PHOTO REPORT:2001 Polynesian pool refurbishment

    The Polynesian Resort Volcano pool has been a staple of Walt Disney World since the opening of the resort.  With a volcanic rock mountain formation, a waterfall cascading down the face, as well as encompassing a water slide that was carved out of the rock work, this pool was different than most pools available to guests staying at hotels around this time. This pool featured a deep end (9' 10") with a diving board.  The diving board was eventually removed by the early 1980's, but the deep end remained.

Removal of old volcano pool

     The public consensus towards pools changed around the mid 90's when deep pools were deemed too dangerous, as well as the fact that a lifeguard would have to be on duty at all times. In the beginning of  2001, a refurbishment of the original volcano pool was in order, to rid itself of a deep end and make a zero entry element, to better conform to government regulations as well as a money saver in the long run. With the zero entry element eliminating the requirement of permanent structures that lower physically disabled guests into the pool, this is the direction that WDW pools will be heading in the future. (Grand Floridian pool being
converted as of this post)

   These photos were taken over the course of the month of January of 2001.  I have many pictures from this portion of the refurbishment, and I am posting them all here, so I apologize for the amount of pictures in this article.  As a fan of the history of the resort, I believe every picture that documents a period of time in the evolution of Walt Disney World is important, and worth sharing.

 







      What is very interesting is how much area was torn up.  As a guest at this time, having this entire area behind construction walls had to put a damper on your resort experience.  In the grand scheme of things, this was a plus for many reasons.  The addition of cabana areas and an updated dry play area for children, even though I do lament the loss of the deep end of the pool; especially since the remodel of the "quiet" pool that took place semi recently, which used to be 8' deep.  The ability to actually "swim" in a pool has been lost these days.  Even though I do know that my kids will enjoy the new pool as much as I enjoyed the former, as the theming is still top notch; I will still hold fond memories of the original even though it is history.
     I do hope you enjoy these many photographs and many thanks for taking time to read this. Please visit again, as I will continue to post pictures from WDW's past.

Original projection mapping tech

     I was perusing some old photographs of  EPCOT Center, looking for pictures of the original Illuminations show for a post I am planning to write next.  I was looking at a photo taken of the Germany pavilion all lit up for the show and recognized an awesome part of Illuminations history.  At first glance the pavilion looks beautiful, all lit up.  Then, on closer examination, I see an example of what would be considered one of the first iterations of the projection mapping technology that is becoming an ever-present staple of nighttime spectaculars moving forward.

The projections on the back building of Germany

     The projection effect portrayed ornate trimmings that were not present on the physical show building, as well as a stripped pole on the round castle portion of the facade.  I do not remember any of the projections on the facades of the countries, but @EPCOTExplorer posted this  article with a fabulous photo of the capital building projected on the facade of the American pavilion.  I think the projections kind of fell to the wayside next to the lasers and music for each pavilion because of the fact that they were hard to distinguish from across the lagoon if you were not right in front of said pavilion.

Not quite the same angle, but pretty close

     The projections used in the former Magic, Memories, and You show were direct descendants of the original Illuminations show.  The mapping technology used today is incredibly sophisticated compared to what was presented more that 20 years ago.  But I believe the projections used back then could actually hold up today, in certain applications, to convey the stories that need to be told.  Today though, we have such advances in this technology that the limits seem to be boundless.  In my opinion, if Disney utilizes all the best of all the technologies available in one unifying show, they could create nighttime entertainment options that could not be beat.  I do have my full Illuminations post coming soon, so I will be elaborating on all of these subjects soon.  Thanks for reading!

Imagination Pavilion

    As is common knowledge at this point, the Imagination pavilion was far superior pre-1999, compared to the offering that is available today.  With two extremely memorable characters, a fantastic ride through experience, and a post show that could provide hours of entertainment; this experience was one that was unforgettable.  Here are a few memory triggers for your entertainment, or if you had never experienced it for yourself; these are for you too.

The introduction to imagination 

    The introductory scene of the attraction was fantastic in many respects.  Your ride vehicles broke off from the traditional omnimover style train into smaller chains of vehicles, which allowed you to experience most of the attraction more intimately. This was achieved through the use of a turntable function in this scene.  There were four "Flight to The Imagination" scenes constructed as to allow for the guests to spend two and a half minutes with Dreamfinder, while he introduces you to Figment and the attraction.  The Dreamfinder is right there, speaking directly to you!  The nature of this attraction made this different than most other Future World attractions, as you experienced it with the characters instead of being a third party observer of a  story being told in front of you.  Dreamfinder beckoned you to come join him and Figment on their journey.

The creation of Figment

   After the initial show scene, you progressed through imagery representing various uses of imagination for creative purposes.  These show scenes portrayed things such as the arts, literature, the performing arts, and science.  The many different effects used throughout the scenes combined for a visceral experience, that provided so many things to look at and really "spark" your imagination.

"Some happy songs, some snappy dances!"

   The final major show scene incorporated another turntable where the ride vehicles sped up and connected back together in the omnimover style train. This was a huge scene that incorporated an animitronic Figment leading rounds of the theme song, "One Little Spark", with multiple Figments in various costumes via video screen, singing along.  These video clips represent Figments dreams as a superhero, scientist, mountain climber, cowboy, weightlifter, ship captain, and various others.  

   This attraction also was one of, if not the first, to incorporate and on-ride photo taken of each ride vehicle.  This photo was portrayed in front of you before the unload.   Even though these photos were unavailable for purchase, it was a fun addition to the overall experience.

Leapfrog Fountains

    The pavilion plaza was a fantastic spot to spend time as well.  Whether enjoying the multiple water features, meeting Dreamfinder and Figment, or just taking in the ambiance of the whole area; there was much to experience here too.

I miss this topiary

 I believe the Dreamfinder and Figment characters resonated with people so much because of the attraction being so intimate and speaking to you individually; as well as being able to meet and actually talk to Dreamfinder after you just experienced this amazing attraction.

      With the upstairs Imageworks postshow and Magic Eye theater included, the Imagination pavilion could not help but be loved by most people that had the pleasure of experiencing it in its full glory.  The Imagination pavilion that we have  today leaves a lot to be desired.  I  feel that the color scheme that we had previously with the blues and purples better portrayed the openness and aura of the imagination, more so than the orange and red scheme that we have today.  The upstairs Imageworks was far superior to the offering available today.  As well as the attraction itself being a crude shell of the vast and dynamic nature of the first iteration.

     There is plenty of bright side when it comes to this space in Future World.  The fountain garden is still present, sans a few fantastic topiaries.  The structure is still in it's original, awe inspiring form.  The upstairs area still remains relatively unchanged, besides the fact that it is not used for guest areas anymore.  And with the direction that WDI has been going with the level of care and detail given to the attractions they have been tasked with; a new attraction utilizing all of the original layout could be back up to the level of the original, if not even better.  A new paint scheme on top of it all, and we are back to a beloved pavilion once again.