Day 1292: Mesa Verde

Time for another National Parks Adventure! 

Previous to only a few weeks ago, I'd never really thought much about Mesa Verde. I'm actually embarrassed to say that I hardly knew anything about it, and probably didn't even realize it was a National Park. After all, when someone says National Park, you probably recall some of the more famous locations: The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Yosemite. Still, when we planned our trip to Colorado and we realized that Mesa Verde would fall on my birthday, I had no qualms about the idea. 

For my fellow vintage Epcot Center fans out there, you might just remember a connection to Mesa Verde in a lost attraction: Horizons! Essentially a continuation of the Carousel of Progress, the family has now split up between various futuristic colonies, one of which is located in the desert, or more importantly: Mesa Verde. Daughter Patricia has found her home in Colorado, working as a farmer on a desert colony. I will say that Disney's Mesa Verde looks a bit more rocky than the real Mesa Verde, which is pretty flat. They did get the dry part right though. The area is frequently devastated and leveled by fire. It takes decades for the vegetation to grow back, and it's never more apparent than driving through Mesa Verde National Park, where they leave much of the natural area alone to regrow on its own. 

I also spent quite a bit of time marveling at the fact that civilizations built and lived in the cliff dwellings that seem rather impossible to enter, at least from a distance. Today there are stairs and man-made pathways that get you into the dwellings quickly and safely. When the builders lived there, on the other hand, they'd climb down using footholds along the side of the cliff, and I can't help but wonder how many fell rather than hanging on. It seemed rather dangerous to me, although when you include the idea of safety, it makes more than enough sense as to why they built there. 

And speaking of the farming that takes place in Horizons, that isn't actually all that far off. Another reason the civilizations moved to the cliff dwellings was to increase the available space to grow crops, which mostly consisted of foods easy to dry: corn, peppers, etc. I'm not sure they would have been growing oranges like Patricia was, but she lives in the future, after all! 

I'll say this one more time though: if you haven't visited one of our many glorious National Parks, do so soon! There are tons of special events and discounts going on for the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and it's one of the greatest times to visit! And for those of you saying "Yes, but Lizzie, there aren't any National Parks in my state," all I have to say is go out and find one nearby! We don't have any in Wisconsin either, and yet in the past couple of weeks I was able to visit two National Parks, two National Monuments, and a National Historic Site! They're all out there, waiting for you to explore, so get started and find your park! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1271: The First Time

No, the above picture is not from my first trip to Walt Disney World, but really, at this point, I don't have a lot of pictures from that trip. I do have some video, which I'm hoping to transfer, but beyond that I don't even have any memories of my own. I mean, I was 15 months old, so I don't know how I would remember any of that, but still. 

The truth is, things were pretty different at Walt Disney World during my first trip. The first time I saw Cinderella Castle, and I love to tell this story, it wasn't blue. It was pink. For the 25th anniversary they decorated the castle as a giant pink birthday cake, and the outcome was sort of...odd. When I find the pictures of it I'll be sure to share, but in the meantime you can definitely find some on Google. Just search "Cinderella Castle 25th Anniversary." Actually, the first two trips I took, that's how the castle looked. Can you imagine if I had been older? I probably would have thought that it was supposed to look like that. 

Horizons was still there, as was the Skyway and Dreamflight. Food Rocks was the highlight of The Land, and Dreamfinder was even still hanging with Figment. World of Motion would have just closed for it's transformation into Test Track, and, at the time, a giant Toy Story Parade graced the streets of the then MGM-Studios. In the Backlot, things were drastically different, with an extended tour and residential street still intact. Oh, and Animal Kingdom didn't even exist. 

As I go through that old video I'll be sure to share some of the differences I find with you, and hopefully I'll have pictures and video clips to back myself up! But I do think that looking back to our first trips is sort of an important and fun thing to do. After all, Disney World changes quickly, and sometimes we don't realize just how quickly until we take a look back. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1219: Keeping Attention

There have been a few changes over at the Universe of Energy in the past couple of years. Most apparent is that the Ellen audio-anamatronic in the dinosaur section went missing a while back and hasn't returned due a leak that required her repair. The snake-like dinosaur she was fighting has been removed too, and they've been replaced by a new set of dinosaurs, although Ellen's voice can still be heard faintly, still fighting off the dinosaur and calling out for Bill Nye.

That's just one example, however, of how rundown this attraction is becoming, and from the looks of it, repairs aren't going to be happening any time soon. It's rather sad actually, to see such a wonderful attraction go to waste, the same way many do at Epcot soon before they're eventual closing. The Universe of Energy isn't closing, at least not right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually faced the same fate as Horizons, The Wonders of Life, and Maelstrom.

The problem, however, isn't that the attraction is run down. That is an issue, yes, but that's not the issue here. The truth is, audiences are turned off by the 45 minute show that you honestly can't escape. With an 8 minute preshow, the interior section of the attraction comes up to 37 minutes. 37 minutes that you must remain fully seated in the moving vehicle. If you want to leave during that time, that's not going to happen either, as attempting to exit the vehicle would result in a complete ride shut down, a process that takes quite a while to reverse.

While personally I love heading into The Universe of Energy on a hot day for a much needed break, the general public isn't likely to remain interested for the entire show, even with Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ellen leading the story. Attraction vehicles that were once packed to the rim now sit mostly empty, and if you stand by the entrance even for a short amount of time, you'll hear and see more than one group turn away from The Universe of Energy because "it's too long." The same can be said for other attractions at Epcot, some of which are some of the best at Walt Disney World: The American Adventure and Impressions de France included. The Canada film, located in the far back of the pavilion, is largely overlooked, and while the film in China is more well-attended, it too lacks the crowds it once had.

