Random Thread & the *insert topic here*

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

Powered by three onboard computers which together have more processing power than the Space Shuttle, each test vehicle steers passengers through more than five minutes of tire-squealing road tests. The rigorous testing schedule includes an engine-roaring, three-story ascent; a wildly out-of-control skid; and a 50 degree banked curve at 65 mph.

Test Track climbs, spirals and snakes through the 150,000-square-foot pavilion, including areas simulating arctic cold and desert heat. About half of the track loops outside the pavilion where maximum speeds are obtained.

Total length of track - 5,246 ft.

Ride time duration - 5 minutes and 34 seconds

Number of miles each test vehicle will travel per year - 50,000

Number of miles each vehicle was designed to last - 1,000,000

Angle of banked curve surrounding main building - 50 degrees

Number of on board computers in each test vehicle - 3

Number of turns from beginning to end - 34

3-story incline at beginning of attraction - 15 degrees

Each vehicle has 22 wheels, four of which are visible.

Each vehicle has 6 braking systems.

Test Track replaced the World of Motion.

 

[DisGirlAllie]

Herbie

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION

Computer-generated imagery and Audio-Animatronic dinosaurs combine to make this an entertaining, yet educational look at Energy!


ATTRACTION

Ellen's Energy Adventure - Join Ellen DeGeneres as she dreams of winning Jeopardy. Unfortunately her dream becomes a near-nightmare when she finds the returning champ is her former college rival Dr. Judy Peterson, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. The other challenger is Dr. Albert Einstein. All the categories deal with one thing she knows nothing about -- energy.

Enter Bill Nye the Science Guy, Ellen’s neighbor and all-around science whiz, who guides Ellen on a "crash-course" in Energy 101 that includes the Big Bang Theory.

On three, 70mm screens, 157 feet wide by 32 feet tall, you'll view the creation of the universe. The moving theater then separates into six 97-passenger vehicles that travel through primeval dioramas, complete with prehistoric flora, fauna and a terrified Ellen.

After the dioramas, you enter another theater and view a dramatic motion picture on three screens, each 30 feet tall and 74 feet wide and curved to create a 200-degree range of vision. Ellen learns about the world’s present-day energy needs, resources and concerns.

The show takes 45 minutes. New shows start every 17 minutes.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION

The Sea Makes Our Planet Unlike Any Other Known To Man!

The Seas with Nemo and Friends slowly evolved from 2004 into the pavillion you see today. The remake has been quite refreshing offering new ways to learn about the sea and breathe life into what was once a tired, old poorly attended Living Seas pavilion.

Located in a corner Future World, to the right of The Land, is the Seas with Nemo and Friends. As you approach you'll see a garden area with eight sculptures of Finding Nemo characters including Nemo, Marlin, Dory, and Gil.

 

[DisGirlAllie]

Lighthouse <3

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

In early 2004, the Living Seas pavilion began to transform into what has just been re-launched as "The Seas with Nemo and Friends" featuring exhibits themed to the popular Disney-Pixar movie, Finding Nemo.

Picking up where the motion picture "Finding Nemo" left off, the ride-through attraction in a colorful coral reef setting features technology that causes the stars of the motion picture to magically appear swimming amid the live marine life of a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater environment -- one of the largest such aquariums in the world.

 

[DisGirlAllie]

Hey Mambo! lalalalala

 

[AmandaSparks730]

The Seas with Nemo and Friends -- Board "clam-mobiles" and meet Mr. Ray and his class on a field trip and soon learn that Nemo has wandered off. The journey in search of Nemo includes familiar characters such as Dory, Bruce, Marlin, Squirt and Crush. These deep-sea friends inhabit a variety of vibrant vignettes, including the actual aquarium containing more than 65 species of marine life. In the musical finale, Nemo is happily reunited with his class and friends. Grand Opening January 2007

Turtle Talk with Crush! -- This is the headliner in the Living Seas. This interactive show debuted in November 2004, and features a computer-animated version of the surfer dude turtle from "Finding Nemo" in 10-minute conversations with visitors. The reviews have been excellent and kids especially love this new attraction! CraigC writes: "Crush is an interactive 3D animation that talks with the audience. He looks at the person he's talking with and really interacts with people. For example, the host will ask a kid his name and Crush will say "Hello, Jimmy." He makes jokes and takes questions from audience. The show lasts about 10 minutes and is very enjoyable." His friend Dory, makes occasional appearances with Crush. More Reader Reports and Turtle Talk with Crush Photos!



