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Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

in the World Showcase. Disney resort guests can have their pur-

chases sent directly to their hotels.

You can arrange pet care for $6 a day at kennels outside the

Entrance Plaza at Epcot (% 407-824-6568). Proof of vaccination is

required. Four other kennels are available in the WDW complex.

Rent strollers east of the Entrance Plaza and at World Showcase’s

International Gateway. The cost is $8 for a single and $15 for a

double. The prices include a $1 refundable deposit.

Rent wheelchairs inside the Entrance Plaza to your left, to the

right of ticket booths at the Gift Shop, and at World Showcase’s

International Gateway. They cost $8, including a $1 refundable

deposit. Electric chairs cost $40 a day with a $10 deposit.

Call % 407-934-7639 or visit www.disneyworld.com to obtain addi-

tional information about WDW properties.

Touring Epcot’s Top Attractions

Epcot’s 300 acres are vibrantly landscaped, so enjoy the scenery on your

way through its two very distinctive areas, Future World and World

Showcase.

Epcot is big enough that walking around it can be exhausting (the World

Showcase semicircle alone is 1.3 miles). That’s why some people say

Epcot stands for “Every Person Comes Out Tired.” If you don’t spend

much time lingering in the World Showcase, you can see all Epcot in one

day, but you’ll need a vacation after you’re finished. A boat launch runs

from Future World to Germany or Morocco so unless you want the com-

plete world tour, this may be a great way to get a sampling of World

Showcase. The good news is that most of the attractions take a fair

amount of time, giving you a break between all that walking.

To locate the attractions I discuss in the following sections, check out

the “Epcot” map on p.199.

Experiencing Future World

Most visitors enter Epcot through the main entrance at Future World

(there is, unlike at any other park, a back entrance where guests of the

BoardWalk, Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club, and Beach Club resorts have

access by boat). Spaceship Earth, that thing that looks like the giant

silver golf ball meant for a club to fit Paul Bunyan, centers Future World.

Major corporations such as Hewlett Packard, General Motors, Nestlé,

and Kodak sponsor Future World’s nine themed areas. The exhibits

focus on discovery, scientific achievements, and technology in areas

spanning from energy to undersea exploration.

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Innoventions: The Road to Tomorrow

The crescent-shaped buildings to your right and left, just beyond

Spaceship Earth, showcase cutting-edge technology and future products

in the Innoventions exhibit. The headliner in the building to the left

(Innoventions East) as you enter the park is House of Innoventions,

which offers a preview of tomorrow’s smart house (including a refrigera-

tor that can itemize and order groceries and a Jacuzzi with surround

sound). A recent addition is Plastic Works, where kids can build their

own robot and — bonus — they get to keep it for free. The Test the Limits

Lab exhibit has six kiosks that let kids and fun-loving adults try out a

variety of products. In one, you can pull a rope attached to a hammer

that crashes into a TV screen to see whether it’s shatter resistant. In

another, you can push a button that releases a magnet that falls onto a

firefighter’s helmet. Other exhibits focus on communications, the new

Segway transport device, and outer space.

Across the way at Innoventions West, crowds flock to Video Games of

Tomorrow, which has nearly three dozen game stations, and the Ultimate

Home Theater, which offers a look at the history of home entertainment

and a futuristic home set-up that will have couch potatoes salivating.

ThinkPlace presented by IBM looks at various interactive software pro-

grams (including voice recognition technology) and also features

Internet Postcards that allow you to take a picture and send it via e-mail

to family and friends back home. Where’s the Fire? is America’s largest

fire-safety display, where kids can get an up-close look at a life-size fire

truck and follow a lighted path through a burning house to safety. Other

diversions include a virtual-reality playground and a display highlighting

advances in the life sciences at The Great American Farm.

Journey into Imagination with Figment

Even the fountains in front of this pavilion are magical — shooting water

snakes through the air. (The fountains are popular with kids, who like to

try to catch water snakes and, in the process, get a good soaking.)

When the Journey into Imagination exhibit reopened in summer 2002

after a year-long refurbishment, it marked the return of an Epcot golden

oldie — Figment, a crazy-but-lovable purple dinosaur, who was a fixture

at Epcot until 1999 (his three-year disappearance was greeted with

major boos by Disneyphiles, who abandoned ship until he returned).

Things begin with an open house at the Imagination Institute, with Dr.

