What KILLED the Play Pavilion?

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Teenagers from 2011 would've dug Pavilion. Now it's a shadow of it's former self, and it's proposed future self. Does that make sense? Who killed the Play Pavilion, and why?
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Video Credits ▶
Play Pavilion Annoucement, DarthVader92, • Walt Disney Parks, Exp...
Play Pavilion Epcot Experience, BlogMickey, • Play Pavilion - The Ep...

[@OffhandDisney]

Sometimes a Pavilion idea is so good it has to go back to the drawing board because the idea would create a singularity at the center of the universe and end all existence as we know it. But also sometimes a Pavilion idea is the Play Pavilion, which is basically the opposite of that.

[@deannaberry1150]

It should be a no brainer. Turn it into the Yesteryear Pavillion and put their archives to use. Have rotating exhibits of defunct ride vehicles, animatronics, virtual ride throughs of old attractions. Appeal to the nostalgia.

[@candycemonroe7345]

This!! I love it.

[@razzati420]

Great idea !

[@deanatgmail]

and have them admit what they use to have was better? they think not.

[@ethanshackleton]

Maybe “time pavilion” works better for a name since we already have the space pavilion and the imagination pavilion.

[@writerpatrick]

They just got a bunch of old animal animatronics they could use.

[@disneytherapy8028]

Disney has failed Epcot. It has lost the uniqueness and charm it once had.

[@mistermustachio336]

"Huey, Dewey, and Louie's water balloon Kablooey!" It was right there...

[@discipleofmatanui1362]

Having a pavilion themed to emoji was an awful idea from the start, so I’m glad they scrapped it. I would like to sneak inside the building to see how far they went on the construction

[@kdusel1991]

I agree! I think it deserves so much better! The wonders of life was so unique! This feels so corporate and soulless.

[@Gamerboss40YT]

They should do something with SOUL

[@ryanshimko3405]

A pavilion based on weather would be so amazing.. Weather Channel sponsorship? A simulator ride experience somewhat of Twister. Even a state of the art projection screen on the ceiling that showcases different clouds, precipitation, etc.

[@Vasinvictor1]

Now it’s a whether pavilion. Whether Disney creates something new or whether Disney ignores it.

[@jakegaubatz]

I'd be 100% behind this! Weather is something that I think both kids and adults can have fun learning about, and they could utilize that space for various simulators like wind tunnels, a 'twister' attractions, hot and cold climates (desert vs frozen tundra), lightning tesla coils and thunder booms sound room. I think it would be totally unique, fun, and probably not crazy expensive to produce.

[@Kirbyfan87827]

An attraction in the original spirit of EPCOT Center? Disney would never.

[@stanfordite1]

@@Kirbyfan87827 Disney after my hostile takeover will. I will remove all IP attractions from EPCOT and make it against company bylaws.

[@maiastephanie2986]

they could even make an attraction related to climate change! I miss the old educational Epcot :(

[@mattrobinson973]

How about the Pavilion Pavilion which celebrates the history of the concept of pavilion.

[@Tyleriscool123]

Now that’s one I’d see

[@rosiewoodgate2112]

Was in Epcot a couple weeks ago and went to have a look - Wonders has a wall built in front of it and hidden behind tons of trees, barely visible unless you know what you're looking for. Very very sad

[@patricksandiford4100]

Duolingo Pavilion. A launch coaster where duo chases you.

[@-Iwill]

That’s awesome

[@maiastephanie2986]

or the dou on ice show

[@pramanabudiman9761]

Sound like a ride with sponsorship. Not a good idea for longevity, as sponsorship tends to get expired. Look at Tomorrowland in 1955, the rides at that time usually had brand sponsorship, they all got refurbished later on.

[@maiastephanie2986]

@@pramanabudiman9761 then again, look at test track. having a sponsor enables disney to update rides when they needed

[@blueberry_VR_YT]

I would ride that

[@Cberg7793]

As a kid, I spent hours every trip in the Wonders of Life Pavilion. It was a place where my parents could sit on a bench and I could do my own thing. Epcot needs more experiences that don’t have lines where kids can let loose and get out energy!

