Hi Buddy,
links won't work......
If not what you need, i can scan, send it from one of my guide books.
dianne
Special Comments
The following attractions have restrictions or warnings for potential riders:
Mission: Space Minimum height 44" (112 cm) to ride. Expectant mothers, and those with high blood pressure, heart, neck, or back problems should not ride.
Test Track Minimum height 40" (102 cm) to ride. Expectant mothers, and those with high blood pressure, heart, neck, or back problems should not ride.
Soarin' Minimum height 40" (102 cm) to ride. May induce motion sickness.
Upon Arrival
Getting Oriented
Navigating Epcot is unlike getting around at the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom is designed so that nearly every location is part of a specific environment— Liberty Square or Main Street, U.S.A., for example. All environments are visually separated to preserve the integrity of the theme. It wouldn’t do for the Jungle Cruise to pass beneath the futuristic spires of Space Mountain, for instance.
Epcot, by contrast, is visually open. And while it seems strange to see a Japanese pagoda and the Eiffel Tower on the same horizon, getting around is fairly simple. An exception is in Future World, where the enormous east and west Innoventions buildings hide everything on their opposite sides.
Cinderella Castle is the central landmark at the Magic Kingdom. At Epcot, the architectural symbol is Spaceship Earth. This shiny, 180-foot geosphere is visible from almost everywhere in the park. Like Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth can help you keep track of where you are in Epcot. But it’s in a high-traffic area and isn’t centrally located, so it isn’t a good meeting place.
Any of the distinctive national pavilions in World Showcase makes a good meeting place, but be specific. “Hey, let’s meet in Japan!” sounds fun, but each pavilion is a mini-town with buildings, monuments, gardens, and plazas. You could wander quite awhile “in Japan” without finding your group. Pick a specific place in Japan —the sidewalk side of the pagoda, for example.
Epcot Services
Most Epcot services are concentrated in Future World's Entrance Plaza, near the main gate.
ATMs are outside the main entrance near the kennels, on the Future World bridge, and in World Showcase at the Germany pavilion.
Wheelchair and
stroller rentals are inside the main entrance and to the left, toward the rear of the Entrance Plaza.
Guest Relations, the headquarters for information, park maps, entertainment schedules, missing persons, and lost and found, is to the left of Spaceship Earth. You can also make advance dining reservations for Epcot's sit-down restaurants here.
Rental lockers are to the right of Spaceship Earth. Lockers are cleared nightly.
The Baby Center is at the Odyssey Center, on the East side of Future World, near where World Showcase meets Future World.
First Aid is next to the Baby Center on the World Showcase side of the Odyssey Center.
Late Morning
Grab a park map and a daily entertainment schedule when passing through the entrance turnstiles. Walk through the Entrance Plaza to Spaceship Earth. Before proceeding past Spaceship Earth, rent wheelchairs, strollers and storage lockers as necessary. Touring Tip: Rather than spending valuable time waiting in line at Guest Relations to make dining reservations, call (407) WDW-DINE on your cell phone as you tour the park.
With those tasks complete, proceed to the plaza behind Spaceship Earth and then along crescent-shaped Innoventions East building on your right until you see an open passage through the building. Turn right through this passage. After emerging on the far side of Innoventions West, walk straight to the Land pavilion. Enter the pavilion, bear left, and walk across to the far side of the building until you reach the escalator. Take the escalator down to the first floor and obtain FASTPASSes for Soarin'. Note that only one member of your party needs to get FASTPASSes for everyone riding - the rest of the group can head from Epcot's entrance to Mission: Space in Future World West.
FASTPASSes in hand, head for Mission: Space, to the left of Test Track. Ride Mission: Space. This is likely to be your longest wait of the day. As you've already got FASTPASSes for Test Track, it won't be possible to use FASTPASS on Mission: Space for about two hours. By the time the FASTPASSes are valid, you'll be well into World Showcase, and the walk back would take quite some time. If, however, the lines at Mission: Space are exceedingly long, consider using the singles line.
A singles line, thus far only available at Test Track and Mission: Space, is a separate line for individuals who are alone or who do not object to riding alone. The objective of the singles line is to fill the odd spaces left by groups that don’t fill up the ride vehicle. Because there are not many singles, and because most groups are unwilling to split up, singles lines are usually much shorter than the regular line and can save you a bunch of time if you don’t mind riding by yourself.
Mission: Space, among other things, is Disney’s reply to all the cutting-edge attractions introduced over the past several years by cross-town rival Universal. Guests enter the NASA Mission: Space Training Center where they are first introduced to the Mission Space deep-space exploration program and then divided into groups for introductory space-flight training. After flight orientation, they are strapped into a space capsule for a simulated flight, where, of course, the unexpected happens. Interactive computer controls aboard the capsule allow guests carry out routine flight tasks and to respond to the emergency. The capsules are small and the ride amazingly realistic. Each capsule accommodates a crew consisting of group commander, pilot, navigator, and engineer, with a guest functioning in each role. The queuing area and pre-show are pretty dazzling, too. En route to the main event guests pass space hardware, astronaut tributes and memorials, a cutaway of a huge spacewheel showing crew working and living compartments, and a manned Mission Control where cast members actually operate the attraction.
Be aware that Mission: Space makes many riders sick. It may help to have eaten a meal an hour or two before riding. Also, we've hear that one trick real astronauts use to avoid sickness while in these simulators is to keep a piece of hard candy or a mint in their mouth. It’s not clear whether the candy helps keep blood sugar levels high, or is just a placebo. Finally, follow the castmember's pre-ride instructions, and keep your eyes forward at all times.
Next, walk back through the Innoventions East building and across Innoventions Plaza. Proceed through the open passage in Innoventions West, and continue straight until you reach the Land pavilion. Enter the pavilion and ride Living with the Land downstairs.
Living with the Land is one of our favorite Future World attractions. It's a boat ride that takes visitors through swamps, past inhospitable farm environments, and through a futuristic, innovative greenhouse where real crops are grown using the latest agricultural technologies. Both inspiring and educational, it has excellent effects and good narrative. If this sounds a little dry and too educational, trust us and take a chance. We bet you'll be looking around for hydroponic tomato kits by the end of the attraction.
Exit the Land pavilion and turn right. Proceed to the Imagination pavilion and ride Journey Into Your Imagination. Drawing on the Imagination Institute theme from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (in the same pavilion), this attraction takes you on a tour of the zany Institute. Sometimes you’re a passive observer and sometimes you’re a test subject as the ride provides a glimpse of the fictitious lab’s inner workings. Stimulating all of your senses and then some, you are hit with optical illusions, an experiment where noise generates colors, a room that defies gravity, and other brain teasers.
After the ride, you can adjourn to an interactive exhibit area offering the latest in unique, hands-on imagery technology. One of the coolest interactive exhibits is a photo-morphing computer. First the machine takes your picture, then you select an image from several categories into which your photo is integrated. The final result can be e-mailed on the spot to family and friends. Best of all, there’s no charge.
When you're done with the interactive exhibits, exit the building and turn right. The entrance to the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience film should be up a set of stairs to your right. At this time of day, the line for the attraction should be relatively short, and there should be only a small wait until the next performance. See Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.
The movie is a 3-D offshoot of Disney’s feature film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. It features an array of special effects, including simulated explosions, smoke, fiber optics, lights, water spray, and moving seats. This attraction is played strictly for laughs, a commodity in short supply in Epcot entertainment. Touring Tip: The sound level is earsplitting, frightening some young children. Many adults report that the loud soundtrack is distracting, even uncomfortable.
Next, consider stopping for lunch. Good counter-service restaurants are described in more detail in the dining section that follows. Note that the next step in the plan is a FASTPASS at the Land pavilion, followed by a ride on Spaceship Earth, in Future World East, so neither dining recommendation is very far out of the way.
Dining
For lunch, the nearest (and best) counter-service restaurant in Future World West is Sunshine Seasons (menu ) at the bottom level of the Land pavilion. An alternative for burgers and the like is the Electric Umbrella (menu ) in Future World East.
Afternoon
After lunch, obtain FASTPASSes for Test Track in Future World East. Next, head back toward the park entrance and ride Spaceship Earth. Spaceship Earth is Epcot's premier landmark, and the ride itself spirals through all 18 stories of the geosphere, in an amazing use of its interior space. Along the way, you'll see richly detailed audio-animatronic scenes depicting mankind’s developments in communications, from cave painting to printing to television to space communications and computer networks.
From Spaceship Earth, walk south through Innoventions Plaza, keeping Innoventions West on your right. When you come to a passage to your right in the Innoventions building, turn right and walk through the passage. Continue walking straight until you reach the Land pavilion again. Ride Soarin', using the FASTPASSes obtained when you first entered the park.
Soarin’ is a thrill ride for all ages, exhilarating as a raptor on the wing and as mellow as swinging in a hammock. If you are fortunate enough to have experienced “flying dreams” in your sleep, you’ll have a sense of how Soarin’ feels. Once you enter the main theater, you are secured in a seat not unlike those on inverted roller coasters (where the coaster is suspended from above). Once everyone is in place, the floor drops away and you are suspended with your legs dangling. Thus hung out to dry, you embark on a hang glider tour with IMAX quality images projected all around you, and with the flight simulator moving in sync with the movie. The IMAX images are well chosen and drop-dead beautiful. Special effects include wind, sound, and even olfactory stimulation. The ride itself is thrilling but perfectly smooth. And yes, seniors we interviewed (in California) were crazy about it. We think Soarin’ is a must see for guests of any age who meet the height requirement.
Touring Tips Soarin’ joins Test Track and Mission: Space as an Epcot Super Headliner attraction. Its addition to the Epcot lineup will undoubtedly boost attendance, but also take some of the pressure off the park’s other two big attractions. Keep in mind, however, that Test Track and Mission: Space serve up a little too much thrill for some guests. Soarin,’ conversely, is an almost platonic ride for any age. Expressed differently, guests of all ages will want to ride. For that reason, and because it’s new, we predict it will rise quickly to the top of the hit parade.
Exit Soarin', walk south toward the World Showcase Lagoon. When you reach the lagoon, turn left and begin a clockwise tour of World Showcase, starting in Mexico.
At Mexico, ride the the Gran Fiesta Tour boat ride.
The Gran Fiesta Tour replaces this pavilion's first boat ride, the El Rio del Tiempo boat ride. The new incarnation adds animated versions of Donald Duck, Josi Carioca and Panchito, an avian singing group titled The Three Caballeros, from Disney's 1944 film of the same name, to spice up what was often characterized as a slower-paced Mexican "it's a small world."
The new ride's premise is that the Cabelleros are scheduled to perform at a fiesta later that day, but Donald Duck has gone missing. Large video screens show Donald off enjoying Mexico's pyramids, monuments, and water sports while Josi and Panchito search other Mexican points of interest. Everyone is reunited in time for a rousing concert near the end of the ride. Along the way, guests are treated to newly refurbished scenes in eye-catching colors, and an upgraded music system. At the risk of sounding like the Disney geeks we are, we must point out that technically, Panchito is the only Mexican Caballero; Josi Carioca is from Brazil. Either way, more of the ride's visuals seem to be situated on the left side of the boat; have small children sit nearer to that side to keep their attention. And listen for Donald's humorous dialog as you wait to disembark at the end of the ride. After the ride, be sure to tour the pavilion's collection of native art.
Exit the Mexico pavilion and turn left. Proceed counter-clockwise to the Norway pavilion. At Norway, ride Maelstrom. Unless the wait exceeds 45 minutes, do not use FASTPASS, as the backtracking involved in using FASTPASS here is considerable.
On Maelstrom, guests board dragon-headed ships for a voyage through the fabled rivers and seas of Viking history and legend. They brave trolls, rocky gorges, waterfalls, and a storm at sea. A second-generation Disney water ride, the Viking voyage assembles an impressive array of special effects, combining visual, tactile, and auditory stimuli in a fast-paced and often humorous odyssey. Afterward, guests see a five-minute film on Norway. If you'd rather not sit through the film, proceed straight through the theater after the ride.
When finished with Maelstrom, take some time to tour the Norway pavilion. Surrounding a courtyard is an assortment of traditional Scandinavian buildings, including a replica of the 14th-century Akershus Castle, a wooden stave church, red-tiled cottages, and replicas of historic buildings representing the traditional designs of Bergen, Alesund, and Oslo. Note that you can enter the stave church, where you'll find more information on the history of Norway.
Proceed counter-clockwise around World Showcase Lagoon, past China, Germany, and Italy. Stop at the United States pavilion and see The American Adventure. Check the daily entertainment schedule for show times. If you have more than 30 minutes until the next show, check out the Italy or Japan pavilions on either side of the United States.
The American Adventure is a composite of everything Disney does best. Located in an imposing brick structure reminiscent of colonial Philadelphia, the production is a stirring, 29-minute sanitized rendition of American history narrated by an audio-animatronic Mark Twain (who carries a smoking cigar) and Ben Franklin (who climbs a set of stairs to visit Thomas Jefferson). Behind a stage almost half the size of a football field is a 28 x 55–foot rear-projection screen (the largest ever used) on which motion picture images are interwoven with action on stage.
Exiting the United States pavilion, turn left and walk past Japan and Morocco to the France pavilion. At France, see the film Impressions de France. Shows generally begin every thirty minutes, so you may have time for a quick snack in the bakery before the next movie. (No visit to France is complete without a stop at the patisserie. The touring plan does not lie.)
