![]() Universe of Energy was a big draw when EPCOT first opened, but by the mid-1990s its popularity had faded. They took the Carousel of Progress’ concept of large, mobile, audience-style seating and pushed it a step further, creating a block of seats that began in “audience mode” but would then split apart to give small groups of guests their own more intimate experience while moving through multiple show scenes and through a Dinosaur Diorama. In designing the attraction’s ride system, Imagineers sought to move large volumes of people through static stages of the attraction experience. Imagineers worked up a pavilion and attraction dedicated to all forms of energy – including fossil fuels (which were sponsor Exxon’s bread & butter). The concept of energy discussion is not one that fuels a social party, but Disney Imagineers were determined to include this core concept in EPCOT’s progressive plans. The vibrations scattering outwardly from the path of the point’s forward momentum remind us that matter is everywhere – even in the air we breathe. The World of Motion Iconīold and directional – this simple yet descriptive icon shows the movement of a single point in space. It was reimagined and reopened as Test Track in 1999. This drive back through time featured well north of 100 audio animatronics figures, making World of Motion one of the attractions with the most audio animatronics in Disney Parks history. Together, they created a whimsical look at history and achievements in transportation, showing scenes from the ancient days of foot power right up to the present day, and even a peek into the future. Both of these Disney Legends were on the doorstep of retirement when called upon to create World of Motion, so it was fitting that they took this last drive together. Two veteran Disney animators – Ward Kimball and Marc Davis – lent their unique brand of cheeky humor to an otherwise Edutainment-based attraction. World of Motion opened with the rest of the park on October 1, 1982, telling the story of transportation from the earliest days of foot travel, through inventions like the wheel, boats, motorized engines, and flight, straight on to a peek at the future of transportation. The best way to prepare for the future is to study the past, and the attractions in Future World were instrumental in teaching us about the world before our time, so we could look ahead to our future. Our “Grand and Miraculous Spaceship” soars with purpose through the larger cosmic realmin this classic EPCOT icon. Through it all, the story has always stayed true to its mission of celebrating the progress of communication throughout history. Spaceship Earth has had several sponsors throughout the years, and has gone through several refurbishments. Highlights of our progress include the development of early language through cave paintings, the use of hieroglyphs, the invention of the alphabet, the creation of the printing press, and the modern advancements of today’s technology (well, almost today’s technology). Inside the sphere, guests slowly spiral to the top as they are told the story of communication throughout the history of humankind. The geodesic sphere was given a gorgeous exterior refresher in 2021, making it even more beautiful than ever. ![]() ![]() The striking evening color combination of blues, yellows, oranges, and pinks has filled up many a camera roll (or camera phone storage space) for awe-struck visitors, and remains one of the most photographed locations in the world. This emblem of EPCOT (and the park’s tallest structure ) stood tall on day one in 1982, and still serves as the park’s gorgeous icon to this day. How else would we start off our list? With the granddaddy of them all, of course – Spaceship Earth. Along the way, we’ll explore the icons created for these once cutting-edge slices of “Edutainment.” Well, old is new, retro is in, and EPCOT has turned forty years young! To celebrate, let’s take a look at the pavilions of Future World in ye olde EPCOT. Some of us have been in a few of these photos, or even taken them ourselves. We’ve all seen those old photos of the early days of Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center.
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