Unbuilt EPCOT Center Pavillions

[marni1971]

Following on from a thread that went off topic in news and rumours, here is what I know (some of this has been mentioned in previous threads):

Universe of Energy was originally (WAY back) going to be a pavillion based on solar energy, with a HUGE solar collector at its centre (thanks G7!) In its present form, in the 2nd main show theatre (after the dinos) the control console that used to sit below the TV screens to the right of the theatre screens was to have run the WHOLE width of the theatre, right under the 3 theatre screens. Possibly populated by Animatronics, a kind of worlds energy control station. Its unclear if this would have risen with the screens, or split and moved sideways to allow the travelling theatre vehicles to pass. Also, the vehicles themselves went from being linked one behnd another, to running on rails, to the larger free roaming ones we have today.

Wonders of Life was to have an Omnimover ride through the human body instead of Body Wars. A cross between say Dreamflight and Adventures in Innerspace. Back in the mid `80s, Imagineering couldn`t design props that were big enough for the rides scale (you would still be `shrunk down`) that could handle the demands of the ride - e.g. a 20 ft high fast pumping heart, blood vessels that can travel quickly past the Omnimover cars for 12 hours a day etc. Then WDI perfected the Motion Base / Motion Picture technology they wanted for Disneylands Star Tours, and the idea went from there. Remeber - a human body ride was planned for EPCOT way back, and Body Wars was given the go ahead before MGMs Star Tours - the former opening around a year or so before ST (but 2 years after DL ST)

Horizons / Mission:Space. What is interesting is that Horizons opened 12 months after the rest of the park.... anyone know why? Sponsorship? Tech problems?
Mission Space (Journeys in Space) was originally to have been a real trip to Mars. Again. This time better than Captain Collins attempt! What we have today is the original preshow concept. Once arriving at Mars (at an orbiting Space Station) we would have looked out of giant wiindows at the Red Planet below us (possibly Omnimax style) (see `Lees` photo album for concept art - thanks for posting that Lee.) Once in orbit, you would be able to don a spacesuit and attempt a Spacewalk outside - capacity for this would have been worse than 20,000 leagues! There was also the option to pilot a Space Shuttle through re-entry and back to its runway. If you look closley at the exterior concept art there appears to be a Horizons looking building at the base of the spaceship - maybe Horizons interior as we knew it was doomed long before we knew? (an early idea was to attempt to fit M:S into the Horizons show building - which it could have easily done - but due to reasons already discussed in detail elsewhere (sinkholes, structural problems with the building, the suspended Omnimover being heavier than the design plans and weakening the superstructure etc.) Horizons was very publically demolished.

Part 2 following as soon as I can type it!

 

[Katherine]

So what your saying is that the idea for M:S present came from the original plan. Pretty niftyInteresting stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[marni1971]

Here we go again:

The Communicore (Innoventions) buildings we have had since 1982 were just the first part of a much larger Communicore. If you see how the part of Innoventions east (Computer Central and old Backstage Magic / Astuter Computer Revue) sticks out towards the Energy Pavilion, you get the idea - around the edges of both buildings enough space was left to allow the pavillions to double in size, from their present perimeter now (the outside walls of each - that is facing Energy, M:S, TT and Imagination, Land, Seas) right up to the monorail track. The grass areas would have been built on - that was the beauty of the idea - the land was safeguarded and minimal work was needed. The outer walls of Communicore were not just glass for nothing - there were no services of note in them.

The interior outer walkways of Communicore were intended to become central corridors curving round the centre of each Communicore. And each bit could be built as and when needed - any size - like pieces of cake. A lot like the original World Showcase plans from July 1975 - where the location was next to the T&TC, with no Futureworld (when the location we know today was chosen, Futureworld was added as the `EPCOT Theme Center`, to be built after World Showcase was complete and BEHIND WS (swapping the layout we have today)

Journey into Imagination - the pavillion we know today would have had more of a futuristic look - The pyramids would have been where they are today, but more offset and separate from eachother. The Image Works foyer pyramid was to have a balcony running around its base, and there were to be Space Mountain style spires all over the rest of the building. The building exterior facing the Land was to be more glass than concrete, and the Fountain garden would have run right round the east side of the building, surrounding the Magic Eye Theatre (which in itself looked more like a future city - lots os spires rising from a wide base). Oh - and Figment was originally GREEN! Perish the thought!

