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EPCOT 2032
- Thread starter Tegan pilots a chicken
- Start date
Thank you so, so much for such kind words! That means so much to me!
And I agree entirely with your view of IP content. Balance is key. I believe it is entirely possible to retain the spirit of EPCOT Center and broaden its appeal at the same time.
Thank you again so much! I look forward to bringing you more content!
HMF
Well-Known Member
As would I. Ideally I would be the one giving you the green light.
MA Screamin'
Well-Known Member
Time to continue our tour of EPCOT Discovery Center
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So far, we've covered Imagination and The Seas.
I think it's time for the park icon.
Ahh, everyone's favorite geosphere.
You know what they say, "if it isn't broken,..you must not be talking about the descent in Spaceship Earth."
This attraction has been nearly perfect for its entire lifetime. Minus the ending where our time machine vehicles rotate backwards for our return to Earth. Well we can now fix that.
This is a good time to point out something of minor significance. The title of this area of the park is "Discovery Center." Not "Future World."
And EPCOT's Discovery Center, as well as EPCOT 2032 as a whole, will focus on science, and science fiction. As well as history, and fantasy.
That's the beauty here; there is no more inherent need to focus on predicting the future. And honestly, think back to all the classic EPCOT Center attractions, even the World Showcase ones. They all focus largely on telling the story of the past in order to bring us to the future.
Well, now Spaceship Earth can do what it does best and be itself. We can tell the story of the history of communication. And that's it.
(Once again, I will eventually provide art for each individual scene, in the meantime, use your Imaaaaaaginaaaation)!
(Heh, admit it, you sang it when you read it).
The Ascent:
We board our time travel vehicles and begin our climb. Experienced riders will immediately notice that the invasive screen that once hung above the ride track is gone. But the screens that were built into the ride vehicles for the same purpose remain. We'll get to those. As we ascend further up the pitch black tunnel, we soon see bright flashes of orange and purple light. They become more and more frequent, until they engulf the tunnel completely (picture the lights from Horizons during the transition from Imax to "the future.")
As we crest the initial lift, a sudden chill fills the air. All around us are glaciers, snowflakes are carried around us by a brisk wind, to the left is a large wooly mammoth, and to the right, a small group of primitive humans huddled around a bleak fire. This, we are told, is where we came from. Our screens briefly illuminate, though very dimly and non-intrusively, to provide more information about each scene we travel through. For example, in this case, we may get a small image of an icy planet Earth along with text (in the EPCOT font of course), letting us know that 100,000 years ago, our world was covered entirely in ice.
Next is the familiar cave painting scene, only with a minor update. One weary traveller is seen off to the side, sitting down, blowing on his visibly painful foot. A small homage to World of Motion. Our screens may display information about where it is believed humans first emerged in north Africa.
Traveling next to ancient Egypt, we glide through the opening of a massive pyramid that encompasses our entire view prior to entering an otherwise untouched scene. Our screens will display a basic diagram of the inside of a pyramid.
The scenes depicting the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, the fall of Rome, biblical times, Gutenberg's printing press, and the Renaissance all remain basically the same. Most changes are simply fresh coats of paint and new AAs where needed. That and of course our on screen supplementary guide. But one notable update will be a return of the horse projection during the "all roads lead to Rome" section. Because it's just cool, it's inexpensive, and I like it.
Things change again after the scene with the large printing press and the newsboy. The next scene depicts numerous high-rise buildings in a crowded metropolis, with electric lines crisscrossing between the structures, as well as over our ride track. Various windows illuminate to show different figures communicating via phone.
Next, we join a flock of various automobiles all pulling into a drive-in theater. The theater looms ahead, playing clips of various Disney cartoons and other productions from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Our ride vehicle travels through the bottom of the screen.
Moving on, we come across an outdoor styled scene with a giant satellite dish, surrounded by a stylized silhouetted neighborhood against a sunset filled sky. Beams of light and various images are seen being beamed into the dish.
