American Adventure

The American Adventure is located in the World Showcase at Epcot theme park. This awe-inspiring 30-minute theatrical show uses 35 lifelike Audio-Animatronic figures and filmed sequences in dramatic recreations of extraordinary people and events in American history.

The American Adventure takes guests on a trip through America's history. It is narrated by figures of Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain (both of whom had lived almost 100 years apart). The show is presented in a theater-like auditorium, with sets and characters rising out from the stage floor to represent scenes from different historical periods. The characters provide insight into American life of the past through conversations in which they discuss the current events of their time. Periods include the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 (representing American industrialization), and the Great Depression. The presentation culminates with a musical film montage representing famous moments and people in American history from post-World War II to the present.

Hosts Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain will take you through a stirring exploration of America's past. On the way, you'll meet visionaries such as:

• Thomas Jefferson
• Frederick Douglass
• Susan B. Anthony
• Alexander Graham Bell
• Teddy Roosevelt
• John F. Kennedy
• Martin Luther King Jr.

As you sit down before the show, you will notice 12 statues, 6 on each side of the theater. These are the "Spirits of America." On the left side of the theater, from front to back, are Individualism, Innovation, Tomorrow, Independence, Compassion, and Discovery . On the right side of the theater, from front to back, are Freedom, Heritage, Pioneering, Knowledge, Self-Reliance , and Adventure. They are all life-sized, and are highlighted during the final sequence of the show. The presentation is a showcase for Disney attractions featuring Audio-Animatronic figures, filmed images, moving sets, and sound and lighting effects. The 30 minute show highlights notable events and great personalities in American History.

Touring Tips

• Seating is conventional theater seating and you sit during the entire show. All seats are pretty good.

Facts

• The screen is 72 feet wide.
• The "Golden Dreams" film montage near the end of the presentation was last updated (about 45 seconds near the end) June 2007.
• There are 35 Audio-animatronic figures used in scenes depicting the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth Rock, the Boston Tea Party, George Washington at Valley Forge, the writing of the Declaration of Independence, the Civil War, slavery and the invention of the telephone.
• Disney's attention to detail is evident in the speeches and broadcasts used. They are often the original text and, where available, the actual recordings.
• Although the American Adventure building is actually five stories high, "forced perspective" makes it look only two stories high, so that it accurately reflects colonial architecture (in which buildings were never more than two stories).
• There are so many figures and changes in the show that Disney uses something called "the war wagon," a movable device under the theater, measuring 65-by-35-by-14 feet and weighing 175 tons. Ten different sets are stored on the device, and then moved forward or backward when needed. It is all computer-controlled.

History

In 1993, the attraction was updated with all new animatronics and a new version of the theme song. In mid-2007, about 45 seconds of footage were added to the end of the Golden Dreams montage, the first updating of the montage since the 1993 renovation. The most notable addition is the brief footage of NYPD/FDNY rescue crews after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Hidden Mickey

• During the show when the Statue of Liberty is shown and the torch set rises, behind the torch the cloud of smoke forms a Mickey.
• In the foyer of the American Adventure, check out the three holes on the girder.
• In the pavilion lobby, look for the painting of wagon train heading west-above the front leg of the foremost oxen.