Project Gemini

[marni1971]

Well, I don't think that Spaceship Earth will EVER be changed to a thrillride, for several reasons already mentioned. However, more comfortable seats would be very nice, and I kinda wish they'd bring back the old "Tomorrow's Child" segment. .

Welcome to the boards, and great comments!

A lot of us would love an updated Tomorrows Child Finale... who knows! However, the ride system needs some TLC and a lot of oil - what a track layout to put a strain on an Omni every day for 22+ years. If and when SSE`s major rehab happens hopefully this will be seen as important as the visuals.

although for Seas they need to update the briefing show, and maybe bring back the ride there

Absolutley. The Seacabs are just sat there apparently, and the leak rumour is a joke. An updated preshow, similar to the current one would be good (and keep the graphics to film transition of the Hydrolators!)

Universe of Energy could use a serious update; that thing is unbelievably old now

A Major UoE rehab is on the cards for the next few years.. hopefully they will keep the travelling theatre concept (and have the six pack configuration permenant again) and keep the diorama. Some snazzy films (in theatre effects?) would be good. Its such a shame they went the Ellen route on the `96 rehab - I`ve seen the concept art for the alternate version and it looks FAR better. Think the style of T2:3D (I`m not saying it would have been 3D but the colours and theming are close)

There also seems to be a decent amount of empty space in the Imagination building (does the ride really use all of the pyramid space?)

The Imagination ride only uses the ground floor (and its a shortened track since 2000) - the original plans had the ride travelling upstairs but this obviously never happened. Upstairs (front pyramid and beyond) is virtually empty, save for parts of the original Imageworks. A forth version of Imagination with you-know-who is high on the wish list of many board memebrs here, but its fun to dream. EMV JII4 anyone??

 

[Skippy]

Yeah, slightly reclining seats, cushioned head rests and maybe a shiatsu massage thingy too...ahhhh.

anything more comfy than whats there now and we'll never be able to wake my dad up at the end of the ride :lol:

maybe thats why they keep them the way they are.

 

[Yen_Sid1]

Gosh, I remember the Bill Nye show in Innoventions! It was pretty funny, if I remember correctly. Wasn't it kind of an overview of what Innoventions was?

I really liked that Bill Nye, the Science Guy at Innoventions, it was funny but not as funny as all the props around, they had some great labels on all those boxes.

Also Bill Nye does the pre-show at Dinosaur.

 

[Defend10]

and the leak rumour is a joke.

What are you talking about? A joke? Once again, I encourage everyone, not just you, to know facts before posting. :brick:

 

[dkrfla]

Spaceship Earth

I do think Spaceship Earth must need some kind of rehab. We were on it last week and about every few feet or so it kept breaking down. It took us almost an hour to get to the end of the ride and as we sat there waiting cast members were running around with flashlight like crazy looking at the ride track. I think I must have heard "Please remain seated your vehicle is rotating backwards" about 300 times. Ahh well...it is still a great ride.

Dkrfla

 

[marni1971]

What are you talking about? A joke? Once again, I encourage everyone, not just you, to know facts before posting. :brick:

A joke as in it can`t affect the integrity of the building ot the Omnimover. If it was a serious problem the pavilion would be closed and the tank emptied. Not a ha ha joke - a joke as in an excuse to keep the omnimover closed. Unless you care to enlighten us?

 

[maxime29]

The only real update I would see UoE having is to make it a shorter ride. Some people just don't like to be on a ride for 45 minutes. The new show with Ellen has made it a little easier to sit through the show though. I remember with the old show I was bored out of my mind (then again, I was just a kid).

 

[SirGoofy]

I like UOE, but they need to get rid of that horrid radio segment. I almost fell asleep during it.

 

[peter11435]

I like UOE, but they need to get rid of that horrid radio segment. I almost fell asleep during it.

That only a placeholder while the vehicles are entering the second theater. There isn't much elese they can do, because you don't want anything important the attraction because not everyone is there for that part.

 

[DarkMeasures]

I like UOE, but they need to get rid of that horrid radio segment. I almost fell asleep during it.

Just choose the car that moves into the diarama last. THen you have to wait to move with nothing but you wont need to deal with the radio.

On the note with Bill Nye. He is still the science guy. I was watching the Discovery channel today and he was the host for the series: 100 greatest scientific discoveries of all time.

The show came out last year so he still does a lot of stuff. He is probably rich but it is a good thing that he doesn't sit on his throne of cash like David Spade did. (of course, I guess his throne died because Spade is in the capital one commercials meaning, Chris Farley has finally worn off on Spade).

Oh, and anyone else interested if the ride experience was expanded to a longer time? I enjoyed every minute of Ellen and the pavilian could do much more with more time.

 

[Indy95]

A forth version of Imagination with you-know-who is high on the wish list of many board memebrs here, but its fun to dream. EMV JII4 anyone??

Or Hunny Hunt trackless JII would be more fitting in my mind (EMV seems a little too rough for Figment, after all). Sigh...I can dream, can't I? :animwink:

 

[marni1971]

Or Hunny Hunt trackless JII would be more fitting in my mind (EMV seems a little too rough for Figment, after all). Sigh...I can dream, can't I? :animwink:

Good call. I was thinking more of an Omnimovers spin with a bit of tilting (not as rough as Dinosaur) - how about Roger Rabbits motion base (with tilt) on a TDL Pooh vehicle? Now I AM dreaming!

