EPCOT Center: A New Generation

Which is the better choice regarding the World of Motion?

  • Bring back the original World of Motion ride

    Votes: 5 12.2%
  • Create a new ride combining World of Motion and Test Track

    Votes: 36 87.8%

  • Total voters
    41

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Recently, I've been inspired by @sshindel's epic EPCOT Manifesto idea (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/sshindels-epcot-manifesto.899979/) as well as the ideas of Peter Schaab and @TRF. So now, I've decided to present to you my updated take on EPCOT Center...

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A New Generation

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First things first, I must share with you what sshindel said about EPCOT's original mission...

Stating the obvious, the EPCOT Center that opened in '82 is not what Walt had announced back in '67 (I think that was the year). His idea was an actual community, but one where both people and industry lived and worked together. Companies side by side, working on solving the problems of the future. City planning, transportation, medicine, etc. He wanted to build a utopia, something like a community living together on one of those crazy Google campuses out in Silicon Valley, but with more emphasis on urban planning and whatnot.

Here's a good Walt quote that speaks to his vision that I pulled off my book "Walt Disney's EPCOT Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow"

EPCOT will be an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow that will take it's cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And Epcot will be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise
--Walt Disney​

Now, that was not what the company decided to move forward with in '75 after Walt's death when they decided to revive the plans for EPCOT Center. Gone was the actual community, but they wanted to keep as much of the spirit of industry involved as possible.

I'm no EPCOT historian, really. What I can reference really that speak to what they were trying to achieve I think I can pull from 2 places.

First quote comes from the dedication of EPCOT by E. Card Walker:
To all who come to this Place of Joy, Hope and Friendship
WELCOME

Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney's creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.

May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.

E. Cardon Walker
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Walt Disney Productions
October 24, 1982

The other quote I fall back upon is one of my favorites. It's from that Walt Disney's EPCOT book I quoted from Walt earlier. It was put out by Disney at the same time Epcot was opened as a kind of publicity book, and it's filled with construction pictures, concept art, and it was put out before a few of the major pavilions were even completed. Horizons is spoken of in the future tense. There is a whole section devoted to the soon to be built "Africa" pavilion in the World Showcase. Anyway, the quote:

While entertainment will continue to be a highly visible attraction at Epcot Center, it is the underlying educational value of Future World that is it's most important contribution. Exciting, amusing, and fascinating as each pavilion is in itself, it is but an element of a project that may well be viewed as a springboard to our discovery of new worlds​

All lofty speak, I know.

The thing is, I didn't know any of this growing up. Heck, it wasn't until I found these here WDWMagic forums that I really looked into any of the above. But I knew all of these things. Not by ever reading the books or memorizing the quotes, but that is how Epcot felt. It dripped out of every pour of the park. It was apparent from the entrance to the exit. The whole park seemed to work together in concert that screamed that this was no ordinary theme park, it had a purpose. It felt (to me at least) that this was important, and that the future was going to be built by those of us where were visiting. I have no question that Epcot was a major player in my interest in the sciences, and was likely what drove me towards computer science as a major in college.

The topics it covered: The oceans, the earth, energy, transportation, communications, (later) the body. They all seemed like they were the pillars that were important to the future. There were two other pavilions though, and they always felt like they were the most important ones. Horizons, which was the future, and Imagination, which I felt was the linchpin. I know that at one point I went through the scripts of each original pavilion and noted multiple references to "dream" and "future" throughout them all. Both of those pavilions were among the favorite of most Epcot fanbois, and it was because they were truly something special.

Most of the old pavilions fell into a similar format. Through knowledge gained by understanding the history of a technology, and through the dreams we have for the future, we can work together to accomplish anything.

This brings me to something I wrote a while ago that I wanted to add in here and maybe expand upon:

EPCOT Center's Future World was not about "Here's the future, come look at it". Not really. Sure, there were attractions that presented the future (RIP Horizons), but Future World was about inspiring people to help build the future.

Yes, by the mid-90s much of Future World was outdated, and it's hard to remain on the bleeding edge of technology that is moving at such a rapid pace. But that was never the point! Update/remove/replace, it doesn't matter, but what Disney has done is remove what made the original place so special to people, and that is the feeling that we're all in this together, and that it's part of our mission, every one of us, to build the future. It wasn't "Hey, look at what the smart people at <insert corporation> are doing to build the future for you."

"If we can dream it, we can do it."

"Tomorrow's Child -- charting a brand new new way, for the future world is born today."

"For we welcome you now to take the first steps into that future. We welcome you to The Living Seas. We welcome you to Sea Base Alpha."

"We all have sparks, imaginations.
That's how our minds, create creations.
For they can make, our wildest dreams come true.
Those magic sparks, in me and you."

"Ladies and gentlemen, General Motors now invites you to share the challenge of the future. We need you to help us shape tomorrow's mobility."

"Energy, there is no living without you,
we must keep learning about you.
Now is the time to find how to."

"The seasons come, and the seasons go,
nature knows everything it has to know.
The earth and man, can be good friends,
let's listen so our harvest time will never end.
"

See how everything in there is inclusive? It was what WE could do, together, to make the future better. That is one of the things that I really feel is missing today. None of the pavilions inspire me to do more. None inspire me to look more into the topic being presented. Some really don't try to do anything at all (I'm looking at you Soarin' and Nemo).

So, with that said, I wish to revert the park back to its original mission. EPCOT Center is essentially a celebration of what it means to be a member of the human race; with one side celebrating our scientific and technological breakthroughs, and the other celebrating our world's diverse culture. I plan to restore much of EPCOT Center's former glory, while also utilizing the best of what the park already has in store. Imagine a classic Future World, but with all of the exciting features of Mission: SPACE, Soarin' and Test Track and more additions along the way. So, let's get started!
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Future World

Guests enter from the parking lot, arriving at the entrance of EPCOT Center. The monorail has just arrived at the station, unloading the first large group of guests that day, ready to explore EPCOT Center, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The guests arrive at the turnstiles of the park.

The entrance plaza would be restructured to include a large transportation hub where multiple monorail lines and parking transportation would converge. The hub has a new form, suggesting a bird flying towards the entrance; a representation of the gathering of energy, knowledge, ideas, and dreams. Entirely transparent glass curtain walls would give the appearance that the roof structure "floats" above ground level. Berm-like structures covered with a combination of aluminum, glass, LED's, and landscaping flank the east and west perimeter of the entrance plaza.

The series of Leave a Legacy stone epitaphs that have covered Epcot's entrance for over the last decade. In place of the former Leave a Legacy plaques, a new, welcoming entrance will be re-created. The entrance of the park now features the original symbol of EPCOT Center, embedded in silver tiling at the very entrance of the park. Much in the same style as the former Leave a Legacy stones, the silver tiling will consist of the small images of all those who had had their images features on the Leave a Legacy tiles. With this renovation, the guests that had left their "legacy" at the entrance of the park will still have it there, while opening up the entrance and removing the large stones, which obstructed the entrance to the theme park.

In the place of the Leave a Legacy stones, the entrance plaza will be adorned with beautiful trees and grass beds of flowers, very similar to the ones that used to grace the plaza during the park's first years, to create a truly beautiful entrance to the theme park. The large, geometrical sphere of Spaceship Earth globe rises high over the numerous trees.

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Guests walk through and around the several mazes of trees and flowers, before arriving at a beautiful fountain, just at the entrance of Spaceship Earth. Atop the fountain is a beautiful tall sculpture, adorned with the EPCOT Center logo.
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To the left of the Spaceship Earth plaza is the Wheelchair and Stroller Rental shop. Guests arrive beneath the giant sphere of Spaceship Earth, something that could seem quite daunting; to have something so enormous just feet above you. (BTW, the Future World pavilion logos will be restored, as you will see...)

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Spaceship Earth

Spaceship Earth, which is presented by Siemens, takes you through the historical and cultural progression of the world, showing how the world has evolved through both technology and communication. The attraction dates back to the earliest periods of the cavemen, proceeding through many different eras and civilizations before arriving in the current one in which we live today. A major point that I want to address with the renovation of Spaceship Earth is the actual theme of the attraction. Ever since the 2007 refurbishment, the theme of the attraction has been the evolution of technology and ways to communicate, from the hieroglyphics in Egypt, to the Phoenicians developing the alphabet to the dawn of computer systems. The theme of the attraction has always been about the potential of communication, to branch out and to communicate across the world. I believe with the previous renovation, that was an aspect of the theme that was lost. It is not just about ways TO communicate, but rather HOW FAR we can. I want that to be a part of the attraction that is re-touched on.

As a general point of reference, the entire attraction will undergo several audio and vehicle repairs, to make sure that the attraction not only sounds as best as it could be, but that there is a fluid movement to the attraction, so that it is not as bumpy as it currently is.

Also, the use of the video screen technology is going to be heavily toned-down. The entire descent down of Spaceship Earth will no longer utilize the video screen technology. Instead, the video screen will operate as a timeline as the vehicles travel through the attraction. As the vehicles reach each new era, it will display the approximate year and location on earth of where the events we see in the attraction actually happened in real-time. I know that the addition of video screens is one of the things that many people disliked about the recent refurbishment, so this may be a way to utilize the video screen technology in the attraction, without it being an entire centerpiece, as seen in the finale, which will be completely revised.

But probably most important to the renovation of this classic attraction is a new narration, which will be done by Morgan Freeman. I honestly think there's something about his voice that makes it so calming, yet powerful, so I think he'd be perfect to narrate the new Spaceship Earth. Also, many tracks from the previous version of Spaceship Earth will be re-established in this attraction, combining both soundtracks from the current and previous editions of the attraction to create a splendid attraction. The most notable returning soundtrack piece would be the arrival at the peak of Spaceship Earth and the entire descent down back to the unloading area, from the previous incarnation of the attraction. It is one of the most fantastic compositions of music in a Disney resort, I think.

Now, let's get on to the ride proper, because many things would change.

Passing directly beneath the remarkable structure, we proceed up a short ramp. (Note that in my plans, FastPass+ has been discontinued for this ride) A sign which is along the right side of the ramp reads, "Spaceship Earth is a slow moving attraction that explores the history of human communications. Since travelers will be transported to the furthest regions of our solar system, the attraction is not recommended for those who experience anxiety in dark, narrow or enclosed spaces." The mural depicts astronauts working on a satellite with Earth in the distance. Surrounding them are smaller images of cavemen, the Egyptians, the Romans, Gutenburg and his printing press, and modern day people. Announcements are heard as we enter the small loading area room.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Please take small children by the hand and look down as you step onto the moving platform. The platform is moving at the same speed as your time machine vehicle.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Please take small children by the hand and watch your step onto the moving platform. The platform and your time machine vehicle are moving at equal speed.

MALE ANNOUNCER: The moving platform is traveling at the same speed as your time machine vehicle. Please take small children by the hand, look down, and watch your step onto the platform.

Once in the small room, we board blue, constantly moving "time machine" vehicles. At this point, a video screen in the vehicle illuminates, asking the guest to select one of many different languages for the narrator to speak throughout the attraction. Another announcement continuously plays over speakers in the room.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Your time machine doors will close automatically. Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle and remain seated throughout your journey. Parents, watch your children.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The sliding doors on your time machine will close automatically. Please remain seated and keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle during your journey. Parents, watch your children.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Your time machine doors slide closed automatically. Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle and remain seated while traveling. Parents, watch your children.

The doors close and we hear the introduction.

MALE ANNOUNCER: On behalf of EPCOT Center and Siemens, welcome aboard Spaceship Earth. Journey with us now as we travel through time to explore the fascinating history of human communication.

The vehicle enters a dark tunnel and rises sharply upward. A starfield appears and we hear soundbites from famous people such as Susan B. Anthony's "We ask equality be guaranteed...", JFK's "Putting a man on the moon," and FDR's famous line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Along the walls, light surges up colored "wires" towards the top of the tunnel. As we near the top, we see a projection of purplish clouds and an occasional lightning bolt as James Earl Jones begins his narration.

MORGAN FREEMAN: Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time. And for a brief moment, we have been among its many passengers. But where did we come from and where were we going? In the dust from which we were formed, the walls of time have recorded the answers to these questions and so many others. And from the very beginning with our ancestors, we have always wanted to reach out to each other... to bridge the wide gaps between us... to communicate.

Once at the top of the tunnel, images of early human pioneers, men with spears or holding rocks, and mammoths are projected onto a large screen. Every few seconds the images ripple with a wave and then reappear. We then enter a cave and see a Shaman, or medicine man, with a fur cape and antlers on his head. Two men sit around the fire listening to the Shaman. His large shadow is reflected by the fire onto the cave wall. A woman is also listening while working with a fur. On the far right wall, a man and a woman are painting a message on the wall. The drawings are similar to those found in the Salon-Niaux cave in Ariège, France, circa 10,000 B.C. Sounds of animals growling echo through the caves.

Sweeping across a vast, lonely, hostile planet, our early ancestors had set out in every direction, for they were intent on their search for food and shelter. With the development of speech came a very significant answer to survival. Now we could share and learn from one another. On the walls of caves, we inscribed our utmost victories, an increasing proof of our deeds to share with others so they too may greet tomorrow's sun.

Moving into an Egyptian temple, representing 1567 - 1085 B.C., a man on the left is making paper out of papyrus. On the right, next to an elaborate entrance to a building whose archways are decorated with hieroglyphics, a man stands high upon scaffolding carving a ventilation hole near the top of a tower. Further ahead on the left, an Egyptian pharaoh is dictating a message as a scribe copies it onto the new paper. His wife is seated next to him while a servant fans them.

