly, a lot (if not all) of the Body Wars infrastructure has been pillaged over the years, sometimes for repairs for Star Tours. If they were going to put a ride there now, even using the same ride mechanics, it would pretty much be a new build.

The queue and load/unload is all still there. The show hardware is pretty much all gone though, and even what's left I highly doubt would be reused should a new simulator attraction occupy the building. Supposedly the existing third floor of the building has been extended at least partially over the simulator pits, so that certainly complicates things.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Maybe they could do something with Stitch?!!

 

[Bocabear]

The building is sandwiched between Mission Space and GOTG...Both attractions involve Space travel. It only makes sense that this building should be an intergalactic Space port of some sort... Revisit Plectu's Galactic Revue, A couple spinner rides theme to outer space and one E-ticket space themed attraction. Also create a shuttle (peoplemover) that brings guests from Mission Space directly into the Intergalactic Space Port...(a la Original Living Seas). This would make tons of sense thematically and give that corner of the park a real cohesive theme.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

The building is sandwiched between Mission Space and GOTG...Both attractions involve Space travel. It only makes sense that this building should be an intergalactic Space port of some sort... Revisit Plectu's Galactic Revue, A couple spinner rides theme to outer space and one E-ticket space themed attraction. Also create a shuttle (peoplemover) that brings guests from Mission Space directly into the Intergalactic Space Port...(a la Original Living Seas). This would make tons of sense thematically and give that corner of the park a real cohesive theme.

Two Space pavilions is already too much. Ideally someday Guardians gets a retheme and Mission: Space is removed entirely for a better space pavilion. Wonders really deserves more than a third stab at the same theme.

 

[HauntedPirate]

It's really a shame that the original theme of Wonder of Life became so outdated.

Oh wait...

 

[Andrew25]

Part of me believes that entire block of Epcot (including Mission Space) is essentially reserved for Marvel now. Boy do I hate saying this, but I'd imagine executives see Epcot as the Marvel park.

If they ever want to bring back the Play! concept... stick it into Figment. I love expansions more than anyone, but I think Epcot could benefit from upgrades to its current pavilions before we see a new one (or in this case reopened).

 

[J4546]

Make play into a planetarium.with a 30+ minute show about space.

 

[Haymarket2008]

Guardians is where the buck stops with Marvel in EPCOT.

Guardians could easily be rethemed, Mission: Space should be demolished and a better Space pavilion should take its place (and Space 220 can stay), and Test Track is getting a brand new refresh.

The Wonders plot needs something else to flesh out the World Discovery options other than Galaxy, Space and Transportation.

 

[uncle jimmy]

Two Space pavilions is already too much. Ideally someday Guardians gets a retheme and Mission: Space is removed entirely for a better space pavilion. Wonders really deserves more than a third stab at the same theme.

Is there a blueprint of what WOL building looks like? If things need to be replaced, curious what the size of those areas look like inside.

 

[ppete1975]

Its a shame a huge empty geodesic building is empty in a state where it rains so much. If they had anything in there it would be a great respite from the rain, even if they just used it to show previews for upcoming movies in the side theaters and the middle being a store. Heck they could have made that the creations shop, and had attractions on the side.

Sadly whatever they do with the buidling if anything, needs to be an A or B level as there is no good way to route a queue, and the crowds would flood anything major in the middle.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Is there a blueprint of what WOL building looks like? If things need to be replaced, curious what the size of those areas look like inside.

Here's WoL as it stood before, but most of what's depicted here is long gone. The biggest section that's still more or less untouched is Body Wars, and even that has been stripped down and has empty rooms in place of the simulator bays.

 

[aladdin2007]

Wasn't the biggest complaint that it smelled like garbage of the sort? IMO I never smelled anything as bad as Starbucks by Fountainview but, that's just me..

That smell is still in the area now at creations side,,,It was awful sewage smell on Monday.

 

[danlb_2000]

obviously i'm not an imagineer or engineer but I still find it unbelievable that they cannot find something to do with this building and space. for a while they were using it during the festivals, especially the F&W and i liked the educational events they put in there. Given that Body Wars is still there, it seems to me that they could refurbish it and have either a Wreck it Ralph Sugar Rush ride, a Wall-e ride or even Moana, with themes inside for the kids and grown ups to enjoy together (not make the ride intense). Given that Star Tours keeps going and with refurbished missions, cant understand why you'd let an asset just sit like that. Guess they feel it wont bring more people to Epcot? We were walking around there yesterday and saying that Epcot still has a lot of space they could use for more Rides or different attractions. i hate seeing things be vacant like that.

I am sure Imagineering has plenty of ideas, the problem is coming up with something the the company is willing to pay for.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

That smell is still in the area now at creations side,,,It was awful sewage smell on Monday.

Nothing screams "The Future of Possibilities" like the putrid smell of a sewage line...

 

[Andrew25]

I am sure Imagineering has plenty of ideas, the problem is coming up with something the the company is willing to pay for.

BINGO

I think people forget that Imagineering is still great... they just are locked behind a door. We still see them produce quality, but corporate gets in the way of things.

Imagineering was literally told in the past to think outside the box/budgets, nowadays they're stuck with whatever strategy corporate gives them.

I'm sure Imagineering hates that they had to ruin the Epcot skyline and had a bit more money to put a proper façade in place for GOTG.

I'm sure they have more interesting designs and concepts for the Poly DVC tower, but corporate chose the cleanest/cheapest version.

I do think Imagineering needed to wake up a bit and become a bit more practical with their budget, but they are not the problem with the Domestic parks.

 

[OSUPhantom]

That smell is still in the area now at creations side,,,It was awful sewage smell on Monday.

Sounds ideal for a Wall-E experience

 

[S.I.R. the Robot]

It's really a shame that the original theme of Wonder of Life became so outdated.

Oh wait...

The Body Wars safety video? The two volunteers in the attraction?? (Seriously, they look like Marge Simpson.)

Haha you'd actually like to know who the individual they used to portrait the human they used for us to go inside of ...yeah tell us anyone

It's gotta be a guy. He's wearing something on his head, and he has like a full body cast on. Maybe to make it androgynous? He looks like the guy from the preshow...