Opened with Epcot in October 1982, CommuniCore brought visitors into the modern computer age. Its two buildings were filled with interactive touch screen exhibits that allowed guests to dig more deeply into the concepts presented by Future World’s other pavilions. CommuniCore also served as a hub for demonstrating new technologies, accessing detailed Disney information, and learning more about the larger world.
Epcot underwent radical changes in 1994, and CommuniCore was one of Epcot ‘94’s first casualties. It closed in January of that year to make room for the hipper, edgier, and much more corporate Innoventions. While Innoventions maintains the same general concept as CommuniCore, it lacks both the soul and the innocent wonderment of its predecessor. Here are the 5 things we miss the most about CommuniCore.
1. SMRT-1
A dream come true for every ‘80s kid who grew up on stories of sentient robots, SMRT-1 could bring a smile to the face of every guest, no matter how young or old. Sleek and shiny in royal purple and chrome, SMRT-1 invited guests to play interactive trivia games via telephones mounted on the pedestal on which he stood. With a surprisingly sophisticated sense of humor and a touch of snark, SMRT-1 was arguably one of the most humanoid robots of his day. Entire families would gather around to challenge or help each other in one of SMRT-1’s games, while onlookers stopped to hear what he might say next.
2. Astuter Computer Revue/Backstage Magic
In those days, Epcot was actually EPCOT Center, an acronym that stood for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a nod to Walt’s original vision of a working futuristic city. The park’s automated systems were largely controlled by EPCOT Computer Central, which park guests could view via a glass wall in CommuniCore East.
To help guests understand the then-nascent computer technology, CommuniCore presented the Astuter Computer Revue. Starring actor Ken Jennings as a miniaturized English song and dance man who danced his way across the massive computers, the show was widely disparaged as grating and annoying. However, the concept proved solid. Backstage Magic, featuring hostess Julie and her electronic sidekick I/O, replaced the Astuter Computer Revue in 1984. It ran until 1991.
Silly though it might have been, the Astuter Computer Revue was full of the boundless optimism for which early Epcot was famous. Backstage Magic provided a solid, intellectual explanation of computers that still managed to capture the fun. Both shows might be dated in today’s computer age, but they are worth remembering as hallmarks of the park’s original vision.
3. EPCOT Poll
In the pre-Internet age, the EPCOT Poll was a lot of fun. Park guests were invited into the Electronic Forum to become part of a poll on relevant topics of the day. Seated in comfortable theater seats with pushbutton panels on the arm rests and guided by a cast member, they were first instructed to answer a series of demographic questions. Then they were polled on relatively tame, not too controversial issues. Results were displayed on a large screen at the front of the theater, often divided by demographics. For example, results might be shown for adults vs. children, U.S. residents vs. international visitors, or males vs. females. Though the results were not used for any real purpose, it was always interesting to learn the opinions of other park visitors.
4. EPCOT Discovery Center/ WorldKey Information System
For the first decade of its life, Epcot was intentionally designed to blend education with fun. One of the core ideas was that guests would learn a great deal simply by interacting with the park’s new technological marvels. Those who wanted to dig deeper, however, could head over to the EPCOT Discovery Center in CommuniCore West (previously known as EPCOT Outreach and Ask EPCOT).
At a long counter, a staff of researchers and librarians were available to answer virtually any Disney-related question guests could imagine. They often had an answer at their fingertips, but if a query required additional research, they would take the guest’s name and home address, and send information later through the mail. This area was also home to the EPCOT Teachers’ Lounge, a private room for the exclusive use of educators.
Technically, the WorldKey Information System was not a part of CommuniCore, as its kiosks were located in Spaceship Earth’s Earth Station and throughout the park. However, it was an important part of the high-tech linking system that was a major component of the early park experience.
The kiosks primarily used laserdiscs to give guests touch-screen access to park maps and information. However, at the touch of a button, visitors could also video chat with a Guest Services representative. In the early years, this was the only way to make dining reservations at the park, as advance reservations were not yet accepted. In addition, some guests used the WorldKey system as a sort of extension of the EPCOT Discovery Center. If a question occurred to you as you were walking around, you could pose the question to a Guest Services cast member via a nearby WorldKey kiosk, who would pass it along to the Discovery Center research team.
5. Age of Information
Part of the highly interactive FutureCom exhibit, located in CommuniCore West, the Age of Information was actually relatively low-tech. It used stylized wooden figures to show the wonders of the coming computer age. However, it also turned out to be arguably the most accurately predictive exhibit. At a time when the personal computer was just beginning to become a reality, the Age of Information correctly foretold the power of the Internet. It did get some things wrong, especially in that its predictions stopped with telephone-based data modems, and it did not predict the sheer magnitude of the Internet’s importance in our daily lives. But for 1982, it was amazingly accurate. The exhibit would have little practical purpose in today’s Epcot, but the nostalgic value would be overwhelming.
