Description And Comments

The United States Pavilion, generally referred to as The American Adventure consists (not surprisingly) of a fast-food restaurant and a patriotic show.

The American Adventure production is a composite of everything Disney does best. Housed in an imposing brick structure reminiscent of colonial Philadelphia, the 29-minute show is a stirring, but sanitized, rendition of American history narrated by an audioanimatronic Mark Twain (who carries a smoking cigar) and Ben Franklin (who climbs a set of stairs to visit Thomas Jefferson). Behind a stage (almost half the size of a football field) is a 28 x 155-foot rear-projection screen (the largest ever used) on which motion picture images are interwoven with action on stage.

Though the production elicits patriotic emotion in some viewers, others find it overstated and boring. A man from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, writes:

I've always disagreed with you about The American Adventure. I saw it about ten years ago and snoozed through it. We tried it again since you said it was updated. It was still ponderous. Casey used the time for a nap, and I was checking my watch, waiting for it to be over. I'll try it again in 10 years.

An Erie, Pennsylvania, couple resented Disney's squeaky-clean version of American history:

Our biggest gripe was with The American Adventure. What was that supposed to be? My husband and I were actually embarrassed by that show. They glossed over the dark points of American history and neatly cut out the audio about who bombed Pearl Harbor (after all, Japan is right next door and everyone is happy at WDW). Why do they not focus on the natural beauty of America, the ethnic diversity, immigration, contributions to the world society? No, it's a condensed and Disneyfied history lesson that made us want to pretend to be Canadians after seeing it.

But an Iowa City, Iowa, father of three thinks a lot of people are missing the point:

Cramming all of American history into a 20-minute flick is no easy task, and face it, a theme park is hardly the place for a wholly objective, serious critique of the United States. I think that it's perfectly appropriate for the film, as an attraction in Epcot, to emphasize what's good about the United States.

Touring Tips

Architecturally, the U.S. Pavilion isn't as interesting as most others in World Showcase. But the presentation, our researchers believe, is the very best patriotic attraction in the Disney repertoire. It usually plays to capacity audiences from around 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., but it isn't hard to get into. Because of the theater's large capacity, the wait during busy times of day seldom approaches an hour, and averages 25 to 40 minutes. Because of its theme, the presentation is decidedly less compelling to non-Americans.

The adjacent Liberty Inn serves a quick, nonethnic, fast-food meal.

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