Visit To Epcot Center (1983)

[music] >> Welcome to this very special place, Epcot Center. Walt Disney's greatest dream >> [music] >> is now a reality. Located within the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, Epcot Center has two major themed areas. Future World is a showplace for new ideas and new technologies. It provides entertainment with a purpose and is dedicated to that most precious of human resources, imagination. While Future World has the look of tomorrow, World Showcase presents a [music] colorful array of architectural styles and historic landmarks. This is a true community of [music] nations, each proudly displaying the culture and accomplishments of its people. Here, everyone is a world traveler. You can go [music] from Europe to Asia and back again in the course of a single afternoon. Towering above [music] the entrance to Future World is the most recognizable, most dramatic symbol of Epcot Center, Spaceship Earth. Inside the 18-story [music] geosphere, there awaits a journey through the history of communications from cave painting to the dawn of recorded time, through the Renaissance, the invention of the printing press, Number, please. and the telephone, to the vast [music] electronic network that now surrounds our planet. At the end of the ride is Earth Station, a futuristic city hall where information systems and touch-sensitive screens help you [music] plan your day or allow you to call for personal assistance. Communicore, with its central location, is the hub of Future World. In a sense, it's also the heart of Epcot Center, for here are [music] the computers that control many of the attractions. As in Spaceship Earth, Communicore's theme is communications, but with a special emphasis on systems that are friendly, not formidable. Come talk to Smart One. He'll listen and talk back. >> Let's see. Touch a sensitive screen to assemble the American flag, >> [music] >> or choose component parts and design your own roller coaster, then stand by to ride your own creation. >> [screaming] >> In Future Choice Theater, express an opinion, perhaps about a simple matter of preference, or perhaps about an issue of vital importance. How does your opinion compare with that of the rest of the audience? Or with other audiences [music] on other days? Near Communicore is Universe of Energy, massive, wedge-shaped, practical. The roof is covered with photovoltaic cells that collect solar radiation and help power traveling theater cars, each one capable of carrying up to 97 passengers. Universe of Energy features dioramas and large-format motion pictures to recreate the primeval Earth, show the formation of fossil fuels, and suggest possible new energy sources for the future. Horizons, a spectacular new attraction, is seen here in the form of show design models and renderings. [music] Horizons is a vision of [music] life as it may be lived in the 21st century. Depart from Future [music] Port and review Looking Back at Tomorrow, a whimsical salute to visionaries of the past. This is what they thought [music] the future would bring. What do we think? Well, Tomorrow's Windows presents intriguing ideas and concepts, then allows you to choose the way your ride will end, [music and clears throat] a high-speed adventure beneath the ocean, or above the land, or in the far reaches of outer space. Appropriately wheel-like [music] in shape, World of Motion takes a good-humored look at transportation through the ages. There are moments that changed history, and [music] some that didn't quite. And of course, with increased mobility, there are bound to be hazards. In a more serious vein, a walk-through area called TransCenter offers information about such things as computer-aided car design and aerodynamics. >> [music] >> Could this be the car of tomorrow? Next, Journey into Imagination. But before going [music] inside, pause for a moment by the world's craziest fountain. Dreamfinder and his small friend Figment are the hosts as you ride through a swirling maze of colors, shapes, sounds, and even smells. >> [music] >> The Image Works is a creative [music] playground featuring stepping tones, bubble music, pen screens, giant kaleidoscopes, and magic palettes where color is applied with an electronic stylus. In the Chroma Key Theater, amazing [music] things happen. And Magic Journeys, a 3D film, has the audience reaching for some of the largest, sharpest three-dimensional images ever created. There are many giant-screen motion pictures to be seen at Epcot [music] Center. Disney film crews traveled the world for 2 years shooting 1 and 1/2 million feet of film [music] in 30 countries and establishing a whole new dimension in the quality of sound and images. Leaving Journey into Imagination, it's a short stroll to the land where Farmers Market is a good place to stop for a snack or meal. Then it's showtime, folks. Kitchen Cabaret, [music] starring Bonnie Appetite and a cast of wacky characters, combines lively entertainment with a common-sense message [music] that a balanced diet is essential for good health. Immense in scale with 6 acres under one roof, The Land provides living proof of a new partnership between people and nature. A boat cruise attraction, Listen to the [music] Land, introduces various natural biomes, such as desert terrain, [music] and the North American prairie the way it used to be. It looks at the development of farms and rural homesteads, then moves through greenhouses and growing areas [music] where experiments are continually underway. The object is not [music] to eliminate