Disney recently released some info about the Galaxy’s Edge openings at Disneyland and Disney World, but another major announcement was overshadowed. Epcot’s Wonders of Life is going to become a new concept Play Pavillion. 

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

This new pavillion will be designed to look like an innovative city, with interactive experiences and games with favorite Disney characters. The company describes the experience as: 

“This innovative, new pavilion is beyond anything we’ve ever created and is completely unique to Epcot,” said Zach Riddley, portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Built on the power of play, it introduces an immersive and interactive ‘city’ where you can explore, create, and interact with some of your favorite Disney characters. This is an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot – and another signature element of our transformation.”

But this isn’t really the first time Disney has thought of the concept. The idea actually originated with Epcot itself. It just didn’t make the cut. 

Legendary Imagineer Rolly Crump described the concept in his book, Kind of a Cute Story:

“We realized there wasn’t much there for kids to do. Scott Hennessy came up with this pavilion called EPTOT, which would have been for little kids. We made a model of our idea to show to Management. Each section of the pavilion represented a little kid version of all the pavilions at EPCOT (Center). There was one for The Living Seas, one for The Land, and so on. It was basically a mini-play area based on all the big pavilions, but Marty Sklar and John Hench shot us down. They thought EPCOT (Center) was strictly for adults and not for children.”

The following photos are from the recent Van Eaton Galleries auction which featured a model of the EPTOT pavilion:

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot , EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

John Hench also designed the Leave a Legacy stones that presently dominate Epcot’s entrance plaza (you know, that giant graveyard in front of Spaceship Earth), which proves that sometimes even the greatest Imagineers can make a mistake.

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot , EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot , EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

Can you figure out which pavilions are represented?

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

Do you think that this pavilion should have opened with EPCOT Center to begin with? Did Marty Sklar and John Hench make a mistake cutting Rolly’s EPTOT? What would you put in a modern-day “Play” Pavilion? Let me know in the comments below!

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, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot

, EPTOT – Imagineering’s First Play Pavilion Concept at Epcot
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Shelly Valladolid
Shelly Valladolid
http://www.micechat.com
Shelly Valladolid, aka Fab, has been writing about Disney and theme parks for about two decades. She has written for various fan and pop culture sites, Disney Magazine and OCRegister.com and participated in several books, including Passporter's Disneyland and Southern California and Disney World Dreams. She was co-founder and president of the Orlando, Florida chapter of the NFFC (now Disneyana Fan Club). She taught a class on theme park history at a Southern California University. She is creator and co-owner of Jim Hill Media, one of the creators of MousePlanet and was a consultant on MSNBC, The Motley Fool and others about Disney and various media matters. She was a Heel wrestling manager on TV and a voice artist on the radio in Honolulu, HI, where she grew up. She has a blog and a podcast with her daughter, Mission:Breakout Obsessive Alice Hill. She and her husband, MiceChat columnist Noe Valladolid, live in Southern California with Alice.
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