I’m on the hunt. I’ve got my magnifying glass out and I’m looking for clues. What happened to the Play Pavilion at EPCOT?
[soft jazz starts to play in the background]
It was 2019. We were living in a world before the coronavirus, but in the midst of a “large scale revamp of Epcot”.
We were naive. We believed what the preview center said was fact. It was our almighty spirit, looking towards the future.
Those facts? Were false.
Not by their own doing. A multi-month park closure. The theme park industry was flipped on its head.
But as the theme park flipped, a lot of those EPCOT announcements were dealt with.
Mary Poppins was canceled. Spaceship Earth’s redo was canceled. The multi-story festival center was reworked.
Yet, the Play Pavilion remained.
Updated concept art and map recognition led us to believe it was happening.
The dome has returned! The large, golden hub of life will now welcome all to play! Huzzah!
Time passed, new things opened, and the crews working on the outside of the building began to disappear.
What’s going on inside, many asked.
Will it ever open, many asked.
Can…can I play somewhere else, many asked.
Then, like Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration, all mention of the pavilion vanished.
No longer was it on maps or on the lips of Disney marketing managers.
The dome remains dormant.
Like sand through the hourglass of time, these are the domes of our lives.
Play is no longer…or is it?
See, the silence is telling.
Are we being trained to forget?
Did they forget?
Or is the entire idea being scrapped for something more cohesive?
For every other project, a concrete “no” was delivered with the harshness of “The Lottery”.
Play remains silent.
Just as the dome sits now.
Silent.
The Play pavilion was always a bit odd: a technological, #NotSponsored version of Innoventions?
An elaborate neon wonderland filled with, likely, character meet and greets and Wii games?
There’s a place for it, no question.
Indoor air conditioning and frivolity? Sign me up!
But as the sand continues through the hourglass, the idea of a big ticket item becomes a sexier concept.
With the ever-growing need for family attractions, can the dome be reutilized for something of the sort?
Not just video games, but instead, something worthy of a Lightning Lane* capability? (*money-making)
Does Play even work within the confines of ‘World Discovery’ anymore?
Alas, she sits.
She remains quiet, continuing to shine her golden hue over the skyline of EPCOT.
She may be tucked away, but she’s still there.
She’s the aunt staying so long at a family function, you forget she’s there.
She knows all. She hears the murmurs.
She yearns to speak up, but she only will when the time is right.
My own hope? Something fun.
That’s all. Just fun.
Let the dome be of use.
Seeing her reopen will, and can, be a wonder of my life.
Until then, let her ponder, ‘till she can be ready to play.
[puts out fake cigarette, grabs coat, and leaves office]
no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com