Here are the main features of Future World
at Epcot:-
| Spaceship Earth is the
huge centrepiece of Future World and is the first thing you see as you
enter the park. Standing some 18 stories high it contains a ride that spirals up inside
the giant 'golf ball' and tells the story of communication from early cave dwellers right
up to our modern satellite technology. This is a 15 minute ride some children will find
boring and is also very busy due to it's high profile. Universe
of Energy. This is a 45 minute show and ride that explores how fuels were created
during the age of the dinosaurs up to their modern day usage's. The presentation begins in
what looks like a conventional theatre with an interesting film, then your seats convert
into 96 person solar-powered cars which transport you into the age of the dinosaurs.
The audio-animatronic dinosaurs are all made to actual size which gives you a real sense
of being in that pre-historic world.
Queues go through steadily for most of the day. |
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Wonders of Life is a very popular pavilion
which contains several different attractions celebrating health, fitness and the joy of
being alive. Visit here early or later in the day to avoid the crowds.
The Wonders of Life Pavilion contains the following attractions:-
Body Wars is a simulator
ride through the human body. The ride is fairly rough so people who suffer from motion
sickness or back injuries etc should not ride.
Height restriction 3ft 4ins
Cranium Command is a theatre show containing both audio-animatronic and
film elements set inside a 12 year old boys brain as he negotiates a typical day. Good
family fun.
The Making of Me is a film presentation dealing with the creation of life. The
film does contain some fairly explicit moments but has a good deal of humour as well.
Parental discretion required.
The Fitness Fairground contains hands-on exhibits on the subject of fitness.
Don't expend to much energy here though, because there's still a long way to go in this
park.
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Test Track is Epcot's newest ride.
Here you will discover just what it feels like to be one of those crash test dummies as
you experience first hand how vehicles are tested. The ride is hosted by General Motors
and you first learn the quality and safety techniques used in producing cars.
On the actual ride itself you are taken through a tour of a test facility which among
other things will shake you, brake you and propel you at speeds of up to 60mph. There is
also a post show area with films and other interesting exhibits and a gift shop.
As you may expect the queues for Test Track are huge in peak season with queue times of up
to 4 hours. Get here early or late in the day to avoid them. Use FASTPASS here.
Height restriction 3ft 4in.
Imagination. Huge glass pyramids house the wacky Imagination
Institute which features:-
 |
Journey Into Your Imagination. Here
you will have out-of-this-world experiences and see amazing illusions. Then check out The
Image Works, a great interactive playground. Magic
Eye Theatre features the 3D film Honey, I Shrunk The Audience
with Rick Moranis.
Special effects and moving seats all help to really make you think you've been
miniaturised. FASTPASS. |
Celebrate the Land is an educational
but entertaining Pavilion on the subject of food production and nutrition. It contains the
following:-
Living with the Land is an interesting
and informative boat ride lasting about 14 minutes and looks at various types of food
production. A bit dull for young children and queues are sometimes quite long. FASTPASS
Food Rocks is a musical about nutrition. Lasting 12 minutes this show is
reasonably amusing for the whole family.
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| The Circle of Life is a
live action and animated story that explains environmental concerns which even kids will
understand. Lasts 15 minutes and no problem with queues. This
pavilion also has a very good eating area featuring a number of small outlets to cater for
different tastes. |
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The Living Seas takes you on a trip
around the 5.7 million gallon aquarium, one of the largest in the world. You then descend
to Sea Base Alpha, a prototype undersea research centre where you can visit six modules
which present stories of undersea exploration and marine life. The Living Seas Pavilion
contains around 5000 sea creatures.
This is another busy pavilion so visit either early or late. |
Innoventions East & West are two centres
which contain many hands on exhibits demonstrating some of the very latest technologies
including computers and virtual reality.
Innoventions East contains:-
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Forests For Our Future. Take a trip
through this interactive forest and visit a field research outpost. Discover how the
latest technology is being used to sustain our forests. And you can play the game
"Total Tree-via."
Communications Dream Forum. Journey into a world of 'freedom through
communications', hosted by Starnac, a robot who can see into the future. You experience it
all on a huge high definition screen and afterward you enter the Reality Lab and can
invent something of your own.
Internet Zone. This offers a glimpse into the future of the Internet for
kids. Interactive shows and play stations let you explore tomorrow's versions of online
games. You can even send a video e-mail clip of yourselves to family and friends back
home.
Web Site Construction Zone. Here you can build your own family homepage
on the web and also check out the latest Internet content and add it to your site.
The House of Innoventions. Take a tour of tomorrow's 'smart home'
where you'll discover many inventive products that will help improve our lives in the next
millennium.
Future Cars. Visit this future car showroom and see what we will be
driving in the next millennium, including a prototype of a car powered by a fuel cell and
an all electric vehicle.
Look Into The Future. Look into these windows of the future to discover
design prototypes that combine advanced technologies with everyday products. See how the
high-tech world can enhance your home decor. |
Innoventions West contains:-
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Networked Living. The world-wide
future of computing and the Internet. Travel on IBM's unique 'PlanetRider', experience the
most advanced voice recognition technology software available, and discover how technology
makes life easier. You can also send an Internet Postcard from here.
Ultimate Home Theater Experience. Here you will find the latest in home
theatre technologies. High definition TV, state of the art lighting controls, advanced
surround sound and more.
Beautiful Science. Here you will find how scientists are working to solve
world food and health problems while, at the same time, helping to sustain our planet.
Make sure the kids experience the Tunnel of Bugs.
Video Games of Tomorrow. See the next generation of video games from
Sega.
Medicine's New Vision. Enter the dome and see how breakthroughs in
Radiological technologies will change the way we view medicine in the next millennium.
Then try out some interactive games to test your medical skills.
The Knowledge Vortex. Here you'll get hands-on experience with new ways
to capture, organise, and share information anywhere. |
There are plenty of places to eat here and
there's also plenty of shopping opportunities. An easy place to miss but very useful on a
hot day is Ice Station Cool located on the end of Innoventions West,
nearest the lake. A frozen tunnel takes you into the Coca-Cola sponsored store where you
can find FREE drinks samples from around the world. Very refreshing.
The central fountains are also beautifully lit up at night as are
many of the pavilions. |
