The American Adventure Discussion

[Animaniac93-98]

Searching through these boards I couldn't find a thread dedicated to AA, where one could discuss the show in all it's incarnations and it's various merits, weaknesses etc. whatever an opinion may be. Also I'd love to hear more on the attraction's history and development.

I'll post all my thoughts later, but here's an interesting behind the scenes video to get things started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdONkeHAGyc

 

[EPCOTPluto]

Fun idea!

I usually try to stop for a showing whenever I get a chance. Everything about the show is amazing, compelling, and poignant.



Except the kids waving the little flags at the montage's end. :fork: 100% cheesiness, IMO.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

One of WDI's best. That is all.


Seriously, though, it is. It's glazed over in some parts, but honestly, it does cover the History quite well, and accurately.

How can I not love it? It's a intersection of my favorite things on this Earth: American History and EPCOT.

 

[HMF]

It's funny because I was actually thinking recently that the American Adventure needs a new exterior marquee.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

It's funny because I was actually thinking recently that the American Adventure needs a new exterior marquee.

I don't know if I hate or love the 1994 version. :shrug:

I think it's time for something new..

 

[HMF]

I don't know if I hate or love the 1994 version. :shrug:

I think it's time for something new..

It does not look regal it looks like it's made out of cardboard.

Well' maybe that's a bit harsh' but it does look temporary.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

It does not look regal it looks like it's made out of cardboard.

Well' maybe that's a bit harsh' but it does look temporary.

Exactly. Time to put the logo on the building in gilded letters.

 

[Krack2]

It's my favorite attraction in WDW. It is one of the few attractions that they've changed over the years that didn't get me all angry/upset. Sadly, it's one of the few places/venues/shows, over the past 10-15 years about the United States that displays an almost entirely positive view of the country and does not contain some form of political argument or browbeating about perceived American failures.

For me, it reminds me a lot of the period of overall positiveness and pride that seemed to be all over the place in the 80s and then disappeared in the late 80s and early 90s.

I blame grunge music and flannel clothing. Get off my lawn.

 

[WDW Vacationer]

Fantastic in history and show tech. The show sets always amaze me,never see them move!

And I love history!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Opinions from me:

Prior to my last trip I had only seen the show once, years ago. The reason begin it was something I hadn't done at WDW and therefore had to do it. I had largely forgotten about it and just ignored it every tip afterwords until this more recent one where I wanted to compare it to the new Hall of Presidents. I was obviously impressed with the complexity of the show particularly the moving set pieces with AAs on them along with their interaction with the rear projection. The ending was simply amazing to me with the backdrop expanding at an endless rate seemingly and the visual touches begin added such as the Statue of Liberty's light coming on, the sun rising etc. as the chorus sang. To me that's why you go to WDW, to experience that kind of "magic", for a lack of a better word.

The smoke coming from the candle and Twain's pipe at the start, the "rain" above the gas station shack (hard to see from further back) and other in theatre effects and figure movements all impressed me too. For AAs made in 1993 they have held up quite well against newer ones found elsewhere on property (doesn't mean I don't want to see new ones though ).

If there was one section glossed over to me it was the Valley Forge bit, because it failed to explain how or why the Continentals won. Just that the soldiers go from begin miserable, poorly clothed and diseased ridden to marching "along the victory trail". I'm sure at US schools all the kids are told why so I assume that's why it isn't included.*

One complaint found in the Unofficial Guide to WDW is that the show "glosses over" the countries darker moments. I have two rebuttals for this. 1) It doesn't. I fail to see how the death the Mayflower travelers found once they reached the land, the previously mentioned Valley Forge, the injustices facing African, Native and female Americans, the great depression, WW2, the death of JFK, 9/11 etc. all fail to show "darker moments" in the countries history and 2) Why should a Disney theme park attraction dwell exclusively on negatives and shy away from respectful optimism when it has so little time to tell hundreds of years of history? Epcot is not a University lecture hall last time I checked. The tone of the last version of HoP is what made me dislike the show (along with it's lack of focus on the presidents) and I personally think that individual expects too much from Disney in this case.

Are there any historical inaccuracies in the show? What do you all think of Will Rogers as representative for 20th Century America? What are the differences between the 1993 and 1982 versions?

Discuss some more!

*While doing subsequent research on wiki (so you know how accurate that'll be) I saw that the "battle" took place during the winter of 1777-78. This contradicts a lyric in a song from Disney's The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band that goes "in the frozen winter of 76 in a place called Valley Forge". This means either the Wiki poster or the Sherman Brother's should double check their facts (or maybe "76" is just easier to sing than "77"?).

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Opinions from me:

Prior to my last trip I had only seen the show once, years ago. The reason begin it was something I hadn't done at WDW and therefore had to do it. I had largely forgotten about it and just ignored it every tip afterwords until this more recent one where I wanted to compare it to the new Hall of Presidents. I was obviously impressed with the complexity of the show particularly the moving set pieces with AAs on them along with their interaction with the rear projection. The ending was simply amazing to me with the backdrop expanding at an endless rate seemingly and the visual touches begin added such as the Statue of Liberty's light coming on, the sun rising etc. as the chorus sang. To me that's why you go to WDW, to experience that kind of "magic", for a lack of a better word.

The smoke coming from the candle and Twain's pipe at the start, the "rain" above the gas station shack (hard to see from further back) and other in theatre effects and figure movements all impressed me too. For AAs made in 1993 they have held up quite well against newer ones found elsewhere on property (doesn't mean I don't want to see new ones though ).

If there was one section glossed over to me it was the Valley Forge bit, because it failed to explain how or why the Continentals won. Just that the soldiers go from begin miserable, poorly clothed and diseased ridden to marching "along the victory trail". I'm sure at US schools all the kids are told why so I assume that's why it isn't included.*

One complaint found in the Unofficial Guide to WDW is that the show "glosses over" the countries darker moments. I have two rebuttals for this. 1) It doesn't. I fail to see how the death the Mayflower travelers found once they reached the land, the previously mentioned Valley Forge, the injustices facing African, Native and female Americans, the great depression, WW2, the death of JFK, 9/11 etc. all fail to show "darker moments" in the countries history and 2) Why should a Disney theme park attraction dwell exclusively on negatives and shy away from respectful optimism when it has so little time to tell hundreds of years of history? Epcot is not a University lecture hall last time I checked. The tone of the last version of HoP is what made me dislike the show (along with it's lack of focus on the presidents) and I personally think that individual expects too much of from Disney in this case.

Are there any historical inaccuracies in the show? What do you all think of Will Rogers as representative for 20th Century America? What are the differences between the 1993 and 1982 versions?

Discuss some more!

*While doing subsequent research on wiki (so you know how accurate that'll be) I saw that the "battle" took place during the winter of 1777-78. This contradicts a lyric in a song from Disney's The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band that goes "in the frozen winter of 76 in a place called Valley Forge". This means either the Wiki poster or the Sherman Brother's should double check their facts (or maybe "76" is just easier to sing than "77"?).

:lol: I actually attended a conference on Valley Forge IN Valley Forge...and while that instance is a little rushed, the scene is SPOT ON. Dialog, Washington, setting...LOVE it.

 

[HMF]

It's my favorite attraction in WDW. It is one of the few attractions that they've changed over the years that didn't get me all angry/upset. Sadly, it's one of the few places/venues/shows, over the past 10-15 years about the United States that displays an almost entirely positive view of the country and does not contain some form of political argument or browbeating about perceived American failures.

Well it does not exactly skip over the bad parts. It brings up slavery' the persecution of the Native Americans' the Civil War' "Look at Two Brothers".
WWI and the Great Depression so it's not all patriotic look at the world through rose-colored glasses view.
I have been reading a book about how school American History Books promote blind patriotism' cover up the bad parts of our history or makes some stuff up to make our country look perfect. The American Adventure certainly does not.

 

[MarkTwain]

I LOVE THIS SHOW. (See my avatar pic )

It's inspirational. Patriotic. Optimistic. Sophisticated. And surprisingly accurate.

The technology used in it is amazing - the smoke coming from Mark Twain's pipe was previously mentioned, but you've also got Benjamin Franklin walking into Thomas Jefferson's house, the Valley Forge soldiers that breathe fog, the Will Rogers figure with the lasso, and Mark Twain and Ben Franklin shaking hands at the finale, among others.