Within a few thousand years, the Egyptians created more walls, each of which covered in the first written form of communication: hieroglyphics, a multifaceted language of symbols and pictures. Now we could release our thoughts from carved walls and set them down on papyrus scrolls, the first form of paper. Pharaohs could now deliver declarations to subjects throughout the land.

In the Phoenician scene, 9th century B.C., two ships meet in the ocean to exchange goods. Another man on the larger ship, behind the smaller ship, holds a rope that is connected to the smaller ship so that both ships stay together. Fog surrounds the ships. Smoke rises from small fires in pots at both ends of the larger ship. To the right of us is a wall showing the ocean going to the horizon and stars above.

Then came the Phoenicians who not only helped institute the first means of trading goods to distant ports of call, but also created the first common alphabet and delivered it from one area of the Mediterranean to another.

Up next on the right is a Grecian school, circa 428 B.C. An elderly man teaches three young scholars.

In ancient Greece, the spoken word is elevated to a higher level of knowledge. With the help of new trade routes by land and sea, the Greeks realize the vital role math and science plays in aiding a powerful empire. Schools are opened, forums are established, and knowledge is spread throughout the empire.

Ahead on the left, a young Roman man holds the reins to a two horse-drawn chariot. The man, dressed as if he is in the Roman army, who arrived in the chariot is now exchanging information with another man dressed in a toga. The man holding the reins is standing on the ground with the horses, the army man is standing one step up, and the man in the toga is standing one step up from there on a marble platform. He is between four large columns, two on each side. Smoke rises from two small fires in metal pots/stands on both ends of the scene. In the back is a painted wall showing the streets of Rome. An animated horse-drawn cart with a man riding in it dashes out of one street and off into the distance.

The great Roman Empire intertwined three continents with roads, one of the fastest information highways the world had ever known. No matter what road you took, they all led to and from Rome.

We then see a building in ruins with smoke rising from it. The smell of the burning building fills the air.

Alas, these same roads spelled doom for Rome, thanks to invaders who left Rome and centuries of knowledge in the ashes of the Dark Ages. But all was not lost. Far from the smoldering embers, Jewish and Islamic teachers would not give up the quest for knowledge. As they traveled, they debated ideas and shared new breakthroughs to anyone who would listen.

In the Islamic Empire scene, on the right, four men sit around a table on pillows on the floor discussing topics. One man has two books right next to him and another has a wooden book holder that holds the book open to a specific page. On the left is a library with some books on the shelves. They aren’t stacked full. Two men, one standing, one seated on pillows on an elevated platform, are reading. Standing up high on the balcony on the right is an astronomer looking at the stars through a quadrant, which is an exact replica of the real thing. Further ahead on the left, two Benedictine Monks, 11th and 12th century, are seated at their desks copying text. The one on the right has fallen asleep at the job. His chest rises and falls as he breathes in and out.

In western abbeys, monks toiled endlessly in silent seclusion, copying old books of wisdom and revelations for future generations. At long last, from the depths of the Dark Ages, came the Renaissance and a wonderful new invention, the printing press. Now for all: the printed word.

On the left, two men are working with a large wooden printing press. Johann Gutenberg is studying a piece of paper that just came off the press (1456).

Scientists, scholars and explorers expanded their discoveries into books and essays. Poets, musicians and artists all fanned the flames of the Renaissance, swelling it into a time of priceless works of beauty and majesty.

In Renaissance Italy (1500s), on the right, one man is reading a book to two listeners on the steps. Also, two musicians are playing just beyond in front of a closed doorway. An Italian town can be seen through the columns and arches in the background. On the left, in an artist's studio, we see a man mixing paint, another painting some fruits with a bowl of fruit as a guide, and another chiseling marble to create a statue. Sketches of the female subject are on the wall behind him and to the left of him is a small statue that he also uses as a guide. Further ahead and up on the left, we see Michelangelo painting the Sistine ceiling while lying on his back high upon scaffolding. Below, the stained glass church windows are illuminated with black light. To the right is a conveyance system that allows buckets of paint to be hoisted up the scaffolding to Michelangelo.

On this wave of inspiration, we sail into a bold, new era: an age of amazing inventions and ever-increasing progress in communications, bringing people worldwide together as never before. As our appetite for knowledge and information continued to swell, the world began to shrink.

Now we move into the Age of Invention (19th and 20th centuries). First, we see a large steam-powered printing press by William Bullock in 1863. Just like Gutenberg inspected his printed paper, a man stands in front of the press and inspects a newspaper that was just printed. Nearby, on a street corner, a boy stands with a stack of New York Daily papers calling out to try to sell them.

NEWSPAPER BOY: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Civil War is over! Extra! Extra! (note that I have no idea what the paperboy currently shouts, but it'd remain the same.)

On the right, one man is dictating a message and the other is using a telegraph to send the message. Through the window and door behind them, we can see train tracks crossing the plains to the mountains in the distance. On the left is a switchboard that three women, two seated and the third standing, are operating. Behind that are several windows that represent homes and apartments throughout the town. Fiber optic telephone lines stretch from the switchboard across poles to the homes. We can hear conversations coming from the shadows of people in some of the windows. On the right, is a woman in a ticket booth. Above that and also spanning above us is a lighted "Cinema" sign. There are three screens to the left of the booth that show scenes from an old black and white movie about a guy on a runaway trolley ("Stop that trolley!" is one of the captions), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). The screen showing the old movie is surrounded by red curtains and gold trim to look like the fancier theaters of its time. Back on the left is the WDP radio station. WDP is, of course, short for Walt Disney Productions. A man and a woman inside the sound booth are live on the air acting out a story. A man outside the booth is checking sound levels and directing. To the right of that is a radio tower with a red light blinking on top. On the wall behind it is a painting of another radio tower in the distance. Surrounding its red light are drawings of the radio waves spreading from the tower. Just beyond that is a family (mother, father, and daughter) sitting in their living room around the TV. The mother changes the channel using a large, by today's standards, remote control. Three other TVs hang on the wall up behind the family TV. The TVs are playing Ozzie and Harriet, the 1964 NFL Colts vs. Browns Championship Game, Walt Disney introducing an episode of Disney's Wonderful World of Color and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.

MORGAN FREEMAN: Now we have the ability to connect with everyone anywhere in the world, and then on July 20th, 1969, from somewhere else...

NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man...and one giant leap for mankind.

MORGAN FREEMAN: Yes, to send a man to the moon, we had to create a new language. A language not spoken by man...but by computer.

We then enter a 1960's-era computer lab.

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By the mid 20th century, human communication is translated into numbers. Early mainframe computers, some the size of the average home, dot various laboratories to record and store information.

The vehicle progresses through a garage in California, where a man is seen building one of the very first home computers.

By the end of the 20th century, the personal computer and the internet evolve the perceived notion of instant communication and modern day trade. Together, we form a super network that glows with billions of interactions, and once again, we stand on the brink of a new Renaissance.

Fiber optic lights then transfer the information to a large sphere representing Earth. We pass through a satellite transmitter that has rays of electric energy fly overhead, representing Internet informatoin jumping from city to city and sometimes across continents to computers. We then enter a tunnel that surrounds us with lights blinking and whirling past. The sounds of jumbled conversations and visuals of words (e-mails) join the music.The rays of energy converage and expand, covering the vehicles, almost as if it is being sucked into this expanse of energy. The video screens begin to illuminate with a series of digits and letters, as if it was being enveloped by a matrix. The vehicles travel down a glittering, illuminated matrix, before arriving at the peak of the attraction.

After 30,000 years of progress, here we are. Verged on the threshold of infinity, we see our world as it truly is: small, silent, fragile, alive, a drifting island in the midnight sky. We are a truly global community, poised to shape the future of this, our Spaceship Earth.

Outer space. Looking in from space, up at the Earth. The entire peak of the attraction features glittering, new fiber-optic stars, as well as projected stars filling the vast space sky. The vehicles then rotate backwards, as they begin their descent back down to earth. A grand, sweeping instrumental arrangement of "Tomorrow's Child"--the theme for the ride during the Cronkite era (1986-1994), which has made its return for this new version--underscores the descent.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Attention, travelers of time. Please remain seated at all times. Your time machine is rotating backwards for your return back to earth.

What follows is an all-new descent. As I said earlier, the video screens will no longer be utilized during the finale and much of the current finale will be completely removed.

As for the new descent, @sshindel posed an interesting new idea...Carl Sagan's famed "Pale Blue Dot" speech.


According to him, this speech was, to some degree, what that crowning scene in SSE is meant to convey. Plus, the speech is 3 minutes long, about half of the descent's length.

So, what we do is we set up the clip a little. As we start the descent, we take on the role of Voyager. Starting when we turn around, we're faced with the Earth.

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Using a long, ribbon-like screen that follows us down the descent, a video like above is playing, showing us moving backwards away from Earth towards the outer reaches of the solar system. As we move, we cue Carl Sagan's speech...

CARL SAGAN: Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.


We get farther and farther away from our home, passing planets and asteroid belts, with our Earth getting smaller and smaller, until we finally reach that iconic sunbeam off of Saturn, we have reached the end of his speech.

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As Sagan's speech ends and the vehicle continues to ascend down, the lyrics to "Tomorrow's Child" begin to be heard.

I'd like the "Tomorrow's Child" instrumental that underscores "Pale Blue Dot" to segue into the original recording as heard in the video above. Our descent continues through space, and through the stars. Constellations form above our heads. Shooting stars whiz past.

As we continue past, we see stars form the images of children holding hands, a person using a microscope, DNA strands, the universe, etc. Each star formation then shoots to a new place and forms a new formation, symbolizing the transfer of ideas. As we near the unloading station, the vehicle becomes wrapped in a descent of stars, as twinkling, colorful fiber-optics swirl overhead before seemingly dissolving into a series of glittering bulbs, as if fading, just as the vehicles turn around to reveal the unloading station.

MORGAN FREEMAN: Since the dawn of recorded time, communication has transformed our ways of life and changed our world. We now have the ability and the responsibility to build new bridges of acceptance and co-operation between us, to create a better world for our children and ourselves as we continue our astounding voyage on board Spaceship Earth.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Siemens thanks you for traveling with us on Spaceship Earth and look forward to serving you in the future. For a look at today's new technologies, we invite you to visit Project: Tomorrow in Innoventions West, an exciting world of new ideas and innovations made possible by Siemens ingenuity. When the doors of your vehicle open, please gather your personal belongings, take small children by the hand and step out onto the moving platform up ahead. The platform and your vehicle are traveling at equal speed.

Upon exiting the vehicle, we proceed to Earth Station, the Guest Relations for EPCOT Center. As aforementioned, Project: Tomorrow has moved to CommuniCore, thus allowing Earth Station to return. Here, we make lunch or dinner reservations by talking to a human cast member via video monitors on the WorldKey Information Service. The cast member is able to hear and see us and is able to make reservations or answer questions. When the terminals are not being used for reservations, guests can reserve their FastPass+ times, get information on the different pavilions and where the shops, restaurants, and restrooms are located.

Overhead, screens provide an overview of the park, in a style very similar to the "A Day at EPCOT Center" souvenir video...


Hosts and hostesses at the information desk provide general information. Siemens' Employee Lounge is located on the second level of the building with a great view of the fountain and World Showcase Lagoon.

Wrapping around the entire Spaceship Earth plaza are a series of shops. Just to the left of the entrance of Spaceship Earth is the Gateway Gifts store, which features a series of EPCOT Center and Spaceship Earth-based merchandise. Continuing to wrap in-front of Spaceship Earth and on the opposite side of the plaza is the Camera Center, which features specialty camera and picture products.
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This is where I'll stop for now. In the next post, we'll discuss the Central Plaza, as well as what will be an all-new take on CommuniCore. See ya then!
 
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FigmentForver96

Well-Known Member
Sooo don't normally go into this forum section, but stopped by to read this, and I love it so far! I really like the blue dot speech and maybe mix in some of the "Tomorrow's Child" soundtrack with it for a better updated effect. Keep it coming, I might have to come down here more often.
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sooo don't normally go into this forum section, but stopped by to read this, and I love it so far! I really like the blue dot speech and maybe mix in some of the "Tomorrow's Child" soundtrack with it for a better updated effect. Keep it coming, I might have to come down here more often.

I'm really looking forward to reading through this thread!

Thank you both very much! It really means a lot to me.
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Just up north from Spaceship Earth, guests will arrive at the main hub of Future World, the Stargate Plaza. Stargate Plaza is centered by the Fountain of Nations, a beautiful, circular fountain, which displays a fountain show every ten minutes. The Pin Central kiosk, stage in front of the Fountain and the purple canopy will be removed. The removal of these things allows more greenery and cleaner views of the park’s natural and man-made elements. This also means that the original "green sections", ponds and canals that surrounded Future World Central when Innoventions was CommuniCore will return. Also, the Innoventions buildings will revert back to their original paint scheme and dump that odd color scheme that's there today.
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In addition, you'll also find new flowing streams and small rocky waterfalls adding motion beneath the swaying of the tall trees, which also provide much needed shade to the area. Vibrant flowers along the grassy banks of the water add color to the area, while the reflections of Spaceship Earth and the Innoventions buildings add even more life and visual interest to the plaza. New paths lead directly from Spaceship Earth both east and west, allowing easy navigation and traffic flow to the Universe of Energy and The Living Seas.

