1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Get in touch with technology with tech Stuff from how 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works and I love all things tech. And 5 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: recently I went on a vacation to the most magical 6 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: place on Earth. Not the happiest place on Earth. That's Disneyland. 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: The most magical place on Earth is disney World. And yes, 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: that's how the company refers to them. And the reason 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: I mentioned that is because back on October one, two 10 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: Walt Disney World opened its Phase two theme park. The 11 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,279 Speaker 1: original park, the Magic Kingdom, was Phase one that had 12 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: opened on October one, nineteen seventy one, and this episode 13 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: is publishing on October one, two thousand eighteen. So I 14 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: figure I would do an episode specifically about the concept 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: behind the original Epcot and how that was different from 16 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: the theme park that would open thirty six years from now. 17 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: Like back back thirty six years ago, back in time. Well, 18 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: today's Epcot is presented as a proper noun, So Epcot 19 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: is just its name, Big E Small pc Ot, But 20 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: originally the name was actually an acronym. Now there's a 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: joke about what that acronym stands for. The joke says 22 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: that stands for every person comes out tired because EPCOT 23 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: is an enormous theme park. It's twice the size of 24 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: the Magic Kingdom, three times the size of Disneyland, and 25 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: there's very little shade in the Florida whether can be 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: a bit unforgiving for much of the year, for example, 27 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: when I was there. But in fact, the acronym really 28 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and it was 29 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: one of Walt Disney's dream projects, a truly ambitious goal 30 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: that he had set now before nineteen EPCOT was a 31 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: name only a relatively few number of people had ever heard, 32 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: uh it had not escaped the company and a few 33 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: small or a few partners potential partners. So Walt Disney 34 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: had been interested in creating a prototype city that incorporated 35 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: cutting edge technology. It would have sophisticated urban planning from 36 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: the get go, and this was an idea he came 37 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: up with not long after Disneyland was established in the fifties. 38 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: He had previously explored the possibility of creating such a city. 39 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty nine, he got an opportunity with some 40 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: developers outside of Palm Beach, Florida. He had previously looked 41 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: at New York as a site, but determined that that 42 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: was not a very good site for an amusement park, 43 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: largely because of whether it would probably mean that the 44 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: theme park would only really be an operation for part 45 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: of the year, and he had year long operations because 46 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: it was the most efficient use of the space. So 47 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: he had looked around the Eastern Seaboard. He looked at 48 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: Palm Beach, Florida. It would have been a joint effort 49 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: between Disney's company uh NBC r c A and a 50 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: billionaire named John D. MacArthur, but the plan fell through. 51 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: Our CIA went through some financial difficulties and kind of 52 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 1: had to withdraw from it, and there were disagreements between 53 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: Roy Disney, who was sort of the financial genius behind 54 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: the Disney Company, and MacArthur. So that didn't go any 55 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: further than that. But Whalt Disney had really started to 56 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: think about this idea of creating a city, and he 57 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: was resolved to give it a shot if he had 58 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: the chance. The first time the public got to hear 59 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: at least a hint about Disney's dream of this community 60 00:03:56,440 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: of tomorrow would be back in November nineteen at a 61 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: press conference. This was a press conference where the company, 62 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: the Disney Company, revealed that had purchased nearly twenty eight 63 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: thousand acres of land in central Florida. Now, at that 64 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: press conference, Walt Disney announced that they had in mind 65 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: something much more than an entertainment offering like Disneyland. Now 66 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: that's not to disparage Disneyland. I truly love that theme park, 67 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: but rather to say that Walt Disney had a larger 68 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: vision for the Orlando deal. Initially, though, he was rather 69 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: coy with sharing those ideas. They the details for what 70 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: they were planning were pretty sparse at that press conference, which, 71 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: by the way, you can watch that press conference is 72 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: on YouTube. You can pull up the November nine announcement 73 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: of what would become Walt Disney World. At this point, 74 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: it was the Florida project. Walt Disney didn't want to 75 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: commit publicly to any one plan that early in the process. 76 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: He would say that he had many ideas and he 77 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: wanted the project to at least be the equal of Disneyland, 78 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: if not superior to Disneyland. But following the conference, there 79 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: were news reports that said the site would become the 80 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: home of a city of yesterday, so presumably meaning a 81 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: community that hearkened back to an idealistic vision of Americana, 82 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: kind of like the embodiment of Main Street, USA at 83 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: the various Disney parks, And it would also be the 84 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: home of a city of tomorrow, and that it would 85 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: be at least three years before anything of consequence could 86 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: be built on the site of Florida, because there'll be 87 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: a lot of preliminary work that would need to be 88 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: done before any foundation could be laid. Walt Disney died 89 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: on December fifteenth, nineteen sixty six, due to lung cancer. 