Bruce's Sub House -- Adjacent to Turtle Talk with Crush, is a new hands-on play area geared to kids. The area features some of the more toothy characters of Finding Nemo (including Anchor and Chum) in shark-themed playsets for crawling on, around and through, as well as an open-jawed replica of Bruce the shark (below left), which you can crawl inside -- it makes for a great photo op for young and old alike. Along with the opportunity to blow off a little steam, kids can learn a few things by lifting the flaps on and reading through the various displays (below right) around the dimly lit room.

Nemo and Friends! -- Worth a trip for folks of all ages. You can search for Nemo and Marlin (Clownfish), Blue Tangs (Dory), Starfish (Peach), seahorses (Sheldon) and stingrays (Mr. Ray). You can also check out the Can You Find Nemo? habitat, the Great Barrier Reef display, the stingray viewing habitat, Mr. Ray's Lagoon, and my personal favorite, the Jellyfish! This new exhibit is simple and low budget and yet enchanting, all at the same time.
More Nemo and Friends Photos!

Mr. Ray's Lagoon - watch the stingrays swim around as you wait to get into Turtle Talk with Crush.

 

[DisGirlAllie]

Pretty pretty

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Life Support Systems Exhibit and Undersea Robotics - Climb into an open-backed diver's suit and try to use your hands!

Take the time to explore the model undersea research facility of the future. These exhibits are worth the time. The latest technologies in ocean surveillance and management can be seen in use, including robotic submersibles, space-age diving suits and communications systems used by oceanographic institutes for monitoring the undersea world. There's also a human-powered "Submousible," which was designed by volunteers from Sea Base Alpha and entered in competitions.


Diver crews from Sea Base Alpha conduct experiments on marine mammal intelligence and on water chemistry within this ecosystem. A tethered submersible containing an underwater camera gives guests a diver’s view of ocean activities.



Large-screen video shows man's attempts to harness the ocean’s resources. Visitors can then walk into a two-story central viewing area, completely surrounded by sea windows that allow them to see the divers up close, carrying out research with marine mammals -- dolphins and sea lions.

Restrooms are located on Level One.





Level Two

At the entrance to the Observation Deck is the Duty Roster, which has the schedule of presentations for the day. "Sea Base Alpha is a working marine research center. We invite all guests to observe the daily research activities at the times listed. A member of the Sea Base Alpha team will be in the Observation Deck to explain the work during each scheduled activity."

The Observation Deck provides another perspective of viewing the sea life.

Visit the Manatees on the 2nd level. Meet manatees who have been rescued and are being rehabilitated before being released into the wild. Each manatee eats approximately 50 pounds of food each day. Overhead television monitors show a short video on the manatee.

Ocean Resource Exhibit - an aquaculture exhibit about farming and husbandry of aquatic plants and animals.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion measures 203 feet in diameter, 27 feet deep and contains 5.7 million gallons of salt water.

The Aquarium is so large that Spaceship Earth (160 feet in diameter) would fit inside with room to spare.

There are more than 70 varieties of fish and other marine animals, with a total of over 8,000 inhabitants.

The Seas holds 5.7 million gallons of man-made sea water; a standard swimming pool holds 20,000 gallons of water. One inch of water from the surface here can fill a standard swimming pool.

The acrylic windows into the restaurant have very little distortion or magnification of the marine life and objects.

The window panels in the 2nd level observation deck measure 8 feet by 24 feet and weigh 9,000 pounds each. They range in thickness from 6 to 8 inches.

Nearly two tons of food is produced each week for the inhabitants of the Seas. The dolphins dine on herring and capelin, the West Indian manatees eat lettuce, carrots, sprouts and fruit. Animal nutritionists at The Seas manufacture the coral out of dental plaster, mixing in ground fish and other food in the process. Divers place about a dozen of these out each day, and the parrotfish and other coral crunchers eat them up.

The pavilion uses a reverse-flow filtration system. This process forces impurities in the water to the top, where they flow out with skimmed water. The water is fed into the filter system, then returns to the main environment through the ocean floor. Between these two points is an extensive cleaning system.

The Pavilion was added to Epcot in 1986 and originally sponsored by United Technologies. It took 22 months to construct the pavilion.

