First Visit to EPCOT Center

There's an old saying that there's nothing like your first time. It happens to be true when I speak about our first visit to EPCOT Center. In an unexpected twist, it almost instantly became our favorite Disney park. This was the park as originally envisioned, not the one chock full of intellectual properties and animated characters. No Frozen, no Guardians of the Galaxy, no Nemo, no Ratatouille.

Back then, World Showcase opened the same time as Future World, so we entered the park and almost walked right past Spaceship Earth and directly to the Mexico Showcase. Almost. Of course, we were not immune to the charms of the future world as portrayed by Disney. In fact, I remember clearly just staring at the huge silver sphere. Couldn't take my eyes off it, but we had to stop and get to the World Key Information Stations inside Earth Station to book meal reservations. Super easy, super fun and reasonably priced. 

We only had to wait a few minutes, but we stayed busy by watching a terrific kaleidoscope of images previewing the wonders we'd soon encounter.  Just the presentation and the surrounding area felt fresh, optimistic, and inspiring. The future wasn't scary. It was approachable. We made our way to the front of the line and to the screen. 

This truly was a touch of something new. In fact, in 1982 touch sensitive computer screens were something of a rarity. The Bell System (at divestiture the attraction would then be officially sponsored by AT&T, the company I worked for at the time) and its branch Bell Laboratories really were bringing us the future of communication. Moments after a young woman came to the screen to help us with our meals choices, we were on our way. 

Deciding to bypass Future World for the time being, we strolled into Mexico.  It and China next door just seemed to beckon us compared to Canada and the United Kingdom. The lone Mayan pyramid and the small cantina on the glistening lagoon gave us no hint to what we were about to experience.

Until the changeover from El Rio del Tiempo to the Gran Fiesta and perhaps one day Coco, the sights, sounds, and feel of Mexico made it our favorite place in all of World Showcase. I won't bore you with the details of El Rio del Tiempo, but I will tell you, we were enchanted by it and wished it had lasted even longer than it did. It was planned to be much, much longer but budgets were blown past, and time was running short. (If you want to see lots of art and images plus links to video etc, just search on the site for "Cinco de Mayo" or go here for one of many posts.) 

Having visited Baja California, Mazatlan, and Acapulco, I have aways had a soft spot for the country. The gentle boat ride by an active volcano gave the pavilion a touch of glamour and mystery. Something the new version of the ride replaces with cheap marketing. It's too bad, but it was foreshadowing of what was to come. We wandered around the pyramid under the moonlight, so glad we were returning for lunch later in the day.

Naturally, we followed along the promenade and continued on to China. For younger readers, it's important to remember that at the time, few people were given the ability to travel to this country, thereby making a visit to a fairly accurate representation of the landmarks of the country all the more alluring. Meeting the nationals who were privileged to work there was a plus. 

There were no Disney themed items to be found in the shops of World Showcase, only authentic goods right from the countries represented. It was as close as an authentic experience a traveler could get without hopping on an airplane. Needless to say, we were again stunned by the beauty of the landscaping and architecture, thrilled by the 360 movie, Wonders of China. Dreams of traveling there were lit inside.

Making our way around the lagoon, we stopped at Germany and Italy, winding up at the American Adventure. We were very impressed by the show, (Disney always makes you proud to be an American) but disappointed there was nothing else to represent our country. Fast food? That's it? Disappointing to say the least, but there was still much to explore. The view back to Future World and Spaceship Earth- wow, this park was huge.

We chose to head back toward Mexico for lunch as we had waterside dining reservations at the San Angel Inn Restaurante.  It was dark, cozy, romantic- and we so enjoyed the margarita, queso fundido, and our main course. It was my first taste of Mole Poblano and not my last, becoming a new Mexican favorite. We ended our lunch with another cruise on the river, heading back into Future World from there.  

The afternoon crowds were heavy back in the other end of the park, and it was fairly easy to get to the big ticket attractions of Future World. First stop, Journey Into Imagination. My father-in-law worked for Kodak at the time and for his entire career, so we had heard great things about what Disney came up with. In a word, magical! Figment and Dreamfinder were delightful and will always be the "hosts" of the park.  (I cannot tell you what a bastardization of the original attraction this new version is. You'd have to experience it to know.) Before I became a collector of sorts of Disney park memorabilia, I purchased a Figment of my own. I have him to this day. Magic Journeys in 3D (a new thing!) was a great second attraction to the pavilion, and the Image Works was just plain fun. We stayed almost two hours- something you could not pay me to do now.

Sing along now: "Just make believe you're a tiny little seed..." The Land is our favorite of the original Future World attractions that are still in the park. Up until the point Horizons debuted a few years later, this is where the future was in Future World. The Listen to the Land boat tour was the perfect way to share the latest in farming technologies to the public. This was a case of "Edutainment" at its best. 

The film Symbiosis was preachy at times, but the cruise through the greenhouses made learning fun. Kitchen Cabaret brought it home for the kids. The silly presentation about nutrition, while enjoyable, was not on par with the much better Audio-Animatronic musicals found in the Magic Kingdom. However, it wasn't meant to be a headline attraction either. (The replacement, Food Rocks, was even less effective.)

Starting with the following morning when we would return for a second full day at EPCOT Center, breakfast at The Good Turn would become a tradition until it became too expensive or too difficult to book. We always enjoyed the warm Florida sun streaming through the greenhouse dome, and intentionally stretched our meal time long enough to rotate into the darker showroom of the boat cruise. It's in the hidden places such as this that Future World has its own unique charms. The future should be warm and hopeful, and it always was in the way Disney chose to present it back then. Now, it's just cartoon filled and silly.

The Living Seas wouldn't come until later, so we wandered through Communicore (now Innoventions). We passed through both East and West, and we decided to make that area part of the next day. Back then, EPCOT Center was a two full day park. Now we still go for two days because its our favorite, but it doesn't hold as much substance. Anyway, we were among the first to vote for The Person of the Century poll. Kind of a fun thing to throw in there. My bet was Disney didn't like the results, and the show- and announcement of the winner- soon disappeared.

A journey deep into Spaceship Earth was a perfect way to continue our trip. It was very impressive, and I was pleased to see my employer was represented by such a fine attraction. The changes over the years have not always taken away from the grandeur- until a new ending filled with monitors on the ride vehicle.  Such a pity.

Across the way, we went into the Universe of Energy. It's inherent surprises did the trick they were designed to do, (who doesn't love dinosaurs?), but it was next door's World of Motion that we really loved. Everything about it was Disney Imagineering at its best.

Let me be clear- I love old school Audio-Animatronic adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. They rely on story to bring the thrills and surprises. World of Motion easily held its own with these classics. From the train being held up (in a nod to the never built Western River Expedition) to the policeman on motorcycle behind the billboard, the attraction built to a grand finale- a ride through the city of the future. Humorous, informative and very repeatable. (Gary Owen's narration was incredible in his signature style.) Motion became a three ride a day attraction for us, and we did it again several hours later after nightfall.  

Upon exiting and by then knowing the song "It's Fun to Be Free" by heart, we stepped into the Transcenter for the Bird and Robot / The Water Engine show followed by the automotive displays, a nice nod to the sponsor. 

I'm all for thrill rides-  and I love Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- but there is something about these older lengthy and leisurely attractions like those mentioned above that really take you out of present day reality and into another realm. This is something Disney does better than just about anyone, but this fact about immersion is almost lost on the current batch of Imagineers... and park guests trained to run from ride to ride! Without the balance of all kinds of attractions, the audience is limited. This is why parks like California Adventure 1.0 and Animal Kingdom are not as popular as they could have been. 

Evening meant a return to World Showcase starting with Canada. The signature attraction, "Oh, Canada!" had nothing on its Chinese counterpart. This was not the case when we viewed "Impressions of France".  Superlatives are not enough, so Imagineers and Budgeteers, after all these years, isn't it time to update the film and give it a technology upgrade as well? It's a masterpiece. So is the pavilion it is built around. A late night stroll through "France" and then around the promenade basking in the glory of a beautiful Florida evening was the perfect way to end our first visit to EPCOT Center. Thank God Ratatouille is an add and not an "instead of"!

We'd do it again the next day, this time starting in Future World and then working our way through World Showcase, beginning with Canada. The changes over the years would not always please us, but this one single theme park is still the reason I return to Walt Disney World. There's nothing like it.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

The World in a Day

When it comes to the state of Walt Disney World these days, count me among the first in line to complain about all the changes. There is, in general, a downgrading of quality. Exceptions exist but they seem to be just that. You see, I remember Walt Disney World from 1975, when it consisted of a freshly minted Magic Kingdom, a couple of beautiful hotels, and not much more.

Then in 1982 came the once amazing EPCOT Center. An incredible place previewing the future with attractions that were almost entirely "E Tickets", a place you could spend days exploring. And we did just that. Usually, it took us one whole day to see Future World and one full day to see World Showcase.  Anyone else remember beginning their days with breakfast at The Good Turn restaurant and booking dinner reservations at a World Key kiosk before heading off to the World of Motion or the original and best Journey into Imagination? Everywhere I looked, I seemed to be surprised that the Imagineers at the Walt Disney Company could pull off such a feat of imagination and engineering. The thoughtful detail throughout the park brought such a welcome picture of the future and our world.

Yes, it's all in the details. In the years prior to the opening of EPCOT CENTER, I began to collect everything I could find about the place. Newspaper articles, magazines and books kept this incredible project in front of the public. Keeping my eyes open, it was easy to recognize rarer pieces of concept art when I saw them. Sometimes, they were seemingly hidden from view as they appeared in small scale renderings. Here's a few of the lesser seen:

Leading off this article, we discover Morocco. Fans of the film Casablanca finally had the chance to explore the country in which the film was represented- even if it was only the work of a backlot studio in Hollywood! The pavilion is the most unique and unexpected in all of World Showcase. Back alleys, shops, and scents from the area's restaurants create an atmosphere like none other to be found on Florida soil.  It's as close to going to the real thing as can be found. One of the places where it's pretty easy to forget you are in a theme park. This is something that is becoming harder and harder to do with Vacation Club booths popping up in unfortunate locations.

China was one of the original World Showcase countries. On opening day, it was instantly a place that drew me in. Even after 30 years and counting, it remains one of my favorite pavilions.  The Circle-Vision 360 attraction is a must-see. The visuals, the narration, and the delicate music make for an experience worth standing for. I am generally not a big fan of the growing use of film in theme park attractions. It seems like mostly a lazy excuse for creativity by the Disney Budgeteers- to the dismay of most old school Imagineers- but in this case, nothing can capture the beauty of one of the largest and most diverse countries on the planet.

I travel quite a bit to Asia but have not yet made a trip to the Chinese Mainland. Shanghai Disneyland could make that change, however. It's probably one of my favorite countries in which to snack! Sitting at a cafe table along the winding street and taking in the sights is just something I really enjoy. The shopping here is pretty good too. Filled with items that range from expensive to very affordable, it takes about an hour to go through it all.  My favorite pieces? They certainly have to be the authentically reproduced Terra Cotta Warriors. At least until I get to photograph the real ones.

Once my favorite World Showcase location, Mexico is still beautiful even if it is now home to the dumbed down and uninspired Gran Fiesta Tour. But I so miss the exotic and mysterious El Rio del Tiempo. Stepping into the temple and discovering a small town lit by the moonlight still surprises and delights me. 

The food at the San Angel Restaurant is no longer top-notch and even more pricey than ever, but it is a good place to sit with an appetizer, (do they still serve Queso Fundido?) and a big margarita to take it all in. When it's really nighttime outside, the temple lighting adds to the mystery. And this is where Disney Imagineering completes the illusion with mariachi music, lush landscaping and nice sightlines.The lagoon is harder to see with the new full service restaurant now lakeside, but what are you going to do? It's all about the bucks now at Epcot, and they seem to think nothing is faster at creating cash than selling liquor and overpriced food. Oh, and shopping. If you think I'm kidding, just keep your eye on the official Disney Parks blog. Generally when Epcot is mentioned, it is about food, booze, festivals, and merchandize. Sad.

Take a good look at this next miniature sized piece of art. You've got Italy on the left and Japan on the right. Due to overspending at the creation and construction of the park, they are still without the attractions that were once planned. Having been to both countries, I can tell you with authority that the representations are pretty accurate! Venice is the inspiration for the Italian showcase and scale aside, the Epcot version does a great job of bringing it to Florida. It could be so much more, especially if they would recreate the gondola ride you can find at Tokyo Disney Sea.

My wife and I find Japan's gardens to be especially beautiful in the evening, a favorite place to wander long after Illuminations and the crowds have departed. Hiding just outside the teahouse with our small plates of food, it feels as if we are on the other side of the world.  The quiet surroundings- so quiet you can hear the crickets- lit by small garden lamps transport us to the back streets in old Kyoto. 

We've taken many trips to Walt Disney World. We do not travel there as often as we used to now that there's just the two of us and going overseas is less expensive than a Disney World vacation.  But the ability to travel the world in a day at Epcot is still very appealing. 

I love the new and improved California Adventure. The incredible Cars Land alone is worth a visit. Clearly the best thing Disney's built stateside in at least a decade. But the Disneyland Resort will never be able to compare to what can be found on Florida's soil. They had their chance to do so when they created Westcot, but blew it by being cheap and abandoning the plans. 

Now, with land for the third theme park seeming to be set aside for Marvel adventures, I will be forced to go to Florida to see World Showcase. It's too bad as I may not go back for awhile. Epcot, especially World Showcase is stuck in the past. Nothing new aside from a few restaurants has been built in decades. (Sorry but character overlays to international attractions do not count.) Shame on the Walt Disney Company for letting Florida's jewel lay dormant!

Will the suits ever allow the Imagineers to create more attractions or pavilions for Epcot's World Showcase? Who knows. But I can tell you they would be fools not to. Who else can give us the world in a day?

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Epcot at 30: First Time is the Charm

There's an old saying that there's nothing like your first time. It happens to be true when I speak about our first visit to EPCOT Center. In an unexpected twist, it almost instantly became our favorite Disney park. 

Back then, World Showcase opened the same time as Future World, so we entered the park and almost walked right past Spaceship Earth and directly to the Mexico Showcase. Of course, we were not immune to the charms of the future as portrayed by Disney. In fact, I remember clearly just staring at the huge silver sphere. Couldn't take my eyes off it, but I had to get to the World Key Information Stations inside Earth Station to book meal reservations. 

We had to wait a bit, but we made ourselves busy by watching a terrific kaleidoscope of images previewing the wonders we'd soon encounter.  Just the presentation and the surrounding area felt fresh, optimistic, and inspiring. We made our way to the front of the line and to the screen. 

This truly was a touch of the future. In fact, in 1982 touch sensitive computer screens were something of a rarity. The Bell System (at  divestiture the attraction would then be officially sponsored by AT&T, the company I worked for at the time) and its branch Bell Laboratories really were bringing us the future of communication. Moments after a young woman came too the screen to help us with our meals choices, we were on our way. 

Deciding to bypass Future World for the time being, we strolled into Mexico.  It and China next door just seemed to beckon us compared to Canada and the United Kingdom. The lone pyramid and the small cantina gave us no hint to what we about to see.

Until the changeover from El Rio del Tiempo to the Gran Fiesta, the sights, sounds, and feel of Mexico made it our favorite place in all of World Showcase. I won't bore you with the details of El Rio del Tiempo, but I will tell you, we were enchanted by it and wished it had lasted even longer than it did. (If you want to see lots of art and images plus links to video etc, just search on the site for "Cinco de Mayo" or go here for one of many posts.) Having been to Baja California, Mazatlan, and Acapulco, I have aways had a soft spot for the country. The old boat ride gave the pavilion a touch of glamour and mystery that the new version replaces with cheap marketing. It's too bad. We wandered around inside the moonlight, so glad we were returning for lunch.

Naturally, we followed along the promenade and continued on to China. For younger readers, it's important to remember that at the time, few people were given the ability to travel to this country, thereby making a visit to a fairly accurate representation of the landmarks of the country all the more alluring. This was only enhanced by the nationals who were privileged to work there. And there were no Disney themed items to be found in the shops of World Showcase, only authentic goods right from the countries represented. It was as close as an authentic experience a traveler could get without hopping on an airplane. Needless to say, we were again stunned by the beauty of the landscaping and architecture, thrilled by the 360 movie, Wonders of China.

Making our way around, we stopped at Germany and Italy, winding up at the American Adventure. We very impressed by the show, (Disney always makes you proud to be an American) but disappointed there was nothing else to represent our country. The view back to Future World and Spaceship Earth- wow, the park was huge.

We chose to head back toward Mexico for lunch as we had waterside dining reservations at the San Angel Restaurante.  It was dark, cozy, romantic- and we so enjoyed the margarita, queso fundido, and our main course. It was my first taste of Mole Poblano and not my last. We ended our lunch with another cruise on the river, then headed back into Future World.  

By this point in time, the crowds were heavy back in the other end of the park, and it was fairly easy to get to the big ticket attractions of Future World.  First stop, Journey Into Imagination. My father-in-law worked for Kodak at the time and for his entire career, so we had heard great things about what Disney came up with. In a word, magical! Figment and Dreamfinder were delightful and will always be the "hosts" of the park.  (I cannot tell you what a bastardization of the original attraction this new version is. You'd have to experience it to know.)  before I became a collector of sorts of Disney park memorabilia, I purchased a Figment of my own. I have him to this day. Magic Journeys in 3D (a new thing!) was a great second attraction to the pavilion, and the Image Works was just plain fun. We stayed almost two hours- something you could not pay me to do now.

"Just make believe you're a tiny little seed..." The Land is our favorite of the original Future World attractions that are still in the park. Up until the point Horizons debuted a few years later, this is where the future was in Future World. The Listen to the Land boat tour was the perfect way to share the latest in farming technologies to the public. "Edutainment" at its best. The film Symbiosis was preachy at times, but the cruise through the greenhouses made learning fun. Kitchen Cabaret brought it home for the kids. The silly presentation about nutrition, while enjoyable, was not on par with the much better Audio-Animatronic musicals found in the Magic Kingdom. However, it wasn't meant to be a headline attraction either.

Starting with the following morning when we would return for a second full day at EPCOT Center, breakfast at The Good Turn would become a tradition until it became too expensive or too difficult to book. We always enjoyed the warm Florida sun streaming through the greenhouse dome, and intentionally stretched our meal time long enough to rotate into the darker showroom of the boat cruise. It's in the hidden places such as this that Future World has its own unique charms. The future should be warm and hopeful, and it always was in the way Disney chose to present it upon the park's opening.

The Living Seas wouldn't come until later, so we stumbled through Communicore (now Innoventions). We passed through both East and West, and decided to make that area part of the next day. We were among those to vote for The Person of the Century poll. Kind of a fun thing to throw in there. My bet was Disney didn't like the results, and the show- and announcement of the winner- soon disappeared.

A journey on Spaceship Earth was a perfect way to continue our trip. It was very impressive, and I was pleased to see my employer was represented by such a fine attraction. The changes over the years have not taken away from the grandeur. After all, what can compete with a trip through the globe? 

In quick time, we went into the Universe of Energy. It's inherent surprises did the trick they were designed to do, but it was next door's World of Motion that we loved. 

Let me be clear- I love old school Audio-Animatronic adventures like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. They rely on story to bring the thrills and surprises. World of Motion easily held its own with these classics. From the train being held up (in a nod to the never built Western River Expedition) to the policeman on motorcycle behind the billboard, the attraction built to a grand finale- a ride through the city of the future. Humorous, informative and repeatable. (Gary Owen's narration was incredible in his signature style.) Motion became a three ride attraction for us, and we did it again several hours later after nightfall.  

Upon exiting and knowing the song "It's Fun to Be Free" by heart, we stepped into the Transcenter for the Bird and Robot / The Water Engine show followed by the automotive displays, a nice nod to the sponsor. 

I'm all for thrill rides-  and I love Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- but there is something about these older lengthy and leisurely attractions like those mentioned above that really take you out of present day reality and into another realm. This is something Disney does better than just about anyone, but this fact about immersion is almost lost on the current batch of Imagineers... and park guests trained to run from ride to ride! Without the balance of all kinds of attractions, the audience is limited. This is why parks like California Adventure 1.0 and Animal Kingdom are not as popular as they could have been. 

Evening meant a return to World Showcase starting with Canada. The signature attraction, "Oh, Canada!" had nothing on its Chinese counterpart. This was not the case when we viewed "Impressions of France".  Superlatives are not enough, so Imagineers and Budgeteers, isn't it time to update the film and give it a technology upgrade as well? It's a masterpiece. So is the pavilion it is built around. A late night stroll through "France" and then around the promenade basking in the glory of a beautiful Florida evening was the perfect way to end our first visit to EPCOT Center. 

We'd do it again the next day by starting in Future World and then working our way through World Showcase, starting with Canada this time. From here on out, Epcot would always be a two day visit. The changes over the years would not always please us, but this one single theme park is the reason I return to Walt Disney World.   More tomorrow...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)