[@ethansloan]

You can't give up on the four hour video all about the Peoplemover! I can't keep rewatching Jenny's four hour video about the Starcruiser hotel!

[@Gracie287]

"Ease up on calling those rusted things your friends" 🤣 The Play Pavilion sounded like a nice option for kids when Disney first announced it, but I agree that it aged like milk before it ever even had a chance. Maybe the problem with theming a pavilion around "what the kids like these days" is that what the kids like changes rapidly over time! I do hope they eventually do something with the Wonders of Life pavilion, and I'd love it if they kept the life/health/science theme even if they need to stick in a whole bunch of IPs to make it work financially (or to convince the highers-up). I'm one of the (few?) people who genuinely enjoyed Body Wars. A rebooted Body Wars with updated technology, more thrills, and a smoother ride would be a nice mix of classic EPCOT with modern-day thrill rides.

[@vincelamb4063]

I was a big fan of the "Fantastic Voyage" cartoon as a kid, which is based on the movie of the same name. When I rode Body Wars, I saw a lot of similarities between Body Wars and "Fantastic Voyage." It turns out that 20th Century Fox distributed the movie, which means its now a Disney property. People today may not know or remember "Fantastic Voyage," but the movie won two Oscars and it's available for Disney to use, just like the Alien movies. Why have a knockoff when you can offer the original?

[@writerpatrick]

@@vincelamb4063 People might be likely to compare it to Inner Space, which was a WB movie and was a more recent movie.

[@kdusel1991]

I enjoyed body wars too! And cranium command! If they really want to put an IP in there they could retheme the whole thing to inside out! Especially with the sequel coming out soon!

[@disneyboy3030]

Last I heard there was a rumor they are reimagining the concept.

[@kdusel1991]

​@@disneyboy3030 that's great news!! The play pavilion was just a terrible idea from the beginning!

[@ArynWellspring]

Got it. Call it the Wonder Pavilion and basically turn it into a new and better version of Disney Quest. Put a Wreck-It-Ralph attraction in it. Imagine an arcade in there with a full size lightcycle that you can ‘ride’ but it’s basically a themed driving arcade cabinet

[@averyeml]

I think it would be the coolest idea, problem is they already abandoned DisneyQuest and Innoventions and all the other places where they have done isolated games/rides/rotating ideas. So I wouldn’t have faith they’d keep it up

[@maiastephanie2986]

@@averyemleh maybe they learned from the failure of the nba experience. i’d love to see disneyquest make a comeback

[@kdusel1991]

​@@maiastephanie2986 I've been saying this for years since that closed. Turn the NBA experience into Disney Quest 2.0!! As for the play pavilion, do the wonders of life but theme it to inside out! Especially with the sequel coming out so soon!

[@maiastephanie2986]

@@kdusel1991 maybe make it more a general biology pavilion and have an inside out themed show or something! I’d rather see less ip, but I like the idea of it being integrated into something larger bc it would draw kids in

[@kdusel1991]

​​@@maiastephanie2986 I like IP if it's integrated properly. Like guardians for example. As for whatever the wonders of life is gonna be, they could do a new version of cranium command but have it be about Riley and the emotions!

[@rayay9581]

I think they should make the Wonders of Life 2.0 and Cranium Commander 2.0 with Riley’s Emotions from Inside Out 2. Maybe as a dark ride like Journey to Imagination.

[@simonfrost7094]

A captain is the highest ranking officer on a ship. He 'sails' the ship, is responsible for its' course, direction, speed and everything that happens on board during a journey. A pilot is like a temporary Captain who boards a ship when it has to navigate certain bodies of water, e.g. Canals, harbours, around bridges, etc, which the Captain may not be familiar with. Pilots know these waters better than anyone, so use their experience to help ships navigate these waters safely. Some canals (e.g. Suez) actually require that a Pilot navigate the ship whilst transitting the canal as well (but then refuse to take responsibility when the ship is one of the world's container ships that slams into the bank because you forgot to bribe the Pilot... but that's a story for another time). The more you know...

