Why do so many people not like Ellen's Universe of Energy??

[Belle5]

I never realized just how terribly long this show was until I was stuck on it with a crying baby several years ago. There was no escaping from those cars and that movie just went on FOREVER!! I really wanted to get out so my child wouldn't bother anyone, but there was no escape (that I knew of, anyway)! The only part worth seeing, IMHO,is the dinosaur segment.

 

[merryweather's twin]

I love this ride! DH gets a nap along with any of our group that needs it!!! I like the Dinos also.

 

[babyblue61]

I love the dinosaurs and we stop here every year. I enjoy the Jeopardy theme...I think it adds an element of humor to the ride. I guess I can see how some think it is too long, but I enjoy it.

 

[walt's assistant]

"Here we go...
here we go...
through the Universe of Energy..."

...sorry...

..ahem...

I am another rare person who like the "original" pre-Ellen version better.

I am not an Ellen fan. I don't enjoy her work. If they were going to make a change, I would have featured Bill Nye more prominently as the attraction is supposed be an educational experience made fun, not funny (there's a difference). Ellen just seems to clash with the purpose of the attraction and is a distraction to what is to be learned.

 

[chach]

Don't know about others but during our last family
trip (17 of us) everyone loved it !!!

 

[mareka]

I have always liked this ride. I never miss it. Sometimes I ride more than once.
Its a must do for me.

 

[llfowl]

I just don't like Ellen. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me!

I sure miss the original show!

 

[PennConn]

Originally posted by Poly Pal
We love Universe of Energy (but I think I liked the original even better!)
I'm a Christian. I think the almighty creator is responsible for the "big bang".

Hello from nearby Farmington Poly Pal .... I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[Minnie's Mate]

I really don't like Ellen, never have. I didn't like her before she came out. I just find her brand of humor to be flat and boring. I saw her show a couple of times during her first season and thought "How did she ever land her own show; she must have slept with the right executive at ABC". But I later found out how wrong that was!

We do this show every trip because my oldest (about to turn six on our next trip) loves dinosaurs. He calls this the dinosaur ride. I find the pre-show to be way too long. Just the segment before the apartment scene would be enough to prevent me from ever doing the show again if it were not for our son. Actually, I don't have a problem with the apartment scene and the Jeopardy segment its just that Ellen's sence of humar is so blah. Especially the part where she "gets onto" those who come in late and imagines being in the back of their car.

I also think our forein visitors probably don't have a clue as to who she is. For this reason alone, I think the intro should be made over now that Ellen's show is becoming ancient history.

 

[alvernon90]

One reason people might not like this attraction is that it is a cynical sell-out to the oil company that sponsors it. It is full of questionable statements about the environmental impact of fossil fuels and the viability of alternative energy sources that border on lies. Dinosaurs have nothing to do with oil. They are only there to make you think "dinosaurs equals cool equals oil, so oil is cool."

It is particularly disheartening to see Bill Nye, previously thought to be a true believer/crusader, spreading lies and doing a dance for the corporate masters that fund his television program. Seeing Ellen prostitute herself is less of a stretch, but watching Bill Nye do it hurts.

I think it's funny that this thread has so many mentions of keeping children away from this attraction because it presents the big bang as fact. The big bang is one of the only facts in the whole show. The rest of it is what's really harmful to children.

Bottom line: The World of Energy presented by ExxonMobil is like The World of Health sponsored by Phillip Morris.

 

[Curly Q]

DBF and I LOVE this attraction!! It is a must do for us. Stupid Judy cracks me up!

 

[Eeyore1954]

Originally posted by alvernon90
Bottom line: The World of Energy presented by ExxonMobil is like The World of Health sponsored by Phillip Morris.

I completely agree!

For me the only redeeming value to this exhibit is the A/C and being able to sit down for awhile. If they'd turn the volume down some, I could slip in a nap, too!

For me EUOE is a must skip!

