Changes

While an attraction inside the America pavilion had always been a part of the plans for [[EPCOT Center]], its location and design changed frequently during the park's planning. As early as 1976, there were plans for an American attraction to be one of EpcotCenter's major draw draws <ref name= "vid1"/>. By the 1978/79 EPCOT Center plans, Imagineers wanted to use the American Adventure pavilion as a bridge between Future World and World Showcase <ref> http://progresscityusa.com/2009/06/27/a-visit-to-epcot-center-1979/ </ref> <Ref name= "Martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=218 </ref>. The This version of the pavilion would have been two stories tall, with the American Adventure attraction located on the building's second floor <Ref name= "allears"> http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_adv.htm </ref>. Eventually however, Imagineers had decided that keeping America apart from to place the rest of the countries in American pavilion within World Showcase, would seem elitist and thus . By placing the whole pavilion was moved to at the far side back center of the World Showcase promenade land, Imagineers not only put America amongst the other countries, but they also created a "weenie" to draw guests back into the land <ref name= "allears"/>.

With a goal of creating a theater venue that would be “alive and moving” <ref name="vid1"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT8dbXhN1G8</ref>. , Imagineers eventually came up with the idea of using creating a “Magic Theater” <ref name= "mouseplanet"> https://www.mouseplanet.com/9905/Will_Rogers_and_the_American_Adventure </ref>. The theater was designed so that it would be able to combine: Audio Animatronics, video, audio, and moving sets to tell the story of America <ref name= "mouseplanet"/>.

With the infrastructure and form of the attraction now settled on, Randy Bright and his team set about writing the shows script. Early on, Bright proposed the idea of focusing on “dreamers and doers”, a theme an ethos that would guide the show's development <ref name="vid2"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8WTTQzuDZge</ref>. Bright and professor of history at UCLA D. Allen Yarnell would meet late at night at Imagineering to work on the show. One of the concepts theme that they took into account hoped to portray was the overcoming of adversity, while also not wanting to whitewashing the country's history <ref name="vid2"/>. Bright also further noted that the show focused on a series of individuals using their own words.

In order to help set the various scenes which were to be depicted in the American Adventure, Imagineers initially wanted the attraction to have three hosts, with each host representing one of the centuries that America had existed for <ref name= "Korkis"/>. The three men chosen to guide guests through the story of America were Benjamin Franklin (18th century), Mark Twain (19th century), and Will Rogers (20th century). Although promoted in concept art by Disney <ref> http://progresscityusa.com/page/57/ </ref>, it was eventually decided that Will Rogers would not appear as one of the attraction’s attraction's hosts (although he would appear in Audio Animatronic form in the 20th century scene), leaving the duo of Franklin and Twain as the sole narrators. This decision was made after Disney discovered that only 5 out of every 150 college students knew who Will Rogers was <ref name= "mouseplanet"/> , and they could not come to a consensus on a replacement. Randy Bright later contemplated that the events of the 20th Century were too current to properly find a representative for <ref name= "mouseplanet"/> Although never seen by the public, the script for the beginning of the American Adventure with Will Rogers as a one of the hosts has been discovered. This version would have begun with Franklin, Twain and Rogers reflecting on the country's past: {{Quotation| '''Ben Franklin:''' America has been settled by the people of all nations. We are not a narrow tribe of men, no. Our blood is as the flood of the Amazon, made up of 1,000 noble currents all pouring into one. We are not a nation so much as a world.” Excuse me, Mr. Twain, Mr. Rogers. I am sure you recognize those inspiring words from Herman Melville. It seems they are going to preamble a new show called the American Adventure. It also seems that we three have been asked to be the central figures in the show.<br>'''Mark Twain:''' The three of us star in a show together? I can see it now. Hmm! I just bet Mr. Rogers would love to step on my lines. <br>'''Will Rogers:''' Now, now, Mr. Twain, you know that’s not true. <br>'''Twain:''' Why, Mr. Rogers, you know truth is the most valuable thing I have. <br>'''Rogers:''' Well, I guess that’s why you use it so sparingly. <br>'''Franklin:''' Gentlemen, gentlemen, we are not addressing the issue at hand: The American Adventure. <br>'''Twain:''' Frankly, I’m sick and tired about all the grousing about what’s wrong with America. We should make it fashionable again to talk about all the things that are right about this country. <br>Franklin: I agree. The time has come to make an optimistic statement about America and her people. <br>'''Rogers:''' Well, sir, not just about the days gone by, but about today’s world and tomorrows, too. Don’t forget, we passed from the scene a long time ago. <br>'''Franklin:''' Mr. Rogers, I’m sure that if anyone can offer a new perspective on America’s challenges for tomorrow, we can. I may have invented these bifocals I’m wearing but I can assure you they’re not rose colored. Don’t forget, that between the three of us there is a lot of first-hand experience during the first two centuries. We were there. <br>'''Twain:''' Two-hundred years, that’s an awful lot of ground to cover. <br>'''Franklin:''' We can each take the period we’re the most familiar with. I should host the show right through the birth of a new nation. <br>'''Twain:''' I can cover the growing expansion of the American frontier. <br>'''Rogers:''' I sorta guess things have been kinda crazy in the 20th century. Changes faster than any of us could keep up. <br>'''Twain:''' Just look around us. Decaying cities, pollution, crime. I’d rather put my crystal ball in reverse. <br>'''Franklin:''' Now, stop that nonsense. Those good old days that everybody speaks of, they were no utopia either. Mr. Twain, those Mississippi shores you walked as a boy were also walked by slaves. And Mr. Rogers, how about the lawlessness and violence of your glorious West?…And in my time, few children lived to be adults. If I may quote you from my own Poor Richard’s Almanac: ‘The golden age never was the present age.’ Mr. Twain, if you want to go back, go right ahead, but from what I’ve seen, the 20th Century has an incredible amount of positive things that are simply taken for granted. <ref name= "mouseplanet"/>}}.