The Living Seas for me. It was just great. I remember really believing that I was under the sea at SeaBase Alpha. It was the greatest thing to me.
So what was yours?
So what was yours?
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What was you favorite original Epcot pavilion and why?
- Thread starter Grizzly Hall 71
- Start date
Shadowdawn
Member
JII was my absolute favorite...The literature section was always my favorite and I think it was part of what made me want to be a writer. Plus the rainbow tunnel upstairs was awesome to run through.
wbc
New Member
I also remember thinking I was really in an Sea Base. It cracks me up when I think about it because I remember when you go in the hydroelevators that the rock things looked real. When I was older I was like "wow how fake" :ROFLOL:
The ride sucked but the Sea Base was just awesome. I could spend hours in there. I've always been intrigued by the ocean.
Most missed ride is Horizons. But that's another story..... a story we're all too familiar with. I'll say it again, it is best left remembered how it was in its time of greatness.
I think one thing I miss most about Epcot is how every ride seemed to be about 30 minutes. You could really kill some time. Back then it almost took two days to do Epcot. Now you can pretty much do it in one.
I think replacing the 30 minute rides with 5 minute rides may have changed this. To me Magic Kingdom was all about the quick and dirty rides, Epcot was all about the long rides full of sights and experiences.
The ride sucked but the Sea Base was just awesome. I could spend hours in there. I've always been intrigued by the ocean.
Most missed ride is Horizons. But that's another story..... a story we're all too familiar with. I'll say it again, it is best left remembered how it was in its time of greatness.
I think one thing I miss most about Epcot is how every ride seemed to be about 30 minutes. You could really kill some time. Back then it almost took two days to do Epcot. Now you can pretty much do it in one.
I think replacing the 30 minute rides with 5 minute rides may have changed this. To me Magic Kingdom was all about the quick and dirty rides, Epcot was all about the long rides full of sights and experiences.
Thrill Seeker
Well-Known Member
Horizons was an amazing attraction that Disney just hasn't been able to build anything close to in terms of detail and depth. It had so much in it and was such an awesome attraction just to take in. Boy do I miss it...
DDPGambit
Member
The original JII is one of my all-time favorite attractions, hands down. You had an original, engaging, easy to follow story, characters that appealed to both young and old, technology that was ahead of it's time and some fantastic art direction! Oh, and then it led you upstairs to a tech playground?! Count me in!
wbc
New Member
Don't forget the music.
I can't be the only one who spent the rest of the month walking around singing "imaaaaginaaaation"
I think this is the spirit of the attraction. It really did empower you to use your imagination. Thew new attraction........ not so much. I've witnessed my young niece and nephew walk out with blank stares on their face whereas I walked out with a big smile. :animwink:
Dr. Nigel Channing just isn't lovable.
I'm watching video of the original ride and I've had a smile on my face the whole time. That ride had to have brought more static smiles than anything else in history. All recent JII attractions just bring "?"
Expo_Seeker40
Well-Known Member
Horizons....I only went on it once in 1996 and my biggest memory is not something most people remember when they first think of Horizons....for some reason I thought the cartoon people running in and out of the buildings in the Paris future scene was hilarious and laughed hysterically at it. :lookaroun From the outside, I first thought my parents were taking me into a beige office building, but the attraction while slightly dated for 1996, yet it had the great interactive ending and numerous futuristic and fun scenes. It was such a thoughtful ride.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
I liked the original Living Seas, but my first trip to Epcot was in 1984. The Living Seas was not there on my first trip- so I can't give it that fave orig pavilion nod. And while we liked Imagination, and there was always a nostalgia factor with going back + I love Figment- but I preferred things like the rainbow tunnel and the musical floor more than the ride itself.
So, Horizons gets my vote. There was something about it that always felt very "Disney." I'm thankful that I was able to ride it on my last trip back in 1998.
So, Horizons gets my vote. There was something about it that always felt very "Disney." I'm thankful that I was able to ride it on my last trip back in 1998.
DisneyLuver91
Member
That's VERY well put. It was a thoughtful ride. Really detailed and well thought-out.
wbc
New Member
Testtrack321
Well-Known Member
Horizons, I feel, was one of the BEST Disney created attractions of all time. Hands down. No questions.
But from a personal perspective, WoM ment so much more for me when I was younger. The building, the outside ride portion, the ambiance, it was all so magical and fantastic. I voted for WoM.
NOTE: I still really like M:S and TT, they can be better, but they are a necessary improvement.
But from a personal perspective, WoM ment so much more for me when I was younger. The building, the outside ride portion, the ambiance, it was all so magical and fantastic. I voted for WoM.
NOTE: I still really like M:S and TT, they can be better, but they are a necessary improvement.
