[Travelandtourism] Day 4 in EPCOT - Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow

[Jewel]

Wonderfuol descriptions! I want to add something from my own visit to
DisneyWorld in June. Our favourite things there were the Sum of All
Rides and the Coca Cola store's taste testing of cokes from aroudn the
world.

Sum of All Rides, as Cheryl said, is a vitual roller coaster. What was
nice was that, even though the ride creation computer was not
accessible, we had n o problem asking for assistance and they
described it to us perfectly. We went on two, first the bobsled, then
the jet. It was awesome!

One thing Cheryl didn't mention that I feel is worth mentioning is the
Coca Cola store. It has Coke products from around the world to
taste-test, including Italy (warning: this wone tastes like stale
beer), Mexico, and China (which was our favourite, a very carbonated
watermelon soda that I wish we had in the United States!). People are
welcome to try as much as they like, and you can purchase these drinks
in the store (we got a bottle of Chinese watermelon soda, which nearly
exploded in Mike's hands when he opneed it because of all the
carbonation!), and there are lots of other Coca-Cola products, like
piggy banks and glasses. It was a fun experience.

We had dinner in Japan, where I had sushi and Mike had tempur and
steak. It was some of the best Japanese food I've had yet, and I've
tried sushi in many different cities (though never yet in Japan,
unfortuantely).

We also had snack in France at the pastry shop. I had a quiche and
ZMike had a croissant, and they were most delicious. I was sorry to
see them finished.

