Epcot history

[brer frog]

It seems from reading old threads that Epcot had a lot more to offer than it does now. What were all those building in the front of WSC used for when they were built?

it seems that the innovations are massive buildings, but there isn't much of 'new' innovative stuff in them.

I remember a ride much like star tours that was inside the human body, but don't recall seeing that on my last few trips.

What was epcot like when it opened? what has left and taken the places of the old rides?

[ibrowse17]

I have been to Epcot countless times since it opened, and Innovations has just never been a place we have spent much time in. I can remember when they had a version of the build your own rollercoaster there, but that is about it. SSE, The Land, The World of Motion and Horizons have all changed or gone away all together. I have always enjoyed Epcot a great deal, but do agree that something needs to be done with Future World:thumbsup:

[EpcotChic23]

The ride in the human body you are thinking about is Body Wars. It was located inside the Wonders of Life pavillion. The pavillon has been closed to the public for a couple of years now. They open it up for the space for coorporate events. There has been no offical announcemnt on what will eventually happend to the wonders of life pavillon.

[Luv Eeyore]

I also agree that more needs to be done with Future World. We seem to spend less and less time there. What a shame they closed down the Wonders of Life Pavillion. Yes, it needed updating, but I'd rather have something than nothing.

[drummerboy]

If I remember correctly, Futureworld at first had Spaceship Earth, The Imagination Pavilion with Dreamfinder and Figment, World of Motion, The Living Land, World of Energy and Horizons. The buildings around spaceship earth were always there, housing various sorts of exhibits.

Horizons got torn down and Mission:Space got built in its place. The Seas pavilion got added later. World of Motion got changed to Test Track. Wonders of Life got added and then closed. The wand hand went up and came down. The monoliths got added to the entrance. Imagination got ruined. That's about all I can think of for now.

I guess one of the problems with having a Future World is that the future becomes the past way too quickly any more.

[brer frog]

The wand hand went up and came down. The monoliths got added to the entrance. Imagination got ruined. That's about all I can think of for now.


The mickey hand is down now? I thought that was a permanent addition and it says EPCOT. I was there last year and can swear that it was still up. did I really miss that it has been removed?:confused:


What do you mean by imagination got ruined? as in it isn't what it used to be, or with the additions of the monoliths it took away from it?

[drummerboy]

The mickey hand is down now? I thought that was a permanent addition and it says EPCOT. I was there last year and can swear that it was still up. did I really miss that it has been removed?:confused:


What do you mean by imagination got ruined? as in it isn't what it used to be, or with the additions of the monoliths it took away from it?
I'm pretty sure the hand came down somewhere in the last couple of years, but someone who's been there more recently can tell you for sure.

I thought the original ride in Imagination was great, but they tinkered with it over the years and took a lot away from it. I also thought the original World of Motion ride was a lot of fun, but such is progress.

[PixieMagic]

Agreed! I LOVED the old imagination....the new one is too psychedelic and weird for me... I was really disappointed riding the new one for the first time...:shake:

[Hull-onian]

I sure do miss the old Imagination. I thought it had a better content than the new ride. It doesn't have the same feeling. I do miss Mickey's hand on Spaceship Earth too.:drama:

[MistressGracey999]

The last time we went to Epcot, we left for our afternoon rest and opted not to return later, preferring to stay at the resort and lounge by the pool. That would have never happened with Magic Kingdom, LOL.

I was ho-hum about the new Nemo ride, but the "Mine" birds out front are cool. First time we went to Epcot, Wonders of Life was open, and The Land was closed (adding Soarin' and other things). So this past time we actually got to do The Land, but Wonders of Life was closed! I agree with the PP that it needed an overhaul, but it was better than nothing.

Supposedly, WoL didn't attract a new sponsor so WDW shuttered it. I forget who the previous sponsor was. Maybe when the economy improves, some huge drug company will take on sponsorship and we'll see some new attractions in there. Hope so. Cranium Command was very 80's, but fun, and those simulator rides (Body Wars) don't cut it for me.

This would be a great chance for some huge insurance company or pharmacutical company to put out some good PR and maybe redeem some of their bad karma. We can hope.:D

[CaptSmee]

The wand's been gone for over a year now. I still love Epcot, even though it has a few dormant buildings aroung (WOL, Odyssey). If they could just add 1 more bang up, wow factor, E-Ticket attraction it would be my favorite park again. Mission Space was so overrated and such a costly attraction to add...they can do better than that...

[Melanie]

Wonders of Life was sponsored by MetLife, I believe. It was a cool pavilion, and I'm sorry it was neglected to the point it was.

I've always loved Epcot, and have fond memories of Horizons, World of Motion and the original Universe of Energy and Living Seas. I also fondly remember Captain EO in Imagination (which was replaced by Honey, I Shrunk the Audience), but it's funny we don't hear much complaining on that being replaced. ;) And the Rainbow Tunnel at Imagination - great fun!

Overall, I like and understand the need for updates in Future World. I like how it is now. Soarin' and Test Track are top notch in our book, and can't wait to experience the new Seas.

[Figment78]

I go back and forth on this. On one hand, I miss the old imagination, but on the other, I'm thinking that my son will enjoy the new one. I'll let you know.... The jumping fountains outside are still cool :cool:

I do NOT miss Body Wars (used to make me sick) and in the back of my mind Nestle stands out as the previous sponsor???

I do miss Horizons, but I like the way they incorporated the personalization into the end of SSE. I LOVE the little cartoon at the end of that now - DH and I were cracking up last trip!

I think Mission Space is such a cool ride - nothing like it anywhere in the world.

World of Motion and Test Track are probably equal in my book, but I don't remember WoM very well. I do enjoy Test Track but not as much as my favorite two additions:

Soarin' and Turtle Talk!

We enjoyed Food Rocks back in the day but I saw Circle of Life for the first time recently and really liked it. Overall, I really like the Land pavillion.

Captain EO was cool, but HISTA freaks my DH out so we don't go anymore. I wouldn't mind an update there.

Innoventions is where we go if we get caught in the rain in FW.

[BamaJenn]

Oh man this is a topic so so so close to my heart. If you read my introduction you'll see I'm all about Epcot. My first trip to Disney was in 1983 (EPCOT Center opened in 1982) so I spent my Disney trips there.

The original Epcot was laid out fairly much the same as it is now with some variations.

The Wonders of Life pavilion wasn't there at all and where Mission Space is there was a MUCH larger building that housed Horizons (oh how I miss that attraction).

Test Track was the World of Motion. The building itself really hasn't changed much other than closing in the spot where the attraction used to come out of the building and adding the outside track.

The Energy Pavillion hasn't changed at all outwordly but the original show was much different. The dinosaurs were always there but the plot and story were much different and more "edutainment".

The original space that Innovations now occupies was Communicore and it was SO much different than it is now. Now it's a waste of space if you ask me. Communicore was huge. When you walked in you stepped down into a huge open space. There were hands on exhibits and my favorite, the Robot and Bird show. There was also a show/store where you watched robots airbrush shirts for you to take home (this moved over to DTD for awhile).

The original Imangination attraction was COMPLETELY different than it is now. It was a nearly 20 minute ride that featured Figment. There was an incredibly innovative ride element at the beginning where your ride vehicle essentially was on a carousel as the Dreamfinder introduced you to Figment. At the end of the attraction, Imageworks was a fantastic experience and was originally located upstairs in the glass pyramids. There were tons of hands on exhibits and my favorite, the rainbow tunnel, which according to a friend who worked at Epcot until about 2 years ago, was still there in the space (which is now used for meetings etc.), just turned off.

The show next to the pavillion has also gone through a few versions including Captain Eo (which was awesome), ultimately ending up what it is now (and causing the refurb of the pavillion and ride to be the sad version of what it once was in order to "theme" it along with HISTA).

The Land pavillion itself hasn't changed much. The attractions inside have changed some but Living With the Land was always there. The food court area was much different with the balloons "floating" on cables above a fountain. The ballons moved up and down over the area. The space now occupied by the queue for Soarin' (the ride itself is actually a new building next to The Land) was originally Kitchen Kabaret, a wonderful nutrition show featuring animatronic food and kitchen appliances. The show later became Food Rocks before it was gutted for Soarin'.

The Seas pavilion, then The Living Seas, was outwordly pretty much the same. Inside it's layout was pretty much similar however you entered into a preshow room and then rode "hyrdolators" to a ride that took you into the main area. The ride closed after it was open for a few years and remained dormant until the Nemo attraction later refurbed it.

Other than that, The World Showcase pretty much stayed the same with some minor changes and updates.

The original EPCOT Center was truly edutainment. It was focused on teaching through fun. It's slowly changing to be less "edu" and more "tainment" but for the most part has retained the concept.


I'm pretty sure the hand came down somewhere in the last couple of years, but someone who's been there more recently can tell you for sure.
The Mickey hand/wand was brought down just before the 25th anniversary of Epcot last October. The idea was they were restoring Spaceship Earth to the way it was when Epcot first opened. Me, I MUCH prefer it. I never liked the wand.

[Figment78]

I had completely forgotten about the fact that the Imagination post-show stuff was upstairs but now that the PP mentioned it, I can remember it clearly! There was an escalator that you took to go downstairs. I also remember the loading zone also. The ride is currently reversed from the original loading area, I believe. "Figgy" was my favorite ride as a child. (hence, my Intercot name)


Speaking of Communicore and other things I had forgotten, does anyone remember when you could make your dining ressies from underneath spaceship earth? They had computer screens and telephones and my parents thought that was SO cool!

[PixieMagic]

Speaking of Communicore and other things I had forgotten, does anyone remember when you could make your dining ressies from underneath spaceship earth? They had computer screens and telephones and my parents thought that was SO cool!

OMG! I totally remember that! In fact, that is how my family made almost all our dining reservations the first few years! On the way to the park we would discuss where we wanted to eat the next couple days and before we were even allowed to ride spaceship earth my parents would go to those phones and make our reservations! WOW! Those were the days when you could call for a resi in peak season and get dinner dining TS for THAT DAY....things have really changed....

[MadMadamMim]

I have gone almost every year since birth (I'm 28 now) and Epcot was always my favorite park but I agree that Future World has taken a slow change for the indifferent. I have the World of Motion soundtrack on my IPOD and I always listen to it when I take my walks. I'm actually getting "It's Fun To Be Free" as a tattoo soon. (Yes I'm a dork but I think it has special Disney magic meaning). I also clearly remember the face-to-screen dining reservations, I always thought that was the coolest thing when I was younger. Sigh sigh sigh.

[ThanxForNoticin]

This is a very interesting topic. I know when EPCOT was created, we were told the plan would be to keep it up-to-date with new technology and ideas. For the most part, I think Disney has accomplished that. Perhaps it's not as fast as some would like, and perhaps it's faster than others would like.

Spaceship Earth has been updated at least twice that I can recall - I think the latest update is kind of fun. UOE has seen changes and I think it's more entertaining and interesting than it used to be. Living Seas and the Land have done a nice job, in my opinion. Imagination is still one that I probably would have to say I liked the original better than versions 2 or 3.

I know there is a lot of talk about World of Motion and Horizons - both very popular. But I think overall, Mission Space and Test Track are welcomed improvements.

Let me ask this question. If Disney announced today a plan to remove Test Track and Mission Space with the ideas they used to have in WOM and Horizons, would we be excited? Some would, but I think I prefer the changes they've made and I look forward to more in the future. I also hope they do find a way to open Wonders of Life again, too!

[Polynesian Dweller]

This thread has really brought back a lot of memories. BamaJenn, you did a really good job of covering how the park was in its early days. We were there about 1-2 months after its inital opening and it was indeed much more like an edutainment centre then. It really was an amazing place at the time.

Communicore was terrific and they also had a tour upstairs of their computer centre. You stood at the back an watched a show that explained how the computers operated all of the functions of the park. Startling since computers were giant mainframes then and very few of us had any exposure to them at that time.