Transitioning to the next seen, we come upon another massive screen depicting a Saturn V rocket launch, which serves as a segue for the classic moon landing/living room scene.
Next is an abbreviated version of both the supercomputer scene and the Steve Jobs garage scene, which leads directly to a new scene depicting a teenage girl in her room talking to her friend via Skype, and in a small homage to Horizons, her friend's portion of the identical conversation will be depicted on the other side of the ride tracks.
This leads to the final transition tunnel, which is absolute pitch black. Our vehicles slowly rotate 90 degrees to the right, the music comes to a thunderous crescendo, the instrumental version of "Tomorrow's Child" radiates throughout our vehicle, and we enter a dramatically updated planetarium scene. The black sky is filled with glistening stars of various luminosity. Asteroids, comets, and the occasional small planet are projected against the sky. And in the center of the room is an actual rendition of Earth, slowly rotating, along with Luna, our only moon. Projection effects illuminate the globe from within, creating images of cloud patterns swirling around the globe. As we transition out of the room, our in vehicle screens offer a number of diagrams to give us a sense of scale as our world compares to the rest of the cosmos.
This brings us to the descent.
The descent tunnel continues our theme of space, blanketing us with darkness and stars. As we descend further, the stars become fewer and fewer. A dense layer of fog suddenly surrounds us which then gives way to a new sky. A familiar sky. Our sky, adjusting in real time. It may be a bright, brilliant blue, or a dark, starry night, or sunset. That all depends on the actual time of day we are riding.
At this point, our screens light up one last time, and in another throwback, we now have an interactive map of EPCOT at our disposal. Using the touchscreen technology, we can zoom in and out, highlight specific attractions, see updated wait times, and even get a live look in at Earth Station, which is our next stop.
Above us, we descend right into a facade of the 18 story geosphere, symbolizing our return to earth, and the conclusion of our journey.
Earth Station will be an abridged version of a modern day Communicore. That is, it will have various small displays from technology companies showing off their latest gadgets, games, and appliances that allow us to communicate in new ways. These displays will be intentionally temporary looking, as they are designed to be changed in and out literally overnight. This is the one element of the area that will remain somewhat futuristic in its intention. Additionally, there will be small ancillary displays dedicated to pioneers of communication. And just because I can and I want to, there will be a small area to the center of the area dedicated to the history of EPCOT Center. It will contain models, images, blueprints, and small props.
We hope you have enjoyed your journey aboard Spaceship Earth. Please enjoy the rest of your time with us at EPCOT's Discovery Center!
The Land is next.
So far, we've covered Imagination and The Seas.
I think it's time for the park icon.
Ahh, everyone's favorite geosphere.
You know what they say, "if it isn't broken,..you must not be talking about the descent in Spaceship Earth."
This attraction has been nearly perfect for its entire lifetime. Minus the ending where our time machine vehicles rotate backwards for our return to Earth. Well we can now fix that.
This is a good time to point out something of minor significance. The title of this area of the park is "Discovery Center." Not "Future World."
And EPCOT's Discovery Center, as well as EPCOT 2032 as a whole, will focus on science, and science fiction. As well as history, and fantasy.
That's the beauty here; there is no more inherent need to focus on predicting the future. And honestly, think back to all the classic EPCOT Center attractions, even the World Showcase ones. They all focus largely on telling the story of the past in order to bring us to the future.
Well, now Spaceship Earth can do what it does best and be itself. We can tell the story of the history of communication. And that's it.
(Once again, I will eventually provide art for each individual scene, in the meantime, use your Imaaaaaaginaaaation)!
(Heh, admit it, you sang it when you read it).
The Ascent:
We board our time travel vehicles and begin our climb. Experienced riders will immediately notice that the invasive screen that once hung above the ride track is gone. But the screens that were built into the ride vehicles for the same purpose remain. We'll get to those. As we ascend further up the pitch black tunnel, we soon see bright flashes of orange and purple light. They become more and more frequent, until they engulf the tunnel completely (picture the lights from Horizons during the transition from Imax to "the future.")
