Walt Disney World has introduced the ‘Play Pavilion’ will change Wonders of Life at EPCOT. This publish shares primary data, idea artwork, building progress (or lack thereof), and commentary about this information associated to the overhaul of the previous Future World. (Updated January 15, 2023.)
This new pavilion will change the defunct Wonders of Life, and can provide first-of-their-kind experiences dedicated to playful enjoyable. For the final a number of years, Wonders of Life has served because the Food & Wine ‘Festival Center’ and most lately has been the topic of rumors a few yr in the past, starting from a Marvel addition to Inside Out). Now now we have a solution to what’s taking place with it.
The house shall be remodeled into an modern, interactive metropolis with video games, hands-on actions, and Disney character meet & greets in an lively metropolis. This ‘Play Pavilion’ (which is what we’re calling it and isn’t the pavilion’s remaining identify) will debut throughout Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary.
January 15, 2023 Update: Journalist and insider Scott Gustin is reporting that Walt Disney World is “re-evaluating the original concept that was planned” for the Play Pavilion at EPCOT. This implies that was was beforehand introduced a number of years in the past will nearly definitely not come to fruition.
This is comparatively unsurprising. The Play Pavilion has been paused for the reason that parks closed, which was nearly 3 years in the past. Walt Disney World has not shared a substantive replace since then, and lately eliminated the Play Pavilion from the ‘coming soon’ part of park maps and official web site. Given all of this, there’s no motive to imagine the unique idea for the Play Pavilion will ever come to fruition.
There’s additionally the truth that this was to be an interactive expertise that leaned closely into know-how and taste of the month mental property, with the entire pavilion loosely impressed by Ralph Breaks the Internet, the 2018 film that had way more of a recent high quality than most of Disney’s different animated movies.
Much of the Play Pavilion was truly developed round that point, and important work was executed on the displays previous to the closure. It truly wasn’t that removed from being executed and will have opened in 2020 had issues not gone sideways. When the parks did reopen, there was comprehensible trepidation about all issues “interactive” (it took one other full yr earlier than playgrounds began reopening).
At this level, it’s unclear what is going to occur with the Play Pavilion. Loads of the work that has occurred was to the bodily infrastructure of the constructing itself, repairing the roof and updating the inside. Then there’s the R&D for the interactive components, a few of which presumably may very well be recycled with completely different IP or elsewhere (it’s fully attainable a few of what’s within the Disney Wish youngsters golf equipment is just like components of what was deliberate for the Play Pavilion).
With Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind reinvigorating this space of EPCOT, it’s doubtless plans for the Play Pavilion will stay paused without end. The actual property is simply too precious and high-traffic, and important cash has already been spent to modernize the power itself. It’s extra doubtless that Imagineering will revisit the precise plans, and switch the pavilion into one thing centered round a particular IP or model–extra Marvel, maybe.
To that time, Disney has continued to mess around with the pavilion even after the idea was reportedly shelved. Walt Disney Imagineering filed a allow with Orange County for a “General Contractor package” (that’s the verbatim enchancment description), which is probably going an umbrella allow for the final contractor to renew work in remodeling the previous Wonders of Life into the Play Pavilion.
Balfour Beatty is listed as the final contractor, they usually have in depth expertise with main initiatives within the Orlando space. Just off the highest of my head, they have been answerable for the work inside Pandora – World of Avatar, Gran Destino Tower, Reflections Lakeside Lodge, plus Cabana Bay & Loews Sapphire Falls Resorts at Universal Orlando and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Most notably, the allow lists an expiration date of December 31, 2024. Typically, this isn’t indicative of a completion or opening date for a undertaking or attraction, nevertheless it does point out the newest date when all building is predicted to be completed. Due to the closure, we’ve seen some permits should be re-filed because of prematurely expiring, however that’s not the norm.
Typically, there’s a buffer between the expiration date of a allow and the meant opening date. Meaning that Walt Disney World nearly definitely intends up opening one thing within the house that was meant to be the Play Pavilion earlier than late 2024.
Other than Tiana’s Bayou Adventure changing Splash Mountain, there should not main initiatives on the horizon for Walt Disney World in 2024 or 2025. This implies that smaller-scale choices, just like the Play Pavilion, shall be mandatory as marketable new additions. (We’ll proceed calling it the Play Pavilion right here, regardless that no matter occurs on this house nearly definitely will find yourself having a unique identify.)
The solely different potential additions on the horizon are “potential expansion” alternatives and “early concept exploration” for Dinoland USA at Animal Kingdom. One of these is a Moana Mini-Land at Animal Kingdom that might change Dino-Rama; the opposite is a Zootopia Expansion for Animal Kingdom that might be constructed past Dino-Rama. The idea artwork present that each of those proposals are concurrently viable.
