Whoah... (Surreal Vintage Picture)

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » May Fri 30, 2008 2:47 pm

what is this and where was it taken?? it almsot looks like it's where the electric umbrella is now. i love stumbling across pictures of vintage wdw and seeing things i never even knew existed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50977633@N ... 6/sizes/o/

Post by **horizons1** » May Fri 30, 2008 3:33 pm

Wow. From the angle it looks like it is from what is now the Electric Umbrella, but I never knew there used to be water outside.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Fri 30, 2008 3:38 pm

My memory's a little rusty, but I think it's on the other (west) side of the park. That's where the ponds with the stones at the bottom are, right?

So, that might be from a walkway, shooting the picture past the dining area by the pizza place. If they still have pizza. To your right would be that underused area that sometimes had cool historical stuff about Walt and sometimes was walled off.

Just guessing. Too lazy to Google Maps it right now...but I wanted to play the game.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » May Fri 30, 2008 4:16 pm

I looked around the rest of that person's Flickr. I think they have an aerial shot of it here.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/98/38570 ... a4.jpg?v=0

Look just to the right of World Of Motion... kinda sticking out into the small lagoon on that side, near where that walkway around Odyssey is now? The picture Cheshire posted would have been taken from the side closer to Mexico, looking back toward SSE. You can sorta see it on here too http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/3857 ... ee.jpg?v=0

That all said, I have absolutely no memory of that structure being there. Freaky. o_o

Croaker · Post by **Croaker** » May Fri 30, 2008 4:22 pm

nice flickr site...wouldn't be cool to have one of the plexiglas entry peices from epcot...the one in the fountain. (three of them) http://www.flickr.com/photos/50977633@N ... 2/sizes/m/

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Fri 30, 2008 4:57 pm

Hmm...it is quite mysterious.

OK, the rounded structure in the background has got to be the base of SSE, right? So my first guess (which was mostly based on the pond) has got to be wrong.

Check out maps.live.com and use the Bird's Eye view for a cleaner shot of what's going on. Just doesn't make sense, does it?

I dunno. Got me.

Chernabog · Post by **Chernabog** » May Fri 30, 2008 5:09 pm

It is the place where they have the grand gatherings dinner now. It use to be a restaraunt back in the day but is pretty much empty most of the time now. It is at the end of Future World on the left, just before Mexico. You're welcome!

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » May Fri 30, 2008 6:02 pm

*cough* Apparently I have too much free time. Anyway, this is my take on it:

I know there's still a bendy path around the outside of the Odyssey, so I'm thinking at one point there must have been plastic awnings over that path as well? From the pictures it looks like the path in the old pictures is broader but that may just be a perspective thing... I know the planters are still there because I sat on 'em in December to watch the Lights of Winter.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Fri 30, 2008 6:32 pm

I also have too much time.

So, you're saying the picture was taken on that path in front of the Odyssey?

That makes sense, except the Odyssey path is annointy with pointy edges, whereas the picture shows the smooth, nubile curves of a sexier restaurant. That's why I didn't think it was the Odyssey when Chesire's initial description put it in that area. Also the Odyssey path seems to hover over the water, not plonk down right into it, which is something I always remember about the place.

Also I don't remember that side ever having those pebbles in the water, although the west side always did, as far as I can recall.

But I also initially thought the SSE crashdown building area was some hunk of the Communicore, so what do I know?

And what's with that palm tree and mulch in the foreground. Where's that? Are we being Photoshopped?

Hmph.

While this thread is blowing minds, maybe I should do this:

How does that grab ya?

Well, it was worth a try.

Also I should mention that show with the gliders, the colored smoke, and the speedboats was friggin' insane. I loved it.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » May Fri 30, 2008 6:54 pm

I'm not so sure that that's the Odyssey. That innoventions building looks like the sponsor room for spaceship earth. You can sort of see that "rare" palm tree that stood behind sse before it became topiaries.

This one looks like it is almost the same view, but without the mysterious awnings and seats.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/burnsland/353907966/

take2
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/ ... /take2.jpg

It looks like it was in the Communicore plaza, although I'm not sure where or even what it was...

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Fri 30, 2008 7:01 pm

Cheshire Cat wrote:That innoventions building looks like the sponsor room for spaceship earth.

Oh yeah, I didn't notice Beamer's green arrows. As I said above, I think the building in the background is the end of SSE...what did they used to call it? Earth Station?

That would make the people eating at some offshoot of the Communicores, which would lead back to the Umbrella theory. But what's with the pond?

EDIT: We're editing on top of each other's posts.

Is the pond where that Coke thing is now? That could splain it.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » May Fri 30, 2008 7:07 pm

Shnemo! Thank you for flipping it! In some older maps I remember seeing a puddle of water between communicore west and the fountain of nations. I think this may be it. I think the picture was taken where the light-up LED ground tiles are now.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/ ... /water.jpg

Maybe this flickr photo is actually a reversed slide? Does it make visual sense to anyone else?

edit... i found an older map...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingdevi ... 5/sizes/l/

It looks like there were ponds on both sides. Of course, this is the prototype map before anything was ctually built, so maybe only one pond was constructed, and this picture could be of either side with our high tech photoshopping abilities to flip pictures

.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » May Fri 30, 2008 7:19 pm

Ooooh. A missing puddle would explain it from that side. I was wondering when it was they raised the path out of the water (if it was near the Odyssey). I really don't remember there being water up there nearer Communicore, but it's been a long time so ... could definitely be?

If the original photo was flipped, that would explain a lot. If that pond existed. We need an opening day 'actual' map. Anyone?

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Fri 30, 2008 7:26 pm

OK, here's a complete look at what's there now. (You reminded me to use my cute fonts...even if those aren't Communicores any more.)

Jeez, who overturned a garbage can in the plaza?

My earliest maps have stylized cartoons that just show circles in the area, similar to the circular shapes that are there now.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » May Fri 30, 2008 7:34 pm

So I'm thinking this was either one of two places. The first place that came to mind is that it was where the Electric Umbrella is now.

However, I've only heard of the pond on the west side up until a few moments ago when I found that picture. It also doesn't necessarily look like a restuarant eitehr, it could just be an outdoor walkway next to Communicore, maybe it's even a ramp on either side of the pond to get into Commincore.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g101/ ... nyface.jpg

This would be so much easier if the plaza wasn't symmetrical

edit: nevermind it definitely looks like people are sitting around out there.

edit2:

If the original photo was flipped, that would explain a lot. If that pond existed. We need an opening day 'actual' map. Anyone?

Unfortunately the actual opening day map shows the park almost from the horizon level so that Spaceship Earth blocks out the northern half of Communicore Plaza on the map