As Michael Eisner began the January 1986 Grand Opening of the Seas, Diver Mickey Mouse was joined by Diver Frank Wells to help cut the ribbon.

The pavilion was originally designed with the guidance of an advisory board of experts in oceanography and related fields. The centerpiece of this attraction is the world's largest saltwater aquarium tank, which is 203 feet in diameter and 27 feet deep. Within the tank is a complete man-made coral reef inhabited by sharks, tropical fish, rays and dolphins, all exotic and colorful forms of life that normally colonize Caribbean reefs.

Until late October 2001, you would have entered 2-passenger Seacab vehicles for a three-minute voyage along the ocean floor, through tunnels, past the entire coral reef seen through six-inch thick crystal-clear windows. However, this part of the attraction is now closed indefinitely. You exit the Hydrolators into the Gift Shop and should walk into the Sea Base Alpha area (2 floors).

The background music playing outside the pavilion is the original Epcot music. Songs include: "The Seas" Music by Patrick Gleason, "Atlas of the Living World" Music by Richard Bellis, "Suited for the Sea" Music by Ralph Ferrara, "Nitrogen Boogie" Music by George Wilkins Lyrics by Scott Hennesy Vocals by B.J. Ward.

From 2004-2005, the Living Seas underwent a slow rehab bringing it back to life. The overall theme is now tied into the animated feature "Finding Nemo"!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Prior to the 2004-2005 Rehab:

Entering the pavilion, the lights are subdued and the music soft. The banister curves around as you wind your way over the gently wavy floor, and you gain the sense of bobbing on the waves. There are historical photographs and artifacts of famous undersea explorations along the corridor (Alexander the Great's glass diving barrel, Sir Edmund Halley's first Diving Bell, etc.).

You enter a pre-show standing area, again with subdued lighting and soft music. A five-minute wait time begins to countdown on the screen. Instructions are given and you can either go left and directly to the Hydrolators, which will take you to Sea Base Alpha, or you can turn right into the Pre-Descent Briefing Room.

Pre-Descent Briefing Room has a 7-minute movie called The Seas. It introduces you to the ocean's deepest mysteries and the effect on people's lives of the Earth's last frontier.

Theater doors then open to reveal three "Hydrolators," capsule elevators that take you to the ocean floor past rock walls and water. The hydrolator elevator that takes you to Sea Base Alpha is VERY small and confining (it holds up to 30 persons). See a Cast Member for an alternate route to Sea Base Alpha. The hydrolator actually only moves a few inches, but the special effects make it seem like you are going underwater.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION

A view from the air, learn about the environment, the foods we eat and creative ways to feed future generations.

The Land is an impressive pavilion that sprawls across six acres, houses three attractions, has a unique sit-down restaurant, a new fast food court and more.

Soar over the golden state! Squash plants suspended in air, a living redwood that fits in the palm of your hand, and corn plants that have been specially bred to resist damage from a deadly pest can all be found at The Land !

 

[DisneyRockstar]

Drop your silver in my tambourine
Help a poor man fill his pretty dream
Give me pennies I'll take anything
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine
Watch the jingle jangle start to chime
Reflections of the music that is mine
When you drop a coin you'll hear it sing
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine
[Instrumental break]
Drop a dime before I walk away
Any song you want I'll gladly play
Money feeds my music machine
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTIONS

Soarin' - Officially opened May 5, 2005! The attraction sends guests on a sweeping flyover above the wondrous Golden State for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography. "Soarin' Over California" will be the newest addition to The Land pavilion at Epcot, complementing the popular pavilion's agriculture and ecology theme.

The unforgettable experience combines cinematic artistry and state-of-the-art motion base technology. Guests are literally lifted 40 feet inside a giant projection screen dome and completely surrounded with the beauty and wonder of the state of California as their elevated theater seats take them on a scenic tour over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests, Napa Valley, Yosemite and more. The free-flight experience intensifies as guests feel the sweeping winds and smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine trees around them.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Living with the Land - a gentle 14-minute boat ride through unique indoor plant growing areas. An introduction shows tropic, desert and prairie biomes that existed before humans arrived. The automated narration explains all about the four greenhouses and the aquaculture facility.

The boat glides on into The Land’s experimental growing areas:

The Tropics Greenhouse - crops such as rice, sugar cane, peanuts, cacao, and bananas are usually grown under the 60-foot dome. These crops can be found in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and the southern United States.

