Don't laugh, but the HP lounge is one of my favorite spots in Epcot! We try to avoid Epcot on weekends because it is closed then. Just scan an HP badge at the enterance, and you can walk right in. The first time we didn't have our badge with us, and it took several rings to get them to answer. They get tourists trying to come in all day long, so I think they simply ignore it unless you are persistant. Even then, they were pretty frosty until the computer verified that dh was actually an employee. But let me say that they treat HP employees VERY well!
The behavior towards your group was very odd! I do know that they don't like to answer the doorbell because it is usually a scammer, and that the are required to have one HP employee and one Disney employee in the lounge at all times. Nothing in there is breakable (it stood up to my clan!) and they always offer to take group photos of us.
The lounge is a great place! It has a cool modern theme to it that fits well with the Mission Space ride. Two sides are made out of glass windows where you can look down on portions of MS. There is a cube with a green screen for sending video emails, a laptop with internet, photo printer and free printing from your digital camera, and a nicely laid out selection of sanitary supplies for your use in the spotless bathrooms! I like to sit back and put my feet up, with the drinks provided by the employees, and my husband and kids play with that digital game thingie in the center of the room and with the rest of the electronics.
We use this room as a break on a hot day, rather than going back to the hotel. We don't leave until we are cool, rested, and hydrated. Yes it would feel crowded with a tour group in there, but it wasn't for our family of 7!
I'd post some photos, but they are on a laptop in Austin at the moment. If anyone is truly interested, I'll have it back next week. Hopefully I have some without my cuties faces in them.
It would make a DULL tour stop if you can only stand in the center and look around, but it is a great place to cool off and refresh yourself! Did you see the "gift shop" at the bottom of the stairs? Dh and I laugh about it each time. They make a big deal of the items being on sale "only to HP employees" but the stuff is boring and high priced.
Anyways Hucifer, sorry about the snotty (literally!) tour guide and congratulations on your little peanut! How in the word did you manage to keep it a secret this long? I actually cried at your monorail story, and I'm not a cryer.
hucifer said:
We walk over to Mission: Space. Instead of going into the main entrance, she leads us to a cleverly hidden entrance just to the left of the main entrance. We sneak around the corner to a door that is marked Hewlett-Packard. We cant get in right away because no one is answering her secret knock. So we stand around the area and start to talk amongst ourselves.
Finally, someone answers Chiquitas desperate knocking and opens the secret door. The group shuffles in and the secret door closes behind us. We are standing in a small room that is next to a staircase. When the excitement of the uninvited guests wore down, Chiquita was able to collect herself again and commence with the tour. She said that some of the pavilions had sponsors, like this one, and that the sponsors employees had access to private lounges. Others didnt have sponsors, like Wonders of Life and Spaceship Earth, but that was okay too. Anyway, we, the privileged few on the Undiscovered Future World Tour, were granted permission to see HPs lounge. And by God, if she had to do a head count to make sure no one else was sneaking in, thats what she would do!
An HP representative came down the staircase and informed Chiquita that we had the official OK to go into the lounge, but only if we didnt take pictures of anything or touch anything or bothered anyone or stared at anything too long. She made it seem like this was a very special treat to see this secret lounge. We followed the two up the stairs. The lounge itself was small, but it had some amenities like a kitchenette and a stocked fridge with beverages. There was a window that overlooked the Mission: Space line queue. A family with two children were using the lounge at the moment and seemed perfectly okay that we were staring at them like they were part of the attraction. Meh. Ive seen enough
next?
Suddenly, the HP rep approached us and in a soft but panicked voice announced that time was up, we had to leave the premises immediately. Geez, get over yourself, lady. Were not talking about classified military information here. Its just a stupid lounge.
Chiquita led us back downstairs, through the secret entrance, and back outside.
hope you had a blast in the World. 