Just some of my own memories from Epcot to share,
Jewel

On 12/20/11, cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com> wrote:
> A little history on EPCOT - It stands for Experimental Prototype Community
> of Tomorrow
>
> The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely
> international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at
> the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982.  Also EPCOT is twice the size of
> the Magic Kingdom, so a lot of walking or you can rent a wheelchair or
> scooter from Guest Services if you are not already renting one or have one.
>
> Disney's original vision of EPCOT was for a model community, home to twenty
> thousand residents, which would be a test bed for city planning and
> organization. Disney's vision was not realized as funding and permission to
> start work on his Florida property would not be granted until he agreed to
> build the Magic Kingdom first. Disney died before the Magic Kingdom opened
> and the Walt Disney Company decided that it did not want to be in the
> business of running a city.
>
> The park has two sections-Future World and World Showcase it is laid out in
> an hourglass shape.
>
> Future World is made up into a few different lands like in Magic Kingdom:
>
>   a.. Spaceship Earth<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Earth_(Disney)>
>   b.. Innoventions<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innoventions_(Epcot)>
>   c.. Universe of Energy<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe_of_Energy>
>   d.. Mission: SPACE<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission:_SPACE>
>   e.. Test Track<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_Track>
>   f.. The Seas with Nemo and
> Friends<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seas_with_Nemo_and_Friends>
>   g.. The Land<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Land_(Disney)>
>   h.. Imagination!<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagination!>
> We started our day, by having breakfast at our resort and then we were off
> to EPCOT.
>
> Caribbean Beach Resort is closest in the Moderate Resorts closest to EPCOT
> and you can get there again by bus. The Luxury Resorts that are closest, can
> either walk to EPCOT or take the boat.  We will talk about those later,
> since we took the boat to the Boardwalk Resort and took pictures and videos
> of the Christmas decorations as well.
>
> Anyway, we got there just as the gates opened.  We were met by photopass
> people and go out picture in front of Spaceship Earth. If you have seen
> pictures or have heard about Spaceship Earth it is the Landmark of the Park,
> like the Castle is in Magic Kingdom, and the Tree of Life is in Animal
> Kingdom Park.
>
> Also, Spaceship Earth is a ride, which we went on first, fyi it is slow
> moving but very educational as well.  We did this twice, we love this ride.
>
> It is housed within the 18-story geodesic sphere that takes guests on a time
> machine themed experience using the Omnimover system. The 13-minute dark
> ride (and being blind, it is very very informational, so you don't have to
> see what they are talking about, very descriptive) shows guests how
> advancements in human communication have helped to create the future one
> step at a time. The attraction involves a timeline from the origins of
> prehistoric man to the dawn of the 21st century, where guests can then
> create a future for themselves. Again, we did record this and will be on
> youtube.com
>
> From here we went to Innoventions:
>
> Focuses on technological advancements and their practical applications in
> everyday life.
>
> My daughter went on the Sum of all Thrills:
>
> allows guests to custom-design their own roller coaster, bobsled, or jet
> plane experience, then ride it. Some of you might remember a similar
> attraction at Disney Quest called CyberSpace Mountain, but I can assure you,
> this is far more elaborate. Before riding, you might want to check out the
> warning sign and the test chairs to make sure you'll fit.
>
> There are other things here like The Great Piggy Bank Adventure - teaches
> children (and adults) the importance of saving and planning for the future.
> This is a fantastic way for children to learn the importance of savings. The
> Great Piggy Bank Adventure is something that a parent should experience with
> their children. We didn't do this!
>
> Segway Central - The SegwayT Human Transporter (HT) is a personal,
> short-distance transportation device using the advanced technology of tilt
> sensors, gyroscopes and microprocessors. Cast Members are on hand to
> demonstrate and answer questions. You can also see Cast Members on the
> Segway throughout Future World. Two Segway Tours are available to guests. We
> didn't do this either!
>
> Since we saw the Living Seas Pavilion the last time there, we focused on
> things we didn't see either they were closed for renovations are the lines
> were just to long.
>
> We went to the Land Pavilion - In this building it houses three attractions,
> has a sit-down restaurant and food court.
>
> We first went to see the line for Soaring it was a 70 minute wait, so we
> said no way.
>
> Description of Soaring is:
>
> The attraction sends guests on a sweeping flyover above the wondrous Golden
> State for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography.
>
> The unforgettable experience combines cinematic artistry and
> state-of-the-art motion base technology. Guests are literally lifted 40 feet
> inside a giant projection screen dome and completely surrounded with the
> beauty and wonder of the state of California as their elevated theater seats
> take them on a scenic tour over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests,
> Napa Valley, Yosemite and more. The free-flight experience intensifies as
> guests feel the sweeping winds and smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine
> trees around them.
>
> We did go on there is also a private tour called the Living Seeds Tour,
> which takes you behind the scenes and up close and ask questions. Many of
> these innovative gardening areas are already being used in the World.
