What ever happened to....

[twalton]

It makes sense. Corporate partnerships always make sense. You think Coke would be where it is today without the partnerships? How many partnerships does Pepsi have? It's a win-win situation with corporations when they promote each other. Good example - NASCAR (stop rolling eyes, it IS a good example). How many people know Carl Edwards because he does advertising for Subway? And then Subway is on his car for Sundays and he calls them out every single week because they sponsor him. "Official sponsor" of whatever is a very good marketing tool.

Charging people admission has nothing to do with sponsorship. We have a AAA baseball team here and the field is named after a local air conditioning company. Their revenues jumped after they bought the naming rights and they don't get anything from the ticket sales. It's all in the marketing.

I think what he was saying is that Disney could probably operate the pavilion without HAVING to have a sponsor. Which I totally agree with.

 

[akhenaten]

I think I am just sick of everything having sponsorship now...

but I actually have stopped noticing because it is everywhere!!!

ETA of course Disney and NASCAR have been doing it for so long.... but every stadium, scoreboard, even the stupid score boxes when you watch a game on TV!! BLAHHH

 

[SPAM]

I miss Food Rocks so much. I mean I really like Soarin, but I loved Food Rocks.

 

[JimmyV]

I think I am just sick of everything having sponsorship now...

To be fair, WDW had corporate sponsors from the day they cut the ribbon in 1971. Monsanto sponsored Circlevision 360. Eastern Airlines presented "If You Had Wings". Carnation sponsored the ice cream parlor on Main Street. Minute Maid sponsored the refreshment stand next to the Tiki Room. Goodyear sponsored the Speedway. And the list goes on. It all goes back to Walt's involvement with the 1964 World's Fair. Everything he built there was done by and for corporations (or state's, as was the case with Mr. Lincoln). While we like to think that Disney is so flush with money that it could do anything it wants, it is simply not the case. Epcot could not exist without corporate tie-ins to provide the technology (and seed money).

 

[college_student]

To be fair, WDW had corporate sponsors from the day they cut the ribbon in 1971. Monsanto sponsored Circlevision 360. Eastern Airlines presented "If You Had Wings". Carnation sponsored the ice cream parlor on Main Street. Minute Maid sponsored the refreshment stand next to the Tiki Room. Goodyear sponsored the Speedway. And the list goes on. It all goes back to Walt's involvement with the 1964 World's Fair. Everything he built there was done by and for corporations (or state's, as was the case with Mr. Lincoln). While we like to think that Disney is so flush with money that it could do anything it wants, it is simply not the case. Epcot could not exist without corporate tie-ins to provide the technology (and seed money).

How many pavilions in Epcot exist because of corporate sponsors?

 

[JimmyV]

How many pavilions in Epcot exist because of corporate sponsors?

All of them. When Walt first detailed the original plans for Epcot in an October, 1966 video (you can find in online), he explained how the technology aspect of the area would be tethered to corporations demonstrating their latest developments and how it would constantly evolve. He stated: "EPCOT... will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." The reference to "American industry" and "American free enterprise" were not so veiled explanations of the role that corporate tie-ins would play. Now, Epcot of today is very different from what the original plan was. However, even as implemented, the pavilions were done as partnerships with corporations.

 

[college_student]

All of them. When Walt first detailed the original plans for Epcot in an October, 1966 video (you can find in online), he explained how the technology aspect of the area would be tethered to corporations demonstrating their latest developments and how it would constantly evolve. He stated: "EPCOT... will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." The reference to "American industry" and "American free enterprise" were not so veiled explanations of the role that corporate tie-ins would play. Now, Epcot of today is very different from what the original plan was. However, even as implemented, the pavilions were done as partnerships with corporations.

I guess, unfortunately, we don't have a lot to complain about. The pavilion just lost sponsorship (like another person said). It's still sad though...

 

[Eeyore98]

I will never undertsand why a place that charges $80 for a single day ticket needs to have sponsors for the pavilions like a flippin' non-profit children's museum. It makes zero sense to me.

At least they don't have entire rollercoaster trains painted as advertisements for Stride gum like my local Six Flags! (Who charges $47 for a single day ticket, btw!)

