Watching the Monorail glide through Disney World is an incredible sight!
In fact, the Monorail is such an iconic part of Disney World that it even has its own merch — we’ve seen Monorail beach towels, PEZ dispenser displays, t-shirts, and more! Could the Monorail further cement its legendary status with a new attraction in the near future?? Here’s what we know!
At the 2019 D23 Expo, Disney announced a multi-year transformation of Epcot, involving new restaurants, attractions, and a restructuring of the park into four distinct “neighborhoods.” Construction has already begun on several projects like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Space 220, and more, and guests can catch a preview of the transformation at the EPCOT Experience exhibit.
While some projects such as the Spaceship Earth refurbishment have been postponed since the initial announcement, other elements of the transformation are still moving forward. One project that is still currently in the works is the PLAY! Pavilion, which will allow guests to participate in new adventures with Disney characters in both actual and virtual experiences.
The PLAY! Pavilion will be housed in the former Wonders of Life Pavilion, and we’ve seen construction progress on the building since the park reopening. The PLAY! Pavilion will feature a variety of interactive experiences, games, entertainment, hands-on activities. And could one of these attractions be Monorail-themed??
According to an article from Attractions Magazine, a Monorail-themed attraction has been teased in the upcoming book “The Disney Monorail: Imagineering a Highway in the Sky.” This book, by authors Jeff Kurtti, Vanessa Hunt and Pal Wolski, celebrates the history and evolution of the Monorail, and it includes historical photographs, rare concept art, development art, and more. It’s set to officially release on September 15, 2020, if you’d like to grab a copy for yourself!
So, what does this book have to do with the PLAY! Pavilion? At the back of the book, one page has a poster that teases the “Monorail Mark X” attraction. The poster says the attraction is set to arrive in EPCOT in 2021, and it features the “PLAY!” logo for the new Pavilion.
The caption next to the poster reads, “Calling all pilots! A new way to play arrives at the PLAY! Pavilion at EPCOT in 2021.” We’re not sure whether this means that a Monorail attraction is officially confirmed for the PLAY! Pavilion, and even if it is, the timeline of the project could be impacted by the recent closure. But we were so excited to see this concept poster, and we’ll keep a close eye out for official word from Disney!
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What types of attractions and activities would you like to see in the PLAY! Pavilion? Let us know in the comments!
Ah makes sense… the former body wars attraction is nicely tucked away in wonders of life.
I would like to see the monoral extended around the world showcase and back to the platform
Awesome idea when EPCOT seems to be turning toward the dark side and away from the worlds fair concept it was founded on. No everyone likes a dark thrill ride that teaches young people nothing
If you look at the concept art for the PLAY pavilion you can see a section at middle-right marked “wedway” (a people mover reference) and under that sign you can clearly see a monorail. Maybe another clue there. 🙂