Navigator Lounge

The emerald green floor that became synonymous with Cyber Showcase transitioned to blue and yellow as the America Online sponsorship came to fruition. A new 'Navigator Lounge' interactive area became the new Cyber Showcase, established from the pavilion's overlay in 1997 and proceeding through the sponsorship's conclusion in 2006. The interactive areas were slightly modified to fit the theme of searching through an AOL main page, with rooms and exhibits focused on the daily new, sports, finance, and other information going on throughout the world. Guests could find the latest updates throughout the world in live-time from this Navigator Lounge.

Also prominent was MARIA, the AI technology from the previous incarnation, albeit in a reduced role. Similar to the guest feedback on the transition from The Compu-Tour to Web Surfer, this was met with mixed reviews as MARIA became an Epcot fan favorite and the decision to reduce the role led to backlash in the hardcore fanbase that then compounded with the temporary removal of Figment across the way in Journey into Your Imagination during the 1999 season.

When AOL ended their sponsorship of the pavilion in 2006, the Navigator Lounge would go on to take further hits. Exhibits and activities that were most intrinsically tied to AOL were removed, with demos for video games made by Disney Interactive put in their place. The official explanation was that video games served as a display of computing power thanks to the technology required to make them, but critics saw the excuse as a bit flimsy and just a way to cram in further advertising for Disney. More striking was the eventual removal of MARIA from the Navigator Lounge, regarded by Epcot purists as yet another piece of Epcot history stripped from the park.