Why I love EPCOT Center

There have been countless threads about EPCOT Center Future World attractions and why we love and miss them, what made them special or what’s wrong with today’s Epcot. Remarkably, almost all of them end up at the nostalgia factor as the reason it remains so dear to our hearts, an idea I usually agree with. But then I started to think (a dangerous pastime....I know!), there has to be more to it then just that? I mean, as a kid I went to lots of different places that conjure up great memories but don’t seem to hold that same special place in my heart that EPCOT Center has. So I popped in my favorite Disney World CD, pulled out the old photo albums, surfed the net for old EPCOT Center information and digested all that information. So, here are my thoughts presented from a unique perspective, enjoy.

I grew up in a family of six, Mom, Dad, three younger sisters and me, but like most families my parents wanted us all to be old enough to enjoy the vacation. However, from the time I was six, my parents always managed to take us on short trips to local amusement parks. Living across the boarder from Detroit we had our choice of places to go, Boblo Island (local), Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH), Kings Island (Cincinnati, OH) and later Canada’s Wonderland (Toronto, ON) were all within a four hour drive of home. We generally alternated each summer going to Cedar Point one summer and Kings Island the next. I have vivid memories of visiting Cedar Point when Gemini (’78) opened as well as when The Beast (’79) opened at Kings Island, but roller coasters larger than kiddy size wouldn’t be my thing for years to come. I can also remember the Fun House and San Francisco Earth Quake rides at Cedar Point as well as the Hanna Barbara Cartoon TV boat ride at Kings Island, all were dark rides that I really enjoyed all have since disappeared.

Finally in December 1981 I learned that the Magic Kingdom wasn’t your typical amusement park! It was the holiday season during the 10th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom. I enjoyed all of the Fantasyland rides, 20,000 Leagues, Pirates, The Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, Country Bears, Mission to Mars, Carousel of Progress, If You Had Wings, WED Way and yes even the Grand Prix Raceway. Everything seamed larger than life to me, like I was in a different world. But there was more, there was the 10th anniversary / Christmas parade and the New Years Eve fireworks, a tradition that continues for me even to this year. I didn’t want to leave that night, I even cried all the way back to the car, not a proud moment! In fact it would be months before we would stop singing ‘in the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room’ and ‘Yo Ho, Yo Ho a pirate’s life for me’. But there was one more thing that I remember from that trip, and that was riding in our station wagon down World Drive and watching the new monorail track being built, the track that would take you to EPCOT Center. I thought that if the Magic Kingdom was as amazing as it was at 10 years old, EPCOT had to be even better. I couldn’t wait to go back so I began to work on my parents, we returned two years later!

In December, 1983 we loaded up the station wagon and headed south stopping in New Port Ritchie, Florida. One of my Great Uncles owned a house there, which is where we always went first. We would visit other attractions like Weeki Wachee Springs, Busch Gardens or Circus World before heading over to Orlando. The Magic Kingdom was pretty much the same as it was two years before, but my attention was somewhere else, EPCOT! When we finally made our way to EPCOT Center I couldn’t believe my eyes, this place was huge. The first thing you encounter is Spaceship Earth and it was gigantic, but then you find out there is a ride inside, WOW! So we waited in line, a very long line! Even while I was enjoying the ride, I couldn’t believe that we were on a ride inside this huge ball. Following Spaceship Earth we took in CommuniCore which had all kinds of fun hands on things to do. There was even a show hosted by a robot that showed us how computers operated the entire EPCOT Center. Next we went to the Universe of Energy which has this really neat pre-show where this wall of big TV screens rotated out of the wall, very cool. After the show we moved to this large movie theater which didn’t seam like much, until the whole theater moved! That’s right, whole sections of the theater were on wheels and moved into other rooms where there were dinosaurs, and then another theater to watch second movie. Walking out of Universe of Energy I was left thinking cool theater, cool dinosaurs, the movies were kind of boring and loud but I couldn’t stop playing this song in my head ‘energy you make the world go round and round, you make the world go round’. Our next stop was Horizons, another huge building. This ride opened just a few months before. Inside we rode flying cars into the future! At the end of the ride we were able to select one of three endings; we chose the space one which was cool. This was my favorite attraction at EPCOT Center.

