Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Wonders of Life Pavilion October 19, 1989 - January 1, 2007
















Over the past few days I've been debating on if I wanted to post Body Wars next or Cranium Command. I finally just decided to go big or go home and post a blog consisting of the entire Wonders of Life pavilion. Located in between Horizons and the Universe of Energy, the pavilion had one of the most beautiful and impressive exteriors in Epcot. From the well manicured flowers and hedges lining the entrance walkway, to the double helix rising out of the reflection pool and the sun reflecting off the golden dome of the building.The Wonders of Life consisted of exhibits and attractions dedicated to body and health education. The Wonders of Life was probably one of Epcot's most interactive attractions, offering exhibits like health quizzes, video enhanced exercise bikes, and a crooked room that showed you how your body and mind worked for and against each other. The Wonders of Life closed for good in 2007, but the pavilion building is still used for various events like The Food and Wine, and Flower and Garden Festivals.











The main attraction of the pavilion was Body Wars.  Body Wars was a simulator ride where the riders were shrunk down to the size of bacteria and had to carry out a mission inside a human body. This was the first thrill ride to be included at Epcot, and I couldn't get enough of it. I rode it so much when I was younger I could recite the lines word for word along with the actors, much to the annoyance of my family and other park guests. The future me would become an even bigger geek for this ride after finding out it's directed by Leonard Nimoy.












The second major attraction in the pavilion was a comedic presentation 
on the importance of the human brain called "Cranium Command". In Cranium Command you watched the bumbling Cranium Commando, Buzzy pilot the brain through a day in the life of a twelve year old boy. The show was also chock-full with cameos from some of the top comedians at the time. My favorite cameo was  Kevin Nealon and Dana Carvey portraying their Hans and Franz characters as the left and right ventricles of the heart.

Pt.1


Pt. 2









The Wonders of Life also featured two educational movie exhibits:



"Goofy About Health" - a show about healthy living hosted by Goofy.





"The making of Me" - An animated short film about the miracle of life starring the always funny Martin Short. Warning the video shows a live birth.






1 comment:

  1. I remember this from when I was a kid. When I got my annual pass a year or so ago, I was really pissed to figure out that Body Wars wasn't there.

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