As others say, Body Wars was in WOL and the pavillion was sponsored by MetLife. I do not miss that ride it was far my jerky and violent in its motions than Star Tours. WOL was a much later addition.

We also remember making our dining ressies. In some ways it was better than now, at least you could be spontaneous.

Horizons and World of Motion were great for their time and we do miss them. It would be nice to see more of that sort of future visioning in future world.

[Crow]

great post

Epcot is my fav.
never went on Body Wars. I do remember Horizons some though.



Oh man this is a topic so so so close to my heart. If you read my introduction you'll see I'm all about Epcot. My first trip to Disney was in 1983 (EPCOT Center opened in 1982) so I spent my Disney trips there.

The original Epcot was laid out fairly much the same as it is now with some variations.

The Wonders of Life pavilion wasn't there at all and where Mission Space is there was a MUCH larger building that housed Horizons (oh how I miss that attraction).

Test Track was the World of Motion. The building itself really hasn't changed much other than closing in the spot where the attraction used to come out of the building and adding the outside track.

The Energy Pavillion hasn't changed at all outwordly but the original show was much different. The dinosaurs were always there but the plot and story were much different and more "edutainment".

The original space that Innovations now occupies was Communicore and it was SO much different than it is now. Now it's a waste of space if you ask me. Communicore was huge. When you walked in you stepped down into a huge open space. There were hands on exhibits and my favorite, the Robot and Bird show. There was also a show/store where you watched robots airbrush shirts for you to take home (this moved over to DTD for awhile).

The original Imangination attraction was COMPLETELY different than it is now. It was a nearly 20 minute ride that featured Figment. There was an incredibly innovative ride element at the beginning where your ride vehicle essentially was on a carousel as the Dreamfinder introduced you to Figment. At the end of the attraction, Imageworks was a fantastic experience and was originally located upstairs in the glass pyramids. There were tons of hands on exhibits and my favorite, the rainbow tunnel, which according to a friend who worked at Epcot until about 2 years ago, was still there in the space (which is now used for meetings etc.), just turned off.

The show next to the pavillion has also gone through a few versions including Captain Eo (which was awesome), ultimately ending up what it is now (and causing the refurb of the pavillion and ride to be the sad version of what it once was in order to "theme" it along with HISTA).

The Land pavillion itself hasn't changed much. The attractions inside have changed some but Living With the Land was always there. The food court area was much different with the balloons "floating" on cables above a fountain. The ballons moved up and down over the area. The space now occupied by the queue for Soarin' (the ride itself is actually a new building next to The Land) was originally Kitchen Kabaret, a wonderful nutrition show featuring animatronic food and kitchen appliances. The show later became Food Rocks before it was gutted for Soarin'.

The Seas pavilion, then The Living Seas, was outwordly pretty much the same. Inside it's layout was pretty much similar however you entered into a preshow room and then rode "hyrdolators" to a ride that took you into the main area. The ride closed after it was open for a few years and remained dormant until the Nemo attraction later refurbed it.

Other than that, The World Showcase pretty much stayed the same with some minor changes and updates.

The original EPCOT Center was truly edutainment. It was focused on teaching through fun. It's slowly changing to be less "edu" and more "tainment" but for the most part has retained the concept.


The Mickey hand/wand was brought down just before the 25th anniversary of Epcot last October. The idea was they were restoring Spaceship Earth to the way it was when Epcot first opened. Me, I MUCH prefer it. I never liked the wand.

[EPCOTExplorer]

I'm pretty sure the hand came down somewhere in the last couple of years, but someone who's been there more recently can tell you for sure.

I thought the original ride in Imagination was great, but they tinkered with it over the years and took a lot away from it. I also thought the original World of Motion ride was a lot of fun, but such is progress.

It's gone, thank goodness. That thing was so not EPCOT. How is a huge Mickey Hand Futurism and World Culture? It isn't.

[cgriff]

The future always changes.

