The Tree of Life is not only the icon of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but it is one of the most recognizable structures in any Disney park. This imposing structure with its intricate detail creates a sense of awe and wonder in all who gaze upon it. Located inside the Tree of Life, It’s Tough to be a Bug has the task of living up to its beautiful home.
Believe it or not, initial plans called for a restaurant to be built beneath the Tree of Life. However, early on in the design phase of the project, this idea was abandoned in favor of a show. With the Tree of Life being the icon for the park, whatever idea was selected to be showcased here had to represent the park’s overarching themes of harmony with nature and conservation. It was ultimately decided that a show about bugs would be very fitting since bugs are an integral part of the animal kingdom and many live beneath the ground and within the roots of plants and trees. Also, the show could tie in with the new Pixar film “A Bug’s Life.” In fact, when Animal Kingdom and It’s Tough to be a Bug opened on April 22, 1998 it was a full seven months until “A Bug’s Life” premiered in theaters.
One of the greatest benefits of going to see this show is making your way through the queue, which offers an up-close view of the Tree of Life. As the queue winds around the tree, Guests can glimpse animal carvings on the tree that aren't visible from other vantage points. The queue is designed to make you believe you are shrinking and becoming bug-size as you travel further and further along the trail. The theater itself is an enormous and beautiful space. Just as with the outside of the Tree of Life, the interior of the theater gives you the sense that you are inside of an actual tree. The show is much more than merely a 3-D film. It combines several animatronic figures along with a variety of special effects to create a truly sensory experience; the Hopper Audio Animatronic figure is one of the more advanced and articulated animatronics found anywhere in Disney World.
It’s Tough to be a Bug combines a good amount of lighthearted comedy with some darker and scarier moments along with catchy music and memorable characters. The show really benefits from using characters from “A Bug’s Life” without tying itself too closely to the movie’s plot. This has helped the show withstand the test of time while the overall message of appreciating nature (and even the smallest members of the animal kingdom) resonates strongly with the main themes of Animal Kingdom itself. For these reasons, It’s Tough to be a Bug comes in at #46 in the countdown.
#45: Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Magic Kingdom
While an argument can be made against the location of the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor for not really fitting with the overall theming of Tomorrowland and replacing the beloved Timekeeper, it cannot be argued that it is not a highly entertaining show and that is the reason why it has made it into the top fifty rankings.
Drawing upon the highly successful Pixar film, this attraction is set after the events of “Monsters Inc.” and has a clever back-story that help to tie it into the movie while not being a complete re-hashing of the plot. Monstropolis is running on safe, clean "laugh power," but even now it still needs more laughs to provide for the needs of the monster world. To that end, Mike Wazowski suggests opening up Monstropolis' first comedy club and humans are allowed to temporarily enter the monster world via a door the monsters have placed in Tomorrowland.
The real strength of this show lies in its interactivity. Building upon the success of Turtle Talk with Crush, the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor gives Guests an even bigger role in the show. Prior to the performance, guests are invited to use their cellphones to send text messages with jokes that could be used during the show. Once inside the theater, movable cameras are used to locate Guests, who are then shown on the big screens in the front of the theater. Another great asset of the show is that no two performances as exactly the same. Since it relies so heavily on audience participation, the shows will vary depending upon the Guests that are called upon.
The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor is an attraction that is fun for the entire family. While there are some running gags, like “That Guy,” that stay consistent from show to show, there are still plenty of elements that change each time you visit. This is something that help keeps the show fresh, so you are not always hearing the same jokes and watching the same gags over and over. This gives the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor great re-watchability and also helps it land at #45 in the top fifty rankings.
#44: Maelstrom, Epcot
Norway is the most recent nation to be added to World Showcase. It opened on May 6, 1988 with a dedication by Harald V of Norway, who was then Crown Prince, that was broadcast live to Norway. The original idea was to create a Nordic Pavilion that would combine elements from various countries into one exhibit. Three countries were consulted, but investors from Norway ended up raising the money required to create an exclusive national pavilion. With the Norway pavilion also came a ride that has since become one of the headline attractions in all of World Showcase.
One could say that Maelstrom is the Norwegian version of Pirates of the Caribbean, a classic-style dark ride that features Vikings and trolls instead of pirates. It might not be high on thrills, but the attraction’s small drop and rapid backwards portion give Maelstrom a degree of excitement not found in the rest of World Showcase. The attraction also features a series of animatronic figures (some quite large), ranging from Vikings to trolls to polar bears, that help to better immerse you into the storyline.
One of the strongest attributes of Maelstrom is that it conveys aspects of Norway’s culture, history, and heritage but in an entertaining and exciting way. From scenes of seafarers and maritime villages that demonstrate the importance of the sea in Norwegian culture to mystical forests and magical trolls that highlight Norway’s myths and folklore to the natural beauty of the Arctic and the North Sea, Maelstrom tells a story that touches upon many different aspects of Norway, its land, and its people.
The attraction ends with the line “Norway’s spirit will always be adventure.” This is a very fitting description of Maelstrom itself as it provides Guests with an adventure through Norwegian history and culture while still providing some mild thrills. It is an attraction that holds true to Epcot’s premise of being to simultaneously educate and entertain Guests. Thus, Maelstrom ranks #44 in the top fifty countdown.
#43: Living with the Land, Epcot
When you think of classic Epcot attractions, like Horizons and World of Motion, the Living with the Land boat ride is another one that immediately comes to mind. It is an attraction that has changed very little since the Land pavilion first opened (although originally called Listen to the Land), and yet it is still as relevant today as it was all those years ago. It is an attraction that truly fits with the theming of Future World. It is the type of ride that made Epcot such a unique theme park, the likes of which had never been seen before. While other classic Future World attractions have long since been replaced, Living with the Land has survived the test of time.
Part dark ride, part greenhouse tour, Living with the Land at the same time showcases new technology while also focusing on ways that we are working to make agriculture more efficient and environmentally friendly. With the dark-ride portion of the attraction, the boat then sails through artificial biomes representing a tropical rainforest, a desert, and the American prairie. Increasing the sense of realism and to further immerse Guests in these environments, the biomes feature sound and lighting effects, in addition to heat, wind, and mist, to simulate real conditions. The second part of the attraction takes place in The Land's "Living Laboratory", which showcases ideas about the future of agriculture; all of the plants in this section are grown through various methods of hydroponics.
At 43,000 square feet, the Land’s greenhouses are immense and breathtaking, not only in sheer size but also in the beauty of the plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables growing inside. This is an attraction that actually is able to make agriculture interesting. Herein lays the success of the attraction. While it is certainly one of the more educational attractions remaining at Epcot, it still keeps you interested and entertained from start to finish. Living with the Land holds true to what Epcot is all about, showcasing new technology along with the hope and promise of what the future might bring. It might not be the most thrilling or technologically advanced, but there is something about the attraction’s simplicity and nostalgia that make it so appealing. Therefore, Living with the Land finds its place at #43 in the rankings.
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