Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - A Walkabout In Epcot - Friends, Le Cellier, The Land and Soarin [ep 019]

Episode Date: June 27, 2021

Hello Travelers! A trip to Epcot is in store for you this week - we met friends from California for a meal in Le Cellier and after they joined us to record this week's episode intro. Heather and I then ventured from the France pavilion back to The Land area for another ride through Living with the Land since the plastic seat dividers are now gone, and we record as we walk. We then (finally) record one of our favorite attractions - Soarin' Around the World. We end the episode next to ImageWorks where the leaping fountains are now leaping once again.    Something a little different for this episode is that we recorded with two devices - our normal 4 channel surround sound mic, as well as a new binaural mic, and layered the audio for what I hope is an even more immersive sound. You can be the judge. Regardless, it was an excellent and restorative day in Epcot, and we hope you enjoy it.   Connect with us at @WalkaboutWDW on Instagram, and find our producer Josh at @TheSteele.

Well, hello, travelers. Welcome back to Walk About the World, your weekly audio expedition through one of the parks or resorts of Walt Disney World here in Orlando, Florida. Today, we're in France. And you know where France is. Where's France? We are at Epcot. We're at Epcot. Not the actual France, because that would take visas and plans and money, and we don't have any of those things, but we're back in Epcot. It's a special day because we got some folks with us, and again, I'm going to have to tell you about what we did, not what we're going to do. We do have some things to do after this, but what we just did for the first time ever for me was we ate at Le Cellier. I've not done that, If you've done that, you can tell me, tell

me your experience. But we just did Le Cellier. We just got out. We staggered our way up to France and we have a seat right outside the little store that sells perfumes and right next to the to the water fountain over here. And with me, I have a good friend that is all the way out here from California. It's Rick. Hi, Rick. Hey there, Jeremy. So you guys made the trip out here right after you guys just opened back up. Is that right?

That is correct. Yeah. And we planned this, obviously, months and months ago to come out here. Because that's how you do Disney World world yes and um then disneyland opened and we're uh life almost lifelong annual pass holders both my wife and i have had passes for well over 20 years sad trombone coming up yes indeed um and of course there is no more annual pass program so it's been a very bittersweet experience for us to to become legacy pass holders which is just uh i feel like it's a title they've given us to make us feel a little better about losing what we love um we feel like uh we are that thing that they're like oh that's

beautiful but we don't do that anymore so one of the great things to see this week is that cast members who work outside in disney World no longer have to wear masks. And that's new for this week. As long as they are fully vaccinated. Okay, yes. If they're fully vaccinated. We've actually been making an active point since that started just two days ago. When we see someone, we're actually saying congratulations to them that they've managed to get that vaccine in and can now operate without those masks.

We're very proud for that it's so good to see their faces again yeah it just it feels good i mean it feels as good as it can on 94 degrees but like it feels good it feels better than it would have with a mask and it feels good to see them and so before we get done i just wanted rick to be here with me when we do this intro we have some things to get to today. We'll take you along with us. What did you think about Le Cellier? Just briefly. Le Cellier, it is probably the priciest place you can eat in this park, and it was worth every penny.

That was a spectacular meal. Truly, everything that we ate, even with the waiter making some mistakes and bringing us some bonus or minus, it was still, the food was really outstanding. We were a few things uh several times that we didn't order and we were given some things that we didn't order and it just all worked out and it was delicious and absolutely that uh i apologize for the beeping there my diabetic alarms are going off despite that meal my sugar is dropping at the moment um but uh yeah that was the everything that we had there was really outstanding i agree we hadn't been and i'm glad that we have and uh now i am super stuffed and i have to waddle around the park and it's super hot but we're gonna make it we're gonna trudge on and i think

okay so you guys are going to go to the japan pavilion and look in misakoshi and probably buy a bunch of stuff. Is that right? I would not be surprised. My daughter is slightly obsessed with anime. And she was so excited for Japan that she's been talking about it. That more than anything else we were doing here, even more than Rise of the Resistance, that was the thing I think she's looking forward to.

