The Wonders of "new" Life: Part One

  By: Matt 

My latest trip to Walt Disney World afforded me the unique opportunity to tour what was once my favorite Epcot Center pavilion, The Wonders of Life.  Sponsored by MET and featured on episode 35 of Wedway Radio, the Wonders of Life pavilion was a fan favorite and housed e-tickets like Body Wars and Cranium Command, as well as many interactive attractions serving all ages. 

The Wonders of Life pavilion opened its doors daily from October 1989 until its closure in January 2007, and I was fortunate to experience it during one of its final days in 2007 (unfortuanately, I did not have my camera) and recently during a Food and Wine exhibit in November, 2010 (an instance where I did have my camera). 

During my first trip back, several things stuck out that I did not notice during my last visit in 2007.  As a matter of fact, most of my epiphanies came from the approach.  For example, I never noticed how hidden the pavilion was to park guests walking by.  Now, without proper signage and a missing double-helix sculpture (the pavilion's eye-catching icon), the pavilion is much less obvious today...but overall, there was nothing pulling you in.  There was no grand entrance from the outside and no truly unique architectual style that said...come in, come in...the Disney Imagineers have an amazing, biological world of wonder inside. 

I'm not saying the view from the pavilion to the commons area of Future World West wasn't beautiful (and vise-versa), with adult trees and two pretty pools of water, but it definitely did not have the wonderment of The Living Seas approach, or the daunting nature of Horizons building.

  At close-view, the pavilion does have some unique, architectual qualities about it.  It is also beautifully painted and treated.  Overall, though, I still don't find it as fascinating as the Land or Imagination pavilions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               On a related note, the approach within the trellis area of the pavilion was somewhat plain, as well.  Concrete floors and flowers adorned the walking path, and the actual entrance was merely a few double-doors and an electric-door entrance for disabled guests.

Due to space limitations, I'll update you on the inside of the pavilion in Part Two of this series.  I'll take a look at what currently stands before the que areas and exits of each attraction inside a pavilion you once knew as The Wonders of Life.

To read more from Matt check out The Odyssey