Innoventions is a pavilion located in Epcot. The pavilion is divided into Innoventions East and Innoventions West.
Pavilion History
Innoventions opened in 1994, replacing the outdated CommuniCore pavilion. Like it's predecessor, Innoventions was divided into East and West buildings, with a total area of 100,000 square feet. Disney CEO Michael Eisner had said in the early 1990's that, "People need a place to experience the new future, a permanent World's Fair where they can test and try the products are changing our world.". Innoventions in Epcot was built with this idea in mind. Like CommuniCore, Innoventions would feature technology based exhibits. However, instead of the subtle and understated tone of CommuniCore, Innoventions was more loud and bold. Another noticeable difference between the two pavilions was the color scheme. Innoventions was given a futuristic metallic blue scheme. The pavilion featured exhibits by IBM, Sega, and General Motors (among others). Since Innoventions was at least partially inspired by a consumer electronics show, the pavilion was less organized then CommuniCore had been. Large advertisements were also more likely to be found in the more busy Innoventions. When Innoventions opened, it also featured two old stores (the Centorium and Field Trips) and the new Ice Station Cool Store (which had free Coca Cola samples from around the world). Innovations was also home to the Paste Pizza Resturante, the Electric Umbrella, and the Fountainview Expresso & Bakery.
The first major change came to Innoventions in 1997, when Innoventions West was refurbished. Although most of the exhibits changed when it reopened, some were updated and returned. In 1999, in preparation for the upcoming Millennium Celebration, all of Innoventions (both East and West) was closed for refurbishment. Beside just renovating the exhibits, the 1999 refurbishment also gave the pavilion more order. All but two of the entrances and exits were closed off, and a path was created for guests to follow. Following the refurbishment, Innoventions was given the subtitle "The road to tomorrow" and a new mascot Tom Morrow 2.0. Finally, the Centorium store, which had been open since the pavilion was CommuniCore, was expanded and renamed Mouse Gears. The other store located in the pavilion, Field Trips, also closed and became The Art of Disney Store.
Between 2000 and 2007, Innoventions only underwent minor changes. In 2000, the Pasta Pizza Resturante closed and In 2001, a kiosk named Discover the Stories Behind the Magic. The new interactive exhibit was built to tie in with the 100 Years of Magic Celebration, and thus it was removed in 2002. Other entrances and exits were also reopened during this time period, opening up Innoventions. In 2005, the Ice Station Cool closed, and later reopened as Club Cool. Club Cool was still sponsored by Coca Cola, however the exterior of the building was changed.
The final major renovation came to Innoventions in 2007. The pavilion was closed and updated, and the subtitle "The road to tomorrow" was dropped. The color scheme of the pavilion was returned to a powder blue one, similar to that of CommuniCore. Following the renovation, Tom Morrow 2.0 was removed. An kiosk celebrating Epcot's 25 anniversary opened, although it closed a year later. In 2009, The Sum of All Thrills opened in Innoventions East. The exhibit allows guests to design their own thrill ride, and then enter a motion simulator and ride it. The Sum of All Thrill is the first "ride" ever located in Innoventions.
Exhibits History
NOTE: Current exhibits are in bold.
Innoventions East (1994-1999)
Name | Opened | Closed | Notes |
General Electric | 1994 | 1999 | Expanded in 1996 |
Magic House Show | 1994 | 1995 | |
General Motors | 1994 | 1999 | New Exhibit in 1996 |
Hammacher Schlemmer | 1994 | 1997 | |
Honeywell's Comfortville | 1994 | 1996 | |
Oracle's Information Highway | 1994 | 1996 | Enlarged in 1996 |
Masco's Magic House Tour | 1994 | 1995 | |
Honeywell's House of Innoventions | 1995 | 1999 | Replaced Masco's Magic House Tour |
Mr. MIDI | June 1995 | September 1995 | |
Motorola | 1995 | 1999 | Replaced Mr. MIDI |
Disney Interactive | 1996 | 1997 | |
Family PC | 1995 | 1999 | Moved and expanded in 1997 (replaced Disney Interactive) moved back in 1998. |