 

[Rotel1026]

On the note with Bill Nye. He is still the science guy. I was watching the Discovery channel today and he was the host for the series: 100 greatest scientific discoveries of all time.

The show came out last year so he still does a lot of stuff. He is probably rich but it is a good thing that he doesn't sit on his throne of cash like David Spade did. (of course, I guess his throne died because Spade is in the capital one commercials meaning, Chris Farley has finally worn off on Spade).

I believe Bill Nye hadn't been in front of a camera since the end of his show til that show you mentioned. I believe there was a USA Today article that mentioned he would be doing a couple of specials for Discovery but not a weekly thing like before.

As far as Spade, he was in Just Shoot me for something alone the lines of 8 years, no? He also did the voice of the llama on Emperor's New Groove. And then joined the cast of 8 Simple Rules after John Ritter passed away so the guy has most definitely not been sitting back on any sort of cash cow. I don't think any of the Farley movies made him that much money to the point he would never have to work again.

 

[wardrobeguy]

Oh, and anyone else interested if the ride experience was expanded to a longer time? I enjoyed every minute of Ellen and the pavilian could do much more with more time.

The original Universe of Energy show and Ellen's Energy Adventure have the same running time of about 45 minutes.

I really enjoy that both have a long run time. It reminds me of the original EPCOT...where you could spend a day in Future World and still not quite experience everything because the shows in the pavilions all took the time to unfold and the majority of pavilions gave you other areas and attractions to explore.

 

[mitchk]

I think UOE is way to long. They should get rid of the whole movie, and skip right to the Dinosaurs. Its to bad the dino set is only a few minutes, because thats the only part of the ride I enjoy. I also want to see a new JII with figment. The 2nd version of that ride was the worst attraction in Epcot. I miss the first, the 3rd is ok, but only because figment is back. I would love for them to put some real money into JII, it needs it.

 

[SirGoofy]

I think UOE is way to long. They should get rid of the whole movie, and skip right to the Dinosaurs. Its to bad the dino set is only a few minutes, because thats the only part of the ride I enjoy. I also want to see a new JII with figment. The 2nd version of that ride was the worst attraction in Epcot. I miss the first, the 3rd is ok, but only because figment is back. I would love for them to put some real money into JII, it needs it.

If you get rid of the movies, you would lose the whole point of the ride. It isn't about the dinos, it's about energy. The dinos are just a fun explination of how dinos became fuel. Which was much mor evident in the original version.

And I totally agree with the JII stuff. The original was my favorite, and now it's sad to see the pavillion used to only 60% of its potential.

 

[marni1971]

If you get rid of the movies, you would lose the whole point of the ride..

Well said. The ride format is a hang over from the original EPCOT Center where an attraction was an immersive, detailed, and yes, educational design. If the ride is too long, simple. Don`t ride it. The traditional attractions of the park are giving way to 4 minute thrill attractions with no substance. Don`t get me worng - I love Test Track, and MS & Soarin`s technical standards are superb, but DarkMeasures is right - in my first 2 EPCOT Center visits in `87 and `90 the park took 2 days - a day in each half, and we still missed a lot.

One thing spells out for me more than anything the way Epcot has gone; a brand new E ticket is coming soon, the only feature of which is a ride system that utilises an Omnimax screen. And then duplicates it for a second set of guests. Thats the total attraction. End of story. 6 years ago there was an attraction in Futureworld that had 2 Omnimax screens (plus a third linking screen) that were seen by all guests in the same ride, in a single show scene mid way through the ride - as a small part of a much bigger attraction.

Sad isn`t it.

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

I remember riding the Universe of Energy within the first few months when it had reopened with "Ellen's Energy Crisis/Adventure"...

For me I can use this as a example of how to compare it from 1996 to the last time I saw it in 2004.

In 1996 as a kid I was amazed by it. I knew basically who all the characters where, amazed by the dinos, the giant theater screens, and moving theater...everything because it was so new... was of course "fresh" in 1996.

In 2004...yes I see an outdated/ needs a rehab style attraction. I do hope they can rehab this attraction in the near future.

But I do hope they can do it in such a way that it can MAYBE revive the Pavilion's original symbol and color scheme [yea like that will happen] , a new and current sponsor that most people hopefully know about [duh], and the songs that used to be in the pavilion just more updated if need be.

With so many new special effects that are now avaialble to us in with theater technology, the ideas are endless that can preserve the integrity of an "edutainment" type ride of old EPCOT Center, but can still not keep us from getting too bored. That's what was wrong with the original Universe of Energy, but it had many dynamics the current UoE is lacking, and hopefully can come together in a new UoE III.

Energy..these are a few of your faces..glowing with timeless places.......energy you are the one...you make me want to go to Epcot again and again and buy merchandise you make the world go round...

 

[marni1971]

Energy..these are a few of your faces..glowing with timeless places.......energy you are the one...you make me want to go to Epcot again and again and buy merchandise you make the world go round...

Very good!

Feel the (cash) flow, see (the shareholders) glow, its the Universe of Energy..