Universe of Energy 1996

[@neitherdreaming]

This ride had the best "finale"! Back in 1982 it blew my 8 year-old mind when I realized we had come full circle.

[@goodbyejeffery]

I like that the original prehistoric diorama had an overall darker atmosphere to it, the lack of music and duller colors towards the later section really set the mood that it was the end of the world for the dinosaurs.

[@WDI2008]

GoodbyeJeffery And there was also smells as well.

[@goodbyejeffery]

@@WDI2008 I never got to ride the original, but I've heard that the beginning had a more "swampy" smell, while the later sections smelled more like sulfur.

[@DrJekyll38]

And no moronic talk-show host playing tug-of-war with an elasmosaurus!

[@aricrbell]

I was wondering if I was seeing things as Barely any lighting in that scene

[@taylorshelton3267]

This was my favorite ride at epcot and I loved looking at all of the animatronic dinosaurs which were based off of the animated dinosaurs from the disney movie fantasia which was released in movie theaters in the year 1940. The song at the end of this ride was my favorite song at epcot and it was called the universe of energy.

[@AroundIndiana]

This was definitely the best version of the ride. Ellen is great but I never cared for the newer version. The ending of this version was always really cool to watch.

[@FernandoJose.FJSFJS]

I agree!!

[@ben-64]

15:49 I was 6 in 96. I know I went on this ride at some point. No idea what year, but this room has stuck with me my entire life. To my child brain it was like going back in time. So fucking cool to see it here again. Had no idea what ride the memory was from until I saw it mentioned in a KZbin video and then looked this up.

[@rflp]

I missed the original UoE by less than three months. Thanks for posting!

[@Firewireman1]

That shuttle launch, the rumbling in the seats! Miss this so much.

[@barbarapoirier8835]

Thank you for uploading this! I loved the opening and closing songs too! I remember how cool this was with the rotating screens. Everything in this ride was so impressive.

[@mike407r]

The Smell!!! The smell of the section with the dinosaur’s. What about that smell I still to this day can never get it out of my brain. I see companies that make these Disney ride scented candles. Haunted mansion etc. i want a candle that smells like universe of energy specifically the section with the dinosaurs. Always loved the end when the theme song plays again but this time more up beat and feel good as everyone exits and the huge theater seats all converge back to where they started. This was always one of my favorite rides. Captain Eo was another rip Michael Jackson. There will NEVER be a time period in Epcot like the OG time period again. This video is priceless. I was very lucky to be an 80’s kid born in ‘79 and to grow up in central florida. Between field trips to Epcot and just family trips I spent a lot of time at Disney world. In a way it was my playground and I hold it near and dear to my heart.

[@ronaldlee3537]

This original version is my favorite, thanks for uploading. Kodak's 3D "Magic Journey" was the best.

[@HerHollyness]

I went for the first time as a kid in 1997 so I never saw this version, only the Ellen one. I miss it, though, mainly because it was my Dad’s favourite thing. When we went back for the last time in 2014, he was overjoyed that Captain EO had made a brief return but kept asking where the ride with the dinosaurs had gone. 😢 I wish he could have experienced it one more time.

[@epaddon]

Technically, the original program did come back briefly for a couple months due to a delay before the Ellen program was ready (they covered over an Ellen AA figure) and the Radok pre-show was presented on a flat-screen so this would be the last day it operated in its true original state.

[@WDI2008]

Epcot's Energy Information Station was also removed by that point and the KNRG Radio Antenna had already been installed. And also the finale did not have the mirror walls either. Exxon's Energy Exchange located in CommuniCore East had already been closed by that point as well.

[@ajs41]

Thanks for uploading. This closed on 21st January 1996 so it must have been filmed during those first 21 days of the year. I saw it on 2nd January 1996 for the last time. Just checking to see if I can spot myself and/or my family on the video! The pre-show was fantastic - it's still one of my favourite science presentations.

[@WDI2008]

That was also the same day that World of Motion closed in order to become Test Track.

