Epcot's 25th - Communicore

As much as I love the Magic Kingdom, I deeply appreciate Epcot Center. It's true that my late conversion to worshiping at the feet of the mouse meant I missed quite a bit of the early Epcot years but I remain nostalgic for what Epcot used to be and remain optimistic it could be much more than it currently is.

Perhaps one the most cleverly hidden gems of early Epcot would be Communicore. For those of you who are familiar with the current layout of this park this area is now known as Innoventions. Toady, Innoventions is mostly nothing more than a speed bump between Future World East and West. In contrast, Communicore was tightly integrated with the early park. As noted by Lou Mongello and Jeff Pepper in the 24 June WDW Radio Show podcast Communicore was a valid attraction; one that enthralled children and adults alike. It's hard for many of us to remember but in 1982 computers were still new and fresh. Guests must have appreciated the ability to take a peek into the rows and banks of computers that ran many of the attractions and communication systems for Epcot Central: wouldn't you?

The customer service in and around Communicore was also fantastic. Where else could guests use touchscreen systems to make dining reservations? The item most sorely missed by my family would be the Epcot Outreach and Teacher Center; I would dearly love to have a dedicated research center to address my many questions.

I've included some Communicore links below and a fun video clip. Enjoy!

Link courtesy of startedbyamouse.com
Link courtesy of solarius.com
Link courtesy of waltdatedworld.com
Link courtesy of aatvideo.com and their Lost Epcot pages

By comparison, here's what we have now.

Link courtesy of allears.net