As we crest the initial lift, a sudden chill fills the air. All around us are glaciers, snowflakes are carried around us by a brisk wind, to the left is a large wooly mammoth, and to the right, a small group of primitive humans huddled around a bleak fire. This, we are told, is where we came from. Our screens briefly illuminate, though very dimly and non-intrusively, to provide more information about each scene we travel through. For example, in this case, we may get a small image of an icy planet Earth along with text (in the EPCOT font of course), letting us know that 100,000 years ago, our world was covered entirely in ice.
Next is the familiar cave painting scene, only with a minor update. One weary traveller is seen off to the side, sitting down, blowing on his visibly painful foot. A small homage to World of Motion. Our screens may display information about where it is believed humans first emerged in north Africa.
Traveling next to ancient Egypt, we glide through the opening of a massive pyramid that encompasses our entire view prior to entering an otherwise untouched scene. Our screens will display a basic diagram of the inside of a pyramid.
The scenes depicting the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, the fall of Rome, biblical times, Gutenberg's printing press, and the Renaissance all remain basically the same. Most changes are simply fresh coats of paint and new AAs where needed. That and of course our on screen supplementary guide. But one notable update will be a return of the horse projection during the "all roads lead to Rome" section. Because it's just cool, it's inexpensive, and I like it.
Things change again after the scene with the large printing press and the newsboy. The next scene depicts numerous high-rise buildings in a crowded metropolis, with electric lines crisscrossing between the structures, as well as over our ride track. Various windows illuminate to show different figures communicating via phone.
Next, we join a flock of various automobiles all pulling into a drive-in theater. The theater looms ahead, playing clips of various Disney cartoons and other productions from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Our ride vehicle travels through the bottom of the screen.
Moving on, we come across an outdoor styled scene with a giant satellite dish, surrounded by a stylized silhouetted neighborhood against a sunset filled sky. Beams of light and various images are seen being beamed into the dish.
Transitioning to the next seen, we come upon another massive screen depicting a Saturn V rocket launch, which serves as a segue for the classic moon landing/living room scene.
Next is an abbreviated version of both the supercomputer scene and the Steve Jobs garage scene, which leads directly to a new scene depicting a teenage girl in her room talking to her friend via Skype, and in a small homage to Horizons, her friend's portion of the identical conversation will be depicted on the other side of the ride tracks.
This leads to the final transition tunnel, which is absolute pitch black. Our vehicles slowly rotate 90 degrees to the right, the music comes to a thunderous crescendo, the instrumental version of "Tomorrow's Child" radiates throughout our vehicle, and we enter a dramatically updated planetarium scene. The black sky is filled with glistening stars of various luminosity. Asteroids, comets, and the occasional small planet are projected against the sky. And in the center of the room is an actual rendition of Earth, slowly rotating, along with Luna, our only moon. Projection effects illuminate the globe from within, creating images of cloud patterns swirling around the globe. As we transition out of the room, our in vehicle screens offer a number of diagrams to give us a sense of scale as our world compares to the rest of the cosmos.
This brings us to the descent.
The descent tunnel continues our theme of space, blanketing us with darkness and stars. As we descend further, the stars become fewer and fewer. A dense layer of fog suddenly surrounds us which then gives way to a new sky. A familiar sky. Our sky, adjusting in real time. It may be a bright, brilliant blue, or a dark, starry night, or sunset. That all depends on the actual time of day we are riding.
At this point, our screens light up one last time, and in another throwback, we now have an interactive map of EPCOT at our disposal. Using the touchscreen technology, we can zoom in and out, highlight specific attractions, see updated wait times, and even get a live look in at Earth Station, which is our next stop.
Above us, we descend right into a facade of the 18 story geosphere, symbolizing our return to earth, and the conclusion of our journey.