Now, @sshindel came up with an idea that was absolutely too perfect not to use. It's a new design for the main courtyard. I want this spread across from building to building, covering the circular part. Here it is:
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Pretty cool, huh? sshindel also suggested having the EPCOT Center logo design to show up in the top, looking down. I think we could do it subtly with different shades of material. Maybe the places where the circles cross are the "down" pieces in the cover.

The key here is the lush mix of greenspace and water. The name of the project is "Urban Oasis", and that is exactly what it should be.

I was toying with the idea of actually making the tops of the Innoventions buildings show actual urban rooftop garden capabilities and allowing guests up on top of the buildings with viewing areas that would be great for watching the Fountain of Nations as well as some pretty great (if distant) views of IllumiNations. Maybe a rooftop bistro, Farm to Table, sourcing herbs and veggies from throughout the rooftop urban garden.

I've kinda gone back on the idea of a "farm to table" joint on top of Innoventions. I still think there should be urban gardening up there, I still think there should be food up there. I just think that if there is to be a Farm-To-Table joint at EPCOT, it should be Garden Grill. I don't want to steal that place's thunder.
So let's just use the bistro idea.
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I think that it should really be a showcase of different rooftop gardening techniques. Food gardening, ornamental gardening, trees, bushes, etc. Paths to wander, places to sit, shade. It should also have short descriptions of the different techniques and their uses.

Here are a few more pictures sshindel found for inspiration.
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We could even showcase some "low tech" options that could be implemented at home.
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Also, think of the stark reversal of the center of EPCOT, with the two large rooftops fully green and the large white "oasis" in the center...

Anyways, from here, the Stargate Plaza is divided into the two different areas of...

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CommuniCore
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CommuniCore is considered to was described by the Disney company as "Future World's global Main Street of ideas and inventions." This references its similarities to the Magic Kingdom's Main Street USA, one similarity being that both areas served as funnels through which all guests must travel on their way into or out of the parks. Although this ceased to be the case at the park once the International Gateway entrance was added between the United Kingdom and France Pavilions, CommuniCore still paralleled Main Street in that it was a multi-purpose arcade with smaller attractions, exhibits, merchandise, and food outlets arranged in a symmetrical environment.

CommuniCore is where all the themes of Future World--energy, health, the future, transportation, imagination, agriculture, astronomy and marine biology--combine under one roof. The entire complex gives guests the chance to explore innovative ways of living and new ventures of technology. CommuniCore is
the home of the latest advancements in scientific technology. A showcase to entertain, educate, and explore how we have evolved over time, from the distant past to a promising tomorrow.

As part of this park-wide refurbishment, this new take on CommuniCore will open with several different exhibits and events that embrace the foundation for which this space was built, and also promises to make it one of the highlights of your trip to EPCOT Center. We're in a bold new era of technological progress, and honestly, CommuniCore should serve to showcase that fact.

I honestly want to make this new take on CommuniCore feel like E3, like a technology convention with real technology company presentations, from companies like Apple, Microsoft, Space X, Sharp, Cisco, and Google in addition to the current successful exhibits from Raytheon and IBM. I want the chance to learn about future technology and its applications in the world in a cool environment. I want CommuniCore to have the Apple Store effect. I think the main way to fix it is an update in sponsors and an overall maturity in the audience targets.

The entire interiors will be remodeled to resemble a somewhat retro-futuristic vibe, with flashy neon colors and lights, while still remaining to be comfortable. Several lounge areas will make their home throughout CommuniCore, offering guests and parents a chance to relax while the rest of the family enjoys the exhibits. Oh, and open up the windows, now that we have an amazing view into the oasis area, all that light and beauty will add so much.

In addition, the exhibits found in CommuniCore West will be featured in the southwestern quadrant, because the northwestern quadrant will be featuring something that I will get into later. Unfortunately, these new exhibits will mean that Club Cool will be closing. But, look on the bright side--no more Beverly!

Exhibits remaining here from current-day Innoventions will include the Sum of All Thrills (presented by Raytheon), StormStruck (presented by FLASH), Colortopia (presented by IBM) and Project: Tomorrow (presented by Siemens), which has moved to CommuniCore due to Earth Station's return.

Three different exhibits from the original CommuniCore will return here. The first one is the EPCOT Outreach, an educational cul-de-sac found in the northwestern quadrant of CommuniCore West, where guests can investigate at length any of EPCOT Center's major themes, or other Disney-related information. Graphic displays lined the walls leading up to a counter where a staff of researchers (plus one librarian) attempt to answer queries about Walt Disney World.

Another returning exhibit is SMRT-1. SMRT-1, who could be considered the mascot of Innoventions. SMRT-1 is a purple and chrome robot set on a rotating pedestal surrounded by telephones, and he invites guests to play along in trivia and guessing games. When your turn comes up, SMRT-1 asks you (in its synthesized voice) to speak your answer loud and clear through the phone. It also spends some time ad-libbing and singing between games: “If I keep this up I might graduate from Solid State.”

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Also, I would really love to have "The Computer Song" return here (perhaps sung by SMRT-1 between games or as part of one of the exhibits).

Finally, we have the Electronic Forum, presented by Time Magazine. Located in the southeastern quadrant of Innoventions East, you’ll find an auditorium which plays host to the EPCOT Poll. Guests enter the theater and find seats with push-button panels on the armrests. A cast member at the front of the room prompts the guests to use these buttons in order to first break the audience down into a group of demographically diverse individuals, and then to register their opinions on a variety of topics (none too controversial). The results are then be displayed on an overhead screen, and often broken down using the demographic statistics to point out disparities in the votes of males and females, children and adults, U.S. residents and international visitors, liberals and conservationists, and so on. You can also use kiosks to vote for “Person of the Year”, and even pick up the latest copy of Time.

At the farthest end of the northeastern quadrant of CommuniCore East is the Electric Umbrella restaurant. Of course, the area also features the rooftop bistro @sshindel mentioned earlier. The southeast quadrant of CommuniCore East plays host to the Centorium, the largest shop in EPCOT Center. It’s so large, it’s found on two levels. The first floor of the Centorium features a large assortment of EPCOT Center and Disney character merchandise. Items include books, slider puzzles featuring the Future World pavilion logos, stuffed animals, buttons, patches, jewelry, DVDs, CDs, posters, t-shirts, and hats. The second floor of the Centorium can be accessed by a glassed-in elevator. From here, you can look down at the first floor. Items include various electronic gadgets, such as watches, model vehicles, and iPod/iPhone/iPad accessories.

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The southwestern quadrant of CommuniCore features the Fountainview Espresso and Bakery, hosted by Starbucks. Here, you can dine on classic pastries, sandwiches and even try a bit of Starbucks coffee.

In the northwestern quadrant of Innoventions West, sharing space with the EPCOT Outreach, you'll find the EPCOT Character Spot. Currently, the character spot is split in two different areas--one featuring Mickey, Minnie and Goofy and the other featuring Baymax from Big Hero 6. Well, I say we combine both areas into one big area in the northwestern quadrant. Here, you'll still be able to find Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Baymax, as well as two new friends: Joy and Sadness from Inside Out. This newly expanded place is the perfect spot to find your favorite Disney friends.

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Since the old space will be closing down to morph with the new one, that means the space the area occupied will be devoted to some of the new Innoventions West exhibits I told you about earlier.

Also here is an all-new exhibit: the EPCOT Museum, an all-new domed courtyard in the shadow of SE. There are two entrances into the museum--one from the Living Seas and one from Stargate Plaza. The Living Seas side takes guests through the history of EPCOT Center on their way in. The Art of Disney is expanded to an exhibit space on the history of EPCOT Center, showing artwork and models. The ribs in the ceiling above acts as a visual timeline of both humanity and EPCOT Center until you get to the dome. The dome is more than just a dome. It is actually an LED lined roof, like the roof of Fremont Street in Las Vegas. Through the day, mini shows representing each of the pavilions of the park are presented, using the screen above, LED lighting around the area, and music and narration. This is my place to give a little tribute to the original park by using the logos and music from the classic pavilions. The path then leads right into the middle of Stargate Plaza.

Also in the plaza, you'll find Gyro, an interactive robot who wanders about Innoventions and Future World.
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But if you want to see some entertainment here in Stargate Plaza, we've got plenty: the Future Corps marching band, the JAM-itors and more.


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Now that I've shown you around Innoventions, starting in the next post, I'll take you around the eight pavilions that surround Stargate Plaza, starting in Future World East. See ya then!
 
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FigmentForver96

Well-Known Member
Very nice! If I could make one suggestion it would be to remove JAM-itors. To me it just screams 90's and just takes away from that awesome Epcot vibe the park once had....just a thought.
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Very nice! If I could make one suggestion it would be to remove JAM-itors. To me it just screams 90's and just takes away from that awesome Epcot vibe the park once had....just a thought.

Oh. Well, I don't really know about that. Truth be told, I don't really know much about them, so I'd just leave them there until I can get a chance to see them, and then make a decision...
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Passing underneath the archways located in-between the Starlight Terrace and Centorium, we find ourselves on the eastern side of Future World. After passing through the archway, guests can spot a small water play area just ahead. The side of future world features elevated plateaus of grass and trees, offering shade from the hot Florida weather. We can see the other Future World pavilions just ahead. We will head to the left and travel through the Future World pavilions in a counter-clockwise motion.

Continuing down to the left, guests will arrive at ...

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Universe of Energy
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Throughout the years, Universe of Energy has always been one of the most unique pavilions at Epcot. The solar-powered moving theaters became such a thrill to guests when the attraction would first open that giant lines would form outside the building, making it one of the most popular Future World attractions. Time has not been kind to this pavilion though, and neither has Disney itself. Ellen's Energy Adventure was an ill-fated attempt to bring more humor and pop culture references into a strictly educational experience. While we love Bill Nye the Science Guy, the presence of Ellen constantly joking around really took the edge of was was originally a very bold attraction. I hope to solve the problems present in the original version while stripping out all the corny jokes of the re-do. This new take on Universe of Energy will be a third incarnation of the pavilion and hopefully the most stream-lined and exciting yet.

That's the word of the day here..."Streamlined". It was certainly something the original attraction was not. When first opened, the old Universe of Energy could compete with the Universal Studios Tram Tour as one of the straight up longest theme park attractions in the industry thanks to its multiple pre-shows and stops and starts. This is going to be the area were most focused on, trimming the "fat" out of the attraction to have it play at a better pace and be far more engaging for modern day audiences. By the way, I must give a shout-out to @TheOriginalTiki and @orlando678-, who created this new version of UoE for the Creator Games competition we had not too long ago, which has served as my inspiration for the ride-through you're about to see.

By and large, the attraction's impressive facade will remain unchanged save for a couple cosmetic touch ups. The current marquee for the ride will be replaced by the original marquee, pictured below...

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...albeit with "Exxon" being replaced by the pavilion's new sponsor, Hess. Also, surrounding the pavilion are various decorations showcasing "green" energy technologies. For example, you'll see "trees" of wind-power blending in with the actual plantlife...
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...algae lamps illuminating the walkways...
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...and solar-collector walkways.
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One of the things that's always been a bit off-putting about Universe of Energy is the amount of film you have to watch. The first pre-show before entering the theater is more impressive, featuring the technology of hundreds of different rotating screens making up a single image. The film before the ride begins when you get into the theater was a little more on the dry side. For that reason we've decided to combine these two pre-shows. The rotating screens will be moved to the initial "theater" of the attraction, while the lobby will feature dramatic murals of landscapes such as ships sailing in the wind, cavemen making fire, and a host of solar powered windmills, as well as the primeval time period that gave us "fossil fuels". These murals will serve as a more subtle and engaging way to ease into the attraction.

About two minutes to show-time, Bruce Broughton's epic "Crisis Overture" (the only hold-over from the Ellen days) begins as a Cast Member appears and delivers the following safety spiel:

CAST MEMBER:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is ____, and on behalf of EPCOT Center and Hess, I would like to welcome you to the Universe of Energy. In just a few moments, the automatic doors in front of you will be opening toward you. From there, you’ll be seated in our “traveling theater” cars for our show. Parents, please be advised that portions of our show are very loud and take place in total darkness which may frighten younger children, so we do ask that you please use discretion. At this time, we ask that you come forward behind the yellow squares on the carpet until the doors have opened completely. When the doors open, please keep your party together and move to the front of your traveling theater car. Please fill in the front rows of the car first, and move all the way to the end of each row. Also, we ask that you refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and please, no flash photography. If you wish to videotape the show, we ask that you turn off the lights on your recording device. Thank you.

When it's time for the show to begin, the doors open and the classic "Universe of Energy" song starts up, serving as a fitting opening theme to begin the ride with. After all, as the song says "Feel the flow, here we go, it's the Universe of Energy".


Once you're inside the theater a new film using the rotating screens technology will be shown. This is essentially an up to date version of the ideas present in the old Universe of Energy film, placing emphasis on breakthroughs in energy technology since the attractions opening and trimming out the dated 80s look that plagued the original.

The host for the attraction will still be Bill Nye.



Knock it off!


Anyways, Bill Nye is one of the country's premier science educators/communicators. He has the right mix of knowledge, language, and enthusiasm to work. Heck, I think I heard him say he is working on a book on climate change! So, I am willing to bet that he'd be happy to partner once more with Disney to bring this message to the public.
Bill Nye is dynamic, and has an excitable presentation of science. The solution to our future energy consumption is going to be multi-faceted, with many different potential solutions. And as I mentioned before, don't pussyfoot around climate change, tackle it head on. It's what Epcot should do. It's a part of the mission. It needs to be shown, discussed, taught.

