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TR: A Night in the Wonders of Life Pavilion


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I decided to go back to Epcot yesterday to get some more time in the Wonders of Life pavilion, as I wasn't sure if I would make my way back to Epcot before it closes again. What I saw was pretty sad...

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Ready to be probed captain!

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Was this the only job this actor ever had?

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Are you ready to be probed?

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Pretty gloomy for the park's original thrill ride.

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Round 2 of Dermatopic Purification- as if we weren't cleaned the first time...

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One other person in line! And I thought I was alone...

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Wow...queue line televisions. How original?

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Round 1 of Dermatopic Purification

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I think this used to be impressive...

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Wow...For a medical facility, those ceiling tiles seem awefully moldy...

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Didn't something used to go here?

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The only ride in the entire park with a zero minute wait-Journey into Imagination with Figzilla had a longer wait...

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Even more rundown since last week...

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Body Wars...

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Ooh...Clean inside too...

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Here are the last of the photos.

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Goodbye Captain Buzzy! We will miss you!

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Yes! At least Cranium Command still looks good!

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Geoffrey Shankberg and I.

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Truly a god among mortals...

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Safety stats in the exit?

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I don't ever want a MET probe in my body!

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Exit I will.

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Not even themed on the outside of the cars...

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In its prime this pavillion was awful. I love classic stuff, but this isn't classic its just out of date. Blow it up and start again.

 

I would love to use that philosophy on Animal Kingdom too! Blow it up, start again, include both Everest and Beastly Kingdom, dump Dinoland U.S.A and build a huge B&M hyper that spans the entire park. That is my dream Animal Kingdom!

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Difference is Animal Kingdom is beautiful and this place looked ten years dated when it opened. I also have no desire for a B7M hyper in WDW anywhere. I can get my hyper coasters at a lot of parks, I can only get Disney themeing at Disney.

 

Disclaimer Disney theming does not include: wonders of life, backlot tours,buzz lightyear, too 2 dimensioanal, and parts of Dinoland.

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Disclaimer Disney theming does not include: wonders of life, backlot tours,buzz lightyear, too 2 dimensioanal, and parts of Dinoland.

 

Actually, Buzz's theming mostly impresses me (other than the obvious mechanics in clear view).Dinoland is a mess. It is a filler land, much like what Mickey's Starland was meant to be. Too bad both became popular enough to earn their spots in the administrations eyes as worthy permanent attractions.

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The safety information is at the exit, because that is the entrance for whatever they want to be called now, handicapped, disabled, impaired... I can't keep track, sorry if any of those isn't politically correct. Look at many themeparks and you'll find it there, too. I know King's Island has all the exits posted with the ride information. Notice how it says that you need to transfer from the powered wheelchair to the hand-pushed wheelchair, also? It's directed at the handicapped.

 

-james dillaman

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Actually, Buzz's theming mostly impresses me (other than the obvious mechanics in clear view).Dinoland is a mess. It is a filler land, much like what Mickey's Starland was meant to be. Too bad both became popular enough to earn their spots in the administrations eyes as worthy permanent attractions.

 

Agreed. Dinoland feels like a carnival to me with carnival type rides (a generic coaster and generic flat) and those skill games just add to the whole carnival feel.

 

I also agree about Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland/Toontown Fair (or whatever it is called now). The houses were fun to walk through once but it feels like it's not needed especially compared to what Toontown looks like in Disneyland (attractions worth seeing). Barnstormer is fun but not worth the usual long wait it has for a ride that is 20 seconds from the end of the lift hill to the brake run.

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Agreed. Dinoland feels like a carnival to me with carnival type rides (a generic coaster and generic flat) and those skill games just add to the whole carnival feel.

 

I agree execept with one thing. Dinoland has all those carnival rides including the coaster, but Countdown to Extinction is not somthing you

don't find at a carnival.

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I agree execept with one thing. Dinoland has all those carnival rides including the coaster, but Countdown to Extinction is not somthing you

don't find at a carnival.