Wow no one like the original Universe Of Energy? Lol
MarkTwain
Well-Known Member
I was pretty young in 1993, when most of classic Future World dark rides were still around, but I was old enough to be able to remember today what I saw then.
I think the Imagination pavilion was the most amazing to my impressionable young mind, as one might expect. It took me years to figure out how the blimp followed us all the way through the ride! I just loved the whimsy and spectacle of it all, and I think that's what I miss the most today. I hope someday my own kids will get to be as amazed as I was when they see what Imagination has to offer in the future.
I also loved the Living Seas; as a rather panicky little kid, I found it very cool and soothing. The ride never impressed me much, but I thought Seabase Alpha was amazing - I really thought we had gone deep beneath the ocean. Seabase hasn't changed all that much since then, but they have abandoned the illusion that the base is underwater, which is deeply disappointing.
I don't remember Universe of Energy as much, but I remember that I found it pretty boring except for the dinosaurs - I was fascinated with dinosaurs as a kid. I also thought the spinning cube screen was cool, but I don't think I really appreciated what I was seeing.
I remember Horizons clearly enough, but I don't think I really "got it" at that age, so I sort of have to apply what I'm learning about the attraction now to what I saw then. I do remember being impressed by the "choose your own scene" though. And I found the past interpretations of the future fascinating.
And finally, World of Motion - man, I miss this ride.
I loved it just as much as I loved Spaceship Earth, but I enojyed the more comedic aspects of it, and the cool Haunted Mansion-style peppers ghost effect at the end. The motion city model used to amaze me and made me feel genuinely hopeful and excited for the future of transportation... more than anything I see in Test Track. I really remember this ride fondly.
So based on purely what I remember from my childhood, I'll say...
1. Imagination
2. World of Motion
3. the Seabase Alpha part of the Living Seas
4. Horizons
5. Universe of Energy
I think the Imagination pavilion was the most amazing to my impressionable young mind, as one might expect. It took me years to figure out how the blimp followed us all the way through the ride! I just loved the whimsy and spectacle of it all, and I think that's what I miss the most today. I hope someday my own kids will get to be as amazed as I was when they see what Imagination has to offer in the future.
I also loved the Living Seas; as a rather panicky little kid, I found it very cool and soothing. The ride never impressed me much, but I thought Seabase Alpha was amazing - I really thought we had gone deep beneath the ocean. Seabase hasn't changed all that much since then, but they have abandoned the illusion that the base is underwater, which is deeply disappointing.
I don't remember Universe of Energy as much, but I remember that I found it pretty boring except for the dinosaurs - I was fascinated with dinosaurs as a kid. I also thought the spinning cube screen was cool, but I don't think I really appreciated what I was seeing.
I remember Horizons clearly enough, but I don't think I really "got it" at that age, so I sort of have to apply what I'm learning about the attraction now to what I saw then. I do remember being impressed by the "choose your own scene" though. And I found the past interpretations of the future fascinating.
And finally, World of Motion - man, I miss this ride.
I loved it just as much as I loved Spaceship Earth, but I enojyed the more comedic aspects of it, and the cool Haunted Mansion-style peppers ghost effect at the end. The motion city model used to amaze me and made me feel genuinely hopeful and excited for the future of transportation... more than anything I see in Test Track. I really remember this ride fondly.So based on purely what I remember from my childhood, I'll say...
1. Imagination
2. World of Motion
3. the Seabase Alpha part of the Living Seas
4. Horizons
5. Universe of Energy
wbc
New Member
And finally, World of Motion - man, I miss this ride.
All hail Marc Davis.
In case you didn't know, he designed World of Motion and Haunted Mansion. Maybe that's why you liked it so much. Very similar in taste.
David S.
Member
My favorite was Journey Into Imagination because it had all the things I love about my favorite Disney attractions - a catchy and addictive theme song, "One Little Spark" (written by the Sherman Brothers), an extremely cute and lovable main character in Figment, and plenty of charm, heart, whimsy, and fantasy qualities.
I agree that the current version is not as good as the original, but it is MUCH better than the Figment-free second version, and since the current version still has much more cuteness and whimsy than the typical Epcot attraction, and still has cute-as-a-button Figment singing "One Little Spark", it's actually my favorite ride in current Epcot!
Other original favorites were The Land, mainly on the strength of the late, great, Kitchen Kabaret, which was my second favorite in original Epcot. I'm a big fan of the Animatronic musical revue genre, especially when they involve cute anthropomorphized singing animals (or in this case, cute anthropomorphized singing food!)
