Epcot almost sunk. (Part of it)

[Cesar R M]

Some more photos:

PHOTOS - Major utility work underway in Epcot's Future World

that's still a pretty big construction job D:

 

[BhamDisney]

I heard something interesting a few days ago. Evidently all the construction going on near the back of Club Cool wasn't planned. A construction worker that was taking down the Butterfly Garden Structure was digging and hit a major water line. The entire area was flooded and almost became a sinkhole. The entire area is now under an emergency rebuilding project. That is why the entire area and surrounding pathway is closed. Just an update for ya.

Read in Marty Sklar's book that the lake in Epcot--the one in front of the World Showcase...is really one BIG sinkhole. When building EPCOT they discovered it. They couldn't do anything about it...so they filled it with water and made it a lake. Not shocking there's issues in the area...guess they're not worried about the entire place caving in!

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Maybe they're trying to bury that hideous "kaleidoscope" paint job like a dog does a bone.

 

[note2001]

Read in Marty Sklar's book that the lake in Epcot--the one in front of the World Showcase...is really one BIG sinkhole. When building EPCOT they discovered it. They couldn't do anything about it...so they filled it with water and made it a lake. Not shocking there's issues in the area...guess they're not worried about the entire place caving in!

Sounds like a load of Blarney to me. From my understanding, those large sinkholes result from decay of limestone due to acid rain. They'd never trust the area to hold out for years to come if it had a sinkhole to start with.

 

[ABQ]

Sounds like a load of Blarney to me. From my understanding, those large sinkholes result from decay of limestone due to acid rain. They'd never trust the area to hold out for years to come if it had a sinkhole to start with.

Not claiming any truth to the statements and I'm not a geologist, but here are statements Sklar made during the 30th anniversary Q&A:

“One of the reasons there’s so much space between Future World and the World Showcase lagoon is that we discovered a gigantic sink hole near where the Odyssey Restaurant is,” Marty said. “We couldn’t build anything on top of it.”

He related how workers tried in vain to shore up the land by driving massive piles into the earth, “but the piles just kept getting sucked into the ground.” They covered the sink hole by placing giant steel plates on top of it.

 

[dstrawn9889]

you know, it looks like they are building up a foundation pad, and the plastic is to hold the berm prior to final grading and planting...

 

[Rasvar]

Sounds like a load of Blarney to me. From my understanding, those large sinkholes result from decay of limestone due to acid rain. They'd never trust the area to hold out for years to come if it had a sinkhole to start with.

Sinkholes into lakes is a very common thing in Florida. Trying to seal a sinkhole is a pretty normal process. Some stay stable after they initially open. Others will fluctuate. Lake Jackson, near Tallahassee, is a large lake with a sinkhole in it. Every so often, the water in the lake disappears into the sinkhole. It will usually fill back up over a year or two. It's been doing that for centuries as it was known by the local tribes for doing the same thing before the Europeans came to Florida. But, the hole, itself, hasn't ever grown or become unstable.

 

[note2001]

Sinkholes into lakes is a very common thing in Florida. Trying to seal a sinkhole is a pretty normal process. Some stay stable after they initially open. Others will fluctuate. Lake Jackson, near Tallahassee, is a large lake with a sinkhole in it. Every so often, the water in the lake disappears into the sinkhole. It will usually fill back up over a year or two. It's been doing that for centuries as it was known by the local tribes for doing the same thing before the Europeans came to Florida. But, the hole, itself, hasn't ever grown or become unstable.

Now you have me imagining World showcase lagoon turning into a hole of muck for a year or two before filling back in ...

 

[Rasvar]

Now you have me imagining World showcase lagoon turning into a hole of muck for a year or two before filling back in ...

I figure with as much firework debris is in there that it has probably created a cement like seal in there by now.

 

[BhamDisney]

Not claiming any truth to the statements and I'm not a geologist, but here are statements Sklar made during the 30th anniversary Q&A:

“One of the reasons there’s so much space between Future World and the World Showcase lagoon is that we discovered a gigantic sink hole near where the Odyssey Restaurant is,” Marty said. “We couldn’t build anything on top of it.”