Next up was World of Motion which looked really cool from the outside. You could see people riding in cars that looked like real cars moving up a ramp to the second floor outside of the building. The ride was another continuously moving ride just like the Spaceship Earth and Horizons. There were lots of different funny scenes about the history of transportation. When we finished the ride there was this cool area called the Transcenter where you could look at futuristic cars. There was another song ‘its fun to be free’ that I couldn’t get out of my head just like the one over at Universe of Energy. We then went into World Showcase where we went on a boat ride in Mexico and watched a movie in China and a really cool show at the American Adventure kind of like the Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom. We saw two more movies, one in France and the other in Canada. The movies in China and Canada were the same kind as Magic Carpet “round the world’ at the Magic Kingdom, they called it a 360 movie where you had to stand which wasn’t good.

I really don’t remember everything that was at Imagination. There was a ride that opened earlier in the year with two characters named Dream Finder and Figment who told the story of imagination. The cars in this ride moved forwards and sideways. And just like the other Future World buildings, another song stuck in my head, ‘one little spark, lights up for you!’ At the end of the ride there was this play area which had lots of neat hands on things to do. Next we were off to The Land. This building didn’t look very big until you went inside. There were three different things to do inside. Symbiosis was a movie but I don’t really remember much about it. There was a boat ride called Listen to the Land which had another one of those catchy songs. And then there was this really cool show called Kitchen Kabaret, it was very cute and had this song ‘veggie veggie fruit fruit’.

My next visit to EPCOT Center would be two years later in December 1985. Not much changed during those two years and only Morocco was added between the two trips. I remember seeing The Living Seas which would open just two weeks after we were there. My third visit to EPCOT Center wouldn’t be until December 1995 when there were few additions but many changes. But what does this little trip down memory lane tell me about why I love EPCOT Center? Well according to the definition, nostalgia means “A bittersweet longing for things, persons or situations of the past.” which tells me nostalgia is more than just memories, but a wanting to experience things from an earlier time and or place. But why do I have a longing to return to EPCOT Center but not say to the Cartoon TV ride at Kings Island? I mean I enjoyed the Cartoon TV ride, I have very clear memories of it and it would be great to ride it again, but I don’t have the same longing for it. I believe there are several reasons why many of us are nostalgic about EPCOT Centre. The short answer would be Disney Magic, those unique experiences that Disney has become the master at providing and the only place that we can find them. However, many of those experiences, in whole or in part are now gone and we can’t experience them anymore so we’re nostalgic about them. For those who didn’t have the opportunity to experience EPCOT Center to understand our nostalgic feelings, imagine if you will that the Magic Kingdom closed for good for whatever reason and you could never experience it again, how would you feel?

There are many elements that made up the Magic at EPCOT Center, many have disappeared, some are disappearing and yet others remain. Let’s start with the buildings in Future World, each is massive and ecstatically very unique, different from anything else that exists in any other theme park, even other Disney parks! The buildings were designed to be impressive and are overwhelming as you walk up to each one. Heck, The Land building takes up as much space as Tomorrowland does! With the exception of Horizons, which has been replaced with another impressive building, all of the buildings remain uniquely different from anything else that exists today. This would be one of the Magic elements that remain today.

The feeling you got from walking up to each of the pavilions was that you were someplace very different from anyplace you’d been before and that theme was carried through to the inside of each building. Each pavilion told its own story through the use of impressive audio animatronics, unique ride systems and catchy music. It was the story inside each building that tied each pavilion together to create a continuous cohesive experience. And yes it was educational but was done in such an entertaining way that you didn’t really notice that you were being educated at the same time. It is in this area that we have lost much of the Magic that those of us who long for the way EPCOT Center use to be. Even the small details, like the logos for example have almost completely disappeared. Each pavilion had its own logo which was simple in design but very futuristic looking; all were neon blue and added to the over all story of EPCOT Center.

We have lost all of the audio animatronics inside World of Motion, Horizons and most inside Imagination and The Land. The Living Seas, Test Track and Mission Space have no audio animatronics. Wonders of Life and The Universe of Energy have very few audio animatronics. Spaceship Earth, the last big collection may or may not be in danger of losing its audio animatronics. Do you need audio animatronics to tell a good story? The answer of course is no, there are many ways to tell a good story. However, part of the Disney Magic is using audio animatronics to tell a story, it’s one of those experiences that can only be found at a Disney park. While there are still audio animatronics inside today’s Epcot, we miss the ones that have gone.

As for the unique ride systems, we have lost two (World of Motion & Horizons) but gained two new systems (Test Track & Mission Space). The loss of World of Motion’s ride system isn’t that significant as it was very close to what is inside Spaceship Earth, Horizons however was unlike anything else. Unique ride systems can still be found at Spaceship Earth, The Universe of Energy, Mission Space, Test Track and Imagination. The trouble here is that the two newest attractions aren’t capable of handling the capacity levels that the two systems they replaced could. This results in long lines forming at both attractions and contributes to the loss of the leisurely pace that was also part of the Magic of EPCOT Center.

