Sad state of WOL building

[raven]

While at the Food & wine festival last week I decided to pop into the Festival Center in the old Wonders of Life building. Upon walking up the ramp I noticed the outside of the gold dome is very water stained and has +streaks all over it. Very little signs or added decor (flowers, etc) were added for the festival to the outside of the building as well. Not a very pleasant "welcome" by the look of things. Inside was a little better but I'm quite surprised they still haven't update the restroom after all these years of the building being closed. You'd think they'd have plenty of down time between usage of the building but I guess it isn't a priority.

I realize they have repurposed this building but any idea why are they letting it rot between usage?

 

[sshindel]

Because they flat out just don't care about Epcot things that are not making them money.

 

[sshindel]

Adding on to that, I can't imagine them spending money to maintain a pavilion that is only used for festivals (even when festivals make up between 1/3 and 1/2 of the calendar year), when they don't spend money keeping up the attractions that are "full time" as it is.

 

[raven]

WOL is used from company and private events as well. But it wouldn't take much to pressure wash the outside of the domw before a big festival. They used to do it in one day.

 

[marni1971]

Don't get me started....

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

They probably don't care.

 

[blueboxdoctor]

I never stop getting mad at all the empty, abandoned looking buildings in EPCOT. I always complain about how empty Future World is, but the more I read the more I realize they simply gave up at some point. Technology today is more interactive than ever, I don't get why for a land called Future World they can't have really fun and interactive areas to showcase where we are going, where we are, and where we have been. Let people use technology in applications they never thought possible (obviously in a controlled environment). Technology and science can be fun, it doesn't have to be boring like a class trip, and people love tech now that it is so accessible and user friendly. Turn these old, already there buildings, into something cool.

 

[Berret]

As others have stated, it's very unlikely Disney would spend money on a pavilion that is used so infrequently. Even if, when it is in use, a relatively large number of people see it, the vast majority of Epcot guests won't see it. They probably touch it up just enough to "get by" and that's about it. I do agree it's sad they feel this way, but I also can see things somewhat from Disney's end.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I'd be more shocked to hear the WOL Loop playing somewhere within that building. Similar to Imaginations 82 loop playing in the bathroom.

 

[donsullivan]

WOL is used from company and private events as well. But it wouldn't take much to pressure wash the outside of the domw before a big festival. They used to do it in one day.

I'm only guessing here but it would not surprise me if the new regulations put in place for safety of workers on roofs may have something to do with this sort of thing. In the past, you might have been able to put someone up on the roof with a rope to do something like pressure washing; today that would not be allowed for the safety of the worker. We've all seen all of the rails added to the edges of roofs, etc.. throughout all of the parks for safety. There is no way to add those to a building of that shape which has rendered it impossible to legally put someone up on the roof to do anything without a massive array of safety infrastructure to protect those workers.

Just suggesting that there is often a far less 'Disney is Evil' explanation for things like this. We don't have to agree with them (the regulations that is) but it doesn't matter if we do or not, Disney has to follow the laws just like we all do.

 

[raven]

I'm only guessing here but it would not surprise me if the new regulations put in place for safety of workers on roofs may have something to do with this sort of thing. In the past, you might have been able to put someone up on the roof with a rope to do something like pressure washing; today that would not be allowed for the safety of the worker. We've all seen all of the rails added to the edges of roofs, etc.. throughout all of the parks for safety. There is no way to add those to a building of that shape which has rendered it impossible to legally put someone up on the roof to do anything.

Just suggesting that there is often a far less 'Disney is Evil' explanation for things like this. We don't have to agree with them (the regulations that is) but it doesn't matter if we do or not, Disney has to follow the laws just like we all do.

Nah, they pressure wash using a high reach. The only building at Epcot they stand on the pressure wash is the top of spaceship Earth but the rest is done with a high reach as well.

 

[Jwhee]

Today is also the 26th birthday of the Wonders Of Life pavilion.

 

[dgp602]

Today is also the 26th birthday of the Wonders Of Life pavilion.

Amazing...think about it for a minute. It has probably been closed or semi retired ( take your pick of names ) for a good 8-10 years now. Which means it was only a functioning, full attraction for about 16 years...pretty sad they gave up on it after such a short period of time.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Today is also the 26th birthday of the Wonders Of Life pavilion.

 

[sshindel]

Today is also the 26th birthday of the Wonders Of Life pavilion.

Are they selling WoL anniversary T-shirts on the Disney Parks Blog like they did for Horizons?

 

[sshindel]

I never stop getting mad at all the empty, abandoned looking buildings in EPCOT. I always complain about how empty Future World is, but the more I read the more I realize they simply gave up at some point. Technology today is more interactive than ever, I don't get why for a land called Future World they can't have really fun and interactive areas to showcase where we are going, where we are, and where we have been. Let people use technology in applications they never thought possible (obviously in a controlled environment). Technology and science can be fun, it doesn't have to be boring like a class trip, and people love tech now that it is so accessible and user friendly. Turn these old, already there buildings, into something cool.

echoing @marni1971
Don't get me started...

 

[NiarrNDisney]

Yeah it looked pretty depressing when I was there a couple weeks ago. Honestly I think they could have just merged the Craft Beer and Festival Center into the Odyssey Building and also used the now mostly empty Innoventions West for extra space instead of WoL. I think its time for the Mouse to give it up and either use Wol for a new Pavilion with attractions or just demolish it for future use.

 

[Haymarket2008]

I went in there in March. I hadn't been back since they closed it. That was a kick in the gut.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Are they selling WoL anniversary T-shirts on the Disney Parks Blog like they did for Horizons?

Probably not.. If so, let me know! They usually prefer not to remind people that this pavilion existed in the first place... Not really sure why, though. It was a great pavilion.

 

[WondersOfLife]

They probably aren't doing anything with the building, as it has been filed out for "selected demolition" for the past few years or so... So they're probably just going to let it stand until it's in such bad shape that they need to bring it down. Like the abandoned building that was replaced by Transformers at Universal Orlando.. I can only assume is the same kind of situation here.