[@Flyoff1234]

It seems like the Disney executives were like “kids use emojis, so let’s add emojis to our theme park.” I’m glad they canceled it

[@maxkull2899]

Offhand has got that Lord Farquaad flow going these days

[@ryanrenn4815]

really is a shame that the play pavilion was taken so unseriously from its conception, because there genuinely is a void to be filled in the realm of tactile experiences that once existed in epcot (

[@rgs8970]

Disney needs to shift to a holistic focus of the parks experience. I'm afraid they've gone too far, but there are so many passionate crew members, imagineers, and fans who could collectively correct course for the parks as a whole, if corporate would just listen 😞

[@clh3620]

Bring back Play! pavilion, but base it entirely on Bluey, which is all about teaching parents how to play with their kids.

[@anthonypecorara]

I know IP is a hot topic, but they should take it back to the original theme and incorporate Inside Out. It will invoke the feeling of nostalgia for us olds while still drawing in the youngs with something they know. Idk, I’m not an imagineer, this is way above my pay grade.

[@samtoywizkid3841]

100% agree and maybe with a reference to old cranium command thrown in🙂! I don’t mind Ip as long as it is incorporated creatively and respects what was their before.

[@kdusel1991]

​@@samtoywizkid3841 agreed!

[@Hard_Boiled_Entertainment]

THIS! Cranium Command was essentially a proto Inside Out. An update of that ride pretty much writes itself!

[@tinglesrosyrupeeland]

This makes the most sense to me especially with the sequel coming out

[@MattMcIrvin]

Updates to Epcot seem to be cursed for some reason. This isn't even the first time they tried to radically overhaul Future World only to get it scaled back to relatively little.

[@zeroconsequences]

Play Pavilion was very Eisneresque. A not-so-grande idea for kids to be dropped off by adults in the park, but one of those necessities for a few guests. It's just not a good idea, but if they had infinite space to work with sure why not.

[@jerzeyguy71]

For me, I have thought of what can go inside, make the inside roof a planetarium like movie projection of anything Disney thinks of, then a always flowing ride track of two seat one car, where the line starts on the outside of the inside of the building, and you might incline like 15 feet before entering your car, it will lean you back like 45 degrees, so you look at the ceiling projection, the ride follows a circle track that slowly goes upwards and the track slowly go inwards, so raising up like the center of the dome, then near the top/end of track, your track goes down into the center and then out under the walking line into the ride building and continue the ride.. But I know trying to make this type of track ride in an enclosure already up, will be very difficult.

[@fusetunes]

I really hope they’re able to reuse it in some way. I was obsessed with cranium command even before all the drama and was so sad when they started gutting the building

[@marcuschhoa1512]

If I could reimagine the wonders of life, I'd like to have it still revolve around the story of life. But to fit the pavilion into the new World Discovery neighborhood, it would be told from a planetary scale. I'm imagining a boat ride like LWTL that talks about how life might survive and evolve on other worlds, taking guests through various ecosystems while showcasing alien flora and fauna. Central to the pavilion would be the Galactic Greenhouse, a gift shop that allows people to purchase otherworldly house plants, alien pets, and the like. Maybe there could even be a restaurant that serves up alien foods like they do at galaxy's edge or pandora. For the IP tie in, I think Wall-E would be a good fit? Guests could be helping out the Axiom crew by exploring these different planets, scanning for the ideal conditions that allow life to thrive - educating them about things like the goldilocks zone, the requirement for water, a breathable atmosphere, etc. etc.. But in the end they decide that Earth is the best place to settle, explaining the importance of keeping the planet healthy as they return it to a habitable state. (And for fun they can say the pavilion is sponsored by BnL)

[@kdusel1991]

Wall-E would be a great fit! I like inside out more but I totally understand the Wall-E idea!

[@jaredfamily123]

Who killed the play pavilion-two words, Bob cheaper I mean bob chapek Funny but I used the microphone and I was not going to make the cheap joke but the microphone put it so I had to keep it lol 😂

[@shockwave402]

Ship pilots are typically used to guide ships into ports/harbors because they are almost always more experienced than the ship captain in that specific port. So, the pilot will be boated out to the ship, take the controls, dock the ship, and then depart. (Or in reverse when embarking)

[@simonfrost7094]

Came here to find this comment.

