Disney X

I had the DAS(descriptive audio system) with me, just in case but the Epcot version didn’t work any better than the Magic Kingdom one. It worked in the Circle of Life but I didn’t use it because I can hear fine. The funny part is we left the Circle of Life and went down two floors to Living with the Land(ride) and the DAS was still on Circle of Life. That seemed funny to me.

Living with the Land is just a boat ride through the pavilion’s greenhouses but it’s fascinating nonetheless. The boat itself is slow enough that I can board without assistance and I don’t need to fold up my cane. There is a driver for the boat and he/she is also your guide, pointing out the sights and talking about the projects at the Land. These include trying to find a way to grow plants efficiently enough in space to feed the astronauts or growing more nutritional plants. They have behind the scenes tours of the Lands facilities and I can hear the people walking, sometimes, even voices.

Soarin’ is also part of the Land Pavilion. It was part of the park in California and now is part of Walt Disney World. It is a fantastic attraction; it’s a movie-type attraction, or rather, the scenery is on a giant movie screen. It is a simulated hang gliding experience over California. This would have been a very good attraction for the DAS to work on; alas, a few of those pesky bugs were still in it.

In addition to moving the seats a little, there are other effects such as smells and the wind. You fly over The Golden Gate Bridge, an aircraft-carrier, a forest, some hot-air balloons and much more. You can smell the forest and feel the wind of your passage through the air. I can’t see it all but Mark points out what he can. One more thing; you glide over Disneyland and see the fireworks light up the night sky.

Last in the Future World section of Epcot is the Universe of Energy. This attraction combines a show and a ride. The first part is a show with Ellen Degeneres, actually, you’re in her dream. She’s dreaming she’s a contestant on Jeopardy with two really smart people. She gets all of the questions wrong so during the break before double jeopardy she, and the viewers, go on an excursion to the age of the dinosaurs.

Bill Nye, the Science Guy is also part of the attraction and he is Ellen’s tour guide through the wilderness. While in the Cretaceous Period you have some encounters with dinosaurs but that’s not the object of why you, and Ellen, are there. Bill talks about how the plants and animals that were alive then died, became fossilized and over millions of years turned into fossil fuels; original name.

Innoventions East and West are also in Future World but this is best done on a rainy or when there’s nothing better to do. These areas are full of games and hands-on activities. World Showcase is next.