1.
Wonders of Life (TV series)
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Wonders of Life is a five-part television documentary series presented by physicist Brian Cox. The series was produced by the BBC and Chinese state television network CCTV-9, an accompanying book with the same title was also published. Brian Cox journeys to Southeast Asia to see how life began on Earth and how the flow of energy created, in the second episode, Brian travels to the U. S. to showcase how the laws of science allowed senses to arise. Brian travels to Africa and Madagascar to analyse why Earth is a fertile place, the fourth episode sees Brian in Australia looking at how the size of life affects each plant and animal, and how long it can survive. In the final episode, Cox travels to Mexico to explain what makes Earth a home for life, the Region 2 DVD discs were released on 4 March 2013. A book related to the series was authored by Andrew Cohen, the book was published on 24 January 2013. Wonders of the Solar System Wonders of the Universe Human Universe Forces of Nature Wonders of Life at BBC Programmes Wonders of Life at the Internet Movie Database
2.
Epcot
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Epcot is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Parks, inspired by an unrealized concept developed by Walt Disney, the park opened on October 1,1982, and was the second of four theme parks built at Walt Disney World, after the Magic Kingdom. The park is divided two sections, Future World, made up eight pavilions, and World Showcase, themed to eleven world nations. In 2015, the park hosted approximately 11.98 million guests, ranking it the third most visited park in North America. The park is represented by Spaceship Earth, a sphere that also serves as an attraction. Epcot was known as EPCOT Center until 1994 when it was later renamed Epcot 94, then Epcot 95, the theme park opened on October 1,1982. The dedication plaque near the states, To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship. Epcot Center is inspired by Walt Disneys creative genius, here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, the wonders of enterprise, and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May Epcot Center entertain, inform and inspire, and, above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in mans ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere. The parks name, EPCOT, is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, in Walt Disneys words, EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed but will always be introducing and testing, and EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world of the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise. His original vision was for a community which would have been home to twenty thousand residents. This radial plan concept is influenced by British planner Ebenezer Howard. Transportation would have been provided by monorails and PeopleMovers Automobile traffic would be kept underground, the remaining portion of the model is visible on the left behind glass. Walt Disney was not able to obtain funding and permission to work on his Florida property until he agreed to first build Magic Kingdom. He died nearly five years before Magic Kingdom opened, after Disneys death, Walt Disney Productions decided that it did not want to be in the business of running a city without Walts guidance. The original plans for the park showed indecision over the parks purpose, some Imagineers wanted it to represent the cutting edge of technology, while others wanted it to showcase international cultures and customs. At one point, a model of the park was pushed together against a model of a Worlds Fair international theme
3.
Cranium Command
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Cranium Command was an attraction at the Wonders of Life pavilion at Walt Disney World Resorts Epcot theme park. The show was a presentation on the importance of the human brain. The pre-show itself was the first directing effort of Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, famous for later directing Beauty and it premiered on October 19,1989, as of January 4,2004 it began to operate seasonally, closing permanently on January 1,2007. During the 2007 International Food & Wine Festival, the entrance was used as a wine presentation, the pavilion has continued to be used for various Epcot festival events. As of 2016, the attraction still stands today hidden from public view, from the entrance at the back of the pavilion, guests walked into a very basic, sparsely themed holding room with a digital counter reading the time until the next show. On the walls hung propaganda posters encouraging guests to enlist in the Cranium Command, also there was signage including brain teasers and humorous gags and puns, setting the stage for both the concept and tone. Guests were then led into a narrow, tall room with brightly colored carpeted walls, facing the guests was a plain movie screen, and closed automatic doors to their left. A bumbling little soldier named Buzzy has been one of the most difficult missions of all. Worrell, as an example of the opposite, at the end of the preshow, General Knowledge asks the guests, Where do you think you are, Disney World. Get your strollers in line and hustle, pointing towards the theater as the automatic doors swung open. The main show was presented in a 200-seat, dimly-lit theater designed to represent the inside of a human head, Buzzy was now presented as an Audio-Animatronic on an articulated seat so that he can move around during the performance. The monotone Hypothalamus, which regulates autonomic bodily functions, is represented via Audio-Animatronics as a robot. At each point in the day, the organs of the body talk to Buzzy, explain the problems theyre facing. In the end, Buzzy eventually learns how to balance the needs of his body crew in order to combat potential stressful situations. The attraction was the only surviving element from the original 1978 plans for EPCOT Centers Life. Titled The Head Trip, it was to share a space with a dentistry-themed show called Tooth Follies. Designed by legendary Imagineer Rolly Crump, the stage and concept would be similar to the final incarnation, when Disney was unable to find a sponsor to host the pavilion, the construction of Life and Health was delayed indefinitely. However, an expansion pad between the Universe of Energy pavilion and the Horizons pavilion was kept as Disney still planned to build it
4.