Part 3 coming up (I want to download before I erase by mistake!)

 

[marni1971]

Part 3. Still with me? Not bored yet?

Before The Land, and after Imagination is Soarin`, right? Well.. no. Not originally. For those who don`t know the story, this parcel of land was to be.... Disney MGM Studios! Well, not exactly. When Michael Eisner arrived from Paramount Pictures in 1984 he wanted a movie park, like USC. Since he didn`t get it at Paramount, he wanted it at Disney. WDI had toyed with an idea for a movie Pavillion to be linked with Imagination for a while, and it was to be here. All the guest would see was a huge painted sky, obviously false, on a BIG scenery flat. Fluffy clouds, the works. At the base of this, sticking out of the horizon, was an old fashioned movie theatre pay kiosk - the entrance to the`Great Momments at the Movies` ride. Anyhow, one thing led to another (without going off topic Eisner may - or may not (!) - have known Universal were comming to town from when he was at Paramount (the Courts couldn`t figure it out either) and Great Moments became the Great Movie Ride at the third gate. BTW - funny how the original 1989 MGM was - as admitted by Disney - a `half park`, seemingly put together to get SOMETHING open before Universal!

The Land: Originally an eco pavillion. The outside would be a cross between the `volcano` tower we have today and Imagination - lots of glass crystal shapes towering above the entrance, forming a hollow atrium. Once inside, guests could have ridden a hot air balloon up to the roof (the balloons that still exist today are a carry over from that idea). Once up here, there was to be an observation deck - a Jules Verne style tower in the roof space - to look at the forests surrounding you. From here, a balloon or a coaster style ride took you back down (Rainforest rollercoaster anybody??) You could tame a walking tour under the pavillion to see the earths core, complete with lava and caves, or you could have progressed to the rear of the pavillion and board a tunneling machine (JTTCOTE TDS?)to go deeper still, to an early Beastly Kingdom underground world.
Once this idea got as far as budgeting, what we have today began to emerge. Funnilly enough, the budget swung the other way as the Greenhouses were to have been temporary plastic structures. Thankfully, as the boat ride `Listen to the Land` developed into a fully blown tour as opposed to the Fantsasy/Rainforest - Desert - Farm - film barn boat ride planned, these turned permenant.

Fourth and final part coming up..

 

[marni1971]

The Living Seas - `The Seas` Pavillion - planned form day one, in its present form since befoe 1982. Before this, originally, the tank was to be open to daylight. Thats right - the whole ceiling was to be transparent. There is another thread about the original preshow / seacabs (Hi Brian_B!) but in a nutshell:

Once arriving in the pavillion, in an underwater cave, guests would see a large twin screen movie `The Seas`. In between these screens was to be an Audio Animatronic Poseidon, brought to life by a thunder storm on screen. We would be invited to turn round - to see the entrance has dissapeared. Poseidon offers us to come with him, as the screens rise up (Like UoE). The walkway would be a raised bridge either side of Poseidon, linking in the middle of an indoor lake. Onwards we go, surrounded by rocks and waterfalls, where we board an Omnimover - styled more like the Haunted Mansion than the SeaCabs. Once upon a time these vehicles were to be virtually transparent, to offer a better view for everyone (unlike the traditional Omnimover design to limit guests view).

The ride path would pass through full scale caves and grottos, kelp beds and continental shelfs, populated by Animatronic creatures... and using projection techniques for water and fish (we were meant to be in the water) and then.... we would enter the tank for real. Pretty much like the effect in Fantasmic! where you see a cartoon dragon, then a `real` one. In the `real` tank the ride would be enclosed by transparent acrylic tubes without the support walls in the present (past) seacabs.

Again, the track would have a `dog leg` in it as today, and after disembarking, we would enter SeaBase Alpha - like todays in style, and with an onservation deck, but separated from the Omnimover ride path and with with a clear domed roof.


