Checking Out Epcot's Innoventions (What's Left of It)

Rumor has it that all of the original CommuniCore buildings are going to be gutted as part of a massive park-wide overhaul. Today we're exploring the last remaining pieces of Innoventions including Colortopia. Follow updates: orlandoparkstop...
CommuniCore was a pavilion dedicated to technological advance located at EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World, Florida. It occupied two semi-circular buildings behind Spaceship Earth at the center of Future World. The two buildings were known as CommuniCore East and West and housed rotating exhibits. Closed and redesigned in 1994, the former CommuniCore buildings are now the home of Innoventions.
Over the last decade or so exhibits at Innoventions have been closing without any opening in their place. Innoventions West is now completely closed and parts of the building now house character meet & greets. Part of the Innoventions East building is all that remains, housing only two exhibits currently open: "Colortopia" presented by Glidden and "Take a Nanooze Break" sponsored by Cornell University and the National Science Foundation.
The Sum Of All Thrills was the most recent exhibit to close, shutting down only last September. It was a fairly popular attraction that allowed you to design and ride your own virtual rollercoaster using a robotic "KUKA" arm similar to those used in the automotive industry and utilized in the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at Universal's Islands of Adventure.
No official word yet on what changes will be coming to Epcot in the near future, but a large amount of money is being allocated for a revamp of the aging Future World areas including the central hub. Stay tuned for more details and follow our website for news updates!
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[@keylimetea]

Man I remember when there was this cool future home and a health area it was my favorite thing in the park

[@neilonicko1]

Disney doesn't know what to do anymore innoventions was my favorite part of epcot as a kid at one time when sega was popular they had a whole spot where you were able to sample the games they should do something with the new technology and the technology thats coming Panasonic is coming out with a tv that disappears...

[@steveharris1740]

We were there three weeks ago and Future World feels so empty. Innoventions is a grave yard, Universe of Energy is closed. When we were there (first week of Sept. 2017) Epcot was practically empty. It was nice being able to do all the attractions with almost no wait. I love that they were playing music from Wall-E in Innoventions East. BTW that is a great attraction idea, something Wall-E themed. The Land and The Seas Pavilions are nice. I think they need to replace Circle of Life though (Wall-E here?). They also really need to do something with the Imagination Pavilion...update needed. World Showcase is awesome. I really liked everything there during our last visit. Some of the country films are dated but still they are ok. I know there are a lot of haters out there on this next one but I found the new Norway Pavilion to be very charming. Frozen Ever After is a fun ride, the meet and greet area is well-done, the shops are good and Akershus is a great character meal. I hate to say this but Illuminations may need to be replaced, or at least reimagined. I love the soundtrack, but the globe and the lasers feel dated and a little awkward. If they could keep the music but redo the rest that would be the best case scenario imho. Lastly, I know they have announced lots of changes coming to Epcot...finally! It sounds like they may be demolishing both Innoventions buildings completely. I am NOT at all happy with announcement of a Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster replacing Universe of Energy. I just don't think it fits in at all with the uniqueness and theme of Epcot. I just hope that it is more like a Rock n Roller Coaster or Space Mountain and not a huge outdoor track. I think it's awesome when they make attractions like Mission Space and Flight of Passage, using technology rather than large, outdoor rides that take up lots of space. But that is just my opinion. Maybe I am in the minority.

[@MattMcIrvin]

That whole CommuniCore area seems so sad and empty now, except for Mouse Gear. At least those interior halls are powerfully air-conditioned, though parts of them smell like urinal cakes. The last time I was there, I had the choice of seeing more of World Showcase or more of what's left of Future World. Opted for World Showcase, and it was great (finally saw the Morocco and Japan pavilions, which may be the most beautiful areas in Epcot), but maybe I should have poked around Future World before they tear all these remnants out.

[@VSpoodle]

God I remember when it changed between the late 90s and the next time I went in like 04, and thinking it was only going to get cooler for the future. Little did I know the decline had already begun :/

[@yeemcgee8149]

VSpoodle this comment made me sad

[@Wesley_C]

My childhood, the Sega was here for these days, time flies.

[@grumblevolcano9485]

I’ve always been a fan of Innoventions. From the architecture to the techy furutrisitic aesthetic it just feels uniquely different from anything else. I like the idea of future where everything is perfect and technology is fun and functional, even if that future couldn’t ever exist it’s still fun to imagine a place like that and that’s what Innoventions has always been to me. I enjoy the all the country pavilions but there’s still just something special about Innoventions to me. Even now that it’s practically empty I still find myself drawn to the aesthetic architecture and their interesting interiors. My hope is that even when Disney refurbishes Innoventions that they’ll keep some aspect of the creative future that they imagined rather than gut it all. I hope they keep the electric umbrella and and some of the techy aesthetic. I’d also be pretty torn if they got rid of the land. Can we also just talk about the music in Innoventions? That is some great music.

