Concept art is something I can never seem to get enough of! EPCOT Center had some of the very best due to the enormous talent of people like Imagineer Herb Ryman. This Future World pavilion might look a bit unfamiliar to you as it wasn't built like this, but instead, it was given a different exterior. Look closely though, and you'll recognize it to be World of Motion presented by General Motors.
The centerpiece attraction was a ride through adventure filled with good humor a la Marc Davis style and scores of Audio-Animatronics. In a very sly and subtle move, there's one very big tribute to Marc Davis in the attraction. The Old West scene of a stagecoach being held up is taken directly from pieces of a journey planned for the never built Magic Kingdom attraction, the Pirates of the Caribbean inspired Western River Expedition. (The best series of articles on this unbuilt Thunder Mesa mega attraction filled area is found on Passport to Dreams Old & New. Here's the link to Part One.)
Don't get me wrong- Test Rack is pretty fun, although I am a fan of the original version instead of the Tron rip-off we now have. (The test crash dummy scene was a perfect blend of concept, theme, and execution.) But the suits and Imagineers should have been able to leave the original E Ticket while building a second one.
Anyone ready to sing World of Motion's classic theme, "It's Fun to Be Free"? Wish I could see this attraction again!
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
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