90 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: Just a couple of months after his death, the Walt 91 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: Disney Company sent out press kits to the media, including 92 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: The New York Times, and those press kits included plays 93 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: for what was to become of all that land in Florida. 94 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: And at the heart of this plan was this new 95 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: type of city. It was a say that was designed 96 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: to take advantage of modern technologies from the ground up, 97 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: a city purposefully laid out and integrated so that the 98 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: people who lived and worked there could spend less time 99 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: dealing with day to day frustrations and more time being 100 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: productive and doing what most you know, Americans think of 101 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: as being the truly American activity, pursuing the heck out 102 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: of happiness. So in this prescott where concept images of 103 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: elements of this city, one of those concept images showed 104 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: a collection of buildings laid out around in a hub 105 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: and wheel pattern of what the company referred to as 106 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: the radial design that would be common to all elements 107 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: of this new city. You would see this same sort 108 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:58,840 Speaker 1: of basic element of design repeated throughout the various incarnations 109 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: each building. Uh In this particular drawing for this industrial park, 110 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: part of the city was shaped kind of like a 111 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: slice of high but you cut the pointy bit off, 112 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: so you've got a flat part towards this pointing towards 113 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: the center, the center being a circular sort of courtyard, 114 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: and each building is like a slightly separated piece of pie. 115 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:26,679 Speaker 1: This industrial complex was supposed to be a place where 116 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: corporations would partner with Disney. They would have their locations 117 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: here to create a kind of a showcase of industry 118 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: at work, according to the Breasts kit, so its supposed 119 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: to be kind of a a stage almost where American 120 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 1: industry could be shown off, not just for promotional purposes, 121 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: but also a way to interact with the public and 122 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: show off the newest of innovations. UH Walt Disney was 123 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: a great believer in American ingenuity and innovation, and he 124 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: wanted this to be kind of a stage for those companies. 125 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: Another image included a cutaway concept of what the company 126 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: referred to as the transportation Lobby. This would actually be 127 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: located beneath an enormous hotel, a thirty story hotel, So 128 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: you have a thirty story hotel, and then where you 129 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: would have the ground level, like where pedestrians will be 130 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: walking around outside, you had the transportation lobby. In this image, 131 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: you can see people walking around on that ground floor 132 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: and that's the that's the domain of pedestrians. Beneath the 133 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:41,599 Speaker 1: transportation lobby, you would see parking facilities and highways. The 134 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:46,839 Speaker 1: road was actually beneath this prototype community of Tomorrow. It 135 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 1: didn't run through it, it ran under it. Not that 136 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: different from what Elon Musk has proposed with some of 137 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: his tunnel systems that he would like to build under 138 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: various cities. So you could argue that Elon Musk is 139 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: trying to bring to life at East. Part of this 140 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: vision of the community of tomorrow, and these highways would 141 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: also include specific sections meant for specific types of vehicles. 142 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: At the bottomost layer would be the the the level 143 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: for supply trucks, so trucks carrying important supplies for the 144 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: community would actually travel on the lowest level and they 145 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: would have direct access to things like freight elevators, and 146 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: then commuter traffic would be a level above that, but 147 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: still below ground, and then you would have the ground 148 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: floor where people could walk around. Above that would be 149 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: elevated tracks, and you would have a system that was 150 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: essentially the wed Way people mover. Anyone who's been to 151 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: Disneyland or Walt Disney World is probably somewhat familiar with 152 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: the people Mover, and that would be sort of a 153 00:09:54,520 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: short distance, slow public transit offering, not not a fast travel. 154 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: But then across from that is an elevated monorail, and 155 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: that was meant to be for longer distances and faster travel. 156 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 1: So according to the press kit, the Transportation Lobby will 157 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: be located at the very heart of Epcot, directly beneath 158 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: the thirty story theme Hotel. This will be the central 159 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: arrival departure point for all passengers using the monorail or 160 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:26,439 Speaker 1: the newly designed wed Way people mover. Another drawing showed 161 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: a large indoor shopping district that was meant to hold 162 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: imported merchandise, foreign cuisine, dinner shows, and roving entertainers native 163 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: to many lands. So he started to hear a little 164 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,959 Speaker 1: elements that you might recognize if you've been to the 165 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: Epcot theme park, but these were meant on a much 166 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: grander scale. This press kitt, by the way, was just 167 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: a taste of the concept. Walt Disney, back in nineteen 168 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: sixty six, just a couple of months before he passed away, 169 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: had actually shot a twenty four minute film about this concept. 