We visited Epcot at Walt Disney World on August 30, a theme park like no other, that is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely technological innovation and international culture.
The park is divided into two sections, so we spent the morning in the 80s-tastic Future World and the afternoon experiencing all the entertainment and cuisine of the 11 nations in World Showcase.
Our first ride of the day was Test Track, as it can draw long lines, but within moments we were through the futuristic showroom of concept cars and designing our own car in the Chevrolet Design Studio. It is a really good part of the experience, and soon after we were boarding a Sim Car to see how it would perform. The indoor section includes a number of tests; capability, efficiency and responsiveness, before blasting out of the building and up to a top speed of 65mph for the power test, making it the fastest ride at Walt Disney World. After each stage you get to see how your design performed and at the end there are an array of extra interactive features. An excellent attraction from start to finish.
From there we crossed over to The Land for another of the most popular attractions, Soarin’ Around The World. We always enjoy this simulated flight experience across six continents, with its gigantic 4K screen, artificial scents and wind effects but it's so much better when you are sitting center to the screen, otherwise we can't help noticing the weirdly warped picture. Located in the same pavilion is Living with The Land, a slow boat ride through various greenhouses where you can see hundreds of crops growing for use at Walt Disney World. This attraction harks back to the days of the EPCOT Center, as an educational experience about agriculture.
Next door at The Seas we joined Nemo & Friends for an underwater voyage in a Clamobile, a ride featuring various characters from Finding Nemo and an array of real fish. There is more to enjoy, with the substantial aquarium Sea Base and interactive show Turtle Talk with Crush.
Our first FastPass+ of the day was for Spaceship Earth so we headed there next, hidden inside the iconic sphere that is the centerpiece of the park. This unusual ride is one of the park's original attractions, taking you on journey back in time to see the various breakthroughs in communication throughout history, with Judi Dench as the narator.
Continuing on the same theme, but with a very different experience, our next FastPass+ was for the very recently upgraded Mission: SPACE. This is a remarkable attraction that simulates what an astronaut might experience aboard a spacecraft, and not at all what you would expect in a Disney theme park. We went straight for the Orange Mission, the more intense option which takes you to Mars. It uses an incredibly clever centrifugal motion simulator to excerpt a force of 2.5G for a prolonged period, making the intensity far greater than roller coasters that apply a higher G-Force for shorter period of time. We then tried the less intense Green Mission, where you take a flight around Earth, and is much more suitable for those prone to motion sickness. We loved the detailed ride capsules and in-flight roles that we were assigned to enhance the realism of the experience.
Our final ride in Future World was in the Imagination! pavilion - the very strange and very dated Journey into Imagination with Figment. The less said about this the better, avoid it for now, and hopefully in a few years it will finally be retired and replaced.
We won't talk about every country represented in the World Showcase, but suffice to say that the whole place is really quite remarkable. From detailed buildings, gardens and monuments to themed attractions, shops and restaurants, all representing the respective country's culture and cuisine.
What makes it so special, is that the majority of performers and vendors in each are actually citizens of the respective countries working as part of a Cultural Representative Program.
There are a few more rides here, including the fairly dull Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros boat ride in Mexico and now the far more impressive Frozen Ever After boat ride in Norway. For the latter we had a FastPass+ as it frequently draws the longest lines in the park, as it was new last year and is based on the highest-grossing animated film of all time. It's a wonderful attraction with scenes of songs from the movie, top notch animatronics and lightning effects. The most dramatic moment is a backwards section as Elsa creates an ice palace singing Let It Go.
Other highlights of World Showcase included an acrobatic performance in China and traditional drummers in Japan, whilst some of the most beautiful countries to explore were Morocco and France. We made sure to enjoy something to eat and drink as well as buying some souvenirs along the way.
As the sun was setting we made our way back to Future World for a few re-rides including Test Track in the dark, then made our way to the FastPass+ viewing area for the nighttime spectacular IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This classic show has been running for almost 18 years and features screens, fireworks, lasers, fire, water fountains and music.
