Imageworks up stairs

[Little Green Men]

Look at my site (link in my sig) for a full tour of both versions of the original Imageworks.

Martin, I have a question to you regarding the upstairs Imageworks. You said that one reason they closed it was because there was no way for handicapped people to get out incase of a fire, and they have to go in a special room to wait. Well, The Land and Seas pavilions both have two levels, and they're still open. Do they have a better system for people in wheel chairs?

 

[raven]

Edit - I guess the better analogy would be like taking you to see the slumped over Buzzy at WoL.

Your wish is granted. :animwink:

 

[enoe01]

And for one Electronic Playground of the future...A Life After People...is already here.

-Cuts to commercial for Pawn Stars and American Pickers-

Love it, great comment EPCOTSERVO:sohappy:

I think that they need to do more backstage tours that show what was once and now is left to collect dust. It is an important piece of WDW history. I would love to go up on the second floor of JII and just walk around remembering the good ole days.

 

[everest-dude]

Your wish is granted. :animwink:

how did u get that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[v_misses_epcot]

CM perhaps? And oh man, buzzy looks scary in that picture x_x

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Well I heard the initial reason they closed imageworks was due to limited handicapped access and a bottleneck entrance/exit that was a fire hazard. However I find that reason some what bogus as well, considering they could have built a large/wide spiral ramp in place of the small staircase that wound up there. Seeing as it was an open area, it wouldn't have been too hard to do.

Plus look at The Land. It's an entire pavilion where you have to take stairs or an escalator/elevator to get to anything.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

Once you are in the lower level of the land, there are a number of exits that allow you to walk straight outside to backstage. No need to go up or down.

 

[waltdisney28]

Gosh those pictures were awesome! Is there a website that anyone knows of with video or pictures from the original attraction?

 

[Figment632]

Gosh those pictures were awesome! Is there a website that anyone knows of with video or pictures from the original attraction?

Try these there is no better site than Martins

http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=554

http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=95

 

[lazyboy97o]

Plus look at The Land. It's an entire pavilion where you have to take stairs or an escalator/elevator to get to anything.

The difference is that almost everything at The Land Pavilion is downstairs. The other issue might be guest flow. The Land Pavilion was designed to accommodate moving people between the two levels. Those stairs and elevator look like they would be a nightmare with a bunch of people trying to go up and down.

 

[tirian]

The difference is that almost everything at The Land Pavilion is downstairs. The other issue might be guest flow. The Land Pavilion was designed to accommodate moving people between the two levels. Those stairs and elevator look like they would be a nightmare with a bunch of people trying to go up and down.

With an elevator, escalators, and stairs, traffic flow had very little to do with it—it was no worse than getting to the second floor in the Seas pavilion.

It isn't as if architects had never constructed a two-story building prior to 1981.

The upper portion was closed to save money and fill the downstairs empty space when the ride was gutted, slashed, and reopened. Sad, but true.

 

[marni1971]

Martin, I have a question to you regarding the upstairs Imageworks. You said that one reason they closed it was because there was no way for handicapped people to get out incase of a fire, and they have to go in a special room to wait. Well, The Land and Seas pavilions both have two levels, and they're still open. Do they have a better system for people in wheel chairs?

The Lands upper level was VIP only - perhaps they controlled wheelchair access. The lower level has fire exits, and of course the middle level opens onto the entrance ramp.

Same for The Seas - the upper level was VIP. As was most of the VIP lounges when you think of it.

One thing that may be a pointer is the only Imagination elevator was the glass one, which I would imagine was not fire certified. Everywhere else has `normal` elevators. Imagination had a handicap refuge, as it was called, behind Electronic Philharmonic in the south east corner of the Imageworks.

 

[Figment1986]

The Lands upper level was VIP only - perhaps they controlled wheelchair access. The lower level has fire exits, and of course the middle level opens onto the entrance ramp.

Same for The Seas - the upper level was VIP. As was most of the VIP lounges when you think of it.

One thing that may be a pointer is the only Imagination elevator was the glass one, which I would imagine was not fire certified. Everywhere else has `normal` elevators. Imagination had a handicap refuge, as it was called, behind Electronic Philharmonic in the south east corner of the Imageworks.

When you say the Seas upper level was VIP, what about the part with the tube that goes out to the middle of the aquarium, which used escalators to get up to, and an elevator which is still used, and true about the land's 2 public areas having fire exits due to the entrance being on the 2nd level and the first level exiting out backstage. (is there a way to connect 2nd floor of imagination to the VIP lounge in anyway as a fire escape?)

 

[marni1971]

When you say the Seas upper level was VIP, what about the part with the tube that goes out to the middle of the aquarium, which used escalators to get up to, and an elevator which is still used,

My bad. Long day at work. Yep, SeaBases upper level. I can only guess the elevator was fire-safe. Let me look.... yep, there are both on and off stage traditional elevators.

Imagination... the Imageworks was isolated. The VIP area is behind the Magic Eye Theatre. There was a proposal to install a feature ramp to the second floor which could also be used as a fire exit. Aside from that it would need to be a new fire-safe elevator or backstage external ramp with across-roof access. Imageworks was almost all above the original ride area, aside from the Foyer and the east wall.

 

[waltdisney28]

Thank you so much! That site is awesome!!

 

[DarthGrady]

Just to let you guys know they no longer take guests up there on any tour.

Our guide told us that it has been taken out of the tour, but they will usually go up there if it is requested (as I did!). So long as the "outside" area around the elevator isn't being used for something, as they now rent it for meetings.

 

[Little Green Men]

My bad. Long day at work. Yep, SeaBases upper level. I can only guess the elevator was fire-safe. Let me look.... yep, there are both on and off stage traditional elevators.

Imagination... the Imageworks was isolated. The VIP area is behind the Magic Eye Theatre. There was a proposal to install a feature ramp to the second floor which could also be used as a fire exit. Aside from that it would need to be a new fire-safe elevator or backstage external ramp with across-roof access. Imageworks was almost all above the original ride area, aside from the Foyer and the east wall.

OK that makes sense. What exactly is a fire safe elevator? Obviously it's safer for fires but how does it work?

 

[Spyne]

It really does puzzle me why they don't do anything up there, it seems like such a wasted opportunity. If this was the ImageWorks it once was now, I would jump for joy.

 

[Horizons1]

It really does puzzle me why they don't do anything up there, it seems like such a wasted opportunity. If this was the ImageWorks it once was now, I would jump for joy.

Because of $$$$. This is how things work in WDW.

 

[monothingie]

OK that makes sense. What exactly is a fire safe elevator? Obviously it's safer for fires but how does it work?

There is no such thing as a "Fire Safe" elevator. The dangers that elevators pose during a fire is actually opening up on the a fire floor in a working fire. For that reason elevator use by non-emergency personel is prohibited. Additionally buildings with with Fire Alarm Systems and elevators are required by NFPA and most building codes to have what is known as an elevator recall which would automatically send the elevator to the lobby or other designated floor and lockout the use of the elevator on any other floor. If that recall floor were the fire floor, the Fire Alarm (through means of smoke detectors located above the elevator doors on every level) would send the elevator to a secondary recall point. Usually the floor above or below.

Each elevator also has what is know as Firefighter Service or bypass mode. You may have noticed inside elevators and in the lobby by the outside button there are key switches and an indicator light with firefighter helmet. When activated the elevator will bypass normal operation and go to and hold or move to any floor entered by the occupant. This is used to get firefighters close to the fire floor or evacuate people that need to escape. This can also be used by EMS to get to sick people in Hi-Rise buildings and also movers who need to hold an elevator at a floor.