The people at Florida's Walt Disney World have billed their new Epcot center a "Journey to the center of the world." But a visit there is more like several journeys of imagination, education and discovery through portions of today's world is a miniature community of nations, yesterday’s world by state-of-the-art special elects, and tomorrow's world via electronic wizardry.
From the 360-degree motion picture of China to the audio-animatronic (electronically operated, extremely lifelike) dinosaurs in the re-enactment of the billion-year origin of fossil fuels to the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, the net effect is an assault on all the senses in an educational and entertainment experience probably unlike anything ever created. It is especially so when combined with Disney World's 10-year-old Magic Kingdom of shops, shows and rides.
Epcot, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, was said to be envisioned by Walt Disney as a permanent world's fair "that will never be completed." Apparently true to Mr. Disney's tenet, construction at the 28,000-acre site continues on some of the corporately sponsored Future World scientific exhibits such as General Electric's Horizons pavilion. Designs are proceeding on others that will add to the nine international World Showcase pavilions that now surround a 42-acre lagoon.
But what is completed requires more than two full days to experience, and that means leaving out dining experiences with some of the international cuisine.
Our family of four, with children 5 and 8 years old, visited Epcot as rather typical tourists, without the special attention usually accorded television crews and travel writers. That meant reserving a room six months ago at one of the Disney World hotels, attending Epcot without advance knowledge of what was available or how best to experience it, standing in long lines for exhibits and making our own reservations for meals.
The monorail from the Disney World transportation center horseshoes through Epcot to provide a brief overview of the pavilions and grounds, which are meticulously landscaped with fountains and floral designs in the shadow of the Epcot symbol, Spaceship Earth, a shining geodesic sphere climbing 180 feet atop huge 15-foot legs.
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