Finally, what about the catchy music that you just couldn’t get out of your head? For about a 10 year stretch you could hear the following songs, ‘Tomorrow’s Child’ (Spaceship Earth), ‘Energy (You Make the World Go’ Round)’ & ‘Universe of Energy’ (Universe of Energy), ‘New Horizons’ (Horizons), ‘It’s Fun to Be Free’ (World of Motion), ‘Magic Journeys’, ‘Makin’ Memories’ & ‘One Little Spark’ (Imagination), ‘Listen to the Land’ & ‘Kitchen Kabaret Medley’ (The Land). Only two songs remain from the “Golden Era”, sort of! ‘Listen to the Land’ was replaced with ‘Living with the Land’ and the new ‘One Little Spark’ made its debut with the return of Figment. Music plays a big part in just about all forms of entertainment and has a huge impact on recall. Add to that the fact that all of these songs were original, created as part of each experience, that’s Magic, Magic that’s gone!

But there is hope! Epcot can certainly reclaim much of the Magic that it has lost. But you’ll have to read part 2 to find out how!

Part Two

After re-reading my thoughts in part one I realized that today’s Epcot does still have a lot of the original Disney Magic left in it. It has also been pointed out by many of those who didn’t have an opportunity to experience EPCOT Center that today’s Epcot is pretty good as it is. But for those of us who were fortunate enough to experience EPCOT Center we know that with some fixing’ here and there it could be the Magical place that it once was. Here are my thoughts on how to get Epcot its sole back.

Spaceship Earth – I’ve never really understood why people feel that this attraction being ‘out of date’ is a bad thing? It presents the ‘history’ of communication therefore its very purpose is to be ‘out of date’! Here is what needs to be done to improve Spaceship Earth. The story, history of communication to remain as is. Update the audio animatronics to newer versions as required. Replace the Omni mover system with a new Omni mover system that has comfortable seats and a better sound system. Add the song ‘Tomorrow’s Child’ to the ending. Replace The New Global Neighborhood with Space Station Earth where you can communicate and play games with aliens on other planets via smart video phones that translates alien to English (or Spanish, French, ect.) and vice versa. Remove Mickey’s hand and wand. Paint the legs of Spaceship Earth back to a solid blue, but not like the old powder blue, more like sky blue.

Innoventions – The major change going from CommuniCore to Innoventions was from futuristic products (products not yet available) to the latest available products. Given the business environment today it is understandable that companies are reluctant to make their research and development public. And to be honest with you, I think the way that the products are presented today is much more organized than they were in CommuniCore. There are a couple of changes required. First I would uncover the windows to make the pavilion more inviting, you could see into the buildings again. There are people who walk right by and have no idea what’s inside, let’s fix that. The Cool Station will be moved to Wonders of Life, more on that in a bit. Continue to update the displays with the newest products available and present them in the most hands on display possible. Return the CommuniCore logo and paint the outside of the buildings with the same sky blue that the Spaceship Earth legs get painted.

Universe of Energy – The Ellen’s Energy Adventure update was a good change over all as it’s much more entertaining, has a better story line and stays educational. The education on energy story stays as is but gets updated as new energy sources are found and used. Add ‘The Universe of Energy’ song to the pre-show waiting area before Ellen talks to the audience. Add ‘Energy (You Make the World Go ‘Round)’ to the first theater while loading is taking place. Return the logo. Paint the sides of the building back to its original colour. Note someplace in the story that the attraction operates on solar power provided through the solar panels on top of the building.

Wonders of Life – Now in its 15th year, this pavilion like The Living Seas has never had a major rehab and it shows! Cranium Command stays, but gets an update. The pre-show area and theater get a rehab to a newer fresh look and feel. The overall story of this attraction remains the same. The pre-show movie gets updated with computer animation for a fresher look. All video with Bobby gets replaced with an up to date look, maybe with Lizzy McGuire, Raven or another Disney TV character replacing Bobby. Body Wars stays but gets the “Tower of Terror” update. Much like Tower of Terror now has four different ride sequences; Body Wars will now have four different ride sequences with all new video. Each story will begin and end as it currently does, capsule being shrunk and injected into the human body and then enlarged at the end. However, the mission inside the body will be different for each sequence. Simulator pods would be reprogrammed, repaired and or replaced to provide a smother ride. The pre-show area would be rehabbed to give it a laboratory feel as opposed to the current ‘star wars’ feel. The Amazing Five Scenes area would include an expanded hands on area that tests all five senesces, including taste (Cool Station). One of the center theaters would give an entertaining show on proper nutrition and exercise. A final area would somehow highlight current medical advances, maybe something to do with DNA. Remove some of the trees from the front of the pavilion so that more of it is visible, more inviting. Return the logo.

