The American Adventure in Epcot
The American Adventure in Epcot at Walt Disney World is home to an inspiring look at the history of the United States of America.
From my very first visit to Walt Disney World way back in 1983, The American Adventure has always been one of my favorite Disney attractions. It presents the history of our nation in a unique way, by making it come alive on the stage right in front of you, thanks to those cool Audio-Animatronic figures and a really, really big screen. No boring lecture or old-fashioned film here. Instead, seemingly real things that are constantly coming and going, up and down, with recreations of several well known Americans, too.
Not only was I intrigued by the story presented, but also the technology behind the story fascinated me right from the beginning. How do all of those different set pieces rise from the floor below the stage? How do all of those cool figures work? how do they fit it all in what looks to be a modest sized building pictured here?
I later discovered that what appears to be the attraction’s building is really just a facade, and that the actual building is much, much larger than what you can see here. So then I was intrigued by how they could hide that large building so that most people don’t even know it is there. Pretty cool.
If you are wondering, the door seen here at the center of the photo, which is at the right of the building, is actually the door to the gift shop at the side of the building. Unlike most newer Disney attractions these days, this one does not have you exit through the gift shop, although there is still one nearby.
Even though this is just a facade, it is a really cool facade, and it perfectly captures what you might think of when you think about American history.
Facades can be good and bad. They can help hide what we don’t want people to see, which sometimes can be good. But they can also hide the real person behind there, which is often actually more interesting than the false front that we try to put up. So then, be careful with what facade you put up because it might just hide something even better.
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. - Proverbs 23:4
About the Photo
Yes, it’s another fisheye photo. Those are becoming rather common around here, aren’t they? Right now I like taking a different look at the world than what you might normally see.
This photo also has some pretty dramatic processing to bring out the detail in the building and the clouds, thanks to the Nik Filters in Photoshop. Again, just another way to get a different look at things.
Another before-and-after look, so that you can see how much of a different look the finished photo has:
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: June 9, 2016
Location: Epcot, Walt Disney World, Florida
