Epcot Future World

Circle of Life Review and Information at Disney World Epcot

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: January 21, 1995

Location: Future World – The Land Pavilion

Extra Magic Hours: No

FASTPASS: No

Type: Film

Similar To: A Television Documentary

Requirements: None

Scary Factor: Zero

When To Go: Visit in the afternoon or evening, after you have experienced most of the other Future World attractions.  Because waits are rarely long, this should not be a morning priority.  Keep in mind that it does usually close at 7pm with the other less-popular Future World attractions.

Expect to Wait: It’s unlikely you will need to wait any longer than it takes for the next film to begin.

Length: 15 minutes

What to Expect: The Circle of Life is a film starring the Lion King’s Timon, Pumba, and Simba that focuses on environmental responsibility.  The film features both cartoon and live-action scenes.

Rating: 6/10

Commentary: Here’s another opportunity to get out of long lines in the sun.  The Circle of Life is shown inside of a large theater that holds about 450 people and it’s rare that you’ll have to wait for more than one show to finish before entering.  This isn’t a “make it or break it” attraction, but it’s a good way to pass the time until your Soarin’ FASTPASS is due.  Unless you have kids that love The Lion King, I would skip the Circle of Life if you’re short on time and the line is long.

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Ellen’s Energy Adventure Review and Info at Epcot Disney World

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: September 15, 1996

Location: Future World – Universe of Energy Pavilion

Extra Magic Hours: No

FASTPASS: No

Type: Dark ride

Similar To: The Great Movie Ride

Requirements: None

Scary Factor: Low to Medium.  The Energy Adventure moves extremely slowly and there are no thrill elements during the attraction.  It is dark and there are animatronic dinosaurs which some young children may find startling.

When To Go: During the afternoon, when you need an extended break, or after you have completed the “must-do” Epcot attractions.

Expect to Wait: Waits are rarely longer than it takes for the next vehicle to begin its voyage.  Expect to wait about 15 minutes, on average.

Length: 45 minutes

What to Expect: Ellen’s Energy Adventure is not so much an adventure as it is a series of films and animatronic scenes hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye.  You will be seated in what looks like a conventional theater where you will be shown the first of several films.  After that, your section of the theater will break away from the other ride vehicles and you will slowly be taken through a variety of animatronic scenes and films.

Oops: When it first opened, Disney named this attraction “Ellen’s Energy Crisis.”  In order to deflect any criticism and a potential political stand, Disney immediately renamed the attraction “Ellen’s Energy Adventure.”

Rating: 6/10

Commentary: Ellen’s Energy Adventure isn’t a bad attraction by any means, but it will take at least an hour to complete and there is no way to exit the ride if you aren’t enjoying it.  The Adventure is also an aging attraction.  Although it was updated in 1996 with narration by Ellen and Bill Nye, most of the animatronics and films date back to the original attraction that opened in 1982.  I would only recommend experiencing The Energy Adventure after you have completed the other rides and attractions you are interested in doing.  It also provides an excellent break from walking around in the middle of the day or a comfortable seat if you need a short nap.  Don’t be disheartened by long lines because the line only moves each time a new show starts.  The theater holds about 500 people and a new show starts every 8 minutes if both sets of vehicles are running, so your wait shouldn’t be too long.

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Disney Epcot Honey I Shrunk The Audience 3D Review and Info

by josh on April 17, 2010

Honey I Shrunk the Audience has been replaced by Captain EO, a 3D film starring Michael Jackson.

Opened: November 21, 1994

Location: Future World – Imagination Pavilion

Extra Magic Hours: Evening

FASTPASS: It is set up to accept FASTPASS, but the machines are rarely running.

Type: 3D Show

Similar To: It’s Tough To Be A Bug, Muppet Vision 3-D

Requirements: None

Scary Factor: Medium.  Consider avoiding if scared of snakes or mice.  Preschool age and young children may be frightened because the show is loud and there are several images intended to appear dangerous and a bit scary.

When To Go: Visit after experiencing the more-popular Future World attractions or while waiting for a FASTPASS to become due.  I recommend the late morning, after you’ve raced around to Soarin’, Test Track, and Mission Space.

Expect to Wait: It’s unlikely you’ll need to wait any longer than it takes for the next pre-show to begin.  Waits longer than 15 minutes are uncommon.

