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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 |
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You’re in The Land pavilion. Maybe we should call it the Yester-Land pavilion. (Don’t miss Food Rocks while you’re here.) |
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There can be long waits for some of the attractions in this pavilion—but not this one. It’s a 13-minute movie with just a few minutes between showings, so even if you just missed a show, you won’t have to wait long for the next one. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Off the upper level walkway of The Land |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Entrance |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Lobby |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Pre-show on multiple displays |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Steeply raked auditorium |
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The movie starts off with gorgeous nature footage accompanied by the gorgeous song “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King. But that’s just setting the stage for a feel-bad story of environmental despair, followed by a feel-good story of environmental hope. There’s some animation, but mostly live-action. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Circular sun at the finale of the song, “The Circle of Life” |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Timon and Pumbaa, Simba’s sidekicks from The Lion King |
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Who knew that Timon and Pumbaa were real estate developers? This movie tells the story of when they had ambitious plans to build Hakuna Matata Lakeside Village. Pumbaa has long had the ability to “clear the savanna after every meal,” but this time clearing the savanna means destroying the environment by preventing the natural flow of water. Simba, who has become the King of the Pridelands by the time this movie takes place, is alarmed. “Phase one,” explains Timon, “we dam the stream to create the biggest lake of the savanna.” “But guys,” replies Simba, ”the animals downstream need water too.” “Hey, if they need water,” counters Timon, “they can move to Hakuna Matata Village.” Dry streambeds cross a parched savanna in the valley below. Simba responds, “I think I better tell you a story about another creature who’s a lot like you.” “You mean perfect, hot, ripped, and buff?” asks Timon. “Ah, no,” says Simba. “I mean a creature who sometimes forgets how everything is connected in the great Circle of Life.” Simba tells a cautionary tale about humans. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 “Dam!” (“Hey, watch your language Pumbaa!”) |
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Live-action footage shows environmental stress around the world. At first, Simba has a hard time getting through to Pumbaa and Timon. In a reaction to a tall concrete dam across the Colorado River, Timon’s first reaction is that he and Pumbaa need to “think way bigger.” |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 “With more people, they needed more space.” |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 The good life can come at a price |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 A scene in a montage of poisoned air, decaying waste, dead fish, and forest destruction |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Realizing how important all the world’s plants and animals are |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 Waterflow restored |
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Simba’s message finally gets through to Pumbaa and Timon. They destroy their dam. Nature reclaims the savanna. Pumbaa and Timon have learned a valuable lesson—and perhaps the audience has too. |
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Circle of Life: an Environmental Fable opened January 21, 1995, at the Harvest Theater in The Land pavilion at Epcot ’95 (as the park was branded that year). Kraft Foods had sponsored The Land from 1982 to 1992. Nestlé USA took over in 1993. With the new sponsor came updated attractions. Circle of Life replaced Symbiosis, a serious movie about “the delicate balance between technological progress and environmental integrity.” Symbiosis had opened with EPCOT Center on October 1, 1982, and had played until January 1, 1995, well after Nestlé USA came on board. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2002 Originally presented by Nestlé |
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Circle of Life reused some footage from Symbiosis. With its popular animated stars, it was more fun for children. Actually, it was more fun for anyone who did not come to a theme park for a serious educational movie. Unfortunately, as is usually the case with movies, especially those without gimmicks such as “4D” effects, the attraction lacked repeatability. Nestlé USA dropped its sponsorship of The Land in 2009, but the movie stayed. Circle of Life: an Environmental Fable closed permanently February 3, 2018. It had a long run—slightly more than 23 years in the same movie theater. How many other movies can make that claim? After the film closed, Disney used the Harvest Theater for Disney Performing Arts student workshops and performances. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2019 “From Bean to Bar” in the Harvest Theater lobby |
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During the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, the lobby became “The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to Bar,” an exhibit and shop featuring Ghirardelli Chocolate—but Disney had bigger and better plans for a few months later. Awesome Planet opened January 17, 2020, as the third movie at the Harvest Theater. The ten-minute film features spectacular footage, along with warnings of threats to our planet. This time the premise is that real estate agent Phil is selling Planet Earth as if it were a house. The narration is off-screen, and it works well, striking a balance between cleverness and content. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020 Awesome Planet where Circle of Life: an Environmental Fable used to be |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020 The Awesome Planet lobby, reusing the carpeted walls |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020 Awesome owls in Awesome Planet |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2020 Awesome turtle in Awesome Planet |
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The Land pavilion is mostly devoid of Disney, Pixar, ABC, Star Wars, and Marvel characters. With so much of Epcot now becoming Disney IP Land, a break from relentless IP is a good thing. However, Awesome Planet has a Disney IP tie-in after all. The narrator is actor Ty Burrell, playing real estate agent Phil Dunphy, a character on an ABC sitcom, Modern Family. The ABC broadcast network is owned by Disney. It’s safe to say that Phil is less well known than Timon and Pumbaa. |
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© 2023 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated August 1, 2023 |
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