Walt Disney Imagineering
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Imagineering is responsible for designing and building Disney theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, and other entertainment venues at all levels of project development. Imagineering also manages various properties held by units within the Walt Disney Company including Disneys Burbank Studios, New Amsterdam Theater, when Disney was in the sports team ownership that included Edison Field and the Mighty Ducks Disney Ice practice rink in Anaheim. Disney filed for a copyright for the term in 1967, claiming first use of the term in 1962, Walt Disney Inc. was formed by Walt Disney in 1953 with the Disneyland designing engineering division. In light of objections from Roy as well as those of potential stockholders, in 1961, WED moved into the Grand Central Business Park, the site of the former Grand Central Air Terminal, in 1961. The unit was renamed as of January 1986 to Walt Disney Imagineering, in 1996, Disney Development Company, the Disney conglomerates real estate development subsidiary, merged into Imagineering. Imagineering created Disney Fair, a U. S. traveling attraction, with poor attendance, the fair was pulled after a few stops. Disney Entertainment Projects Inc. a new Disney Asian Pacific subsidiary, by 1997, Imagineers were in several buildings in Grand Central Business Park when Disney purchased the park. In September 1999, Disney Imagineering announced the Grand Central Creative Campus redesign of the park with a new office-studio complex anchored by Disney Imagineering. Some of the building were demolished to make way for new buildings, the additional space would be for sound stages, production facilities and offices. Imagineers are governed by a few key principles when developing new concepts, often, new concepts and improvements are created to fulfill specific needs. Many solutions to problems are designed in this way, such as the vehicle of the attraction Soarin Over California. An Imagineer found an Erector set in his attic, and was able to envision, Imagineers are also known for returning to ideas for attractions and shows that, for whatever reason, never came to fruition. These ideas are often reworked and appear in a different form – like the Museum of the Weird, finally, there is the principle of blue sky speculation, a process where Imagineers generate ideas with no limitations. The custom at Imagineering has been to start the process with what is referred to as eyewash--the boldest, wildest, best idea one can come up with. Many Imagineers consider this to be the beginning of the design process and operate under the notion that if it can be dreamt. Imagineers are always seeking to improve upon their work--what Walt Disney called plussing and he firmly believed that Disneyland will never be completed as long as theres imagination left in the world, meaning there is always room for innovation and improvement. During an Imagineering workshop in 1991, Marty Sklar presented ten commandments attributed to Mickey Steinberg, WDI is responsible for technological advances such as the Circle-Vision 360° film technique and the FastPass virtual queuing system. The idea sprang from Disney’s fascination with a bird he purchased in New Orleans
5.
MetLife
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MetLife, Inc. is the holding corporation for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, better known as MetLife, and its affiliates. MetLife is among the largest global providers of insurance, annuities, the firm was founded on March 24,1868. The company went public in 2000, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia’s Pacific region, Europe, and the Middle East. MetLife serves 90 of the largest Fortune 500 companies, in January 2016, the company announced that it would spin off U. S. Retail business, including life insurance and annuities for the retail market. They will maintain the MetLife name on MetLife Stadium, on March 6,2017, the separated U. S. Retail business launched Brighthouse Financial – an independent company focused on life insurance, as of 2010, the company was organized into five segments, Insurance Products, Retirement Products, the US Business, and International. The Insurance Products division was the largest unit, accounting for 53% of 2009 revenue, by 2015, a division referred to as Americas had emerged. As of 2011, MetLifes chief executive officer was Steve Kandarian, Kandarian also served as the companys chairman of the board and president as of 2015. Hired in 2013, John Hele served as chief officer for the company as of 2015. In 2015, MetLife hired Hugh Dineen to fill the new role of chief marketing officer within the US Business Unit, safeguard Health Enterprises, Inc. and Tower Square Securities, Inc. MetLife Bank was sold to GE Capital in 2013, and MetLife exited the banking business, the predecessor company to MetLife began in 1863 when a group of New York City businessmen raised $100,000 to found the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. The company insured Civil War sailors and soldiers against disabilities due to wounds, accidents. On March 24,1868, it known as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. A severe business depression that began with the Panic of 1873 forced the company to contract, by 1880, sales had exceeded a quarter million of such policies, resulting in nearly $1 million in revenue from premiums. In 1909, MetLife had become the nation’s largest life insurer in the United States, in 1907, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company tower was commissioned to serve as MetLife’s 23rd Street headquarters in Lower Manhattan. Completed two years later, the building was the worlds tallest until 1913 and remained the headquarters until 2005. For many years, an illustration of the building featured prominently in MetLife’s advertising, by 1930, MetLife insured every fifth man, woman, and child in the United States and Canada
6.
Walt Disney World
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The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida. The resort is the destination of Disneys worldwide corporate enterprise. Opened on October 1,1971, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, the resort is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company. It was initially operated by Walt Disney World Company, Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open in the complex, in 1971, followed by Epcot in 1982, Disneys Hollywood Studios in 1989, and the most recent, Disneys Animal Kingdom in 1998. Designed to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955, the Florida Project, as it was known, was intended to present a distinct vision with its own diverse set of rides. Walt Disneys original plans called for the inclusion of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt Disney died on December 15,1966, before construction began, without Disney spearheading the construction, the company created a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning experimental concepts for a planned community. In 1959, Walt Disney Productions began looking for land to house a second resort to supplement Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which had opened in 1955. Market surveys at the revealed that only 5% of Disneylands visitors came from east of the Mississippi River. Additionally, Walt Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland, Walt Disney flew over a potential site in Orlando, Florida – one of many – in November 1963. To avoid a burst of land speculation, Walt Disney World Company used various dummy corporations to acquire 30,500 acres of land, in May 1965, some of these major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. In addition, two tracts totaling $1. Some are now memorialized on a window above Main Street, U. S. A. in Magic Kingdom, the smaller parcels of land acquired were called outs. They were 5-acre lots platted in 1912 by the Munger Land Company, most of the owners in the 1960s were happy to get rid of the land, which was mostly swamp at the time. Another issue was the rights to the land, which were owned by Tufts University. Without the transfer of rights, Tufts could come in at any time. Eventually, Disneys team negotiated a deal with Tufts to buy the rights for $15,000. Working strictly in secrecy, real estate agents unaware of their clients identity began making offers to landowners in April 1964 in parts of southwest Orange and northwest Osceola counties
7.
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
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Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake, the permanent residential population of Lake Buena Vista was 10 at the 2010 census. Lake Buena Vista is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area and it was located fully inside the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The city was controlled by the Walt Disney Company and allowed it powers that other area attractions had not had, chapter 69-1527, which became a law on July 3,1969, without the governors approval, redefined the city boundaries. The city was moved, taking over some land that had been part of the City of Bay Lake. Soon after, the City of Reedy Creek was renamed to the City of Lake Buena Vista to better reflect its new location, Buena Vista comes from the name of the street in Burbank, California, where the Walt Disney Company is headquartered. The Reedy Creek Improvement District had all the powers of the city and more, Walt Disneys original plans for the site included at least one futuristic living area, a planned community of the future. This was never built, but some of the ideas were incorporated into the EPCOT theme park and later Celebration, the only residents of the city are Disney employees and their immediate family members who live in a small community on Royal Oak Court, north of Disney Springs. The only landowners are fully owned subsidiaries of Disney, and rights-of-way for state, Lake Buena Vista is located at 28°22′39″N 81°31′18″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.1 square miles. Lake Buena Vista is a body of water located east of the Buena Vista Golf Course, west of the crossing of State Road 535. The lake, which was called Blake Lake before its acquisition by Disney, was named for Buena Vista Street in Burbank, California, several Walt Disney Company business entities had names containing Buena Vista, a Spanish phrase that means good view. Both the actual lake and the lake are connected via a stream. As of the census of 2000, there were 16 people,9 households, the population density was 3.3 inhabitants per square mile. There were 11 housing units at a density of 2.3 per square mile. There were 9 households out of one had children under the age of 18 living with them, four are married couples living together. Four are households are made up of individuals, one of whom is 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 1.78 and the average family size was 2.40. The age distribution was two under 18, none between 18 and 24, three from 25 to 44, six from 45 to 64, and five who were 65 or older, the median age was 53 years
8.
