Universe of Energy

The **Universe of Energy** pavilion was part of the Future World section of Epcot. From 1982 to 1996, it housed the Universe of Energy attraction. In 1996, the attraction was changed to Ellen's Energy Adventure. The name of the pavilion, however, remained unchanged.

## Original attraction (1982-1996)

The original *Universe of Energy* pavilion itself was an innovation in energy technology, as the entire roof was covered in 80,000 photovoltaic solar cells that partially powered the ride vehicles. Visitors were transported through the pavilion in large battery-powered "traveling theatre cars" that followed guide-wires embedded in the floor as opposed to riding along conventional ride tracks. The original attraction featured numerous films that presented information on the subject of energy in a serious fashion as well as a ride through a primeval diorama complete with audio-animatronic dinosaurs.

## Summer 1996 Version

The Summer of 1996 saw many changes come to Future World East. World of Motion closed in January of that year to make way for Test Track, and Horizons was not operating consistently due to alleged structural issues with the building. The updated films for the attraction were behind schedule and with that side of Future World set to only have Wonders of Life open for the summer peak season, the decision was made to reopen Universe of Energy after renovations had been made to the pavilion in preparation for the new show.

This version of the ride featured all of the original films from the 1982 version, but lacked some of the effects. Most notably, the Kinetic Mosaic screen from the original pre-show had been removed resulting in the film being projected onto static screens and the shape-shifting effect of that film being lost. Also removed were the maps and television monitors on the wall in the *EPCOT Energy Information Center* in Theatre II, having already been replaced by the KNRG radio tower backdrop for the new show. For this scene, a new narration played that covered much of the same information as the original narration minus any mention of the maps and monitors. In Theatre I, the mirrors on the walls had already been removed by this point, resulting in a much less dramatic version of the finale film.

During this period, some elements for the new show had already been installed in preparation of the new show and had to be hidden. This included the Audio-Animatronic figure of Ellen DeGeneres in the Diorama. To solve this, temporary rockwork was placed in front of the figure hiding it from view. However, the Elasmosaurus figure had already been reprogrammed for the new show, leading to the awkward result of having it lunge at rocks instead of at the ride vehicles as it had originally done.

This version of the show only ran during the summer of 1996. The pavilion was closed again soon after peak season to allow final work to be done on the new version of the attraction.

## Ellen's Energy Adventure

**Ellen's Energy Adventure** was the second show to be featured in the **Universe of Energy** pavilion, replacing the original version of the attraction but hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye.

## Timeline

* October 1, 1982 — The pavilion opens with the original *Universe of Energy* show.
* January 21, 1996 — The original *Universe of Energy* show and pavilion are closed for refurbishment.
* June 14, 1996 — The fully refurbished pavilion temporarily reopens in an effort to help handle the park’s busy summer crowds. The old films from the original *Universe of Energy* show are used during this time as the new films with Bill Nye and Ellen DeGeneres had not yet been completed.
* September 2, 1996 — The pavilion closes and the new films are installed.
* September 15, 1996 — The pavilion re-opens with a new show entitled *Ellen's Energy Crisis*, but for reasons unknown, is immediately renamed *Ellen's Energy Adventure*.
* 2003 — The original Universe of Energy marquees at the entrance of the pavilion are replaced with all new signage to reflect the sponsor's new name, ExxonMobil.
* 2004 — ExxonMobil drops its 22-year sponsorship of the pavilion, and all references to the company are removed from the signage and show.
* 2008 — The pavilion closes for a lengthy refurbishment.
* March 28, 2009 — The pavilion re-opens after an extensive refurbishment. Although no significant changes to the show itself were made, some of the scenes within the diorama were refreshed, the audio systems were upgraded and the computer systems that operate the attraction were updated. The exterior of the pavilion was also repainted back to its original color scheme of reds, oranges and yellows (during the 1996 refurbishment, the exterior of the pavilion was repainted into a pastel rainbow color scheme) and the traveling theatre vehicles were repainted from their original purple color into a light blue color.
* 2014 — The Elasmosaurus and Ellen figures are removed from the diorama due to maintenance issues and never return.
* August 13, 2017 — Universe of Energy closes, with the last ride suffering a breakdown and resulting in a guest evacuation.

## Dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures featured in the ride

* Edaphosaurus
* Arthropleura
* Brontosaurus
* Meganeura
* Allosaurus
* Stegosaurus
* Edmontosaurus
* Condonella
* Ornithomimus
* Pteranodon
* Elasmosaurus