Earth Station will be an abridged version of a modern day Communicore. That is, it will have various small displays from technology companies showing off their latest gadgets, games, and appliances that allow us to communicate in new ways. These displays will be intentionally temporary looking, as they are designed to be changed in and out literally overnight. This is the one element of the area that will remain somewhat futuristic in its intention. Additionally, there will be small ancillary displays dedicated to pioneers of communication. And just because I can and I want to, there will be a small area to the center of the area dedicated to the history of EPCOT Center. It will contain models, images, blueprints, and small props.
We hope you have enjoyed your journey aboard Spaceship Earth. Please enjoy the rest of your time with us at EPCOT's Discovery Center!
The Land is next.
HMF
Well-Known Member
I like most of it, I would ditch the touchscreens though. I actually have a script I wrote for the 5th version of SSE done. If you would like I will message it to youTime to continue our tour of EPCOT Discovery Center
[/url]
So far, we've covered Imagination and The Seas.
I think it's time for the park icon.
Ahh, everyone's favorite geosphere.
You know what they say, "if it isn't broken,..you must not be talking about the descent in Spaceship Earth."
This attraction has been nearly perfect for its entire lifetime. Minus the ending where our time machine vehicles rotate backwards for our return to Earth. Well we can now fix that.
This is a good time to point out something of minor significance. The title of this area of the park is "Discovery Center." Not "Future World."
And EPCOT's Discovery Center, as well as EPCOT 2032 as a whole, will focus on science, and science fiction. As well as history, and fantasy.
That's the beauty here; there is no more inherent need to focus on predicting the future. And honestly, think back to all the classic EPCOT Center attractions, even the World Showcase ones. They all focus largely on telling the story of the past in order to bring us to the future.
Well, now Spaceship Earth can do what it does best and be itself. We can tell the story of the history of communication. And that's it.
(Once again, I will eventually provide art for each individual scene, in the meantime, use your Imaaaaaaginaaaation)!
(Heh, admit it, you sang it when you read it).
The Ascent:
We board our time travel vehicles and begin our climb. Experienced riders will immediately notice that the invasive screen that once hung above the ride track is gone. But the screens that were built into the ride vehicles for the same purpose remain. We'll get to those. As we ascend further up the pitch black tunnel, we soon see bright flashes of orange and purple light. They become more and more frequent, until they engulf the tunnel completely (picture the lights from Horizons during the transition from Imax to "the future.")
As we crest the initial lift, a sudden chill fills the air. All around us are glaciers, snowflakes are carried around us by a brisk wind, to the left is a large wooly mammoth, and to the right, a small group of primitive humans huddled around a bleak fire. This, we are told, is where we came from. Our screens briefly illuminate, though very dimly and non-intrusively, to provide more information about each scene we travel through. For example, in this case, we may get a small image of an icy planet Earth along with text (in the EPCOT font of course), letting us know that 100,000 years ago, our world was covered entirely in ice.
Next is the familiar cave painting scene, only with a minor update. One weary traveller is seen off to the side, sitting down, blowing on his visibly painful foot. A small homage to World of Motion. Our screens may display information about where it is believed humans first emerged in north Africa.
Traveling next to ancient Egypt, we glide through the opening of a massive pyramid that encompasses our entire view prior to entering an otherwise untouched scene. Our screens will display a basic diagram of the inside of a pyramid.
The scenes depicting the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, the fall of Rome, biblical times, Gutenberg's printing press, and the Renaissance all remain basically the same. Most changes are simply fresh coats of paint and new AAs where needed. That and of course our on screen supplementary guide. But one notable update will be a return of the horse projection during the "all roads lead to Rome" section. Because it's just cool, it's inexpensive, and I like it.
Things change again after the scene with the large printing press and the newsboy. The next scene depicts numerous high-rise buildings in a crowded metropolis, with electric lines crisscrossing between the structures, as well as over our ride track. Various windows illuminate to show different figures communicating via phone.
Next, we join a flock of various automobiles all pulling into a drive-in theater. The theater looms ahead, playing clips of various Disney cartoons and other productions from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Our ride vehicle travels through the bottom of the screen.
Moving on, we come across an outdoor styled scene with a giant satellite dish, surrounded by a stylized silhouetted neighborhood against a sunset filled sky. Beams of light and various images are seen being beamed into the dish.
Transitioning to the next seen, we come upon another massive screen depicting a Saturn V rocket launch, which serves as a segue for the classic moon landing/living room scene.
Next is an abbreviated version of both the supercomputer scene and the Steve Jobs garage scene, which leads directly to a new scene depicting a teenage girl in her room talking to her friend via Skype, and in a small homage to Horizons, her friend's portion of the identical conversation will be depicted on the other side of the ride tracks.
This leads to the final transition tunnel, which is absolute pitch black. Our vehicles slowly rotate 90 degrees to the right, the music comes to a thunderous crescendo, the instrumental version of "Tomorrow's Child" radiates throughout our vehicle, and we enter a dramatically updated planetarium scene. The black sky is filled with glistening stars of various luminosity. Asteroids, comets, and the occasional small planet are projected against the sky. And in the center of the room is an actual rendition of Earth, slowly rotating, along with Luna, our only moon. Projection effects illuminate the globe from within, creating images of cloud patterns swirling around the globe. As we transition out of the room, our in vehicle screens offer a number of diagrams to give us a sense of scale as our world compares to the rest of the cosmos.
This brings us to the descent.
The descent tunnel continues our theme of space, blanketing us with darkness and stars. As we descend further, the stars become fewer and fewer. A dense layer of fog suddenly surrounds us which then gives way to a new sky. A familiar sky. Our sky, adjusting in real time. It may be a bright, brilliant blue, or a dark, starry night, or sunset. That all depends on the actual time of day we are riding.
At this point, our screens light up one last time, and in another throwback, we now have an interactive map of EPCOT at our disposal. Using the touchscreen technology, we can zoom in and out, highlight specific attractions, see updated wait times, and even get a live look in at Earth Station, which is our next stop.
Above us, we descend right into a facade of the 18 story geosphere, symbolizing our return to earth, and the conclusion of our journey.
Earth Station will be an abridged version of a modern day Communicore. That is, it will have various small displays from technology companies showing off their latest gadgets, games, and appliances that allow us to communicate in new ways. These displays will be intentionally temporary looking, as they are designed to be changed in and out literally overnight. This is the one element of the area that will remain somewhat futuristic in its intention. Additionally, there will be small ancillary displays dedicated to pioneers of communication. And just because I can and I want to, there will be a small area to the center of the area dedicated to the history of EPCOT Center. It will contain models, images, blueprints, and small props.
We hope you have enjoyed your journey aboard Spaceship Earth. Please enjoy the rest of your time with us at EPCOT's Discovery Center!
The Land is next.
Last edited:
HMF
Well-Known Member
Both.
The Land is most likely my favorite pavilion in all of EPCOT Center. I love its architecture, layout, attraction selection, dining options, and perhaps most of all, the warm scent of fresh food upon first entering. Rolly Crump, who was the pavilion's lead designer, has called it "the most 'EPCOT' pavilion of all" and I agree with him. The Land explores various concepts and guests are able to directly participate when they consume the vegetables grown in the pavilion's greenhouses.
To this day, outside of Spaceship Earth, The Land is probably EPCOT's crown jewel. And it remains one of the closest to its original form in that regard as well.
Here is a crude look at The Land.
Exterior:
Interior:
Layered:
Eventually, as with all the other pavilions, I will go back and include further detail. I just wanted to get this one out there.
Okay. Here comes the disclaimer:
While I did not make too many significant changes to the pavilion, I did decide to take a risk and allow my personal feelings regarding animal welfare and environmental preservation to run free.
On to the attractions.
