Any insight on the old Odyssey?

Empress Room

Active Member
Original Poster
Here's a question: does anyone know what they use the old Odyssey Restaurant for at Epcot? Gosh, I remember eating at that fast food place on a trip in 1985. I know it's been closed to the public for years, but I noticed at my most recent trip a couple of weeks ago that the sign for it still is up and it doesn't appear completely abondoned. Why did it close? Is it used for private functions? If not, are there plans to tear it down and rehab the area?

It wasn't in the best or most easily accessible location and maybe wasn't the most attractive building, but I really liked the inside of that place and it did a pretty decent job of providing inexpensive fast food to the Future World area.

Anyone have any insight?
 

disneydawg

New Member
I think the Odyssey is the most unsightly structure in future world. Its an interesting building in a neat spot, but it needs a rehab as bad as anything there.
 

lebernadin

New Member
I was told by a CM friend of mine that its been used for Holiday Cast celebrations and other random special events and that it borders the cast cafeteria that EPCOT CM's use.
 

Dizknee_Phreek

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Lee
It's now used for First Aid and special events.

but, first aid being there is nothing new...as far as i know, it's been there since the beginning.


you know, i've been hoping for years that they'd do something with this building! i hate just seeing it sit there. I know the first timers that see it have to wonder what the heck it's doing there. i think they should totally overhaul it, make it fit in with FW more; or heck, even somehow tie FW and WS together with it, and make it a sit-down restaurant. I think it'd be a prime spot for something like that. i've never been in the building, myself, but it looks like it'd have a great view of the water.

btw, those of you who dined there before it closed...what kind of fast food stuff did they serve? it's been so long since FW was updated, and i was so young when it happened, that i don't remember much about the old skool FW.
like, what used to be where the Electric Umbrella is now? and what did the Lion King show in the Land take over? and it's hard for me to remember FW at night without all the colored lights and the fiber-optic sidewalks.
but, i do remember a few things...like remember when the store that is now Mouse Gears was two stories? and the futuristic show in front of the fountain with the robotic T-rex?

sorry to go off on a bit of a tangent like that...but the Odyssey brought back some old memories :)
 

MartyMouse

New Member
The Odyssey Restaurant – as I recall it was kind-of-like a darker Tomorrowland Terrace, but the view was great. I wish they would reopen it, or just do something with the building. It was a great spot to sit and relax before heading off to World Showcase.
 

BwanaBob

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Dizknee_Phreek
but, first aid being there is nothing new...as far as i know, it's been there since the beginning.

btw, those of you who dined there before it closed...what kind of fast food stuff did they serve? it's been so long since FW was updated, and i was so young when it happened, that i don't remember much about the old skool FW.
like, what used to be where the Electric Umbrella is now? and what did the Lion King show in the Land take over? and it's hard for me to remember FW at night without all the colored lights and the fiber-optic sidewalks.
but, i do remember a few things...like remember when the store that is now Mouse Gears was two stories? and the futuristic show in front of the fountain with the robotic T-rex?

sorry to go off on a bit of a tangent like that...but the Odyssey brought back some old memories :)

Odyssey served hamburgers, hotdogs, salads, etc.

Electric Umbrella used to be the Stargate Restaurant (breakfast, lunch, & dinner stuff) with the Beverage Base located in the seating area behind the glass in the east breezway.

...Do you mean "Timon & Pumba"? not Lion King?...anyways, used to be the Harvest Theater...movie about man & the land.

Gift shop was called the Centorium...had a lot of "sports" stuff in the later years upstairs, before ESPN.
 

Dizknee_Phreek

Well-Known Member
woo! thanks for the quick responces MartyMouse and BwanaBob!

and yes, i meant Timon and Pumba :animwink: but i only saw that little film once when it first came out, and there was actually a wait backed up beyond the door, so...

ah yes, Centorium! when i was younger, they had plush animals upstairs...so naturally, that's where i'd gravitate. i was never fond of that store, even back then. i was so happy when they changed it to Mouse Gears! i just love the look of it now! that's one change that i'm totally happy with!

thanks again, guys! :wave:
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Timon and Pumba Film

The Film in the Harvest Theatre was called `Symbiosis`, and the MouseGear store was `Centorium`. I also remember watching a character show on the stage inside Odyssey. In fact, just sent video of this to Extinct Attractions club - maybe they will make it available!! Ah...Memories....
 

