HOLY COW Mark Twain in American Adventure!!

[WDWhigh]

I've only been to this attraction once... the effects are very good. However, I am a Canadian and of course this doesn't have the same effect for me... I find it patriotic overload.. but again, I'm a foreigner.

I'm also a Canadian, but it is my favorite show in Epcot. I also get goosebumps hearing the Voices of America and watching the show. I end up singing the "America" song for the rest of the day.

I don't find it "patriotic overload", It makes me feel great knowing what our neighbours have achieved and that they are our neighbours. Politics aside, we're good neigbours.

 

[dandaman]

So many of the "effects" in American Adventure are so subtle most people don't really notice them. But the fact that it took a lot of planning and design to get them to look right...

Some of my favorites are how the animatronics (and set pieces) are coordinated with the film background. When the snowy scene at Valley Forge is shown, the view of the village pans down, and the animatronics ride up at the same rate, and they all stop panning/rising at the same time. Then at the end of the scene, the animatronics lower as the camera pans upward. The camera doesn't zoom in until the animatronics are out of view. The overall effect is very 3-dimensional. (And have you noticed Washington's horse's mane blowing gently in the wind?)

Same thing with Fredrick Douglas on his raft. He "floats" onstage with the background going the opposite direction. The raft and film change speeds to make it appear the raft is still going the same speed along the river, even though it's actually stopped and it going backwards slightly. (This one's harder to describe, you have to see it)

These are my favourite uniquities of any theatre attraction in WDW. The combinations of AA and background motion are awesome.

For some reason, I've had the song "New World Bound" (or something like that) stuck in my head for a month. :lol: It's played during the Mayflower scene.

 

[dandaman]

I'm also a Canadian, but it is my favorite show in Epcot. I also get goosebumps hearing the Voices of America and watching the show. I end up singing the "America" song for the rest of the day.

I don't find it "patriotic overload", It makes me feel great knowing what our neighbours have achieved and that they are our neighbours. Politics aside, we're good neigbours.

I wholeheartedly agree with every word of that... including the singing part. :lookaroun :lol:

I actually make my top Epcot must-sees as follows: 1. Soarin, 2. American Adventure.

 

[tink81]

These are my favourite uniquities of any theatre attraction in WDW. The combinations of AA and background motion are awesome.

For some reason, I've had the song "New World Bound" (or something like that) stuck in my head for a month. :lol: It's played during the Mayflower scene.

Is that the one that starts "There's a land 'cross this ocean I'm watin' to see..." ? I have been looking for it forever and I never knew the name of it!!!

 

[banimall]

I'm so glad to have seen this thread, I've been to Epcot 50 or so times and have never been to that attraction. I'll definitely check it out next time.

 

[Kwit35]

Great attraction. And you definitely appreciate it 1000 times more after you have been back(under)stage.
One of my favorite songs at Disney, "Two Brothers".

 

[nyfrenchy]

I think Martin Smith's tribute video compares the original AAs to the new ones (1992/3, maybe?). Oh, so neat!

Where can I find this video?

 

[nyfrenchy]

I'd add that when my dad saw it for the first time, he was totally fooled by the disney magic: he was not aware they were Animatronics! He really thought he was watching a stage show with human actors.

 

[OliveMcFly]

I had seen this show for the first time in dec '04 and I was blown away. It was amazing. I had seen a special on the Travel Channel and they said that the stage area is larger than the audience because of all the mini moving stages it houses. It is a great show.

 

[SIR90210]

...if you don't feel different and a little prouder to be an American, you have a heart of stone.

Or are Canadian...
But seriously, that attraction is fantastic! I have to go play play it on trumpet now... America...spread your golden wings...sail on freedom's wind...'
cross the skyyyyyy...

 

[Chape19714]

AA is the greatest Disney Animontronic show of all time. There are so many little details to the entire thing that make it absolutely amazing. There's a few cool things about it like:

-The crubpled scraps of paper on the floor in the Declaration scene are actually written on. If you were to uncrumple them, you would find actual words from a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence.

-Will Rogers' Voice was done by none other than Will Rogers Jr.

-In the first scene, Twain has both a cigar and a drink (on the table), both of which are historicaly accurate, as Twain enjoyed having some drinks and cigars.

-Also in the 1st scene, the Stove in the background is a Franklin Stove, invented by the man sitting in front of it-Ben Franklin.

-Will Rogers was originally going to be a host, joing Franklin and Twain, but the Idea was later scrapped.

-When The American Adventure building was first completed, the building had the projection room behind the audience. A room was added shortly after to behind the screen, because the Sets made some really big shadows on the screen with the 1st system.

Source: Cast Members (who actually work at AA)

 

[basas]

I'm also a Canadian, but it is my favorite show in Epcot. I also get goosebumps hearing the Voices of America and watching the show. I end up singing the "America" song for the rest of the day.

I don't find it "patriotic overload", It makes me feel great knowing what our neighbours have achieved and that they are our neighbours. Politics aside, we're good neigbours.

I'm also Canadian and also agree. The American Adventure is one of my favorite things at Epcot. Our entire Canadian group LOVED the pre-show when "God Bless America" was sung (we all thought it was amazing) and everyone highly enjoyed the main presentation very much so as well

 

[Hakunamatata]

We took the Hidden Treasures tour and obtained quite a bit of info on The American Adventure. Most people dont realize is that the building, in total, is seven stories tall. About half underground. The AA's load in a conveyor type process so that when one sceen is over, that AA goes down, is moved forward, then the next AA is ready to go up. Was really interesting.

 

[prberk]

Great attraction. And you definitely appreciate it 1000 times more after you have been back(under)stage.
One of my favorite songs at Disney, "Two Brothers".

Yes, that is an AMAZING song. Very moving in this presentation. Does anyone know if the AA version of this song is available on any CD? I have yet to see it on any.

But, anyway, AA is my favorite attraction, right up there with COP. That is because it is so amazingly well-done; and as for patriotic spirit, I see it this way: It reminds me of the PROMISE of the American democratic experiment, if not always the reality. I think all Americans, especially the politicians, can do well to be reminded of America's promise...

BTW, although the whole thing amazes me, the one thing that really surprised me and got to me a few years back, was the image of Ryan White that passed by on the screen. Sadly, I had almost forgotten him (and the struggles that he went through during the early stages of the AIDS epidemic, after a blood transfusion had given it to him -- but that he faced it all, including prejudice and fears, with courage and faith in God). His image was just one of many that were a nice touch in the film that ended the program, as they sang "Golden Dream."

The whole thing is great. And it is good to remember the past as we celebrate the promise of the future.

Paul

 

[Tom]

There's always something new that you've never noticed before. It took me forever to notice the point when "Jane" lowered down into the submarine toward the end. Because the gas station set is there, and it transitions right into the WWII scene with Jane in the submarine already. But you don't see her until the end of that scene. (And have you ever noticed the Navy sailor saluting the audience as his scene lowers out of view?)

The only beef I have with the whole show is this particular transition - since you see the suspension cables behind the gas station during the gas station scene. As someone who works in theater tech, seeing stuff like that just BUGS me - but I don't see any other way they can do it

Other than that, it's definately my favorite show at WDW. I appreciate the Canadians that respect and love it as well - I think that it would be impressive to go to another country and see such a well-made, tasteful and tactfully produced tribute to that country's history and achievements. I guess I'll say I'm proud that our country was the first, and only (that I know of) to do such a thing.

All of the things that Rob562 pointed out amaze me as well. Again, coming from someone who has worked backstage and on the set crews for MANY theater productions, I think that their scene transitions are simply AMAZING. Everything flows - the video in sync with the moving sets - WOW! That's HARD TO DO!

As for those who have NOT been on the Backstage Magic tour, I recommend it solely because of this attraction, if nothing else. We went in the back door of the stagehouse and stood right next to the GIANT carriage that carries all of the AA scenes (actually two scenes, the boat and the horse I believe, are on their own structures). It travels underneath the audience and slowly moves forward as each row of scenes lowers. During the change of audience, it travels all the way back to home position - amazing. We got to see the opening scene up close because it was docked right next to us, in home position. The AAs are lifelike up close too. We were also told about the rear projector house - projecting on the widest rear-projection screen in the world, I'm pretty sure. There is a special cooling system in the projector room, to handle the heat produced and keep the film from overheating and tearing.

So, yeah, American Adventure rocks - period!

EDIT: Oh yeah, and Golden Dreams gives me goosebumps every time I hear it, even on the CD in my car!

 

[prberk]

-The crubpled scraps of paper on the floor in the Declaration scene are actually written on. If you were to uncrumple them, you would find actual words from a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence.

Good detail, always the mark of authenticity that makes a good show great!

Reminds me of how Charles Schultz used to use real notes from Beethoven's sheet music for the music that he used whenever he showed Schroder playing the piano in the Peanuts comic strip, and later on the TV specials as he played actual pieces -- always real classical pieces.

A great standard for all of us to follow.

Paul

 

[rmp_king]

I apologize for my comment.. that was uncalled for.

 

[Tom]

I apologize for my comment.. that was uncalled for.

No offense taken by me, but perhaps others - I was simply expressing my appreciation to those who DID enjoy it and approve of it. It's not about your country, I wouldn't expect you to put a lot of stock into a show about a country other than the one you call home, eh.

 

[Connor002]

Or are Canadian...

I know a Canadian that likes AA... :lookaroun

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I apologize for my comment.. that was uncalled for.

No offence taken...don't think any was intended....but it's like saying we can't enjoy the beauty of O Canada or the unbelievable scenery of China or the wonder (and my favorite soundtrack) of Impressions of France. I enjoy them all.