| Submitted by: Steve TopleyUnited States |
| Submission Date: 14 February 2005 |
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Finally there is the Fantasy Faire and Castle Forecourt Stage where you can find various performances throughout the day. Restaurants and snack bars abound such as King Stefan's Banquet Hall in Cinderella's Castle which has table service featuring prime rib and fish. Theres no shortage for shopping either. If you want to solve all your Christmas shopping in one swoop try Mickeys Christmas Carol. For fun in the future we now head for Tomorowland and firstly take a Mission To Mars firstly visiting mission control before blasting off to the red planet. If you want to see the States coast to coast then you wont do much better than heading for American Journeys a circle vision film (i.e. all around you) that discovers Americas people, heritage aboard a plane, helicopter, boat and train. Next you may want to take the Dreamflight to explore the history and future of aviation or take the modern WEDway people mover as transportation around Tomorrowland. You can pilot your own spacecraft at the StarJets or have a close look at the importance of electricity at the Carousel Of Progress. For a trip to Fantasyland you can take a journey on the Skyway or you may want to head for the best ride in Tomorowland and possibly the park, Space Mountain. Space Mountain is a brilliant roller coaster ride that is made even more awesome by the fact that you are in the dark. This one ride to head for early in the morning as the queues can get incredibly long. Finally you can take the wheel of race car at the Grand Prix Raceway or watch a lively song and dance show at the Tomorowland Theatre. Not suprisingly the shops and food areas here are on a space theme such as the Lunching Pad and Space Bar or the Space Place for souvenirs. The final land is Mickey's Starland where you will find Mickey's House, Grandma Duck's Farm and have the chance to to Meet Mickey Mouse. Finally one new ride opened this year called Splash Mountain which I haven't had the fortune to ride on yet. Described as the wettest ride in the Kingdom!
You cant miss the Main Street Electrical Display which is held twice a day as all the Disney characters come past on there floats. Although good in daytime (held around mid afternoon) it cannot be missed on a night when the lit up floats come into there own. Finally on a night one of the most magical shows at the park is the Spectromagic show. After all you cant come to Florida and miss the fireworks over Cinderella's castle.
Open - Time varies throughout the year. May this year was varying between 9-8 to 9-12. Summer months are open 9- 12.
Cost - $35.
The 4 day super pass - Allows 4 days admission (visiting as many parks as you want in one day) to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT & MGM. Cost is $125 plus state tax or $98 plus tax for children (3-9).
The 4 day super duper pass - As above but allows admission to Typhoon Lagoon, Pleasure Island, River Country and Discovery Island for 7 days after first day of use. Cost is $154 plus tax or $122 plus tax for children (3-9).
The 5 day super duper pass - As above but 5 days admission. Cost is $170 plus tax or $135 plus tax for children.
As with other attraction tickets (usually not the 1 day tickets) you can get good discounts buying tickets from ticket companies often located in hotel reception areas. The tickets available from tour reps dont tend to be as cheap.
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E.P.C.O.T. Center
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The E.P.C.O.T. (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow or Every Person Comes Out Tired - the park is twice the size of the Magic Kingdom) center is actually two theme parks in one. First off is Future World based on the realms of communications, health, energy, lifestyles of the future, transportation, the land, the sea and imagination. The other 'park' is the World Showcase, situated on the lagoon, where you can visit pavilions of 11 countries. When entering the park make sure you pick up an entertainment program from Earth Station that gives information on any activities happening in the park and what times as well as telling you the time of the brilliant Illuminations night show.