Epcot Discovery Center | 1996 | 1997 | Moved from Innoventions West |
Bill Nye the Science Guy | 1998 | 1999 | Moved from Innoventions West |
Disney.com Interactive Zone powered by Gateway | 1998 | 1999 |
Innoventions East: The Road to Tomorrow (2000-Present)
Name | Opened | Closed | Sponsor | Notes |
Forests for Our Future | 1999 | 2004 | TAPPI | Renovated 2001. |
Disney.com's Internet Zone | 1999 | 2007 | Compaq (2000-?) | |
Communications Dream Forum | 1999 | 2003 | Motorola | |
The House of Innoventions | 1999 | 2009 | Panja (1999-2000) Whirhpool (2002) |
|
Web Site Construction Zone | 1999 | 2001 | Go.com | |
Mission: SPACE Launch Center | 2001 | 2003 | Preview of Mission: Space | |
Future Cars | 1999 | 2001 | General Motors | |
Look into the Future | 1999 | 2001 | Moved to Innoventions West. | |
Discover the Stories Behind the Magic | 2001 | 2002 | Kiosk for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration. | |
Opportunity City | 2004 | 2008 | Kauffman Foundation | Also sponsored by Disney.com. |
Fantastic Plastics Works | 2004 | 2008 | The Society of the Plastics Industry | |
Don't Waste It | 2008 | 2011 | Waste Management Corporation | |
Kidcot | 2004/2005 | 2006 | Play area for kids. | |
Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure | 2009 | 2012 | ||
StormStruck | 2008 | N/A | FLASH | |
Take a Nanooze Break | 2010 | N/A | Cornell University | |
Environmentality Corner | 2005/2006 | N/A | ||
Test the Limits Lab | 2003 | N/A | Underwriters Laboratory | Renovated 2009 |
Habit Heroes | 2012 | N/A | Blue Cross Blue Shield | Habit Heroes closed on February 26, 2012 following a wave of criticism regarding its plot line. The exhibit reopened with a new plot in January 2013. |
Sum of All Thrills | 2009 | N/A | Raytheon | |
Vision House | 2012 | N/A | Green Builder Media |
Innoventions West (1994-1999)
Name | Opened | Closed | Notes |
Epcot Discovery Center | 1994 | 1996 | Moved to Innoventions East. |
Bill Nye the Science Guy | 1994 | 1997 | Moved to Innoventions East. |
AT&T | 1994 | 1999 | Closed with rest of pavilion in 1997 but later reopened. |
Discovery Magazine | 1994 | 1997 | Updated Annually. |
Electronics | 1994 | 1995 | |
Alec Tronic | 1994 | 1997 | Moved across way in 1995. |
IBM | 1994 | 1997 | |
IBM: Solutions for a Small Planet | 1998 | 1999 | New IBM exhibit following 1997 refurbishment. |
Sega | 1994 | 1999 | Closed with rest of pavilion in 1997 but later reopened. |
Walt Disney Imagineering Labs | 1994 | 1995 | |
Silicon Graphics | 1995 | 1997 | Refurbished in 1996. |
Inspired By Vision | 1998 | 1999 | Replaced Silicon Graphics |
Enel / Infobyte VR Presentation | 1996 | 1997 | VR = virtual reality |
Aladdin's Magic Carpet VR Adventure | 1996 | 1997 | VR = virtual reality |
Innoventions Pre-Show | 1998 | 1999 | |
Lutron Ultimate Home Theater Experience | June 1999 | August 1999 |
Innoventions West: The Road to Tomorrow (2000-Present)
Name | Opened | Closed | Sponsor | Notes |
Networked Living | 1999 | 2002 | IBM | Renovated 2001. |
ThinkPlace | 2002 | 2009 | IBM | Replaced Networked Living |
Smarter Planet By IBM | 2010 | 2012 | IBM | Replaced ThinkPlace |
IBM THINK | 2013 | N/A | IBM | Replaced Smarter Planet |
Ultimate Home Theater Experience | 1999 | 2006 | Lutron | |
Beautiful Science | 1999 | 2007 | Monsanto | |
Video Games of Tomorrow | 1999 | 2001 | Sega | |
Medicine's New Vision | 1999 | 2002 | RSNA | |
Broadcast Connection | 1999 | 2001 | AT&T | |
Knowledge Vortex | 1999 | 2002 | Xerox | |
Look Into the Future | 2001 | 2007 | Moved from Innoventions East | |
Tom Morrow's Playground | 2001 | 2006 | ||
Video Game Playground | 2005/2006 | N/A | ||
Segway Central | 2006 | N/A | Segway | |
Rockin' Robots | 2005 | 2010 | KUKA Industrial Robots | |
Great American Farm | 2005 | 2008 | American Farm Bureau | |
Too Small to See | 2006 | 2008 | Cornell University | |
Epcot 25th Anniversary Gallery | 2007 | 2008 | ||
Slap Stick Studios / What's Your Problem | 2008 | 2011 | ||
Where's the Fire | 2004 | N/A | Liberty Mutual |
Current Attractions
Innoventions is currently home to 11 exhibits, six in Innoventions East and five in Innoventions West (although Club Cool is sometimes considered an exhibit).
