Standing across World Showcase Lagoon is the stately Georgian manor facade of the host pavilion, The American Adventure. At one point conceived as a ride-through experience bridging Future World and World Showcase, the attraction evolved into one of the most spectacular theatrical presentations ever created for a Disney Park. It was moved to the opposite side of the lagoon both to be a better host, blending architecturally with its neighbors, and to serve as a draw, its must-see status inspiring Epcot Guests to make the trip through World Showcase.
The American Adventure show is immense in scale, and the building housing it is equally huge. To help keep it from overshadowing the other World Showcase pavilions, the trick of forced perspective is employed. But where forced perspective is often used in the parks to make structures like Cinderella Castle or the Matterhorn appear taller or larger, here its goal is to make the mansion look smaller.
In reality, the front face of the building is nearly five stories tall, but is made to look like two (or three if you count the windows in the roof). The illusion is accomplished through the use of oversize details. Doors on the first floor, for example, are nearly 10 feet tall. You'll also notice a line of brick across the center of the facade, creating an artificial delineation between the "first" and "second" stories.
Inside, the pavilion is equally grand. The rotunda takes your breath away, even if the wonderfully talented Voices of Liberty aren't performing. Should you find yourself in a nearly empty rotunda, try this trick: stand at one end and have a friend stand at the other... and whisper. Although you'll be quite a distance apart, you can easily hear one another. The acoustics are that good.
There are many details to enjoy here while waiting for Franklin and Twain to take the stage. Take a few moments to walk the perimeter and admire the paintings on display, marking key moments in American history. Some claim a Hidden Mickey behind the front left leg of the black and white steer in this depiction of the journey west. I say it's wishful thinking, but you may feel otherwise.
Heading around the room, be sure to read through the quotes featured on the wall and contemplate how they reflect on the American experience, and don't miss this most-unusual antique... a one-legged table standing in the corner.
The American Heritage Gallery, a fairly recent addition to the pavilion, currently features an exhibit entitled "National Treasures." On display are, among other things, original Edison inventions and articles once owned by the likes of Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln.
The American Adventure attraction speaks for itself. It may not be the huge draw it once was, but the show is as inspiring as ever. The technology never ceases to amaze me, and the film montage at the end never fails to bring a tear to my eye. The song playing over that montage is "Golden Dream" by Bob Moline.
"Golden Dream" also happens to be the name of the replica Virginia Sloop docked at the edge of the lagoon. It's an homage to the very beginnings of this nation, a country settled by people who set sail in search of their dreams and found them in a land called America.
