Epcot attraction from waaaay back

[PneumaticTransit]

Okay, I'm calling on all you who remember the 80's!

There was an attraction in what is now Innoventions East. It was like a tour of the maintenance base. There was a big glass wall , the lights would turn down and you could see into the maintenace base An image of a woman would be projected on the glass and she would give a tour.

This was a long long time ago. I worked at the maintenance base 2 years ago and I've always been interested in finding information about this, but no one seems to remember.

Anyone? Anyone at all?

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Yes, I remember it. However I don't remember the name of the attraction. The little spot of light was called "I/O" and it would bounce around from mainframe to mainframe as the young woman would interact with it and describe what each computer mainframe did, i.e., cuing the music for each float on the Main Street Electrical Parade and so forth. If I find the website that lists all the long gone Disney attractions, I'll post the link.

Ok, here is what I found:

Backstage Magic: This show talked about the history of computers and explained how they were used at Walt Disney World.

And here is the link:

Walt Dated World link - CommuniCore

 

[susan1]

hi
this is really weird and spooky. i have been thinking about this all week. i think the girls name was julie and as you say the dot was i/o and i can remember the computers thats all. i am sure someone will come along who can remember the whole thing!

 

[SueM in MN]

I remember that. Here's a link to a site with what you are looking for.
It was in Communicore and was first called Computer review. You stood on a terraced viewing area and then doors opened up top show the computer "brains" of the park. A man hosted it, singing and dancing about how the computers worked.
That show was replaced with Backstage Magic, which was hosted by a woman dressed as a WDW tour guide - a hologram of her appeared at different places on the screen/glass wall in front of you to explain how computers worked to run the parks. Her sidekick was IO, a little burst of energy.

 

[SueM in MN]

hi
this is really weird and spooky. i have been thinking about this all week. i think the girls name was julie and as you say the dot was i/o and i can remember the computers thats all. i am sure someone will come along who can remember the whole thing!

Now that you mention it, I remember her name was Julie.

Looking for more information, I found this REALLY COOL website that belongs to a guy who was an Imagineer. There is nothing about the OP's question, but there are some really cool pictures about how they made the end movies (Choose Your Future) for Horizons.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

It was hosted by Sperry (who I worked for at the time).

Being an employee, I was able to visit the Sperry guest lounge and have some refreshments. Then we were escorted through the VIP entrance to the show (no need to wait in line).

Backstage there was enough room to have a meeting for about 30 people (I had to coordinate a multi-day meeting there).

SueM is correct. The building at the time was called Communicore.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

Thank you Sue! That's it. I remember my co-workers talking about Julie. It looked a little different 2 years ago, but it was pretty much the same set up except the main console is facing the other way since there isn't a show anymore.

Look, I used to work here!

 

[PneumaticTransit]

doh, duplicate!

 

[joanjett1976]

OMG!

I completely remember this!

I also remember being on the phone with a robot. This was in the same building (Communicore), correct?

 

[CommunicoreGuy]

That robot used to be able to guess your birthday just by asking you yes or no questions. I saw him at the Contemporary by Chef Mickey's a while ago, although I don't know if he's still there. There was also a gopher that would help you design roller coasters. Man I miss the old EPCOT stuff.

 

[SueM in MN]

Thank you Sue! That's it. I remember my co-workers talking about Julie. It looked a little different 2 years ago, but it was pretty much the same set up except the main console is facing the other way since there isn't a show anymore.

Look, I used to work here!

I looked, but couldn't find a picture of the show with Julie.
I always liked that show (actually all the stuff in Communicore).