Changes

Moving into the Primeval Diorama, the storm effects were toned down and a significant amount of vegetation was added <ref name= "Martin"/>. At this time, the dinosaurs’ skin color was also changed based on new scientific findings <ref name= "Martin"/>. As far as the dinosaurs themselves, the Ornithomimus who was once drowning in a mud pit, was relocated and reprogrammed so that it now squirted guests with water <ref name= "Martin"/>. An Ellen DeGeneres Audio Animatronic also replaced a fish eating Pteranodon, and the Elasmosarus' programming was changed so that it now attacked Ellen, as opposed to attacking guests <ref name="Martin"/>. Finally, the quaking rock effect and the wave pool effect were both deactivated <ref name="Martin"/>.

Although initially planned for a Summer 1996 opening, delays in Burbank with the filming and editing schedule for Ellen’s Energy Crisis, 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 the audio tracks for Ellen's Energy Crisis were muted. 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"/>. 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 the references to the removed props<ref name= "Martin"/>. 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"/>.

After operating throughout the summer, on September 1, 1996 the Universe of Energy attraction finally closed for good <ref name= "Martin"/>, and on September 15th Ellen’s Energy Crisis had its first soft opening <ref name= "book"/>. A few weeks later, On October 1, 1996, the attraction's name was changed to Ellen’s Energy Adventure, and the attraction had its official Grand Opening<ref name= "book"/>. On hand for the festivities were attraction stars Alex Trebeck and Bill Nye the Science Guy <ref name= "Progress"> http://progresscityusa.com/energy/rehab.htm </ref>.