Mission: Space – I don’t know, it just opened and I haven’t experienced it yet. The mistake made here is that it should have been built on the opposite side of Future World between The Land and The Living Seas. This would have left the area open for an actual Horizons update. I would create a simple round logo for the pavilion.

Test Track – The mistake made here is that Test Track could have been added to World of Motion and today we would have both. But we can’t do anything about that now. Or can we? What if GM placed concept cars in the post show area instead of current models, like they use to do? Or how about a 3D motion simulator theater that includes some of the elements from World of Motion and carries the story forward with things like hovercrafts and flying cars? The individual seats inside this theater would move with the action in the movie to give you the feel that you’re actually moving. Add the song ‘It’s Fun to Be Free’ to the post-show area. Remodel the Test Track queue area, it’s very noisy and feels like a factory, not very magical when you work in a factory back home! Change the name of the pavilion back to World of Motion with logo. Attractions at GM’s World of Motion will be Test Track, 3D motion simulator (Time Racers) and the concepts car show area (Trans Center).

Imagination – One of the problems that this pavilion suffers from is that it has three different entrances. Many people don’t even realize that there is more to the pavilion after they completed one or the other attractions. First, change the official name of the pavilion to The Imagination Institute. Remodel the pavilion so that there is one entrance at the ‘main lobby’ that leads to the ride. The new ride would take you through the Imagination Institute Laboratories featuring some of the great minds of Disney. The last room visited could be the Imagineering room that features previews of coming attractions. For example right now Expedition Everest could be on display. Following the ride you move to the Imagination Works area, a hands on play area currently occupied by Image Works (Kodak Store). Image Works would be moved to a new area between where it currently is and the entrance to the Honey I Shrunk the Audience pre show area. The song ‘Maken’ Memories’ would be returned to the pre-show. Honey I Shrunk the Audience would be changed to a new 3D show featuring Dream Finder and Figment. The show would include the song ‘One Little Spark’. Paint the building back to its original colours, open up the glass roof and return the logo.

The Land – This pavilion has held up incredibly well over the years. There have been very subtle rehabs done to the building over the years which may explain why it continues to feel fresh. Soaring is already on the way so we don’t want to mess with that, unfortunately it once again replaces a current attraction. So we will add Kitchen Kaberet to the Sunshine Food Fair dining area, where shows will take place every 30 minutes for diners to enjoy. Living with the Land is the perfect name for this new attraction that will remain the same for the most part. A section will be added to give a feel for what it would be like to live ‘in the land’ just as Horizons had suggested! As for the ‘Circle of Life: Environmental Fable’ movie, replace it with something, even showing the Lion King all day would be a step up. This would be one of the few current attractions that should be completely replaced with something new.

New Horizons – This is a new pavilion that would be located between The Land and The Living Seas. The focus of this pavilion will not be space transportation, that’s Mission Spaces job! It would present what it will be like living in space, just as Horizons had suggested (I see a pattern here!). The first part of this pavilion would present mans history with living in space, where the ideas came from, and how we’ve gotten to where we are today (International Space Station). The second part of this pavilion would show the future of life in space. For example what would it be like to live on a space station or another planet? I’m thinking an Omni mover system since there isn’t one on this side of the park. Included would be the newest audio animatronics, a new catchy song and the return of the Horizons logo.

The Living Seas – This pavilion turns 18 years old next month and has never had a major rehab. I’ve never been overly impressed with this pavilion. However, what if Sea Base Alpha became the underwater community of Epcot, an underwater city? The story here is that you are looking for a new home; the pre-show is the sales pitch to live in the Sea Base Alpha Phase II underwater living community. You then take the Hydrolytors down to the city. You’re welcome to explore the model home in a neighborhood like the one currently being built off the South Carolina coast.

I would build a new Carousel of Progress in the center of Epcot, between the international fountain and the world showcase lagoon. The story, characters and music remain exactly the same. But there would be a new rotating show building with new audio animatronics. The final scene would receive an update every few years. The gear logo would be a perfect addition to the Epcot family. And the Carousel at the Magic Kingdom would be closed.

As for the World Showcase, I would remove the Odyssey, replacing it with a walkway and gardens much like the gardens on opposite side of Future World. I would add Australia (Opera House), Egypt (Pyramids & Spinks) and Russia (Red Square) to the collection of countries, with rides space permitting. I would add swivel seats to the 360 movies in China and Canada. I would add rides to Japan and German.