Anyways, at the end of the film, a re-enactment of the Big Bang will take place, perfectly utilizing the "kinetic mosaic" tactic. This Big Bang section serves as the start of energy formation, and the segue into the dinosaur scene. Your theater seats will then begin moving as normal.

Throughout the first part of the ride, not much has changed to preserve the history of the dinosaur AAs featured here. The lighting effects have been altered dramatically however, and now are a key part of telling the story. As you first come up on the brontosauruses, they're even more cast in shadow, at first appearing as mere shadowy forms before revealing themselves as you get closer.

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The iconic fight between the T-Rex and Stegosaurus will remained largely untouched except once again through the lighting and cosmetics. The cliffs that the two are fighting on will be made to look more volcanic and aged, giving it the appearance the the actual rocks could collapse on themselves at any moment. In addition there will be thunder and lighting effects to set the mood properly. All volcano effects in the attraction will be updated to the latest projection mapping technology.
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The creepy, sharp-fanged snake creature in the cave will be one of the few AAs to be completely replaced. He'll be getting a makeover as a brand new AA of the same design with realistic slithering movements. The entire cave sequence will feature much darker lighting to play up the suspense of this guy's appearance.
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One of the things that's always made Universe of Energy a bit anti-climatic is the fact that after the exciting moving theater segment you are forced to watch another extended video (with even more dated 80s-isms!) The new Universe of Energy will trim that out and replace it with three brand new scenes. The first scene takes us to a desert environment boldly lit in bright shades of orange. Several oil derricks appear around us as we see the process of mining fossil fuels.
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We then have a brief scene set in Silicon Valley where we pass a series of large scale white steel windmills much like the one outside the attraction.
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The final scene is a grand "future city" diorama in the true Epcot spirit. Solar paneling lines the buildings, windmills pop out in proper spots, all electric cars, and overall we can see that this city is powered exclusively by the resources of wind and sun.
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The final film comes with a bit of an "anti-fossil fuels" message and encourages all of us to look towards alternative energy as a source to build the foundation of our planet for future generations. And with that the rotating screens close in on themselves and the attraction comes to a close with a beautiful montage of energy in motion, set to the pavilion's original theme "Energy (You Make the World Go Round)".

As the music ends and the lights slowly come back, the Cast Member gives this last spiel:

CAST MEMBER: On behalf of EPCOT Center and Hess, thank you for exploring the Universe of Energy with us. For additional information on energy resources, we invite you to Energy Exchange, located just a few steps away. At this time, we ask that you please gather all of your personal belongings together and exit through the open doors behind you. Thank you again, and enjoy the rest of your day of discovery here at EPCOT Center.

Now, as you can see by the blueprint for the pavilion, the space for the exit area (#14) is quite large.

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With that said, I would devote that space for the aforementioned Energy Exchange. This interactive exhibit used to be part of CommuniCore back during EPCOT Center's early days, but now, it has been brought back to be the post-show for the Universe of Energy.
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Energy Exchange is a vast room full of computerized and three-dimensional displays revolving around the theme of...well, guess. Large metal pinwheels and other gear-heavy apparatuses hang from the ceiling. Down on the floor, guests can pedal bicycles and see the results of their labor measured in watts. Another exhibit allows guests the chance to spin a handle and, based on their speed and dexterity, generate the electricity required to light a bulb in front of them. A large model of an oil rig anchors another corner of the room. On display, you'll find a huge 30,000 pound chunk of oil shale. Containing 500 gallons of kerogen, the shale could provide enough oil to fuel a car for a year! There's also a touch-screen video game where guests control the flow of a car through digitized city streets in pursuit of optimum fuel economy. Hands-on? Undoubtedly. Fun? Of course. For more info on Energy Exchange, visithttp://www.lostepcot.com/communicore.html

That concludes the brand new Universe of Energy for EPCOT Center. With this refurbishment, I wanted to take all the most memorable parts of this classic Future World attraction and update the original concept for a modern audience in a more streamlined fashion. By taking away the corny jokes and concentrating on the scientific wonder, I hope to introduce younger guests to an attraction the truly represents the spirit of the original EPCOT Center.
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Wasn't that exciting? Well, things are about to get even more exciting, because we're about to visit an old friend who has finally opened its doors for a new generation...
 
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FigmentForver96

Well-Known Member
Love it! I am honestly coming to this forum just for this thread, so thanks for keeping me interested! Love what you did with Energy. Btw about how long would you estimate the new ride would be?
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Love it! I am honestly coming to this forum just for this thread, so thanks for keeping me interested! Love what you did with Energy. Btw about how long would you estimate the new ride would be?

Thank you very much! I'd estimate the ride to be about 20-25 minutes long.
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Continuing around Future World, the guests walk through several tucked away seating areas and shaded tree areas. They come across a ramp, which leads the way upwards to the next pavilion.

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Wonders of Life
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Fellow EPCOT nerds, rejoice--this classic pavilion has returned to delight a whole new generation! This was a pavilion that, like The Land, wasn't basically an attraction and a post-show. The pavilion itself contained different things to do alongside the Body Wars ride and the films. Stations around where you could ride a stationary bike while a video monitor in front of you made you look like you were peddling through some other place. Sports areas, areas about the 5 senses, optical illusions, lots of little stations. It kind of felt like Innoventions with a couple larger attractions.

Sadly, the original Wonders of Life succumbed to corporate greed in 2007, and would later become the Festival Center. Well, I say we rise up against the festivals and bring back this wondrous pavilion! We are a country in the throws of an obesity epidemic! Long dead diseases are making a return based on nothing more than (well meaning) ignorance! We've sequenced the human genome! We're using 3D printing technology in medical techniques that would have been something we wouldn't believe if they would have shown it in Horizons! Medical technology, health, fitness are as important now as ever, and inspiring the future generations to go into medical related fields, or to live healthier lives seems like a topic of outrageous importance. This is a topic that is in dire need to be represented in EPCOT Center. So, with that said, let's take a look inside the updated Wonders of Life. (My major inspiration for this was @sshindel, so shout-out to him!)

The pavilion looks fantastic on the outside--the huge golden dome, the double-helix DNA structure, and the welcoming archway bearing the pavilion's name. Guests walk up along the ramp leading into the pavilion. Upon entering the pavilion, guests enter into the large domed building. IMO, I really don't like the interior styling of the pavilion. Something about the fair-esque setting just unnerves me.
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So, with that said, I'd re-model the entire pavilion around the high-tech laboratory of M.E.T.--Miniaturized Exploration Technologies--the setting for Body Wars.
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As you may know, the original Body Wars--which was directed by Leonard freakin' Nimoy--involved you hopping on board a vessel to go inside the human body to retrieve Dr. Cynthia Lair, who had previously gone inside to remove a splinter, and whom the white blood cells are currently chasing after.

Many people have slammed this ride for being really, really...gross, especially since you got to witness pulsing, sometimes unpleasant movements of the circulatory and respiratory systems. Queasiness and motion sickness seemed to affect far more guests on Body Wars than Star Tours at DHS, probably due to a combination of the movements and the “ick factor” of the visuals.

So, with that said, since Star Tours already got a 2.0 update, I say we give Body Wars a 2.0 update. You're still at M.E.T., but the technology and ride scenes will be updated. The technology of the simulator will be brought up to the stance of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, and the ride scenes will be randomized. Sometimes you are going in to trace down a new retrovirus, some times you are going in for precision surgery on a tumor, have different diversions, different areas of the body you visit. Also, on't make it as rough and prone to motion-sickness as possible.

The other major attraction here is Cranium Command. This was a true classic--inventive, well made, well voiced. The idea of being inside a child's brain was pretty out there for the time, and seems to have made a big impression on some young kids who went on to work at Pixar. In fact, one of those kids was Pete Docter, who would later take inspiration from the show to make Pixar's latest masterpiece Inside Out.

Now, I've already made plans to take the movie themes out of Mexico, Norway and the Seas, and it may seem hypocritical to bring Inside Out to Wonders of Life, but I feel like Inside Out is of a different category than Nemo or Frozen for two reasons. First, Inside Out is fundamentally a story about the mind and how the parts of the mind work to make our brain work, which fits the theme of EPCOT as opposed to shoehorning Nemo in just because it is based on fish or Frozen because it was merely influenced by Norwegian culture. Second, it is more mature in theme and style. I mean, what other animated film deals directly with the idea of depression? And this maturity also fits in to what exists in EPCOT Center as opposed to animated properties. I think it works well, but I understand those that would disagree with the move.

A film as creative, and as thoughtful, as Inside Out should have an attraction that does the same. Boy do I wish I could come up with an idea to do it justice! Here’s the thing though, it shouldn’t be that difficult in some respects to do this, and to still take the time to teach a little as well. One of the things that I found most interesting about Inside Out was how it did try and work within the constraints of some of what is known about thought, and how our brains process it.

I can picture an attraction, a mix of screens (ugh) and physical animatronic characters that could walk us through a situation in Riley’s day. Don’t just remake the film in a The Seas with Nemo way, “oh no, we lost the core memories again, let’s go and visit the same things we did before in the film you loved, only without a sense of drama or insight!”. Find a way that we could explore the thought process. Maybe the attraction all takes place on a single day in school. We get the opportunities to explore learning, daydreaming, a crush, peer pressure, etc. I can see in my mind a physical set of the control room, memories rolling around, the emotions playing off each other, but still describing how the brain is processing the world around it. How a good teacher sparks interest and leads to learning. How a teacher that just throws on an outdated filmstrip sparks boredom and daydreaming. How the emotions play off each other in social situations. It all seems like, if given the keys, Pete Doctor could write a simple yet impactful “sequel” to Inside Out, in attraction format. I’d like motion to be incorporated, I don’t want it to just be a show like Cranium Command, so likely there would be some aspects of the story that would help turn it into more of a screen-assisted dark-ride.
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As for the rest of the pavilion, I've already mentioned that I really don't like the fair-inspired courtyard for the pavilion, so I would update things to better fit the M.E.T. theming I'd like to give the attraction. And besides, we need to update them anyway to focus on showing the kinds of interesting things that everyone needs to be focusing on. The only ones I'd keep from the old WoL days would be the Wondercycles, Frontiers in Medicine and the Sensory Funhouse. All the others would be entirely new.
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I think that a mix of the science-museum style hands on exhibits and some sections that allow for easily updatable information would round out the pavilion. There are so many interesting things that could be covered, a ton of which I barely know the tiniest bit about. 3D printing of human tissue, prosthetic advances, cancer treatments via immunotherapy, a section on how vaccination works (yeah, I’d steer right into that so-called controversy). I’d love a little area with a large screen that was constantly updated with new advances in science and medicine. Something you could stop in for a few minutes each time, and learn something you never knew existed. Something like this would play really well with the inspirational message that old EPCOT Center used to have, inspiring the next generation of scientific researchers and doctors.

I’d also like an exhibit, maybe a film like The Making of Me, about positive body image. Something that investigates and explores the idea of what it means to be healthy and how being "skinny" isn’t always the same thing. Something that helps educate people in health topics, while encouraging people to be comfortable in their own skin. Promoting healthly lifestyle choices while also promoting loving the shape that they are in.

If you need to eat, check out Pure & Simple. The menu emphasizes low fat and nutritious items, which include sandwiches, salads, and yogurt. Fresh fruit cups with optional yogurt toppings are also offered. Breakfast items include breakfast pizza, bagel sandwiches, and breakfast wraps. There are also breakfast items that are served throughout the whole day, including low fat muffins, bagels, cereal with milk, and the famed Wonder Waffle.
We should also update the pavilion annually. We could partner with the US Dept. of Health if we have to and get some good old-fashioned gov'ment money.

I think that this could still be a solid pavilion today if done correctly, and I think it is something that Epcot needs to have. Update WoL to 21st century, be forward thinking in how bits and pieces can be easily swapped out and upgraded if new information or techniques come into use.
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Well, I really hoped you enjoyed this post in the thread. It really felt nice to bring this pavilion back into the public eye. But, our trip down Memory Lane isn't complete yet. Another old friend is coming back from Walt Dated World, so stay tuned!
 
Last edited:

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This is great. Would like to see a script of the Inside Out attraction.

Thank you very much. I don't have any ideas for the script, but it would be more than likely be written by the same people who wrote Inside Out's screenplay.
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Continuing further down the outline of Future World, we will arrive at...

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New Horizons
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Just about everyone is fascinated with the future and what it might hold for us. And Horizons provided us with an inspiring and exciting look at how life may change for humanity in the years to come. Horizons, one of EPCOT Center's most beloved attractions, may as well be one of the greatest dark rides ever made. The premise, the format, the execution--everything was there. The ride vehicles were great, the two-part narration that you come to realize are talking to you about their family as the ride goes along. The theme was ROCK solid, it really couldn't get more on point for Future World than an attraction about the future. The motto was one of those things that sounds so much like a quote from Walt Disney that it gets mis-attributed to him all the time: "If we can dream it, we can do it".

