Wonders of Life, Then and Now.

Chef Mickey

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
This is truly one of Disney's bigger failures. It's just inexcusable to have an entire pavilion in a DYING park just go completely unused.

At minimum, they could put the silly EPCOT character meet and greets over there and make it an "event" kind of place with at least a pulse. I don't want it used for that, but it would be better than just letting it sit empty and cost them almost no money.
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
I was never a big fan of this Pavilion a whole, but i did enjoy *Body Wars* quite a bit and *Cranium Command* was a lot of fun back in the day.
It was the one EPCOT Center Pavilion that always felt very *dated* to me design-wise...even back when it first opened.
Very *New Wave 80s* design-wise with the bright graphics and various geometric shaped patterns in the signage and interior.
When i think of *Classic EPCOT* Pavilions, WoL rarely comes to mind...but that is purely my own personal opinion.


It could have certainly gone on and have remained open to this day, but it definitely would have needed a thorough refreshening.
A shame the Pavilion never received a makeover, as the topic of wellness and health has never been more contemporary.
But like a lot of the EPCOT Center Pavilions of yore, it was left to sit and age and soon became stale to today*s Guests.

I have to agree with the article in regards to how much better it looks inside now for use with the F&G and F&W Festivals when compared to how it appeared when Disney first starting using it post-closure.
It was a visual jumble between the original thematic elements and color palette, coupled with the somewhat blank overlays.
Looking at the 2013 photos, it has a much better appearance and fits more with what the area is used for now.

Having said that, it is still disappointing that this Pavilion is no longer used as a location for Attractions or other themed experiences.
Someday maybe that will change...
 
Gullywhumper

Gullywhumper

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
marni1971 said:
Its a travesty.

As soon as they trashed Body Wars there was no going back.

For the sake of a (large) lick of paint and a general tidy up the two headliners could have run and run. And for updating the exhibits.... a few hundered thousand? Peanuts.

Shame on them.
Click to expand...
I agree. It probably would not have costed them a lot, considering that the Emporium on Main Street alone makes around 100k...a day!
 
MikeTaylorSound

MikeTaylorSound

Well-Known Member
The design and placement of the Wonder of Life pavilion started everything on the wrong foot. It's basically hidden between Energy and Horizons and the only thing that brings your attention to it is the colorful DNA strand. The other pavilions have grand entrances or unique shapes and features that are memorable like the jumping fountains in Imagination and the splashing wave feature at The Seas.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
MikeTaylorSound said:
The design and placement of the Wonder of Life pavilion started everything on the wrong foot. It's basically hidden between Energy and Horizons and the only thing that brings your attention to it is the colorful DNA strand. The other pavilions have grand entrances or unique shapes and features that are memorable like the jumping fountains in Imagination and the splashing wave feature at The Seas.
Click to expand...
I guess life is a lot less exciting as a whole!
 
epcot2004

epcot2004

Active Member
They keep making bad decisions such as eliminating WoL (that pavilion had amazing area music!) yet we all keep going to WDW. Maybe they are on to something!
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
MikeTaylorSound said:
The design and placement of the Wonder of Life pavilion started everything on the wrong foot. It's basically hidden between Energy and Horizons and the only thing that brings your attention to it is the colorful DNA strand. The other pavilions have grand entrances or unique shapes and features that are memorable like the jumping fountains in Imagination and the splashing wave feature at The Seas.
Click to expand...

No, the foliage and landscaping was allowed to grow to hide it. Some say on purpose. Originally it was completely unblocked and very visible. And had two fountains as the base of the original arch. The DNA tower only reinforced its presence.
 
Polydweller

Polydweller

Well-Known Member
epcot2004 said:
They keep making bad decisions such as eliminating WoL (that pavilion had amazing area music!) yet we all keep going to WDW. Maybe they are on to something!
Click to expand...
Without knowing the contract with the sponsor, MetLife it's impossible to know if a bad decision. Sponsors don't just pay money for naming rights. In many cases they have intellectual property rights. When they stop sponsoring then Disney can only use those things if the contract language allows them to do so. That's why we'd have to know the actual contract language before placing blame.

We know from Spaceship Earth where Siemen's demanded that anything that referenced AT&T technology or concepts be removed and their's inserted that the sponsor relations are complicated. Same thing with Kraft leaving the Land and Nestle coming in, United Technolgies leaving Seas, and Kodak leaving a Imagination. It's not as simple as just saying Disney is making bad decisions.
 
WondersOfLife

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
Gullywhumper said:
I would think as soon as the building became used for events only.
Click to expand...

No, they replaced the arch with a smaller sign when the sponsor withdrew. They changed it in 2001, the pavilion officially closed for "events" in 2007.

MikeTaylorSound said:
The design and placement of the Wonder of Life pavilion started everything on the wrong foot. It's basically hidden between Energy and Horizons and the only thing that brings your attention to it is the colorful DNA strand. The other pavilions have grand entrances or unique shapes and features that are memorable like the jumping fountains in Imagination and the splashing wave feature at The Seas.
Click to expand...
No, like the other poster said, the trees were allowed to block the view. It was once very visible.

tumblr_l8z1zfuHcw1qahlqzo1_500.jpg

1989 - 2001
WDW176-Day4-NYE-Epcot-WondersOfLife.jpg

2001 - 2007 all those dang trees.

epcot-wonders-of-life-pavilion-1-9.jpg

2007 - present

roj2323 said:
Of all the location on WDW property This building would be the perfect location for a Roller coaster.
Click to expand...

No.



I've said this before.. I loved it. It was basically abandoned when I went to visit it as a kid. But that's why I loved WoL. Two E-Ticket.. Well, *formerly* E-Ticket attractions (Body Wars & Cranium Command), was a C-Ticket movie (Making of Me) and a pretty nice A-Ticket walk-in show (Goofy About Health) with a bunch of interactive stuff and a cafe.

It was a mini-amusement park to myself! I'm pretty sure the main reason it closed was because absolutely nothing was added or changed to the blame building since it opened in 1989. I mean, really. World of Motion because Test Track, Test Track just got an upgrade. Living seas was updated to Nemo, a popular character that drives people into the pavilion (whether you like it or not.) Universe of Energy was even updated with some popular 90s hits (though it's as dated as WoL was in 2000s now, at least people still go to it because even though they're dated, they're still relevant). Imagination even got it's own upgrade with the film upgraded with a good new one, then a better one, but then reverted back to EO. The ride sucks but it was updated. Even Spaceship Earth is updated. Horizons itself was completely demolished for M:S. These changes may be good or bad, but at least they got SOME attention.

Wonders of life got NOTHING. Plus Disney couldn't afford landscape work in front of it or whatever. And that is why it closed. Enough said.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom