One of the biggest additions to Wonder World was the expansion of Expo 3000. The star attraction to this new area was the War of the Worlds, a multimillion dollar dark ride taking guests on a harrowing journey through a devastating invasion by aliens from another world. This new area was nicknamed War of the Worlds (WotW) Plaza, although none of the other attractions had any relation to that theme. But because the massive WotW show building dominated the area, the name seemed appropriate. This article will take you on a tour of the new area, but I'll be saving the WotW ride for its own exclusive article.
When designing the new area, (and this goes back to the original model) a large, elevated walkway needed to be built to "attach" the new area to the existing land. This was because the entire right side of Expo 3000 was "boxed in" by the Auto Raceway and the Loop Coaster from Circus Center. The walkway created better traffic flow, as well as uniting the two areas. Without it, the WotW Plaza would have been to isolated and would seem to be a separate land instead of an expansion of the existing land.
To the left, you can see the elevated (and not very attractive) walkway which takes guests over the Auto Raceway and Loop Coaster into the new expanded area of Expo 3000. While far from an ideal solution, my goal was to re-create my Wonder World model as closely as possible...warts and all.
The elevated walkway takes guests to the second floor entrance to the Super-Vision Theatre.
A second entrance to the WotW Plaza.
The Super-Vision Theatre featured big screen, 3D films.
The back side of the first floor entrance to the Super-Vision Theatre. Inside, guests would take an elevator to the second floor lobby.
Guests exiting the elevator on the second floor.
The lobby of the Super-Vision Theatre.
The in-game 3D Cinema is tucked away inside the show building. Obviously, creating realistic interiors was not a priority back in the early days. (I was much more concerned with seeing the peeps line up for my attractions.)
Guests taking a stroll beneath the Super-Vision Theatre.
And finally, an aerial view of the theatre.
The Fashion Faire was a large boutique featuring a wide assortment of clothing and apparel.
Nearby, is the Super-Sounds Bandstand. (Don't ask me where I came up with these names.)
A trio of aliens entertain guests at the Super-Sounds Bandstand.
The back side of the Super-Sounds Bandstand. You can also get a nice view of the War of the Worlds attraction in the background.
The Watering Hole was a fast food, counter service eatery.
The guests line up to order their meals.
The dining area is outdoors, below these three large "futuristic" shade structures.
The dining area overlooks a small pool, thus the name "Watering Hole." ;)
Another view of the dining area.
The Watering Hole from above, with the War of the Worlds building seen in back.
A rainy day at Wonder World provides for a very atmospheric shot of the Watering Hole and WotW Plaza.
Coming soon...The War of the Worlds attraction.
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