News New Play Pavilion to replace Epcot's Wonders of Life

[UNCgolf]

The fact that TriceraTop Spin could be plopped down in Toy Story Land and work as-is kind of proves how lax WDI was with DINORAMA's theme. We can agree to disagree. It had the potential to be greater.

I think that's more a statement on how poorly conceived Toy Story Land was than on Dinorama.

 

[No Name]

It absolutely could still be an empty plot of land -- and that would probably be preferable.

Dino-Rama is well-executed for what it is (i.e. it successfully executes the intended theme) but it was never a good idea from the start. Its presence diminishes Animal Kingdom because it's so out of place with the rest of the park. While Play! Pavilion wouldn't really have that issue at EPCOT, especially considering you'd have to go inside the building to see anything, it would still be both eliminating a place to develop something actually worthwhile and siphoning funds that could be used to better effect elsewhere.

Of course there's the capacity argument, but considering Play! Pavilion wasn't even using the attraction space, it's not like it was going to have any significant effect on capacity either. I'll take the chance, even if it's a small one, of something better eventually opening there instead of having the space permanently committed to such a waste.

I understand why people feel otherwise, though, if only for capacity's sake. I just don't personally think that having something is automatically better than nothing when taking all factors into consideration.

I understand your line of thought and admire your optimism! But I think that whatever does eventually wind up happening is going to be very similar to the play pavilion anyway, because it fills a specific need for that part of the park, and it takes advantage of the dome shaped layout, in a building that’s not as prominent as its neighbors. To me, as much as I wish it weren’t, it’s a question of: Would I rather the Play pavilion open today, or in ten years?

I also can’t agree that nothing might’ve been better than Dino-Rama… the enjoyment I’ve had riding primeval whirl is worth far more than any slight damage it might do to the theme.

 

[UNCgolf]

I also can’t agree that nothing might’ve been better than Dino-Rama… the enjoyment I’ve had riding primeval whirl is worth far more than any slight damage it might do to the theme.

That's understandable -- I personally hated Primeval Whirl, so it offered no benefit whatsoever to me!

 

[Schmidt]

I think that's more a statement on how poorly conceived Toy Story Land was than on Dinorama.

Really? Toy Story land is actually pretty fun and well themed. I get that it's not as well themed as what it was suppose to be, but still a success IMO. I love walking through Toy Story Land.
Dinorama, honestly could have been placed in any Six Flags park.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I was thinking last night, does anyone know how far they got inside the pavilion? Did they install sets?

I am curious how far along this was inside when it was.. cancelled.

 

[gerarar]

I was thinking last night, does anyone know how far they got inside the pavilion? Did they install sets?

I am curious how far along this was inside when it was.. cancelled.

There were some photos of "some" stuff installed inside the pavilion. Mainly just far away shot from inside the park at night.

Some purple-blue set lighting and what looks like one of those emoji-like figures in the original concept art.

From Feb 2022 in this thread:

 

[Disney Analyst]

There were some photos of "some" stuff installed inside the pavilion. Mainly just far away shot from inside the park at night.

Some purple-blue set lighting and what looks like one of those emoji-like figures in the original concept art.

From Feb 2022 in this thread:
View attachment 702874

Right I recalled a photo like that.

So it seems some show install happened. I wonder if they will reuse any of it once they decide what to do. Seems such a waste.

 

[Bocabear]

how sad that a photo taken over a year ago is all we have to look at from a pavilion that has been shuttered for 16 years except for temporary festival space... The announccement for Play! was in 2019....4 years later we still have nothing.

 

[Mr. Stay Puft]

how sad that a photo taken over a year ago is all we have to look at from a pavilion that has been shuttered for 16 years except for temporary festival space... The announccement for Play! was in 2019....4 years later we still have nothing.

Play! never really made much sense of what it was supposed to be. I'd love to see them repurpose the pavilion into something useful but seems like they don't know what to do with it either.

 

[Bocabear]

I thought the whole Idea of "PLAY!" was poor for such a major space and pavilion... There is so much they could do with it, I am baffled that the Pioneer and leader in themed entertainment and amusement parks can not come up with winning ideas anymore...but Moana in EPCOT is a good idea....

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I thought the whole Idea of "PLAY!" was poor for such a major space and pavilion... There is so much they could do with it, I am baffled that the Pioneer and leader in themed entertainment and amusement parks can not come up with winning ideas anymore...but Moana in EPCOT is a good idea....

