Christmas 2012 - The Epcot Experience.

Spaceship Earth (Buckminster would be proud)

Buckminster Fuller is credited with creating the Geodesic Dome. Soon the world was full of Bucky Balls as some people refer to them.  The form appears in both architecture and Chemistry and appears to be one of the basic structures in the universe. Nature recognizes a strong structure when it sees one.  For most people that come to Epcot, the first thing they see is the unique and iconic structure of the Spaceship earth attraction.  This geodesic Globe  is the landmark of Epcot. When someone sees Spaceship earth they know they are near or in Epcot. Spaceship earth is also how I recognize Disney World from the air.  Its how I find Disney World on Google Maps, and in 1981, when Epcot opened,  Spaceship earth was one of the first attractions open.  Simply put, the big geodesic globe of Spaceship earth makes me happy when I see it.  The attraction inside the globe is fun as well.  The original Spaceship earth was sponsored by Bell systems and has gone through many changes over the years.  The most recent iteration of the attraction opened in 2008 and is currently being sponsored by Seimens.  The attraction traces the story of communications through the centuries and ends with giving the visitor a peek into what sort of vacation they might have in the future.  It all culminates in a room with a big globe showing the faces of visitors and marking where they had come from.  All this information is gathered as the visitor is brought back down from the top of the attraction.  A visitor can even send a video of what your future vacation is like to any email address they  might choose.  Its kind of a fun way to let people know what you are doing and where you are.

Pluto's dog house, at least Topiary Pluto.

View of Future world across one if its many lakes.

Epcot is divided into two distinct portions of the park.  The World Showcase surrounds a lake in the southern part of the park.  Future World has most of the thrill rides and attractions and is in the northern part of the park near Spaceship earth.  We spent about equal time in each section.  I'm not so old that i don't enjoy the thrill rides as long as they don't involve round and round.  I'm commented before on how spinning quickly makes my stomach go wrong.  All of the thrill rides in Future world, except for the intense training at the mission space attraction, are very friendly to my stomach.  Every time we go to Epcot, one of the first attractions we take is Soarin'.  Originally an attraction at Disney's California Adventure near Disneyland,  Soarin' was built at the Land Pavilion when Disney brought many of its most popular attractions World Wide to Disney world.  Along with the Lights Camera Action stunt spectacular that was made famous in Disneyland Paris, Soarin' opened its doors in 2005 and has remained a favorite of visitors every since.  Disney is in the process of changing its fast pass system, but at the time when we were in Epcot last, visitors could get a fast pass, wait in line and ride the attraction then come back and use their fast pass, getting two opportunities to ride within an hour or two.  The secret to being able to do this is to be at the park when it opens and go to Soarin' as your first attraction. For those of you new to this blog or those of you unfamiliar with the Soarin' attraction, Soarin' is an amazing multi-sensory experiences that simulates, quite will i might add, the sensation of hang gliding over parts of California.  The first time we rode the attraction on our most recent trip we were lucky enough to get on the top of the three tiers of seats.  The illusion of flight was enhanced by the fact that we couldn't see other people's feet hanging down and the top of the screen was unblocked by the other tiers.  Now Soarin' is fun no matter what tier you get to ride on, but i really enjoyed the top tier the most.  The way the ride is designed, you will find the top tier as the front most seating section when you enter the ride.  Soarin' involves more than just your sense of sight.  As the movie moves you through parts of California you can feel the wind as it blows past you.  You can smell the oranges as you fly over the orange grove.  Pair those experiences with an amazing movie and a wonderful sound track you have some of the best Disney has to offer in the form of attractions.

My Mother-in-law couldn't wait for Mission Space.

Another favorite attraction of mine in Future World is Mission Space.  Gary Sinise, many of you will remember him as Lieutenant Dan from Forest Gump,  has been charged with training a new cadre of astronauts and you have been selected as one of them.  The attraction simulates flight training aboard the X-2 deep space shuttle on a trip to mars, and even the less intense training does a good job of giving visitors the feeling of riding a rocket.  My one try on the more intense training  does a better job of simulating acceleration and delectation. However,  the round and round component left me feeling very ill.  From that moment forward I decided that I would no longer participate in round and round rides. Life is too short and your visit to Disney is even shorter to spend any of it intentionally making your self queezy.  Anyway, My more intense experience was on a different trip before I learned to stop the spinning.  To put Mission Space in some sort of perceptive, my 84 year old mother in law was able to enjoy the ride almost as much as I did.  We made it a point to take her on the ride again this time around. You shouldn't be fooled much by the fact that she was 84 years old however,  she is very robust and more adventurous than many people my age.  After the harrowing experience of going to Mars and landing, at least somewhat safely, the ride empties into an area that has some pretty cool video games.  Ground control training is available in this area.  A series of games between competing sides teach some of the basic properties of ground based control.  It is pretty fun.  Like Spaceship earth, Mission space has a booth where you can create a post card that you can email to your self and friends, if you feel like rubbing it in a bit that you are at Disney.

Part of the green houses and an backward waterfall. (guess those are called fountains.)

Our plans were to visit the Living with the Land attraction between visits to Soarin'. Of course almost everyone else had this same idea and the line was gigantic, so we had to put off our visit to Living with the Land till later that day when the crowds were down.  This educational little attraction is fun and very interesting, especially to conservation minded individuals and those with a inclinations toward the sciences in general and Agriculture specifically.  Living in rural Illinois and spending a good portion of my life in Terre Haute, Agriculture is part of my life.  My grandfather was a farmer and my mother still owns the farm that my grandfather worked. So while i'm no expert nor have do I all the insights that my mother and grandfather might I have some affinity for Agriculture.  Different ways of growing things has always interested me.  However My skills at growing things is nearly non existent  I could kill a cactus in the desert.   Living with the Land starts as a dark ride in a boat that takes people through a brief history of farming.  The attraction even has an farm house display that could have easily been the same farm house that my mother grew up in.  Of course it wasn't, but I could see many of the same things in Disney's farm house display that I had seen at my grandparents house on the farm.  As you float further down the attraction you enter the second, more scientific, half of the ride.  Here Disney displays their take on Hydroponics and Aquaculture.  Disney raises fish and shrimp along with many different  kinds of Vegetables  Much of the produce consumed in the Garden grill is produced in the green houses that are on display to visitors in the Living with the Land attraction. I was amazed by the variety and amount of veggies that can be produced on the relatively small foot print in the Green houses at the Land Pavilion. Of course, Disney wants you to come away with the impression that more food can be grown on less land in a sustainable way, and I must say, they have succeeded.

I like this picture with the monorail track framing FutureWorld

Mickey and Minnie Topiary.  

There is a fact Epcot for which anybody that goes there can vouch.  People do a lot of walking during Epcot visit.  Any trip to Disney World no matter what park you attend involves a lot of walking.  Epcot is larger than all the parks except for the Animal Kingdom and more spread out more than the other parks.  The magic kingdom is a little more compact.  The attractions are a bit closer together. But even so, visitors have a lot of walking ahead of them if they want to visit everything through out Disney World. Epcot is more than twice as big as the Magic Kingdom, so getting around there will require twice as much walking.   Disney has a secret for those who need to rest your tired feet, an attraction that allows you to sit for 45 minutes and get an interesting tour of energy to boot.  The Universe of Energy pavilion hosts Ellen's Energy Adventure. Ok.. i agree, the attraction can be pretty lame, however, I wish to point out that 45 minutes in air conditioned comfort, not walking around can be one of the most exciting experiences you can have after a few long days of walking around.  Essentially the show is about Ellen DeGeneres' dream of competing with Jamie Lee Curtis in jeopardy.  The other competitor is the famous physicist and renown genius, Albert Einstein. There is little doubt that  Albert was a genius, but, he has always had a little trouble with the everyday things in life, including pressing the buzzer to answer the questions.   Anyway, all the Categories have something to do with energy. Of course, Ellen is getting pasted by Jamie Lee and at the end of the first round she is way behind.   In steps former engineer and current science guy, Bill Nigh. Bill leads Ellen through the would of energy including a romp through Pre-Jurassic earth.  The animitronics are cool but the best thing about the ride in my mind are the huge moving theater seats that glide through the ride and the air conditioned comfort as you take it all in.  Certainly this is good way to spend 45 minutes recouping for other Epcot adventure.

The Gardens at Epcot are Amazing.

We all know that Epcot Future World is not know for spending to much time in the past.   By its very name the northern half of Epcot is dedicated to what people might be doing or seeing in the future.  However, Future World does offer an opportunity to step back into the 1980's.  For the past several years Honey, I shrunk the Audience has been supplanted by Captain Eo staring Michael Jackson as partial tribute to Michael after he died. This 3D movie was amazing in its time with 3D visuals that were cutting edge when the  movie first premiered at Epcot. The story is about a group of space wanderers that are on some sort of  mission.  Please don't ask what the mission is. I frankly don't remember and to be honest, it was just a vehicle for the music and the dancing.  The music and the dancing are very much MJ in his prime.  Seeing him dance and hearing him sing is worth going to see the show by itself, and the costumes and the hair, especially the hair styles, were directly from the 80's.  The pre-show is the Making of Captain Eo and a fun way to find out about how the movie was made while you wait for a seat in the auditorium. Now, that being said, I'm ready for Honey I Shrunk the Audience to return.  The 3D and multi-sensory effects were better in Honey I Shrunk the Audience and the show, to me, was outrageously funny. But until or if Honey I Shrunk the Audience returns, people who lived in the 80's and all all who liked MJ will love Captain Eo.

Taiko Drummers. Three Slight Japanese women. 

World Showcase at Sunrise.

Across the lake from Future world lies the World Showcase.  The World Showcase was originally conceptualized as a separate park from Epcot but as Epcot evolved from the community of tomorrow into a showcase for Technology,  the World showcase was drawn into the plans for the park.  The experience in the World Showcase is a lot different from the one in Future World.  The pace is slower and visitors explore the cultural side of our existence  rather than the more intense discovery of new technologies.  One of the Cultieral aspects of any country that interest me is the wide variety of food that is served at each countries pavilion.  Visitors can get great french food at "Chefs de France"  or delightful Italian food at "Tutto Italia" or "Via Napoli".  All the World showcase countries serve a selection of the foods that represent their country.  I have sampled food from Morocco, Japan and China.  I can and will spend a whole post talking about the food we sampled at Disney World.  While many of the attractions in the world show case are pretty lame, I give you the Maelstrom in Norway and the "so lame its entertaining" Three Caballeros ride in Mexico, there are still many many fun things to see in the world showcase.  We saw the three talented women playing the Japanese Taiko drums. Italy made us laugh and the jugglers in France are amazing.  My favorite attraction by far is wonderful show at the American Pavilion. The American Adventure mixes Film and animitronics to tell the story of America.  The show is Narrated by Ben Franklin and Samuel Clemens and shows the triumphs and tragedies of the american people with most of the warts and blemishes.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Off Kilter. (These guys were fun)

