Worst WDW refurb/update or closure... Secrets of WDW Discuss Worst WDW refurb/update or closure... in the Trivia and Games Forums forums; I wish the Wonders of Life pavillion would come back because I only got to enjoy it once or twice a long time ago and haven't been able to do ...

[Optimus EO]

I wish the Wonders of Life pavillion would come back because I only got to enjoy it once or twice a long time ago and haven't been able to do so for probably 15 years now.

[JNota0005DakMC]

yeh... i know... but alas... now the only images ppl get of it are during food and wine...

[Optimus EO]

Will it open during food and wine?

[JNota0005DakMC]

just the pavilion... there is literally nothing left inside to see...

[20K]

I rather predictably voted for 20,000 Leagues because it was my first love at the parks, but in true WDW Radio style I would like to throw out a couple of honourable mentions and then defend one or two of the other poll options.

I'd like to echo the sentiments for the Living Seas from a purely nostalgic point of view. The pavillion represented an industry my father worked in for his entire life and thus I grew up around, so there was something very comforting about it. There was even, for many years, a photograph on display of a friend of his (the gentleman appeared in it by sheer fluke) who had died in the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea. The music that was composed for the pavillion was also, in my opinion, amongst the best that Imagineering has ever created.

However, looking at it rationally, I think Disney was right on balance to refurbish it in the way they did. It had become very stale and, much like other areas of Epcot, seemed to suffer from the rather embarrasing "80s VIEW Of THE FUTURE!" syndrome. While I generally come down on the side of those opposed to crass commercial tie-ins at the park, it was thrilling to see a renewed interest in the pavillion from families, after years of seeing it relatively empty. It breathed new life into that fantastic jumped-up aquarium, and if it takes character tie-ins to capture today's children's imagination and get them interested in the oceans, then so be it.

With the Pirates refurb, I must admit the Johnny Depp AAs make me cringe ever so slightly, along with the skewing of the storyline to accomodate them, rather than simply inserting them. However, I love the changes that were made to the beach in the caverns: my favourite piece of Imagineering ever. It always seemed like a failed opportunity, the gloomily-lit scene that you drifted past, especially with the skull-and-crossbones warning at its climax. Realistic perhaps, but after all we aren't at the Magic Kingdom for realism. Instead, with a simple bit of blue lighting and that phenomenal new rendition of "A Pirate's Life For Me", I honestly feel WDI has made the scene far more eerie and - perhaps - more sad (sympathy for pirates?!) than it was previously.

As for the Space Mountain refurbishment, after the queue I really didn't notice much of a difference. I'm sure the changes are more vast and instantly noticable to a dedicated fan of SM, but to someone like me who was only ever a very casual SM rider, it seemed largely unchanged.

[JNota0005DakMC]

Originally Posted by 20K

As for the Space Mountain refurbishment, after the queue I really didn't notice much of a difference. I'm sure the changes are more vast and instantly noticable to a dedicated fan of SM, but to someone like me who was only ever a very casual SM rider, it seemed largely unchanged.

the big thing they did on the ride was take out the glow in the dark strips on the rockets... this was done to minimize the light emitted when you are "up there..." it seems to have worked because the last time i rode it i remember being able to see all of the turns coming... now... not so much...

[20K]

I see.

Based on the Space Mountain refurb podcast, I was expecting the ride to finally be in outright pitch darkness. I'm assuming that's a level of perfection that probably isn't logistically possible then? I think the decision not to add on-ride audio was a bit of a missed opportunity as well, but at least it means all of the Space Mountains are noticably different.

I really enjoyed it though; would definitely have gone again if the queue wasn't so ma-hoo-sive and the FP return time wasn't a bit inconvenient for our group. I was with a veteran of Space Mountain's earlier days and she absolutely hated it. She was convinced something was going to fall on her and kill her at every turn...

[Hypermommy]

Originally Posted by 20K

Space Mountain refurb podcast, I was expecting the ride to finally be in outright pitch darkness.

Years ago (when it was less dark) DH turned me on to the idea of wearing sunglasses while on SM. It darkened it a lot. I didn't try it last time I was on (post-refurb) but I imagine it would make it darn near pitch black.

[JNota0005DakMC]

Originally Posted by Hypermommy

Years ago (when it was less dark) DH turned me on to the idea of wearing sunglasses while on SM. It darkened it a lot. I didn't try it last time I was on (post-refurb) but I imagine it would make it darn near pitch black.

i actually did this one time we were on it... by mistake because i still had my sunglasses on my head when we were starting... so i put them on... what a dark ride... near pitch black wasnt even the word...

[clj2]

Definitely Journey Into Imagination/ImageWorks, but it has been worse than it is now.

And to be honest, I miss the old Seas, but I guess it is alright as it is now. The whole ride seems dumbed down now

[JNota0005DakMC]

the seas has been dumbed down... and most peoples issue with nemo is that the hydrolaters are gone...

[20K]

The Hydrolators rocked. A cool effect. Dated, yes, but cool.

[JNota0005DakMC]

they were cool... i think people would have less of a problem with nemo if they still existed though...

[clj2]

YouTube - WDW Epcot The Living Seas

Look at the queue...they ruined it with Nemo at the time of that video, I believe they had discontinued the seacabs.

I wonder if they would have done the Nemo thing had they not lost sponsorship in 2001....heck, is Nemo even that popular anymore? Haven't heard about that movie in quite a while.

[catywamp]

I agree the Seas Pavilion, needs major work. For being one of the largest aquariums in the world, you sure don't get to see much of it. There are a few run down displays, but nothing I wouldn't expect to see at a local zoo and that's about it except for the ride, which uses cool technology, but uses it very poorly. If they are going to put in cartoon fish, again, its a cool effect, I would expect them to do it on a much grander scale. The best way to actually see anything is to eat in the restaurant.