University of Miami - The Ibis Yearbook

“orlh Jfaroa Page 7 01 EPCOT: Future is now Walt Disney once said that " our greatest natural resource is a child ' s imagination. " The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EP- COT) in Walt Disney World has captured this natural resource and brought it to life for people of all ages. The lure of such a project is evident in the number of people who have visited the (EPCOT) Center since its opening on Oc- tober 1, 1982 — 50,000 on the first day alone went to Lake Buena Vista, Florida. EPCOT allows people to trav- el to nine countries in a single day, see where our society has been since the beginning of time, and move into the future. All of this on 260 acres. The World Showcase takes visitors to Mexico, China, Ger- many, Italy, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and America. Here are some high- lights of the World Showcase: In Mexico, visitors sail on a river takin g them through the country. Pihatas, flowers, and a restaurant overlooking a beauti- ful river and miles of land are exhibited in the setting of a breathtaking sunset. Canada takes its visitors into the canyons of Moosehead Mine for a movie which literally car- ries them through the country. The theatre is composed of nine huge screens that encircle the audience. The cinematography, com- bined with the theater in the round, produces a feeling of movement. Prior to the presen- tation, an announcement is made that nothing in the theatre moves. Most of the people who work in the World Showcase are na- tives of their respective coun- tries. Paul, who works in a Unit- ed Kingdom workshop said that Disney World officials are striv- ing for authenticity. EPCOT officials take this ex- tra step to insure that visitors to the Showcase can discuss each country and feel as though they are travelling around the world. Another feature of EPCOT, that adds to its authenticity are the double-decker buses. Not only do the buses add to the overall aura of the World Show- f! ■ • 4*»±m*%3Li < te a. *S m W & MVKM Millions of people have traveled to EPCOT to see the world of tomorrow. case, the buses are quite practi- cal. Walking from China to Mexico can be hard on one ' s feet. Separating World Showcase and Future World is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. A ferry takes travellers from the present to the future (and back again) in style. Hundreds of thousands of people have relived the evolu- tion of man in the 180-foot glove that makes up Spaceship Earth. Once the past has been traced, one steps into the future through movie presentations and " live " exhibits. The World of Motion Presents the development of transporta- tion, the Universe of Energy brings to life the world of knowl- edge that is available at the touch of a button. The " myster- ies " of the computer age are sim- plified as young and old work with computers. Journey Into Imagination in- troduces two new Disney char- acters, Dreamfinder and Fig- ment. These two characters are very significant because they are the only animated creations which are allowed to go through the EPCOT Center. One may ask, so what is Walt Disney World without Mickey and Min- nie? It is a world of adventure which leads today ' s society by the hand over the horizons and into an unknown world of fact and fantasy. C Lovin And so Walt Disney ' s dream of capturing the " greatest natural resource of all " is realized and preserved in the Experimental Prototype Community of To- morrow. By Amy Jacoves A look Inside EPCOT ' s Comminicore exhibit ”