Both of those have been first unveiled on the D23 Expo final yr, and have been rumored to be very near being greenlit–however that was earlier than Chapek was fired and Bob Iger returned as CEO. Iger could need to go in a unique route. Either approach, it’s extremely unlikely that both land would open anytime quickly–the very best case state of affairs might be a phased opening in 2026 and 2026.
This leaves a spot in 2024/2025 (relying upon the yr that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure truly opens). Whatever finally ends up being constructed within the Play Pavilion’s place might nearly definitely have a faster turnaround time.
Our expectation at this level is that the Play Pavilion is not going to open till Spring 2024 on the absolute earliest. The opening will doubtless be dictated by the diploma to which Imagineering goes again to the drafting board with the Play Pavilion. We actually don’t have any clue whether or not Play Pavilion is 90% executed or 10% executed–the proportion doubtless relies upon upon what will be recycled for a brand new idea.
As for what Play Pavilion was/goes to supply, it’s anticipated that it’ll be the brand new house to an Animation Academy-like expertise the place friends will discover ways to draw Disney characters. Nick and Judy Hopps from Zootopia will host an interactive sport known as Hotel Heist. In a current e book, the corporate additionally revealed that there shall be a monorail sport. Interactive, contact-less arcade model video games are additionally more likely to seem within the Play Pavilion.
The Play Pavilion can also be anticipated to be the first house to character meet & greets in Epcot. Those for Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope, Joy and Sadness, Baymax and different characters will all be completely relocated from their present places to the Play Pavilion. Other points of interest that known as the Wonders of Life house–like Body Wars and Cranium Command–is not going to return when the Play Pavilion opens.
None of those initiatives or the Central Spine are something new, nevertheless it’s good to listen to an replace on them. With a lot of the Epcot re-imagining in flux, there’s at all times the potential of previously-announced initiatives getting minimize. Anyway, on with the commentary from the unique announcement of the Play Pavilion…
Our Commentary
The idea of the Play Pavilion isn’t a slam dunk, however I’m cautiously optimistic about this. For starters, it’s the much less apparent idea however one that might have the bigger total affect for Epcot.
Wonders of Life changing into the Play Pavilion implies that it received’t as a substitute turn out to be something associated to Marvel, as beforehand rumored. As somebody who doesn’t need to see Future World became ‘Super Hero Land (But Only the Handful of Properties We Can Use And Don’t You Dare Say the “M” Word)‘ that is nice information to me.
It’s additionally excellent news from the attitude that there’s the potential for the Wonders of Life pavilion consolidating what’s at the moment a decentralized IP presence round Future World into one constructing, which is at the moment unused. This hopefully would be the park’s most important meet & greet location, with different pavilions remaining (or in some instances, changing into) character-free.
While we don’t but know what this re-imagined pavilion will entail, we do know that it’ll open in time for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary, which is a very fast turnaround time for one thing simply introduced. Given that and the probability that Innoventions goes away, I’d anticipate it to be one thing alongside the traces of displays featured there. If the idea artwork is to be believed, this pavilion shall be extra bold and imbued with a ‘Progress City’ sensibility, which is certainly befitting of EPCOT Center.
Speculation past that appears untimely. Given rumors from final summer time about testing in Cranium Command, I’m wondering if that theater attraction shall be revived in some kind (albeit, apparently, with out the Buzzy Audio Animatronics determine). It’s far much less doubtless that the Body Wars simulators might return, however that house may very well be repurposed and home an attraction. These aren’t even predictions, extra simply pondering aloud concerning the prospects for this ‘Play Pavilion.’
For egocentric causes, I’m completely advantageous with Walt Disney World going character heavy on this pavilion, and I actually hope that idea artwork is correct, and this options Inside Out characters. Heck, give Wreck-It Ralph a presence in there, too. My foundation for that is it might satiate administration’s need for mental property in Future World, and pave the best way for a subsequent Journey into Imagination redo that doesn’t contain IPs. Of course, that is simply wishful pondering on my half.
It seems that Walt Disney World needs to toe the road between placating longtime followers and interesting to the expectations of first-time guests anticipating a Disney expertise. That wouldn’t be my private first selection for the route of Epcot’s future, but when that’s the method, it’s higher than I anticipated. I’ve expressed lots of enthusiasm on this commentary part, however that shouldn’t be confused for unbridled pleasure for Epcot’s future, usually.
I’ve no delusions that the ‘old’ EPCOT Center is ever returning. It’s been gone for two-plus many years, and there was by no means any likelihood of that park returning. However, it seems that there shall be lots on this ‘new’ park to appease followers like me, and even with lots of compromises being made, I’m hopeful that the Epcot of ~2023 shall be higher than the one in all right this moment. This information makes me really feel much more assured in that hope/perception, and I’m excited for the Epcot of tomorrow.
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Your Thoughts
What do you consider these Epcot bulletins? Cautiously optimistic concerning the Play Pavilion? Do you agree or disagree with my commentary? Any questions we might help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!