That pretty much sums up Futureworld over the years as far as I know. And please remember non of this is concrete - I`ve researched a lot of official books and videos, and anything on the Web I always try to verify elsewhere. Oh - did I mention the Pavillions were moved round in the late `70s? I`ve put that in another thread elsewhere.... my fingers are too tired to type now!

 

[JackSkellington]

WOW, that is a lot to type. Maybe you could hire someone?

 

[DarkMeasures]

Marni could become the next person to take care of the Disney Archives...

Anyway great research and I know a lot of that stuff is true.

 

[cloudboy]

That expains so much! I have alwways remembered a rumor about a rainforest rollercoaster, and also a space pavilion (I was surprised when Mission:Space actually apeared). Great research and great writing, too!

Of course, now I ma thinking about all that stuff that could have been. Wouldn't it have been cool if they had in fact built some kind of floating space city, and did even more with Seabase Alpha? They could even do a desert station with the land - you wouldn't need Horizons because it would actually be spread out into three different pavilions!

 

[Jiko]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this info! :sohappy: Oh, what The Land could have been. ::sigh::

 

[DarkMeasures]

Well that makes Journey to the Center of the Earth possible to be built behind the land....

But a pavilian with 2 E-rides? Imagine the traffic through an already popular pavilian.

 

[maelstrom]

Originally posted by DarkMeasures
Well that makes Journey to the Center of the Earth possible to be built behind the land....

But a pavilian with 2 E-rides? Imagine the traffic through an already popular pavilian.

if The Land gets any more crowded.. :fork:

it's such a relaxing pavilion.. I don't want it to get crowded and disgusting.

 

[marni1971]

Thanks all for your kind comments.

 

[Figment1986]

interesting how the pavilions changed from then to whatb we have now/never got...

 

[Kwit35]

Thank you so much for sharing all this information. Like Jiko said, it is so sad to see what could have been.

 

[martinthesparta]

Thanks Marni. You so rock!!! Hey, does anyone know anything about three other unbilt pavillions I heard about, one about utopias(not horizons), future home innovations, and something with lasers?????

 

[DarkMeasures]

I think House of the Future was planned for Project Gemini.

 

[skipperg]

3 years ago I went on the Hidden Treasures of the World Showcase Tour. Our tour guide told us that Disney MGM Studios was suppose to be connected to Epcot is some way as an add on. She mentioned that after construction had already started it was decided that it would become a third gate. She claimed that was the reason for the poor entrance and exit for MGM and poor layout of the parking lot.

 

[marni1971]

martinthesparta : I do know the original Africa pavillion was to have 2 shows, one of which would use lasers on the ceiling as a finale.

skipperg : Apart from the `Great Moments at the movies` ride in Epcot, I only know that Disney-Mgm, the Swan/Dolphin, Yacht/Beach, International Gateway and the water taxi/canal route from Epcot to MGM via these hotels was all built at once - linking MGM to Epcot. They had differant opening dates, form May `89 to autumn (fall) `90. Perhaps this is the link?

 

[maelstrom]

Marni, do you remember the teal and pink tram (it was a regular parking lot tram painted in the same colours as the Dolphin and Swan) that used to go from the International Gateway at Epcot to the Epcot resorts? It was running when I stayed at the Dolphin in 1993. My mom and I took it from the hotel to Epcot while my dad stayed back at the hotel for a convention. Any idea why they did away with it?

 

[marni1971]

Originally posted by maelstrom
Marni, do you remember the teal and pink tram (it was a regular parking lot tram painted in the same colours as the Dolphin and Swan) that used to go from the International Gateway at Epcot to the Epcot resorts? It was running when I stayed at the Dolphin in 1993. My mom and I took it from the hotel to Epcot while my dad stayed back at the hotel for a convention. Any idea why they did away with it?

I remember it well, along with the water taxis from International Gateway to the Yacht/Beach and on to MGM. Anyone know if they still have these? I THINK the trams were discontinued either beacuse a) you can walk instead b) people prefered the water taxi or c) there were too many issues with guests walking along the same path the trams used (if I remember rightly this was the main reason).