170 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 1: The film would premiere in February nineteen six seven, so 171 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: two months after Disney had passed away. In that film, 172 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,559 Speaker 1: Disney would mention that the details of what was going 173 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: on in Florida would be this experimental prototype community of tomorrow, 174 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: or at least a large part of it would be. 175 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: The underlying philosophy would be pretty rock solid. But Disney 176 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: did say that the drawings he was going to reveal 177 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: were concepts that could easily undergo a great deal of 178 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: change before they were ever made real. So his plan 179 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: was to build this community, but he wasn't entirely certain 180 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: that it was going to look exactly the way his 181 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,959 Speaker 1: artists had designed it from the get go. He mentioned 182 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: that the Florida project, now called Disney World, would include 183 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: a theme park that would be similar to Disneyland in California, 184 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: but that would just be one small component of the 185 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 1: new project, because again the land in Florida was enormous. 186 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:00,719 Speaker 1: You would also have hotels, motels, recreational facilities, and much more. 187 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: For example, the plans also included an airport of the 188 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,679 Speaker 1: future at the southern end of the property, opposite where 189 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: the theme park was to be located. So the theme 190 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: park was to be at the north end, and this 191 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: airport would have been at the southern end. The airport 192 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: would then feed into what was labeled as an entrance 193 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: complex was a little bit further to the north, and 194 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: that would be the entry point for visitors to Disney World. 195 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: They would go through this kind of like main gates 196 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:32,959 Speaker 1: in a way. But this itself was a pretty large complex. 197 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: In fact, on the map, the complex looks like it's 198 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: larger than what was the planned one thousand acre industrial 199 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: park I mentioned earlier that was actually next in line 200 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: to the north, so airport. Then you get the entrance complex, 201 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 1: then you get the industrial park next to the north. 202 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: Beyond that was Epcot itself, the full city prototype design, 203 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: and then at the very tippy top on the north 204 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: end was the theme park in hotels. Connecting all of 205 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: those elements was the monorail system. And to call it 206 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: ambitious would be a massive understatement. And Epcot was, as 207 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: Walt Disney himself put it in that nineteen sixty six 208 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: film that debuted in sixty seven, the heart of the operation. 209 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: It was what he was most excited about. That's what 210 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: the Florida project was really focused on, was Epcot. Now, 211 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: according to Disney, the city wouldn't just be a showcase 212 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: for the cutting edge technologies of the late nineteen sixties. 213 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,079 Speaker 1: It would be a community that would evolve continuously as 214 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: technology advanced. It would never be complete, it would never 215 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: be finished. It would be a community that embraced change 216 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: and advances. So what was Disney proposing beyond these concept 217 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: drawings and these broad ideas. What was the driving force 218 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: behind his vision. I'll explain that in just a moment, 219 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,839 Speaker 1: But first let's take a quick break to thank our 220 00:13:52,880 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: sponsor in that nineteen sixty six film, Walt Disney said 221 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: that the primary factor that would drive the design principles 222 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: for Epcot would be public need. That designing the city 223 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: with the public need and mind from the get go 224 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 1: would create the best chance of building a community that 225 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: met those needs from the start. So ideally, you would 226 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: take all the knowledge accumulated through decades of urban planning 227 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: and use it to lay out a city in a logical, 228 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: intuitive way so that the city is adapted to the 229 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: people living in it, rather than the citizens having to 230 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: adapt to the city. So how was it laid out? Well, 231 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: it goes back to that radial design. Imagine a wheel 232 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: like a bicycle wheel and has a hub in the 233 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: middle and their spokes from the hub leading out to 234 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: the outer edge. That's the basic design of the original Epcot. 235 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: Disney was attracted to this particular design for a few reasons. 236 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: For one, it was really efficient. Having controlled points of 237 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: entry and a radial design allowed for efficient circulation of traffic. 238 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: And for another, it also made it easy to navigate. 239 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: Orienting yourself in such a layout was relatively easy. You 240 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: had an identifiable central point and predictable layouts surrounding it, 241 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: so even if you got a little turned around, it 242 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: would be pretty easy to find your way back to 243 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,320 Speaker 1: a familiar point and then figure out where you were 244 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: from there. So at the center, the hub part, the 245 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: middle of the circle would be the sort of the 246 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: downtown section of this community would be a sort of 247 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: a business complex. It's where you'd find office buildings, corporate jobs, 248 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: things like that. It's also where you would find major 249 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: cultural centers, museums, theaters, entertainment complexes, Restaurants would be in 250 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: this section. Nightlife locations, clubs, that kind of thing would 251 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: be there. It would incorporate all the elements we associate 252 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: with a vibrant downtown area of a major city. At 253 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: the very center of the sub would be that hotel 254 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: I mentioned, the thirty story tall hotel, and that hotel 255 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: would also have a deck measuring seven acres in size, 256 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: and at seven acre deck would also have recreational areas including, 257 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: according to the concept drawings, ponds, there be parks. The 258 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: deck would be several stories above the pedestrian level of 259 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: the city center, so you'd have to go into the 260 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: hotel and go up to the right floor to get 261 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: out on that deck. And incredibly, the entire section. This 262 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: whole downtown part of epp Cut was supposed to be 263 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: enclosed in a climate controlled dome. There's the center of 264 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: epp Cut was a city in a bubble, which, if 265 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: you've experienced Florida heat and humidity, was likely a big 266 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: selling point to a lot of the people who were 267 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: thinking about this design because being able to stroll around 268 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: a shopping plaza, or walk to work, or just wandering 269 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: downtown without being subjected to the swampy mess that is 270 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: a Florida summer was a truly futuristic idea. Now, on 271 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: the ground level of the city, the only way to 272 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 1: really get around would be by foot. You might be 273 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: able to use something like an electric UH scooter or 274 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: a bicycle as well, although that was more intended for 275 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,120 Speaker 1: further out from the center, but we'll get to that. 276 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: So you'd really be the pedestrian UH wandering around here 277 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: because all the car traffic would be below you. It 278 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: would be underground, and all the public transit would be 279 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 1: above you on elevated rails, either the people mover on 280 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: its own elevated track or the monorail on its elevated track, 281 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 1: and those last two the people move around the monorail 282 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: would also be electric powered vehicles, so at least in theory, 283 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: they would operate quietly and they would not generate pollution, 284 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: although I got to back that up a little bit 285 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: because you have to generate the electricity that runs the system. 286 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:58,160 Speaker 1: So depending upon how you generated the electricity, you could 287 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: still be generating a lot of pollution just to be 288 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: in a different part of the chain, right, a different 289 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: part of the ecosystem. It would be in the electricity 290 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: generation part, but not the direct operation of the vehicle. 291 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:11,919 Speaker 1: But you still have to look at the big picture. 292 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: You can't just look at tiny sections and just say 293 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: this is automatically better. But it was an interesting idea. 294 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 1: The monorail would have a station under the hotel at 295 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: the transportation center, as I mentioned, so it would still 296 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: be located on kind of the ground floor of the 297 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 1: city itself. Right, the transportation center would be on the 298 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: pedestrian level of this city, and the hotel would be 299 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: essentially like the lobby of the hotel, as I would imagine, 300 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: it would be floor too. Now on the outskirts of 301 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 1: this sector, the center, the hub of the city would 302 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: be high density apartment housing, so this would be for 303 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 1: uh folks who are working right there in downtown. Might 304 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: be for single people who are working within that city. 305 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: It could be people who are working in the theme 306 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: park and who aren't you know, they don't they don't 307 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: have their own families, but they need a place to live. 308 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: But this would give them very quick access to that 309 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: theme park because again the theme park would be connected 310 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: by monorail to the north. So, uh, this was not 311 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: the main part of housing. It was just one element 312 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: of it. The only a small percentage of Epcot's population 313 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: would be living in these high density apartment um according 314 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,720 Speaker 1: to the promotional film. Now, the next section out from 315 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: the center, so you've got downtown, you have the high 316 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 1: density apartments. Immediately surrounding downtown around that was a green 317 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 1: belt of parks. So the next layer out, if you're 318 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 1: thinking of it like a target, the next ring outside 319 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: of the bull's eye was the screen belt. So you 320 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: had parks, you had golf courses, sporting fields, you know, 321 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,120 Speaker 1: football fields, baseball diamonds, that kind of stuff. And this 322 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:00,080 Speaker 1: would be the section of Apcot that would serve as 323 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,639 Speaker 1: the location also for things like schools and churches, and 324 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: it would be the play space for the city where 325 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: people could come and spend time outside, So this is 326 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 1: no longer in the bubble. This is outside the bubble. 327 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: And then outside of that would be the low density 328 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: housing the suburbs of Epcot. These would be for homes 329 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: with UH for families, and it would actually hold the 330 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 1: majority of Epcot's residents. Most people would be living out 331 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,640 Speaker 1: in these suburbs. Each residential area would surround the end 332 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,919 Speaker 1: of one of those spokes I talked about. So if 333 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: you again imagine a bicycle that has spokes leading out 334 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: from the center wheel or maybe maybe we should say 335 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 1: a wagon wheel, because as fewer spokes uh, each spoke 336 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:48,120 Speaker 1: would be surrounded by green space. UH. The spoke itself 337 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: would represent the track for the people mover, so the 338 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 1: people mover track would go UH out and back from 339 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 1: the hub along these spokes. Surrounding that track would be 340 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: this big green space