conventional farming methods, but to supplement them. Here, different food crops are grown side by side, a technique called [music] intercropping, and tropical and desert plants share the same environment. Some plants are grown in sand with trickle irrigation providing just the right amount of nourishment. Others are suspended in the air, their roots misted with a mixture of water and [music] nutrients, or are moved on conveyor belts through optimum light conditions. This revolving drum >> [music] >> reproduces the force of gravity, a potential way of growing crops in outer space. The Land's creative greenhouses offer alternatives for the future, providing a testing ground for new techniques that may one day play [music] an important role in high-density food production. Finally, the delicate balance between technology, progress, and the environment is explored in Symbiosis, a wide-screen motion picture in the Harvest Theater. The Land clearly exemplifies Epcot Center's goal to entertain, >> [music] >> inform, and inspire. It may cause you to wonder, how was Epcot Center conceived? Where did it all begin? Well, it could be said that the dream [music] began in California. And now, Walt Disney will step forward to read the dedication of Disneyland. >> [applause] >> To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past. And here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America. With the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. Thank you. 16 years later came the opening [music] of Walt Disney World in Florida. Walt himself did not live to enjoy this happy occasion, and the new park [music] was dedicated by his brother Roy. The Walt Disney World Resort and Entertainment [music] Complex proved to be immensely popular and successful, changing the entire [music] economy of Central Florida. But this was only one further step in the realization of Walt Disney's dream. He spoke of it >> [music] >> in 1966. Epcot will take its cue from the new ideas, the new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and new systems. Construction began in 1979. >> [music] >> In October of [music] 1982, Epcot Center was officially declared open. >> [music] >> Now, let's cross the World Showcase Lagoon to the American Adventure. With architecture and furnishings that reflect early American styles and a hall displaying historic [music] flags of the nation, this is the setting for a drama played out on the largest rear projection screen [music] ever built and a Broadway-size stage. The cast includes dozens of audio-animatronics figures, with Ben Franklin and Mark Twain serving as hosts. I shan't spend another night up here. At [laughter] least you got shoes made of all of us made Special moments in time, drawn from 350 years of American history, capture the spirit of the nation and pay tribute to its people, whether they be great leaders or ordinary men and women. It is easy to see, hard to foresee, but I foresee the American Adventure to continue a long, long time. From the American Adventure to the adventure of traveling the world. Italy, for example, to enjoy the ambience of Venice. A classical fountain. The fun of street theater. Lunch in a popular Roman [music] restaurant. From Italy to Germany. And the joyful [music] exuberance of a Bavarian beer garden. Come sing, come dance, for here it's Oktoberfest all year round. >> [music] >> Next, China. >> [music] >> Walk through the gate of the Golden Sun to experience [music] Wonders of China, a motion picture in CircleVision 360. >> [music] >> Purchase a handmade souvenir. View an exhibit of historic treasures. But beware of the dragon. >> [music] >> Then, Mexico. A Mayan pyramid towers above World Showcase Promenade. A mariachi band sets the mood. Inside, eat at the restaurant or sail through Mexico's history on El Rio del Tiempo, the river of time. On to Canada. Indian carvings, French colonial architecture, the skirl of the pipes, all are symbolic of the nation's heritage. And stand by for a whirlwind tour of a spectacular land as you are surrounded by the CircleVision [music] 360 motion picture, O Canada. High Street, Upper and Lower Regency Streets, Tudor Lane, Britannia [music] Square. This, of course, is the United Kingdom, a pleasant place to stroll, browse, shop. This could well be a bridge across the Seine, or even the English Channel, for on the other side lies France. At the end of this gracious boulevard is a theater showing the five-screen motion picture, Impressions de France. Nearby stores sell everything from books to pastries to perfumes. The journey continues [music] to Japan, serene, formal, with enduring traditions of design and craftsmanship. One of the pleasures here is to watch a master chef at work. >> [music] >> Or to see the fantasy dream maker sculpt candy into the elaborate shape of a bird, a heron, then give it away [music] to someone in the crowd. In the evening, as dusk falls over Japan's great torii, a gate signifying good luck, as the sun sets behind the Eiffel Tower, Epcot Center takes on a magical, dreamlike beauty all [music] its own. The lights come on to be reflected in the shimmering surface [music] of spaceship Earth. >> [clears throat] >> Epcot Center, Walt Disney promised, will never be completed. New attractions and additional countries will continue [music] to be added. On the dedication plaque are these words, "May Epcot Center entertain, [music] inform, and inspire. And above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's [music] ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere."