Pocahontas
Dark ride designed by the Future Corps
Located in Frontierland
Entrance:
The ride sign stands in front of the entrance, which simulates an old American forest. On the background, you can not only hear the sounds of the forest, but you can also hear the sounds of men arriving in boats. As you approach the loading area, which looks like a riverbend, you can clearly see a ship docking on the horizon, and the song “Virginia Company” on the background. As you board your canoe, Grandmother Willow informs you to keep your hands and arms inside the canoe all the times, and watch your little kids. The canoes then depart.
First Scene (Steady as the Beating Drum):
As you exit the loading dock, you can see far fields full of Indians harvesting the necessary for their village. They look at your canoe like it’s something that they’re expecting for a long time, and you can see them pointing to the village, while the song is being played on the background, where more canoes are docked, and Powhatan, the village’s chief, is talking to everyone (as an advanced Audio Animatronic). He then turns to Kekata and asks “Where is Pocahontas, my daughter?”. Konata answers that she follows the wind, and you can see the wind pulling some leafs from the trees and leading you to the next scene.
Second Scene (Just Around the Riverbend):
Just as you enter the second scene, you can immediately see an enormous waterfall on the right side of the tracks. You can hear Pocahontas singing on the background, and as she enters the chorus, she falls down the waterfall, coming out with Meeko on her canoe. She continues to sing as she steers around the track, disappearing on one side and reappearing on the other. The wind dances with her, and as she begins to wonder if she should marry the man that her father wants to marry and have a life steady as the beating drum, and an effect projects her and Kocoum on the water where you are steering. But, as you pass over it, the projections disappear, and you can clearly see Pocahontas entering the place where Grandmother Willow stays.
Third Scene (Listen with your Heart):
The trees make way for a more darker area. You circle around Grandmother Willow and Pocahontas. Grandmother Willow is a mix of effects and animatronics, as she seems to give life to the things around you, such as the wind and the trees, that shake and dance as Pocahontas begins to listen with her heart. When she does so, Grandmother Willow’s voice begins to become faint, as you can clearly hear something else in the background. The sounds on the background begin to overcome the music and the sounds of the forest, and suddenly the trees in front of you fall, leading you to the beach.
Fourth Scene (Mine, Mine, Mine):
Guests now are in the middle of a small river in between a beach with a docked English ship and the forest. On the beach, there are dynamites, and people mining for gold, while Governor Radcliffe sings, exploding parts of the forest around you. On the other side, you can see John Smith exploring the forest, climbing a mountain and more. On the ceiling, you can see projections of dirt being throwed over you, and Pocahontas is observing from a bunch of trees. An explosion makes the trees fall once again and the path is clear for the next scene.
Fifth Scene (Colors of the Wind):
Pocahontas and John Smith have just met, and this is the Colors of the Wind section. The whole scene appears to change in front of you as the wind passes through it. The colors change, and the projections on the ceiling change from day and night. Animals appear in the forest, and on the other side, you can see Pocahontas running through the forest, followed by John Smith. The wind appears to lift you so you can see the mountain, the river, the beach, everywhere you just went through. However, drums and fire overcome the wind and you get dropped back in the water.
Sixth Scene (Savages):
Both sides have declared war against each other. On the right side you can see the British camp, with Governor Radcliffe giving everyone guns and drums, telling they’re going to fight because the Indians are different, so they must be evil. On the left side, the Indians are also preparing for war, and they have captured John Smith. You can hear Pocahontas crying until you finally see her and Grandmother Willow. Pocahontas then realizes that John Smith is the one that she truly loves. She runs to the meeting grounds where the two factions are going to fight. The lights go out just as Powhatan is about to kill John Smith and Pocahontas interrupts her.
Finale (Colors of the Wind reprise):
Both sides agree to stop the war in this next scene, but Radcliffe has a different idea and accidentally shoots John Smith. He gets captured by his men and throwed in the ship. The ride ends with you on a rock, looking at the ship depart, together with Pocahontas, as Colors of the Wind plays on the background.