Comments on Vacation Spots

The Canada Pavilion will definitely remind you the ruggedness and landscape of the northernmost country of the North American continent. The architecture features stone and exposed wood. The pavilion is decorated with a canyon, a waterfall, gardens, a pool with fountains, and totem poles.

In general the shops in this pavilion are quite forgettable. While you may find a carving that you admire or other such craft item, you will recognize nearly every item in every store.

Canada does feature a beautiful movie, O Canada!, that shows much of the gorgeous countryside of this vast nation. This movie will be very enjoyable to the adult members of your family but may not appeal to the children of your group.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends is one of the few pavilions in EPCOT that is so obviously themed after a Disney brand.  The pavilion was originally called The Seas but the success of the Nemo movie put a strong brand on the property even to the point of changing the name. Other pavilions in the park will feature a Disney character or brand but only this pavilion has taken the branding to this edge.

Depending on the day that you visit EPCOT, The Wonders of Life Pavilion may not be opened.  The last 2 times my family vacationed in Orlando, we were unable to enjoy this exhibit so I am hesitant to write much about it. Evidently, the pavilion is only open during particularly busy times or perhaps when other pavilions are closed for renovation.

I also suspect that the pavilion is used for more corporate events where a visiting company or association will rent out the pavilion for an evening after the park has closed.

The Land is on the west side of the FutureWorld part of EPCOT. It, traditionally, has not been the most highly sought after pavilion but due to its new remodeling it has re-emerged as a "can’t miss" property.

The big reason to make sure your day includes The Land is the attraction Soarin’ which was added just a couple years ago. The attraction sends you on a sweeping flyover above California for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography.  The unforgettable experience combines cinematic artistry and state-of-the-art motion base technology. You are lifted inside a giant projection screen dome and completely surrounded with the beauty and wonder of the state of California as you fly over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests, Napa Valley, Yosemite and more. The free-flight experience intensifies as you feel the sweeping winds and smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine trees.

Walt Disney’s various parks in Orlando are obviously the big attraction in town but they are seeing real competition from this park. Islands of Adventure is a much more active and has more thrill-seeking, adventure loving appeal to offer its visitors.

When you enter the park you will walk through the required shops and stores. You will have to dodge the photographers that want to catch the magical day on film. Once you have crossed through this wallet-emptying gauntlet, you are confronted by a choice:

• Go left for thrill rides that will rival any park in the US (yes, even Cedar Point in Ohio) OR

The Universe of Energy pavilion is one of the simplest attractions in the park, but this doesn’t diminish its ability to entertain and teach you and your family.

The main event starts in a large auditorium with multiple theatre screens. During this part, Ellen DeGeneres starts a dream sequence that stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Alex Trebek, and features Bill Nye, the Science Guy. This dream sequence has Ellen traveling back to the beginning of the universe, through the dinosaur age and then back to the present to learn about the creation of our present forms of energy.

This is one of the biggest draws of Epcot. You definitely need to sign up for a FastPass for this pavilion or get to the park early and make this your first stop. The line later in the day will easily exceed an hour and it is not uncommon for a 2 hour wait on busy park days.

As you enter the pavilion you will weave around a display of automotive test paraphernalia. If you are into cars and have technical aptitude then you will enjoy this wait thoroughly. However, if you don’t care about either of the above, I am sorry to say that you will likely be bored to tears. The good part of this is that since you signed up for a FastPass, this wait won’t be long and you will quickly be into the main attraction.

The main part of the pavilion is the test track. You will be strapped into a “car” and you will take that car over a wide variety of terrain and conditions that is supposed to mimic the efforts the automotive engineers put vehicles through. The culmination of this ride is a brisk spin around the outside of the building going 60 mph (although it will feel much faster than that).

After your ride, you can play around in the display area. This is quite educational,but to be honest, it feels more like a PR indoctrination for the automotive industry. You will likely see some new GM cars on display (they are the sponsor) and some concept cars that will try to convince you that GM is a great company. While I have nothing against GM, you will likely bore quickly.

When you see a picture of Epcot, this is what you see. This huge sphere just beyond the entrance to the park is the landmark of the place. It has to be one of the most memorable landmarks in the world and it has been very well publicized in pictures, websites, and brochures around the world.

The inside of the ball is a continuous slow moving ride that takes you through the history and possible future of communication. For this reason the pavilion is sponsored by Siemens AG. It is a very interesting ride and quite uplifting. Most people will leave the show feeling that the human race has accomplished a lot and optimistically has many more great things to do.

The line for the pavilion is usually quite reasonable and should be half or less than some of the other big attractions in the park. Also thanks to the location of the queue under the ball of the pavilion, it is usually very comfortable even on the hottest days so a good tip is to save this ride for the heat of the day.

This is a favorite event for any family and you really need to enjoy it. While you won’t buzz around at 60 mph, you will definitely learn a few things and you will have a general feeling of good will.

Mission: SPACE is one of the most popular attractions in the park and you will want to visit this pavilion early in the day or get a FASTPASS to decrease your time in line. Even in the slowest of days, you can expect hour long lines for this amazing event.

The Imagination! Pavilion sits towards the back of the front half of Epcot, Future World. At one time Imagination! was the one of the best attractions in the park but now it is getting a little old and, to be honest, lacks imagination.