My parents used to take me to Disney World. I used to love it. I was a Disney child. I still am really.
But you know what always held my imagination? Epcot Center.
If you've never been to Disney World, Epcot Center is always the place people think is boring. No Disney mascots, no branded rides. That's how it used to be anyway.
So why did Epcot center hold my imagination way longer than any of the rides at Disney World?

I love science. I believe when used in the right way, it can really improve our lives. Epcot Center was always about this. Now, true, Exxon had a location there that showed how fossil fuels were made. Kids saw massive dinosaurs moving around, then saw how they died, and how material eventually became oil. Even if you don't like fossil fuels though (and I certainly love the growth of solar power and other renewables), the science of it was awesome. I still think it was an amazing way to show how those fuels were created.

Where Epcot Center was really amazing though, was in how it showed what could be done with science when used right. One exhibit I hated as a kid was "The Land." Why? It was all about growing vegetables and how there was new research into making them. I don't have a problem with GMOs, but I get people who do and agree there should be labeling. Doesn't hurt right? Anyway, I don't remember The Land talking about GMOs, but I remember taking a ride through a greenhouse with things like this on display:

I mean, what kid wants to see that? But it was important. It showed how we need to use the land to grow more crops to feed people and how to do it in a way that was safe. It also taught kids that the land could be destroyed if it wasn't taken care of. I mean, these are big lessons for any kid to learn!

Another area was The Living Seas. It simulated you riding down into an ocean base. It had the largest saltwater tank on the planet and had tons of fish and aquatic life. Kids got to see how the planet began, where oceans came from, and how that changed geology. It also showed the importance of coral reefs and how they benefit animals and coastlines. For reasons like this, I've always been okay with animals in captivity when proper natural enclosures are in place. I know there are people who think zero should be kept in zoos, and I won't argue against that position. Just saying that these sorts of displays had a big influence on me as a kid and were a big reason I learned to be in favor of proper care for wildlife.

Then there was the super-goofy "Horizons," a theater that showed you what life would be like in the 21st century.

It was a fun, George Jetson-y type experience. I'm still waiting on my robot butler though!

There was nothing at Epcot that compared to Spaceship Earth, though. I have to show a lot of pictures from this. Spaceship Earth started at the beginning of mankind and went through its history. It showed the first cave drawings and first sailors and mapmakers.


It tracked humans all the way to the future, using 'sophisticated' computers (on the ride they're still using vacuum tube computers!) and planning our way into the stars:

Then the ride took you into the stars and basically said, this is mankind's destiny. To one day leave earth and continue our voyage. We started as land voyagers, became sea voyagers, and now we'll be space voyagers.

I left Epcot believing that our home, the planet, should have both its oceans and land taken care of. I also left believing that science, used responsibly, could take us anywhere in the universe. I miss Epcot center. I admire Walt Disney having this crazy vision to educate people about these type of things. It was so edutainment. But it's probably the part of Disney World I miss most. If I ever have kids, I hope the Epcot I take them to will be able to teach them a lot of the same lessons.