Mission: Space
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Mission, Space is a centrifugal motion simulator thrill ride at Epcot in Walt Disney World. It simulates what an astronaut might experience aboard a spacecraft on a mission to Mars, the attraction was built on the former site of Horizons, a dark ride that offered optimistic visions of what life might be like in the future. Horizons closed permanently in 1999 after a few years of operation, construction began on Mission. Industry estimates put the cost of developing the new attraction at US$100 million, the pavilion, like others at Epcot, features a VIP lounge for HP employees called The Red Planet Room. Initially it was sponsored by Compaq, which working with Disney Imagineers on the design in April 2000. Hewlett-Packard assumed the sponsorship upon its merger with Compaq in 2002, the simulator hardware used in Mission, Space was designed and built by Environmental Tectonics Corporation of Pennsylvania with a nearly $30 million contract awarded in February 2000. Environmental Tectonics sued Disney in 2003 seeking over $15 million US alleging failure to pay the amount of the contract. Disney countersued alleging the company failed to deliver according to the contract, the companies settled in January 2009. Before boarding the simulators, each rider is assigned an on-board role, for example, one of the commanders buttons initiates the rockets first-stage separation, and the other activates manual flight control. The spacecrafts on-board self-automated pilot will perform each task if the rider does not respond to his or her prompt from Mission Control or if there is no one to perform the task. Also featured are various labeled buttons and switches which the rider may play with but do nothing, as a training exercise, the mission contains several unexpected situations that add to the drama. The attraction queue contains several items and commemorative plaques from past, present, the attraction is a multiple-arm centrifuge that achieves the illusion of acceleration by spinning and tilting sealed capsules during the four-minute mission. Fans blow air gently at riders to avoid motion sickness. Mission, Space comprises four separate centrifuges, each with 10 capsules holding four riders, the attraction exposes riders to forces up to 2. 5G, more than twice the force of gravity at the Earths surface. A few months after the opening, motion sickness bags were added within easy reach of riders. The minimum height requirement for Mission, Space is 44 inches, spiels and warnings throughout the attraction caution that people who do not like enclosed dark spaces, simulators, spinning, or are prone to motion sickness should not ride. These signs are similar to present at considerably less-intense rides in the same park. Several people have taken to local hospitals for chest pain
9.
Universe of Energy
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The Universe of Energy is a pavilion located in the eastern half of Future World at Epcot. The pavilion contains one attraction, its second since its 1982 opening, the current version of the attraction features a show entitled Ellens Energy Adventure, stars Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye. It features a combination of four separate large-format film presentations and a dark ride. The Universe of Energy pavilion was sponsored by ExxonMobil from opening day on October 1,1982 through 2004. The original Universe of Energy pavilion itself was an innovation in energy technology, visitors were transported through the pavilion in large battery-powered traveling theatre cars that followed guide-wires embedded in the floor as opposed to riding along conventional ride tracks. This unique film presentation was known as the Kinetic Mosaic and was invented by Czech film director Emil Radok, the mosaic screen consisted of 100 rotating prism-shaped flip screens, arranged in a twenty five wide by four high array. These flip screens rotated under computer control and were synchronized to a motion picture that was projected onto their surface via five synchronized motion picture projectors. Each flip screen contained three sides, with white projection surfaces on two sides and a black surface on the third. The combination of the film and the screens rotation created undulating, during the conclusion of the pre-show, the song Energy was played. Upon entering the theatre, guests were seated in one of six sections, at the conclusion of the film, the seating area rotated once again to face a curtain, which then raised to reveal a primeval diorama. Leaving the diorama, the vehicles entered the EPCOT Energy Information Center where they reassembled back into their original theatre seating formation. Here, guests viewed a twelve-minute live-action film on three giant wrap around screens that took them on a look at various current and future energy resources around the world. There, guests viewed a two-minute computer-animated film that was reflected off of mirrored walls within the theatre, the Summer of 1996 saw many changes come to Future World East. World of Motion closed in January of that year to make way for Test Track and this version of the ride featured all of the original films from the 1982 version, but lacked some of the effects. Most notably, the Kinetic Mosaic screen from the original pre-show had been removed resulting in the film being projected onto static screens and the shape-shifting effect of that film being lost. Also removed were the maps and television monitors on the wall in the EPCOT Energy Information Center in Theatre II, for this scene, a new narration played that covered much of the same information as the original narration minus any mention of the maps and monitors. In Theatre I, the mirrors on the walls had already removed by this point. During this period, some elements for the new show had already installed in preparation of the new show and had to be hidden
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