kind of like UM again, more parks, 341 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:13,360 Speaker 1: golf courses, recreational facilities. And on the outer edge of 342 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: this would actually be the houses. And then on the 343 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 1: back side of the houses would be a road where 344 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 1: people could drive their cars before going underneath to get 345 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: to the downtown area if they needed to drive their cars. 346 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: Although Disney's plan was that for day to day use, 347 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: you would not even use your car. You would use 348 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: the people mover transit system to get in and out 349 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: of Epcot. You would only use your car if you 350 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: needed to go further or you know, you just want 351 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: to go take the family for a drive. People would 352 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: either work in the business center, or in the industrial 353 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: complexes that were south of the community, or in the 354 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: theme parks that were north of the community. In the concept, 355 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: every citizen of Epcot would be guaranteed a job, and 356 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: the community would be home to around twenty thousand people. 357 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 1: The community would be a model for a city unit, 358 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,919 Speaker 1: and future cities might consist of several communities designed in 359 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: this way, all linked together by monorail lines. And this 360 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: was an enormously ambitious idea. Walt Disney himself admitted that 361 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: the challenge was far too big for any one company 362 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,360 Speaker 1: to take on by itself. Epcot would have to be 363 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: a joint effort between many different companies to become a reality. 364 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: These would have to be companies that wanted to have 365 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: a spot in that industrial complex, for example, where they 366 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: could experiment with different approaches to prototyping and pioneering. News 367 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: systems and practices. The theme park would help bring in 368 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 1: money to help support the infrastructure and would provide employment 369 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: to many of the residents of Epcot. And leading up 370 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: to this, Disney and his team had learned a lot. 371 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: They learned lessons from building out the company's movie studio 372 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: buildings in Burbank, California. They learned even more during the 373 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 1: construction and launch of Disneyland. Disney Land, you may know, 374 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 1: also employs the hub and spoke design, that radial design. 375 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 1: You've got the castle in the center, and the different 376 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: lands like fantasy Land, tomorrow Land, Frontier Land, Adventure Land 377 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: on the outskirts. It follows that same idea and it 378 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 1: has that identifiable center with the castle that lets you 379 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: figure out where you are in relation to everything else 380 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:27,879 Speaker 1: pretty quickly. Uh. Walt Disney learned he wanted more control 381 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: over the environment after he built Disneyland, because when he 382 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: built Disneyland, what followed were all these hotels and motels 383 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: popping up around from other, you know, business owners, and 384 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: it became kind of a tourist trappee area around Disneyland. 385 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: And Walt Disney didn't like that at all. He felt 386 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 1: it marred the appearance of Disneyland, So with Florida, he 387 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,680 Speaker 1: wanted to exert a lot more control over the environment 388 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: so that people would experience it the way he wanted 389 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: them to and that they would not have their view 390 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,360 Speaker 1: of whatever it was that he wanted to look at. 391 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: For example, the Magic Kingdom, he wouldn't he didn't want 392 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: that marred by Tachi hotels or restaurants. And the company 393 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: had landed some pretty darn good deals with the state 394 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: of Florida before this announcement was made. There were lots 395 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,480 Speaker 1: of tax incentives. There were agreements between city, county, and 396 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:28,119 Speaker 1: state levels of government and the Disney Company. The groundwork 397 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: was laid from a political and administrative side, and the 398 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: stage was set in Disney's plan for a futuristic city, 399 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: one that would cater to pedestrians and serve as a 400 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,879 Speaker 1: platform for American industry and ingenuity, which would then be 401 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: incorporated directly into the homes themselves. People would have the 402 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: latest appliances and they would get updated frequently. It was 403 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: gonna be an incredible city of the future. I'm gonna 404 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: have your workplace nearby, recreational facilities at at a just 405 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:05,480 Speaker 1: a short walk away. It was a phenomenal, phenomenal goal. 406 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: Walt Disney was really gung ho on this and the 407 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: whole idea of the American dream in American industry and engineering. 408 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: So what the heck happened? Why did this vision that 409 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:22,640 Speaker 1: Walt Disney had, Why did this never materialize in this way? 410 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: How did we go from an experimental small city to 411 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 1: a much more modest in the grand scheme of things 412 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:33,120 Speaker 1: theme park that incorporates some but not all of these 413 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: grand visions. And what's going on with that Cot? Now 414 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: we'll I'll explain, but first let's take another quick break 415 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: to thank our sponsor. On April, Roy Disney held a 416 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,920 Speaker 1: press conference. At that conference, he renamed the Florida project. 