Universe of Energy observation 4/24

[JEANYLASER]

As a MASSIVE fan for the pavilion, here's my 2 cents...

Personally, I think Ellen's Energy Adventure was a step in the right direction for Disney. Today's theme park market doesn't care too much about education (technically it never did), so the original UoE would be ignored and/or skipped by the general public. With EEA, Disney managed to make learning interesting and fun at the same time. Believe it or not, I rarely see a time when the pavilion is empty. Mostly, the seating is completely filled whenever I enter the theater. As for the show being outdated, it fairly is. The information is still relevant but everything else has stayed behind in the 90's. (have you seen Alex Trebeck lately?)

The pavilion doesn't need to be torn down, but rather fully updated. The biggest things are;

• 
  New, refurbished screens
  Fixed curtain in theatre II
  updated dinosaur scene
  completely new film
  updated digital/HD cameras
  Expanded/revised finale

Jasonflz you're right UOE needs upgrade i think that Disney needs to upgrade this attraction here is my two sents myself!

 

[WondersOfLife]

Get over it people. Disney will not bring back an old ride. There was a reason why it was replaced. You'll never see Mr. Toad in MK again. You'll never see Body Wars and Cranium Command at Epcot again. You'll never see the original Universe of Energy again.



Have people forgotten why World of Motion, Universe of Energy, Horizons and The Living seas were replaced? Because people are changing. Not to many people are into dark rides trying to teach something. It's just plain boring. Today Epcot is a little better with it's newer attractions because those attractions are basically modern.

Ellen is a success. I don't see why Disney would take out that ride when they can do something with Wonders of Life or Imagination in which nobody cares about those attractions. Captain EO was brought back but that is easy because it's just a 3D show and the guy died. It would make business. The Enchanted Tiki Room can be brought back because nothing better can go in that small space. The original Universe of Energy will not be brought back because most people thought it was twice at boring as today's version. It won't be the same for Retro Epcot WDWMagic users, they just want to relive their childhood. It's time for new childhoods. It's time for MODERN childhood. Thrill rides, computers and more high tech entertaining dark rides. People don't want to go to a theme park to be taught something, that's the point of getting out of school! :wave:

 

[wm49rs]

A point of view from the narrow side of the world, it would appear.....

 

[Computer Magic]

Eh, I really like EEA. You've got Michael Richards doing his physical humor shtick back before his comedy club implosion tainted his image. Jeopardy! is still relevant today with the IBM Watson shows recently airing. There's that delightful part where you hear the history of evolution presented as updates on a newsradio station. And I don't think we should overlook the significance of an actress who was pilloried in the '90s for coming out as a lesbian taking a starring role at a vacation spot filled with kids...and nobody cares! The lack of controversy around this attraction (Has anyone EVER protested Ellen being affiliated with Disney World?) is itself kind of a big deal IMO.

Whenever it goes, I'll light a candle somewhere, because there's a lot to love about this attraction.

I completely agree. The actors playing those roles are more noticable today then when the show first aired. Ellen is huge with her talk show. Richard as Kramer on Seinfeld and Bill Nye the Science Guy frequents Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

The only thing irrelevant is Alex Trebek mustache :lol:

Keep the show...

 

[Jasonflz]

The original Universe of Energy will not be brought back because most people thought it was twice at boring as today's version.

I have to agree with you here.

The original UoE, while informative and smart, was just boring.

Today's general crowd (not the hardcorre disney fans) will never spend 45 minutes watching an educational lecture like the original show. I doubt I could even sit through that.

No offense to the people who love the original pavilion, but it definitely would not appeal to today's generation. UoE doesn't have to become a thrill ride to teach info, but they still need to make it fun and relevant, much like the current version was back in the mid-90's.

 

[NoChesterHester]

The biggest problem I see is that energy technology is moving so fast that even if they decided to change it today, what they decide to put in there could be obsolete 3 years from today when it reopens.

Don't get me wrong, I agree it needs an update an I agree with Martin that it has a lot of potential, I am just saying that it will be hard for Disney to make it relevent.

I don't like Ellen, and in 1997 when I first rode it, an old couple in front of us left when they found out Ellen was featured on the ride.

I just don't think she's funny....

Of all technology movement... energy tech seems to move at a snail's pace. Sure there are minute advancements, but nothing from a broad sweeping change standpoint.

May be blastohemous to say here, but shorten the attraction, do a post show rather than a 15 minute movie in the moving theaters, and plus the Dino animatronic scene... probably would hold up much better for a modern audience. Now if they were to go into refurb I'm sure most of us would want a more significant change than that.

 

[marni1971]

Get over it people. Disney will not bring back an old ride. There was a reason why it was replaced. You'll never see Mr. Toad in MK again. You'll never see Body Wars and Cranium Command at Epcot again. You'll never see the original Universe of Energy again.

You have no idea how wrong you could have been a few years ago...

 

[flavious27]

Of all technology movement... energy tech seems to move at a snail's pace. Sure there are minute advancements, but nothing from a broad sweeping change standpoint.

May be blastohemous to say here, but shorten the attraction, do a post show rather than a 15 minute movie in the moving theaters, and plus the Dino animatronic scene... probably would hold up much better for a modern audience. Now if they were to go into refurb I'm sure most of us would want a more significant change than that.

Well energy tech that deals with the basic elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire can only be refined so much.

 

[WondersOfLife]

You have no idea how wrong you could have been a few years ago...

Explain please?


What I said makes sense today but it wouldn't have a few years ago?? :shrug:

 

[Jerm]

Explain please?