 

[Minnie's Mate]

alvernon90, whether "The Big Bang" is fact is for the debate boards. It is a theory just like creation is a theory. No one was around to witness either, but as a Christian, I subscribe to the theory of creation and like others, I don't appreciate the "the ding-dang" being interjected as fact. I tell our children that is what some people believe happened but there is no proof. For proof of creation, I tell our children (even at the age of 5) that you have to look into your heart for proof.

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm trying to turn this into a debate...far from it.

I do agree with alvernon90 on one thing and that is this show needs to be updated with more current views toward the future of energy.

 

[alvernon90]

As this is definitely not the place for such a debate, I'll reply here only to note that the big bang comments were only to illustrate my observation that nobody had yet pointed out the real rap on Universe of Energy: it's the worst, most blatant, most cynical corporate propaganda in the entire WDW complex.

Believe what you will about the big bang, but don't let your children believe in the myth of sustainable and clean fossil fuels. The attraction makes it seem like change in our energy sources is impossible and undesirable, when in fact change is inevitable. Those are the lies you should be protecting your children from!!

 

[kaabost]

Again, future world is about science and human achievement...therefore we should expect the scientific viewpoint. The candlelight thing at Christmas time is about religion and spirituality.....therefore we should not expect the scientic viewpoint (and we don't get it). I don't get the issues.

 

[aarontedrow]

Ellen is not funny to a 27 year old male.

 

[DiveLeader]

Wowo a lot to reply to. This has to be one of the most controversial topics on this board.

Right from a UK visitorm, here's my perspective :-

1. I just about might be aware of Ellen - but regardless she made it quite funny compared to the corporate sponsorship of Exxxon in the past.
2. Who is Bill Nye the Science Guy ????? OK he adds to the comic effects, but is he anything but an invention for the ride ?
3. Creation -vs- evolution is obviously VERY big in America. Not so in England. I'm sorry but science rules OK in England. To those who say that they should say to their kids that the Big Bang is just a theory, and Creation is the truth - then how about saying that both are theories, and let them make their own minds up ?
4. AFAIK the whole debate about creation is irrelevant anyway - fossil fuels exist, and were caused by plant decay and years of compression and decay - do the creationists disagree with this - it's surely nothing to do with whether the big bang existed, or God created the world (IMHO) ?

I agree with the recent posters that the show misses the point. The dinosaurs bit is very nice - but doesn't really actually explain where fossil fuels came from.

Still it's not the worst bit of corporate propoganda I came across. The so called "science" exhibit in Epcot's Innoventions is nothing more than a plug for Monsanto and GM Foods - very controversial in the UK.

DW's complaint about the Universe Of Energy is simply that someone stood their child up in the seat in front of her so she couldn't see it anyway

 

[dahess]

1 word

LoUd!!

 

[Minnie's Mate]

Back on topic. It isn't that I don't like the current attraction, I just think it is kind of dated since we haven't heard from Ellen in ages and as alvernon90 pointed out, the current views of future energy sources are not addressed.

Wind farming has proven to not be practical. Coal is still dirty to the environment. Ethanol is not being pursued. Solar still has not been adopted. There is no mention of hybrid or fuel cell autos, which supposedly will be available in this country within 10 years. We may be finding new sources of petroleum and natural gas, but these new sources only prolong the inevitable extinction of the internal combustion engine, as we know it. These new sources are still detrimental to our environment and the ozone layer. And on and on and on....

Bottom line, the attraction needs a make over.

I never meant to imply that the UK was behind on things re: Ellen, I just wasn't aware that her show had been exported. For those who like Ellen, different strokes for different folks. No right or wrong answer there.

 

[mareka]

WOW I can't believe you haven't heard of Bill Nye the 'Science Guy". He is the modern day answer to Mr. Wizard.
He has a science show on TV for kids. It is very informative and fun at the same time. He covers a wide range of scientific theories and experiments and explains them all for the kids.
I love the show. You can catch it on Nickelodeon.