May 11, 2020

Celebrating EPCOT Center's Communicore

Truth be told, there are not too many pieces of concept art for the hub of EPCOT Center, the now defunct Communicore. The other Future World pavilions had many renderings, but not this place. 

This cutaway version of art displays
wonders to be found inside.

When it opened, the sleek arcs of Communicore unveiled the place for hands on exploration. Allowing guests to put theories into action with a series of games and exhibits, it was the place to take a practical glimpse into a future of living. Sponsors included Bell Labs, the highly respected research arm of what became AT&T.

Proposed but never built.

The home of cute little robot SMRT-1 was found here as was the Astuter Computer Revue and the future of the unrealized Tron Arcade. The area had a lively with an energetic vibe that was lost with later incarnations. 

The Imagineers of EPCOT were truly genius in their approach and execution- something later artists and businesspeople were lacking. The park was all the worse for it.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

2 comments:

Matthew said...

I loved Communicore. I loved it's interactive polling. I loved it video phone technology and making reservations for restaurants from the Main Entrance rather than running all the way over to the World Showcase. What I remember most though is throwing off the video phone Cast Members by looking directly into the camera. They were trained to give you eye contact by looking directly into the camera so anyone watching the interaction would always see the Cast Member "looking at the person calling." However, your camera was off to the side. When you looked off to the side at your camera, they would instinctively look down at their monitor. Eye contact is still the fastest form of communication and good manners and we Disney Cast Members were taught to give Guests eye contact.

Always your pal,
Amazon Belle

Mark said...

I agree! Communicore was great! I, too, loved the World Key kiosks. So many fun things to do inside the buildings that they each seemed like their own Future World pavilions and not the waste of space they became in subsequent versions. EPCOT Center was astonishing in its scope and scale. The newer IP versions? Not so much...