Nigel Channing (played by Monty Python’s Eric Idle) taking you on a

tour of the labs that demonstrate how the senses capture and control

one’s imagination. Figment arrives at each of the areas to prove it’s far,

far better to set your imagination free. He invites you to his upside-down

house, where a new perspective enhances your imagination. “One Little

Spark,” an upbeat ditty that debuted when the attraction opened in 1983,

has also been brought back. This ride is best for the younger set as older

kids may find it too tame.

202 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

After you disembark from the ride, head for The Kodak “What If” Labs,

where your kids can burn lots of energy while exercising their imagina-

tions at a number of interactive stations that allow them to conduct

music, experiment with video, or transform themselves into animals.

The lab can be accessed from the outside as well, so older kids can

experiment while waiting for their younger siblings to ride along with

Figment.

The pavilion’s main attraction is the 3-D “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”

ride, based on the Disney film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, in which you’re

caught up in all the mayhem of another shrinking experiment gone awry.

Inside, mice terrorize you and, after you’re shrunk, a large cat adds to

the trauma; then a giant 5-year-old gives you a good shaking. Vibrating

seats and sensory effects enhances all the 3-D action. In the end, every-

one is returned to proper size — but not the dog, who offers up one final

surprise. Kids under 4 may be frightened by some of the 3-D and special

effects; most older kids will be utterly amused.

The Land Pavilion

The Land is Future World’s largest pavilion (a whopping 6 acres) and

showcases the wonders of food and the environment. Living with the

Land, a 14-minute boat ride through a simulated rain forest, an African

desert, and the Great Plains, may be a tad too dry for visitors not inter-

ested in agriculture. New farming methods and experiments ranging

from hydroponics to plants growing in simulated Martian soil are show-

cased in real gardens.

A 45-minute Behind the Seeds walking tour for gardeners and others who

want a more detailed agricultural lesson is offered daily and costs $8 for

adults and $6 for kids 3 to 9. Sign up at the Green Thumb Emporium to

the right of the Sunshine Seasons food court area.

Live footage and animation mix in Circle of Life, a 15-minute, 70mm motion

picture based on The Lion King. The story line has Timon and Pumbaa

building a monument to the good life called Hakuna Matata Lakeside

Village, but their project, as Simba points out, is damaging the savanna

for other animals. It’s a fun, but pointed, environmental message.

The Land’s newest attraction is Soarin’, a ride borrowed from Disney’s

California Adventure park. The experience combines cinematic artistry

and state-of-the-art motion technology as you are seated in mock-gliders

and lifted 40 feet inside a giant projection screen dome. Completely

surrounded with the beauty and wonder of the state of California, the

elevated seats take you on a scenic tour over the Golden Gate Bridge,

the Redwood forests, Napa Valley, and Yosemite, gliding and swooping

over the changing landscapes. You can even feel the sweeping winds and

smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine trees around you. The entire

experience is absolutely one of the best in all of Disney. It makes me

wonder if a version showcasing Florida’s highlights may be up next . . .

Epcot is in Florida after all. You must be 40 inches tall to ride. This is

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Water-cooler conversations

Many an ordinary item at Disney World has hidden entertainment value. Take a sip of

water at the drinking fountain in Epcot’s Innoventions Plaza (the one right next to the

Mouse Gear shop close to Innoventions East) and it may beg you not to drink it dry. No,

you haven’t gotten too much sun — the fountain actually talks (much to the delight of

kids and the surprise of unsuspecting adults). A few more talking fountains are scat-

tered around Epcot.

The fountains aren’t the only items at WDW that talk. I’ve kibitzed with a walking and

talking garbage can (named PUSH) in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom (he’s been

known to make appearances at Epcot as well). An assortment of sassy (if not mobile)

garbage cans are also in place at the Magic Kingdom inside Cosmic Ray’s Starlight

Cafe. And a personable palm tree (who goes by Wes Palm) may strike up a conversa-

tion with you at Animal Kingdom. Ask a Disney employee to direct you if you want to

meet any of these chatty contraptions.

definitely a good candidate for FASTPASS as the lines are lengthy with

wait times of at least an hour, even during the slower seasons.

The Living Seas

The Living Seas pavilion has a 5.7 million-gallon aquarium filled with

more than 4,000 sharks, barracudas, rays, dolphins, and other reef fish.

It starts with a film, The Seas, demonstrating the formation of the Earth

and the seas as a means to support life. You also can see other exhibits

such as a diving barrel used by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. and Sir

Edmund Halley’s first diving bell (1697). After the films, you enter

“hydrolators” (a somewhat hokey elevator ride) and descend to the

simulated ocean floor and Sea Base Alpha. The two-level base displays

numerous exhibits dealing with various aspects of marine science and

technology, and — most important of all — you get close-up views

through acrylic windows of real denizens of the deep, as they swim

amidst a man-made coral reef. Both kids and adults enjoy visiting the

rescued manatees (sea cows), which reside on the second level.

In the past I’ve complained that The Living Seas could be a snoozer for

younger kids unless they are fascinated by the sea. Disney must have

been listening, because they’ve added a few attractions that are sure

to keep kids younger than 10 entertained. Turtle Talk with Crush, an

interactive theater presentation, captivates kids’ attention as well as

their hearts. In a small theater adults are seated on benches in the back

while children are asked to sit on the floor right in front of the screen

(which, for the moment, looks like a giant underwater viewing area).

After a brief introduction, Crush, a 152-year old sea turtle from the film

Finding Nemo, appears swimming around, chit-chatting to himself and,

before you know it, with the kids — and I mean really conversing.

204 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

Through some amazing technology and animation the talking turtle can

“see” the audience, pick out whose question he’d like to answer by

describing their clothing, and actually respond to their questions. Kids

love it.

Disney has also added a small play area where little ones can expend

some of their extra energy. Bruce’s Sub House features some larger

than life (albeit animated) sharks to climb on, in, and around.

Epcot’s DiveQuest program enables certified divers ages 10 and up

(those between 10 and 14 are required to have an adult participate along

with them) to take part in a three-hour program that includes a 30-

minute dive in the Living Seas aquarium. The program costs $140. Call

% 407-939-8687 for details. Keep in mind, however, that that you get

more dolphins for your money at Discovery Cove (see Chapter 20).

Spaceship Earth

Epcot’s iconic, silvery geosphere houses an attraction of the same

name, a slow-track journey back to the roots of communications. The

15-minute ride begins with Cro-Magnon cave painting and then advances

to Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Phoenician and Greek alphabets, the

Gutenberg printing press, and the Renaissance. Technologies develop at

a rapid pace, through the telegraph, telephone, radio, movies, and TV.

It’s but a short step to the age of electronic communications. You’re cat-

apulted (though slowly) into outer space to see Spaceship Earth from a

new perspective, returning for a finale that places the audience amid

interactive global networks. Unfortunately, the presentation is not par-

ticularly engaging, and I recommend that you skip it unless it’s a really

hot day or you need time off your feet.

Test Track

Test Track is a $60 million marvel of a ride that combines GM engineer-

ing and Disney Imagineering. You can wait in line an hour or more during

peak periods, so use FASTPASS. (See Chapter 11 for more information

about beating the long lines.) During the last part of your wait, you snake

through displays about corrosion, crash tests, and more. The 5-minute

ride follows what looks to be an actual highway. It includes braking

tests, a hill climb, and tight S-curves in a six-passenger “convertible.”

The left front seat offers the most thrills as the vehicle moves through

the curves. There’s also a 12-second burst of heart-pumping speed to

the tune of 65 mph on the straightaway (with no traffic!). It’s one of the

best thrill rides in Epcot, and for those who can’t stomach roller coast-

ers, it offers a few thrills that you most likely can handle.

“The beginning is a lot of stopping and starting but once you hit 60 it’s a

blast.” Ryan liked it, but it may be too intense for those younger than 10,

and it has a 40-inch height minimum. The single-rider line (which allows

singles to fill in vacant spots in select cars) can speed up your wait time

if all the FASTPASSES are gone — which really happens! — but you have

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to be willing to split up your party to use it. Also keep in mind that rain

will shut it down, so head here early in the day if there’s even the slight-

est chance of a sprinkle.

Mission: SPACE

The headliner for Mission: SPACE is a motion simulator like those used

by astronauts training for space. (Think G-force and weightlessness.)

You assume the role of commander, pilot, navigator, or engineer, depend-

ing on where you sit, and must complete related jobs vital to a flight to

the Red Planet (don’t worry if you miss your cue, you won’t crash). The

ride uses a combination of visuals, sound, and centrifugal force to create

the illusion of a launch and trip to Mars. As the launch begins, your

rocket rumbles under you, white clouds of steam billow around you, and

you shoot into the galaxy. Of course, there are some unexpected twists

and turns that require you to react pronto in order to complete your

mission successfully. Even veteran roller-coaster riders who tried the

simulator said the sensation mimics a liftoff, as riders are pressed into

their seats and the roar and vibration tricks the brain during the launch

portion of the 4-minute adventure.

In the pre-ride show, you go to the futuristic International Space Training

Center and then proceed to the Ready Room where you learn your role

as commander, pilot, navigator, or engineer from CapCom (played by

actor Gary Sinese, who co-starred in Apollo 13).

This is probably one of the most physically intense rides at Disney. If

you are prone to motion sickness from spinning, have a sinus infection,

or experience severe claustrophobia, do not ride this attraction. There’s

a reason they put motion sickness bags in each capsule and post all the

warnings. Once the door of your pod closes, that’s it, there’s no escape.

You’re going to Mars whether you like it or not. If the experience gets

too much mid-trip, a Disney Imagineer told me that focusing straight

ahead can help minimize the effects, and he warned against closing your

eyes as that actually enhances the ride’s intensity.

So you know, if you’re taller (or shorter, in the case of younger kids)

than average, you may have difficulties seeing the screen from the opti-

mum perspective or handling the controls from the optimum angle.

“It was awesome — the whole ride was intense, but awesome.” 12-year-

old Ryan, who has an intense hatred for roller coasters, survived and

was even smiling after the ride, but be aware that it may be too intense

for those younger than 10 and has a 44-inch height minimum.

Universe of Energy

Sponsored by Exxon, Universe of Energy has a roof full of solar panels

and a goal of bettering your understanding of America’s energy prob-

lems and potential solutions. Ellen’s Energy Adventure, the pavilion’s

32-minute ride, features comedienne Ellen DeGeneres tutored by Bill Nye

206 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

the Science Guy to be a Jeopardy! champ. An animated movie depicts

the Earth’s molten beginnings, its cooling process, and the formation

of fossil fuels. You then move back 275 million years into an eerie,

storm-wracked landscape of the Mesozoic Era. Giant audio-animatronic

dragonflies, pterodactyls, dinosaurs, earthquakes, and streams of molten

lava threaten before you enter a misty tunnel deep in the bowels of a vol-

cano. When you emerge into a giant space that looks like a NASA control

room, a 70mm film projected on a massive 210-foot wraparound screen

depicts the challenges of the world’s increasing energy demands and the

emerging technologies that will help meet them. The show ends on an

upbeat note — a vision of an energy-abundant future and Ellen as a new

Jeopardy! champion. The ride itself is a bit slow moving (literally), but

the bits featuring Ellen are funny, and it’s a good place to escape the

heat. Younger kids may find brief parts of the film a bit intense and the

fleeting appearance of the dinosaurs a tad too lifelike.

Wonders of Life

The focus of the Wonders of Life pavilion (you can’t miss the giant DNA

strand that marks its entrance) is on health and biology.

The entire Wonders of Life pavilion began opening on a limited schedule

(mostly during peak crowds to alleviate long lines on other rides) in

January 2004, prompting speculation that a new exhibit may be installed

here within the next few years.

The Making of Me, starring Martin Short, is a 15-minute film combining

live action with animation and spectacular in utero photography to

create a sweet introduction to the facts of life. Short travels back in time

to witness his parents as children, their meeting at a college dance, their

wedding, and their decision to have a baby. Alongside him, Making of Me

visitors view his development inside the womb and witness his birth.

The presentation may prompt some pointed questions from young

children — if you’re not ready for them, think about heading them off

and heading elsewhere; I recommend it for ages 10 and older.

Didn’t get your fill of being shrunk at Imagination? Haven’t been shaken

up enough on a simulator? Try Body Wars, where you’re reduced to the

size of a cell for a rescue mission inside a human’s immune system

(it reminds many sci-fi fans of the Isaac Asimov classic novel Fantastic

Voyage). This motion-simulator takes you on a wild ride through gale-

force winds in the lungs and pounding heart chambers. It’s nowhere

near as cool as the similar Star Tours attraction at Disney–MGM Studios

(see Chapter 14), but is still fun.

Engineers designed this ride from the last row of the car, so that’s the

best place to sit to get the most bang for your buck. Riders must be at

least 40 inches tall to climb aboard.

In the hilarious Cranium Command, Buzzy, an animatronic brain-pilot-in-

training in the Cranium Commando Squad, is charged with the daunting

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task of controlling the brain of Bobby, a 12-year-old boy, during adoles-

cent traumas that include meeting a girl and a run-in with the principal.

The audience is seemingly seated inside Bobby’s head as Buzzy guides

him through his day — and gets chewed out every now and then by his

animated C.O., General Knowledge. Well-known actors and comedians,

including Charles Grodin, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey, play the boy’s

body parts. This must-see attraction has a very loyal fan following and is

good for all ages.

Don’t skip the very funny pre-show film at this attraction, as it sets up

the action that happens inside.

At The Fitness Fairgrounds, you can have your tennis, golf, or baseball

swing analyzed by experts. You can also get a computer-generated eval-

uation of your health habits or ride the exercycles, touring through

Disney via video.

Traveling through the World Showcase

World Showcase is enjoyed mainly by adults or older kids with an

appreciation of world history and cultural shows. Its 11 miniature

nations, each re-created with meticulous detail, open at 11 a.m. daily and

surround the parks 40-acre lagoon. All the showcase’s countries have

authentically indigenous architecture, landscaping, background music,

restaurants, and shops. The nations’ cultural facets are explored in art

exhibits, song and dance performances, and innovative rides, films, and

attractions. And all the employees at each of the pavilions are natives of

the country represented.

Most of these nations offer some kind of live entertainment throughout

the day. You may see acrobats, bagpipers, mariachi bands, storytellers,

belly dancers, and stilt walkers. Characters regularly appear in the

Showcase Plaza. Check your guide map/show schedule when you enter

the park. You can also find schedules posted near the entrance to each

country.

Those with kids should grab a copy of the Epcot Kids’ Guide at Guest

Relations upon entering the park; it uses a “K” in a red square to note

Kidcot Fun Stops inside the World Showcase. These play and learning

stations are for the younger set and allow them to stop at various World

Showcase countries, do crafts, get autographs, have Kidcot passports

stamped (these are available for purchase in most Epcot stores and make

a great souvenir), and chat with cast members native to those countries.

Your kids will get the chance to learn about different countries and make a

souvenir to bring home. For more information, stop in at Guest Relations

when you get into the park. The stations open at 1 p.m. daily.

Finally, excellent shopping and dining opportunities are available at all

the pavilions. For details on dining inside the World Showcase, see

Chapter 10; shopping information can be found in Chapter 17.

208 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

Canada

The pavilion’s highlight attraction is O Canada! — a dazzling, 18-minute,

360-degree CircleVision film that shows Canada’s scenic wonders, from

sophisticated Montréal to the thundering flight of thousands of snow

geese departing the St. Lawrence River.

The theater has no seats and you stand for the entire production

(though there are lean rails).

The architecture and landscape in Canada include a mansard-roofed

replica of Ottawa’s 19th-century Château Laurier (here called the Hôtel

du Canada) and an Indian village complete with 30-foot replicas of

Ojibwa totem poles. The Canadian wilderness is reflected by a rocky

mountain (really made of concrete and chicken wire); a waterfall cascad-

ing into a whitewater stream; and a mini forest of evergreens, stately

cedars, maples, and birch trees. Don’t miss the stunning floral display

inspired by Victoria’s world-renowned Butchart Gardens. Off Kilter enter-

tains visitors with New Age Celtic music.

China

You enter Epcot’s version of China through a triple-arched ceremonial

gate inspired by the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, a summer retreat for

Chinese emperors. Passing through the gate, you’ll see a half-size replica

of this ornately embellished red-and-gold circular temple, built in 1420

during the Ming dynasty. Gardens simulate those at Suzhou, with minia-

ture waterfalls, lotus ponds, and bamboo groves.

Inside the temple, you can watch Reflections of China, a 20-minute 360-

degree CircleVision film that explores the culture and landscapes in and

around seven Chinese cities. It visits Beijing, Shanghai, and the Great

Wall (begun 24 centuries ago!), among other places.

Like Canada, the theater here has no seats and you stand for the entire

production (though there are lean rails).

Land of Many Faces is an exhibit that introduces China’s ethnic peoples,

and entertainment is provided daily by the amazing Dragon Legend

Acrobats.

France

This pavilion focuses on France’s Belle Époque (Beautiful Age) — the

period from 1870 to 1910 — when art, literature, and architecture ruled.