[@dronesaur4328]

The Play pavilion should've basically just been a revived DisneyQuest. Did DisneyQuest get dated fast? Yes. Was it also still great? Also yes.

[@emilyhogan4973]

I remember when they announced the Play! pavilion and I immediately thought it was going to get dated fast.

[@kdusel1991]

Me too!!

[@courtneycroft9859]

an engineering based pavilion similar to the idea of what innoventions was but have it more based on engineering concepts such as statics, dynamics, electrical, fluids, and etc but really simplified to teach a basic understanding how the world around us is built

[@mariaf2758]

4 hour video on the Disneyland PeopleMover? We could only be so blessed!!!

[@maxkull2899]

I'm so bummed about the Play Pavilion still. Not that I thought the concept was great- just that the former WOL pavilion was FINALLY going to be used for something. It's such a huge space that they could do a lot with, and I was looking forward to seeing how the Play Pavilion would turn out

[@jasonrhome710]

A ship's pilot is the navigator who plots routes and helps verify that the captain is on course. Noooot a lot of landmarks out in the ocean, especially before there being satelites and the like. Pilot is there to figure that all out.

[@TheOneTrueDragonKing]

Yep, there's also harbor pilots who direct big ships through harbors by directing tugboats, avoiding sandbars and obstacles. A harbor guide, basically.

[@swampsagacity4685]

No reason they can’t have STEM activities & demonstrations for all ages in that pavilion plus a science museum of significant inventions/inventors. Also a rotating display of science projects from schools & universities. It would capture the spirit of EPCOT and revert to old traditions/ practices. But SHAME ON DISNEY for not keeping the pavilion running as a Festival Center where guests could participate in cooking & gardening shows & classes and meet professionals in those fields.

[@TwilightLink77]

The answer is simple. Blame Chapek

[@kdusel1991]

And covid!

[@ShyDoomGuy]

I choose to blame the Canadian pavilion

[@kdusel1991]

​​@@ShyDoomGuy true. But chapek is really to blame for this one. Along with the terrible Mary Poppins ride/expansion idea. And the cancellation of the festival pavilion and new spaceship earth. and the destruction of free fastpasses

[@jmchinch]

Mary Poppins “project”…you mean the teacup ride 2.0

[@kdusel1991]

A terrible project!

[@Lordvader330]

Love getting access to these early.

[@genappithy]

Guardians and Mission: Space explore outer space. The Life pavilion should explore the microscopic world. An adventure thru inner space if you will.

[@viewer-of-content]

They will replace it with the Australian Pavillion Featuring a Bluey dark ride and a Sidney Opera house. You'll eat fruit salad and that marshmallow thing they love as well as fusion foods from across Australia.

[@maddoxmysterymusic]

Fun fact: the wonders of life pavilion for the most part didn’t use any sort of original copyrighted background music they literally used new wave tracks of the time and that is why it’s my favorite

[@FransLebin]

a pilot is someone that temporarily steers a ship through busy and congested areas like harbors

[@lonesoul663]

Always wished for a Wonders of Life/biology pavilion 2.0. They could create some really interesting rides, but they won't.

[@KassMcCormack]

I know this is kind of tangential to the video but a boat pilot is different from a captain. The pilot helps steer bigger boats in and out of busy or tight harbors. They'll board the boat at the dock and either drive the boat out themself or direct the captain where to go and then get off onto a dingy to go back to the harbor once the boat gets to the open waters and then do it in reverse (dingy out to the boat, drive it in and dock it, then get off at the dock) when the boat comes back in. They talk about it and show it on one of the more recent seasons of Below Deck Med.

[@jamesgeorgi6627]

They need to put a WALL-E theme in there. A Wall-e attraction is long overdue

[@SailorDisco]

The play Pavilion was dated before it was even announced. I’m thankful it never happened.

[@kdusel1991]

So am I!

[@usablefiber]

I vote for a people mover and living with the land pavilion: a pavilion dedicated to those two attractions including Interactive behind the scenes exhibits of both and in place of body wars have pov motion simulator ride through of the Disney land people mover

[@MikeOxlong-mo8oh]

Saying “You are going to get absolutely soaked” on a children’s attraction is unintentionally hilarious!