He related how workers tried in vain to shore up the land by driving massive piles into the earth, “but the piles just kept getting sucked into the ground.” They covered the sink hole by placing giant steel plates on top of it.

That's pretty much what his book said--just reporting what I read. There's a big sinkhole in EPCOT.

 

[note2001]

Not claiming any truth to the statements and I'm not a geologist, but here are statements Sklar made during the 30th anniversary Q&A:

“One of the reasons there’s so much space between Future World and the World Showcase lagoon is that we discovered a gigantic sink hole near where the Odyssey Restaurant is,” Marty said. “We couldn’t build anything on top of it.”

He related how workers tried in vain to shore up the land by driving massive piles into the earth, “but the piles just kept getting sucked into the ground.” They covered the sink hole by placing giant steel plates on top of it.

So, looking through old photos of design and construction of EPCOT on the web, and I can see they had a few different variations on how the lagoon was to extend/or not down into Future world. Seems to me what they ended up with is that bit of awkward pathways over the water near the Odyssey as you quoted. This image seems to show they're either working on the monorail line, or some ground work over in that area:

http://holidaytripper.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Epcot-under-construction-881-426a.jpg

 

[Tom Morrow]

Maybe they're trying to bury that hideous "kaleidoscope" paint job like a dog does a bone.

see it in person, it looks better. At the very least it looks more fresh and lively than the boring, bland pinkish color.

 

[ABQ]

So, looking through old photos of design and construction of EPCOT on the web, and I can see they had a few different variations on how the lagoon was to extend/or not down into Future world. Seems to me what they ended up with is that bit of awkward pathways over the water near the Odyssey as you quoted. This image seems to show they're either working on the monorail line, or some ground work over in that area:

http://holidaytripper.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Epcot-under-construction-881-426a.jpg

Coincidentally, it looks like a pile driver at work over there, though it could be for a number of construction elements.

 

[note2001]

see it in person, it looks better. At the very least it looks more fresh and lively than the boring, bland pinkish color.

I hope you're right and will report back next week. However, chances are good that the FL sunshine will burn this geek's eyes out so bad I won't be able to make out that there's any color there at all.

 

[note2001]

Coincidentally, it looks like a pile driver at work over there, though it could be for a number of construction elements.

I'm having a hard time making out where the pathways are in comparison to that image, but is there also a smaller one over near the location of the current work/sinkhole? ... and agreed, these could be for anything as the entire area was under construction.

 

[CDavid]

Read in Marty Sklar's book that the lake in Epcot--the one in front of the World Showcase...is really one BIG sinkhole. When building EPCOT they discovered it. They couldn't do anything about it...so they filled it with water and made it a lake. Not shocking there's issues in the area...guess they're not worried about the entire place caving in!

Sounds like a load of Blarney to me. From my understanding, those large sinkholes result from decay of limestone due to acid rain. They'd never trust the area to hold out for years to come if it had a sinkhole to start with.

The small lake covered sinkhole, near the Odyssey Restaurant between Future World and World Showcase, has long since been confirmed by reliable sources. The Horizons sinkhole tale, however, is a work of fiction.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

see it in person, it looks better. At the very least it looks more fresh and lively than the boring, bland pinkish color.

Yeah, no. That won't change my opinion. I liked the homogenous color scheme. Sure, it needed freshening up, maybe a different choice of color... But certainly not what it is now.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Yeah, no. That won't change my opinion. I liked the homogenous color scheme. Sure, it needed freshening up, maybe a different choice of color... But certainly not what it is now.

I can understand wanting a homogeneous color scheme, but come on. the pink/beige was ugly. This works when you see it in person because the tones actually make the buildings blend in with their surroundings more than stick out. The buildings have already lost their original architectural allure, so as a solid light color they stick out in their 1980's/soviet-esque glory.

 

[muse1983]

Hopefully they will be finished by October

 

[theadmiral459]

Also there's no Water in the little ponds heading towards the land and Imaginations waterfall is dry also pretty eerie.