Innoventions East
Habit Heroes- This exhibit is an interactive show sponsored by Florida Blue Cross and Blue Shield. In this exhibit, guests learn healthy eating habits.
Environmentality Corner- In this exhibit guests learn how they can protect the environment, and even how to make paper. Here, guests can also decorate their sample to take home.
Test the Limits Lab-In this exhibit sponsored by Underwriters Labs, guests can see just how sturdy their products are. The exhibit consists of five "labs" which each feature a different products. The labs are, the "Shatter Lab", the "Impact Lab", the "Slam Lab", the "Drop Lab" and the "Torture Lab".
Sum of All Thrills- The only "ride" in Innoventions, the Sum of All Thrills is sponsored by Raytheon. On the Sum of All Thrills guests design their own thrill ride, and then board a motion simulator to ride it. Guests must be 48 inches to ride, and 54 inches if their ride includes an inversion.
Storm Struck- A Tale of Two Homes- In this exhibit, guests can feel what it's like to be in the middle of a hurricane. Guests can also take an interactive quiz, to learn how to prepare for a hurricane. Storm Struck is sponsored by FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes).
Take a Nanooze Break- This exhibit allows guests to see the molecules that make up everyday items. Guests can also meet nanotechnology scientists at Take a Nanooze Break. The exhibit is presented by Cornell University and National Science Foundation.
Innoventions West
Where's The Fire- In this exhibit sponsored by Liberty Mutual, guests learn fire safety and prevention. Inside a house, guests can use interactive screens to learn about various hazards. Also included in the exhibit is a full sized fire engine.
Play It Safe- This exhibit is a children's play area also sponsored by Liberty Mutual. Here, young guests can learn how to stop, drop and roll.
IBM Think- This exhibit sponsored by IBM allows guests to "explore the process of progress through interactives, games and film".
Segway Central- At this exhibit, for an extra fee guests can board a Segway and take a tour around Epcot.
The Great Piggy Bank Adventure- Sponsored by T. Rowe Price, this interactive game teaches guests money management in a fun way.
Restaurants
Electric Umbrella- A counter service restaurant located in Innoventions East. The Electric Umbrella specializes in cheeseburgers and chicken. The restaurant usually opens at 11 am.
Club Cool- Located near Innoventions West, Club Cool offers guests free samples of Coca Cola from around the world.
Fountain View Ice Cream-Located near Innoventions West, the Fountain View Ice Cream allows guests to get a hand dipped ice cream cone and watch the Innoventions Fountain!
Shopping
Mouse Gears- The largest store in Walt Disney World, Mouse Gears sells all kinds of Epcot and Disney World merchandise. Mouse Gears is located in Innoventions East.
Art of Disney- Located in Innoventions West, the Art of Disney store sells art from the Disney theme parks and movies.
(The Innoventions Fountains) Fun Facts and Trivia
- Every 15 minutes, the Innoventions Fountain "performs" to classical music. The fountain was designed by Imagineer Mark Fuller.
- In the wintertime, holiday music plays instead.
- The fountain can shoot water up to 150 feet in the air!
- The Fountains send 30,000 gallons of water up into the air, per minute!
- On Epcot's opening day, representatives from 22 countries each poured a gallon of water from their homeland into the fountain.
Music
The music for the Innoventions Fountain is rotated every 15 minutes in no particular order. The seven musical selections that can be used are:
“Standing in Motion” by Yanni, “Day One” by John Tesh, Selection from Disney's Iron Will, Selection from Disney's The Rocketeer, selectrion from propsed epcot show “Around the World with Mickey Mouse, Instrumental from the "Air Battle" sequence from Surprise in the Skies, a former daytime lagoon show at Epcot, Selection from Disney's “The Rescuers Down Under”.
- "Standing in Motion" by Yanni
- "Day One" by John Tesh
- A selection from Disney's Iron Will (a live action movie)
- A selection from Disney's The Rocketeer (a live action movie)
- A selection from The Rescuers Down Under
- A selection from "Around the World with Mickey Mouse" (a proposed, but never used Epcot show).\
- An instrumental from the "Air Battle Sequence" from the Suprise in the Skies show. (Surprise in the Skies was a lagoon show at Epcot).
References
http://www.extinctdisney.com/EPCOT/innoe.htm
http://wdwpast.tripod.com/epcot/epcot.htm
http://www.fb.org/index.php?action=newsroom.news&year=2006&file=nr0109b.html
http://www.pressoffice.cornell.edu/releases/release.cfm?r=15639&y=2006&m=11
http://blog.touringplans.com/2006/05/04/epcot-segway-central-now-open/