Also right up there was The Living Seas, because I LOVE animals and could always spend HOURS enjoying looking at the fish in the main tank and smaller exhibits. The manatees were and still are my favorites! I also really enjoy the dolphin and fish feed presentations.
Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I prefer the pavilion even more, now that it's The Seas With Nemo and Friends. The new ride is my second favorite in current Epcot because it has everything I love about my favorite Disney attractions - cute and lovable animal characters, charm, warmth, humor, heart, and a catchy and addictive theme song in "Big Blue World"!
The core of the pavillion of being able to view the animals in the post-ride area is still there; the educational factor is still there; so IMO having a little whimsy and charm brought to Epcot by way of the new ride balances out things nicely, and is a very welcome addition.
Also, I really miss Horizons and World Of Motion, and preferred both to what's there now! I loved the optimism and warmth of Horizons, and how it served as sort of a sequel to the great Carousel Of Progress. I loved World of Motion for it's humor. As has been mentioned, Mark Davis was the master of bringing humor to the attractions, through instantly readable sight gags! If I'm not mistaken, Ward Kimball worked on Motion, as well.
I've always LOVED the awesome dinosaur diorama in Universe of Energy! My memory of the original is fading, but from what I recall, I actually prefer the current version! My favorite part - the dinos - are still there, but now the rest of the presentation is more humorous and entertaining (for me) without losing the educational component. I seem to recall the original being more "dry" and often feeling like a commercial for the Exxon corporation!
I agree that the current version is not as good as the original, but it is MUCH better than the Figment-free second version, and since the current version still has much more cuteness and whimsy than the typical Epcot attraction, and still has cute-as-a-button Figment singing "One Little Spark", it's actually my favorite ride in current Epcot!
Other original favorites were The Land, mainly on the strength of the late, great, Kitchen Kabaret, which was my second favorite in original Epcot. I'm a big fan of the Animatronic musical revue genre, especially when they involve cute anthropomorphized singing animals (or in this case, cute anthropomorphized singing food!)
Also right up there was The Living Seas, because I LOVE animals and could always spend HOURS enjoying looking at the fish in the main tank and smaller exhibits. The manatees were and still are my favorites! I also really enjoy the dolphin and fish feed presentations.
Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I prefer the pavilion even more, now that it's The Seas With Nemo and Friends. The new ride is my second favorite in current Epcot because it has everything I love about my favorite Disney attractions - cute and lovable animal characters, charm, warmth, humor, heart, and a catchy and addictive theme song in "Big Blue World"!
The core of the pavillion of being able to view the animals in the post-ride area is still there; the educational factor is still there; so IMO having a little whimsy and charm brought to Epcot by way of the new ride balances out things nicely, and is a very welcome addition.
Also, I really miss Horizons and World Of Motion, and preferred both to what's there now! I loved the optimism and warmth of Horizons, and how it served as sort of a sequel to the great Carousel Of Progress. I loved World of Motion for it's humor. As has been mentioned, Mark Davis was the master of bringing humor to the attractions, through instantly readable sight gags! If I'm not mistaken, Ward Kimball worked on Motion, as well.
I've always LOVED the awesome dinosaur diorama in Universe of Energy! My memory of the original is fading, but from what I recall, I actually prefer the current version! My favorite part - the dinos - are still there, but now the rest of the presentation is more humorous and entertaining (for me) without losing the educational component. I seem to recall the original being more "dry" and often feeling like a commercial for the Exxon corporation!
Testtrack321
Well-Known Member
David S.
Member
Which explains why I prefer the more "fun" second half over the darker opening sequences.
Davis also did the character designs for Country Bears (one of my favorites!) and transformed the Jungle Cruise by adding humor (such as the scene with the rhino and the "lost safari", the gorrilas ramsacking the camp, etc.
Davis also did the character designs for Country Bears (one of my favorites!) and transformed the Jungle Cruise by adding humor (such as the scene with the rhino and the "lost safari", the gorrilas ramsacking the camp, etc.
wbc
New Member
Your knowledge is impressive. I am most impressed.
wolf359
Well-Known Member
Definately Horizons for me.
Journey into Imagination never had a chance to spark mine, Spaceship Earth didn't really reach its full potential until the Irons version, the original Universe of Energy was even less interesting than the current version, The Land was missing a strong, memorable focus, and I never got to ride World Of Motion. The Living Seas had some really nice theming and memorable animals and exhibits, so it probably comes in second place by default.
Journey into Imagination never had a chance to spark mine, Spaceship Earth didn't really reach its full potential until the Irons version, the original Universe of Energy was even less interesting than the current version, The Land was missing a strong, memorable focus, and I never got to ride World Of Motion. The Living Seas had some really nice theming and memorable animals and exhibits, so it probably comes in second place by default.