First, Living With The Land. The boat ride will remain largely the same, with a couple of updates. For starters, the initial scene is now a quick jaunt through the four seasons; winter, spring, summer, and autumn. We then enter the biomes; a lush rainforest, the desert, the prairie, and a family farm. These four scenes remain the same, with any non-working effects fully restored, and all AAs freshened up. The barn theater will retain its theme and projectors, but will be enhanced with updated film and narration to reflect modern times.
Now, the main updates will take place in the research area. If I were going total "blue sky" on this, the greenhouses would be vastly expanded, taking up all sorts of space behind the pavilion. Unfortunately, much of the usable area nearby is occupied. There is an area of land that can be developed to the north of the pavilion, but I've already dedicated that to The Seas for future expansion.
What we will do is significantly increase the focus on the research portion of the pavilion. The Land will become essentially a self-sustaining ecosystem on its own, with a full time, 24/7 staff dedicated to "introducing, testing, and demonstrating new materials and new systems."
The first of the greenhouses will probably not look drastically different to most repeat visitors. The most drastic change will be the aquaculture area. This area will be entirely repurposed to serve as a new lab that specializes in developing SuperMeat. As our onboard audio will explain, this is not only cruelty-free, but environmentally-friendly, and promotes better nutrition and more sustainability. The final greenhouse will also appear mostly the same to most guests. There will be a larger emphasis on different types of grains being grown on site. The Land pavilion will grow literally all of the food that will be served at all of its restaurants.
The final scene will get the same treatment as the barn theater, with updated imagery. All music shall remain the same.
The Behind the Seeds Tour will still be offered.
Soarin' isn't going away. For the time being, we're just going to leave it as it is. But there will be future redevelopment to make EPCOT's version of it fit the theme of the pavilion a little more. And to bring back the orange grove scent.
The Harvest Theater will no longer have any Lion King theming. The current Circle of Life film does a very good job of conveying the desired message within the context of a film staring cartoon characters. However, I do feel that this subject is far too serious to be limited in that scope, and that in some ways, the presence of the characters makes the concepts feel too light-hearted.
A new film, similar in feel to Symbiosis, called Mother Earth will debut in the theater. This film will have three clear acts. Act one will cover our planet's formation, the development of the various biospheres and ecosystems, the weather, and geology. Act two will be about what happens when humans take over and become industrialized. This section will focus heavily on the horrors of pollution, global warming, factory farming, oil spills, world hunger, and other tragedies and atrocities. Act three will be dedicated to what we are doing now, and what we can do in the future, to reduce our harmful impact on the Earth and our environment. The overall feeling being that, yes we are taking a lot of the right steps, but we can also do much more, and it will take all of us in a collaborative effort to truly preserve our Mother Earth.
The food court will retain its current lineup of quick service choices, but one welcome change will be the addition of a new fountain in the center. The Garden Grill will also remain. And again, all the food served will be grown in the pavilion.
Aesthetically, The Land remains largely the same. The color scheme will take on a green and brown theme, along with elements of orange, yellow, and purple to go along with the rest of Discovery Center.
This concludes our tour of The Land pavilion!
The World Beneath Us is up next.
I honestly couldn't agree more. Horizons was always my number one, but yes. Yes to all of that.
Sorry I haven't updated this super recently. D23 happened and sort of sucked the wind from the sails of everything for a moment, and then I was down and out with a flu bug straight from the final scene in Mr Toad's Wild Ride.
Now that I'm back on my feet, I can sit on my behind and present the next attraction!
Now that I'm back on my feet, I can sit on my behind and present the next attraction!
The World Beneath Us will be an entirely immersive experience unlike anything our guests have ever experienced. And it all starts with one enormous lie.
For this attraction, we are going to sell the story like never before, right from the start. When The World Beneath Us is announced, along with the rest of EPCOT Discovery Center at D23 2019, what we will be presented to us is not at all what we will actually get when all is said and done.
The pavilion, as initially presented, will retain its name, but will be described as the "rock and mineral" pavilion. Fake concept art will be shown that leads everyone to believe that this is a slow experience with a walkthrough element.