417 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 1: It had been called disney World. He renamed it Walt 418 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: Disney World in order for it to be a direct 419 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: reference to his brother. He wanted to honor his brother, 420 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: who had passed away in nineteen sixty six. He also 421 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: talked about the launch of what was called Phase one, 422 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 1: which would be this new theme park which we call 423 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: the Magic Kingdom today. So this was the Florida equivalent 424 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,239 Speaker 1: to Disneyland. There was no real mention of Epcot at 425 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: this press conference. That was a project Walt Disney had 426 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,680 Speaker 1: estimated would take probably about fifteen years to build out 427 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: for in its entirety. But Walt's death also meant the 428 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: Epcot project as it was intended was doomed to die. 429 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 1: Roy Disney held a meeting with some of the head imagineers. 430 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: Those are what Disney refers to as their designers and 431 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:57,159 Speaker 1: engineers are imagineers, imagination and engineering together, and at this 432 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,119 Speaker 1: meeting it became clear that without Walt Disney's inner g 433 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,800 Speaker 1: and leadership behind this project, Epcot really didn't have what 434 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: it was going to need to get through the numerous 435 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,400 Speaker 1: challenges that the company was going to face in order 436 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: to actually build out the city. And it wasn't just 437 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: that Walt Disney had a lot of enthusiasm and a 438 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,640 Speaker 1: lot of energy, but it's also that he inspired confidence 439 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: in other people, confidence from companies that would need to 440 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: partner in order for this project have come to life. 441 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 1: Walt could convince people to buy in to his goals, 442 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: but with his death, landing those partnerships with companies, which 443 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: would be an absolute necessity to get the project of 444 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: this size moving, would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible. 445 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 1: So without Walt, there really wasn't a chance for Epcot 446 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 1: as the original vision had laid it out. Epcot Center, 447 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 1: the theme park, as the story goes, grew out of 448 00:27:55,480 --> 00:28:00,040 Speaker 1: two different park ideas proposed by imagineers John Hench and 449 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,719 Speaker 1: Marty Sklar. One was a project called the World Showcase, 450 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: which would bring select nations of the world together into 451 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,800 Speaker 1: a theme park. Each nation would have its own section 452 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: or pavilion, and each nation would employ people from those 453 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: countries to work in their respective countries pavilion. The other 454 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: concept was one called Future World, which would showcase cutting 455 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: edge technology and combining them together would create sort of 456 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,719 Speaker 1: what they thought of as a permanent World's Fair as 457 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: an amusement park, and that would become Epcot Center. So 458 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 1: Epcot Center would incorporate some of the principles that were 459 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: in the original Epcot concept, like that that shopping district 460 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: Downtown was very similar in some ways to what the 461 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: World Showcase was going to be, but this was going 462 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: to be a theme park, not an actual community where 463 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: people would live. So gone was the climate controlled Downtown Center. 464 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: Probably the harshest blow of them all if you asked me, 465 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: Gone were the houses, Gone were the apartments? The proposed 466 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 1: transportation systems were no longer really necessary, or at least 467 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: there was no easy way to incorporate them into the 468 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: design of the park, which is a shame because, as 469 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 1: I said earlier, it's twice the size of the Magic Kingdom, 470 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: three times the size of Disneyland. Walking around Epcot is tough. 471 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: If you walk around the entire park, it it'll it'll 472 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: hurt you. Tutsis. In the original Epcot concept, residents would 473 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: use bicycles or electric scooters to travel the last mile 474 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: between homes and public transit systems. Those would be right out, 475 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: although depending on the time of year, you can sometimes 476 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: find a an offer to take segue tours of parts 477 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: of the park. I didn't see it on my last trip, 478 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: so I don't know if they're still doing it, but 479 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: in the past they have. But in the theme park's 480 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: Future World section, there were originally nine pavilions, not not 481 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 1: on opening not all nine were available on opening day, 482 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: but there were nine pavilions that were meant to embody 483 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: certain fundamental aspects industry and the future. So here are 484 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: the original nine pavilions of Future World. And I'm not 485 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: going to go into all the different countries of World Showcase. Um, 486 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: there are eleven of those currently and there's plans of 487 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 1: possibly opening up another one, maybe two in the near future. Um. 488 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: The next one that's rumored to be under consideration is India. 489 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: But let's get to future world. First, you have the 490 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: iconic geodesic sphere structure that everyone associates with have cut, 491 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: and that is Spaceship Earth. It's still there, it's still 492 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: a ride, it's still operating. The theme of Spaceship Earth 493 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:41,480 Speaker 1: is communication and how the development of communication tools has 494 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:45,480 Speaker 1: shaped human history, at least in an idealistic vision. It 495 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: is also about the capability of communication to bring us 496 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,719 Speaker 1: closer together. Uh. I don't necessarily think that communication has 497 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: brought everybody closer together, but it certainly has facilitated lots 498 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: of flame wars. Next, we're a pair of buildings behind 499 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 1: Spaceship Earth that were originally called Communicore, although they later 500 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: became known as Interventions, and even that got stripped down. 501 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: So now you've got on one side what used to 502 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: be one part of Interventions is a meeting greet section 503 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 1: for various Disney characters. There's also a Starbucks over there, 504 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 1: and