The 18-minute movie, arguably the best film in World Showcase, is projected over 200 feet onto five screens. The audience sits to view this well-made introduction to France’s people, cities, and natural wonders.
After the film, tour the rest of the France pavilion. Naturally, a replica of the Eiffel Tower (a big one) is this pavilion’s centerpiece. In the foreground, streets recall La Belle Epoque, France’s “beautiful time” between 1870 and 1910.
When the film is done, return to Future World and ride Test Track using the FASTPASSes obtained earlier.
On Test Track, visitors test a future-model car at high speeds through hairpin turns, up and down steep hills, and over rough terrain. The six-guest vehicle is a motion simulator that rocks and pitches. Unlike simulators at Star Tours, Body Wars, and Back to the Future (at Universal Studios), however, the Test Track model is affixed to a track and actually travels. While many Unofficial Guide readers say Test Track “is one big commercial” for General Motors. We agree that promotional hype is more heavy-handed here than in most other business-sponsored attractions. But Test Track is one of the most creatively conceived and executed attractions in Walt Disney World.
Test Track is the last attraction in this touring plan. If time permits, check out the exhibits at the Living Seas before leaving.
Live Entertainment in Epcot
For an updated schedule of live performances in Epcot, visit Steve's Soares' Walt Disney World Live Entertainment website. While not sanctioned by Disney, Steve's list of shows and performance times is amazingly accurate, and one that we refer to constantly.
Live entertainment in Epcot is more diverse than in the Magic Kingdom. In World Showcase, it reflects the nations represented. Future World provides a perfect setting for new and experimental offerings. Information about live entertainment on the day you visit is contained in the Epcot guidemap, often supplemented by a Time Guide. Here are some performers and performances you’re apt to encounter:
Future World Musicians
A musical crew of drumming janitors, socializing robots (EpBOTS), and gymnasts in Alien attire striking statuesque poses work near the front entrance and at Innoventions Plaza (between the two Innoventions buildings and by the fountain) according to the daily entertainment schedule.
Innoventions Fountain
Numerous times each day, the fountain situated between the two Innoventions buildings comes alive with pulsating, arching plumes of water synchronized to a musical score. Because there is no posted schedule of performances, the fountain show comes as a surprise to many guests.
Disney Characters
Once believed to be inconsistent with Epcot’s educational image, Disney characters have now been imported in significant numbers. In a program called Disney Characters on Holiday, a dozen or so characters roll around the World Showcase in a British double-decker bus, stopping at times and places listed in the park map entertainment schedule. At each stop, the characters sing a song or two and then wallow into the crowd for autographs and photos.
Characters also appear in live shows at the American Gardens Theatre and at the Showcase Plaza between Mexico and Canada. Times are listed in the daily entertainment schedule/Times Guide available upon entry and at Guest Relations. Finally, The Garden Grill Restaurant in the Land pavilion and Restaurant Akershus offer character meals.
American Gardens Theater
The site of Epcot’s premier live performances is in a large amphitheater near The American Adventure, facing World Showcase Lagoon. International talent plays limited engagements there. Many shows spotlight the music, dance, and costumes of the performer’s home country. Other programs feature Disney characters.
Street Entertainment
Impromptu performances take place in and around the World Showcase pavilions. They include a strolling mariachi group in Mexico; street actors in Italy; a fife-and-drum corps or singing group (The Voices of Liberty) at The American Adventure; traditional songs, drums, and dances in Japan; street comedy and a Beatles impersonation band in the United Kingdom; white-faced mimes in France; and bagpipes in Canada, among others. Street entertainment occurs about every half hour (though not necessarily on the hour or half hour).
Kidcot Fun Zones
In the World Showcase there are Kidcot Fun Zones, where younger children can hear a story or make some small craft representative of the host nation. The Fun Zones are somewhat informal, occasionally set up right on the walkway. You’ll find Fun Zones at each country most times of the year.
Illuminations
IllumiNations is Epcot’s great outdoor spectacle, integrating fireworks, laser lights, neon, and music in a stirring tribute to the nations of the world. It’s the climax of every Epcot day when the park is open late. As
Disney Cruise guests are likely to be gone well before IllumiNations, it is not included in this touring plan. Don’t miss it on subsequent visits, however.
Miscellaneous
This touring plan should help you experience Epcot's best attractions in a one-day shore excursion for Disney Cruise guests. While the plan includes all of Epcot's highlights, we suggest that you be open-minded and try any of the park's offerings. Disney's rides and shows are rarely what you would anticipate, so try anything that interests.
