Energy in Motion Pavilion

Today's adventure through Yesterland takes us back to the mid-1990s, in the midst of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells' "Disney Decade", a period of time that they declared The Walt Disney Company will forge new paths, unlock new markets, and go even higher than before. For Walt Disney Imagineering, this meant a new creative lease on life for both the young and old Imagineers, where their artistic ambitions could be brought to life, thanks in part to The Mouse House.

In keeping with his promise to bring new and younger faces to the theme parks, Eisner decided that in order to do so, Disney would have to introduce genuinely thrilling attractions that put guests in the middle of the action. So far, the formula has worked: Star Tours (1989) was a resounding success, and the in-development Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye (1995) was the talk of the town. Looking across the domestic parks, Eisner realized that between the four theme parks, Epcot was seriously lacking one. Even the nearby Magic Kingdom has several at that point!

Charged by Eisner to create thrill attractions in the "passive" edutational Epcot, the Imagineers hit a stroke of genius. Looking around in Future World, they noticed that the original Universe of Energy pavilion was looking tired and dated. With the rising attention towards fossil fuels (which plays a major part in the Universe of Energy's storyline) as a major contributor to climate change and global warming, it was decided that the Universe of Energy would be the first to go under the knife, with an opening date set for 1997 to coronate Epcot's 15th anniversary and Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary.

The Energy in Motion Pavilion, presented by K'Nex, is a cutting-edge facility focused on various applications of energy through kinetics and motion physics that establishes 'energy' as an exciting endeavor for guests to learn and explore. Inside the Entropy Labs, scientists study how to best utilize all different types of energy, (potential, kinetic, thermal, and so on) in order to create sensory thrills. With the K'Nex partnership, the pavilion becomes an interactive playset that redefines this Epcot plot as a family-friendly and multi-purpose pavilion with innovative attractions, unique dining experiences, and novel entertainment venues that could only be found at Epcot.