What I said makes sense today but it wouldn't have a few years ago?? :shrug:

If Martin says something and is a bit cryptic I would take it as.... a few years ago they were talking about bringing back something old.

 

[CDavid]

People don't want to go to a theme park to be taught something, that's the point of getting out of school! :wave:

Then please explain the success of the original Epcot Center pavilion E-Ticket dark rides, based on such academic sounding topics as energy, communications, and transportation. Each was simultaneously entertaining, informative, fun, and even thrilling in every way except physical thrills - which they most definitely didn't need.

Sure, if you asked the typical theme park guest what types of attractions they would like to see built (even in Disney), they're going to mention things like roller coasters, water flumes, or maybe a ferris wheel - not a ride based on energy. A successful attraction based on energy requires a level of imagination and creativity that only Disney could provide (and than arguably only the Disney of a quarter century ago, not today).

I'm not really arguing the original Universe of Energy should return. I think it would be very nice to see it again, and unlike Mr. Toad the original Energy would seem to be possible to bring back in terms of both cost and practicality (being largely just movies on a screen), but much like the theater over at Imagination what the energy pavilion really needs is a new show - or even multiple new shows. The original Universe of Energy could draw crowds for at least a limited return engagement based largely on just the nostalgia factor.

 

[the-reason14]

Then please explain the success of the original Epcot Center pavilion E-Ticket dark rides, based on such academic sounding topics as energy, communications, and transportation. Each was simultaneously entertaining, informative, fun, and even thrilling in every way except physical thrills - which they most definitely didn't need.

Sure, if you asked the typical theme park guest what types of attractions they would like to see built (even in Disney), they're going to mention things like roller coasters, water flumes, or maybe a ferris wheel - not a ride based on energy. A successful attraction based on energy requires a level of imagination and creativity that only Disney could provide (and than arguably only the Disney of a quarter century ago, not today).

I'm not really arguing the original Universe of Energy should return. I think it would be very nice to see it again, and unlike Mr. Toad the original Energy would seem to be possible to bring back in terms of both cost and practicality (being largely just movies on a screen), but much like the theater over at Imagination what the energy pavilion really needs is a new show - or even multiple new shows. The original Universe of Energy could draw crowds for at least a limited return engagement based largely on just the nostalgia factor.

So successful that that's why we now have Test Track instead of World of Motion, and Mission:Space instead of Horizons. Both thrill rides.

 

[marni1971]

Explain please?


What I said makes sense today but it wouldn't have a few years ago?? :shrug:

Remember when the building got a hyybrid 1982 pain job? It was an inkling to a makeover of the attraction itself. Loose the Ellen theme. Update the movies. Rescore the original songs (one in particular) and produce a version more like the original but with the bells and whistles todays guest expect and seem to need.

 

[juniorthomas]

True, well their goal is being carbon neutral. Also, there was news yesterday that they are behind a line of wind farms on the east coast. The first phase will run from off the Delaware coast to about AC. The only wrinkle would be steve jobs, but blocking a sponsor for a pavilion will get him scorned from coast to coast.

I doubt Google would want in on ride sponsorship. It's not their MO. They'd sooner open up their own, mediocre theme park. Google gets involved with everything half-heartedly just to have their hands on as many different things as possible.

 

[juniorthomas]

Hmmm... That's not my experience.

Back in June '09 there was a tremendous downpour and active thunder and lightning happening outside when we exited. The CMs specifically said people could stay if they wanted to, and put the outside exit doors into override mode to stay open. People camped out in the exit room, and outside under the overhang. When the next show let out, some stayed others went out into the rain. The rain lightened up and we left before the third show let out.

I could see, though, if crowds were very heavy and the shows were running at nearly-full capacity that they wouldn't let people stay.

-Rob

Color me jealous.

On our rainy day, we did not receive that treatment at all

 

[comics101]

Remember when the building got a hyybrid 1982 pain job? It was an inkling to a makeover of the attraction itself. Loose the Ellen theme. Update the movies. Rescore the original songs (one in particular) and produce a version more like the original but with the bells and whistles todays guest expect and seem to need.

Knowing that didn't happen just made my day sooooo sad :lol:

 

[Rob562]

Color me jealous.

On our rainy day, we did not receive that treatment at all

The fact that it was a very active lighting storm, with some crashes of thunder happening moments after the lightning flash may have also had something to do with it...

-Rob

 

[flavious27]

I doubt Google would want in on ride sponsorship. It's not their MO. They'd sooner open up their own, mediocre theme park. Google gets involved with everything half-heartedly just to have their hands on as many different things as possible.

But look at what they have gotten involved with, their mo is not set in stone. The only stumbling block is jobs, and he will have to step aside when it comes to conflicting interests with sponsors. A real life google labs would make sense in innovations.

 

[juniorthomas]

The fact that it was a very active lighting storm, with some crashes of thunder happening moments after the lightning flash may have also had something to do with it...

-Rob

Well that would help out, for sure. My day just had hand grenade sized rain drops. Oh and a tornado warning.

We got back to the hotel that night (SOAKED) and found out that there had been a 2 hour tornado warning during our stay at Epcot. Nobody told us on property.

 

[juniorthomas]

But look at what they have gotten involved with, their mo is not set in stone. The only stumbling block is jobs, and he will have to step aside when it comes to conflicting interests with sponsors. A real life google labs would make sense in innovations.

Well as the largest shareholder of The Walt Disney Co, he wont step aside easily.