Epcot: Where dreams are made
Vision is the art of seeing the invisible.”I am often reminded of these words by Jonathan Swift, the Irish clergyman who authored Gulliver’s Travels. In fact, to fulfill what we are destined for we must break out of our current comfort zone and be at ease with the unfamiliar and the unknown. Truth is, at the end of the day, our visions are our own.
In my Visualization class at Harvard Business School, I cited one exemplary man who has always been guided by the basic idea that, in the discovery of knowledge, there is great entertainment. Although he died the year I was born, his work and legacy live on and I simply cannot imagine life without his creations and organization. His name is Walt Disney. He is every child’s hero.
Walt Disney’s last and possibly greatest dream was his project called Epcot or the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Located in Orlando, Florida, Epcot is about discovery — the ideas and technologies that will take us into the future and the people who will make those things happen.
A recent visit with my childhood friend Edwin Santos to Epcot last month was a rediscovery of sorts. The last time I visited the park was one spring break with my only brother Mark way back when we were students in Boston in the early ‘90s. I love Epcot. It convinces us that the future is a great place to be.
My youngest sister Yvonne Romualdez and her husband Pael and kids Carin and Cito as well as her in-laws Margie and Kiko Romualdez and their daughter Marite had just visited the park and were raving about the latest inventions. Together, we exchanged stories of our unforgettable impressions of the park. Epcot, opened in 1982, is actually the first park designed by the Disney “Imagineers” that isn’t based on the original Disney theme park. It is not based purely on fantastical stories and nostalgic visions but rather on science, technology and classic World Fairs.
It is said that Walt Disney was very excited about his idea for a “city of tomorrow” but his health deteriorated and he did not live to see the fruition of his Epcot dream as one of the most popular theme parks in the world.
Epcot has an “ambassadorial” approach, bringing in different nations, cultures, histories and cuisine in one theme park — The World Showcase. Here, you can experience 11 different nations participating in interactive presentations and view the latest in cutting-edge technology — all in one vacation. I felt like Alice in Wonderland as we toured several country showcases and mentally made a checklist of the countries that I had yet to visit.
At the massive Mexican pavilion, we rode on a boat along a moonlit river flowing through a central Mexican jungle — the experience is akin to the exposition scenes of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” attraction at Disneyland. A fabulous series of projections and special effects with scenic murals paying homage to Mexican ancient cultures is quite a spectacle. As we cruised along, there were dancers on the side streets, their movements depicting the struggle between good and evil as performed by Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, and Tezcatlipoca, the tiger. A touch of Spanish colonial era in Mexico was also evident in “It’s a Small World” where Imagineers elevated the Mayan myth as its central theme via music, the vital element of the show.
Next stop was the Norwegian pavilion where the nation’s seafaring heritage is appreciated. The Pavilion showcases the efforts of the natives of Norway to connect and protect the seas and their natural environs — as evidenced by their traditional homes with boat designs echoed in roofs. The pavilion also depicted a charming little cobblestone plaza, reminiscent of those found in the costal cities of Bergen, Alesund, Oslo, and the Setesdal Valley.
We entered the China showcase by passing through the Zhao Yang Men, which translates to “Gate of the Golden Sun,” modeled after the gate of one of the emperor’s summer palaces near Beijing. The dominant element in the skyline of the pavilion is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, a commanding tower of imperial stature.
Then to Germany, where we witnessed the prototypical Bavarian village called the platz or plaza. The classic image of a German township is replete with architectural styles ranging from the 13th to 17th centuries.
The Italian pavilion brought me back to my sojourn to Venice some years ago. In this pavilion, I was reminded again of how hungry the flocks of pigeons at Piazza di San Marco were as they plucked morsels of bread from my palms. There are gondolas, too, in this Imagineering showcase and already I could almost picture lovers kissing under the Bridge of Sighs. The pavilion radiates romance and revelry.
I learned that one of the most delicate tasks of the Imagineers was how to portray the United States, the host country in the World Showcase, without seeming overly dominant in the execution of its design. The creative think-tanks behind the park thought of constructing a colonial American manor house, in order to evoke the most definitive period in America’s early history. The edifice is intended to portray “America’s Mansions,” rather than any particular governmental hall, in keeping with the rest of the showcase. Included in the US showcase is a museum where guests can “meet” up close and personal many of America’s most prominent personalities.
Added in 1984, the Moroccan pavilion ushered in a new attraction to the World Showcase. The pavilion takes inspiration from the cities of Casablanca, Marrakesh, Rabat and Fez. It is drawn from the traditions of Islamic architecture. This attraction brought to mind our very own musical film titled Emir that was partly filmed in Morocco, produced by the Film Development Council of the Philippines. This film, directed by Chito Rono, will be shown on June 9.
Apart from the World of Showcase, Epcot is also composed of another area called Future World. In essence, these two major areas give visitors the feeling of going to two theme parks when they are in Epcot.
Future World is home to “Illuminations,” a nightly laser, music and fireworks show held over the World Showcase lagoon. We looked up at the sky before the illumination show started to view the countless stars. Edwin, who hails from Texas where there is a telescope observatory, reminded me of an accomplished engineer, Antonio Rodriguez, a graduate of Colegio San Agustin in Makati and De La Salle Taft who is one of the leading antennae engineers of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) project, the largest astronomical project in existence and the most ambitious ground-based telescope project in Atacama dessert in Northern Chile. The project is set to revolutionize modern astronomy by providing new insights on star formation in the early universe and imaging local star and planet formation in great details. Rodriguez is among the proud global Pinoys who makes the future an awesome place to live in.
Having “traveled” the many countries and sights in Epcot in one day, it was almost automatic that we treated ourselves to a hearty meal. Thus we found ourselves having dinner at the classy Palms Steakhouse in nearby Hard Rock Hotel. We were welcomed by the gracious executive chef Larry Sinibaldi, who won the Simon Super Chef Crystal Award, a contest similar to the TV show Iron Chef. Over a delightful dinner of oven-roasted Chilean sea bass fillet with garlic confit in a marsala-infused red pepper broth and porcini rubbed prime rib New York strip steak and the finest red wine, we reminisced about our fun-filled day at the Epcot.
Epcot is a place where dreams are made, where ideas and technologies transport the human race into the great unknown. It’s about anticipating the future — with excitement. And this future is made all the more beautiful and attainable by the Imagineering minds of the people at excitedly.
With Epcot, the future is now in the present.
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For more info on Epcot, call (407) 939-7675 or 7801. The Palm Restaurant in Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort can be reached at (407) 503-7256 or visit www.thepalm.com.
E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.