uh a drink station. Uh. The other side is 505 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: still interventions. But Communicore was meant to be the home 506 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: of cutting edge technologies, specifically with a consumer focus, and 507 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure one reason it got paired down is that 508 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:38,239 Speaker 1: technology changes really really quickly. So you would install an 509 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: exhibit and then it would go obsolete not long after 510 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:46,000 Speaker 1: the installation, because real world technology would catch up or 511 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: pass whatever it was that was on display. So very 512 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: challenging to keep that going. In fact, you could argue 513 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 1: that for pretty much all the future world, you call 514 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: it future world, the future is always coming, and if 515 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:03,719 Speaker 1: you don't keep upgrading your park and updating it, then 516 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: it quickly ends up becoming a relic. You could argue 517 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: that parts of Upcut kind of fall into that category. 518 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: Next was the Universe of Energy, that was all about 519 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: our energy sources, things like fossil fuels and renewable energy. 520 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: The pavilion featured moving theaters. You would go and sit down, 521 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: and the actual theater you were in would turn into 522 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: kind of a very slow moving ride and take you 523 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: two from scene to scene, and the pavilion would change 524 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: in nine to become Ellen's Energy Crisis and then Ellen's 525 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 1: Energy Adventure, and that version of the attraction was hosted 526 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: and narrated by Ellen Degenerous. This attraction is now closed. 527 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 1: In fact, it's being dismantled. It's being demolished to make 528 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: way for a new Guardians of the Galaxy ride. And 529 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: when I was at Upcut, they were busy disassembling the 530 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: old building. In fact, I actually went there on two 531 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: different days and the whole front facade of the building 532 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:03,239 Speaker 1: was gone the second time I went. Then there was 533 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: the World of Motion, and as the name suggests, that 534 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: was all about the future of transportation. Had an omni 535 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: mover vehicle, kind of like the systems that are in 536 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 1: things like the Haunted Mansion, and this omni mover vehicle 537 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: would take guests through a ride that was all about 538 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: the the importance of transportation systems and various vehicles. That 539 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 1: pavilion was shut down and replaced in nine by test Track, 540 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: so it no longer exists. Next, we have the Land Pavilion, which, 541 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: like Spaceship Earth, still exists at Upcut. Thank goodness, we've 542 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: we've actually landed on our second pavilion that's still around. 543 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 1: Not all the original attractions that opened with the Land 544 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 1: are still there. However, the Land is all about agriculture 545 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: and food technology, or at least it used to be. 546 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: It still has the listen to the land boat right 547 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: in it, although now it's called living with the Land. 548 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: But it's the same essential thing where you look at 549 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: different ways of growing and cultivating food. But gone is 550 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: the film symbiosis that was there on opening day. It's 551 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: no longer there. Gone is Kitchen Cabaret also known as 552 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: Food Rocks when it was overhauled. In place of that 553 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 1: attraction is now the ride Soaring. But Kitchen Cabaret was 554 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,919 Speaker 1: a show that had animatronic food characters that would sing 555 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 1: various songs with hot tunes like Veggie, Veggie, Fruit Fruit. 556 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: I kind of loved that attraction, but to be fair, 557 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: I also went to Epcot when it was first opened 558 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: and I was very young. In addition, a few other 559 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: pavilions were built after the initial opening in nine eight 560 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: two that included horizons that opened in night that integrated 561 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: the various concepts of future world into what it would 562 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 1: be like to live in a typical home in America 563 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 1: in the future. And I was meant to show how transportation, communication, energy, 564 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:00,399 Speaker 1: and all the rest would come together to make our 565 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,240 Speaker 1: future is incredible and the ride featured a user interface. 566 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 1: You could actually choose options in the ride, and the 567 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: ride would show you different things based upon your choices. 568 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 1: It was actually pretty nifty. It was sponsored by Ge, 569 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: but GE pulled its sponsorship in The ride would be 570 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: opened and closed for the next few years, you know, 571 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: operating seasonally, but it closed permanently in nine and the 572 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: entire building was demolished the following year, and where that 573 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 1: used to be is now where Mission Space sits in Upcut. 574 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: The Imagination Pavilion also opened in nineteen eighty three. It's 575 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,920 Speaker 1: still at Upcut. It was themed around creativity and Imagination 576 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,040 Speaker 1: had a ride in which you encountered a character called 577 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: dream Finder and his friendly little critter named Figment. The 578 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 1: ride has been revamped a couple of times. The section 579 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 1: called Imagine Works has been shut down, part of it 580 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: has been turned into a lounge for Disney Vacation Club members, 581 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 1: and the rest is unused. Although I understand you can 582 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,480 Speaker 1: actually glimpse it at certain sections of the Imagination Pavilion, 583 00:36:02,520 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: you just can't go into it anymore, which is kind 584 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 1: of sad. The ride is typically only operational during really 585 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,960 Speaker 1: businy busy days, so it's kind of seasonal. The Living 586 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: Seas opened in nineteen six, so four years after the 587 