My favorite events at Epcot and it might be augured at all of Disney, take place in the evening. About 8:15 in the evening the lights around World Showcase Lagoon dim somewhat and several cauldrons around the lagoon spring to life with fire. An announcer warns visitors that Illuminations, Reflections of Earth is about to start. During the Christmas season, the Candlelight Processional takes place 3 times starting around 5:00 in the afternoon and finishing up somewhere around 8:30, making 9:00 the usual time for Illuninations to start.  If it were not for the Candlelight processional I would have said that Illuminations was my favorite event at Epcot. Now it has been relegated to second favorite.  I have seen Illuminations from various spots around the World Showcase Lagoon and have been overawed each time, but the very best place that I have found to see Illuminations is what i believe to be show center facing from the Future world side of Epcot.  As part of the Candlelight Dinner Package visitors get access to this Optimal Viewing area.  We would arrive early and wait for the show to start.  The only downside is the fact that This area has very few benches and visitors must lean against the planters or sit on the ground while waiting for the show to start.  But that is a small price to pay for what you get to when the show begins.  Disney has a special way of launching their fireworks that doesn't involved explosives.  Of course, Gunpowder is involved when the shell bursts in the air, but in order to get the shells up there in the first place Disney uses compressed air to launch many of their air burst shells at Epcot.  With the use of lasers and water and fire, Disney presents a show that is outstanding even by Disney standards.  Even the smoke from the fireworks make the lasers coming from the roofs of the World Showcase Pavilions even more exciting. Then the big globe slowly makes it way to the center of the lake. The Globe has custom built screens on each of the land masses that show scenes from around the world.  When the Globe was originally built this was pretty new technology.  The same Technology was now used in building the huge screens at sporting arenas. Soon the globe opens like the pedals of a flower and a huge torch appears and ignites in the center. Things really get wild as the end of the show approaches   fireworks are shooting from the edge of the lake and from barges out in the center.  Air burst shells shoot from the Barge on which the globe sits.  The sky is filled with light as fountains shoot water into the air as lasers pierce the smoke. During the Christmas season, Epcot pulls out all the stops and extends the fireworks fun for several more minutes.  Who wouldn't just stand there in awe of what they were seeing.  Not for the first nor the last did a tear come to my eye.  Its one of those things that you must experience and I cant wait to see Illuminations again.

Bonnie and her Mom at Tutto Italia. Good eats!

My favorite event at Epcot has to be the Candlelight Processional, presented by Disney every year during the Christmas season. This is the only sacred presentation that Disney does during the season as well.  Our narrator was Neal Patrick Harris.  Folks my age will remember him as the actor who portrayed Doogie Howser MD. More recently he is cast in How I met Your Mother.  The Candlelight Processional presents the Christmas story presented in Mathew and Luke with readings from the scriptures and Carols for the season. A huge Chorus made up from high school choruses from around the country and Disney Cast Members that Vie for the chance to be in the show sings all the beloved carols along with perhaps some more ancient secular music.  In addition to the huge chorus, a 70 piece orchestra provides instrumental moments throughout the 45 minute presentation.  6 herald trumpets open the show with a fanfare that rings across the whole of the Showcase lake, announcing to the audience that the show is starting and preparing us for an experience like none other available at Disney World or anywhere else for that matter. The Voices of Liberty are the featured singers and all I can really say is.. boy are they good.  I've sang my self for many years. I like to fancy myself as having some small talent as a singer.  But I really couldn't hold a candle to these guys. (pun intended)  They blend so well.  Its obvious they have practiced and sang so much together that the can almost predict what the person standing next to them is going to do next. Au Capella singing is wonderful and the do some of that in the show.  But when the orchestra and the chorus get going, audience members are overwhelmed with waves of beautiful sound.  To me, the feeling was as if an ocean of music had broken in waves over us.  It is a near perfect musical experience.  The event is presented at the American Gardens Amphitheater lakeside of the American Experience in the Epcot world showcase.  The show is held 3 times daily form the end of  November till the end of December.  There is no charge to get in but in order to insure a seat it is best to book a Candlelight Processional Dinner package.  The Standby lines can be very intimidating for the awesome and popular event.

Epcot Tree at Night. (Pictures don't really do it justice.)

I have had a lot to say about Epcot.  The park is one of my favorite at Disney and we have been going there for years.  It has change over the years of our visits.  One year spaceship earth had Mickeys hand, with a wand and the year 2000 to celebrate the millennium   Some of the attractions have remained unchanged since our first visit.  Some  have been re-imaged,  Some are gone and replaced by different attractions.  Walt Disney said of Epcot, "But the most exciting and by far the most important part of our Florida Project...in fact, the heart of everything we'll be doing in Disney World...will be our Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow! We call it EPCOT."  Walt had great plans for Epcot, It was to be his city of the future.  Epcot has become a mixture of old and new,  thrilling attractions and learning opportunities.  The park even allows visitors a certain amount of cultural exchange from far off lands.  This isn't what Walt envisioned for Epcot but it is certainly a wonderful place to be.  I believe Walt would have liked Epcot in its current state.  I know I do.