Empress Room

Active Member
Original Poster
Thanks for the responses...

Based on everyone's posts, seems like we all agree that something needs to be done with The Odyssey. It's a little strange that Disney would let this structure sit, sign still intact, virtually unused for about fifteen years now.

The occasional CM event or special event does not justify its existence. Its view of the water from the inside is pretty cool and a redo of the outside could provide a nice eating/drinking conduit between FW and WS. If no plans are in store, tear it down and use the area for another attraction or gateway.
 

Caylan79

New Member
ah ha . . . that's where the 2nd floor went . . .

When I was at Epcot last December, I hadn't been there in about 5 years or so. I wandered all over Mouse Gears going "I swear there used to be a second floor here." LOL

I remembered that back in '96, I had gone upstairs and they had a selection of books. In '02, I was looking for a copy of "Building a Dream," and searched every bookstore I could think of at the Resort, probably much to the annoyance of my family.

My sister and I walked all over what is now Mousegears trying to find the way to the elusive second level.

Anyway, I wound up getting the book online for half of what it retailed for, so it all worked out in the end.
 

disneysailor

New Member
When I was a CM at Epcot, I was told that Odyssey was closed down for sanitary reasons (not sure how true this is... cockroaches were mentioned, but i'm reluctant to believe this)

The building is built on swamps with huge steel pylons which stand very deep into the mud- the building actually has no foundations and effectively stands on stilts. I've heard that the building is sinking- maybe that's why they don't use it so much, so as to keep traffic to a minimum.
 

Empress Room

Active Member
Original Poster
Hmmm....

Originally posted by disneysailor
When I was a CM at Epcot, I was told that Odyssey was closed down for sanitary reasons (not sure how true this is... cockroaches were mentioned, but i'm reluctant to believe this)

The building is built on swamps with huge steel pylons which stand very deep into the mud- the building actually has no foundations and effectively stands on stilts. I've heard that the building is sinking- maybe that's why they don't use it so much, so as to keep traffic to a minimum.

I must say, disneysailor, that sounds a tad far-fetched. I mean, if the place was closed for sanitary reasons (and why it would be any more likely to have sanitary problems than any other restaurant at Epcot is beyond me) certainly Disney would have solved any pest problem in the last fifteen years! That just doesn't make sense.

As to its foundation, I suppose it's possible, but it doesn't appear to be in any architectual distress from outward appearances. Knowing Disney, if they built it on stilts, they built it properly.

I do thank you, however, for the insight. Hopefully, they can utilize the building or area again so as not to have "dead space" in the park.
 

lebernadin

New Member
Originally posted by disneysailor

The building is built on swamps with huge steel pylons which stand very deep into the mud- the building actually has no foundations and effectively stands on stilts. I've heard that the building is sinking- maybe that's why they don't use it so much, so as to keep traffic to a minimum.

The last time we were there(EPCOT) you were still able to walk in front of the building as a way to cut across from the TT area to Mexico. Has this changed? Otherwise, if a sinking building was an issue, i don't think they'd want guests walking there, or FirstAid being housed in it, or the Cast Cafeteria that we don't see that's on the opposite side.
 

jasondiff

Member
cast cafeteria

Actually the Epcot cast cafeteria is not connected to the Odyssey building, it is across the street behind it. A good overhead pic can be found here:
from Disneypix.com
The cafeteria is in the large square white building adjacent to the TT loop and across the road behind Mexico. You can see from this picture that the Odyssey is actually alone sandwiched between Mexico and TT and there really isn't room there for much of anything.
 

figmentmom

Well-Known Member
We ate a couple of times at the Odyssey waaaaay back when it was still open...I remember liking it very much. It does seem odd to have that big, empty, non-income-producing building on such prime real estate at EPCOT!
 

Hurricane

New Member
The Oddessey is barely listed in my 1992 Unofficial Guide to WDW, it is merely mentioned as a quick service restaurant on par with Liberty Inn. No mention of a show, any info on this?
 

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