Recently, I came across @Harryg11's excellent concept for an all-new take on the beloved attraction. And I liked it so much, I decided to add it into my plans. So, come along with me, and we'll explore...New Horizons.
Approaching New Horizons from other parts of Future World, we see what looks like a huge spaceship that has just landed. The building looks much like the exterior from the original Horizons, but with the addition of a giant telescopic eye in the middle of it. From the other side of the eye, guests (in an all-new post-show area) can look out towards Future World ("Looking towards the future").
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Nearing the entrance, we can hear instrumental versions of "New Horizons" and even a little "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow." Once inside the pavilion, by using the automatic sliding doors on the left, we enter the FuturePort. "New Horizons", the pavilion's theme song, is playing in the background.

For the FuturePort, Harry tried to be as faithful to the original ride as possible while also keeping it new. He added a tourist information desk that a Cast Member would stand behind almost as if it were a real tour center. The iconic pavilion logo is on the front of the desk and the FuturePort sign from the original on the right wall. Of course in keeping with the design, the original tagline--"If we can dream it, we can do it'"--had to be included alongside the salmon and blue stripes.
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The FuturePort sign shows all of the flights scheduled for departure from the FuturePort. Our flight, "Flight 83--Horizons," is flashing since it is now boarding. (Of course, the significance of the flight number is that Horizons opened in 1983, thus Flight #83.)
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To the right of the sign are closed doors marked "Concourse B" (the doors are fake and don't open). We proceed through the open doorway marked "Concourse A" to the left of the sign and then down the ramp, into the queue. An instrumental version of "New Horizons" fills the room. Since the ride uses the same Omnimover system from the original, throughput should not be a problem for the ride so the queue is relatively small. To tie it into the original queue, Harry added a small hexagonal protrusion on one side to fit a screen showing small clips of each destination featured in the ride. He also added some key phrases from the original ride to the wall changing Horizons 1 to Horizons 2.
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Soon, we approach the moving platform that will take us to our ride vehicle.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Please take young children by the hand and look down as you step out onto the moving belt. The belt is moving at the same speed as your vehicle.

Cast Members point out which vehicle is for us and remind us to watch our step. Once we have boarded the unique, suspended four passenger vehicle, we hear this announcement:


FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The doors of your vehicle will close automatically. Please remain seated with your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times.

Moving on, the doors have closed and the vehicle turns to the right where we see a wall of one dimensional clouds before us. Colored lights and "lightning flashes" behind the clouds flash on and off indicating that we are traveling back in time.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Horizons 2 is now departing. Our final destination today - the twenty-first century.

WIFE: Hey, that's some destination.

HUSBAND: My wife's right. The future has many new and exciting things in store. But you know, this isn't exactly the first time anyone's tried to make this trip. People have been dreaming about the future for centuries.

From there, we enter the "Looking Back at Tomorrow" segment.
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This is the section of the ride that will remain mostly the same. Using scenes reconstructed from the original showing the future from Jules Verne to the 80s.
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I felt the ride should focus most on the 80s original to really show how things have changed in such a short period of time, also to link the new ride into the original. The scenes I would say should be chosen for each are as follows. For Nova Cite use the old narrators living room.
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For Mesa Verde the harvester scene with the control booth and hover vehicle (Pegasus).
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For Sea Castle the boyfriend's solo sub repair room.
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Finally for Brava Centauri probably either the science lab or the anti gravity room with the dog and the child's missing shoe.
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After a large screen showcases new technologies and a travel through a theater, possibly an Omnimax although on my plans it is far too small to be, the home of the future scene begins. This would show what living might be like in a city of the future using smart home technologies to allow complete control through voice commands or tablet devices.
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The next scene would show a city street from the future with more homes and roads off in the distance either using a small model or large wall painting to achieve this effect. From here A small show is presented in a second theater about desert greening and farming in the deserts.
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On exiting the theater the Omnimover takes guests through the new Mesa Verde, with more realistic wheeled robots pulling a trailer with numerous arms for harvesting the crops. Also, a redesigned control station would be put in place.
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Continuing through the new Mesa Verde guests are shown inside a special desert home. The home scene would replicate that of the original ride with a cake being baked and presents. The home would have special air conditioning and anti- UV windows to prevent strong sunlight getting in. A dehumidifier would be featured somewhere as well as sensors to detect sandstorms. The Omnimover would then enter another theater showing travel from Mesa Verde to Sea Castle.
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NOTE: This will be updated as Harry updates his blog. For now, here's how the rest of the ride will go.

From there, we pass through Sea Castle, Nova Cite and Brava Centauri, now updated with modern technology.

Regarding Brava Centauri, the first section of this sequence will simulate the ride vehicle (Horizons - 2) entering the docking bay of Brava Centauri. The scene before will feature Brava from a distance as a small model of the station. The visible craft is Horizons 1 and will be mentioned in the voiceover with its design date being the opening date of the original ride. The bay 3 is a subtle reference to horizons prototype name of Century 3. I decided to keep the original Brava logo although I couldnt get the text to curve so it is absent. In the background is a large solar array for powering the station. Horizons 1 will be seen again in the next scene with the family exiting from it into the station.

Also, keeping with the original, the ride finishes with a birthday scene and, of course, the famous "choose-your-own-ending" scene.

After the "choose-your-own-ending", the screens and dividers (which separate ride vehicles so we can't see what the people next door chose) close and a starfield appears in front of us. Our hosts bid us farewell.

HUSBAND: Well, we're almost back from the future.

WIFE: Oh, it went by so quickly.

HUSBAND: Yes, but one of the nice things about traveling into the future is that the journey's just beginning.

WIFE: That's right.

HUSBAND: And I'll tell you something ... if we can dream it, we really can do it. And that's the most exciting part.

The starfield builds up to the Horizons logo. The vehicle turns toward the unloading area.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: From all of us here at EPCOT Center, thanks for exploring New Horizons. Now, please take small children by the hand and watch your step onto the moving belt. The belt and your vehicle are traveling at equal speed.

This announcement is heard along the unload platform:

MALE ANNOUNCER: Please look down and take young children by the hand as you step out onto the moving belt. The belt and your vehicle are traveling at equal speed.

Exiting the pavilion, we come across Bob McCall's iconic The Prologue and the Promise" mural, which has been gloriously restored, down to the last detail. The mural represents the "flow of civilized man from the past into the present and toward the future." It depicts most of the earth's nationalities, cultures, and religions. The monuments depicted from left to right are the Pyramids of Egypt, the Obelisk (Egypt), Stonehenge, Pyramids from the Central America/Mexico region, the Parthenon on the Acropolis (Athens), The Quabbat Al-Sakhra (or the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem), a Thailand temple, a Chinese temple, an African tribe hut, St. Peter's Church, the Taj Mahal, a Torii, the Bali Buddhist temple, the Daibutsu Budda (Japan), Big Ben and the House of Parliament, the Eiffel Tower, St. Basil's in Moscow (and the red tower of the Kremlin in the background), the Washington Monument, the US Capitol Building, and then the City of Tomorrow. Throngs of people from around the world are heading toward that dominating futuristic city.
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From here, you can exit the pavilion, or take an elevator up to the ride's post-show: Reaching New Horizons. Much like the ImageWorks at the Imagination pavilion, Reaching New Horizons features hands on activities about the future and to a lesser extent time travel. I will go into detail about each section.
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  • The House of the Future: A replica of the scene from the ride with a tablet on a pedestal allowing people to control the room e.g. open and close windows or cupboards etc.
  • The Garden of the Future: Exploring how gardens could be utilised in the future for both leisure and for self sufficiency through small scale farming.
  • The Eye of the Future: A large telescope looking out into Future World through the building's "eye".
  • Designing Your Future: A place where visitors can make their own idea of the future through pre-sets and then leave a memory of what they would like to do in the future. This should basically be the same thing as the current descent on Spaceship Earth.
  • Time Traveling: Small models with descriptions and little video clips/photos of various time machines and futuristic worlds from science fiction movies. Ranging from Jules Verne's time machine through the TARDIS and DeLorean, and looking at views of the future in space and on earth.
  • Designing a Time Machine: This allows guests to design their own time machine using a similar system to test tracks sim car designer and a few preset options.
The return of Horizons is great as it bring back a lot of the old, inspirational themes from the original EPCOT Center, as well as bringing the return of an old dark ride into the park. The attraction will take guests into depictions of the future, sort of serving as a sequel to the Carousel of Progress over at the Magic Kingdom. The attraction also showcases the themes of communication, energy, transportation, land, sea and sky and anatomy, all which are depicted in the themes of Future World.

Perhaps we could even take a page from the Horizons: Resurrected web simulator, and set up a great big promotional event that would lead up to Horizons' grand re-opening.
Heck, we could even have Chris Wallace, the man behind the simulator, show up to serve as technical advisor for the re-building!​

And by the way, don't worry about Mission: SPACE. It will be moved to the western side of Future World, in between The Land and The Seas...but there will be a few new surprises added to it...
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Well, we've revived almost every single pavilion in Future World East to harken back to their early days. But, however, the last pavilion in Future World East will remain the modern-day success it is right now....but with a few early-day twists. Stay tuned.
 
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DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ehhh I loved this until you brought Horizons back. As great as it was, returning to it simply is not following the goal of Epcot. We need future ideas not ideas of the past no matter how much you update it. It still great and overall you are doing awesome so keep it up!!

Thanks very much, my friend. But, however, I do believe that Horizons' return would be a good thing. See, I read this post by @englanddg regarding the "story" Future World told, and let me just say, if we follow this ideal, Horizons is a crucial chapter. See, here's what he said:

"The original EPCOT Center told a story. And, while it may not have been "official", I'm quite sure that WED/WDI planned it that way at least during the initial blue sky design process.

The difference between it and a Castle Park, and why it was so groundbreaking (and still is unique) is that it had an overarching theme with a grander purpose than just to entertain. It's arguable that IoA, with it's unofficial "Literature" theme is a similar concept, but with a different core.

So, that said...the story was simple (and forgive me for repeating what I'm sure many already noticed for themselves).

Futureworld was about WHERE we are going, and World Showcase is about celebrating who we were going WITH and honoring the cultures of the world on our "Spaceship Earth". Otherwise, why actually staff it with people FROM that country? It's a cultural experience. Yeah, some say it's whitewashed, but then again would you really want to see the dirty bits when honoring the best aspects of unique cultures is the point?

So, overarching story told, Futureworld told a more specific story with each pavilion. I'm going to stick with the original ones, not Wonders of Life, because I think Wonders of Life, while a neat pavilion, didn't really "fit" with the side of Futureworld it was placed (rather, I think it would have been better on the life sciences side, in between the Land and the Sea).

Your journey begins with Spaceship Earth, where you learn how humanity has used communication to advance society and improve the standard of living throughout history. It's emphasised how important communication is for our future (and not just communication technology, but the messages involved, hence why the final message is so important, and ties together Futureworld with World Showcase, which you get to later in the day).

From there, you go to the Communicores, which show off cutting edge CURRENT technology. Communicore East should be focused on (imho) hard sciences, and serve as a gateway to the pavilions behind it, and Communicore West should do the same for Life Sciences. It was never exactly like that, but that's how I think it should be done. However, it was more like that at one point.

(...)

So, all that said...as you pass through the "gateway" that was Communicore to EPCOT East or West, you were taken into a smaller story.

East was about hard sciences. Energy production was how we have, do and would power our SSE in the future.

I'll skip over Horizons for a moment...because it should be the LAST ride you do in Futureworld, but I'll get into that in a few lines.

World of Motion was about how, like we learned the impact and importance of communication in SSE, Transit is equally as important.

Now, considering the old rides used to take about 30 - 45 minutes AFTER waits, it was time to munch. So, we come to Odyssey. Nothing special here, but it could be revived to be something special.

So, you make your way over to the Life Sciences (for lack of a better term) side.

The Sea introduces you to the wonders of 3/4 of our earth, and how, like space, it's just as much a new frontier for us to expand, responsibly, into and harness for the betterment of humanity and our SSE (seeing a trend here?)

The Land does the same with the remaining 1/4 of our earth, and it's rather sad the ride has been cut down over the years. The reason why, as many put it, it looks like a food court shopping center is because it's supposed to be (imho) a celebration of ecological farming techniques and environmentally responsible, yet healthy, foods. I think it should go back to that (a celebration of food). Sourin' is neat, but doesn't fit with the current movie. And the Lion King movie is a joke. Entertaining, but it's also darkly amusing that it's about the ecological destruction caused by a destination amusement park / resort complex.

They also could add more exhibits showing the ecological initiatives of WDW, it would do well to take up the walls upstairs which are bland...

But, back to the "story".

So, so far we've explored all aspects of our SSE. We've seen how communication is what separates man from beast (I use that loosely), we've seen how we are able to harness energy and transit to improve our world. We've been informed how important taking care of the two main parts of our earth "our Land and our Sea" can be properly harnessed, but must also be cared for.

So, what's left? How do we get to the "great big beautiful tomorrow?"

Imagination. That was the role it played in the story. You have to think outside the box. And, no question is stupid unless it is one not asked. And, it did this in a whimsical way that reached out to dreamers and doers (and future ones) alike.

But, that leaves the opus. Once we've applied all we learned through these pavilions, once we consider their message, what does our future look like?

And, that's where Horizons comes in. If we can dream it, we can do it. History has shown it, and out future is bright if we choose to make it bright.
(oddly, the core message of the Tomorrowland movie, and why I linked it yesterday).

From this point, it's time to transition and celebrate who we are embarking on this grand journey with.

And, that's the message of World Showcase."

So, my friends, that's why I'd bring Horizons back--to serve as a fitting conclusion to the "story" of Future World.

