Figment's Fun Facts #4 - Epic Energy
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 3:57AM 
This figure does not even account for the eight-minute preshow which brings the attraction to an impressive 45-minute running time! Not even the Epic American Adventure even comes close in overall length. This expansive length attraction was due to multiple factors, not the least of which is the complex story of energy in all its forms and uses. In the Mid-1990s, Tony Baxter was prophesying the evolution of feature-length attractions unfortunately a number of uninspired events lead to dead halt of state-side Imagineering’s creativity. (A condition WDI has only recently recovered from.) Nonetheless, three decades ago EPCOT Center, featured more lengthy attractions than any other theme park ever created, (A record that is still unmatched by any subsequent park).
The runner-up in this category is another guidewire driven attraction The Great Movie Ride (at 22 minutes) and in third place (at 15 minutes) the Audio-Animatronics tour-de-force World of Motion. All of these have (had) low wait times with high degree of guest satisfaction. (One might assume that there’s a connection;)
In a world of FastPass, perpetually long lines, interactive queues, and now advanced bookings via Fastpass+, it becomes apparent that the theme park experience has changed dramatically over a relative short period of time, and not necessarily for the better. How did this happen? What can be done to alleviate the stress? And why was the story of energy so complicated?
All these questions and more to be answered soon here at
E82 – The Epcot Legacy!
Reader Comments (2)
While talking about the longest rides at WDW, most people have a tendancy (justified, no doubt) to forget about the Studio Backlot Tour, which comes in tied with the Great Movie Ride at 22 minutes.
(Hopefully, once WDI finds a better use of the space, the Backlot Tour will finally be pulled off its long lasting downhill slide and sent to Yesterland)
The original backlot tour was something like 2.5 to 3 hours...to include the walking portion.
And it was amazing, educational, thrilling and interesting.