EPCOT has seen a lot of changes over the past few years!
EPCOT
The EPCOT Transformation was finally completed on June 10th, 2024, and the project brought us new attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. It also brought us a new festival space when CommuniCore Hall and Plaza opened. We even got a new main quick-service location called Connections Cafe and Eatery, and right next door came a brand-new gift shop called the Creations Shop. And how can we forget Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana? While we love this transformation, we can’t stop thinking about what could have been.
Have you ever been walking between Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Mission Space? You may have noticed a golden dome and wondered what it was.
The Wonders of Life Pavilion
Well, this dome actually used to be home to a pavilion! The Wonders of Life Pavilion opened on October 19th, 1989, seven years after EPCOT opened. This pavilion was home to several attractions, including Cranium Command (we love you, Buzzy!), Body Wars, The Making of Me, Coach’s Corner, Goofy About Health, and the Fitness Fairgrounds.
©Wikipedia
These attractions taught you about — I am sure you can guess it — life. Body Wars was a simulator ride that took you through the human body and used the same technology that is still used today on Star Tours.
©Wikipedia
You could even watch a film featuring Martin Short in the Wonders of Life Pavilion! The Making of Me was a film about human development starting at birth and featured Martin Short. Cranium Command featured Buzzy, an audio-animatronic that controlled a 12-year-old boy’s brain. The show was continuous and repeated every 18 minutes.
©Wikipedia
Well, unfortunately, after stores, and dining locations started to close inside the pavilion, the Wonders of Life Pavilion officially closed permanently after operating seasonally on January 1st, 2007. Although the attractions closed, you could still enter the building seasonally, as it was used as the EPCOT festivals’ headquarters from 2007 to 2018.
©Wikipedia
In 2019, Disney announced that the previous home to the Wonders of Life Pavilion would be transformed into something brand new: The Play! Pavilion.
©Disney || Play Pavilion Concept Art
This was set to be a “digital metropolis” that would feature interactive experiences, games, entertainment, and hands-on activities. It would also be home to plenty of Disney characters, both virtual and real.
PLAY! Pavilion as of January 2023
The Play! Pavilion was featured in the EPCOT Experience, which was hosted in the Odyssey. It was on EPCOT park maps, and even construction walls at EPCOT featured concept art for this new pavilion.
EPCOT Experience
Unfortunately, in January of 2023, the Play! Pavilion was removed from park maps. And as of August 2024, there is no word on if the Play! Pavilion will come to fruition as it seems to be on an indefinite pause. The Mary Poppins attraction in the United Kingdom Pavilion, the Spaceship Earth overhaul, and other projects were not completed as they were originally part of the EPCOT transformation. These projects were potentially never completed due to the pandemic that hit about a half year after all these announcements were made.
EPCOT Experience
While the EPCOT Transformation is now complete, the status of what will happen to the Wonders of Life Pavilion is unknown. The Play! Pavilion was announced at D23 five years ago, and it is possible that an announcement about the future of this building will be made at this year’s D23. As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney history, news, and updates!
Disney Is About to Make Some HUGE Announcements…But Can You Trust Them?
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Do you think Disney will announce that the Play! Pavilion will continue to be built? Let us know in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Really wish they’d do a Mary Poppins attraction!
I think they should just reopen the Pavillion and use all the original activities and ride! There’s a whole new group of guests that have never experience this attraction, not to mention it would probably cost Disney next to nothing to get this location up and running.
I remember Body Wars!
I had to sit in a corner of the Pavillion with my eyes closed and my head down for like 45 minutes, the ride made me so nauseous.
Martin Short’s ride was fun…
Such memories, Disney is ever evolving!
This pavilion was excellent. My whole family enjoyed it, from grandparents to little kids. My late father used to laugh himself silly at Cranium Command. I agree with the excellent suggestion; Fix it up and bring it back. These earlier EPCOT attractions had it all — highly educational and entertaining, for all ages!
There must not have been enough Disney movie IP included in the plans for the Play! Pavillion as Walt Disney World is quickly becoming Disney’s Movie World.
No reason to not reopen it in its original purpose unless it is sitting on to- of a sink hole…? There is a sink hole located at the Odessy Pavilion pond in EPCOT. That is why that location just sits there with limited use. Un-used prime EPCOT space.