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Written by Louis A. Mongello
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- The Land pavilion now has a Kidcot Fun Stop, joining Test Track and the Living Seas "The Land" pavilion is 253,780 square feet, and covers six acres, which includes working greenhouses and labs. The main building can hold up to 3,600 people and includes three attractions, a guided, behind-the-scenes tour, a great little food court and a wonderful character-meal restaurant.
- As you enter the building, you will pass the largest flower bed on property, measuring 20,000 square feet and containing about 20,000 plants.
- Both sides of the 134 foot long mosaics at the entrance to the Land pavilion are exactly the same except for just one tile, which marks the hidden "signature" of the artist. It can be found on the right hand mural, to the left of the Land sign. It is one, small, green tile. This tile is rumored to represent the birthstone of one of the members of the husband and wife artist team. The rest of the murals are made up of marble, glass, granite and gold, signifying the layers of the Earth.
- The large, center balloon in the center of the Land pavilion represents the different cultures of the world. The "rain" that falls from this balloon symbolizes the many nations nourishing the earth, which is on the top of the fountain below. The balloons surrounding the center balloon represent the four seasons. If you look closely, you will see that the colors of the balloons reflect winter, summer, spring and fall seasons. Also, if you look from the second floor to the food court below, you will see that the tops of the umbrellas all contain images of the sun as represented in different cultures. Just another incredible example of Disney's attention to detail and theming behind everything they do.
- The Land has (had) three attractions inside its 6 acre pavilion:
- "Living With the Land" is a relaxing boat ride through working greenhouses, aquacells, and laboratories to take a fascinating look at the environment and advances in food technologies.
- "Food Rocks" was a fun-for-all-ages show focused on nutrition. Sounds boring? It's not - classic music stars take the stage and perform as Animatronic fruits, vegetables, breads, and.... wait.... I'm not making this sound any more exciting, am I? Trust me, it's actually a lot of fun! Then again, it's not quite enough to save it from being closed for the Epcot version of Disneyland 's "Soarin' Over California" attraction, set to open in the Land pavilion in 2005.
- The "Circle of Life" is a film using animated characters from the "Lion King" to both entertain and inform guests about how we interact with the environment. This film includes various scenes that were filmed in more than 30 nations across the globe. You may not remember "Kitchen Kabaret," but for 12 years beginning in 1982, this show about the four food groups "rocked" the Land pavilion. It was originally sponsored by Kraft, before sponsorship of this pavilion was taken over by Nestle in November, 1992.
- The Kitchen Kabaret featured Audio-Animatronic food characters and a single human character, your host, Bonnie Appetit. This fun, colorful show was similar to shows like the "Country Bear Jamboree," but it was informative as well as entertaining. "Mr. Dairy Goods" introduced his "Stars of the Milky Way," including "Miss Cheese," a well-dressed... well, piece of Swiss cheese. She was joined by "Miss Yogurt" and "Miss Ice Cream" and sang lyrics like:
- "Your taste buds, I'll appease.
- I know how to please.
- It's known that I'm too good for words.
- Oh, isn't that right, big boy?" The original movie, "Symbiosis," was replaced by "Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable" starring the Lion King's Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba in 1995. This 20 minute film demonstrates the many dangers facing the environment and the responsibility we all have to take to care of the land. At over 6 acres in size, The Land pavilion could fit Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom completely inside of it. Although it cannot fit the 56 acres Typhoon Lagoon, it could house all of River Country, which is only 5 acres in size. With the addition of the Soarin' attraction space, it is now even larger, as the show buidling is almost 60,000 square feet alone!
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