Top 10 Reasons Epcot Center is Still Cool Having just returned from my family vacation in sunny Orlando, I tuned in to catch the latet episode of The Simpsons. Since Matt Groening knew I was going to be on vacation, he produced an episode just for me- The Simpson family visits Epcot! Or rather Efcot. From the airplane Homer stares down at the Futuresphere (aka Spaceship Earth) and shouts in horror, "It's even boring from the air!" The episode parodies Epcot's shameless corporate sponsorship (a ride sponsored by a gas company takes Homer and Bart on a ride aboard an electric car which wheezes, "I'm so slow and if your ride me people will think you're gay. A group of flamboyant AudioAnimatronics pass by shouting "One of us, One of us"). Principal Skinner even sleeps in Monsato's House of the Future, which was in Tommorowland at Disneyland in the 60's. Epcot is my favorite park, so here without further adieu, here are the top 10 reason Epcot is still cool. 10. Sure, everything is expensive, but you can get free soda from all over the world at Ice Station Cool. My favorite is "Smart Watermelon" from China. Because I live in a Dominican neigborhood, I can indulge in watermelon soda back in NYC too. Drinking some right now in fact. 9. The Universe of Energy features an AudioAnimatronic Ellen Degeneres fighting off a dinosaur. Yes, Ellen Degeneres. 8. Disney cast members (employees) are crazy. I went to Guest Relations and asked a Cast Member what the Ancient Greek Play being performed in "Spaceship Earth" is and without missing a beat, the cast member replied, "Oedipus Rex". 7. Talking water fountains. 6. Space Age optimism is awfully retro. 5. Circlevision 360 films. Whenever Disney does a movie, it does it some ridiculously widescreen format. The most popular wraps completely around you in all directions. In an age of increasingly small cinema screens, it's amazing to see what large format film can do. 4. You can hit on people from 12 different countries. Everything from Swedes to Japanese, all World Showcase cast members are from their native countries. 3. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. The best show Disney has ever created, Illuminations tells the story of man in twenty minutes. When was the last time a fireworks show made you tear up? 2. Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tommorow. Or Every Person Comes Out Tired. Or Explosive Polyster Costumes of Tommorow. Or, if you're a cast member, Every Paycheck comes on Thursday (except on holidays when it comes out Wednesday). 1. You'll get the jokes in the Simpsons episode "Special Edna". If this has failed to convince you, have hope. Disney plans a major overhaul of Epcot, dubbed "Project Gemini". In addition to a new 3G ride called "Mission: Space", they plan on adding two new countries and replacing the ride within Spaceship Earth with a Microsoft sponsored ride called "Time Racers". The rededication would take place in 2006.

posted by Japhy at 1/07/2003 09:00:00 PM || #