Length: 10 minute preshow, 20 minute show

What to Expect: Honey, I Shrunk the Audience is a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” themed 3D show, complete with loud noises, smoke, explosions, and a giant snake.

Rating: 8/10

Commentary: Honey I Shrunk the Audience is a nice retreat from the hot sun in the middle of the day or when you’re looking to get off your feet for a while.  The show is now more than 15 years old and many youngsters won’t be familiar with the characters or theme, but it’s still a neat show and most guests enjoy it.  Honey I Shrunk the Audience was popular enough when it first opened that Disney opened similar shows at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland.  The show closed in early 2010 to make way for Captain EO, the 3D Michael Jackson film.

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Epcot Disney World Innoventions Review and Information

by josh on April 17, 2010

Location: Future World

Extra Magic Hours: No

FASTPASS: No

Type: Hands-on exhibits, shows, and attractions

Similar To: Most exhibits are unique

Requirements: None to enter, but some exhibits, like the “Sum of All Thrills,” require visitors to be 48” tall to ride and 54” tall to add inversions.

Scary Factor: Entering Innoventions isn’t at all scary, but some of the attractions inside might be.  The Sum of All Thrills and Storm Struck are a little thrilling, but kids who were fine with the other rides and attractions should be fine on everything at Innoventions as well.

When To Go: I recommend getting to Sum of All Thrills and Storm Struck early in the morning, after riding Soarin’, Test Track, and Mission Space.  Sum of All Thrills typically has the fourth or fifth longest line at Epcot in the afternoon and it doesn’t offer FASTPASS, so it should be a morning priority.  The other Innoventions exhibits generally have shorter waits.  I recommend spending more time in Innoventions in the afternoon, after seeing most of Future World.  It’s air-conditioned and kept darker than most other areas on Disney property, which makes it a comfortable respite during hot or rainy afternoons.

Expect to Wait: Sum of All Thrills sees the longest lines, with waits of 25 minutes common in the afternoon.  Sum of all Thrills remains under-publicized and many people still don’t know that it exists, but it’s slowly catching on and waits are getting longer and longer.  Other than that, significant waits are uncommon.  If an area or queue is busy, return later and the crowds should dissipate.

Length: You’re welcome to spend as much or as little time in Innoventions as you like.  Most attractions don’t have a time limit, but several shows last about ten minutes.

What to Expect: Innoventions is broken up into two pavilions, Innoventions West and Innoventions East.  Both are large buildings that house a variety of educational exhibits and attractions.  Innoventions is more of a “fun museum” rather than a conventional theme park experience.  You’ll have to spend some time with the exhibits to get anything out of them.  It’s not an area where you can walk through at a brisk pace and expect to learn anything or have much fun.

Rating: 7/10

Commentary: Innoventions is a nice air-conditioned diversion.  I would recommend it if you have extra time, but wouldn’t choose to spend time here over riding Test Track or Soarin’.  There are a number of hands-on exhibits to try, some of which are fun and others of which are pretty lame.  “The Sum of All Fears” is probably the best attraction.  You design your own ride by selecting the theme, speed, course, inversions, etc. and then “ride it” virtually by sitting in a pod attached to a large robotic arm that mimics the movement you designed.  Storm Struck, the hurricane simulator, is another fun attraction.  There are also video game consoles set up.  If your child is a “gamer” then it may be difficult to pry them away from the screen once they get going.

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Journey Into Imagination With Figment Review and Information

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: Original show opened March 5, 1983 and the newest iteration opened June 2, 2002

Location: Future World – Imagination Pavilion

FASTPASS: No

Extra Magic Hours: Evening

Type: Dark ride

Similar To: Spaceship Earth, Haunted Mansion

Requirements: None

Scary Factor: Zero

When To Go: Waits are short throughout the day.  I recommend visiting after you’ve experienced most of Future World’s other attractions.  There’s certainly no reason to rush here in the morning.

Expect to Wait: Waits rarely exceed 10 minutes

Length: 5 minutes

What to Expect: The Journey takes you slowly through a variety of rooms, each designed to stimulate the senses.

Rating: 6/10

Interesting Fact: In 1997, Fujifilm wanted to replace Kodak as the title sponsor of the Imagination Pavilion and build a roller coaster in place of Journey into Imagination.  Ultimately, Disney chose to stick with Kodak and instead of replacing Journey with a thrill ride, decided to re-theme the ride with cheaper effects and materials.  Fans of the original ride were so upset with the new Journey that they boycotted the ride and Kodak products and Disney was forced to re-theme the ride again in 2001.  Kodak decided to end its sponsorship of the Imagination Pavilion in August 2010; it is currently without a title sponsor.

Commentary: Journey into Imagination is worth experiencing after Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (or Captain EO), but only because there’s usually no wait and it’s conveniently located nearby.  It’s a cute ride, but it’s unlikely to rank among your favorites.  After Journey, you’ll enter an area called the “What If Labs” where you can get your picture taken and email it to friends and family or play around with the other activities.  I would recommend doing the email activity, but the rest of the area is as forgettable as the ride.

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Living With the Land Review and Information at Disney Epcot

by josh on April 17, 2010

Living With The Land

Opened: October 1, 1982

Location: Future World -The Land Pavilion

Extra Magic Hours: Morning, Evening

FASTPASS: Living with the Land is set up to distribute FASTPASSes, but the system is only operational when Epcot is crowded.

Type: Dark ride, slow boat ride

Similar To: The Great Movie Ride

Requirements: None

Scary Factor: Zero

When To Go: Before 11:30am, during evening Extra Magic Hours, or if the line is shorter than 15 minutes

Expect to Wait: 5-15 minutes before 11:30am or 20+ minutes in the afternoon.

Length: 15 minutes

What to Expect: Riders board large, slow moving boats that move through several greenhouses, live exhibits, and an aquacell.  While educational in focus, Living With the Land is a fun and interesting exploration of agriculture and the environment.  Everything you see in the “living laboratory” is real.  You’ll see the world’s most productive tomato plant, NASA hydroponic growing units for use during long space missions, and a variety of other exhibits featuring state-of-the-art agricultural techniques.  I realize that doesn’t sound particularly riveting, but it’s more fun than it sounds.

Rating: 8/10

Commentary: Living With the Land is not a “thrill ride” by any stretch of the imagination, but most guests find it worthwhile and I would recommend it as part of any touring plan.  Unfortunately, the second half of the ride is no longer narrated live.  Instead, a recording is played while you move through the different areas.  This doesn’t ruin the experience, but the live narration made the ride a little more unique and gave people the opportunity to ask questions.  This ride will probably be more popular with the adults in your group rather than the kids, but many kids enjoy the ride as well.  Living With the Land may have longer waits because Soarin’ and Sunshine Seasons are nearby.  Many visitors will line up for Living With the Land while they wait for their Soarin’ FASTPASS time to come up or after a meal at Sunshine Seasons.  If the line is long, return between 3pm and 5pm when lines are usually shorter or collect FASTPASSes if they are available.

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Disney’s Epcot Mission Space Ride Reviews and Information

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: August 13, 2003

Location: Future World, near Test Track

Extra Magic Hours: Morning, Evening

FASTPASS: Yes

Type: Motion simulator

Similar To: A unique, intense experience

Requirements: Must be 44” tall to ride.  Mission Space has more warnings than any other ride at Disney World and is the only ride where you will be handed a card with all of the various warnings on it.  Consider skipping if you have suffered motion sickness on any other ride or are claustrophobic.

Scary Factor: Medium to Extreme, depending on which version you ride.

When To Go: Within first 90 minutes of Park opening, with FASTPASS, or during Extra Magic Hours.

Expect to Wait: Lines are relatively short soon after Epcot opens, but expect them to be longer in the afternoon.  With the opening of Soarin’, most guests tend to go there first rather than Mission Space.  Expect 10-15 minute waits in the early morning and 25-30+ minute waits in the afternoon.  The Green Team version of the ride usually has a shorter wait.

Length: 5 minutes

What to Expect: There are two versions of this ride – The “Orange Team” features a spinning takeoff with G-Forces up to 2.5.  The “Green Team” is identical to the Orange Team ride in every way except there is no spinning takeoff, and thus, no G-Forces to worry about.  After the initial takeoff, the rest of the ride is rather tame with only slight movements by the simulator while you watch a small screen in front of you.  Each person in your capsule will have a “job” to do during the ride, but this equates to little more than pressing a button.  The mission is unaffected, whether each member presses the button or not.

Is It Really That Bad? This is a difficult question to answer because no two people experience the ride in the same way.  I will say that the Orange Team version is probably the most intense attraction at Disney World.  The claustrophobia inducing capsule coupled with a substantial G-Force is enough to make most people at least a little queasy.  Nonetheless, the great majority of riders enjoy it.  Unless you have severe motion sickness or claustrophobia, I would recommend riding the Orange version unless it will cause too much anxiety.  You may also want to “test the ride out” by riding the Green Team first and then ride the Orange Team after.  Most people who ride the Green Team version get off the ride saying, “That was it?”  Other than the takeoff, the ride doesn’t really feature any thrills or excitement.

Rating: 6/10

Commentary: Mission Space, with a price tag of around 100 million dollars, is one of the newest and most expensive Disney attractions.  Its popularity has waned a bit with the arrival of Soarin’ and the bad press from two visitors who died within days of riding it.  Although Disney and Mission Space were exonerated from any wrongdoing and both deaths turned out to be directly caused by preexisting medical defects, people are still apprehensive about riding it.  If you don’t think you’ll enjoy spinning until you feel ill, my recommendation would be to try the Green Team first.  If you love the ride, you can always try the Orange Team later.  My other major complaint is that Disney plays up the interactivity of the attraction, but there are really no interactive elements.  The video that plays inside the capsule is also going on eight years old and could use a refresher.  All in all, the beginning of the Orange Team version is thrilling, but the rest of the ride isn’t much fun.

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Soarin Ride Review and Information at Disney World Epcot

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: May 5, 2005

Location: Future World – The Land Pavilion

FASTPASS: Yes.  Unless you are riding in the first 30 minutes of operation, FASTPASSes will likely be necessary.  Make Soain’ your priority because FASTPASSes run out sooner than Test Track or Mission Space.

Extra Magic Hours: Morning, Evening

Type: Motion simulator

Similar To: Unique, but identical to “Soarin’ Over California” at Disney’s California Adventure

Requirements: Must be 40” tall to ride

Scary Factor: Minimal.  The ride takes visitors 40 feet in the air, which may be frightening for those scared of heights.  Motion sickness is rarely a problem.  The ride is gentle and there are no significant drops or sharp turns.

When To Go: Immediately after Epcot opens or with FASTPASS.

Expect to Wait: Unless you’re there first thing in the morning, expect to wait 60-90+ minutes later in the day.  Soarin’ usually has the longest wait at Epcot and the second longest wait of any Disney World attraction, behind only Toy Story Mania.  With FASTPASS, waits are still usually longer than other FASTPASS attractions.  Expect to wait about 15 minutes, even with FASTPASS.

Length: 5 minutes

What to Expect: Riders are led into a large room with an 80 foot tall concave movie screen and three ride vehicles, each of which is three rows.  Once all riders are seated, the vehicles are lifted into the air so that each row is above the row below it.  A series of scenes are projected onto the screen and the ride vehicles move with the scenes to simulate a hang gliding flight.

Riding Tip: The best seats are in the front row of the middle vehicle.  The front row is the one that ultimately is the highest, so you won’t have other people’s feet in your line of sight and won’t be able to see below where the screen ends, both of which take away from the experience.  I would recommend requesting that row by telling the attendant that you’re willing to wait for the next ride to be seated there.

Rating: 8/10

Commentary: Soarin’ is far and away the most popular ride at Epcot.  Personally, I find it to be tremendously overrated, especially when you aren’t sitting in the top row of your vehicle.  That doesn’t stop me from recommending it whole-heartedly because of its popularity and the fact that it’s many people’s favorite ride.

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Spaceship Earth Review and Information at Disney’s Epcot

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: Originally opened October 1, 1982.  Newest iteration opened February, 2008.

Location: Future World, inside of the “golf ball” near the front entrance

Extra Magic Hours: Morning, Evening

FASTPASS: No

Type: Dark ride

Similar To: Haunted Mansion, Journey into Imagination with Figment

Requirements: None

Scary Factor: Minimal.  The ride stops from time to time, not because anything is wrong with it, but because a slower rider needs to get in or out of their vehicle.  Don’t be alarmed.  The ride is dark and at times steep, but you’ll never be traveling fast and there are no drops.  Nonetheless, preschool age children may be antsy or nervous throughout the ride.

When To Go: Lines are short throughout the day, but this is a rare popular ride that actually has shorter waits later in the day.  Spaceship Earth is right along the path from Epcot’s main entrance and many guests entering in the morning and afternoon will ride it on their way into the Park.  It’s best to return in the early afternoon or late morning, after experiencing most of Future World’s other attractions.  Spaceship Earth is also about 15 minutes long, which is too much time to spend early in the morning when time is more precious.  There’s simply no reason to do Spaceship Earth early in the morning.

Expect to Wait: Waits of ten minutes or less are common.  It’s rare to see a wait that exceeds that, other than extremely busy holidays.

Length: 15 minutes

What to Expect: Spaceship Earth is a slow moving, dark omnimover ride that takes guests as high as 16 stories inside Epcot’s famous geodesic sphere.  Visitors ride past more than 20 animatronic displays featuring scenes from the past 40,000 years and several looking ahead into the future.  The emphasis is on the many ways humans have communicated in the past and will communicate in the future.  Disney has made “improvements” over the past several years and each vehicle now includes an interactive device with a variety of questions that riders answer during their journey.  Your photograph will be taken during the ride and a fun video of how you might end up in the future is played on screen as you descend into Project Tomorrow.

Fun Facts: Ray Bradbury, author of “Fahrenheit 451,” helped design the sphere that encloses Spaceship Earth and co-wrote the original story.  The sphere is made of 11,324 tiles that collectively weigh 15,520,000 pounds.

Embarrassing Fact: When your author was a young boy, he thought that all of Epcot was enclosed inside of the “golf ball.”

Rating: 9/10

Commentary: Spaceship Earth, while not new or particularly thrilling, remains one of the best classic attractions at Disney World and is a must-ride for all visitors.

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Test Track Review and Information at Disney’s Epcot Theme Park

by josh on April 17, 2010

Opened: March 17, 1999

Location: In the middle of Future World, inside of the Test Track Pavilion

Extra Magic Hours: Morning, Evening

FASTPASS: Yes.  FASTPASSes are highly recommended if you aren’t riding in the first 30 minutes of operation.

Type: Vehicle simulator

Similar To: Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, Dinosaur

Requirements: Must be 40” tall to ride.

Scary Factor: Medium.  This ride isn’t as intense as Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dinosaur, or Expedition Everest.  It’s still a “thrill” ride and there are certainly some exciting parts, but the entire ride is well-lit and there are no g-forces or significant drops to speak of.  Even visitors that “hate” roller coasters enjoy Test Track.  Younger children may be apprehensive, but if they did well on any of the previously mentioned rides then they should be fine.

When To Go: Within the first hour of Park opening, with FASTPASS, during morning Extra Magic Hour, or in the final hour of evening Extra Magic Hours.

Expect to Wait: This is probably the second most popular ride at Epcot and has the wait times to match.  Expect waits to be 60 minutes or more by afternoon during slow seasons and 90 minutes or more during peak and holiday seasons.  There is a “single riders line” available with significantly shorter lines.  Single riders are placed in vehicles when there is only room for one or two extra people, so it is unlikely you will ride with your group.  It’s not uncommon for the single rider line to be 10-15 minutes when the regular line is 60+ minutes long.  If you are interested in the Single-rider line, ask the attendant at the front of the line where to go.  Even with FASTPASS, total waits are usually about 15 minutes because of the additional queue after the preshow.

Length: 5 minutes

What to Expect: Test Track features a long, loud winding queue surrounded by simulated auto-part testing.  Once visitors traverse the first line, they will enter a room with a short video explaining the purpose of testing vehicles and the job riders are expected to perform during the ride.  After that, there’s yet another five to ten minute line.  Riders will then be placed in a small, open-air vehicle and will set out on their course.  The ride features a variety of sharp turns, increases and decreases in temperature, and a final speed test around the outside of the building where the car will reach speeds of 60 miles per hour.  After the ride, you’ll enter a General Motor showroom of sorts with a variety of their automobiles on display.

Rating: 9/10

Commentary: Test Track is a fun ride that just about every Disney visitor should enjoy.  While not super-intense, the ride certainly has its moments and most riders leave with a smile on their face.  The downside is that lines are long and time consuming, even with a FASTPASS.  Try to get here early in the morning or collect FASTPASSes no later than 2pm.

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