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27 November 2006: Construction wall near to Guest relations and Innoventions

A new construction wall has popped up near to Guest relations and Innoventions East.

27 November 2006: China pavilion refurbishment

China Pavilion is currently under an external facade refurbishment. During this time, there is a wrap around the building, which does a great job of keeping the theme of the building.

17 October 2006: Wonders of Life seasonal reopening

Wonders of Life is set for another seasonal opening from 26 November 2006 to 1 January 2007.

20 September 2006: Living with the Land boat ride reopened

The Living with the Land boat ride has now reopened with it's new pre-recorded spiel.

17 September 2006: Living with the Land set to reopen soon

The Living with the Land boat ride began test runs this morning (so far without guests). Full operation is expected to begin imminently.

8 September 2006: Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chip Shop closed fore refurbishment

Harry Ramsden's Fish and Chip Shop at the UK pavilion is currently closed for a rehab. (Thanks to ScottJ for the photo)

5 September 2006: Living with the Land refurbishment underway

The Living with the Land boat ride in the Land Pavilion is currently closed for refurbishment. During this time, a pre-recorded audio track is being installed into the boats to be used in place of the live cast members who have previously done most of the tour. (Thanks to ScottJ for the photo)

15 August 2006: Kim Possible Game Play testing at Epcot

A new Kim Possible Game Play will be temporarily tested at Epcot beginning on Monday  August 14 through to Friday September 8 2006. It will be running Monday - Friday from 11am – 6pm.

The game is an outdoor, treasure-hunt style experience taking place around Epcot, and specifically the World Showcase area.  Guests will be recruited to participate in this activity by Epcot Cast Members at the Epcot front entrance. Guests will begin the test at Imaginations Imageworks and with the help of the "Kimmunicator" device (a custom cell phone/PDA type device) will walk to World Showcase, Canada, United Kingdom and France Pavilions. The Game ends at Imaginations Imageworks. A refundable deposit is required to begin the test. Upon completion of the Game and the return of the "Kimmunicator" Guests will be refunded their full deposit. Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult to participate.  The game is expected to require around 2 hours to play.

21 July 2006: Future World West stage removed

The stage that was used for visiting school bands has now been removed, and the area has been walled off.

21 July 2006: Future World West water fountain drained

The upwards facing waterfall/fountain just outside of the Imagination pavilion has now been drained for some refurbishment work.

16 July 2006: Future World West lake drained

The lake is currently completely drained around Future World West, along with some construction walls around the lake near to the entry to Soarin'.

24 May 2006: Siemens signage at Spaceship Earth

Since the sponsorship deal with Siemens back on the 8 November 2005 (see update below for full details), the attraction has gradually been introducing new signage to reflect the arrangement. Some examples are shown below. (Thanks to KeithS) for the photos.

 
Above left: Park direction signage
Above right: The new sign at the entry to Spaceship Earth

 
Above left: The attraction sign lit at night
Above right: The sign on display at the former post-show

3 May 2006: Mission: SPACE "no G Force" alternate version officially confirmed

Following yesterday's report of the "no G" version under testing at Mission: SPACE, Disney did later officially confirm that the plan would go ahead. It is expected that the alternate version will be in operation by the summer. The original, intense version of the ride will remain for riders who wish to experience it, and that profile will not be changed in any way.

"By offering a second adventure, we hope to broaden the appeal of Mission: Space and enable even more guests to experience the attraction," Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort.

The official press release:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (May 2, 2006) -- By the beginning of summer, Epcot guests will have two options when it comes to riding Mission: SPACE -- the original thrill attraction and a new version for those who prefer a milder ride experience.

The new version, which is created by turning off the spinning centrifuge, may be more suited for some guests, such as those who are prone to motion sickness or have other conditions. Both versions will offer an exciting astronaut training experience through a dramatic story that invites guests to explore a new world.

"By offering a second adventure, we hope to broaden the appeal of Mission: SPACE and enable even more guests to experience the attraction," said Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort.

Signs posted in the queue area of Mission: SPACE will outline the difference between the two adventures and provide health advisories appropriate for each experience.

"Providing a choice between two ride options will help to further encourage all guests to carefully consider posted health advisories when making their decision," added Weiss.

Mission: SPACE opened in August 2003. Since that time, 11.8 million rides have been given on the attraction, which simulates the launch, approach and landing of a futuristic spacecraft on Mars. The attraction is made up of four separate ride systems, each with its own centrifuge and programmable simulators.