Minimalistic ideas for a minimalistic world....Call the place "Uh'" And people will be stoked about it.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

There were some photos of "some" stuff installed inside the pavilion. Mainly just far away shot from inside the park at night.

Some purple-blue set lighting and what looks like one of those emoji-like figures in the original concept art.

From Feb 2022 in this thread:
View attachment 702874

They should use the technology that LucasFilm uses called The Volume. You can change the storyline each day if you wanted. Dr. Strange attraction?

 

[MisterPenguin]

They should use the technology that LucasFilm uses called The Volume. You can change the storyline each day if you wanted. Dr. Strange attraction?

Being surrounded by an environment generated in real time by a physics engine? And then perhaps have participants' actions affect the projected world in real time?

You just invented Smuggler's Run!!

 

[Bocabear]

Since we have Mission Space And The Wonders of Xandar, why not turn it into a "Gateway to the Cosmos" type pavilion...Xandar is the first of the planets to join.... At least it would make that section of the park feel more harmonious in the overall plan....

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Since we have Mission Space And The Wonders of Xandar, why not turn it into a "Gateway to the Cosmos" type pavilion...Xandar is the first of the planets to join.... At least it would make that section of the park feel more harmonious in the overall plan....

We don't use that word around these parts anymore.

 

[danlb_2000]

I was thinking last night, does anyone know how far they got inside the pavilion? Did they install sets?

I am curious how far along this was inside when it was.. cancelled.

There were permits in September of 2019 and February of 2020 for show set installation. The Feb 2020 one may have never started, but it's possible work on the Sept 2020 did.

 

[FettFan]

The fact that TriceraTop Spin could be plopped down in Toy Story Land and work as-is kind of proves how lax WDI was with DINORAMA's theme. We can agree to disagree. It had the potential to be greater.

Shoot I would have preferred they just theme the entire area to Disney’s Dinosaur after the CTX was modified, and just share the cohesive theme.

Sadly it seemed as if they were so worried about Universal comparisons that they ran too far in the opposite direction.


I don’t even care for the Avatar franchise, yet I walked out of World of Pandora feeling wowed by the whole experience, from FoP to the Satuli Canteen to the engineering marvel of the the floating islands with multiple waterfalls flowing from them.

There’s no reason we shouldn’t have that same wow factor from Dinoland USA, especially when the topic isn’t dinosaurs themselves, but their extinction.
And that’s why it infuriates me when I hear D’Amaro opening his big dummy mouth about replacing it with Moana and Zootopia.

The Chinese manatee was declared extinct last year….and there’s no mystical heart-emerald that’s going to bring it back.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Shoot I would have preferred they just theme the entire area to Disney’s Dinosaur after the CTX was modified, and just share the cohesive theme.

Sadly it seemed as if they were so worried about Universal comparisons that they ran too far in the opposite direction.


I don’t even care for the Avatar franchise, yet I walked out of World of Pandora feeling wowed by the whole experience, from FoP to the Satuli Canteen to the engineering marvel of the the floating islands with multiple waterfalls flowing from them.

There’s no reason we shouldn’t have that same wow factor from Dinoland USA, especially when the topic isn’t dinosaurs themselves, but their extinction.
And that’s why it infuriates me when I hear D’Amaro opening his big dummy mouth about replacing it with Moana and Zootopia.

The Chinese manatee was declared extinct last year….and there’s no mystical heart-emerald that’s going to bring it back.

I mean....The idea is there..It's a shame it can't convert it to an Indy Theme instead..There is a book about it...
Image from pintrest

instead of saving Aladar..Switch the styracasaurous at the end instead and tweak the plot a bit so Indy could fit jn it..Just a shame they got rid of the original statue and switch it again..

 

[Movielover]

I mean....The idea is there..It's a shame it can't convert it to an Indy Theme instead..There is a book about it...
Image from pintrest

instead of saving Aladar..Switch the styracasaurous at the end instead and tweak the plot a bit so Indy could fit jn it..Just a shame they got rid of the original statue and switch it again..

I have no idea if they still have it but I wonder where that statue is?

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Could this be made into an indoor theater that can have events like Candlelight Processional instead the American Theatre. I hate sitting behind trees.