Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. This was the second
of the theme parks to join Walt Disney World. The park opened on October 1, 1982,
and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest
Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney's Animal Kingdom
opened. The park consists of two sections, Future World and World Showcase. Epcot
has become a permanent display of the world's nations. EPCOT combines education
and entertainment both together very well.
Future World
Future World consists of a several areas called pavilions that explore innovative
aspects and applications of technology. Spaceship Earth. The eighteen-story-tall
sphere covered in over 11,000 triangular silver panels, is the gateway to Future
World. Situated inside is a slow-moving continual dark ride through the history
of communication, focusing on the development of different cultures and the future
of technology. On the top of the sphere, the Sorcerer Mickey's hand and wand point
to the name Epcot. At 256 feet (78 m) high, the hand and wand is the tallest structure
at any Walt Disney World park.
Innoventions, located in two pavilions (named Innoventions
East and Innoventions West), houses hands-on exhibitions
from various science and technology oriented companies such as IBM and Segway. There
are the latest computer games and you can even send a themed E-mail to someone back
home. Very good for all the family. Universe of Energy. Showing
Ellen's Energy Adventure, a show starring Ellen DeGeneres, Bill
Nye, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alex Trebek, and " Albert Einstein" in an episode
of Jeopardy!. The categories are about energy and how we generate and harvest it.
(Michael Richards, "Kramer" from Seinfeld, has a brief cameo in the show
as a caveman who discovers fire.) The audience's seats are actually large vehicles
which move slowly through the attraction and are partially powered by solar cells
on the building's roof. Mission: SPACE: Simulates the training
required to be member of the space program. Gary Sinise is the
guide through a "mission to Mars" in a spinning centrifuge gravity simulator,
which lets guests feel what it's like to blast off in a rocket. Can be a bit intense,
though, they now have a version of the ride that doesn't use the centrifuge..
Test Track: Guests sit in six-seater cars and experience the wide
range of testing that automobiles must go through before they are approved for mass
production. Cars in the ride pass through extreme temperatures, over rough surfaces,
and around high speed turns, exhilarating.
The Living Seas: One of the largest indoor aquariums in the world,
setup to appear as the deep-sea research station Sea Base Alpha. You can view many
different aquatic animals such as manatees while learning about the preservation
of the Seas. For a fee, guests with certified diving credentials can join a group
dive in the aquarium itself. The pavilion is also home to Turtle Talk with Crush,
a show starring Crush, the Sea Turtle, from the film Finding Nemo.
The Land: Contains various attractions dealing with human interaction
with nature. Living with the Land takes you on a boat ride through
a working greenhouse. The Garden Grill Restaurant slowly rotates,
offering views of the Living with the Land ride, and serves meals
containing food grown in The Land. Soarin', a
copy of Soarin' Over California from Disney's California Adventure, opened here
in May 2005, along with a remodeled pavilion. Be warned as this is a new attraction
queues/lines for it are very long. Get there early for a fast pass. Also there is
a showing of the movie called The Circle Of Life, starring the
characters from The Lion King.
Imagination! Contains Journey Into Imagination,
a light-hearted ride starring Eric Idle and the Epcot mascot Figment. It encourages
guests to use their senses and their imagination. Imagination!
also contains Honey, I Shrunk the Audience: a 3-D short film featuring
Eric Idle, Rick Moranis, and the rest of the cast of the film Honey, I Shrunk
The Kids. A demonstration of a new invention inadvertently shrinks
the entire theater. It is a great attraction for all the family.
World Showcase
consists of eleven pavilions, in clockwise order, Mexico, Norway, China, Germany,
Italy, United States of America, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and
Canada. Norway and Morocco were added after the parks opening. Each "Country"
contains representative shops and restaurants and is staffed by people from these
countries, many of them college students. Some also contain rides and shows. Each
pavilion is paid for by the country it represents.
Disney opens World Showcase late (usually 11:00 AM) and closes Future World early
(usually 7:00 PM, except for Test Track, Mission: SPACE, Spaceship Earth, and
Soarin' which sometimes remain open until park closing). Unlike other
Disney parks, which do not serve alcohol, restaurants and stores in the World Showcase
do serve alcohol from their respective countries, and beer is also sold at refreshment
stands throughout Epcot. Each Pavilion sells food from their homeland normally 3
or 4 choices of eating places from high priced gourmet food to quick snacks.
A thirteen-minute fireworks show takes place in the World Showcase Lagoon
every night at the park's closing time, normally 9:00 PM. Fireworks and lasers fill
the sky above Epcot while a stirring musical score plays over the loudspeakers.
The current show is titled IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
and premiered as part of the park's millennium celebration in 2000. Reflections
of Earth tells the story of the planet and is split into three movements titled
"Chaos," "Order," and "Meaning." the lagoon is surrounded
by twenty torches of fire signifying the past twenty centuries, and the show climaxes
with the globe opening up like a lotus blossom to reveal a twenty-first torch, representing
the new century. This really is excellent and should not be missed!!
TIP: Be prepared for a mass exodus from the park once the show is over.
Although you can get a good view of the show all around the lagoon, it is easier
to get out of the park when you are closer to the exit.
More info can be found on the Perfect Florida Villas forums
or The Perfect Florida Guide