Tangerine Cafe

A great place to relax with a great Safari beer is the Tangerine Cafe in the Morocco pavilion. While I have to say I haven't actually eaten here yet, I hope to try it soon. It's a nice shady place to relax and listen to the fantastic sounds of Mo'Rockin.

Medical Cleanliness

Here's just another example of the attention to story and detail that Disney pays to all of their parks and attractions. While waiting in line for Body Wars in the now closed Wonders of Life pavilion, you would pass through several of these doorways that were meant to cleanse you of any impurities. After all, you were going to be entering a human body and no infection could be allowed through. The story behind Body Wars was great (and yes maybe it's because of the science fiction nature of the ride and my love for that sort of thing) since you were going to be shrunk down to microscopic size and put into a human body to remove a splinter that was causing an infection. Of course, in true Disney fashion, danger and adventure would make this simple mission much more out of the ordinary...

Framing Spaceship Earth

One of my favorite things to do at Epcot, as my wife will attest, is to take pictures of Spaceship Earth. It truly is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love to try and frame the great icon with trees when possible as I just love the contrast of nature with the futuristic structure. This particular shot is taken on the walkway in World Showcase between Mexico and the bridge to Future World. I also enjoy trying to capture the monorail passing in front of Spaceship Earth, but this particular shot, as you can see, is missing the monorail.

Seabase Alpha Layout

As mentioned in previous posts, I really enjoyed The Living Seas concept of Seabase Alpha that existed prior to the current Nemo and Seas incarnation. From the Jules Verne-esque and sea exploration memorabilia that was displayed throughout the queue, to the great "deluge" film and the seacabs, it was truly an experience to visit Seabase Alpha. As with everything at Disney, there is a great backstory to the pavilion when it was The Living Seas. You were truly being transported to an actual underwater research facility where people lived and worked. The above map gives a sampling of all the different areas of the facility and really shows just how rich in story that the pavilion was in those days. While many of the areas of the above map still serve the same purposes, the story of the underwater research facility has been peeled away and you are now immersed in the world of Nemo and his friends.

Lights, Camera, Action...Almost

Thanks to the knowledgeable insight of Mr. Lou Mongello's WDW Radio Show I was interested to learn that the area located between The Land and the Imagination pavilion in Future World was once considered for a pavilion about movies. Of course, this pavilion never came into being and the idea was rolled into the genesis of the Disney-MGM Studios, now Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's interesting to note that the space considered is just a beautifully landscaped greenspace. The picture above was taken during the 2007 Flower & Garden Festival.

Dinosaur Fight

Not much to say today, just wanted to share a great scene from the dinosaur diorama over at the Universe of Energy. No matter the incarnation of Universe of Energy that we are talking about this scene has remained throughout its history. I think kids especially love the scene as the T-Rex takes on the Stegasaurus in every boy's favorite dinosaur fight. I have to admit, I still look forward to this part of the attraction everytime.

The British Invasion

The British Invasion in the United Kingdom at World Showcase is one of my favorite live performances in all of WDW. As you can see above, peculiarly, they only had three performers as recently as our October '08 trip. To my relief, my parents informed me that they now have a fourth member when they got back from their January trip. There's no better way to enjoy a performance than to grab a pint from the Rose and Crown and listen to some Fab Four tunes. However, be warned...dancing may break out.

Shady Foliage

One of the many things I love about Spaceship Earth is the entrance to the attraction. Even on hot sunny days, it's cool and breezy underneath the geodesic sphere. It's a wonderful place to relax and just take in the sights and the people watching. I love the landscaping around the entrance as it truly is amazing that such large amounts of greenery thrive in the shady, breezy area. The plant life is unique to the area and a joy to photograph and just admire.

Summertime Spaceship Earth

Here's just a great summertime Spaceship Earth photo for a cold dreary Midwestern day. It's days like this I wish I could be in a warm sunny Epcot. This photo was taken near the Seas pavilion and is one of my favorite spots for capturing photos of Spaceship Earth.

The Father of Science Fiction

Jules Verne is often referred to as the Father of Science Fiction for his classic works such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, and Journey to the Center of the Earth as well as other classics. This awesome animatronic was part of Horizons and is a great tribute to the man. While he's famous for his science fiction works, he was inspirational in sparking scientific exploration of the oceans, space, and travel. I would have to say that Verne would have loved the Horizons attraction, just as many of us did and continue to love through memories.

Figment!

This picture is from our Disney trip in the summer of 2007. For a short time Figment's Place was located near the entrance of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Figment would make appearances here throughout the day. Before our last visit in October of 2008, my wife learned that Figment was no longer appearing as an in-park character. She did learn that people had started requesting his return at Guest Relations near Spaceship Earth and Innoventions. I hope that he does return as Figment is one of the true classic EPCOT characters who has been around since the early '80's. With Mickey and Co. still making appearances surely Disney will recognize that Figment is also a favorite and he will return.

Return to Retro?

Recently, I've seen/heard some welcome news. First of all, on my last trip to the World, at the Imagination pavilion we saw t-shirts they were selling featuring Figment with Dreamfinder. This is quite amazing considering Dreamfinder (pictured above with Figment) has not featured in the attraction for several years now. In addition to this, some rumors have been circulating about the return of Dreamfinder in some capacity to the attraction. Personally, I enjoy the current incarnation of the attraction, but the original was first rate. I would welcome elements of the original attraction coming back. Anytime the best of EPCOT Center can be joined or returned to be mixed in with the best of Epcot I definitely think that is a positive.

China Detail

Like all of the other pavilions in World Showcase, the China pavilion is richly themed and completely immersive. One of my favorite aspects of this immersion is the China background music. I have always loved this and love hearing the music played on sites like MouseWorld Radio. I took this picture back in October and this is from the vantage point of the back of the pavilion. Looking up at the buildings and all around (combined with the Florida humidity) one gets a great feeling of being away from their normal environs and whisked away to China. One other recommendation: try the newly renovated Nine Dragons. We have always loved the food (contrary to some people's feelings) and the renovation and new menu really made the restaurant truly exceptional.

Spaceman Mickey

I was going through some old pictures and found this very interesting snapshot. I actually remember on my first visit to EPCOT Center having my picture taken with Mickey in this outfit. From all accounts, this was one of the first ways in which characters were being brought into Future World. Being a sci-fi and space exploration fan, I thought this was a great way to integrate the characters. This particular show was outside the World of Motion, but I can't find any information on what it was called or when exactly it took place. Any information would be much appreciated.