On the east side of Epcot’s Future World you’ll find the Universe of Energy Pavilion. From September 15, 1996 until August 13, 2017, the pavilion housed Ellen’s Energy Adventure – a light-hearted tour through the history of energy production. (The original ride ran from October 1, 1982 until September 2, 1996.)
Up to 80 guests per guided-vehicle followed Ellen DeGeneres through various scenes as Bill Nye taught her about fossil fuels and solar and electric power. Some scenes featured animatronic dinosaurs and even an audio-animatronic Ellen. Over the years, the popularity of Ellen’s Energy Adventure dwindled, and became to many a good place to take a nap.
Closing
At Disney’s D23 Expo on July 15, 2017, Disney officially announced that Ellen’s Energy Adventure would close to make way for a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction. The ride and pavilion closed on August 13, 2017 to begin the switch. Fun fact: On the final ride, the attraction broke down forcing riders to exit in the middle of the ride.
On the September 14 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen addressed the closing of her ride, asking Disney to send her her audio-animatronic, now that they won’t be needing it. Unfortunately her audio-animatronic was removed long ago, so may not be available.
Did you get to ride Ellen’s Energy Adventure before it closed? Will you miss the attraction? Will you miss taking a long nap in the air conditioning?
Word of Mouse 