Here’s the more detailed ride outline. Full detailed floor plan coming momentarily.
Beneath the Surface
Guests enter the lead attraction of the geology pavilion through a large foyer that quickly filters into a normal sized queue, then move quickly through multiple switchback ramps. A huge cross section model of Earth hangs overhead, dominating the room. The surrounding walls are lined with carpet in numerous red, orange, yellow, and brown hues.
Upon reaching the base of the entrance foyer, along guardrails positioned in front of the suspended globe are four dialogue boxes. These contain text briefly describing the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core of the planet.
Entering a second room, guests are immediately sorted into groups of 32 to board one of three specially designed elevators. These elevators present the illusion of descending below the surface of the planet, but in actuality they move at an upward angle to take riders to the loading platform on the second floor. The elevator trips are staggered to help distribute crowd flow.
During the short journey to the upper floor, guests are introduced to the attraction via prerecorded narration.
The load platform is a clean, sterile grey. To the left is a large portal, dressed to look like a tunnel through a rock formation. Guests are sorted into eight rows of four to board their futuristic “mine trains” for a slow moving journey beneath the surface.
The ride track slowly descends from the upper floor, to the ground level, to another floor beneath ground level, before finally ascending back to the upper floor.
These trains of ride vehicles glide along the track thanks to linear induction motors much like the WedWay Peoplemover.
Departing the load area, the trains immediately enter the aforementioned portal. The dark portal is illuminated by occasional flickers of multicolored light. A narrator welcomes guests to the attraction, before finally entering the first show scene.
SCENE 1: The first room takes place seemingly in outer space. A black backdrop full of stars sets the tone before a massive projection of early Earth comes into view. The planet is seen being bombarded with comets zooming across the blackness of space. These comets are the main source water for the young planet. This is the first important ingredient for the development of life on Earth.
SCENE 2: Now approaching the surface of the planet, a dense fog covers a mostly dry, barren desert landscape. But in the distance is a torrential rainstorm. Flashes of lightning attempt to blink through the layer of fog, and the steady rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance. The water cycle itself is also a fundamental ingredient for the sustainability of life on the planet.
SCENE 3: A model of the planet is used to show glaciers receding over North America, carving out the Great Lakes and other bodies of fresh water. A mere 3% of Earth’s water is fresh water, and only .5% of it is actually useable for human consumption. The rest is either inaccessible or too polluted to use.
SCENE 4: The trains now dive into a massive simulated ocean environment. Anemones, sponges, corals, and other strange life forms populate the ocean floor. Volcanic jets occasionally spew out a thick plume of black smoke. High above, the shadows of numerous schools of fish, as well as manta rays, sharks, and jellyfish are seen swimming by. The track passes right through what could be the Mariana Trench.
SCENE 5: Now at ground level, guests next pass through a gorgeous, shimmering, colorful limestone cave, covered with stalactites and stalagmites. Many of these have grown so long that they have formed columns. Sparkling purples, pinks, blues, and greens fill the room with a dazzling array of colors. This beautiful scene is used to introduce numerous useful minerals which help make modern life possible.
SCENE 6: From a cavernous, colorful cave, to a narrow tunnel through a portion of crust. Guests now get a closeup look at the formation of diamonds. The scene begins with tiny lumps of carbon seen embedded in the walls, and ends with the valuable fully formed pure gems, waiting to be uncovered.
INTERLUDE: Making a quick turn, the trains enter a dark room serving as a transitional space. A series of monitors show volcanic eruptions, with a very large static image indicating the parts of a volcano and how they work. The narrator reminds guests to remain seated for their safety.
SCENE 7: The temperature becomes noticeably warmer as guests now enter a simulated magma chamber. Bubbling orange liquid can be seen below, as steam rises from various spots in the room. The lighting in the chamber is also exceptionally brighter, adding to the illusion.
SCENE 8: Perhaps the most exciting scene in the entire show. The track now approaches and circles a massive model volcano under a starry night sky. As the track makes its way around the cone, it also continues its downward motion and finally descends to the lowest floor of the structure. The volcano itself will occasionally release a steady stream of lava that fall harmlessly back into the cone. The track crosses back under itself as the journey continues.
SCENE 9: Two land masses are seen below, forming a subduction zone. One land mass is seemingly being pushed under the other one. Above is a monitor that plays a looping illustration of the continents separating over time, starting with Pangea and ending in present day.
SCENE 10: The train next enters the mantle, where convection currents are represented by numerous illuminating half circles of varying heights forming archways over the track. These convection currents drive the plate tectonics on the surface. This process helps regulate the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and also allows nutrients locked away in mountains to become useful.
SCENE 11: Guests finally make their way into the liquid outer core, which is represented by large bubbles of some indescribable material circling around the track at fluctuating speeds. The boundary of the room is constantly lit up with blues and pinks, meant to represent electric currents. These electric currents along with the rotation of the planet create the Earth’s magnetic field, which protects the surface from solar winds, allowing life to flourish.
SCENE 12: The trains now begin their ascension back to the surface. Guests pass multiple smaller dioramas on either side of the winding track, showing modern industry being used to harvest the various resources found beneath the surface. Scenes include a granite rock quarry, wells used to pump otherwise inaccessible groundwater, diamond mines, mountain top removal, and water filtration systems.
Reaching the unload platform, guests are now invited to the post-show area to participate in further exhibits all about the world beneath the surface.
The unload platform itself features an exit tunnel made of incredible rock work, highlighted by gigantic glistening gems that tower over guests. This tunnel then leads to a speed ramp/moving platform that takes guests down to ground level and into the post-show area.
The post-show area can also be accessed via a set of doors that are set off to the right of the main entrance to the pavilion, bypassing the main attraction.