The Aquacell - crops include fish, alligators, catfish, tilapia, sunshine bass and American eel.

The Temperate Greenhouse - featuring the concepts and technologies of sustainable agriculture, including intercropping, integrated pest management and specialized irrigation systems that reduce waste and increase crop production.


The Production Greenhouse - where tons of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and other vegetables are grown for use in The Land’s Garden Grill Restaurant and other Epcot restaurants. Land scientists utilize growing systems that are kinder to the environment and improve productivity.


The Creative House , showing imaginative ways to grow crops -- without soil, hanging in the air, even on a space station. USDA scientists currently are working at The Land to develop fruit with a longer shelf life.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

The Circle of Life - a wide-screen movie about the environment and our relationship with the land, hosted by the stars of The Lion King. All set to build Hakuna Matata Vacation Resort, Pumbaa and Timon are damming rivers and cutting down trees. Simba steps in to remind them, and us, to take care of our environment. The photography in this movie is outstanding and not to be missed. Scenes were filmed in over 30 nations.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

The Land's entry mosaics are each 134 feet long with 150,000 individually shaped pieces of marble, granite, slate, glass and gold to represent the layers of the Earth that lead to the Great Hall. A husband and wife team created the mosaics.

The pavilion encourages you to "think environmentally," right down to sayings printed on the walls near the queue for "Living With the Land" -- for example, "Once Our Natural Splendor Is Destroyed, It Can Never Be Recaptured" (Lyndon Baines Johnson); and "We Have Not Inherited the Earth From Our Forefathers, We Have Borrowed It From Our Children" (Kashmiri Proverb).

As you enter the building, look out to the ceiling where 5 balloons hang. The middle one represents Earth. The four surrounding balloons represent the seasons: Yellow for summer, Orange for Fall, Blue for Winter and Green for Spring. Under the Earth balloon are clouds and a lightning bolt....as it rains, the water goes into the fountain below and then recycles through the pavilion.

The Environmental Research laboratory at the University of Arizona assisted Imagineering in establishing areas within this pavilion that, but using advanced agricultural methods such as hydroponics, grow vegetables served at its centrally located dining area.

The background music outside The Land Pavilion is the original Epcot background music.

Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom can fit inside The Land Pavilion.

Prior to the addition of Soarin' you could hear background music in the pavilion that included: "Allegheny Moon" "Blue Moon" "Carolina Moon "Got the Sun" "How High the Moon" Moon Medley "Moon River" "Moonlight Bay" "Moonlight Becomes You" "Moonlight Serenade" "No Moon at All" "Old Devil Moon" "Paper Moon" "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" "Sing in the Sunshine" "Sonny" "Sunny Side of the Street" "Sunrise, Sunset" "Sunshine on My Shoulders" "Wait ’Til the Sun Shines Nellie" "You Are My Sunshine" "You are the Sunshine of My Life"

The Land "History"

Cast member boat guides were replaced by automated narration around 2008.

Nestle Junior Chef program at The Land pavilion in Epcot ended April 6, 2008.

The Land underwent a total renovation from January 2005-May 2005, when the Soarin' attraction opened!

Food Rocks closed for good February 2004 to make way for the new Soarin' Attraction! The entire Land Pavilion closed January 2005 for a major rehab -- Soarin' was completed, new look for the Garden Grill and a totally renovated Fast Food Court called Sunshine Seasons (replaced Sunshine Season Food Fair!

The Land Pavilion was updated in 1994 as part of the first real Epcot renovations. Kitchen Kabaret became Food Rocks and the Symbiosis movie made way for The Circle of Life film. The Land was originally sponsored by Kraft, but is now sponsored by Nestle

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION

As you turn into World Showcase, the Pyramid sits high in the skyline. It is modeled after an Aztec Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the god of life) at Teotihuacan. Quetzalcoatl is represented by large serpent heads along the entrance stairs.

Upon entering the building, you see a gallery of artifacts from various periods of Mexican history. You walk into a formal portico and then a colonial plaza where you experience an evening at a festive marketplace.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTIONS

"Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros!" opened April 6, 2007; replacing El Rio de Tiempo. Gentle boat ride remains the same but with a new storyline and film featuring Donald Duck, José Carioca (the parrot), and Panchito (the Mexican charro rooster) from the 1944 Disney film "The Three Caballeros."