EPCOT Center's Never Built Future World Rollercoaster

 If you think Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the first rollercoaster planned for Epcot, think again. That honor actually goes to another Future World pavilion and not a reworking of the classic EPCOT Center attraction Universe of Energy. Any guesses as to what it could be?

Well, you'd be correct if you didn't think it was Test Track! But it was an attraction thought of for the Transportation pavilion, an early predecessor to the World of Motion. Imagineer Clem Hall designed the piece of concept art for that compound in Future World, but it never was built as designed. Fans never saw what could have been until years later. 

Look closely, and you'll see a four looped coaster track off to the back left side of the rendering before it heads back into the main structure. Shades of Tron, I'd say, decades before Shanghai Disneyland's "E Ticket" attraction came to be. 

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Cinco de Mayo Celebration of Epcot's Mexico Showcase

Who doesn't love Cinco de Mayo? And who isn't ready for some margaritas and a nice meal with a festive atmosphere?

At Epcot's Mexico Showcase, the fiesta lasts every day! Ready for opening day, those world famous Disney Imagineers created a beautiful combination of shops and restaurants to complement the lovely El Rio del Tiempo, the attraction found inside the pyramid.  This ride through a Blue Bayou type lagoon unfolds the story of Mexican culture through music and dance. 

Before we get to that, let's talk about where to eat. From my last visit, it boiled down to two choices. One with great food and an average environment, and one with awful food but a spectacular only as Disney can do setting.

Just opposite this pyramid is the restaurant with amazing food: La Hacienda. It may even have the best food in all of Epcot, and it earned deservedly rave reviews from everyone in our group, kids, parents, and grandparents. That's saying something as our state offers some of the best Mexican food in the country.

The other restaurant of notice is inside the pyramid: San Angel Restaurant. One of our early favorites when EPCOT Center opened, but one with now some of the worst food at the park, albeit with a mesmerizing environment. Can't have both here. What would you choose?

Now back to our story of the Imagineers and their vision for the Mexico showcase. They dreamed up a great concept with some wonderful art to support it. 

The concept art reveals their thoughtful undertaking. To capture a country as vibrant and varied as Mexico, they involved local artists in their work. Doing so brought an authenticity to the Disney theme park- even if it is a fanciful dream-like version of everyone's favorite ideas of what the nation actually comprises. 

Approaching the imposing temple sitting alongside the World Showcase lagoon, we see the Imagineers first give us a museum like space devoted to bringing us a small sampling of crafts from local artists. But once we go deeper inside, a surprise awaits!

The Walt Disney World experience is all the more rich because of the vision of the park's creators, and its execution. Just about anyone can build rides, but EPCOT Center was meant to educate as well as entertain. In the early days, long before the inclusion of animated characters, the pavilion's adventures had to stand on their own. And they did. 

Let's go back in time to opening day and step inside to discover the treasures of Mexico. A beautiful plaza calls to us with so much to discover. Moving past the small shops around the colonial plaza, we find yet another temple and a small lagoon.

Going deeper still, we step aboard our small boat, cruising on the moonlit waterway into a smaller but still imposing illuminated structure.  Ancient statuary sits beside it with a singular hut found off to the right. Our adventure begins!

No spoilers here about the ride itself, but instead some concept art (above and below) for the village within the plaza show us the night is alive with music and food!

The plaza sparkles in the moonlight, beckoning us to partake of its pleasures! Time for shopping. Perhaps a meal but certainly there's time for music! Yet, the other countries of World Showcase are waiting for us, making EPCOT Center a full two day park if you include the adventures of Future World. Where to go next?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photos copyright the author.)

Pencil Sketch of EPCOT Center's El Rio del Tiempo

From Imagineer Clem Hall, a great pencil sketch for Mexico's classic - and sorely missed- El Rio del Tiempo. When EPCOT Center opened, the countries of World Showcase celebrated their individual cultures and not the Disney character stories that took place in them. This distinction gave the park a fascinating, educational based feel, entertaining guests but also expanding their horizons. 

It was a wonderful plan and could have been maintained had the suits updated attractions with the latest technologies and newest travelogues. But it was not to be. Soon, World Showcase will not only be the home of Frozen Ever After and The Three Caballeros in the Gran Fiesta Tour. Coming soon is Ratatouille and Mary Poppins. More after that without a doubt. If they can shove Guardians of the Galaxy into the park, anything goes. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Looking Back at a New Tomorrowland

If you nose around the internet a bit, it seems that Walt Disney World's fairly refreshed Tomorrowland may be in for a bit of an Imagineering remake. New shades of paint are appearing just about everywhere, from the space styled rocks at the entrance to the Carousel of Progress building an it's striking new sign.

The great folks at WDWMagic share in some speculation that so much of the land is due to change, but Space Mountain won't be touched. (You'll have to go there yourself to pick up on the rumors gaining steam.) It may get a new neighbor, but the iconic building will remain. It's a good thing, too! Not only is it one of my favorite attractions in the World, it's one kids of all ages look forward to conquering! I've got tons of Imagineering concept art on it (and a piece on Space Mountains all over the world that may need some updates). Now for some art.

Disney Imagineer Clem Hall was the man responsible for some of the earliest concept paintings of Space Mountain. There's not much known about he guy, but you can see he was a forward thinker and some of his concepts had a profound affect on the design of Florida's Tomorrowland. On the piece above and below, you can see the Grand Prix Raceway to the left, and the Skyway building to the right.

This nighttime look at Space Mountain intrigues me even more- as most dark skied bright light pieces do. In fact, so does nighttime at any Disney park. The lighting designers are incredibly talented, making even the most mundane lands feel special.

Here's one last piece for this post. By an (unknown to me) Imagineer, showing yet another different potential design for the world's first coaster in the dark. I'm partial to the final result however- and I bet many others share that opinion. Hopefully the changes to come honor the genius of the past artists.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

More Rare Space Mountain Art

Another look at rare Space Mountain art by Imagineer Clem Hall. This time a nighttime view. A much more streamlined approach versus John Hench's iconic one. Nonetheless, with the Skyway behind it and the Grand Prix Raceway next door, any version of the park's premier thrill attraction is a great thing. Too bad Shanghai Disneyland's Tron Lightcycles isn't nearby as well.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rare Space Mountain Art- Another Look

Not much is known about Disney Imagineer Clem Hall, but he was responsible for one of the earliest concept paintings of Space Mountain for Walt Disney World.  With the Grand Prix Raceway to the left, and the Skyway building to the right, Tomorrowland was planned to hold many exciting attractions above ground, on it, and in outer space! As you can tell, the completed version of the Magic Kingdom's first roller coaster attraction shares only a bit of the look shown above. I've got a few more of these around...somewhere.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)