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The first thing that you will notice entering Future World is the 180 foot high symbol of E.P.C.O.T. Spaceship Earth. One quick tip here about Future World - leave it until the afternoon. Most people work there way through Future World in the morning and then make there way to the World Showcase in the afternoon so its wise to 'do' the World Showcase in the morning and Future World in the afternoon. Inside Spaceship Earth is a 5 minute ride from the early man to the future based around human communications. Next to Spaceship Earth is Communicore that features hands-on exhibits of future technology. One of the best shows in Future World is the Universe Of Energy in which you sit on travelling theater cars that are actually solar powered. Based on fuel and how it was formed and the shape it will take in the future you travel through three films and animatronic forest that includes dinosaurs and a volcano. The show lasts 45 minutes. Wonders Of Life pretty much speaks for itself and includes a good ride in the shape of Body Wars, a simulator that takes you on a trip through the human body. Recommended - unless you've just had your dinner as its a bumpy trip! Also here is Cranium Command where you climb inside the head of a 12 year old boy and The Making Of Me which the Disney guide says 'explores the sensitive subjects of human reproduction and birth'. You travel through the lifestyles of the 21st century in the Horizons exhibit. In your vehicle you pass through a robot staffed farm and a space city. World Of Motion takes you through the history of transport from the invention of the wheel to the latest in transportational innovations. Also here is the transcenter where you can sit in state of the art cars (and of coarse take a photo and tell the folks back home it was your hire car!). Journey Into Imagination is the host of two shows one of them being the brilliant Captain EO. The Journey Into Imagination ride is hosted by Dreamfinder and his sidekick Figment on a trip through the creative process. Captain EO is a 3D musical starring Michael Jackson and is one of the highlights of E.P.C.O.T. The Land is the next exhibition and includes and interesting ride in the shape of Listen To The Land. You cruise along a canal through a exhibit showing new technologies of food production such as vegetables that grow without soil. Also here is the Harvest Theater that looks at mans relationship with the land and the Kitchen Kabaret that stars Bonnie Appetit in a song and dance show that shows good nutrition. The final attraction in Future World, and one of the best, is The Living Seas. It includes the largest man-made salt-water hold in the world that contains more than 80 species of fish and mammals. The mammals include manatees. In the Living Seas you travel to Sea Base Alpha where you can play on interactive video games and see plenty of exhibits.
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Eating and drinking in Future World
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Not having the time or budget to visit all the establishments in E.P.C.O.T. here is a quick list of some of the eateries. For burgers, pizzas etc. visit the Stargate restaurant in Communicore East. Possibly the most spectacular is the Coral Reef Restaurant at the Living Seas where you dine with a corel reef around you. This restaurant serves mainly seafood and pasta. At the Land exhibition is the Farmers Market where also sorts of foodstuffs are available at a counter service.
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For a large selection of Disney momentos there is Gateway Gifts in the Spaceship Earth. If you have forgotten your camera then the Camera Center here is a must for a rental. In the Wonders Of Life pavilion you will find Pure & Simple where you will find everything required for healthy living while at Broccoli & Co in The Land you can buy items such as seeds to grow square tomatoes. Plastic fish and plenty more other knick knacks relating to the sea can be found at the Living Seas.
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| As you walk towards the lagoon you will notice some of the sights of the World Showcase such as a replica of the Eiffel Tower shimmering in the Florida heat. Walking round the lagoon clockwise (you don't have to walk - buses go around the lagoon and boats go across it) you will firstly come to the Mexico pavilion. The unmissable centre of this pavilion is the Mayan Temple which when you enter you feel as though you are looking out from a Mexican Town at sunset. This is one of the best effects in the World Showcase. The ride in the Mexican pavilion is the El Rio Del Tiepo which literally means The River Of Time. You set sail on your now familiar Disney 'Boat' through the Mexico of yesterday and today. Next we come across the Norway attraction that includes the a pretty good ride in the shape of the maelstrom where you board a viking boat through fjords past trolls until you reach an oil rig in a North Sea storm. There are some excellent buildings and exhibits at the next pavilion, China. There is a Circle-Vision 360 presentation (a round theatre with screens all around as if you were looking) here that is aptly described The Wonders Of China. You will now pass through Germany and Italy which although they have no rides or shows have some nice buildings and shops. Possibly the best show (not surprisingly) is the American Adventure which is presented in impressive Audioanimatronics starring the likes of Ben Franklin and Mark Twain. You will particularly enjoy the beating of the red coats. A very good show! As with Germany and Italy Japan and Morocco have no rides and the next show you will come across is the Impressions De France at the France pavilion. The Impressions is another very good 360 show travelling through the French countryside with the accompaniment of classical music. The UK is next but sadly there is no ride or show here for some reason and you will have to ponder along to the Canadian pavilion to watch the O Canada! 360 show. One point here. Although the 360 shows are very good but I would not recommend watching them all in a row as you can get a bit fed up of them. |
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| Copyright © - "Steve Topley" |
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