Now, before we move on, you know how I said that Test Track would be a part of this new EPCOT Center? Well, that was before I read through that post I just quoted, so things will change a bit.
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To the right of New Horizons, guests will come across the final pavilion of the eastern side of Future World:

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World of Motion
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Good gravy...my decision about what to do with this pavilion tore me apart. World of Motion was great, and so is Test Track. So, to help me out with my decision, I turned to the WDWMagic Reviews section to see what the masses had to say. I tallied up all the reviews by a scale of "good", "meh" or "bad", and here's how they turned out.
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Test Track: 16 good, 3 meh, 39 bad
World of Motion: 7 good, 1 meh, 2 bad
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So, given that tally, I guess this means that World of Motion will be back to delight a new generation. But, given that many thrill-ride junkies would mourn Test Track's loss, I've decided to please both current-day park-goers and EPCOT purists by giving you an experience that combines the education and humor of World of Motion with the thrill of Test Track. I found the idea by combing through an old thread that used to be here on the Imagineering forums. So, let's not waste another second. Let's dive in!

Approaching the wheel-shaped, stainless steel pavilion from Future World, we see the World of Motion sign in the middle of a circular flower garden.

Note that all elements of visual clutter (namely, the canopy and the giant "T", seen below) will be removed.

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The entrance doors remain the same as they do now.
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However, the Test Track logo will be removed and replaced with the pavilion's logo, seen above. Anyways, you enter World of Motion--either through the standby line, or through the FP+/single rider line--through an automatic door with the World of Motion logo on it. Passing through the door, you find yourself in a large atrium with a giant mural depicting every single mode of transportation ever created, cars, busses, trains, boats, planes, bikes, etc.

The standby line includes a brief trip into a pre-show room. We are inside the testing area for the pavilion. Once all are inside (a certain number of people at a time), a screen turns on and we are introduced to our host for the experience, Tom Morrow, Jr. (I have no idea who should play him. Any suggestions?)

TOM MORROW JR.: Hello, everyone. My name is Tom Morrow, Jr. Welcome to the World of Motion pavilion here at EPCOT Center, presented by the good people at General Motors. We made a deal with Disney to showcase what is perhaps a world-changing invention to you. Now, if everything works well with the curtain, on behalf of EPCOT Center and General Motors, I would like to person to you…the very first automobile with the capability of time travel! You might be thinking, "Hey, this guy's pulling my leg!" But no. This is the real deal. Although this vehicle is a prototype, a test driver will demonstrate time travel by brining back a baby dinosaur.

TEST DRIVER: Get ready in five, four, three, two, go!

After a few seconds, the test driver climbs out of the car with a baby Triceratops (an AA) on a leash.

TOM MORROW JR.: Pretty impressive, right? The next test drivers will be you guys. We've specifically picked out a special test run just for you guys...we're gonna send you back in time and take you through the history of transportation. And I'll be your guide for the excursion. Each car carries six passengers. Oh yeah, one more thing: you can't experience time travel if you're eating, drinking, smoking, or taking flash pictures. The entrance to the boarding room is to your right.

Through the doors you go and enter the loading dock. You board your car and begin your journey.

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MALE ANNOUNCER: Your vehicle doors close automatically. Please keep your hands and arms inside your prototype and remain seated while traveling. Thank you. Las puertas de su vehículo se cierran automáticamente. Por favor, mantenga las manos y los brazos dentro de su prototipo y permanecer sentados durante el viaje. Gracias.

After boarding, you go through a strobe-light time portal in the former hill climb test.

TOM MORROW JR.: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the wonderful World of Motion. General Motors now invites you to travel the open road, to discover that when it comes to transportation, it's always fun to be free.

While you're in the portal, a familiar song begins to play.

It's fun to free,
To be on the move.
To go anywhere,
With never a care.
To do all you wanted to do,
It's fun to be free!

It's fun to free,
To be on the move.
To go where you please,
With comfort and ease.
To see all there is to be seen,
It's fun to be free!

Once on the second level, the cars travel through the Roman Coliseum's gates, signifying our entrance into Ancient Rome.

Throughout the ages, we have searched for freedom to move from one place to another. Other than foot power, we have the wheel. Invented by the Sumerians, the wheel changed history forever.

A man is shown presenting the first wheel to the king, while a guard turns away men holding square, triangular and pentagon examples.

With our newfound freedom, empires expand, cultures flourish, trade and commerce grow.

A transition tunnel shows spinning projections of the wheel and of scenes such as a horse pulling an Egyptian chariot and a man pushing a Chinese rickshaw. A centaur is shown pulling a woman in a chariot and near the projection, a giggling woman holds a rope attached to a centaur. A used chariot lot is shown, complete with marked-down prices in Roman numerals. The Trojan Horse is even for sale!

It's fun to free,
To be on the move.
To roll all around,
So safe and sound.
To go where you wanted to go,
It's fun to be free!

SALESMAN #1: Lend me your ear, friend. This is a colossus bargainus! It's just like new!

SALESMAN #2: This is beautius maximus. Loaded with extras! Power reins, marble floorboards. Four speed whip. Ah, suitable for the throne of Venus!

SALESMAN #1: Fly on the wings of Mercury! Pass anything on the Appian Way!

SALESMAN #2: This colosseum cruiser is fit for the Gods. Truly glorious. Caesar's wife has one.

SALESMAN #1: This was driven by Caesar himself!

Going through another strobe light time portal, we end up deep in the Wild West as the Magnificent Seven theme plays.

TOM MORROW, JR.: A new kind of horse arrives. A steam-powered iron horse, bringing fast, dependable, safe travel to the new frontier.

A train robbery is in progress. One bandit is off to the sides by some rocks. Another is at the front of the train holding out a hat and gesturing to three passengers and the engineer while yet another thief supervises a shaking conductor as he hands over the goods. A lawman is off to the side, ready to catch the crooks. If the train looks familiar, it should. It's one of the trains used in Disneyland's old Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland.

BANDIT #1: Keep your hands up! This means you! This is called passin' the hat. (Laughs) Drop it in the hat. Drop it in the hat, Mister. Come on, come on.

BANDIT #2: Hold her steady, Grandpa! Or I'll blow your head off! (Fires gun) I said hold that box steady!

It's fun to free,
To be on the move.
To ride on the rail,
To deliver mail.
And go from New York to LA,
It's fun to be free!

Passing through another time portal, we wind up on Route 66, driving next to a SoCal surfer girl in a Ford Mustang as Rascall Flats's "Life Is A Highway" plays on her radio.

TOM MORROW JR.: In 1896, Henry Ford brings us a new wonder: a carriage without a horse. Yes, with the automobile, we thunder full speed into the 20th century!

Mobility is the byword of modern transportation. A way to move from here to there, for every need and every care. Now it's really fun to be free!

It's fun to free,
To be on the move.
To drive our sports cars,
Like big movie stars.
And play where you wanted to play,
It's fun to be free!

A line of vintage cars appear, accompanied by vintage film footage to depict the era that each car is from. The first car encountered belongs to a 1920s flapper girl and her boyfriend. We hear the melody of Charleston music playing for this car. The next car contains 1950s children, with their parents driving them to Disneyland. The next car is a 1980s station wagon carrying a Little League team. The car after that is a 2011 hybrid, powered by electricity. The cars then make a trip through a speed tunnel similar to the type used in If You Had Wings. The curved tunnel depicts 70mm film clips of things such as a toboggan run, white water rafting, and traveling through outer space. This then leads to images of the eye of a hurricane and then swirls of light and a kaleidoscope effect. The images then turn into a computer grid style reminiscent of TRON that is meant to depict "the future." The ride vehicles emerge into a new room depicting a futuristic city with blurs of light depicting traffic zooming down the streets past tall buildings while spaceships fly in the sky.

TOM MORROW, JR.: Yes, our world has indeed become a World of Motion. We have engineered marvels that take us swiftly over land and sea, through the air, and into space itself. And still bolder and better ideas are yet to come. Ideas that will fulfill our age old dream to be free, free in mind, free in spirit, free to follow the distant star of our ancestors to a brighter tomorrow.

As you can see, we're zooming towards the future, and now we invite you to join in the race. On your marks...get set...GO!

With that, our car speeds up to 65 mph as we zip through the famed "speed" portion of Test Track. The outdoor portion is covered with a tunnel similar to Space Mountain's Star Tunnel, complete with blue and green strobe lights. This represents a futuristic highway. After the run, we head back inside the building and the cars decrease to their usual 7 mph.

It's fun to free,
To be on the move.
To go anywhere,
With never a care.
To do all you wanted to do,
It's fun to be free!

TOM MORROW, JR.: Welcome back to the present, everyone! Did you all have fun? We at EPCOT Center and General Motors sure hope you did. Hope you don't mind, but just for safety, we gotta make sure none of you sneaky-Petes didn't bring anything from the past with you.

The former thermal imaging room contains a "Pepper's Ghost" effect that makes the car appear to have been scanned for any time-smuggling.

TOM MORROW JR.: Looks like you're all clear, folks. Again, we hope you all enjoyed your trip through the history of transportation. Now, we invite you to visit the TransCenter.
Join us behind the scenes where we are working to ensure that tomorrow's world will continue to be a World of Motion.

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Your vehicle doors will slide open automatically. Please collect your belongings and step out to your right. The moving platform is traveling at the same speed as your vehicle. Las puertas de su vehículo se deslice abrirá automáticamente. Por favor, recoja sus pertenencias y salir a su derecha. La plataforma móvil se desplaza a la misma velocidad que su vehículo.

The ride's post-show would be the same as the current Test Track, albeit with the new name of the TransCenter. The TransCenter allows further exploration of guests’ designs through a variety of interactive activities, photo opportunities, and real Chevrolet cars to explore in a showroom. There is also the Green Light gift shop, selling little "SimCars" and other Test Track-related merchandise.

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But, however, there is one thing I'd like to add: a second wing to the TransCenter. For this concept, I was inspired by @TR, so shout-out to him!
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The new area is in the space between the WoM building and Innoventions. My main reasons for this was that what I had in mind was much larger than that space and that the goal of the pavilion is the expression of movement, so that movement makes a lot of sense as an outdoor, kinetic element. The outdoor lab space therefore is made up of 4 areas. A dock on the water featuring various modes of water transportation represents water transportation. A small structure next to it has exhibits on rail transportation, a larger structure to the back represents other land based transportation methods, and a structure to the right has exhibits on air transportation, including a second standalone attraction for the pavilion, a flight simulator.

This is similar to the Sum of All Thrills in that it really isn’t meant to be a stand-alone attraction but it is just substantial enough that it needs to be counted as its own attraction with its own line. Basically, enclosing the Transportation Labs area is a semicircular covered and elevated track that small 2 person simulator pods travel back and forth on. The queue is under a covered structure along with the other air exhibits. Two guests at a time load into one of the pods. Inside is a plane cockpit, with a screen to the front. The pod is on a basic motion platform that can move in real time with the passenger’s controls. After the pod is closed, it moves along the track and then back again while the guests simulate flying a plane through one of a few environments which they get to choose. They then exit into the main area of the air transportation exhibit.
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Nearby World of Motion is the Odyssey, which offers First Aid and Baby Care, as well as serving as a new restaurant. It serves worldwide foods, giving guests a taste of all of World Showcase, and provides epic views of World Showcase Lagoon.
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Leading off past the Oddysey, the path splinters off in two directions. The left leads off to World Showcase, while the right connects back to the rest of Future World and leads back to Centorium. But, we still have more of Future World to see. We take a brisk walk past nearby World Showcase and past Stargate Plaza and head off to explore the western side of Future World...
 
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Sam Magic

Well-Known Member
One of my most favorite threads ever! Love a lot of the stuff being done here, but like others I think Epcot needs a new Space Pavilion that pays homage to Horizons, but not sure I would want it to return. We have made so much more advancement and progress since then...I think if we want to tell the story of Horizons it should be spread across the entire park.
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
One of my most favorite threads ever! Love a lot of the stuff being done here, but like others I think Epcot needs a new Space Pavilion that pays homage to Horizons, but not sure I would want it to return. We have made so much more advancement and progress since then...I think if we want to tell the story of Horizons it should be spread across the entire park.

No need to worry, Sam. A space pavilion will still be part of Future World.

There's no room for both Test Track AND World of Motion?

Not that I know of.
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Continuing on past World of Motion and the Oddysey, head off to the west side of Future World, where the final four pavilions are located. An alternate entrance into this side of Future World is another archway, located in-between the northwestern quadrant of CommuniCore and Pasta Piazza. There is a small indoor section of the archway, which features a timeline of the history of EPCOT Center, from its opening, up until this very year, featuring several new additions to the theme park.

The western side of mainly consists of several walkway bridges connecting from one pavilion to another. The bridges are suspended over beautiful, glistening reflecting pools, lined with stones. The walkways are offered covered by tall trees suspended from circular stone holders, which often make for good resting locations as well.

The first pavilion on the western side of Future World is...

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Journey Into Imagination
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Walking up towards the pavilion, you'll find that it looks more fanciful than ever. Outside, the building looks almost unchanged, aside from the new color scheme that reintroduces the light purples and blues that adorned the pavilion back in the day. And, thanks to a recent cleaning, the two glass pyramids atop the pavilion shine so bright that even on a cloudy day it becomes necessary to wear sunglasses to observe the structure.