 

Well, it basically is the idea of a local fair/tourist trap (almost parodying Orlando and its many tourist traps to be found). Dinosaur (formely Countdown to Extinction) is considered to be a tourist attraction (again parodying the major tourist attraction in which this land lies) and the Dinoland U.S.A. is a side trap to get foreign tourists to easily get stuck in its novelty attractions. From Dinosaurs with Florida shirts and long cameras around their necks, the parody continues, making fun of the tourists that are feeding this land by visiting it in the first place. The carnival idea is truly mocking, but that is its purpose. Only those of us that think about the theming of a land catch these kind of inside jokes/insults (though most of them are truly appropriate) while the average guest enjoys the few attractions and moves on. The effort put into the land is more for the enjoyment of Imagineers, staff and Disney fanatics.

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In its prime this pavillion was awful. I love classic stuff, but this isn't classic its just out of date. Blow it up and start again.

 

I would love to use that philosophy on Animal Kingdom too! Blow it up, start again, include both Everest and Beastly Kingdom, dump Dinoland U.S.A and build a huge B&M hyper that spans the entire park. That is my dream Animal Kingdom!

 

I *seriously* hope you are kidding. You do realize that a park does not have to have thrill rides in every square inch to be enjoyable and beautiful right? Anyways - WoL actually seemed in great condition to me. I have been there a few times so far since it reopened and it looked in better shape than last year. Yes, it is a bit dated but it is also a seasonal 'filler' attraction.

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I *seriously* hope you are kidding. You do realize that a park does not have to have thrill rides in every square inch to be enjoyable and beautiful right? Anyways - WoL actually seemed in great condition to me. I have been there a few times so far since it reopened and it looked in better shape than last year. Yes, it is a bit dated but it is also a seasonal 'filler' attraction.

 

It was a joke, don't worry.

 

But about WOL, it was moldy everywhere. Half of its exhibits were removed or covered up. The pavilion is running on 3-5 CMs a day. It is dead already. It wasn't even worth opening up for the busy season as no one cared enough to go in except the Disney fanatics coming to say their goodbyes (myself included) and the poor souls that the greeter outside of the pavilion dragged in after they found out that Universe of Energy had closed for the day. No pavilion is ever this dead, not even Journey into Imagination. That says something now doesn't it?

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It was a joke, don't worry.

 

But about WOL, it was moldy everywhere. Half of its exhibits were removed or covered up. The pavilion is running on 3-5 CMs a day. It is dead already. It wasn't even worth opening up for the busy season as no one cared enough to go in except the Disney fanatics coming to say their goodbyes (myself included) and the poor souls that the greeter outside of the pavilion dragged in after they found out that Universe of Energy had closed for the day. No pavilion is ever this dead, not even Journey into Imagination. That says something now doesn't it?

 

1/2 of its exhibits? 1 "exhibit" is closed/covered up and that is the wonder cycles. All the other sensory exhibits were working along with its 3 attractions. The gift shop and food location are closed and have been for years.

It is worth opening up during the busy season because when Test Track and Soarin both have 120 minute waits this gives folks another option. It helps spread out the crowds as well! Sure it is not the most popular of busy pavilion but it serves its purpose this time of year. By your logic the movie in France should be shuttered because it plays to only 5 or 10 people most of the day... that is a dangerous path to go down.

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1/2 of its exhibits? 1 "exhibit" is closed/covered up and that is the wonder cycles. All the other sensory exhibits were working along with its 3 attractions. The gift shop and food location are closed and have been for years.

It is worth opening up during the busy season because when Test Track and Soarin both have 120 minute waits this gives folks another option. It helps spread out the crowds as well! Sure it is not the most popular of busy pavilion but it serves its purpose this time of year. By your logic the movie in France should be shuttered because it plays to only 5 or 10 people most of the day... that is a dangerous path to go down.