During construction, fake press will be distributed, including interviews with high ranking folks at Imagineering and TWDC in general, all regarding this astonishing development at EPCOT Center. Apparently, a large amount of seismic activity has taken place on site during construction, and a mysterious formation of rock has sprung forth from the Earth. This story will be sold further by having large portions of the building done during closed hours, which will include having numerous prefabricated elements built offsite, and then transported to EPCOT Center late at night while nobody is watching.
After careful consideration, the execs at Disney have decided that these events have presented us with a fantastic opportunity to allow guests to fully explore a live volcano! At this time, the announced plans will officially be changed to reflect the final intended appearance of the pavilion.
Yes, this is all somewhat ridiculous. Yes, in this modern time especially it will be very difficult to keep the whole plan a secret. Yes, I would also probably be slightly upset if I fell for my own scheme. But I always loved the backstory of things at Walt Disney World, like how Typhoon Lagoon was formed, or how Pleasure Island was discovered. My intent here is to embody that spirit once again, and also to take it to a new level. And yes, every Disney spokesperson who speaks publicly regarding this attraction will, with an entirely straight face, stick to the story.
So let's talk about the building.
The World Beneath Us will be presented as an authentic research center built into the side of a live volcano. Pools of molten looking liquid will be built into the ground near the entrance foyer. The queue winds its way into the main building by first zigzagging through the foyer, which allows guests to touch the walls of the rock. Curiously, the walls feel quite warm, and in some places seem to glow and radiate heat.
Upon entering the actual building, the most immediate thing that guests will notice is a dramatic rise in temperature. The path briefly diverges and allows guests to choose their own path through the queue, each path containing slightly different elements. As the paths catch back up to each other, turning a corner, guests find themselves in the core of the research center. Much like Mission Space, there is a control room with cast members posing as scientists.
At this point, the temperature has become almost intolerably hot (not in reality, but it will "feel" as such). And the path has gone from a normal, concrete path, to a sort of metallic bridge. Safety rails line the sides of the path, and the area of the floor that is not part of the actual path is covered in metal grating. Under this metal grating, molten liquid flows, occasionally bubbling up from under the grating. Deep within the walls, lava seems to be flowing. Suddenly we're making a right turn, and we're at the loading platform.
At the loading platform, a large monitor introduces us to our tour guide. I have always imagined Bill Nye in this role, but it doesn't have to be specifically Bill Nye. That's just how my brain has always seen it. Anyway, our host elaborates on our journey ahead, reminding us that while things could get a little bumpy, that we'll be perfectly safe!
The ride will use second generation Enhanced Motion Vehicles related to the ones found on Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom, and Indiana Jones in Disneyland. The ride loads on its second-to-bottom level, which is one floor below entry level, and will climb as high as three floors above ground level.
Immediately upon loading, guests should notice that if they look out beyond where they board their vehicles, they can actually see the volcano itself in the center of the show building. (Not the volcano facade that is seen from outside, but the volcano within the volcano. Not unlike the Mexico pavilion. Which is actually a fantastic example because inside this attraction, it is forever the evening under a starry sky).
Once dispatched, we plunge downward into a room designed to look like a fossil bed. Here's where we sort of save face with respect to the original fake pavilion. We're gonna throw some actual science in here and make the ride both thrilling and somewhat educational.
Our host's voice (perhaps accompanied by an onboard video monitor) informs us that the seismic shift that produced the volcano also exposed a previously unknown fossil bed, which includes specimens from as long ago as the Triassic period. They also explain to us that the Triassic was so long ago that there's no way these preserved species were always so close to the ground, and that previous seismic activity must have shifted them around. The realistic fossil bed is supplemented by large graphs that illustrate the different fossil layers by era, as well as maps which highlight where certain species of interest (DINOSAURS!!!!) are most commonly found.
This segues us into the next main room, which is all about plate tectonics. This large space is meant to portray the actual crack in the North American plate that resulted in the volcano sprouting up. Supplementing this room, along with our host's narration, will be images illustrating the different types of tectonic collisions, as well as a large rotating projection globe that shows the world according to the various tectonic plates.