As guests enter the Imagination pavilion, they will first see that the building has been gutted, and the original lobby has been restored to its former glory, as in the days of the original Journey. The Walt Peregoy murals on both the ceiling and the walls have been lovingly recreated with updated color schemes and iridescent painting effects.

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A central spiral staircase leads upstairs to ImageWorks, while a circular queue leads to the entrance to the adventure the pavilion is named after: Journey Into Imagination!

That's right--this iconic EPCOT Center attraction has returned to delight a new generation. On-board this adventure, guests meet Dreamfinder and his newest creation: a little purple dragon named Figment. After visiting the DreamPort, where the twosome store all their ideas, guests then proceed through several rooms representing different areas influenced by the imagination such as art, literature, the performing arts and science. The only change I'd make to the ride would be to utilize modern technology to improve the turntable's reliability, and to prevent the turntable from drilling itself into the floor.

Upon exiting the ride, you can go up inside one of the pyramids and explore the ImageWorks, where you can let your imagination run wild through several different exhibits, including the beloved Rainbow Corridor.

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Also in ImageWorks, occupying the space of the smaller pyramid, is Food for Thought, a new table service restaurant with a twist. This restaurant is guaranteed to mesmerize guests, and makes full use of the MyMagic+ system. As guests enter the dining room, they place an order on a digital touch screen kiosk, and then scan their MagicBand. An attendant will seat the guests, and they will scan their MagicBand again at their seat. This will allow their order to be delivered straight to them, but not in a conventional manner. The guest’s order is prepared in the kitchen directly below the dining room, adjacent to the pavilion lobby. When it is ready, it is placed on an elevator and sent up to the peak of the pyramid. From here, the order slides down a rollercoaster type track, stopping right in front of the guest who ordered it. This adds a great amount of kinetics to the restaurant which, when combined with the spectacular views of Future World, are sure to make this a guest favorite.
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The concept of the rollercoaster restaurant is one that I have borrowed from Food Loop in Europa Park, Germany (pictured below), which is, to my knowledge, the only application of this system in the world.
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Just outside of the Journey Into Imagination attraction, to the right, is the Magic Eye Theatre, home to the EPCOT Short Film Festival. You know, @sshindel, whose excellent Epcot Manifesto inspired this thread, may have predicted that this would come to fruition. But, honestly, just showing Disney shorts doesn't seem so imaginative. Luckily, sshindel provided a cure for that.

"I think that the theater becomes a showcase for short films from animators and film makers from all of the Disney studios. The short films can include the ones that precede movies, but I would prefer it if these short films were not widely released. They should be opportunities for the animators to develop their ideas without needing it tied to a major release. They should come from animators from Pixar, Disney Animation Studios, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Makerstudios, etc. The requirement should be that it fits the loose theme that it is imaginative. It can be CGI, hand drawn, stop motion, live action. It can be 3D or 2D, can use the 4D features too. Just be a creative outlet for the creative people in the company."

Given that this new take on the Short Film Festival would celebrate our individual imaginations, I think we should bring back the "True Colors" pre-show from the days of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.


Located near the theater is the Sparks of Inspiration shop, selling Figment and Dreamfinder merchandise, creative supplies such as pencils and sketchbooks, and novelty science items such as rubber bubble mixture or laser pens. This will be in the same place as the original Kodak Camera & Film shop was years ago.
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Guests exit outside of the pavilion and find themselves in the pavilion's courtyard, known as the Magic Garden. They are greeted by an array of colorful, "jumping" fountains. The outside of the pavilion even features a recreation of the glass pyramids, as fountain jets shoot upwards towards it, almost creating a rising waterfall. A Figment topiary spins around and around. This garden is a nice place to meet up with Dreamfinder and Figment themselves.
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Speaking of characters, on certain occasions, you'll be able to find some of your Disney friends inside the Magic Garden and in-between this pavilion and the nearby Land pavilion.
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Ah, but that's not all--the Magic Garden also features an all-new ride: Figment's Dreamcatchers.

This, as designed by @IDInstitute, is an all-new flat ride, located just outside the pavilion. A flat ride is perfect for this area, as it is a simple concept, but with some creativity, it can be something really fun, exciting, and amazing, much like Journey Into Imagination. The map below gives an idea of how this attraction will look on a map. It will be right on the edge next to the water, and also next to the Magic Eye Theater.

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The ride will also serve as a draw to the pavilion. As guests are walking across the water, they will immediately be taken away by the most visually stunning FW pavilion yet, with the large, rainbow prism-pyramids (new projected lights will make a rainbow appearance), and a colorful flat ride with fun, enticing kinetic energy. At night, LED lights and fiber optics will brilliantly illuminate the area/new ride.

The backstory of this ride is that Dreamfinder has made a collection of all of his interesting gadgets, gizmos, and exciting, creative discoveries from exploring the imagination. Figment, being the curious and excited fellow he is, has gathered up all of the fun gizmos together to make Dreamcatchers for guests.

Once you exit the queue and are about to board, you hear Dreamfinder and Figment saying...

DREAMFINDER: Welcome, everyone! Soon, you are about to have fun exploring dreams in the Dreamcatchers!

FIGMENT: Ooh! That sounds like fun! What will we see?!

DREAMFINDER: As long as you keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the vehicle at all times, your imagination can take you anywhere!

The vehicles are modeled after the Dreamcatcher from the ride (just smaller), hence the name.

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Vehicles hold two rows of two, partially for capacity reasons, but also to help keep larger parties together. In row one, guess can control the height of the vehicle, and in row two, guests can control three different special effects, including a silly horn, a bubble pipe, and colorful lights. The vehicles, like most spinners, are attached the a pole connected to a center control area which it rotates around.

Throughout the ride, a Figment audio-animatronic that sits on the center pole will talk and joke with riders.
After one and a half minutes, the ride comes to an end and guests depart their Dreamcatchers.

With these elements in store to return, the Imagination Pavilion is sure to return to its' former glory, instilling its' way back into our hearts, with Dreamfinder and Figment at the helm.
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I'm really excited to see the Journey revert back to its better days, and I'm sure you guys will be, too. In the next post, we'll visit The Land, where a whole bunch of changes will be made...
 
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orlando678-

Well-Known Member
I think it would have been nice though to give the ride a trackless system. Not to worry, because I love your ideas, but many of the ideas are bringing back old ones and I'm not sure if that's going to work for this generation of people. Especially with Test Track. If you want world of motion to return, it will need new stuff and it will need to have some speed to probably attract the guests. We want edutainment and not basic education. The rides didn't leave for nothing and if you want to make them come back, they need stuff that will stun the guests. I know that people don't find Epcot a place for thrills, but with no thrills, the park won't attract enough people, sure you can have other great experiences like an omnimover and a boat ride, but you will need something new or a trackless system for example. Do continue your ideas though, because the attention you are giving to the posts are inspiring.
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I think it would have been nice though to give the ride a trackless system. Not to worry, because I love your ideas, but many of the ideas are bringing back old ones and I'm not sure if that's going to work for this generation of people. Especially with Test Track. If you want world of motion to return, it will need new stuff and it will need to have some speed to probably attract the guests. We want edutainment and not basic education. The rides didn't leave for nothing and if you want to make them come back, they need stuff that will stun the guests. I know that people don't find Epcot a place for thrills, but with no thrills, the park won't attract enough people, sure you can have other great experiences like an omnimover and a boat ride, but you will need something new or a trackless system for example. Do continue your ideas though, because the attention you are giving to the posts are inspiring.

Well, World of Motion serves as a humorous take on transportation, compared to seriousness of a ride like Spaceship Earth, and I'm sure they'll be plenty giggle-worthy moments throughout the ride.

I once read an idea that combined World of Motion with Test Track.

There was, courtesy of @ScorpionX. I don't think I'll be using it, but here it is if you're interested: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/your-epcot-future-world-ideas.626898/page-2#post-4691826
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Guests walk along the rampways leading throughout Future World. The pathway is lined with beautiful rose gardens, flower beds and grass fields. The pathways stretch over large vasts of reflective pools of glistening water beds. Continuing along the rim of the area, the guests will walk back along the flower mural, arriving at the next pavilion of Future World:

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The Land
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The Land focuses on agriculture and conservation, and how man is learning how to live in harmony with our environment. However, in today's state, the theme doesn't really resound, despite this being one of the few Future World pavilions to fully commit to its original theme. Hopefully, with this refurbishment, The Land will once again shine.

Starting on the outside, I'd take a page from @sshindel's book and put in this really cool-looking thing to serve as a transition between Journey Into Imagination and The Land. Behold--the SuperTree Grove:

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Most of the guest-facing areas of The Land actually are quite well done and probably do not need to change much. But, however, I'd adjust the signage on the Land sign to go back to the original Prototype font, while still keeping the nifty color scheme. And I really love the idea of the tree growing through the skylight, so, despite my previous thoughts to bring back the second dome over the skylight, I'd have to keep the skylight open and the tree growin'.

Guests take a walk up a ramp leading into the indoor atrium, as a complete balcony surrounding the rim of the building looks down onto the lower floor of the pavilion. I'd like to have the pavilion's interior represent what a landscape would look like. The ceiling of the atrium is decorated with a mural designed by Walt Peregoy.
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The mural represents the sky and the clouds. Fittingly, hot-air balloons hang from overhead, adding some atmosphere to the "sky", designed to represent the Earth and the four seasons. The walls of the atrium are painted with murals depicting mountains, cliffs, trees and other things. In addition, the murals will also reflect the restaurant and the show in the Harvest Theater, but I'll describe that when the appropriate time comes. Against the vertical beams that go from the ceiling to the ground floor are giant trees, adding some greenery to the area. The floor is decorated with tiling to represent the ground, the dirt and the sand. But however, as the designs edge towards Living with the Land, the tiling will represent water (since Living with the Land is a boat ride).

Now then, enough chit-chat. Let's discuss the attractions. Leading to the right, guests will come across the Harvest Theater. The theater's current tenant, Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, has since left for Walt Dated World. In its place is the return of another beloved (and much-missed) EPCOT Center original: Kitchen Kabaret!
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Much like before, the entrance to Kitchen Kabaret is themed around an Art-Deco style-theater, as seen in the picture below.
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Given the exterior theming, the mural design surrounding the entrance to theater will look like that of a big city. The Kitchen Kabaret itself is a show that deals, mostly, with the idea of a proper diet. However, this topic is dealt in a very light tone...because it's portrayed through a big song-and-dance revue, where each of the different food groups sing a little ditty about themselves. Take a look:

Continuing along the rim of the overhead balcony surrounding the pavilion, guests will comes across the Garden Grill, a rotating, circular restaurant, which also offers a look into the Living With the Land attraction.
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Of course, the murals surrounding the restaurant will represent farming and harvesting. The restaurant consists of a menu that has many healthy, natural food products that are grown right there at the pavilion, as well as character dining with Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. Right beyond the Garden Grill is an escalator, staircase and elevator, leading down to the lower floor of the pavilion.

The escalator descends down into the sitting courtyard for the Farmer's Market. Given the new atmosphere of the pavilion, the current seating area has been replaced by a variety of picnic tables, given that you are now dining on the "grass", if you will. A common complaint back in the day was that the seating in this food court was just too small. These picnic tables will certainly help. Each one is topped with a uniquely-designed umbrella.

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A giant fountain sits in the middle of this area.
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Also tying in with the new atmosphere, there are different stations in the food court, each offering a different type of food, combining the tastes of its three former incarnations--Farmer's Market, Sunshine Seasons Food Fair and Sunshine Seasons. Each station is themed around a small farm-based market stand, not unlike what you'd find at a county fair. There are nine stations: "Soups & Salads", "Barbecue", "Sandwiches", "International Cuisine", "Pasta & Potato", as well as a cheese stand, a produce stand (try the grapes and cheese--they're a hit!), a bakery (offering all kinds of sweet treats, as well as breakfast foods from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.), an ice cream stand and a drink stand.

Anyways, after such a good meal, you can find out how the fruits and vegetables at the Farmer's Market were grown on-board Living with the Land.

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The attraction takes guests through the many agricultural procedures done throughout many different climates, before taking guests into the heart of the attraction, the agricultural plant domes, where guests pass by real growing methods incorporated by The Land, spotting several fruits and vegetables along the way, while also spotting new and innovative ways to advance the growing process of these crops. The only change the ride will get is this: In the final room of the ride (just before the boats head out into the unload), the music that plays will be replaced with a newly revamped version of the ride's original song, "Listen to the Land", albeit with the lyrics changed from "Let's listen to the land we all love" to "We're living with the land we all love".

On the opposite side of the Farmer's Market, guests will find the iconic attraction of The Land pavilion: Soarin'.
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This attraction takes ascends guests into a domed-projection screen, where the simulating experience of flight overwhelms them with light breezes and smells of orange groves and ocean mists.

Now, one thing that serves as a con due to the ride's popularity is the clutter than can occur in the queue during peak season. This is why I propose we construct a new entrance for the ride. The new entrance would begin outside the pavilion, right at the edge of the pathway leading to the entrance to the pavilion, which would then travel through a tunnel and into the ride's lobby. Since I don't want to sacrifice the beautiful flower mural (since the tunnel would travel right through it), I would rebuild the hill over the tunnel (if they were able to remodel the hill when they refurbished the pavilion in 2005, I'm sure they could do it again).

This attraction will now upgrade their projection system to high-definition system to enhance the experience. As we all know, Soarin' is soon to get a world-based makeover. I don't know what will be in store, but there are two things I hope are still there: first, the Patrick Warburton pre-show (which I think will be safe, since there's no mention of California)...


...and second, the original (and insanely epic) Jerry Goldsmith score.

The attraction exits back out into the pavilion. To separate the new queue from the rest of the pavilion will be a giant bed of plants, that line up with the giant beam that boasts the Soarin' logo. The attraction is a highlight of all of EPCOT Center and a must-see for anyone visiting Walt Disney World.
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In the next post, I'll showcase my ideas for an all-new space pavilion, which will hopefully combine the thrill of Mission: SPACE with the original feel the space pavilion was supposed to have.
 
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DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
After exiting The Land, we head down the ramp and move to the left, where you'll find the re-located...

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Mission: SPACE
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BTW, what do you think about that logo for the pavilion? You can thank the good people at E82 (aka Epcot Legacy) for creating that.


Now, as we all know, Mission: SPACE is not one of the most-loved attractions here at EPCOT Center. And, according to Disney expert Jim Hill, the reason why it's loathed is pretty much the fault of the ride's current sponsor, Hewlett-Packard. Here's what Jim had to say: "I
took until 2000 for the Imagineers to finally line up Compaq to serve as the sponsor for Mission: SPACE. But then, when Hewlett-Packard acquired Compaq for $24.1 billion in 2002, they weren’t quite as enthusiastic about the whole sponsoring-a-new-Future-World-pavilion ideas as Compaq had been. So in order to keep HP on as the sponsor of “Mission: SPACE,” Disney had to sweeten the deal. Which is why — when Mission: SPACE officially opened in October of 2003 — HP & Disney announced that they were launching a “10-year strategic alliance devoted to elevating consumer entertainment experiences through the collaborative development of new technologies and enhanced entertainment experiences.” Translation: Keeping “Mission: SPACE” cutting-edge & exciting took a backseat to Disney promoting HP’s printers & scanners."

So, with that said, I plan to dump HP as sponsor, and instead replace them with the pavilion's intended sponsor, NASA.

The main ride--Mission: SPACE--will be quite different. First off, the ride won't take place in a training center. Instead, it will take place in the Cosmos Space Center--CSC, where the focus is on space exploration and the wonders of our universe. The ride's queue itself will get a massive refurbishment. In many ways, the queue would become more of a walk-through museum with various artifacts and displays designed to give guests a greater appreciation of all the advancements that have been made in space exploration, much like the American Space Experience exhibit they had at Disneyland.

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@sshindel brought this up in his EPCOT Manifesto thread, and I really liked the idea. Instead of Gary Sinise, I'd have the attraction be hosted by Neil Degrasse Tyson. I'd prefer to just re-do Mission:Space under his guidance, with a focus on the wonders of the universe.

With the ride itself I would make only a couple of minor changes. The weakness of Mission: SPACE is the story that we are only in training, and not actually going to space. The reason that story has to be there in the current iteration is the completely visible ride mechanism as we load in out ride vehicle. As cool as I think it is to look at all that, it really should be covered up. Without much knowledge of the centrifuge mechanism, I think it would be possible to hide it will false ceilings and walls that are industrial in themed to make it seem like we are still in the International Space Launch Center. The ride movie changes also. The film changes to reflect that we loaded our vehicle pod in a load room under the rocket and that the entire ring of pods rises up and locks into the rocket before takeoff. We then travel to Mars like in the current version, but after hypersleep, there are multiple versions of the attraction that we could experience, giving the attraction re-rideability. After the attraction ends, we exit our vehicles, and are invited to step into the CSC's headquarters, which are actually located in space.

Using a moving walkway system, we move past the "space sky" and find ourselves in the middle of the CSC.

It's a large hall. A huge window at the far end looks out into space. The stars move as we turn through our orbit. The center of the hub features a large round window in the floor surrounded by metal railing that allows us to look down on earth. The area around the window hosts "Mission: Earth"--a series of interactive stations (think Wonders of Life) that teach us about how space exploration helps us learn about earth. Just off the hub is a theater (two auditoriums, alternating the same show) that feature a 3-D experience that deals with the physics of the universe. We go on a virtual voyage though the universe, experiencing both its beauty and its severity. It concludes with a close-up look at a supernova...perhaps TOO CLOSE!! Also here is the re-located Mission: SPACE Race game, where two teams operate as Mission Control to see which spaceship can return to Earth first.

Also here is a small museum featuring many exhibits, including exhibits on the history of space vehicles, including a Moon Landing Lunar Module, a Moon Rover, and a Mars Rover. In the back of the pavilion, there is an outdoor covered hangar courtyard that has current space crafts parked in it, like a Virgin Galactic LauncherOne. The museum also features a small gift shop, which features space-themed and Future World merchandise.

And then there is the Spacewalk. At the preshow we learn how to operate our EVA units. Each unit is suspended from an overhead track on a continuously moving belt. It has a seat and a four-point safety harness. Our feet dangle free. A joystick allows us to control yaw and roll. We can turn completely around or roll completely upside-down. If we want, we can ride backwards facing a friend to share the experience. A moving walk allows us to board and secure ourselves while the units keep moving. The ride circles us around the exterior of the space station. We have views into space (occasionally obstructed by appendages on the exterior of the space station), the moving walkways that lead to the station and into the interior of the space station. We can see some of the public spaces filled with our fellow visitors, and we see other "off limits" spaces we wouldn't otherwise see. These give us a better picture of life on the station.

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All the attractions return us to the hub. We can stay as long as we want. When we are ready to leave, a set of space pods (similar to the Hydrolators) returns us to Future World. With this new Mission: SPACE, I plan to give guests a look at space exploration in a way the whole family can enjoy.
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Well, what do you think? I really hope I improved on the thrill experience of the current Mission: SPACE, with something everyone would like.

Side note--I've recently decided to update my World of Motion post, cause I've recently decided to go ahead with @Brer Panther 's suggestion to combine WoM with Test Track. I'll even put up a poll, asking you, the readers, which idea regarding WoM you like most.

Here's the updated WoM post: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/epcot-center-a-new-generation.902639/#post-6835090

Anyways, in the next post, we'll take a look at The Living Seas, as well as go over what I've done to Future World and introduce you to the sponsors of the pavilions. Stay tuned!
 
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DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
And now, at last, we come to the final pavilion in Future World:

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The Living Seas
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The Seas pavilion today is a major rallying point of people against the "toonification" of Epcot. The Seas with Nemo and Friends mostly came about today because Disney suits wanted to capitalize on Finding Nemo's success. And, according to @sshindel, this could've worked out well, with Mr. Ray and Nemo explaining various things about sea life...but nope! Instead we got another stupid "book-report" ride where Nemo's gone missing again.

Well, as part of our "rebellion against toonfication", if you will, I plan to restore the pavilion back to its former glory. While the Nemo overlay has been removed, there are plans to utilize the Finding Nemo franchise elsewhere in the resort, it just will not make its' home at EPCOT Center.

(For a complete overview of The Living Seas, check out the video above)

The entrance to the pavilion features a rocky coastline with The Living Seas logo displayed. Waves crash over the rocks every few seconds. To the left and behind the sign is a large mural with the curving lines of ocean waves and the orange, yellow, and pink colors of the sun setting above it. The plants at the base of the mural represent plants that would grow at the ocean floor (like kelp). Approaching the pavilion, we pass by the rocks and follow the mural to the entrance doors. In the queue area, we wind along a wave-like path past pictures, artifacts, and models which trace the history of diving. Some of the artifacts include a drawing of Alexander the Great's glass diving barrel (332 BC), a 16th-century diving helmet designed by Flavius Vegetus Renatus, Sir Edmund Halley's first diving bell (1697), the Klingert Diving Dress (1797), and Frederic de Drieberg's 1809 breathing device. Near the end of the queue is a diving suit and an eleven foot model of the Nautilus submarine. Both of these were used in the film "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".

Once we have reached the end of the queue area, we are admitted into a section that serves as a waiting area for a preshow film. Once the previous film moves along, you are put into a small theater to watch a short film. The film, entitled simply "The Sea", in 8 minutes covers the creation of Earth, the creation of the oceans, the importance of the ocean to life, and the fact that we know next to nothing about them and are still discovering new things.

Once you leave the film, with its fade from a "computer drawn" version of a seabase and the hydrolators that would take you to it into the real video of them, you are ushered into another room to await boarding your hydrolator.

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You board what amounts to a fake elevator. This is going to "take you down to Seabase Alpha". The floor shakes, bubbles go up, the side moves like you are going down deep under the sea, and a minute later, the other door opens up and you are under the ocean. The effect is simple, and honestly stolen by Universal in the brand new Gringotts ride. You then board a "Seacab" which takes you on a quick ride into the Seabase itself.

Now that we've disembarked the seacabs, there are several exhibits to view here in Sea Base Alpha - a prototype underwater research facility.
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Back then, the huge aquarium was not just an aquarium, but it was part of the show. These are windows out into the ocean. The little side alcoves have different things to see and do. A lot is very similar to what exists now. Things to see, learn, do. Touchscreen computers, a section about undersea exploration robots and suits where kids can "get in" a suit and try and manipulate the pincer hands, etc. The main room has the big water tube, and divers would constantly be coming and going from there into the main aquarium space. There's also a wave tank and an ocean resource lab, and scuba divers are also often seen in the aquarium tanks feeding the fish. Sea Base Alpha also features an interactive fish wall aquarium, where guests can touch the fish aquarium in order to feed the fish.

One aspect of the Nemo overlay of the pavilion that I would keep is Turtle Talk with Crush. However, the storyline of the show would be tweaked slightly to fit into the Seabase Alpha theme. The introduction to the show would explain to guests that they are there to witness the trial of a new piece of underwater technology that will revolutionize our study of the oceans, the hydrophone. This technology will actually allow us to speak with various underwater creatures. After this introduction, Crush swims by and begins his conversation with the audience; this is actually very similar to how the show progresses at Tokyo DisneySea.


In addition to this, a brand-new experience will be found here at The Living Seas. This experience is sure to put EPCOT Center on the new-attraction-technology map. It's a new show called StormCenter. T
he attraction takes guests inside a 360-degree projection dome for a showcase of powerful weather. The show utilizes the Spheron Theater system devised by Falcons Treehouse (which you can see in action below).

The concept for this new attraction was devised by @TRF, for his EPCOT plan, which involved a whole pavilion themed around weather. I decided to place it here in The Living Seas, because the place where his weather pavilion was to be located is where my new space pavilion would be located. Anyways, enough chit-chat. Let's take a look and see what this show would be like...

Immediately after heading through the entrance, we enter a large preshow room with a wall of large scientific looking machines ahead and sections of water in the floor as if we are on a platform over a body of water. The preshow is a short movie explaining why Seabase Alpha is studying storms. In order to fully understand how the seas aid the creation of great storms, the agency built this station off the coast where they can use their equipment to recreate weather events and then experience them from the safety of a observation theater. We will be doing just that today. Doors open to our left, leading us into the theater. The attraction is a 360 degree hemispherical dome movie, using dozens of projectors to create a seamless dome screen. We stand on a ring platform over more water, with a large hole in the middle. When we enter, the dome appears as if it is made up of large metal doors, which open one the demonstration starts. From here, weather events are simulated in the theater using the projection capabilities as well as real rain effects falling into the water, wind effects, lighting, and sound. It starts tamely, with us viewing a cloudy night sky, full moon above. The researchers then make it rain and show the control they have, making the rain move around and fall in patterns. The storm builds, adding heavier rain and wind. Eventually it grows out of control as we are subjected to a simulated hurricane above us. Things come back to order soon, and we leave the theater. We enter a lab area where we can experience interactive exhibits on the storm we just saw. The path then exits back out into Seabase Alpha.


For an additional fee, The Living Seas also features DiveQuest, an amazing experience where guests suit up in scuba gear and take a closer look at the deep, underwater sea life. A separate experience also allows guests to be able to swim with dolphins.

And when it's time to leave, you can just follow the "Sea Base Exit" sign into a small room with three hydrolator doors in front of us. Signs in between the hydrolator doors say "The Living Seas, Exit to EPCOT Center". To the left of the doors is giant picture of a wave crashing, the words "Thank you for visiting The Living Seas," and The Living Seas logo. To the right of the hydrolators are two plaques. One lists all of the consultants and advisors on the pavilion. The other plaque has the American Society of Civil Engineers logo and reads "The Living Seas, Civil Engineering Achievement of Merit, 1987, Awarded by American Society of Civil Engineers."

Once the doors open, we move into the hydrolator and the doors shut. These hydrolators are slightly larger than the ones we came down on and these do not have windows on the sides. Instead, there is an overhead porthole that gets lighter and brighter as we near the sunny ocean surface.

Wrapping around the side of the building, guests will find the pleasant Coral Reef restaurant, where guests can dine amongst the beautiful scenery of an underwater setting. It is like dinner under the sea.

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All together, it adds up to one pavilion, one purpose. You are arriving at a seabase, which is being used to explore the world under the ocean. It teaches and entertains.
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Now, before we move on, I would like to show my picks for who should sponsor the Future World pavilions...

Spaceship Earth
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Innoventions
(no real sponsor, since many corporations will be represented here)

Universe of Energy
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Wonders of Life
250px-Geico_logo.svg.png


New Horizons
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World of Motion
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Journey Into Imagination
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The Land
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Mission: SPACE
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The Living Seas
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Now, in the next post, which will be posted very soon, I'll give a brief recap, and then it'll be off to World Showcase!
 
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