 

Exhibits closed:

 

Coach's Corner

MetLife Touchscreen Activity Moniters

Wonder Cycles

 

That is three of four exhibits including the Sensory Funhouse.

France doesn't have 5 to 10 people in it on peak season. It is more like 15 to 20 which is pretty good considering the film is as old as the park and waiting for France to finally replace it (much like Canada). The truth is, the pavilion can't act as relief:

 

1. if it can't hold its guests

2. if it can't attract any guests into its gates

3. if it looks like crap to its guests

4. if it isn't advertised by the park at all

 

All of these reasons are why this pavilion will never be a proper relief for Soarin' or Test Track.

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Exhibits closed:

 

Coach's Corner

MetLife Touchscreen Activity Moniters

Wonder Cycles

 

That is three of four exhibits including the Sensory Funhouse.

France doesn't have 5 to 10 people in it on peak season. It is more like 15 to 20 which is pretty good considering the film is as old as the park and waiting for France to finally replace it (much like Canada). The truth is, the pavilion can't act as relief:

 

1. if it can't hold its guests

2. if it can't attract any guests into its gates

3. if it looks like crap to its guests

4. if it isn't advertised by the park at all

 

All of these reasons are why this pavilion will never be a proper relief for Soarin' or Test Track.

 

*Sigh* I'm not going to get into a semantics argument with you over this but needless to say.. Coaches corner and the activity monitors have been closed since metlife dropped sponsorship due to the tie-ins that they both contained. If you want to see it act as a relief for other attractions then visit it during the week from xmas-new years when the park is extremely busy. You will see lines which are generally longer than Imagination.

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I wonder how many people will be in the Wonders of Life pavilion during Christmas and New Year's week. Anyone care to go during the busy times to see how many people are there?

 

Has anyone videotaped "Making of Me" yet?

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I wonder how many people will be in the Wonders of Life pavilion during Christmas and New Year's week. Anyone care to go during the busy times to see how many people are there?

 

Has anyone videotaped "Making of Me" yet?

 

My guess, probably 20-30.

 

Are you going to be there for the final showing of "Making of Me" Barry? Also, just wondering, how often do you go Barry?

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I'll let you guys duke it out over what's open and what's not, but there's two extremely telling pictures that decided my opinion on this one. Those ceiling tiles alone scream "Please don't let anyone see me like this!!!" (jedimaster, I'm assuming that's not just highlighted by your camera's flash?)

 

Admittedly, I am a huge fan of everything "old school Disney," and I love taking a trip down memory lane, but for Walt Disney Wolrd to open anything in this condition is pretty shoddy IMHO. I'd expect something like this from Six Flags......never Disney. Seriously, from a place that has painters touch up Main Street on a nightly basis after the park closes, you'd think that at the least, a few ceiling tiles could be replaced, huh?

 

And I'm sorry, but regardless of how many attractions are open or not, this just seems like a huge mis-step from management. I'm still really confused over this one. Let's just say they didn't exactly put there best foot forward on this one.

 

Scott "half-assed shouldn't make the cut at WDW" B.

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Exhibit #1.

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Exhibit #2.

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I wonder how many people will be in the Wonders of Life pavilion during Christmas and New Year's week. Anyone care to go during the busy times to see how many people are there?

 

I'll be there that week. I expect it to be crowded but shorter waits compared to other attractions. I remember seeing on the attraction wait board 2 years ago during that week, Body Wars had a 45 minute wait (Test Track was 180 minutes and Mission Space was either 25 or 45 minutes)

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I wonder how many people will be in the Wonders of Life pavilion during Christmas and New Year's week. Anyone care to go during the busy times to see how many people are there?

 

Has anyone videotaped "Making of Me" yet?

 

My guess, probably 20-30.

 

Are you going to be there for the final showing of "Making of Me" Barry? Also, just wondering, how often do you go Barry?

 

I don't go to Disney too often (seeing I don't have a Disney AP anymore), so I probably won't be going to the final showing.

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