Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
220
PET CARE
Accommodations are offered at kennels just outside the Entrance Plaza at
Epcot for $13 to $23 (
&
407/824-6568
). Proof of vaccination is required. There are also
four (soon to be five) other kennels in the WDW complex. (See chapter 11 for more
details.)
STROLLERS
These can be rented from special stands on the east side of the Entrance
Plaza and at World Showcase's International Gateway. The cost is $15 for a single and
$31 for a double. Length-of-stay rentals are available at $13 per day for a single and $27
per day for a double. Full payment is required up front for length-of-stay rentals. See
p. 236 for tips on using a stroller at WDW.
WHEELCHAIR RENTAL
Rent wheelchairs inside the Entrance Plaza to your left, to
the right of ticket booths at the Gift Shop, and at World Showcase's International Gate-
way. The cost for regular chairs is $10. Electric wheelchairs cost $45 a day, plus a $20
refundable deposit.
FUTURE WORLD
Future World is in the northern section of Epcot, the first area mainstream guests see
after entering the park. Its icon is a huge geosphere known as Spaceship Earth—aka, that
giant golf ball. Major corporations sponsor Future World's 10 themed areas (that means
they're making pricey investments, such as the $100 million that Hewlett Packard
dropped on the Mission: Space ride you'll read about a little later in this chapter). The
focus here is on discovery, scientific achievements, and tomorrow's technologies in areas
running from energy to undersea exploration.
Here are the main attractions.
Imagination
Frommer's Rating:
B+
Recommended Ages:
6-adult
In this pavilion, even the fountains are magical. “Water snakes” arc in the air, offering
kids a chance to dare them to “bite.” This pavilion was upgraded in 2001 to include more
high-tech gadgets, and a year later Figment, the pavilion's much-loved mascot, returned
(see below).
The 3-D
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
ride is the big attraction here, deserving of
an
“A” rating
by itself. Based on the Disney hit film
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,
you're
terrorized by mice and, once you're shrunk, by a large cat; then you're given a good shak-
ing by a gigantic 5-year-old. Vibrating seats and creepy tactile effects enhance dramatic
3-D action. Finally, everyone returns to proper size—except the family dog, which cre-
ates the final surprise.
Figment,
the crazy but lovable dragon mascot of the park when it opened, was resur-
rected in the
Journey into Your Imagination
ride in June 2002. Things begin with an
open house at the Imagination Institute, with Dr. Nigel Channing taking you on a tour
of labs that demonstrate how the five senses capture and control one's imagination,
except you never get to touch and taste once Figment arrives to prove it's far, far better
to set your imagination free. He invites you to his upside-down house, where a new
perspective enhances your imagination. “One Little Spark,” an upbeat ditty that debuted
when the attraction opened in 1983, has also been brought back.
Once you disembark from the ride, head for the
“What If ”
labs, where your kids can
burn lots of energy while exercising their imaginations at a number of interactive stations
that allow them to conduct music and experiment with video.
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