[@richardperhai8292]

I remember riding this opening week (it actually worked for a show or two that day!) and the audible gasps from the audience when the "theater" moved forward into the diorama and started splitting apart,

[@joesmith389]

Beautiful! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@1983horizons1]

Thank you for this!! It's the first YT video that really captures the shock of the ending's chameleon theatre.

[@JoeyTABoy-k9l]

imo this is way better than Ellen and Bill Nye version of the ride

[@lukec2576]

I loved the Radok pre-show, it was awesome. I really disliked the Ellen refurb. I know Disney was trying to market towards a younger audience but I experienced these types of attractions and EPCOT Center back when I was a young boy ad it had a profound impact on my future career choices. I enjoyed the educational aspect of future world...now it's just a mess. I miss the EPCOT of the 80s and early 90s.

[@chrishintz1077]

What a great theme song: energy, you are profound. ;). I like the upbeat theme song too. The one that has the twangy guitars: here we go, it’s the universe of energy.

[@jheiden2]

Back before it was just "a cute story"

[@vahidhosoda6614]

The artist had a wonderful voice too for the original ride

[@cecfigment]

The Only Thing I Love About This Attraction Is The Theme Song, Great Job

[@JoeyTABoy-k9l]

i wonder what camcorder you were using for these videos

[@captainnayr]

This was a great ride before Ellen Degeneres completely dumbed down the ride. Ellen’s energy adventure was so lame. I’m very glad this attraction is being replaced now.

[@robinceuleers]

My parents went there to this ride in 1992 or 1993 I guess.... before I was born! those Dinosaur scenes reminds me of Fantasia!

[@ColeWalker]

Seems one of the kinetic screens was broken

[@WDI2008]

That was part of the reason why the Radok Screen was ultimately removed for Ellen's Energy Adventure.

[@bloodthirstybunnies2149]

Do the screens actually flip or is it just an effect? I'm too young to have ever experienced it in person, so was quite confused

[@DarthBrtt]

@@bloodthirstybunnies2149 They actually physically flipped and moved. You can sort of hear it in this video, but you could really hear them move when you were actually in the theater back then. They made a sort of clanking, shutter sound as they flipped.

[@neitherdreaming]

What is the music at the very start of the video as we enter the preshow area? I dont think I've heard it before.

[@Rizzler420-uh4yd]

31:51 just realized that this futuristic city is the same one visible out the windows of the 21st century parents’ house in Horizons 🤯

[@DarthBrtt]

I've been trying to figure out who narrated the finale portion of the show for years. This video is the clearest I have ever heard, including my own home recordings. I am not 100% positive, but I am starting to think it was Joseph Campanella now.

[@epaddon]

No, it's not Joseph Campanella. That much I'm certain of, but I'm still stopped on who narrated the main film. Vic Perrin narrated the pre-dino film but I know it's not him on the finale since he was dead by this point and the finale narrator came back to do some touch-ups for the revamped version that played temporarily later that year.

[@voyagerfilms]

if it didn't have a space shuttle launch, was it really an epcot attraction?

[@DrJekyll38]

Well, The Land and The Living Seas never have. Wonders Of Life(which I STILL miss!) made up for that with "Body Wars".

[@taylorshelton3267]

It was definitely an epcot attraction sponsored by ExxonMobil company.

[@epaddon]

The future oriented attractions as they were designed really put a lot of faith in the idea of the shuttle operating according to the lofty goals NASA was touting of up to a hundred flights a year and civilians regularly going into space. "Horizons" basically ties into that with the idea of families going off to space stations for a trip. Challenger though was a sobering wake-up call of just how unrealistic that vision was.

[@ryanhackmann5178]

Can everyone will upload WDW Tomorrowland 1989-2003 BGM live recording please? I want to hear it so badly, @widenyourworld?

[@vahidhosoda6614]

I like the universe of energy artist sadly was replaced with an epic concert band soundtrack in Ellen’s energy adventure and in the end oh look a dinosaur

[@vahidhosoda6614]

Personally I liked the song from the 80s compared to the epic music because it was poetic but I like either one but I would’ve preferred the original I only went to Ellen’s in person because I was born in 1999 after it was refurbished

[@seancooper7325]

Made you want to do something with your life. Replaced by garbage