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{{Infobox Disney ride |
| image=ellenexteriorellenexterior2.jpg
| caption='''Ellen's Energy Adventure attraction sign'''
| opened= September 15, 1996 (as Ellen's Energy Crisis)
The show that would eventually become Ellen's Energy Adventure was originally developed as a new attraction for Exxon's Universe of Energy pavilion. Although the Universe of Energy had been popular with guests at its onset, by 1996 attendance in the pavilion had dropped substantially. Furthermore, the information presented in the attraction was dated, and guests began to complain that the ride's tone was too serious <ref name= "book"> Pedersen, R.A. The EPCOT Explorer's Encyclopedia:. United States: Epcyclopedia, 2011. Print </ref>. With these problems in mind, Exxon and Disney agreed that the pavilion needed a new attraction, with Exxon asking that it be ready in time for the pavilion’s 15th anniversary in 1997 <ref name= "Martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=619 </ref>.
In order to rejuvenate the Universe of Energy pavilion, Disney pitched the idea of Ellen’s Energy Crisis, a show that would still teach guests about energy, but would do so with a lighter, more comedic tone. Using the same ride format (including the expansive Primeval Diorama) as the original Universe of Energy attraction, Ellen’s Energy Crisis would feature comedienne Ellen DeGeneres as the attraction's host. Disney estimated that the change from the Universe of Energy to Ellen’s Energy Crisis would take five months, and with this in mind the attraction closed on January 2021, 1996 <ref name= "Martin"/>.
After the Universe of Energy closed, changes were made to the attraction's infrastructure in order to accommodate Ellen’s Energy Crisis. In the preshow theater, the rotating Radok screens were taken out and replaced by five standard screens <ref name= "Martin"/>. Initially, Disney had planned on reusing the Radok screens, as Bill Nye the Science Guy was to show DeGeneres a "kinetic energy mosaic". As the attraction continued to develop however, this idea was scrapped and the screens were removed.
===Hybrid Attraction (1996)===
Although initially planned for a Summer 1996 opening, delays in Burbank with the shooting and editing schedule for Ellen’s Energy Crisis' films, led Disney to realize that the attraction would not be ready on time <ref name= "book"/>. With the World of Motion already closed for refurbishment during the busy peak season, Disney decided that they would temporarily reopen the original Universe of Energy attraction, albeit it with Ellen’s Energy Crisis’ infrastructure still in place<ref name= "Martin"/>. This meant that beginning in June 1996, an attraction that was a combination of the original Universe of Energy and the incomplete Ellen's Energy Crisis ran in the Universe of Energy pavilion <ref name= "Martin"/>.
The Universe of Energy/Ellen's Energy Crisis hybrid presented its own unique set of problems. Without the Radok screens, the first preshow film did not achieve the effects that were initially intended. In the Primeval Diorama, the dinosaurs had their new colors, though and although the audio tracks new dialogue for Ellen's Energy Crisis were was muted, the attractions redone score played <ref name="newmartin"/>. Furthermore, the Ellen Audio Animatronic that was installed in the Diorama was deactivated and hidden from guest's view behind a boulder <ref name= "Martin"/>. This meant that the Elamoursaurs was now attacking nothing. In the attraction's second theater, the monitors and maps that the ride narration referred to had already been removed <ref name= "Martin"/>. To fix this, a new narration was installed that made the attraction seem more current, while also omitting any references to the removed props<ref name= "Martin"/> and the new "K-NRG" radio mast was hidden behind a black drape <ref name= "newmartin"/>. Finally, due to the fact that the mirror walls had been removed from the third theater, the attraction lost its grand finale <ref name= "Martin"/>.
===Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996-2017)===
In 2009 the attraction's ride and sound system was upgraded <ref> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/ellens-energy-adventure/news/20nov2008-ellen's-energy-adventure-refurbishment-in-2009.htm </ref>.
In the later years of Ellen's Energy Adventure's existence, technical problems plagued the attraction's Audio Animatronics. First, in 2014, The Elasmousaurus was removed after years of declining movement <ref name="newmartin"/>. By September of that year, the Ellen DeGeneres Audio Animatronic was also removed and the Pteranodons were moved into her original spot in 2015. By 2017, even one of the Pteranodons had been removed<ref name="newmartin"/>. On July 15, 2017, Disney announced that Ellen's Energy Adventure (and the Universe of Energy pavilion as a whole) would be closing on August 13, 2017 to make way for a new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction <ref> http://themeparkuniversity.com/disney/universe-energy-closing-august-13th-2017/ </ref>. This came to fruition, and Ellen's Energy Adventure closed on the aforementioned date.
==Attraction Summary==