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: park had opened. It was the world's largest aquarium when 588 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,919 Speaker 1: it opened is no longer that. It included a ride 589 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 1: that would involve visitors going into chambers that were meant 590 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,320 Speaker 1: to look like special elevators. They were called hydro laders, 591 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,320 Speaker 1: and they appeared to descend in a watery tunnel and 592 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,799 Speaker 1: actuality you weren't going anywhere. The floor would shake a bit, 593 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 1: the walls would shake a bit, and some bubbles through 594 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 1: the windows would create the uh, the illusion that you 595 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,600 Speaker 1: were descending in water. But then can we get on 596 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: an omnimover style ride and you would ride past several 597 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 1: aquarium scenes before getting to an open area where you 598 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: could look at different sea creatures. The ride got re 599 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: themed as Finding Nemo Ride in two thousand four. The 600 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 1: Wonders of Life pavilion joined Future World in nine and 601 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 1: was themed around life and health. The Human Body had 602 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: a ride called Body Wars, which used the same technology 603 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:12,920 Speaker 1: as the popular Star Tours rides would later on. There 604 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: were other attractions in that pavilion as well, like a 605 00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: show called Cranium Command, which was absolutely brilliant and I 606 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,359 Speaker 1: loved it. In two thousand four, the Wonders of Life 607 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:25,800 Speaker 1: Pavilion would switch to seasonal operations. In two thousand seven, 608 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,840 Speaker 1: it closed permanently and the entire thing was gutted. Disney 609 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: now uses the building for special functions. For example, on 610 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:36,720 Speaker 1: my most recent visit, it served as the festival center 611 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: for the Food and Wine Festival. Today, Future World has 612 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 1: Spaceship Earth about half of interventions UH mission space test 613 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:51,080 Speaker 1: track imagination sometimes UH the Land and the Seas would 614 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: Nemo and Friends. Much of the theming has transitioned away 615 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 1: from what Walt Disney's original vision was all about, largely, 616 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: I think, because all all those attractions depended heavily upon 617 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 1: sponsorships from other companies, and some of those companies don't 618 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,759 Speaker 1: even exist anymore. They've gone out of business. Some of 619 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 1: them pulled their sponsorships. Maybe they felt they weren't getting 620 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,040 Speaker 1: a really strong return on their investment, or they needed 621 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: the money for something else, but whatever the case. Right now, 622 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:22,400 Speaker 1: to me, Epcot feels like a park that lacks a 623 00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 1: real identity, and there's honestly not that much to do 624 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: from an attraction standpoint when you go to Epcot, Like 625 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,279 Speaker 1: you can walk around the whole park of Epcot and 626 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:35,120 Speaker 1: think I rode three rides and there might be one 627 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:39,000 Speaker 1: more in the entire park that I haven't gone on. Uh. 628 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 1: There are a lot of shops you can go to, 629 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:43,080 Speaker 1: and there are restaurants you can go to, and there 630 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:44,759 Speaker 1: are a couple of films you can watch in the 631 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 1: World Showcase, but there's not a whole lot to do, 632 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,839 Speaker 1: just when you consider how big that park is. There 633 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:55,400 Speaker 1: are some big plans for the future, including a potential 634 00:38:55,920 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: new countries in the World Showcase. Like I mentioned, the 635 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:00,120 Speaker 1: Guardians of the Galaxy ride is going to be the 636 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 1: largest indoor roller coaster in the world as far as 637 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,480 Speaker 1: I understand it, But it doesn't sound like it's going 638 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:09,239 Speaker 1: to get closer to what Walt Disney's original vision was. 639 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 1: In fact, it sounds like it's moving even further away 640 00:39:12,080 --> 00:39:14,879 Speaker 1: from that. Now. There are other things I could talk 641 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: about in this episode. I could talk about Celebration Florida. 642 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 1: That is an actual residential area on Disney World property, 643 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: but it's also a radically different realization of the suburbs 644 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,399 Speaker 1: of Epcot that Walt Disney had in mind. For one thing, 645 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:32,400 Speaker 1: the whole idea that people would use public transit, and 646 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:36,440 Speaker 1: that they would use bicycles for that last mile that 647 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 1: went right out the window over in celebration. That is 648 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:41,759 Speaker 1: a very that's very much a you need a car 649 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: to get around kind of place. So there's more I 650 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: could talk about, but you know I've I've gone on 651 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,680 Speaker 1: long enough about this, so instead let's just wrap up. 652 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: If you guys have suggestions for future episodes of tech Stuff, 653 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:59,400 Speaker 1: whether it's a technology, a company, a person in tech. Uh, 654 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,040 Speaker 1: there's maybe a specific product you want me to talk 655 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 1: about or a concept, Send me an email let me 656 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:07,040 Speaker 1: know what it is you would like me to talk about. 657 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:10,640 Speaker 1: The address for the show is text stuff at how 658 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com, or drop me a line on 659 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: Facebook or Twitter to handle it. Both of those is 660 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:19,600 Speaker 1: text stuff H s W. Don't forget. We have a 661 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 1: merchandise shop over at T public dot com Tech Stuff 662 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:26,360 Speaker 1: that's T E E Public dot com slash tech stuff. 663 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:28,799 Speaker 1: Go check out the stuff we have over there. It's 664 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,760 Speaker 1: pretty cool. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram 665 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:40,359 Speaker 1: and I'll talk to you again really soon for more 666 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics. Does it how 667 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:53,560 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com