[Ian]

My issue with FW is that, while I still love it, three things drag on my appreciation every time I go:

Mission Space just doesn't have great re-rideability for me. I liked it when I first rode it, but my enjoyment of it has diminished very quickly. I just feel too "shaky" when I'm done to really make me keep wanting to go back and the ride itself just isn't good enough to compensate. All in all I'd much rather have Horizons back.
That empty WoL pavilion is killing me. To have an entire corner of FW essentially shuttered ... that really grates on my nerves. They need to put something in there quickly, sponsor or no sponsor. They make billions every year ... I'm sure they can spend a paltry $100 mil of their own cash to build a darn ride.
The Imagination pavilion is "dead to me." I don't care for HISTA at all and the new JIYI is an abomination.
But on the flip side, we love Soarin' and I do think the new Nemo ride is a fun addition to what was previously kind of a dull Living Seas pavilion.

All in all I still love FW, but it could use some TLC.

[Brownie54]

Let's not forget Cranium Command. I sure miss that one.

[jcvalenti]

You know, it's funny ... I love Epcot. I went there the first two years when it was open as a 14 year old, and then didn't come back until 2004. Been there about 6 times since. I remember there used to be a lot "more" to Future World, but couldn't really remember what (besides the old Figment ride, which I loved).

They really do need to add some new attractions in the front though, to recapture the feel of Epcot. When I was there last time, I thought they needed to add an attraction to the Wonders of Life space, something like a cross between Fantastic Voyage and the "Men In Black" ride from Universal Studios where riders can ride in vehicls through a body and use guns to shoot invading organisms. Is that what Body Wars was like ? I really can't recall.

[joonyer]

I say they need to update and re-open Cranium Command. We only got to see it once before they shuttered the WoL pavilion, and we thought it was great!

[BamaJenn]

BamaJenn, you did a really good job of covering how the park was in its early days.
Thanks so much! The history of Epcot is sort of just ingrained in my brain so I tend to babble with the subject is brought up. LOL!

[brer frog]

Thank you all for your feedback. It's helped greatly.

[Stu29573]

Great topic!
I remember the original Figment and Dreamfinder ride fondly. I can remember riding it right before we left the part that night and singing "Imaaaagination!!!!" over and over....and I was in my 20's!
I remember the Body Wars ride was VERY rough and motion sickness inducing. It was a totally different ride from Star Tours, even though the technology was the same. Once was enough for me. On the other hand, Cranium Command was a must do every time.
Horizons and World of Motion were classic dark rides that I feel we need more of. Sure Test Track and Mission Space have good points, but they just can't compare in my book.
Thanks for the memories!

[grumpydude]

I know this sounds corny, but you think WDW could somehow put something at Epcot that has to do with ":waycool:Little Einsteins".

[texasteacher]

I have been to Epcot countless times since it opened, and Innovations has just never been a place we have spent much time in. I can remember when they had a version of the build your own rollercoaster there, but that is about it. SSE, The Land, The World of Motion and Horizons have all changed or gone away all together. I have always enjoyed Epcot a great deal, but do agree that something needs to be done with Future World:thumbsup:

I miss Horizons! It was fabulous!

[Daisy'sMom]

I miss Horizons! It was fabulous!

I also loved Horizons, we would go on that at least three times day. The orange blossoms smelled so good. I miss World of Motion and loved Spaceship Earth with Walter Cronkite narrating. I miss the original Imagination with Dreamfinder. Do you guys remember the first
3D Kodak movie? And Listen to the Land was a favorite. How about the little show with the veggies? It's where Soarin is now. I can't think of the name of it, but it was so cute.
We would always stop at this little area by Mousegear where they had a round table with televisions in it. We loved to see what the weather was like in other places. I guess it didn't take much to please us then.
The Odessey was a restaurant, wasn't it? I remember one night when DH and I were newlyweds, we were sitting where the Gardens Theatre is at across from American Adventure. We were eating popcorn, it was chilly out and we were waiting for the fireworks. Epcot was open til around 11 I think. Anyway, he went into the little shop next to the American Adventure and came back with a little onyx ring for me. I still wear it and it almost makes me cry now. It was so romantic for me. We have so many memories of Epcot and I hope we can add one more this Saturday. I just told him we are going there whether he wants to or not. :mickey: