Bet You Didn't Know... What's in a Logo?

Welcome back, readers, and my apologies for the inevitably long delay. While the blog focused on the many thoughts and hypotheses on the Wonders of Life pavilion's possible revival strategies that could prove useful, this however carved a new path academically for me. Being involved in graphic design study, you may remember some of my previous posts in Operation Imagineer involving a little brainstorming in this area, and demonstrates the importance of how it all fits in developing a better Wonders of Life in the near future. On the subject of which, let us fancy a think about this cute little graphic that is the pavilion insignia...

It looks rather simple enough to the eye, but ask anyone who has been to EPCOT in its early prime in the 80s would have noticed: the insignias used in the Future World pavilions are a little more geometrically different compared to what the Wonders of Life had for a logo. Of course, like all the other insignias before, the Wonders of Life insignia has a story, and some collective theories.

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!

Another Find for Well and Goods section!

Welcome back, readers, and in another find for the Well and Goods section of the site (interesting curios and long lost merchandise, give or take its existence) we have found one item that proves spectacularly of interest amongst curio hunters. The auctioneers that brought the Cranium Command sign to a new home have also brought out an interesting find, this time, something smaller...

You guessed it, a prop certificate from the crew at MET Biotech, as seen on eBay

A Tale of a Few Old-Time Films

Welcome again, readers, and in today's article, we are looking back at a few films that somehow have inspired parts of the Wonders of Life pavilion, their attractions, and even the revolutionizing of health and lifestyle education as we know today. What made me write out this little article was due to a memory of when Extinct Attractions was once online (I know, don't ask, don't tell...), they had a preview of the Wonders of Life history documentary, about some of the health oriented films produced by Walt Disney (some of which as part of the war effort) and how they influenced the development and homage of some of its attractions. Silly old myself was meant to write the historical lookback of those films, but for some apparent reason, it was until now that I decide to write this up as of now.

Epic Brain Fart, or Stroke of Bad Luck?

Apologies for the title, but behind every Epcot pavilion, there's bound to be something worth raising eyebrows – interesting secrets and mind-boggling trivia (that is), or even 'urban legends' behind the pavilion and it's attractions. In this tradition, the Wonders of Life pavilion is no exception. Of course, some 'urban legend' tales about the pavilion, despite being hard to believe by itself, would prove a little fascinating to even believe that it may have happened.

One example of an 'urban legend' tale from the Wonders of Life was, in a sorrowful ironic twist of fate, the loss of a four year old girl aboard a ride on Body Wars (thanks to an undiscovered heart condition) in May 1995. Seventeen years on, we express our condolences.

Moving on, and we now focus on Wonder's iconic attractions (no brainer to work it out), but this time, on a seldomly quoted 'brain fart' mentioned by a few guests and even a cast member during their deployment in Wonders during its heyday (make that 'failday'?) Just because Cranium Command was a successful take of the way the brain interacts with the body, doesn't mean it had done so without a few brain farts along the way...

Battle of the Cortexes

This post has been edited due to more research found to supplement this article. If anyone has some clarifications, or just a few brainwaves to help, please comment. It would be of big help.

Welcome again, readers. A week after the birthday celebration season for the Magic Kingdom slows down to normal, it's also birthday season to the blogmaster (that's me!), so on behalf of the visitors entering or passing by this blog, thanks. And now to another 'bet you didn't know' post, centered on one of the Wonders' iconic attractions residing in the majority of visitor's hearts to this day...

Behind the Scenes Treasure Trove

Welcome back readers, and this time with a couple of interesting images never seen before in regards to the Wonders of Life pavilion, thanks to a software application I have managed to get ahold of to my surprise.

Now most of you may have been familiar with the WDW Explorer, and basically, it was a CD ROM explorer activity that gave you some interesting information about Walt Disney World in Florida, and some of its iconic attractions and resort places that now lie with some of us in memory. Of course, only two editions of the CD ROM application were present (only notable difference is the absence of Animal Kingdom in the first edit), and as soon as the Internet became a popular research tool for the next holiday in WDW, plans for a third edition were discontinued.

Now most of you know that to date, the Wonders of Life pavilion has had the same fate of being shuttered (and buried) since 2007. For research reasons, here are a few photos in regards to the behind-the-scenes of some iconic attractions. it's a case of (in memespeak) 'pics or it didn't happen':

Behind the scenes at the Cranium Command theater. The stage has been finally constructed, and if you look closely, a shadow of the Buzzy AA, wearing the cap, can be seen on one of Bobby's eyes. This was taken during programming of the show controls and the AAs involved.

A behind the scenes photo of Elizabeth Shue (playing as Dr. Cynthia Lair) getting to grips with the giant splinter for the Body Wars film component.

Of course, for those who are curious of the construction of the Wonders of Life building will be surprised to discover, in the first picture, a tall spindly tower like structure designed to hold up the framework of the golden dome structure. As soon as the triangular joins of the dome were put together, the spindly tower was taken apart before moving on to build the interior.

Top: Putting together the dome structure.
Middle: Attaching the gold plated panels on the dome structure. Note the excavators inside the dome.
Bottom: The finalised pavilion, before installation of the archway

There you have it, a few shots regards to the Wonders of Life beginning to take shape. Of course, obviously, I do recall finding a photo of the Wonders of Life inside structures being built (the open theaters to house Goofy About Health and the Anacomical Players Arena), but it'll take forever to go through the archives to go find it. Oh well, back to delving

Also, I have heard word of, according to conversational sources, about the pavilion's main gift shop (Well and Goods) selling pavilion specific shirts (example, Cranium Command). So far, it's practically rare to find photographic evidence of those shirts, so for those viewing the blog and having a garment like that in particular, or any similar WoL specific merchandise from the pavilion's humble beginnings that you can recall having, then feel free to give me a shout.

And also, I have released a new set of wallpapers, this time, in daylight edition, just in time for the Southern Hemisphere Spring cycle. Hope you enjoy the new look, readers, and until next time!

It's Not Pin Season, Is It?

...probably not, readers. Surprisingly, something as small as the humble Disney pin has expanded to a diverse hobby shared by enthusiasts the world over. And what's more, the best part of pin trading and collecting is the prospect of getting some particularly rare ones. Pins that have never been noticed by the public. And especially a few of them that a humble few would wish to have by now.

of course, there's not a lot of pins or buttons that have been sighted by people just bustling in and out of WoL in its heydays, but little by little, people have taken an interest in these pins. For example, the pavilion insignia as it was on EPCOT Center's 15th anniversary/birthday (give or take). Although retired from mainstream distribution, it's readily available over on eBay by pin traders, but alas, lack of decision skills lead to burning your wallet.

The WoL Insignia as part of EPCOT Center's 15th anniversary

On a different subject, there are also pins that reflect sponsorship of the pavilion at the time. In this case, MetLife has been featured on at least two pins in regards to the Wonders of Life pavilion - including the obvious smaller sign mentioning it from the late 1990's until 2001.

The MetLife Corporate Pin

The newer WoL sign mentioning MetLife

Also, there are pins that gave you a good idea of some of the pavilion's most iconic attractions, big or small. And what's the most well known attraction with the only pin and badge ever in existence? You guessed it...
...because what better way than after a motion-sickness inducing voyage through the heart and lungs than to show it off with a pin or button. The one on the left features the B229 body probe through the blood vessel, floating along with its red blood cell brethren.

Of course, between me and you, the reader, the only attraction that hasn't got a pin at this stage is, sadly, Cranium Command. For some reason, poor Buzzy hasn't got a lot of recognition lately in regards to the pin world... or has he? I'm half suspecting that someone out there might have a potential pin or button or whatever that is hiding somewhere. But otherwise, there might be some possibilities of how a pin might be released for fellow enthusiasts of the long gone attraction... perhaps a replica military medallion with the attraction insignia? Sounds fitting...

Of course, if the Wonders of life were to have new and updated pins as a token of memory, then perhaps starting with the design of those pins, it could happen. So readers, if you were to design a pin as a memorial for Wonders of Life (and some of its attractions), how would you do it? What would it feature? Simply leave a comment in the comments section, and I'll be happy to have a look.

Until next time, readers!

And Another 'Did You Know' Post

Hello there again readers. Now, what I'm about to tell you is something from the Wonders of Life that you did not know existed. Now, some of you readers have known about this when they were younger, and even so, some may have only a small idea of what it's about. Ready...?

Okay, so I've looked up the French translation of the Wonders of Life article on Wikipedia, and I noticed part of the following article in French. With some rough translation skills, it feels a lot like this:

Educational Film Series

Associated with the pavillion, Disney Studios have made additional educational films in January 1990:

• The Bone and Muscle Get Rhythm (26 January 1990, 11 min) explains how the bones and muscles work together, in this case, during the school dance.
• The Brain and the Nervous System Think Science (26 January 1990, 11 min) explains how the brain and nervous system work, such as in thinking skills.
• The Heart and Lungs Play Ball (26 January 1990, 11 min) explains how the heart and lungs work, in this case, during a football game.

You guessed it, the interesting fact the Mouse himself is set on hiding from the rest of us... an educational film series inspired by the Wonders of Life actually exists!There are numerous library and sale catalogues that mention the educational series, and you might be able to find it here (you need a PDF file reader to view the file though! The catalogue is last updated in 2007)
Another library catalogue I have found on the web (referring to WOL: Heart and Lungs Play Ball) also features another interesting little fact... the name "Captain Cortex". Hmmm...

...of course! Captain Cortex was the original name given to our bumbling brain pilot, until being colloquially named 'Buzzy'. (So I guess it's safe for me to refer to him as Captain Buzzy Cortex at the moment.) Though I am not practically SURE if he himself actually appears in the series... interesting coincidence?

Of course, the film series is currently out of print - at this point, it's very hard to set foot into a thrift store and find the videotape in its entirety. And in contrast to the renowned Bill Nye the Science Guy series being released on DVD, I highly doubt the WOL series might be released this way.

So right now, I'm depending on all of you readers, either having vivid or withering memories of being shown the series in class, to submit your comments below after reading. And for those who have managed to 'rescue' the tape,then please post a review for others to get an idea on what it's about, and what it's like. Or, if someone has decided to risk all by posting a video clip of part of the film series, let us readers know!

Until next time, readers!

The Unluckiest Post in the Blog...

... well, make that the most fortunate post in the blog, because, this week, another piece of Wonders of Life history, albeit bitesized, has been posted on YouTube. For all of you subscribers, sit back and relive those good old Wonders of Life.

Hopefully, the video will also be placed on the right side of the blog's page so you can easily refer to it (but it's just not the same as watching it here in its nostalgic glory).

Until next time, readers!

Another 'Did You Know' Post

Another day spent on surfing the web, as well as checking my DeviantArt group - some wonderful photos to do with the pavilion, as well as some fanart (including a selection of my own) have been posted on the group. There was an interesting surprise, as I had found the link that only a handful of you are aware of...

Photo found on IMDB Article

...ladies and gentlemen, it's Jerry Rees!

You may have known him as the director of iconic films such as TRON, and another obscure classic the Brave Little Toaster, but an interesting fact is that he's the man behind some of Walt Disney World's attractions, love them or leave them... and to make the best of a forgotten classic in EPCOT, Cranium Command (make that the AA theater) is one of them! 

The page in relation to some of the attractions he has directed is found over here. Feel free to browse the site, as well as encounter some more treats, for now and in the future.

Until next time, readers!

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PS: What's interesting to see is that of the posts online, this one is primarily the most viewed post anywhere on the blog. Once again, a really big thankyou for the reception, and if you are interested, feel free to have a look at the many different areas of the blog!

Buzzy's final salute? Or next mission?

So far, you would have expected the blog to gather any dust and cobwebs without any fresh posts... well, ironically like the props and signage once present for the Wonders of Life pavilion, currently locked away out of public eye, never to be seen again. 

So the other day prior to this post, I decided to search for some random things on eBay (for example, god forbid, Stitch merchandise sold in Japan thanks to the booming anime stardom and reception amongst Japanese adorers), and that fateful moment, I decided to figure out what was selling under "wonders of life epcot", or "cranium command"...

...guess what? The latter actually revealed a goldmine! A user, who we'll refer to as 'sellandship' specialises in goods from the Magic Kingdom, as well as EPCOT. I was quick to take a screenshot image, as well as the product details, and if you're interested in saving a piece of WOL history, it links to the actual eBay page:

So, in the instances of six-feet-under attractions (remember Horizons, please), some of the props and models (the model 'mulapples' and 'flavor grapes', if you quite recall) actually get sold to interested collectors. Of course, many opportunities to grab the slice of that pie have come and gone, but for those looking forward to put aside a spare room as a personal shrine to what once was the Wonders of Life, get your wallets ready.