2 May 2006: Mission: SPACE testing a "no G Force" version of the experience

Over the past few months, there have been some interesting testing sessions taking place in bay 4 over at Mission: SPACE. During quiet times and after hours, WDI and WDW Engineering have been experimenting with running the ride without any G forces from the centrifuge. This is achieved by the centrifuge not rotating during the ride. All other functions of the capsule remain as they currently are, including the movement of the actual capsule on the centrifuge arm. The aim of this testing is to check for feasibility of having the option for guests to ride either the G-Force edition of M:S, or the much tamer no G-Force edition. In this scenario, there would be 2 routes through the queue, allowing guests to choose their experience. The flexibility of the ride system would also allow a ride bay to be switched to either mode quickly, depending on the demand from either queue.

It is important to note from this that the original ride experience is not being removed, nor is it being toned down. Disney are just considering the option of providing a "no G-Force" alternative for those guests who do not meet the current ride requirements, or are afraid to ride the full force Mission: SPACE. Guests would still be able to ride the full, original version of the attraction.

The results of the testing are not yet available, and currently there is no official confirmation about the possibility of this moving ahead.

24 April 2006: Wonders of Life remained closed over Easter

The Wonders of Life pavilion remained closed over the busy Easter period. This seems to suggest that the pavilion is unlikely to ever reopen, and may confirm some of the rumors that the pavilion is already being cleared.

Above: The closed sign in front of the pavilion over the Easter period.

7 April 2006: The Seas with Nemo & Friends opening fall 2006

Today's grand opening of Expedition Everest also saw an announcement of the new attraction currently under construction at the Living Seas.

COPYRIGHT 2006. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

The Seas with Nemo & Friends, opening fall 2006 at Epcot, will be a whimsical and visually stunning attraction in The Living Seas pavilion featuring technology that for all appearances has the stars of "Finding Nemo" swimming amid the live marine life of the huge aquarium in an adventure that picks up where the motion picture left off.

COPYRIGHT 2006. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

The Seas with Nemo & Friends, a whimsical and visually stunning attraction for guests of all ages, is scheduled to open at Epcot in Fall 2006. Featuring technology that for all appearances has the stars of "Finding Nemo" swimming amid the live marine life of the huge aquarium in The Living Seas pavilion, the attraction is an adventure that picks up where the motion picture left off.

The undersea voyage begins aboard "clamobiles" in a colorful coral reef setting. Guests first meet Mr. Ray and his class on a field trip and soon learn that Nemo has wandered off.

The journey to find Nemo continues as familiar characters such as Dory, Bruce, Marlin, Squirt and Crush help with the search along the way. These deep sea friends inhabit a variety of vibrant vignettes, including the actual aquarium -- one of the world's largest saltwater aquariums -- which contains more than 65 species of marine life.

In the musical finale of the attraction, Nemo is happily reunited with his class and friends.

Upon exiting the attraction, guests can explore the rest of the pavilion, which is home to "Turtle Talk with Crush," the smash-hit recent addition featuring the movie's laid-back sea turtle, who interacts with guests in real-time, unscripted conversations; Bruce's Shark World, an interactive area with colorful graphics and fun facts about sharks; and live marine life in both the large aquarium and specialized exhibits.

27 March 2006: Liberty Inn refurbishment

The Liberty Inn restaurant will be going down for rehab from May 1 2006 to May 21 2006.

24 February 2006: World record at The Land pavilion

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- There is a new "tomato tree" growing inside the experimental greenhouses at The Land pavilion presented by Nestlι at Epcot. A one-of-its-kind in the United States, the plant yields thousands of tomatoes at one time from a single vine. So far, the vine has produced a world record harvest -- more than 20,000 tomatoes with a total weight of more than 850 pounds. And it's still growing.

The vine was planted in December 2004 and continues to grow golf ball-sized tomatoes, which are harvested and served in restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort. The world record-setting tomato tree can currently be seen by guests on the attraction's Living with the Land boat ride.

Yong Huang, manager of agricultural science at The Land pavilion, discovered the unique plant type while on vacation in Beijing, China. After meeting with scientists responsible for that plant, Huang brought its seeds to Epcot and created the specialized greenhouse for the fruit to grow.

2 February 2006: Inferno Barge returns

After a week of successful tests, the Inferno barge has now returned back to Reflections of Earth.

26 January 2006: Inferno barge testing and return date set

The Inferno barge from Reflections of Earth is set for overnight testing this week, leading to a planned public return in the show on February 1st 2006. Note, this isn't officially confirmed yet, and as always is subject to change.

25 January 2006: Reflections of Earth Inferno barge to return

Further to the 20 September 2005 below, the Inferno barge that has been missing from the show since September (due to technical difficulties) is currently set to return to the show during February 2006. The air launch firework system has been redesigned, and uses a different method of igniting the shell after it's launched by air. Note this date is not yet officially confirmed, and is subject to change.

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