[@pl4de54]

Well..... it’s all gone now, everything......... absolutely everything

[@shahswoosh9640]

From what I’ve heard from a friend (was a chaperone for an engineering youth group tour around Epcot), the Stormstruck attraction still is intact right behind the “Sum of all Thrills” area. The yellow house portion is completely unchanged along with the Stormstruck sign, but the show area of the attraction had been completely gutted along with its entrance. Surprisingly, they don’t really use much of it for storage, but is instead only used as a meeting area for youth group activities/quick pathway for Cast Members.

[@FunkyStudios]

R.I.P Sum Of All Thrills, IBM Think And Runtime, And Wheres The Fire.

[@MrLotso89]

I'm sad that they closed Kim possible/phineas and ferb attraction

[@dapperloser3025]

i dont think they did? last i hear all they did is install support for your own phone they did get rid of the invovations station when perry toke over though

[@saramcconnell8817]

Perry was in the world shocase when I went in winter of 2015

[@MattMcIrvin]

The Phineas and Ferb game is still there. My daughter played 5 of the 6 missions when we were there a couple of weeks ago. You just have to use your own phone instead of the old flip phones--I don't know if they've got any provision for people who don't have smartphones. But it actually works better this way.

[@paytonmargarone794]

I remember going into Innoventions to meet Meg Donnelly.After we left,I saw the old Sum of All Thrills! It’s still there! Might not be now!

[@user-rs1990]

Vale Sum Of All Thrills (2009-2016)

[@wantedwario2621]

They really need to revamp innoventions somehow and make it as big as it originally was.

[@DuffyLONER64]

2:34 OMG It's me! Duffy! xD (Gosh, I miss the Duffy M&G)

[@mikesanders2861]

So sad. Was 14 when Epcot opened. We lived close, DeLand.

[@Jerry4050]

This looks very disappointing and thank God I experience Innovetions in the mid 90s which they have the Sega section and way more areas that are interesting

[@tiffprendergast]

I can wash my floor with Beverly

[@lilbluefoxie]

2:18 where can I get lawn chairs like that, those look awesome

[@chuualwayswins]

1:33 true beverly is the nastiest drink ever!

[@gracemarks6229]

Wait intoventions is going away 😰

[@theoheiland6807]

So it’s basically just Baymax and Mickey Mouse character spots, Mouse Gear store and some dopey color thing that little kids can do on their iPads. How is this still standing in 2018? 😂 😂 It’s literally just empty space waiting for something cool and new.

[@raqueeeeeelll1577]

sum of all thrills was my absolute favorite thing in epcot😭 why would the do this.

[@cliptrashbin2389]

Here as a kid I dont like new future world hell lots of people I know dont like it new epcot it only works from age 1 to 5

[@lordwoofakfak1206]

The future has been sold out by franchise. No wonder kids these days are so cynical. How can you have hope when your future is already surrendered.

[@grumblevolcano9485]

Locutus for real dude. Disney has left originality behind and have taken up franchise gluttony. Every time they get rid of an original attraction they just make some dumb ride based off a new movie. I don’t go to Disney for characters I can watch on my tv, I go to Disney for unique aesthetic that stimulates my imagination.

[@ThemeParkStop]

What do YOU think should replace Innoventions?

[@jadent.4405]

Alicia Stella nothing! its one of my favorite places to visit in Epcot and I'll be sad when it has to go...

[@ThemeParkStop]

Yea, that'd be cool. My parents used to get so mad in the 1990s when I would wanna stop and play Sonic at Innoventions. Screaming that they didn't pay all that money just so I could play something I had at home! Legoland Florida and the Launch Bay at Hollwood Studios have similar areas where you can play video games nowadays.

[@alex91008]

They should tear down all of it and make the Epcot city that Walt always wanted. Haha, not like that would ever happen. Just wishful thinking.

[@saramcconnell8817]

I think they should update colortopia and make new exhibits in the other parts of innovations.

[@spadesart]

i just want some new exhibits, maybe get microsoft or apple or android and some gaming companies like nintendo and sony to show off their next technology??

[@colemayhew2060]

I hate the smell of inoventions.

[@batmen6935]

First

[@yeemcgee8149]

Colortopia looks really cool. Looks like something you’d find in classic Epcot. Almost an old image works attraction? I hope this Means they’re gonna start adding attractions

[@tiffprendergast]

I can wash my floor with Beverly

[@danthecarguy5494]

i think they will get rid of the free soda i hope they dont but it's disney were talking about here i think they might but then again it's too popular to get rid of.

[@brandonthetoyandgamecollector]

the free soda is at club cool, not innoventions. I don't think that's going anywhere

[@aarontoney406]

it is in the innoventions building