EPCOT

Epcot - Spaceship Earth
EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) Is a sort of unique theme
park where a certain amount of the attractions are educational based. It is
almost two theme parks in one with the scientific Future World and the cultural
World Showcase.
Future World
Spaceship Earth. This is the part that contains the huge globe and within
that globe is a ride that utilises all of that space. It is a continuous ride
where you find yourself in a carriage that takes you on a journey through the
ages of communication, starting in the Stone Age with wall paintings to the
latest video conferencing technology. The ride is narrated throughout by Dame
Judy Dench. The wait for this ride is rarely long. The ride is sponsored by AT &
T
There are two other attractions close to Spaceship Earth, Innovations East
and West, these are crammed with all sorts of fun, scientific exhibits. From
the latest type of computer to the latest games for your playstation. One nice
thing in here is a facility to email a photo of yourself to a friend back home.
Mission: SPACE is a motion simulator thrill ride at Epcot. It simulates
what an astronaut might experience aboard a spacecraft on a mission to Mars,
from the higher g-force of blastoff to the speculative hypersleep. It does carry
a warning to sufferers of motion sickness. Before boarding the simulators, each
rider is assigned an on-board role (navigator, pilot, commander or engineer) and
given two tasks to perform during the mission (pressing a specific button when
told). For example, one of the commander's buttons initiates the rocket's
first-stage separation, and the other activates manual flight control. The
spacecraft's on-board self-automated pilot will perform each task if the rider
does not respond to his or her prompt from Mission Control or if there is no one
to perform the task. Also featured are various labelled buttons and switches
which the rider may play with but do nothing; they are only there to add to the
realism aspect of the ride.
Next to that is Test Track, sponsored by General Motors. This is a great
attraction that puts you in a car that undergoes various forms of testing. As
you enter the queue in the welcome center you are shown all kinds of tests
performed on cars and parts before they are released. The line winds past tests
for tyres, car doors and an area for crash test dummies. The ride culminates in
a high speed test, clocking almost 65mph.
Over on the West side of the park as you enter is the Land and Seas pavilions.
This is where you can see the attractions the Seas Living with Nemo, Soarin
and Circle of life. Soarin is the new attraction here that does have quite a
long queue so my advice is to get a fast pass for this as soon as you enter the
park.

Imagination Pavillion
Next to that is the pavilion called Imagination! And it has several attractions
including Journey into imagination with Figment, the Institute had five labs
based on the five human senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch and Taste. Dr. Nigel
Channing invites you to the Institute's open house. Figment tags along to
Channing's dismay and causes mischief along the way. Honey I shrunk the
audience. This a great 3D show for all the family. Viewers enter the Imagination
Institute's theatre for the Inventor of the Year Award Ceremony, in which
professor Wayne Szalinski is receiving the award. Attendees are asked to don
their "safety goggles" in preparation for the scientific demonstrations. The
show opens with the crew of the show searching for Wayne, when he suddenly flies
on stage miniaturized and in a transportation device called a Hoverpod. Then all
sorts of things go wrong.
World Showcase
This is the part of Epcot that surrounds the lake and is lines with different
countries of the world. Currently these are the countries on show Mexico,
Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France,
United Kingdom and Canada
Each country has cast members from that country along with cultural
entertainment, food and shops selling products from those countries. The lake
has 2 boats making crossings from the Showcase Plaza to Germany
and Morocco.
Probably one of the best attractions in Orlando is the nightly display of
fireworks around the lake called IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.
This 13 minute display will amaze you using Fire and Water fountains, lasers,
fireworks and music. It was initially created for the Millennium and using a
globe as centrepiece showing projections of different countries of the world at
the end the globe opens like the petals of a flower and a 20th torch rises to be
lit to join the other 19 around the lake, culminating in a finale of song and
fireworks! Moving stuff.

Illuminations - Reflections of Earth
Epcot Map