 

[umichigan10]

At least they don't have entire rollercoaster trains painted as advertisements for Stride gum like my local Six Flags! (Who charges $47 for a single day ticket, btw!)

the one near me has stairs that look like skittles from a distance (although it is kind of cool)

 

[Swan4Me]

The other thing I remember about that pavillion is a bunch of exercise type bikes-as you pedeled you were loking at a screen showing you riding thru the various parks

 

[klmall]

We loved that pavilion. Here's a picture of DH waving and DS walking up in 1992:

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

The last time the building was open as Wonders of Life it was in horrible condition which may have also been part of the reason it was closed. The Body Wars queue had mold on the ceilings (I have a link to a site with pictures of it but I don't know if can be posted or not since it is another theme park site), most of the interactive exhibits like the bikes you could pedal with a video were shut down and/or closed off from getting to them and the whole place just looked like it was in a state of disrepair. The lack of popularity also didn't help.

3 days before Christmas, the place should have been packed right? I walked through the Body Wars queue completely alone (I saw no one ahead of me or enter the queue after me) and when I got to the loading area, there were only 4 other people waiting. The ride operator didn't even realize there were people waiting. The whole pavilion probably has less than 25 people.

Even 2 days after Christmas we went back to Epcot when the crowds were at peak levels. That day MK and AK were filled to capacity and comparison, Test Track standby was 150, Mission Space standby was 140, Nemo was 50, and Soarin was 160 standby. Body Wars was posted to have a 20 minute wait.

While I miss the pavilion (and most of the other 80's and 90's pavilions gone from Epcot), the way it was at the end wasn't what you would expect from Disney.

It's not suprising the pavillion was empty in the last years, WoL had been in 'seasonal' status for so long it was a suprise when it was opened and most didn't even realize it was open, much less know a ride was in there after it was on hiatus for so long.

 

[TGaines107]

Hate to say it, my opinion of course but Universe of Energy, Innoventions, the aformentioned Cranium Command, Journey into the Imagination, Honey I shrunk the Kids, all huge wastes of space and screaming to be updated, overhauled or replaced completely! As well as add Austrailia or India with an indoor themed coaster. India could have something themed to tigers, an Indiana Jones type ride, Austrailia could have a coaster themed after a tasmanian devil/outback or such in addition to restaurants/store cultural theme.

Remaining true to the thread, I miss the movie they used to show before you sent into the Living Seas. It was a great way to cool down and get some rest. I also really miss the Millenium parade. I wish that was standard over there. Fantastic themed music and torchlight.night parade before the fireworks.

 

[WTP]

I really miss this pavilion as well. I only ever did get to see it once, I believe in 1990. The simulator was fun and we spent a decent amount of time there. With all of the innovations made in health technology each year, that place has a lot of potential! Maybe some day they will figure out a way to revive it.

 

[college_student]

It's not suprising the pavillion was empty in the last years, WoL had been in 'seasonal' status for so long it was a suprise when it was opened and most didn't even realize it was open, much less know a ride was in there after it was on hiatus for so long.

That must be why I didn't realize there wasn't a lot of people. My family must have went before it went into "seasonal" status. Once it got into seasonal status, of course nobody went in it. Nobody realized it was open.

As much as I miss that pavilion, I can see that it was somewhat of a dying dinosaur. It was inevitable that it was going to close...especially if it was on a seasonal status.

 

[umichigan10]

That must be why I didn't realize there wasn't a lot of people. My family must have went before it went into "seasonal" status. Once it got into seasonal status, of course nobody went in it. Nobody realized it was open.

As much as I miss that pavilion, I can see that it was somewhat of a dying dinosaur. It was inevitable that it was going to close...especially if it was on a seasonal status.

much like the same fate that is ahead for Sounds Dangerous...

 

[stargazertechie]

How many pavilions in Epcot exist because of corporate sponsors?

Seimens sponsored Spaceship Earth, Nestle sponsored The Land, test track sponsored by GM, each world showcase country partly paid for by the nation it depicts.

 

[kaligal]

I don't miss Food Rocks.

Although I always thought Body Wars could have been SO much better than it was, I do miss the whole WoL pavilion.

 

[JimmyV]

Seimens sponsored Spaceship Earth, Nestle sponsored The Land,

I'm pretty sure that AT&T sponsored Spaceship Earth when it was built. Not even sure Siemens existed as a communications company back then. And The Land was opened by Kraft, not Nestle.