A few interesting "facts" (I've only heard them from other people; I can't confirm them).

1. The AAs are stored under the audience until their time in the spotlight, at which point the proper scene is motored out onto the stage.

2. The Imagineers originally wanted three hosts, one for each of the centuries of America's history: Benjamin Franklin for the 1700s, Mark Twain for the 1800s, and an undecided figure for the 20th century. Will Rogers was among those chiefly considered, but in the end it was decided that the events of 1900s were still too close to determine a proper voice of the 20th century.

3. The American Pavilion is a rare (if not the only) example of "reverse scaled perspective," in which the building is constructed to appear smaller than it actually is. The Imagineers wanted the American pavilion to be the most iconic and visually dominant of the World Showcase pavilions, but colonial architecture only ever reached heights of 3 stories. Therefore, a 50-some foot tall building was made to look like one that was only 3 stories tall. Facade details actually grow larger as they approach the top of the structure to assist this illusion.

The show is quite an artistic accomplishment, in that it manages to masterfully compact 300+ years of American history into a 30 minute presentation. Overall, I think this show is a real off-the-beaten-path gem of Epcot... second in scale only to Spaceship Earth.

Whew... don't usually get to get to talk much about this, one of my favorite attractions.

 

[marni1971]

One of Glendales crowning achievements. Just please update the projection. The worlds largest rear projection screen and the sprocket system has gotten so bad it is like watching an earth tremor.

Yes, most of the AAs and props are below the theatre on the `War Wagon` - a platform on wheels that rolls back and forth under the stage and audience to deliever the right set at the right time. 65 ft across and weighing 175 tonnes you can just about hear a faint rumble between the quietest scenes as it rolls into place. Amazing. At 300ft, the foundations for it actually go down almost 100ft further than those for SSE. Points 2 and 3 above are also correct. They needed the reverse perspective to hide the fact the show building is so big and to hide the bulbous stage roof at the rear.

 

[WDW Vacationer]

Thanks,Martin!

300 feet-holy cow! It really is a technological achievement,especially how the sets move.

 

[EPCOTPluto]

2. The Imagineers originally wanted three hosts, one for each of the centuries of America's history: Benjamin Franklin for the 1700s, Mark Twain for the 1800s, and an undecided figure for the 20th century. Will Rogers was among those chiefly considered, but in the end it was decided that the events of 1900s were still too close to determine a proper voice of the 20th century.

Not to mention how unknown Rogers was at the time... :lookaroun

 

[ChrisFL]

I remember watching the extinct attractions dvd where one of the WDI designers was talking about it, he said they'd ask 50 people who the person for the 20th century should be, they'd get 50 different answers (also funny how the other "Person of the Century" poll at Communicore never had official results).

As for the attraction, it is still an incredible achievement, one of the truly first attractions that combined live action sets with a film background seamlessly.

I think they make the history as realistic as possible without making it too much gritty realism. Most people know our history is not all rosy.

Two Brothers isn't exactly a light-hearted chapter either.

 

[wm49rs]

I LOVE THIS SHOW. (See my avatar pic )

It's inspirational. Patriotic. Optimistic. Sophisticated. And surprisingly accurate.

The technology used in it is amazing - the smoke coming from Mark Twain's pipe was previously mentioned, but you've also got Benjamin Franklin walking into Thomas Jefferson's house, the Valley Forge soldiers that breathe fog, the Will Rogers figure with the lasso, and Mark Twain and Ben Franklin shaking hands at the finale, among others.

A few interesting "facts" (I've only heard them from other people; I can't confirm them).

1. The AAs are stored under the audience until their time in the spotlight, at which point the proper scene is motored out onto the stage.

2. The Imagineers originally wanted three hosts, one for each of the centuries of America's history: Benjamin Franklin for the 1700s, Mark Twain for the 1800s, and an undecided figure for the 20th century. Will Rogers was among those chiefly considered, but in the end it was decided that the events of 1900s were still too close to determine a proper voice of the 20th century.

3. The American Pavilion is a rare (if not the only) example of "reverse scaled perspective," in which the building is constructed to appear smaller than it actually is. The Imagineers wanted the American pavilion to be the most iconic and visually dominant of the World Showcase pavilions, but colonial architecture only ever reached heights of 3 stories. Therefore, a 50-some foot tall building was made to look like one that was only 3 stories tall. Facade details actually grow larger as they approach the top of the structure to assist this illusion.

The show is quite an artistic accomplishment, in that it manages to masterfully compact 300+ years of American history into a 30 minute presentation. Overall, I think this show is a real off-the-beaten-path gem of Epcot... second in scale only to Spaceship Earth.

Whew... don't usually get to get to talk much about this, one of my favorite attractions.

I went on the Backstage Magic tour last June, and can confirm how the AAs are stored. They actually took us into the back entrance of AA, which is actually a basement (there's 5 floors in the AA building, even though it's made to look like only 3). The AA set is actually raised into place as the audience is entering the show, and then progresses along with the performance. It's really an amazing piece of engineering all around......

 

[jzimm]

We got to see the backstage area of this on the Backstage Magic Tour. The computer controls area right out of the mid 80's but still do the job.
The equipment behind stage is amazing and we got to see them doing the preshow checks. Our guide said that the reason the American pavillion is higher(grade wise not building height) than the rest of World showcase is because they needed such a large basement to fit all the sets and equipment in. Since you can't dig down because of the water table, they raised the whole building up and thats why you have to walk slighlty up hill to get to the American pavillion.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I LOVE THIS SHOW. (See my avatar pic )

It's inspirational. Patriotic. Optimistic. Sophisticated. And surprisingly accurate.

The technology used in it is amazing - the smoke coming from Mark Twain's pipe was previously mentioned, but you've also got Benjamin Franklin walking into Thomas Jefferson's house, the Valley Forge soldiers that breathe fog, the Will Rogers figure with the lasso, and Mark Twain and Ben Franklin shaking hands at the finale, among others.

A few interesting "facts" (I've only heard them from other people; I can't confirm them).

1. The AAs are stored under the audience until their time in the spotlight, at which point the proper scene is motored out onto the stage.

2. The Imagineers originally wanted three hosts, one for each of the centuries of America's history: Benjamin Franklin for the 1700s, Mark Twain for the 1800s, and an undecided figure for the 20th century. Will Rogers was among those chiefly considered, but in the end it was decided that the events of 1900s were still too close to determine a proper voice of the 20th century.

3. The American Pavilion is a rare (if not the only) example of "reverse scaled perspective," in which the building is constructed to appear smaller than it actually is. The Imagineers wanted the American pavilion to be the most iconic and visually dominant of the World Showcase pavilions, but colonial architecture only ever reached heights of 3 stories. Therefore, a 50-some foot tall building was made to look like one that was only 3 stories tall. Facade details actually grow larger as they approach the top of the structure to assist this illusion.

The show is quite an artistic accomplishment, in that it manages to masterfully compact 300+ years of American history into a 30 minute presentation. Overall, I think this show is a real off-the-beaten-path gem of Epcot... second in scale only to Spaceship Earth.

Whew... don't usually get to get to talk much about this, one of my favorite attractions.

Loft. In a hotel. Jefferson lived in VA and never had a "permanent" residence in Philly.


Sorry...My History Geekiness is showing. :lol: But your post is spot on. Well said!


As for the 20th Century Host...? I think it's time. I'd love to see some new scenes and love for AA.

One of Glendales crowning achievements. Just please update the projection. The worlds largest rear projection screen and the sprocket system has gotten so bad it is like watching an earth tremor.

Yes, most of the AAs and props are below the theatre on the `War Wagon` - a platform on wheels that rolls back and forth under the stage and audience to deliever the right set at the right time. 65 ft across and weighing 175 tonnes you can just about hear a faint rumble between the quietest scenes as it rolls into place. Amazing. At 300ft, the foundations for it actually go down almost 100ft further than those for SSE. Points 2 and 3 above are also correct. They needed the reverse perspective to hide the fact the show building is so big and to hide the bulbous stage roof at the rear.

That's amazing!

Martin, when did they switch from the Omni idea to a theater idea?