A lot of these suggestions are fairly easy to implement and could be done immediately such as the painting, logos and adding the songs. The major projects would have to be spread out carefully over a few years. Of the major projects the first two I would do would be the rehab to Wonders of Life and The Living Seas. Once all of this was completed any further work would have to follow this rule, update and add, good, replace, very bad!

Historical Facts

Here is the list of changes made to each Future World pavilion.

Spaceship Earth – Opened Oct. 1, 1982. Cronkite narration and ‘Tomorrow’s Child’ song added May 29, 1986. Irons narration replaces Cronkite narration, Global Neighborhood replaces Earth Station, ‘Tomorrow’s Child’ song removed Nov. 23, 1994. The New Global Neighborhood replaces Global Neighborhood Nov. 24, 1999.

CommuniCore – Opened Oct. 1, 1982. Various display changes until pavilions become Innoventions on July 1, 1994. Various display changes until pavilions become Innoventions: The Road To Tomorrow in Oct. 1, 1999.

Universe of Energy – Opened Oct. 1, 1982. The pre-show screens replaced with flat screens, Ellen’s Energy Adventure opens, ‘Energy (You Make the World Go ‘Round)’ and ‘Universe of Energy’ songs removed Sep. 15, 1996.

Wonders of Life – Opened Oct. 19, 1989. No changes.

Horizons – Opened Oct. 1, 1983. Closed in Dec. 1994 for one year, all GE references removed. Reopened on Dec. 24, 1995 to cover for rehab to Universe of Energy and World of Motion. Closed for good Jan. 9, 1999. Replaced with Mission: Space 2003.

World of Motion – Opened Oct. 1, 1982. Closed for good Jan. 2, 1996. Replaced with Test Track on Dec. 19, 1998.

Journey Into Imagination – Opened Oct. 1, 1982, opens with Magic Journeys only. Journey Into Imagination (ride) opens Mar. 5, 1983. Captain EO replaces Magic Journeys Sep. 12, 1986. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience replaces Captain EO Nov. 21, 1994. Journey Into Your Imagination replaces Journey Into Imagination, Dream Finder, Figment, Image Works and ‘One Little Spark’ (song) removed Oct. 1, 1999. Figment added back with alternate ‘One Little Spark’ song on June 1, 2002. JTS – Journey Into Your Imagination replacement, Oct. 1999.

The Land – Opened Oct 1, 1982, opens with Listen to the Land, Kitchen Kabaret and Symbiosis. Living with the Land replaces Listen to the Land Dec. 10, 1993. Food Rocks replaces Kitchen Kabaret Mar. 26, 1994. Circle of Life replaces Symbiosis Jan. 21, 1995.

The Living Seas – Opened Jan. 15, 1986, Sea Cabs closed Oct. 21, 2001.

Doesn’t anyone have any thoughts?

WOW!!

You hit the nail on the head, Tom Morrow: songs, animatronics, quality - you've got it.

I especially like your own ideas! There are two points I disagree with though: keep Disney Channel OUT! of Epcot (please! not at CC!) and Kitchen Kabaret would probably be better off in a theatre at WOL or the Land if it is to be brought back (the area is pretty crowded in the Land for a whole theatre.

Otherwise, you not only understand the fun importance of EPCOT past and present, but also the value - which seems to be a vision held smaller and smaller by most of us. Job well done.

I can only hope that (new) management will look at Epcot and put the essence and values back into each of its pavilions - whether in the form of logos, songs, animatronics, or meaning.

Great Job!

Reading your first post, I could remember the first times I went to Epcot. Epcot is still my favorite park today, but I wish it could return to EPCOT Center like you and many others on these boards.

We will probably never see a New Horizons, but much could be done with the post show of Mission: Space.

Thank you for this walk down memory lane. It reveals what EPCOT is all about, and what it has been missing for the last few years.

you must have alot of spare time

but i liked all the facts bcause i was trying to look them all up the other day, so thanx

you have many great points, and did a great job putting it all into words.

very well done, and i apprecate the time and effort this must have taken.

<-- In near-total agreement! :wave:

You sum everything up very nicely. My only regret is that I didn't get to experience epcot as a kid. I had no idea what EPCOT was about when I visited for the first time following high school graduation back in 88, in fact I really wasn't looking forward to visiting it at all. I also was amazed that there was a ride inside spaceship earth ( which remains my favorite to this day).
Now, as an adult with a child, I still feel the same way about epcot as the first time I visited more that 15 years ago. That nostalgic feeling will keep me coming back.

I love it because I can walk around and get drunk all day.