Happy Holidays from Wonder of Life Eterna, 2013

Welcome back again, readers, and there are some wonderful things going on this holiday season as we speak. Families are uniting, even worlds apart, to cherish every moment the season has to offer, and some have taken the liberty to enhance its magical appeal at... where else, Walt Disney World, packed with people taking the holidays to the next level.

Of course, you didn't stop to think that the end of 2006 was the final holiday season the Wonders of Life pavilion opened to guests, and it was a short holiday treat for those who stopped by as a kid – a lot like stepping into a time capsule of memories we may never see again. New Year's Day in 2007 confirmed it, a quiet reminder that due to tough times, life and health ended up a vulnerable target.

But not so. 2013 proved a great year for medical innovations and findings, even retweeted on @WOL4EVA_Rios to hopefully share them, and even the legacy and influence of the Wonders of Life lingers without anyone's knowledge. Remember when Habit Heroes reopened, despite mixed reviews, with a more sensitive and humane approach to health habits, and enthralled guests, even gaining the endorsement of Iron Man.

Alas, as the year closes, Wonders of Life Eterna looks forward to another year of joy, good health, resilience and opportunities to move forward. However, if Wonders of Life Eterna can admit, it's not possible to do it alone, and what a great turnout of support it has attracted. From discussion opportunities through to brainstorming, there will be opportunities to discuss, and even if the group is brave enough, to get Epcot to put Life and Health back on the table, healing the wound left behind on New Years Day 2007.

Many thanks to all the readers who stopped by this blog, as well as the informational site, and if there are some good people out there with the liberty of sharing memories of the pavilion, thankyou and keep the memories alive :)

Happy holidays!

Running On Dry

Apologies for the long absence, as right now most of my ideas banks have run dry, and all in the middle of the holiday season. Many would think the blog may be a step closer to shutting down or gathering dust, just like the pavilion (don't worry, it won't.) But there is hope, and there will be a snowstorm coming for this blog, in a festive turn of events.

A little since Thanksgiving, I have been developing an advent calendar accessible from the informational website... yes, I hear your groans, but there are me some thoughts on how the Wonders of Life pavilion would have celebrated the holidays, especially now in this day and age (just remember, it's all speculative, but you'll see.)

Each advent entry contains a little description of a holiday activity or issue, as well as a thought on how Wonders of Life would tackle such, as well as an advent badge icon.

On a functional note, there may be some bugs on the advent page, so if there are some, let me know, but I'll be constantly checking and tweaking it for your enjoyment, and hopefully I'll start work on each advent. Spoiler alert, to date, four consecutive adverts are done, and I'll try my best to keep up with them, so as not to leave you with nothing in your stockings.

And we return to normal programming in three, two...

How Not to Have a Healthy Halloween

In another surprising episode of What the WT-!, Halloween sees a spike in candy consumption and sharing, not just at doorsteps of houses, but at every party in any house and community hall (and cosplay pageant if they exist). And because at the time of this blogpost, once again, toothpaste and dental health companies don the message of sharing the sugary joy responsibly and consuming candy moderately (because face it, teeth are the diamond encrusted silverware of the human body – too expensive to lose or damage). Without being too preachy with the "healthy things are better than candy", Crest and OralB decided to put together an ad campaign with this in mind, capturing the kids' reactions to healthy Halloween options gone terribly wrong.



Sure, the advert is not meant to offend anyone who chooses to eschew candy products in favor of healthy fruit and vegetables, but reaction wise it is meant to be a comedic lampoon on how healthy options may be exploited too commonly for the dollar. Okay, okay, On the topic of which, Wonders of Life really did have a healthy options bar, Pure and Simple, and you may remember it selling salads and wraps through to yoghurt and waffles and the odd fruit. According to the advert, there is a high likeliness the bars' Halloween would feel like a (admitted it) drabby Helloween.

You can feel free to express your views on the advert, both on the source video page, as well as on this blog post comments section. And if anyone is gearing up for a Halloween season like no other (either a quiet night of delivering candy, or hosting a party, or going out trick or treating in your finest garmentry), I leave you with some words of wisdom the time trick or treaters come: sites like Spoonful's article on doing your own healthy Halloween treats could be of help if you like to cook and create. Supplying for trick or treaters? Don't be afraid to check the labels if you Offer sweet fruits such as apple slices and carrot sticks (always a winner with kids) but hey, it's Halloween, and moderation ensures happy celebrations!

I wonder if, you too, would be interested in watching a collection of healthy public service announcements? There are some scary and unsettling ones, word of warning, and apt for the night of fright to come! Hopefully, the Wonders of Life Eterna blog will be returning back into gear, open for suggestions and recovering from bloggers' block as we speak!

Possibility 9 - The Memorial Pause

First of all, I would like to deliver my apologies for my long period of blogging absence, due to a clogged up schedule and current state of mind already exhausted beyond cognitive awareness (sigh). For some apparent reason, there was a reason why I chose to post this article on a day of rememberance, as it has given me fresh inspiration to help with the Possibilities article. My heart goes to everyone whose lives have been changed, as well as the countless heroes who saved precious lives as well - from firefighters through to paramedics, and even ordinary people who gave their lives to save others.

Memorials, in the context of extinct attractions, are a very controversial topic in the eyes of many people – who supports the idea, who opposes it – but there is no universally correct answer of having one exist, to pay homage to many rides and experiences gone by, yet allowing room for others to move on. The Wonders of Life pavilion, one of the numerous examples of the extinct attractions worthy of a memorial, will likely be the typical candidate, but this post will be open to discussion in the comments section. In today's Possibilities, we will explore and brainstorm the many ways that the Wonders of Life pavilion could be given a tangible reminder of its existence – from events to attractions that once captivated our joy and wonder – but also to debate on which kind should be considered, and even where to draw the line.

Footsteps - Medical Inflatables

 

 Another faithful welcome back, and with another Footsteps article with regards to some of the most interesting, yet similar exhibits that some of us might enjoy, that is if you enjoyed Wonders of Life. Of course, while we covered some interesting and state of the art external exhibits beyond Epcot's borders, there is a class of external exhibits in which they are considered visually unusual at first glance (well, to the point they might qualify for a What the WT- article), but on closer inspection, this kind of exhibit has already developed a large traveling footprint, and it is successful in both message and visitor attraction.

As found in the Mega Heart official page (http://www.medicalinflatables.com/MEGAHeart.aspx)

Believe it or not, this article is covering a unique travelling exhibit - it is a group of inflatable models of the human body, under the name MEGA. These inflatables are designed to present the many areas of the human body or organ in an exploratory manner, both to exhibit their roles and functions, and deliver awareness of the many diseases associated with the organ itself. These inflatable model exhibits are often rented out for venues, ranging from school incursion visits, through to charity awareness events (heart disease organisations , and some are even hired for parties.

To date, there are four inflatable exhibits currently functioning are the heart, the lungs, the brain and even a stylised representation of a human body (the whole set, including the digestive tract). The advantages of such inflatables would be their portability, where one inflatable model (plus the necessary air) would take one mode of transport, as compared to other exhibits designed for migration with multiple museums requiring more, and requiring part assembly on arrival. With regards to their complexity, the inflatable models have been regularly maintained to ensure they are ready for their next stream of visitors, either for a day or a week.

In their relation to Epcot's Wonders of Life pavilion's exhibits past, there sadly is no equivalent other than Body Wars (far different and more mechanical), but both in comparison highly emphasise the need to explore, but different respectively... while Body Wars tended to run on "scheduled missions" programmed on the rides, the MEGA Inflatables are a 'wander at your own place' type of exhibit, where guests can make their way around the model, even with the option to return to a spot they may have otherwise missed. There is an underlying health message in them too, one that Body Wars only leaned on a touch – showcasing the many diseases and conditions (albeit physical) experienced by the organ in question might help motivate people to manage their health better, even prevent the condition. 

On further thoughts, if Wonders of Life were still around, or if it had any room to spare for temporary exhibits, chances are these inflatables would have stopped by, either for events or promoting the pavilion to crowds on a slow visits day. Somehow, Wonders of Life could have taken advantage of opening a showroom for those not fit enough to travel the LGS-250 B229 probe, and built an equivalent exploratory exhibit (blood vessel gymbaree anyone?) to keep them happy. 

Chances are you might want to look up some more information on the exhibits, or maybe you have opinions with the exhibits of this kind, which you can leave in the comments below. Here is the link to the exhibits in case you are interested in reading more:

Medical Inflatables, 2013. Inflatable Heart | Heart Exhibit | Brain Exhibit [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.medicalinflatables.com/HOME.aspx. [Accessed 19 December 2013].

Until next time, readers!

Attractions Toolkit - Body Wars

Welcome back to Attractions Toolkit, the section selecting one attraction from the pavilion, and figuring out which parts can be added, subtracted or replaced. But first, there had been a flurry of rumors and updates pertaining to the current state of Body Wars before we begin today's brainstorming. From an anonymous witness, word has it that demolition of the interior may have happened, with the simulator shells removed completely. In an uncanny way, this somewhat freed up some thought possibilities pertaining to how Body Wars would have been updated, or even by now, replaced.

In Bed with Imagination, Currently Ill

Massive yawn at this hour, and after a rollercoaster of uncertainty for this blog, there is a rumor going hot off the press about the Wonders of Life's right brained ally (yes, I meant ally in a sense), the Journey into Imagination pavilion. Of course, you may wonder why a Wonders of Life centered blog is writing about the Journey into Imagination pavilion, but out of respect, there are a lot of issues at stake in which I will provide one of Epcyclopedia's articles explaining what's to come.
Apparently, the renovation job is not due until somewhere in 2014, but already, there is a discussion in both sides pertaining to the fate of the pavilion; it is asking a whole lot of questions altogether - what should go into its place? Who should run the show? Is Figment coming back? Dreamfinder? Unfortunately, no answers are revealed at this point, but there is another question that is bugging us too: will it end up being abandoned?
As scary as it may sound, some pavilions and locations within Epcot have actually been abandoned for many reasons - sponsor walking out, maintenance problems or just too few to stop by - and to have Wonders of Life (as a pavilion in this case) hanging in the balance between closure and its status as a festival center apparently stuffs the situation right into its seams.
While things may as well yet to be finalised on what will take the place of Imagination later on (to the Imagineering department, we hear you! Good luck!), there is likely a different story pertaining to the Wonders of Life pavilion. While it is too soon to speculate, there is a reason why the Wonders of Life Eterna blog exists in response to events like this. It is in inspiration of the various memories held by many guests who have actually been into the pavilion - young and old - and it is in the interest of these people, no matter how variable they are, who would be interested in
If you are brave enough to look back, it is quite interesting to figure out how many possibilities (even from my own thoughts, as well as the thoughts of others) exist if the pavilion were to actually come back. However, the only (and likely, futile) way would be to put the pressure on management to finally look into brainstorming different ways to treat an ailing patient in Future World East. And, yes, I meant that as an architectural metaphor.
On a different side, for some odd reason, one of the servers for the informational site appear to be down, so the most likely thing to do is open up a mirror site to serve as a backup operator in case. However, some interactive components are building up offline, especially the pavilion articles and the interactive map. (Did you hear that? An interactive map!) So hopefully, as soon as the site situation is rectified, then expect the site to return with these wonderful features.
So until next time, if you have any possible thoughts on whether management (whether they are done with the Imagination refurbishment or not) should focus on Wonders of Life, feel free to leave a comment (it's always moderated), or even feel free to share the petition, or complete the survey online, or even view the results corresponding to the pavilion. I'm all ears!

Footsteps - Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health and Wellness

Welcome back readers, and after an awful bloggers block, it's time to get back to the reviewing and investigation of other similar exhibits, around the world, that would have followed in the footsteps of the Wonders of Life pavilion (well, even if not directly).

For this article, not so long ago, an exhibit at the Pacific Science Centre in Seattle, Washington has opened a health-related exhibit, under the title Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health and Wellness, and basically the premise is that this fictitious schooling organisation was named after its founder, Eleanor Wellbody, who thought of how people would take charge on the adoption of healthy habits (in the fields of nutrition, sleep and physical activity), as well as the many numerous fun ways to share them. So, enter this exhibit, paying homage to the state-of-the-art academic institutions (or must I say, the numerous privileged schools of yesteryear), as the Pacific Science Centre explains in a paragraph...

“...this innovative and highly immersive new exhibit will bring guests of all ages into the imaginative world of Professor Wellbody, demonstrating how personal choices can positively affect our health and well-being. Seven-thousand square feet of hands-on inventions, gadgets, activities and experiences will present health as a life-long process of balancing exercise, diet, proper rest and hygiene.”

Bet You Didn't Know... Wonders of Life Film Series

Apologies for my hard earned resources being stuffed into the informational site, but a big welcome back to the readers of the blog, and with some interesting news. While most of the readers recall a post mentioning proof of the existence of the Wonders of Life film series, and it took a lot of painstaking research to find any proof, written or image, to confirm that.
Not so long ago, I had bookmarked an eBay entry displaying such existence proof, but for those who are familiar with the Disney Educational Films panel, you may remember films being presented at the time in two formats – one in VHS tape format and the other in 16mm projector film. While a lot of things were going on at the moment, it was only as recent that I noticed the eBay entry was recently taken down due to expiration of the selling period (well, it was already sold, but it remained on the site until recently.) It was fortunate to finally have access to Google Caches that I have finally taken the pleasure to present the following screen caps.

Each of these faithfully have some in depth information pertaining to the people behind the films. Also, under observation, it is quite fascinating if you compared the Cranium Command attraction as it appeared in the pavilion (well, during operation) with the film. It was quite surprising they might have kept the Captain Cortex (albeit as a younger being, or a predecessor to Buzzy as much as I realised) as head leader, pun intended, in the films. So far, only visual proof of the bones and muscles film is present, but imagine the thrill if visual proof of the films on the nervous system, or the heart and lungs, would appear after a long searching safari. If anyone remembers these films in elementary school, either via experience (have you seen them in the classroom?) of by word of mouth, please write to me via comments section. Until next time, readers!

How's April Fools For You?

Apologies for the awfully long wait between posts, as there is a lot more work happening offline than online. However, as today is April Fools day, there was some deliberate planning put into one of the April Fools stunts happening within Wonders of Life Eterna. Ready?

Love it or loathe it, this is comparatively a very clever April Fools prank that has been shown to a select fanbase, and thanks to prior research, has been received well with giggles and all-around smiles. Even one viewer mentioned that the spoof adverts were also in tune with the subject matter of the informational site. Hopefully if all goes well, there will be the possibility of a few design tweaks on the informational site, in order to stay in tune with the blog.

If you know of any other stunts or pranks that WOL Eterna could have pulled, please mention it in the comments below. Or else you are drafted to pilot a chihuahua destined for beauty pageants. Your pick!

Pictorial proof of the Stunt that happened

New informational site!

Apologies for the long absence as there is currently a lot of work on developing a purely informational website based on the blog, which will hopefully serve as an effective companion source. Currently translated into numerous languages, the site can be found here in English
Pease stay tuned until further notice for further updates.

One year on, and new habits for Habit Heroes!

Sorry guys, no write long time, and after some activity elsewhere, it is time I suppose to consider a look back at one of Epcot's current niche attractions, and a little about its history so far.

Last time Habit Heroes was mentioned on this blog (this is true!), it was when it was being blacklisted for its unintentional backlash towards the wide belted community (for lack of a generalised PC term), especially under issues of body image, bullying and even a failure to convey the message of keeping healthy – it was a rather viral campaign blogged around the web less that one tear after the attraction's soft opening. More obscurely enough (and this counts as shameless bluffing), the sweeping to light of day of Epcot's previous attraction equivalents, making for a conversational chaser with regards to what could have improved Habit Heroes from there. Hence the shameless bandwagon post here.

And now, one year on under loads of tweaking, there has been a tremendous overhaul between the two attractions as far as anyone has concerned. Believe it or not, only one YT user has provided video evidence of the previous attraction that has raised a few eyebrows (and loads of tempers), and next to it, the newer one.

Habit Heroes 1.0	Habit Heroes today

As obvious, they did lay off the duelling duo Callie Stenics and Will Powers, along with the extensive cast of villains personifying the common bad health habits (in which a brave contributor has managed to restore them here, here and here), as previously featured on the former multiple-role player game site. Now they have put together an entirely new cast of heroes each representing a positive healthy habit as follows: Agent Fuel representing nutrition, Agent Quench representing hydration and Agent Dynamo representing physical activity and drive. The villains in question are reduced to diminutive pests by comparison, but some reckon they do a better job at representing the consequences of neglecting good health habits represented.
What's more, the blueprint of the attraction is prominently displayed in the second incarnation of the attraction, and especially where things used to be. Here's the image comparing these differences:

Two blueprints and how we supposed it went. Any questions?

As far as it goes, the notable difference is that there is a little more interaction-involvement with the cast members compared to the previous show, and in this case, the end of the attraction involves a little more than a beginners scavenger hunt around Epcot, each involving the good habits featured. While mixed reviews persist pertaining to the latest incarnation of the pavilion (just not the same without the villains) all that matters is that Habit Heroes has finally wormed their way back into visitors hearts after under a year of correction.

Of course, as this blog still keeps the attraction predecessor Wonders of Life in its memories, it would have only been fair to have it bring back the pavilion from the dead (or at least save it from its eventual demise). Now that Habit Heroes has gotten over its weighty hurdles, what more can we ask?

In that case, let's offer some brains back into the workforce!

Okay, kidding here. But there's a lot of things going on at the moment, so best bet is to stay tunes. If there's a burning issue you want to discuss, please leave a comment to this article or shoot off an email, I'm happy to hear it from you. All ears. At ease!

Massive Yawn at this Hour...

I'm going to apologise for the long long delay in blog posting due to numerous circumstances beyond blogmaster control, such as a record dip in inspiration levels and other holiday priorities. However, some work was done offline to ensure that Wonders of Life Eterna won't be neglected, especially after holiday break; hopefully, some refinements will be completed and posted for most to see. Due to the abnormally long date distance between the holiday season and the date of this short notice posting, but since then, here's some food for thought.
Flash back to when Habit Heroes was opened last year in February 2012, but ironically called foul for misinterpretation of the health message (such as the assumption of the exterior being an indicator of health), at that time, WOL4EVA wrote a breaking news article, included an opportunity letter (while others write about body image, WOL4EVA wrote giving awareness to Wonders of Life's message) and provided some food for thought in case something was left behind. (Yup, definitely left behind.)
Nowadays, there is word that Habit Heroes may have been fully retooled (see notes from an investigator giving a teaser summary – spoiler alert, actual attraction subject to change), and for some reason, it sounds like what Wonders of Life would have deserved, fully deserved, to potentially have brought it back to life (well, a little too late for that now. *sniff*) But only time will tell how the public will react.
And that is probably all that this short announcement will have in offer for now. Stand back for more updates to kick off the new year, and here's hoping you enjoyed the holiday season, and the head start of this happy new year!