[@IOSALive]

Offhand Disney, Subscribed because your content is fantastic!

[@Wendish1971]

Ideas for Wonders of Life Pavilion: Society of Explorers and Adventurers Pleasure Island Reboot Inside Out: Mental Health and You! Cars: Beyond Thunderdome Mythica: Treasure Planet / Hercules / Atlantis Edison Square: The Land of Invention

[@Xmetalfanx]

they (my first idea for that pavilion) should make a Tribute to say Innoventions AND Horizons IN the old WOL Pavilion ..... (will not get into they should close down the Imagination pavilion and bringing BACK the Dreamfinder ... THEY REDO WITH A MODERN TAKE ... the original .... even bringing back the spirit of Imagework's in the 90's)

[@caffeinatedanddead]

Heck this pavilion is so dead that they poured a curb on the old walkway to it. Not even just plant barriers; a poured concrete blockade.

[@dannygrau2983]

They could do an inside out pavilion. It could pay a nock to the old wonders of life

[@howtodraw7453]

Caught this at 17 seconds

[@AngLSTM]

Im guessing in a post panini world a pavilion where you touch everything is a nightmare.

[@jalapeno1119]

Even with out the pancake, touch screens aren't cool anymore. Kids have a touch screen in their pocket now.

[@AngLSTM]

@@jalapeno1119 good point. I was thinking from a logistics (sanitization) standpoint but screens are no longer impressive.

[@WanderingBoyMom]

Seeing your Sonic gave me an idea. I don't know much about the how or why Disney has Doctor Who on Disney+, but how cool would it be if we could have the pavilion themed to that?! Not only could it explain the lore, but incorporate the technology used in the episodes. The police call box, television, the Olympics, and on and on. There's so much the Doctor has seen and done, it would be easy to put it all in one place! I know we don't all like IPs, and this probably won't work, but I choose to be hopeful!

[@ethanclark2760]

I like how mission space was completely ignored when talking about that side of the park😂 honestly if anything needs to change after something fills the wonders of life void it’s mission space. Like how did we get another update to Test Track but no update (or removal please) of mission space?

[@SeanFrawley]

It amazes me that they still mention it in the Epcot Monorail Spiel to this day

[@QuentrixMovies]

The only thing I was looking forward to with this was to see the building modernized and new landscaping outside. That's it. And being able to actually go in the dome again.

[@jrios29]

Loved hearing the shout out at the end card! 😊

[@JaycieSLove]

At this point they should just make the Wonders of Life pavilion into a walkthrough museum

[@planetmirror2090]

All we know is that it has to fit a World Discovery theme, and an IP will be attached

[@juanyeeast1630]

From the looks of it, it would've been Disneyquest 2.0 😂😅

[@Funnytumesusually]

🥲rip- that pavilion is such a waste of potential. Like, if it’s cheapest, just do the original theme of Health, and do a inside out theme or some thing and mix it with some thing about learning about the body and reuse some of the old infrastructure for a ride

[@vaderman212]

You know it absolutely would have been called Duck Tales: Huey, Dewey, & Louie + Webby's Water Balloon Adventure

[@gabeanz123]

8:13 idk if anyone else has said this but if this pavilion is about different forms of communication, it can include sign language. Even better have an area that explains origins of ASL and showcase sign language from different countries.

[@bison-yetistudio2296]

Maybe replace it with a new version of horizons

[@stevengracey5061]

Your signal Pavillion idea....hosted by the muppets! And have it include a version of the great movie ride and shows too, a ride based on literature, radio, and language itself! All hosted by the Muppets, but also slotting in other disney characters when applicable. It will be a celebration/edutanment of language and the transmission of ideas, thoughts, feelings thru the things we enjoy to escape from the everyday

[@baystated]

Replace the plans for the Play Pavillion with the Wonders of Work Warehouse... where you wouldnt have a job if your company didnt hire other people who keep screwing things up.

