Does anyone remember Astuter Computer Revue?

aboden · Post by **aboden** » Sep Fri 05, 2008 1:02 pm

I heard the song last night on here and had to search for it, I had pretty much forgot about it. I know it was short lived and in fact hold the title of being the first attraction to close at Epcot, but I was fond of it. Although I was only 10 or 11 at the time. I have a Communicore dvd and tried to see if I had it but only the second incarnation with the girl and IO. I had also forgot about the screens where you would be in video chat with a rep hehe I remember that. Anyone else have fond memories about the Astuter Computer Revue?

kcarts · Post by **kcarts** » Sep Fri 05, 2008 8:14 pm

I've never heard of it. Was it a short lived attraction?

aboden · Post by **aboden** » Sep Sat 06, 2008 5:35 pm

ya very short lived, it opened with epcot in the communicore but changed it two years later. In it second incarnation it was called behind the magic. It should you were all the mainframes for epcot were. The original had a holographic guy dancing on the mainframes. The second on was a woman that walked across them telling you about them.

Nicc513 · Post by **Nicc513** » Sep Sat 06, 2008 7:11 pm

I think so. Let me try dusting something out of the far reaches of my childhood EPCOT memories. Was it the place where you could video chat with someone to make food reservations or something? It was essentially computer screens in separate little carrels against one of the walls, yes?

Post by **rdeacon** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 8:12 am

That's the great thing about sr, it gives us the ability to go back in time. I found some details about the show

The Astuter Computer Revue
Backstage Magic originally started out as a show called the Astuter Computer Revue. Some sources list it with the last word spelled as "review". It starred Ken Jennings and featured him singing and dancing about the computers that ran Epcot. The show ran from opening day to January 2, 1984 and holds the distinction of being the first attraction to be removed from Epcot.

SR just needs to invent a delorean with a mr fusion, and then we will be golden.

Rich

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 8:31 am

This site here also has information on the show. As well as the lyrics and some memories of people who saw it. Alas, I am too young to remember this show.

Nicc513 · Post by **Nicc513** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 11:27 am

Wow, I was really off in what I thought this was. Once I checked out the link you posted, agingerbugg, it all came back to me.

So what was the thing I was thinking of? Where was that? Was it under Spaceship Earth?

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 12:52 pm

It was in Earth Station at the exit to Spaceship Earth. I believe they moved to Communicore at some point until Communicore closed to become Innoventions.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 4:23 pm

Nicc513 wrote:I think so. Let me try dusting something out of the far reaches of my childhood EPCOT memories. Was it the place where you could video chat with someone to make food reservations or something? It was essentially computer screens in separate little carrels against one of the walls, yes?

I think what you're describing is just the Communicore part of... well, Communicore. They had 2 or 3 of those stations out around World Showcase too, which I always thought was cool. Made me sad when those disappeared (though to be fair, I don't remember ever seeing anyone using one).

aboden · Post by **aboden** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 6:54 pm

ya I think I only used those touch screens to touch and run off, at 9 and 10 I seemed to be scared of the people that came on haha

agingerbugg · Post by **agingerbugg** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 10:12 pm

They wouldn't be practical now. You need to call three months ahead to make a reservation at a restaurant now. Gone are the days of arriving in the morning and planning your meals.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Sep Tue 09, 2008 10:17 pm

agingerbugg wrote:They wouldn't be practical now. You need to call three months ahead to make a reservation at a restaurant now. Gone are the days of arriving in the morning and planning your meals.

This is very true, though they disappeared a long time before that was the case. Granted, given that no one ever seemed to be using them, they were probably never successful for other reasons even in the days before ADR hoarding. I would assume most people never knew what the heck they were for.

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Sep Wed 10, 2008 9:13 am

I remember that, though no one else in my family did! I was starting to think I'd imagined it!

Post by **horizons1** » Sep Thu 11, 2008 5:28 pm

You guys are talking about the WorldKey information kiosks. Yes, they were inside the exit to Spaceship Earth. There was also a kiosk at the intersection of the main walkway and the bridge that leads to Odyssey. There was a third kiosk outside either Italy or Germany, I forget which.

I believe I might have some video of the kiosk - I'd have to look and see if it's still viewable.

ctrain2281 · Post by **ctrain2281** » Sep Fri 12, 2008 6:39 am

Ahha! Now I know where that crazy computer song came from. It was bouncing around in my hear all day yesterday and I couldn't remember what attraction it was from.

Also for agingerbugg, looking at that link you posted, I used to have a small SMRT-1 figurine of sorts when I was a kid. I think that it was able to walk as well. Funny the things that you can vaguely remember from your childhood.