The Incredible Journey Within: Epcot Center's Never Built Attractions Part 47

Epcot Center's Canceled Attractions 

Copyright Disney

Epcot's attractions frequently went through many stages of development before actually getting built, and in some instances, the proposed ride changed ride systems multiple times before actually getting built while keeping the same general concept.

Today we are taking you through an early proposed version of what eventually became Body Wars in the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Be sure to check out the rest of Epcot Center's Canceled Attractions this far here.

The Incredible Journey Within was set to be an intensely themed dark ride through a recreation of the human body, passing through multiple organs on an educational journey about the inner workings of the human organs.

This would have been a spiritual successor of sorts to Adventures Through Inner Space, an early Disneyland attraction with a similar shrinking ride concept, only exploring the inside of a snowflake instead of a human body. It would have differed though in what type of dark ride it was, utilizing a Peter Pan's Flight like overhead dark ride system instead of the omnimover system that had been created for Adventures Through Inner Space.

This ride was designed, but would end up never happening due to multiple practical problems. The elements of the human body move constantly, so in order to get close to scientific accuracy entire gigantic props would have to move around moving vehicles. This was a logistical nightmare and made it difficult to find a route forward for this attraction.

Then, as Disney began developing simulator technology the solution became clear. Scenarios that could not feasibly be created physically would be better represented through the screen of a simulator where every image and movement could be expressly controlled.

The same basic thematic concept would be translated into Body Wars, the signature attraction of the final version of Wonders of Life. This allowed it to actually get built and also cut down the size of the actual pavilion, making room for a few additional side attractions.

This ride would inspire the first original concept simulator attraction at the Disney Parks, and give Epcot its first thrill attraction. It may never have happened as intended, but its development and failure gave life to a classic Epcot Center attraction that was its own natural evolution.

Be sure to come back the next few weeks as we release the final three articles in our Epcot Center's Canceled Attractions series, including next week's exploration of the original version of Cranium Command. Also, be sure to check out the entire series up to this point here right now.