[@TheDisneyStranger]

You had me at Sonic Screwdrive! Speaking of... How about A TARDIS Who Console Room? (its the right shape 🤣)

[@carminecdinoproductions]

The Play Pavilion should be revived for a possible Walt Disney World 55th anniversary celebration in 2026!

[@ConnorCampbell-ch5mk]

Time. Probably

[@BeefyBryan]

I appreciate the old school Epcot music in the background. ❤

[@lucash5446]

Epcot vids never get old.

[@brenkirgaming4586]

I actually really like the Signal Pavillion idea. So creative!

[@Belangerz]

They should create a frozen pavilion where there’s 2 copies of frozen ever after.

[@MAVERICK-AMSMP]

Pilot is a navigator that belongs to a harbour and will board the ship and guide the ship into the harbour and to dock it. Also it will guide the ship out of the harbour and leave the dock.

[@ChesterCipher-xe2yg]

They should bring back wonders of life and use inside out/soul as the ip to represent it

[@gameyfirebro9645]

8:09 perfect for a Gravity Falls themed restaurant maybe?

[@SmolAliens]

A pilot is to a ship what a valet is to a car. They work at ports and temporarily board ships to safely steer them into place at the dock. ;)

[@jalapeno1119]

I thought that Pavilion had a sink hole?

[@Bastet674]

Captain is a nautical rank above the navigator and pilot.

[@Scrambles_Deathdealer]

Jenny Nicholson put together a 4-Hour video on the galactic star Cruiser and you can't put one together for the people mover? I'm embarrassed for you😂

[@OffhandDisney]

Nah, other me is just a naysayer. Stay tuned.

[@NinthShinigami]

That’s cause Dallin’s getting ready to give us a 24 hr video on it 👀

[@porcelainthunder2213]

It was a stupid and really expensive idea. Most of the new crap in Epcot is a stupid idea.

[@Hard_Boiled_Entertainment]

The Play! Pavilion idea was KINDA redundant, wasn't it? Seriously, the Deam Labs in the Imagination pavilion is...pretty much already what Play! was proposed to be, right?

[@honeysuckle754]

The Play! Pavillon was my “Beyond Big Thunder”

[@Project-Jaden]

No joke we want a 4 hour long peoplemover video

[@mikebenda]

Keep it the Wonders of Life pavilion and add new attractions.

[@Undrave]

I don't think 'Play' is a bad theme for a pavillon. Games have been with humanity since prehistory, after all, so I think it would be a cool theme to explore... just so long as it's not chasing trends but is actually exploring the whole meaning of 'to play'.

[@gayboimaximus]

Disney in 2024’s interpretation of a signal pavilion would be a food court with a 5G tower and rentable phone chargers

[@UziLover389]

In the old play pavilion showcase, they said Huey dewy Louie and ""Webby"" and shes not in a Disney movie, only in DuckTales (wooo) Hmmmm... How about a chibi pavilion, so they can add Disney channel characters into the parks!

[@PoppaSquat-et3qp]

The answer is very clear. The Magic 8 ball says knock it down and build a Joffreys cart.

[@SilasMiller-y1m]

I say we bring back Commander Buzzy in a sequel to Cranium Command. But rather than being a show, it's a Haunted Mansion style Omnimover where Buzzy teams up with Jean Lafitte to go into Bob Iger's mind, taking control of him and making him bring back the Disneyland people mover. We can call it the Offhand Disney pavilion and have giant screens everywhere of Dallin yelling at people to go ride Living With the Land.

[@joemazz958]

What a unique name: play pavilion.

[@NealHunterHyde]

I usually enjoy your videos - but this one … oh. you had me from the jump flashing that Sonic Screwdriver and all.

[@lloydmurrayX]

Would be cool to see them re-theme the wonders of life pavilion to be zootopia based. some sort of trackless dark ride.

[@valeriemcdonald440]

I got a play pavillion pin in one of those Figment pavillion pin blind boxes. What am I supposed to do with it now.

[@erikablush182]

That candle add is so dumd, I LOVE IT!!!

[@madichilds829]

LOL I have an Epcot mug from Starbucks that has the Play pavilion on it...

[@palmermccall7309]

Nice catch!! @15:23