EPCOT Center's WorldKey Information System LaserDisc (1982)
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- WorldKey was a groundbreaking touchscreen digital information system created for EPCOT Center in 1982 by Bell Laboratories and Western Electric. WorldKey stations were featured at Spaceship Earth's Earth Station post-show area and at kiosks throughout the park. Video content highlighting the various pavilions was streamed over fiber optic cable from centrally located videodisc players, and guests could also connect via a live closed-circuit video system to Guest Relations hosts in order to make dining reservations or ask questions. The simple, touch-screen interface seemed sleek and futuristic, and was the first time that most EPCOT Center guests had probably experienced this now-commonplace technology.
WorldKey utilized a high-tech combination of laserdisc technology, touchscreen monitors and computers. When making a selection, the laserdisc would 'jump' to another place on the disc, like skipping songs on a vinyl record or CD. The version presented here is the laserdisc played in a complete start-to-finish run (a method which guests would never see) and thus may seem to be a bit disorganized when presented in this manner.
Because WorldKey utilized laserdisc technology, it became more difficult to update as EPCOT Center changed and expanded. Eventually, WorldKey's primary home at Earth Station would be removed for the AT&T Global Neighborhood in 1994 and the rest of the system was soon removed with it. Today, WorldKey is fondly remembered by those who experienced EPCOT Center's legendary first decades as an amazing hands-on, look at the technology of the future that is now commonplace in the reality of today.
Thank you for this wonderful memory!
I was one of the original World Key cast members on opening in 1982. World Key Information System/Service (Originally just named World Key Network) was its own department separate from Guest Relations on opening - There was a merge of the departments around 1984 - Original World Key hosts and hostesses had to be bilingual, with at least spanish - At the time we got a 25-cent/hour pay bonus for our first language and 10-cents/hour each additional language.
Thanks for sharing those memories. When on camera, where was the location where you worked? I have heard locations mentioned both on-site and outside of EPCOT Center.
@@dstragand We were located on the second floor behind the "Astuter Computer Review" in Computer Central. There was a door behind SMRT-1 that led to an elevator that took us up. Computer Central had the Digital Vax 11/750 mini computers that ran the World Key programs and the videodisk players. I don't know if there were any offsite locations after I left in 1987.
That was amazing. Where did you get that Dave?
We were discussing WorldKey a couple of years back, and someone shared the scan with me. I was totally blown away by the technology back then, and vividly remember making dining reservations at Le Cellier and later The Coral Reef over video with a cast member. Thanks for watching!
So great...I got to use the World Key kiosks next to Guest Relations back in '90 for the first time, it blew me away. I read somewhere that it wasn't responsive based on the pressing of the screen but based on the position of your finger. Is that correct?
Correct. It had infrared sensors that worked in a grid to tell the computer which grid coordinates your finger touched. Thanks for watching!
Do you happen to know who voiced Bit?
Unfortunately, I don't.
I'm guessing it might be Skip Hinnant, but I could be completely wrong.
Dallas Raymond McKennon, the same voice actor as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!
Is the version that ran when the park opened in 1982? I have video of a different version pf WorldKey that I recorded in 1990. The 1990 version isn't as visually pleasing as this one, but its pacing was faster. As a professional User Experience designer, I'm always interested to know how these applications evolve.
Not sure of the exact date. It did not include The Living Seas nor Horizons, but did have Journey Into Imagination (opened 3/5/83, but was that a preview in the disc? it's all concept art for all). The Communicore map at 19:45 shows an empty space where The Astuter Computer Revue / Backstage Magic would be, but that might simply be because it wasn't a big attraction.
Thanks for that. Do you happen to have the disc that proceed this one?
No, but I'm still searching for those both before and after.
Do you own this disc or only have the rip of it? I would love to see what the labels looked like
Just the rip. =(
Having seen other types of industrial Laserdiscs of the era... I would imagine it has a printed label of some sort from the company that burned the disc. Most of these have the name of the company, and a hand-typed title from a typewriter.
@@dstragand Yeah, I know the label would likely be rather boring, but I'd love to know how they were identified internally since they were set up as an array. Hopefully someday another will turn up in the wild, I'd hate to think they're all lost to time.