Riding off into the weekend

How about an attraction that was never built, to tide us over for the weekend? In EPCOT's opening day TV Special in 1982 (you can catch it on YouTube), host Danny Kaye talks to Roots author Alex Haley about the soon to be built African pavilion.

We're still waiting.

The problem, as explained in The World That Never Was: Equatorial Africa, was basically money. As in, Equatorial African nations weren't rolling in it, certainly not enough to pass a whole bunch of it to Disney. Author Josh Taylor explains in the piece that there were numerous parts to the envisioned attraction, including a virtual safari of sound.

Animal Kingdom has probably satisfied WDW's need for an African presence on property. Taylor says that Brazil is eyeing the very empty space where Equatorial Africa would have been built. That works for me. Brazil is one of those places I may never get to. Much like Equatorial Africa. But at least I could get there via Disney World...
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