It's been noted in the past few years that humans now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, loosing interest after only 8 seconds on average thanks to the high tech world we live in, and it's not lending any help to theme park attractions in general. Where audiences in the 80's and 90's would once find The Universe of Energy, Horizons, The American Adventure, or Spaceship Earth interesting and enjoyable, today's guests look only to the fast paced, character filled, and high energy attractions that are becoming increasingly popular. I'm not saying that we can all sit through attractions like Universe of Energy for an entire day, but I fear that these changes will result in the loss of some absolutely wonderful attractions at Epcot, as well as the rest of Walt Disney World. It's a shame, really, because I think that's where the real Disney really comes out. The focus isn't about how fast you can go or how many drops it has, but it's instead about the story, and often at Epcot, the connections to our real world that have made us who we are and can help tell us where we're going.

What are your thoughts on attention spans and the impact they have on Disney attractions?

Have a magical day!

Day 1203: The Epcot that Once Was

I wasn't around back in the 80's when Epcot first opened, and I barely remember some things from my youngest years in the late 90's, but I do know that the Epcot that once was is very different from the one that sits in Central Florida today. It's a shame really, because the original Epcot was popular, and there's a huge community of fans that would love to see it restored to its former glory. Actually, most people just really want Dreamfinder back, but I don't blame them at all, because, well, me too. And Horizons too!

Pretty much every pavilion at Epcot has undergone major changes, with the exception of World Showcase, which has stayed relatively the same until just recently. Back in Future World, on the other hand, very little of the original park still exists. Spaceship Earth is close, still telling the story of communication through a slow-moving trip through time, but the World of Motion has turned into Test Track, and Horizons was demolished to become Mission SPACE. Even the Seas has changed drastically with the addition of Nemo and his friends, a change that actually brought life back to the pavilion. In Imagination, Captain EO has come and gone multiple times now, and meanwhile, Figment barely holds on without is pal Dreamfinder, and back on the other side The Universe of Energy is quickly becoming both rundown and outdated. Even Innoventions is looking it's age as half of it sits empty, and as the other half is in danger of the same.

And yet, many of us try to keep the memory of the old Epcot Center alive. I see both sides of the story here, really. A good part of me agrees with the fans, wishing to see some of our favorite vintage attractions return because, really, they were so much better than some of what's there now. On the other hand though, I'm not entirely sure that those old attractions would appeal to the general public today. Attention spans are shorter and the appreciation for the dark ride has come and gone. Instead, I really think we should be putting our energy into combining the thrills of modern Epcot and the stories and educational quality of the past. 

Where this theory seems to work already is the Seas, where Nemo has taken over. Some hate the addition of the little fish, but you can't argue with the fact that the pavilion is once again somewhat popular, and that it's at least somewhat nice to have an attraction back in there! Plus, over the past few years I've noticed the educational programs picking up speed, and overall the pavilion seems to be running much like it did years ago, just with a different theme. 

There's some problems with this theory too, since many of the original attractions were outdated by the time they left, and just like with Tomorrowland, it's difficult to keep attractions and areas ahead of the curve continuously without doing major remodeling every few years. It's where we lost Horizons and the end of Spaceship Earth. And current educational programs in the United States are far different from what they were in the 80's and 90's, mostly because we're more opinionated now than we were then, meaning attractions that promote healthy eating and exercise, much like Kitchen Kabaret and Food Rocks did, will no longer be popular with guests. 

In the end, I suppose we'll have to just go with the flow here and force ourselves to keep moving forward. As much as we might want the original Epcot back, even I'm not sure that it would be the right fit for our current society, and while I agree not everything should be about money, I'd rather keep Epcot open and running smoothly than see the sequel to The Carousel of Progress one more time. 

Although bringing Dreamfinder back might be a good compromise. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 488: Long Gone

Day 8 of the Disney Photo Challenge: A picture of the ride you miss the most. 

Blast from the Past: 

Why are all of these questions so hard? 

For this one I think I'm going to have to say Horizons in Epcot. I don't remember much about this attraction, but I remember enough to know that I enjoyed it as a kid. 

Horizons was a ride where it took you through technologies of the future, ideas that we haven't even thought of beginning to explore. Things that now we are able to do...like grow crops in the desert. Then there are ideas of living underwater, and the class of children on a field trip are able to play with a sea lion. And finally, ideas of what it might be like to live in Space...and this is really the only part I remember. There's a little boy who has lost his shoe and they are trying to leave for the day, but his shoe is off floating...due to the lack of gravity. He's also got his teddy bear, floating quietly in space near him. It was said that the ride is a futuristic continuation of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, and if you have had the chance to see both, you can very easily notice the similarities, including the daughter from the famous World's Fair attraction...and the loveable dog, Rover. 

The ride closed in 2001 for good after a long struggle without a sponsor, and was soon after replaced by Mission Space. But I'll always remember the kid in space who lost his shoe.

Back to the Future: 

I completely agree with my past self. I do miss Horizons, but I think I'm going to have to expand a bit here.

In March, I had the chance to explore in the Wonders of Life Pavilion, or at least, what used to be the Wonders of Life Pavilion. I haven't been in there in years, so it was a new adventure to see what was still there and remember what used to exist versus what was there now. Unlike Horizons, I do have quite the firm memory of Wonders of Life, but it brings about a larger topic.

I miss all of the old Epcot. It's not to say that Epcot isn't, well, Epcot, but there's a certain aspect missing now. The Seas isn't the same, although it's getting better, and Dreamfinder is long gone in the Imagination Pavilion. No one really remembers Kitchen Kabaret anymore, and while I love the current version of Spaceship Earth with all my heart, I can't help but feel a bit sad about the loss of the attraction I loved as a child.

So that's my answer: I miss the old Epcot. Where everything was about exploring what the future had to offer.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 19).