Since EPCOT Center remains the favorite WDW Park of all three Institute know-it-alls, I decided one more look would be appropriate (and who knows, maybe a few more as I root around in the Institute’s database). The Sensor Maze was always one of my favorite visits (in my favorite Pavilion … at my favorite park); the pure magic and whimsy that it instills within a person is wondrous … I know this first hand, as my oldest son experienced it when he was just a wee two and three (and then the evil Eisner dragon ripped it out! No magic here, as the good dragon–you know, the purple one–was not around to save the maze). The delight in my son’s eye to this parent was worth the price of admission. And so, I thought I’d actually share a photo that I TOOK for a change (rather than all these collections we have at DHI, of other people’s photographs). I remember this Rainbow Corridor fondly and I miss it dearly. More than that, I remember the glee on my child’s face, which after all, that is what Walt wanted! So, thanks Walt … and Happy 30th Epcot!
I can tell from the photo that I would have really liked that colorful tunnel. When they ripped it out, did they replace it with anything, or was it just gone? Such a shame, I wish I could have seen the early EPCOT.
Yes, it is something that I think Walt would have loved. As you walked through the Sensor Maze the colors would change, sometimes almost following you. So you could get the entire S-shaped tunnel to be only a few colors, or many like this. Egads, the story of what they did to this is unbelievable. The entire Journey Into Imagination Pavilion was in design and reality its namesake, word for word. It had an amazing dark ride that was a work of art itself (filled with art, like these unbelievable Walt Peregoy paper sculptures … that would make the paper sculpture of Robert Sabuda look like something a kindergartener would do). And what was truly sad, they replaced it with a blah, uninspired (as many negative superlatives as you can think of) attraction (and I use that term loosely). Just dreadful. The fan community went ballistic (as they should). The press hated it (as they should). They tried fixing it, but it was nothing like the original. There are tributes and photos all over the internet (and comparisons). I really, truly miss it. I can visualize it as something that Walt would have put in his World’s Fair Theme Park on the Florida property (of course, NOT named EPCOT). Paul
From what I have read on other Disney fan sites, the tunnel is still there. The ImageWorks portion of the attraction was upstairs, where there were lots of interactive things to do (green screen yourself into a movie, add funny noses to your face on a computer screen with a “webcam” before “the web” or “cams” really existed, walk on colorful lights that make sounds). That upstairs area is still there, used for storage and blocked off. And it sounds like the tunnel is still part of it, dark and foreboding (found photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13726219@N06/5260551727/). Since they aren’t using upstairs, no need to pay to rip it out. Sad, really.