Of course, I have stumbled across a few forum posts determining Buzzy's current fate. One, which would have been dated recently, was found at Subsonic Radio, under the title "Wonders of Life Memories UPDATE - Buzzy Lives!", with the money shots at page 2 of the forum topic. However, because of the legal boundaries dedicated 'spelunkers' have crossed to get a monitoring glimpse of what once was Buzzy's demonstration arena, I suggest you visit the link at your own risk.

Speaking of which, there's another blog post of the 'Then and Now' of EPCOT Center between the past and the present, showing the changes done to each pavilion, as well as what's become of the now-forgoten brain-pilot-recruit, alone and lonely, and sadly a little worse for wear. :c


Of course, even though there's nothing the majority of us can do about poor Buzzy since his final salute in 2006, all I can say is that rather than being destined for a six-foot-burial-plot, perhaps Buzzy would likely be sold off to a good home. Or perhaps restored and retained in a museum, for the next generation to find out what a great recruit Buzzy was.

"BUZZY"

1989 - 2007. We miss you.

PS: Of course, the news is hopefully not all bad... perhaps, Buzzy could have a second chance at one point or another. Given that the Wonders of Life is slowly being turned into a general purpose convention center (for the "Food and Wine", as well as the "Flower and Garden" festivals respectively), there could be one more convention event that could hopefuly bring the Wonders of Life back on its feet...

...although not intended to be a park-wide festival, perhaps the 'Health and Life' convention could be adopted. Not only would there be potential for the rides to be restored, or perhaps updated to today's standards, then maybe the convention space could invite another health-exhibit for others to enjoy. And just like the 'Making of the Flower and Garden festival' and 'Seasons of the Vine' films have played in there, perhaps there could be a 'Health Film Festival'. But of course, not everyone would appreciate the idea. So, if the Wonders of Life pavilion were to be revived one way or another, what do you think could be done?

Until the next post, I wish you all the best this holiday season! :3

STOP PRESS: Another Interruption To Bring You...

...oh, I'm sorry for the monthlong absence, and I'm still stuck on wondering what to write on this blog. Of course, there are those searching the information highway who may, or may not, have heard of Goofy About Health, as I basically have mentioned in my last blog post^. I've been searching around the Internet and found the lyrics to this musical number, sung by none other than Kal David (more on him at the end of the post)

So without further ado, let us delve into... those Unhealthy Living Blues! XC

Health is your responsibility. 
Your doctor's your friend, so listen to me. 
Running around town is what made you crack.
Blood pressure's up near a heart attack! 
You got those unhealthy living blues. 
Oh, yeah.

Overeating has added those extra calories 
and cholesterol clog up your arteries.
Your body ain't used to those dangerous drugs.
You just can't survive on coffee slugs.
You got those unhealthy living blues.

And if you keep inhaling that cigarette smoke, 
you could get emphazema or cancer or stroke!
Drinking too much just ain't that much smart. 
It hurts your liver, your brain and your heart. 
You got those blues, baby. 
You got those unhealthy living blues. 

And that's the unhealthy living (high-pitched) blues!



Of course, what's not to like about explaining the shock-horrors of unhealthy living than breaking into song? Anyways, let me get into some more detail about the song's artist. You see, Kal David is well known as a US blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. During his teenage years, his singing career began in 1962 in the form of frontman of his local band Kal David and the Exceptions (he left the band in 1965)
At the late half of the 60's, he formed a duo with another guitarist Paul Cotton, and they recorded two albums - Illinois Speed Press (the name of the duo) and Duet.After David and Cotton went their separate ways, David formed a new group, called the Fabulous Rhinestones, and throughout the 70's, recorded three more albums: Fabulous Rhinestones, Freewheelin', and Rhinestones.

But enough with the history lesson... triviawise, David is responsible for the voice of Sonny Eclipse, one of the singing alien audio-animatronics at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe at the Magic Kingdom, as seen here:

. I bet you blogreaders didn't know that, did you?

Anyways, this week marks (surprise) my birthday (I won't go into all details, hopefully), but unfortunately it'll sound like a busy one. So blogreaders, I'm wishing you all the best, till next time!

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^ - (Out of the loop? The last blog post covered a few of the attractions that placed Wonders of Life on the map in its heyday).