Does anybody miss World of Motion?

[retr0gate]

I'm genuinely curious because I'm always hearing about people who are upset about the closure of Horizons, the original JII, Universe of Energy, etc. Even the Nemo overlay of the Seas has garnered some hate over the years but what about World of Motion? I hear people complain about Test Track every now and then, but not because of the fact that it replaced World of Motion- but rather just because they don't like Test Track. I wasn't alive during the 80s-90s but I love everything about the original EPCOT Center and yet World of Motion is the one pavilion I honestly don't know much about. What was it like? Was it a popular attraction? Does it have a huge fanbase like Horizons that I'm probably oblivious to?

 

[Bender123]

Well...Yeah. Of course. It wa a prime example of Disney in its prime, but its also been a long time and the ride that replaced it is a super headliner in its own right.

I, firmly, believe Test Track is a worthy ride, just that I wish it had been new and not a replacement for something like WoM. It stinks, because its a near side grade, not an upgrade or down grade, just another great ride, that is completely different, that could have coexisted, given a strong enough desire. Soarin' vs Kitchen Kaberet/Food Rocks is another of this type. The fact there is a great thing in its place, somewhat, softens the blow. You can have a favorite, but there really isn't an objective measure you can point to and say "Yep...it was better the old way". You can have many arguments on personal sentiment, but that's about as far as you can get.

The hate you see for JII and others, is that they are pure downgrades. You can ride those and just feel how awful they are on their own merits. They are just bad rides and they replaced classics.

 

[PorterRedkey]

I miss it! It's fun to be free!

See:

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Well...Yeah. Of course. It wa a prime example of Disney in its prime, but its also been a long time and the ride that replaced it is a super headliner in its own right.

I, firmly, believe Test Track is a worthy ride, just that I wish it had been new and not a replacement for something like WoM. It stinks, because its a near side grade, not an upgrade or down grade, just another great ride, that is completely different, that could have coexisted, given a strong enough desire. Soarin' vs Kitchen Kaberet/Food Rocks is another of this type. The fact there is a great thing in its place, somewhat, softens the blow. You can have a favorite, but there really isn't an objective measure you can point to and say "Yep...it was better the old way". You can have many arguments on personal sentiment, but that's about as far as you can get.

The hate you see for JII and others, is that they are pure downgrades. You can ride those and just feel how awful they are on their own merits. They are just bad rides and they replaced classics.

I do miss WoM, but Test Track is a very good ride (even though 1.0/crash-test dummy Test Track slightly outranks this current one to me).

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Absolutely! Besides Horizons and SSE, it was as @Bender123 mentions; Disney in its prime as far as rides go. I'm a huge fan of that style ride, especially when combined with tweaks like scent (e.g. oranges in Horizons, smoke/fire in SSE). I definitely miss WoM, and wish it were still there (despite a distinct "meh" feeling about the showcase you got dumped out into at the end). TT is nice enough, but it came at a high price.

 

[Bender123]

Absolutely! Besides Horizons and SSE, it was as @Bender123 mentions; Disney in its prime as far as rides go. I'm a huge fan of that style ride, especially when combined with tweaks like scent (e.g. oranges in Horizons, smoke/fire in SSE). I definitely miss WoM, and wish it were still there (despite a distinct "meh" feeling about the showcase you got dumped out into at the end). TT is nice enough, but it came at a high price.

That's pretty much the concern for me. The cost was high, but the end result was high as well. IMHO, TT is a great ride, not as great as WoM, but that could be debatable and I could not fault a person for saying they like TT better. JII was the equivalent of betting you paycheck on the lottery and "winning" $50 back. At least it wasn't a total loss, but that is an extreme price to pay to have "something"...ey, at least we still get to see Figment, even if he is an awful version of him. That is all better than WoL, which was like donating all your pay to a scam and getting nothing out of it. Its just gone and nothing will make you feel better about it.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

WoM > Horizons according to my dad. I don't remember WoM very well so I can't say for sure.

 

[Worldlover71]

WoM was a wonderful attraction and I miss it greatly. However, I do see how one could argue that WoM, Horizons and Spaceship Earth were similar types of attractions, though very different in their execution. Of the three, Horizons was my favorite (by a hair). I enjoy TT very much but wish they could exist side by side rather than one replacing the other.

On a side note, WoM and Horizons were omnimovers and designed to be people eaters. Can't say that about TT or M:S

 

[cheezbat]

Heck yes. Wish it could've stayed and Test Track was built next to it instead.

 

[correcaminos]

Most definitely! I do like Test Track though but WoM was wonderful. I liked it even more than Horizons or the hydrolators LOL

The city scene is forever imprinted in my brain (as is the one from a previous version of SE).

 

[kap91]

I went to Epcot as a kid often when all the great original attractions were nearing the end of their primes. While as an adult I appreciate World of Motion when I rewatch videos, I have to say it’s the attraction that made the least impact on me. I still remember Horizons vividly as well as Ellen, Seas, Land, and even some of Imagination (though mostly image works). However WOM just didn’t have the same impact - I think that might be why it’s talked about less. Out of all the future world attractions, it might have been the most “bland” and “run of the mill”. It didn’t really have any grand environments, special effects, unique ride system, cool science, or sense of gravitas. This isn’t to say it was a bad ride, just not quite as memorable or aspirational. No emotional core. While I miss the aesthetics of the original pavilion and the length and scale - test track honestly on the whole probably delivers a more satisfying experience. Probably one of the only Epcot replacements that actually can claim that.

 

[epcotisbest]

World of Motion was a wonderful ride. The details in the scenes were fantastic and it was always fun discovering some new detail with each ride. For some reason I was always fascinated by the little section that went outside the building then back in. Nothing spectacular about that, I just found it a nice touch.

 

[Goofyernmost]

To be honest, with the slight exception of the beginning of the original Imagination, the best beginning to end dark ride was and probably will remain the World of Motion. It was fun, light hearted to laugh out loud funny, interesting and all the adjectives you care to throw at it. I probably miss that one more then any of the others. So, yes, I miss it a lot. I only go on Test Track because it is the first place I come too when I turn left out of Mission: Space. And I try, whatever I need, to feel that I got my moneys worth when I go to Epcot.

 

[WondersOfLife]

People are salty about the replacements for Universe of Energy, Horizons, and Living Seas, because of what they were replaced BY.

World of Motion was not replaced by an attraction of lesser quality, thus, everyone has been fine with it.

 

[Bender123]

To be honest, with the slight exception of the beginning of the original Imagination, the best beginning to end dark ride was and probably will remain the World of Motion. It was fun, light hearted to laugh out loud funny, interesting and all the adjectives you care to throw at it. I probably miss that one more then any of the others. So, yes, I miss it a lot. I only go on Test Track because it is the first place I come too when I turn left out of Mission: Space. And I try, whatever I need, to feel that I got my moneys worth when I go to Epcot.

On its own, the narration or the ride wasn't that great, but it was the combination that made it incredible. The fact that the narration felt like it was done for some other ride, which was a serious take on transportation, made it a strange meta experience. Combining the completely straight narrative with the complete failures of transportation in the show scenes made it hilarious in a way no other ride has achieved.

 

[mickhyperion]

I regret missing out on World of Motion. Both iterations of Test Track have been incredibly lame, in my opinion. I skip it most of the time.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

LOL... I haven't been on TT in years over several trips.

 

[LaughingGravy]

WoM was wonderful for multiple rides due to the detail in the scenes mentioned as well as the ability to climb into lots of brand new GM cars and also watch "Bird and the Robot" . With 70mph speed limits on many interstates now, TT is just kind of "Meh".
Now, if they could have kept both, great!
I don't think one needed to come down to have the other. That's part of the problem, They keep raising prices, stuffing the parks and don't expand for the needed capacity.

 

[marni1971]

World of Motion was not replaced by an attraction of lesser quality, thus, everyone has been fine with it.

Some would say it was, but not as much as other attractions were.

 

[gustaftp]

I want to say in one of your videos @marni1971 , you had mentioned that a concept similar to the Test Track ride was also floated to be a part of the original pavilion in addition to the Omnimover ride. So, Test Track doesn't feel like a slap in the face the way closing JII, Horizons, or Energy did. It is in line with the spirit of the park.

That said, I wish that the Transportation pavilion explored some additional forms such as High Speed Rail, maglev, some of Elon Musk's ideas, freight, and city planning. As much as I like Test Track, a future that focuses solely on automobiles just isn't a realistic concept and frankly seems to be an outdated concept. A multi-modal transportation system does resonate, though!