Awesome Planet
| Awesome Planet | |
| |
| The Awesome Planet attraction poster | |
| Epcot | |
| Land | Future World |
|---|---|
| Theme | Conservation |
| Opening date | January 17, 2020 |
| Ride duration | 10:00 minutes |
| Disney Genie + | No |
|
| |
Awesome Planet is an attraction located within The Land pavilion at Epcot
Contents
Attraction History
Awesome Planet was originally announced on March 19, 2019 as the long awaited replacement for The Land pavilion's former film Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable [1]. At this time, the Awesome Planet was described as, "an on-screen exploration of the realm we call home, (which) showcases the spectacular beauty, diversity and dynamic story of our earth with all the grandeur guests have come to expect" [1].
In comparing Awesome Planet to its predecessor, Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald stated that in this new era, Disney wanted to give guests a more optimistic message. Fitzgerald noted:
we need to give to the audience is an optimistic message of hope for our planet. We worked with Jane Goodall, Sylvia Earl, we had many, many experts thanks to our DisneyNature team bringing in these people to help us with messaging.... It totally fits in The Land pavilion, it totally fits with Epcot’s message of an optimistic celebration of our world, but also a call to action for our future"[2]
The film's narrator, Ty Burrell, was chosen in part because of the character Phil Dunphy that he played on ABC's Modern Family [2]. Since Awesome Planet is narrated by a "planetary realtor", who is trying to sell the audience on the beauty and value of Earth, Burrell was a natural choice. Furthermore, Fitzgerald noted that when casting the film's narrator they wanted someone who could be a "Disney dad", telling the story in a warm and friendly way, while also being able to add levity [2].
Prior to the opening of Awesome Planet, the Harvest Theater was updated. At this time, the theater's seats were restored, and the capacity for in-theater effects was installed. Despite these refurbishments, the theater's famous preshow wall carpeting (which has been present since EPCOT Center's opening day) remained, with Tom Fitzgerald noting that the carpet was "core DNA in Epcot [2]".
On January 17, 2020, Awesome Planet officially opened in The Land pavilion [3]. Since opening, the attraction has not seen any major changes.
Attraction Synopsis
Awesome Planet begins with a shot of Earth "under construction". Over the planet's first four billion years, it is hit by a meteor and turned volcanic, before cooling and being covered by mostly water. The film's narrator, Ty Burrell, then notes that Earth has an ideal location in relation to the sun, which makes it perfect for life. He also observes that the planet's distance from the sun gives it water, the moon controls the tides, and the early meteor strike put the planet on a tilt.
Zooming in towards Earth, the next scene in Awesome Planet showcases the planet's many biomes. The first featured habitats are the Earth's coastal cities and underwater wildlife. Here various images of fish, dolphins and whales are shown.
Moving to the next biome, the subsequent scene features the planet's deserts, where both the arid wildlife and human civilizations that survive in the heat are depicted. Next, the narration moves on to the planet's poles. Here, arctic animals appear, as do the Northern Lights and the small human settlements found on the Earth's extreme edges.
After leaving the poles, the film moves on to Earth's grasslands. Here, not only are the various mammals of the biome shown, but also the farming that humans do to feed the planet's population. As with the grasslands, the beauty and nature of the planet's forests are also featured.
After recapping the beauty and diversity of the planet's biomes, the narrator moves on to the way that the different environments balance each other and keep the planet maintained. At this point in the film, the effects of climate change on the planet's biomes are depicted. As droughts, heating, glacier depletion, natural disasters, wildfires and rising ocean levels flash across the screen, the narration gives the audience a call to action.
Turning to a more optimistic tone, the narrator then explains that while there are challenges, there is also hope. Never before have humans had the knowledge and tools needed to "turn things around". The film then implores guests to chose to make a difference, as the camera sweeps across scenic shots of the planet. Concluding with another image of Earth from space, the narration notes that the planet is a miracle, and it is up to all of us to keep it that way.
Fun Facts and Trivia
- The score for Awesome Planet was composed by Academy Award winning composer Steven Price [4]
See The Film
To see Awesome Planet click play below
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/the-land-pavilion/news/19mar2019-awesome-planet-coming-to-epcots-land-pavilion.htm
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.laughingplace.com/w/articles/2020/01/14/interview-with-wdis-tom-fitzgerald-and-marie-colabelli-about-three-new-epcot-shows-canada-far-wide-awesome-planet-beauty-and-the-beast-sing-along/
- ↑ https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/awesome-planet/news/16jan2020-video---awesome-planet-at-epcots-land-pavilion.htm
- ↑ https://wdwnt.com/2020/01/photos-video-new-awesome-planet-film-debuts-in-the-land-pavilion-at-epcot/
