Former Ride // latest change 2022.05.27
World Discovery · EPCOT · Walt Disney World
Former Ride · the memorial record
Also known as Ellen's Energy Crisis, Universe of Energy: Ellen's Energy Adventure, Universe of Energy.
This ride is gone, but its history stays documented — the full lifetime log is below.
◆ Latest milestone
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened on the pavilion site on May 27, 2022, reusing the Universe of Energy show building for its queue and pre-show while the coaster itself runs in a new building constructed behind it.
Ellen's Energy Adventure ran its last day of operation on August 13, 2017 and the Universe of Energy pavilion closed permanently after nearly 35 years.
Disney announced at D23 Expo 2017 on July 15, 2017 that a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction would replace Ellen's Energy Adventure in Future World, and confirmed the existing attraction would close on August 13, 2017.
The pavilion reopened on March 28, 2009 after a refurbishment that refreshed numerous scenes in the dinosaur diorama, upgraded the audio systems and updated the computer systems that operated the attraction.
ExxonMobil ended its 22-year sponsorship of the pavilion in 2004, after which all references to the company were removed from the signage and the show.
The pavilion's original entrance marquees were replaced in 2001 with new signage carrying the sponsor's post-merger name, ExxonMobil.
The pavilion reopened on September 15, 1996 with a rewritten show titled Ellen's Energy Crisis, immediately renamed Ellen's Energy Adventure, starring Ellen DeGeneres with Bill Nye, Jamie Lee Curtis and Alex Trebek, keeping the dinosaur diorama, the traveling theater cars and the ride's layout while replacing everything else.
The refurbished pavilion reopened temporarily on June 14, 1996 to help handle the park's busy summer crowds, then closed again on September 2, 1996 so the new films could be installed.
The original Universe of Energy show closed on January 21, 1996 so the pavilion could be rebuilt around an all-new presentation.
The Universe of Energy pavilion opened with EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982, sponsored by Exxon, pairing large-format films with battery-powered traveling theater cars that carried guests through a primeval diorama of audio-animatronic dinosaurs.
Per the documented record, Ellen's Energy Adventure at EPCOT opened on Oct 1, 1982.
The most recent closure/refurbishment documented for Ellen's Energy Adventure is dated Aug 13, 2017: Ellen's Energy Adventure ran its last day of operation on August 13, 2017 and the Universe of Energy pavilion closed permanently after nearly 35 years.
The latest documented change (documented May 27, 2022): Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened on the pavilion site on May 27, 2022, reusing the Universe of Energy show building for its queue and pre-show while the coaster itself runs in a new building constructed behind it.
10 documented changes, dating back to 1982 — the fan-kept ride changelog nobody else keeps.
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