timekeeper gone?????

[patsal]

Just back fro the world--there for 18 days--Timekeper and Wonders of Life are listed as seasonal. Timekeeper was only open on the 3rd and 4th all other days it was closed and used as a queing area for the Buzz meet and greet. Also used to hand out EMH bracelets in the evening. Wonders was not open at all. I do hope they plan on doing something with that building prior to EPCOT's anniversary. COP is in very bad shape--the animatronic "Dad" in the forst scene has the paint worn off his face and neck in several places and his head seemed a bit separated at teh neck--you could see seam and wires. It has seen better days and could use fixing--but it was on all days I visited the park.

 

[toddp3]

Volume was cutting out during one of the scenes in COP when I saw it this past weekend (7/16).

I agree, it'd be nice if Wonders got a decent facelift/makeoever.

 

[pooh_bee]

I saw it when I was there in June. It was open during an EMH night at MK, which was June 27. I think it was around the time they handed out wristbands cause I was in tommorrowland for the band and we noticed it was open. Later in the week it was open for character meet with Buzz & Stitch but that was daytime hours.

 

[MitchK]

It was open when I was there last week, but I did not get a chance to see it

 

[ShadowWind]

Haven't been there recently, but my guess on why Timekeeper and CoP are run seasonally is that Disney no longer is interested in paying the maintenance on audio-animatronics. It's much cheaper to skip these and phase them out. World of Motion, Horizons, Journey Into Imagination (which lost DreamFinder and Figment, until they were forced to bring Figment back) have been gutted for cheaper attractions. Cranium Command is another audio-anmatronic. And Spaceship Earth would be gutted if they could figure out how to change the track without taking the sphere with it.

 

[mitros]

Holy smoke, I never equated the closed rides with animatronics! The rides with animatronics that were closed were replaced by rides without animatronics. Excellent observation on your part. Also a good point regarding SE. There was a lot of talk about putting a thrill ride in there {which would obviously NOT have animatronic figures} but, as you stated, they could not figure how to take the track out w/o disrupting some of the integrety of the show building. There is a thread about that very subject somewhere. You also make a very good point on the maintenece costs of the figures. I have been saying for years that Disney {read Ei$ner} has been cheaping out on things at Disney. I somehow don't see Walt worrying about that.
And I fully expect flack on this from the Pro-Ei$ner camp on these boards. Flack which I will not give them the pleasure of arguing about.

 

[ShadowWind]

There was also talk of shutting down the Great Movie Ride and replacing it with a simulator which would be cheaper as well. I hope Iger is more willing to return to the age of audio-animatronics, a feature of Walt Disney World that has very little equal in the industry.

 

[dan-tot]

The timekeeper was open last year between dec 11-18th. We go alot, it is a favorite of my family along with COP. COP is stilol up and running. I say it may 5th this year. I am looking forward to it this year about the same time.


Dan-tot