You enter via a replica of the beautiful cast-iron Pont des Arts footbridge

over the Seine and find yourself in a park with bleached sycamores,

Bradford pear trees, flowering crape myrtle, and sculptured parterre

flower gardens inspired by Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the

Island of La Grande Jatte. The grounds also include a 1⁄10-scale model of the

Eiffel Tower, which was built from Gustave Eiffel’s original blueprints.

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The premiere attraction here is Impressions de France. Shown in the pala-

tial Palais du Cinema, a sit-down theater à la Fontainebleau, this 18-minute

film is a journey through diverse French landscapes projected on a vast,

200-degree wraparound screen. Outside, grab a French pastry and watch

the antics of Serveur Amusant, a comedic waiter, or the visual comedy of

Le Mime Roland.

Germany

Enclosed by castle walls, Germany offers ’wursts, oompah bands, and

a rollicking atmosphere. The clock tower in the central platz (plaza) is

embellished with a glockenspiel that heralds each hour with quaint

melodies. The Biergarten was inspired by medieval Rothenberg, while

16th-century building façades replicate a merchant’s hall in the Black

Forest and the town hall in Frankfurt’s Römerberg Square.

If you’re a model-train fanatic or visiting with young kids, don’t miss the

exquisitely detailed version of a small Bavarian town, complete with

working train station, located between Germany and Italy.

Italy

Italy lures visitors over an arched stone footbridge to a replica of Venice’s

intricately ornamented pink-and-white Doge’s Palace. Other architectural

highlights include the 83-foot Campanile (bell tower) of St. Mark’s Square,

Venetian bridges, and a piazza enclosing a version of Bernini’s Neptune

Fountain. A garden wall suggests a backdrop of provincial countryside,

and citrus, cypress, pine, and olive trees frame a formal garden. Gondolas

are moored on the lagoon.

In the street entertainment department, the seemingly lifeless forms of

Imaginum, A Statue Act fascinate visitors young and old daily, and the

hilarious World Showcase Players, who, at press time, were seen spoofing

Shakespeare’s Italian-set Taming of the Shrew here.

Japan

A flaming red torii (gate of honor) on the banks of the lagoon and the

graceful blue-roofed Goju No To pagoda, inspired by an 8th-century

shrine built at Nara, welcome you to the Japan pavilion, which focuses

on Japan’s ancient culture. If you have some leisure time, enjoy the

exquisitely cultivated Japanese garden — it’s a haven of tranquility

in a place that’s anything but, and 90 percent of the plants you see are

actually native to Japan. The Shishinden, inspired by the ceremonial

and coronation hall found in the Imperial Palace grounds at Kyoto, is

home to Mitsukoshi’s department store (discussed in Chapter 17). The

Bijutsu-kan Gallery offers rotating exhibits ranging from 18th-century

Bunraki puppets to Japanese baseball.

Make sure that you include a performance of traditional Taiko drumming

by Matsuriza, which entertains guests daily. Japanese storytellers offer

up native tales every now and then.

210 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

Mexico

The music of mariachi bands greets you at Mexico’s festive showcase,

fronted by a Mayan pyramid modeled on the Aztec temple of Quetzalcoatl

(God of Life) and surrounded by dense Yucatán jungle landscaping. Just

inside the pavilion’s entrance, a museum exhibits rare Oaxacan wood

sculptures. Also inside the pyramid you’ll find an open-air marketplace

filled with artisans peddling their wares under the star-filled skies above

(it’s always nighttime here) behind which is El Rio del Tiempo (River of

Time), an eight-minute cruise through Mexico’s past and present (the

audio-animatronic dolls you encounter en-route may remind you of those

in Magic Kingdom’s It’s a Small World). Along the river route, passengers

get a close-up look at the Mayan pyramid and the erupting Popocatepetl

volcano.

Mariachi Cobre, a 12-piece mariachi ensemble, performs Tuesday

through Saturday.

Morocco

A replica of the world famous Koutoubia Minaret, the prayer tower of a

12th-century mosque in Marrakesh, overlooks the very atmospheric

pavilion of Morocco, featuring the architectural styles of several cities

inside the North African kingdom. The exotic ambiance is enhanced by

geometrically patterned tile work, hand-painted wood ceilings, and brass

lighting fixtures. The Medina (old city), entered via a replica of an arched

gateway in Fez, leads to a traditional Moroccan home and the narrow,

winding streets of the souk, a bustling marketplace where authentic hand-

icrafts are on display. The Medina’s courtyard centers on a replica of the

ornately tiled Najjarine Fountain in Fez.

The Gallery of Arts and History contains ever-changing exhibits of

Moroccan art. A guided tour of the pavilion, Treasures of Morocco, runs

three times daily. (Check your show schedule.) Speaking of shows, the

band Mo’Rockin’ kicks things up with Arabian rock music.

Norway

The Norway pavilion’s stave church, located off a charming cobblestone

plaza and styled after the 13th-century Gol Church of Hallingdal, features

changing exhibits focusing on Norwegian art and culture. A replica of

Oslo’s 14th-century Akershus Castle is the setting for the pavilion’s restau-

rant (see Chapter 10). Other buildings simulate the red-roofed cottages of

Bergen and the timber-sided farm buildings of the Nordic woodlands.

Norway includes a two-part attraction. Maelstrom, a boat ride in a

dragon-headed Viking vessel, travels Norway’s fjords and mythical

forests to the music of Peer Gynt. Along the way, you see polar bears

prowling the shore and are turned into frogs by trolls that cast a spell

on your boat. The watercraft crashes through a narrow gorge (two

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Chapter 13: Epcot

small separate drops) and spins into the North Sea, where a storm is

in progress. (Don’t worry — this is a relatively calm ride, though some

of mthe thunder elements may frighten the very young.) The storm

abates, a princess’s kiss turns you into a human again, and you disem-

bark to a 10th-century Viking village to view the 70mm film Norway,

highlighting history and culture (you can proceed through the theater

to the exit if you don’t want to watch the film).

Spelmanns Gledje plays lively Norwegian folk music.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom pavilion evokes Merry Olde England through its

Britannia Square — a London-style park complete with copper-roofed

gazebo bandstand, a stereotypical red phone booth (it really works!), an

old-fashioned pub, a thatched cottage, and a statue of the Bard. Four

centuries of architecture — from the Tudor era all the way through the

English Regency period — line cobblestone streets. In the horticulture

department, there’s a formal garden with low box hedges in geometric

patterns, and the flagstone paths and a stone fountain replicate the land-

scaping of 16th- and 17th-century palaces.

Don’t miss The British Invasion, a group that impersonates the Beatles;

vivacious pub pianist Pam Brody; and Jason Wethington, a pub magician

who offers up Disney magic of the sleight-of-hand variety.

U.S.A. — The American Adventure

This flagship pavilion’s main building is a 108,000-square-foot Georgian

mansion and occupies the central spot in the World Showcase. Notable

U.S. landmarks that inspired Disney’s Imagineers in the design of the

building include Independence Hall, Monticello, and Colonial Williamsburg.

The action takes place in an elegant colonial-style 1,024-seat theater

loaded with Corinthian columns, chandeliers, and 12 marble statues

symbolizing the 12 “Spirits of America.” The flags you pass under as you

enter the theater — 44 in all — include every one that has flown over the

United States throughout its history.

The actual production, a 29-minute CliffsNotes version of U.S. history,

utilizes a 72-foot rear-projection screen, rousing music, and a large cast

of lifelike audio-animatronic figures, including narrators Mark Twain and

Ben Franklin. You follow the voyage of the Mayflower, watch Jefferson

writing the Declaration of Independence, and witness Matthew Brady

photographing a family that the Civil War is about to divide. You can also

witness Pearl Harbor and the Eagle going to the moon. Teddy Roosevelt

discusses the need for national parks; Susan B. Anthony speaks out on

women’s rights; Frederick Douglass discusses slavery; and Chief Joseph

talks about the plight of Native Americans. It’s one of Disney’s best his-

torical productions.

212 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

Entertainment includes the Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps and the

Voices of Liberty a cappella group, which sings patriotic songs in the lobby

of the main theater between shows. Large-scale outdoor productions are

often staged in the America Gardens Theatre, a 1,800-seat outdoor venue

across from the main pavilion building.

Ending your day at Epcot

Epcot’s end-of-day celebration, IllumiNations, is a moving blend of fire-

works, lasers, and fountains in a display that’s signature Disney. The

show is worth the crowds that flock to the parking lot when it’s over.

You can find tons of good viewing points around the lagoon (one excellent

spot is the terrace at the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom — see

Chapter 10 for more on the pub). That said, it’s best to stake your claim at

least a half-hour or so before show time, which is listed in your entertain-

ment schedule.