Making a hard left turn, we are looking straight up at the side of the volcano! And we begin our climb. Smoke bellows from cracks in the rock. Small rumbles can be felt. Faintly in the background can be heard triumphant music meant to give a feeling of grandiosity. Turning to the right, we enter one more room, this one illustrating the different types of volcanoes, along with a map of the world's largest volcano ranges.
Exiting this room, we now come face to face with the monster in the middle of the building. Our climb feels slower and more forbodeing. Yes this is the same central volcano as seen throughout the duration of the ride, but we are now on the other side, which is purposefully concealed from view until now. We don't get realize it, but this is also by far the largest single room of the ride, occupying nearly half the ride space.
As we near the peak, the vehicles come to a dead stop. Our host's narration is suddenly cut off by an automated warning message. Red lights, that were unseen before now, flash vividly in our ride vehicles. A "remain seated please" type of message plays in our vehicle. All goes silent for a brief instant, and then, the eruption.
The best way I can explain the way this will feel is to imagine Catasrophe Canyon wrapped up into a few seconds and amplified.
A yellowish orange plume of lava shoots straight into the air, smoke pours out from all directions, the ride track shakes, which is intensified by the EMV's tilting abilities. "Abort! Abort!" Our host is in a clear panic, as our ride vehicles make a near 180 degree turn, and we are now careening down the mountainside in an attempt to outrun the lava.
Lava flows next to our vehicle, which makes numerous evasive maneuvers to avoid absolute disaster. More and more smaller eruptions can be seen surrounding us. "We can't outrun it, there's only one chance!"
Making a sharp left turn and accelerating, our vehicles make one last desperate dash toward a cavern in the distance. As what can only be described as a tidal wave of lava gets ready to crash down on us, our vehicle dives into the cavern plunging two floors as the sound of an avalanche of rocks echoes behind us. We made it back to the lab! And in one piece!
The final room is decorated with incredibly detailed photos from real life eruptions worldwide. Signage along the walls also gives us a glimpse into what we have to look forward to in the postshow exhibits.
Our vehicle comes to a complete stop, our host thanks us, we gather all personal belongings and exit to our right, hopeful to enjoy the rest of our stay at EPCOT Center.
Post show area:
For starters, on ride photo may be purchased. The on ride photo is taken during the plunge to safety at the climax of the ride.
Guests may also enjoy a number of small exhibits. There is a fossil display, which also includes touch screen games. There is a play area for kids modeled after a blanket of pillow lava. This area has small geysers that can be touch activated. There is also a small theater with a presentation about earthquakes, how they happen, how our warning systems work, and how developers are making entire cities "earthquake proof."
So all things considered, yes it is headlines by an E-ticket, adrenaline endusing, volcano escape thrill ride. But it also stays true to theme by serving as the geology pavilion.
For starters, on ride photo may be purchased. The on ride photo is taken during the plunge to safety at the climax of the ride.
Guests may also enjoy a number of small exhibits. There is a fossil display, which also includes touch screen games. There is a play area for kids modeled after a blanket of pillow lava. This area has small geysers that can be touch activated. There is also a small theater with a presentation about earthquakes, how they happen, how our warning systems work, and how developers are making entire cities "earthquake proof."
So all things considered, yes it is headlines by an E-ticket, adrenaline endusing, volcano escape thrill ride. But it also stays true to theme by serving as the geology pavilion.
Time to resurrect this.
I'm going to build a scale model of Journey Into Imagination as I have, well, imagined it here. I don't know how long this might take me. But I'm gonna do it. I'll post photos and updates here.
I'll also finish the explanations for the remainder of what was one Future World.
I'm going to build a scale model of Journey Into Imagination as I have, well, imagined it here. I don't know how long this might take me. But I'm gonna do it. I'll post photos and updates here.
I'll also finish the explanations for the remainder of what was one Future World.