| The large, flat, mirrored building that houses the
Universe of Energy is located directly to the left of Spaceship Earth and Epcot's entrance
plaza. The pavilion's attraction is "The Energy Adventure," a journey into the
origin and future of fossil fuels and how they affect us.
Guests find a seat in a large theater to view a film about the beginning of the universe,
then the seating area splits apart into six sections, taking the audience on a ride
through ancient Earth and a presentation on the origin of fossil fuels. The ride features
audio-animatronic dinosaurs in a prehistoric jungle-like setting -- the air is thick,
humid and steamy. Thunder crashes in the distance, and the smell of sulfur from volcanoes
permeates the air.
The ride (and preshow) is 42 minutes, and since the attraction is a movie and ride in one,
the crowds do not move at a constant rate. Instead, one group of guests go through the
attraction while the rest wait in line for the next show. This sounds intimidating, but
the attraction itself holds 580 people at one time, so when the ride is done and the seats
empty again for the next presentation, the line is depleted.
Youngsters and school-aged children might not find this attraction all that interesting,
particularly if they've traveled hundreds of miles just to watch a presentation on a
subject taught in eighth-grade physical science. But if this sounds dry, it isn't. In
1996, Disney made some upgrades to make it a little less stodgy, most notably bringing in
television actress and comedian Ellen Degeneres to narrate the attraction's main movie,
"Ellen's Energy Adventure." Kids probably will enjoy the ride portion of the
show much more than the movie.
DINING: The pure and simple counter-service restaurant that serves
low-fat waffles, sandwiches, salads and yogurt.
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