> Living with the Land - a gentle 14-minute boat ride through unique indoor
> plant growing areas.  An introduction shows tropic, desert and prairie
> biomes that existed before humans arrived.  The automated narration explains
> all about the four greenhouses and the aquaculture facility.
>
> The boat glides on into The Land's experimental growing areas: (Again, you
> don't have to be sighted to enjoy this it is very descriptive and if you
> love gardening this is a don't miss exhibit)
>
>   a.. The Tropics Greenhouse - crops such as rice, sugar cane, peanuts,
> cacao, and bananas are usually grown under the 60-foot dome.   These crops
> can be found in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the southern
> United States.
>
>   b.. The Aquacell -  crops include fish, alligators, catfish, tilapia,
> sunshine bass and American eel.
>
>   c.. The Temperate Greenhouse - featuring the concepts and technologies of
> sustainable agriculture, including intercropping, integrated pest management
> and specialized irrigation systems that reduce waste and increase crop
> production.
>
>
>   d.. The Production Greenhouse - where tons of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce
> and other vegetables are grown for use in The Land's Garden Grill Restaurant
> and other Epcot restaurants. Land scientists utilize growing systems that
> are kinder to the environment and improve productivity.
>
>
>   e.. The Creative House , showing imaginative ways to grow crops -- without
> soil, hanging in the air, even on a space station. USDA scientists currently
> are working at The Land to develop fruit with a longer shelf life
>
> Also, which we didn't do was:
>
> The Circle of Life - a wide-screen movie about the environment and our
> relationship with the land, hosted by the stars of The Lion King.  All set
> to build Hakuna Matata Vacation Resort, Pumbaa and Timon are damming rivers
> and cutting down trees.  Simba steps in to remind them, and us, to take care
> of our environment.  The photography in this movie is outstanding and not to
> be missed.  Scenes were filmed in over 30 nations.
>
> Also the sit down restaurant which you will want to make reservations is:
> The Garden Grill Restaurant<http://allears.net/menu/menu_gg.htm> is a
> unique, circular sit-down restaurant that actually rotates slowly. As the
> restaurant glides you will be able to look out into the main hall of The
> Land Pavilion and also catch glimpses of Living With the Land boat ride. The
> Garden Grill serves lunch or dinner with Farmer Mickey and Farmers Chip and
> Dale.
>
>
> Our Next Stop of the Imagination Pavilion:
>
> This building is right next to the Land Pavilion to the Left and to the
> Right of the Land is the Living Seas Pavilion.
>
> We saw the Captain EO 3D Experience:
>
> Captain EO is vintage Michael Jackson in his prime. The songs are all
> original Jackson, and bring to life the story of an electronic band of space
> creatures who undergo a magical transformation and aid Jackson in conquering
> the evil forces of darkness
>
> We also went to
> Journey into Imagination... with Figment
>
> A whimsical look at how our senses play a part in our imagination with Dr.
> Nigel Channing and a cute purple dragon named Figment as our guides!!
>
> Wander through the queue and see part of the Imagination Institute. There is
> a portrait gallery of Inventor of the Year winners, which includes Dr.
> Channing, Dr. Wayne Szalinski (Honey I Shrunk the Audience) and Dr. Brainard
> from "Flubber."
>
> The colors become much brighter as you enter the loading and unloading zone.
> Slow moving red vehicles (similar to tose on Spaceship Earth) crawl by as
> you move from the moving ramp into the vehicle. There are 2 rows and both
> can comfortably seat 2 adults or 2 adults and a child. A large adult may
> want to sit in their own row. The back row is slightly wider than the front
> row.
>
> Once inside the vehicle, Dr. Channing begins to provide an overview of your
> Open House experience and it's here you get your first glance at Figment!
> Travel through several "labs" that study our senses and how they are
> intertwined with our imagination --Sight, Sound and Smell. One never gets to
> Taste and Touch, as Figment - well - he has other plans for the "Open
> House".
>
> There are special effects, we are dealing with our senses afterall, so be
> prepared especially for the sense of Sound and Smell.
>
> After here we walked over to the World Showcase, this doesn't open until 11
> AM most days. It is a walk, over a foot bridge.
>
> It is made up of in this order, when you first come into World Showcase and
> your are walking towards you right the countries are in this order.
>
> Canada, United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, American Adventure, Italy,
> Germany, China, Norway and Mexico. They are building more in the coming
> years. During Christmas they performers telling the story of Christmas in
> there countries, and all the people who work in World Showcase was employed
> from that country as well.
>
> Make sure when you enter each park, every day you get a map and a list of
> all shows and entertainment, it also gives you the times and countries of
> photo opportunities with you favorite Disney Character from that Country.
>
> Such as we took pictures with Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins in the
> U.K.
>
> In France we took pictures with Marie from the Aristocats (my generation and
> daughter's movie), Belle and the Beast together.
>
> In Morocco it was Princess Jasmine and Aladdin
>
> In Japan it was Mulan, but when we got there, she was done for the day.
>
> Germany, it was Snow White!
>
> Also while we were in EPCOT during the Christmas time of the year. They have
> the Candlelight Processional and a famous celebrity each day comes and tells
> the story of the birth of the Baby Jesus!
>
> We were suppose to see Whoppi Goldberg, but it was changed to Gina Davis.
> You don't need a ticket to see it, and can hear this while walking in the
> American Adventures Pavilion.
>
> But Dinner Packages start selling in July for this event.
>
> Dates go from it begins November 25 - December 30.  They have been doing
> this since Walt Disney World opened, over 40 years.
>
> We first saw Alice in Wonderland, and then had an hour until Mary Poppins
> came out so we went and had lunch, our fast meal of the day.
>
> We ate at the Yorkshire County Fish and Chips - We had yummy fish and chips
> and shortbread cookies for dessert, and my daughter bought a beer stein, she
> didn't drink beer but bought one, it was about $5.00.  After we ate we saw
> Mary Poppins, and then walked around the U.K. Pavilion. They had shops
> designed in London Type shops, they had Twinings Tea which we went into, and
> some places that sold clothes, etc.  They also have a few times of day
> street performers comedians, and also something link the British Invasion
> type music they played stuff from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.  We
> had a blast, from there we took the boat over to the Boardwalk Resort.
>
> Lovely resort, like staying at the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, or Any
> Boardwalk town, it is a luxury resort, but you can go and look around and
> maybe stay there sometime. We saw there tree. And there special things is a
> chocolate gazebo with Stitch from Lilo and Stitch, and a working first place
> and right above the lite fire looks like Donald Ducks feet coming down the
> chimney. It was nice, and all made out of Chocolate.
>
> We went back to EPCOT after that, we walked around France, they have the
> Eiffel Tower, and stores and Crepe stands along the way, we wanted to go to
> the pastry shops, but decided to get pictures taken.  From there we went to
> Morroco they also has stores and stands, and exhibits from the country, and
> each Pavilion has it's own sit down restaurant and it is again highly
> recommended that you make reservations prior to going to the one you want.
>
> We had dinner in Italy: It is called, Tutto Italia
>
> And we had, Lasagna for me, and my daughter had Risotto Ai Gamberi E
> Aragosta - Creamy Arborio Rice, lobster, shrimp, herbs, butter, parmesan
> cheese
>
> We shared, the portions are big at the sit down restaurants, so I recommend
> that if people are getting the dining plans they get the regular dining plan
> and not the deluxe, only because the snack can be your lunch, and the food
> is just to much.
>
> The Deluxe Plan has Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, 2 Snacks a day. It is just to
> much.
>
> Before Dinner though we walked down to Mexico and got our face painted I was
> done up as a Caribbean Mask, and my daughter was Tinkerbell we loved doing
> it. Then we went to Germany and took pictures with Snow White and then had
> Dinner, after Dinner we went back to Mexico and did the Gran Fiesta Tour
> staring the Three Caballeros if you have never seen the animated movie it
> stars Donald Duck, José Carioca (the parrot), and Panchito (the Mexican
> charro rooster) you can get it on DVD.
>
> It is a boat ride through Mexico, it is fun and a favorite of ours.
>
> You can find more descriptions of all the Pavilions at allears.net
>
> After this my daughter went on the Test Track Ride which was back in the
> Future World, but it was a short walk from the Mexican Pavilion.
>
> What is Test Track it is a ride that Disney and General Motors built
> together.
>
> And if you are blind you will love this as well, you are not driving but in
> the ride itself.
>
> Test Track -- Once you finally arrive at the loading zone you will be
> instructed to move to a row and then board the  six-passenger Test Track
> vehicle. The longest and fastest Walt Disney World attraction provides you a
> sneak peek inside the world of automobile testing.   Passengers in each
> "test" vehicle experience a firsthand look at how GM cars and trucks are
> tested before being brought to market.
>
> Hill Climb Test - The "test" schedule begins with a tire-squealing,
> engine-roaring, three-story ascent.
>
>
>
>
> Suspension Test - Passengers descend to the second level over a series of
> harsh variable road surfaces.
>
> Brake Test - Two passes through a circular setup of traffic cones shows how
> a wildly-out-of-control skid can become a manageable steer with ABS brakes.
> Rolling to a stop, guests view an instant replay of themselves performing
> both tests from a bird's-eye view.
>
> Environmental Chamber Test - Vehicles are exposed to extreme heat,
> bone-chilling cold and a "corrosive" mist sprayed by industrial robots in a
> series of enclosed environmental chambers. (NOTE: You are misted in the cold
> and corrosive chambers but do not get "wet".) Temperature difference between
> hot and cold rooms -100 degrees!
>
> Ride Handling Test - Exiting from the chambers, vehicles accelerate quickly
> up a switchback "mountain road" to a dark tunnel full of surprises.
>
> Barrier Test - Guests feel what it's like to be a crash-test dummy during
> this attention-grabbing, high-speed sequence.
>
> High-Speed Test - Outside the building, vehicles scream around a
> steeply-banked loop turning them back toward the 50-degree banked curve
> hugging the building's massive circumference. Heading back inside, each
> vehicle is tested on the thermal imager, a device allowing guests to see the
> areas of heat generated on the vehicle -- and guests -- during testing.
> Maximum Speed - 65mph!
>
> From here we went to find a place to see Illuminations Reflections of Earth.
> This is more than just a fireworks show there.
>
> It is on the World Showcase Lagoon, and has fireworks, and water and oh my
> so much more to enjoy!!
>
> After this we went back to the bus. Please remember from World Showcase it
> is a long walk back to your bus! So please be prepared, and there will be
> crowds.
>
> Tomorrow our last day and it is Hollywood Studios
>
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> Leading the Way in Independent Travel!
>
> Cheryl Echevarria
> http://www.echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/>
> 631-456-5394
> reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
>
> For daily updates read our blog at
> http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.wordpress.com/>
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