So, yeah, I think she'll go a little nuts in there. And I have to mention that Rick and his family, we know through Star Wars. And I know this is Disney stuff, but we know through Star Wars a lot of really good people, including the Peralta. So that's why we're teaming up. It was an absolute pleasure being with you, Jeremy. And so, like, we can't get by without you saying hi. I'm Eliza. Hello.

And Eliza is a daughter. Definitely a daughter. Who bought some incredible ears today. Tell us about the ears real quick, and then we're done. The ears are based off of Winnie the Pooh. They're little bear ears. They're not the normal Mickey, and they have a little B on it, and it says, I forgot what they say, but they say a quote from Winnie the Pooh.

Turn your head, and we'll tell them. I think it says, today is my favorite day. All right, we are going to leave France. Currently on the bridge, actually, watching the Friendship Boat dock over here at the Morocco dock. And we are going to walk our way, eventually, down towards the land in Sorin. Because we just checked the lines app and both of those are at 15 minutes or less you guys do have the lines app right from touring plans if you don't you need to it's amazing we just checked that the lines seem short and we're going to wander down there and the thing about the land i know we recorded it prior but i want to do

it again because they've now taken all of the little plastic, whatever you want to call them, the plastic sheeting that was in between the different rows away. And the last time I recorded, that really blocked out a lot of the audio. And so we're going to give it another try, but we're going to walk our way down and just kind of like take you along on the walk. So here we go. Come here, honey. Honey. Where'd he go? The The The The The The The The The The The The I got some! All right, we made it down to the land pavilion. We are just below it, and we are going to head up into the pavilion Work our way down

And rejoin you, hopefully For a ride through living with the land See you in just a second Welcome to the place Where sky and the waves The wishes richness and diversity of the surprising nature living within the land. Our journey begins as the valley and the sun changes are sweeping over the land. The approaching storm may seem violent and destructive to us, but to nature a nature of nature to be with any disciple of God. The ship is now ready to sail. Under the surface of the land, roots trap water from the flowing land, extracting precious nutrients and minerals. These elements, when combined with sunlight, can be used to solve the existence of our planet. The One of those bedding systems is the rainforest, home to the most amazing concentration of life on our planet Earth.

These dense and beautiful forests cover only a tiny portion of Earth's surface, but they contain more than half of its plant and animal species. Rainforests are also stronglyly rich in productive nutrients, providing us with oxygen, food, medicine, and other elements essential to our lives. Norske Rådgård In the desert, nature has been very different, with no less beautiful views. And while this arid landscape may seem lifeless, it is very much alive. The plants and animals that have gone to survive in these harsh conditions make use of what little water they can find and avoid the scorching rays of the reluctant sun. The American prairie once appeared as desolate as the desert, but over time, rainwater and nutrients gradually penetrated the hard surface of this land. Even the grooves of the muddy buffalo helped create the rich soil that would one day become home to the American farm. Of all the forces at work on the land, humans have had one of the most profound effects. They need to produce food for a growing world that's in enormous use and sometimes overuse.

In our search for more efficient ways to grow food, we are compelled to realize the impact of our animals. Today, we're learning to live with the man, discovering better ways to grow food that will assure both human and environmental well-being. The to solve the mountainous disease causes by developing and planting crops that thrive on saltwater. In Japan, we're learning that by mixing leaves and other living materials into our soil, we can make farmland more fertile without the need for chemicals. Here at EPCOT, we're learning to reduce the need for chemical pesticides by breeding and using their for permanence, like ladybugs and mosques, to control pests. In the farmlands across America, we're learning that by dropping under vegetation containing natural fertilizers, we can't get much to sun without help.

How will we meet tomorrow's growing needs for food production, yet still respect the needs of the land. Some of the answers are being discovered just ahead. To help us maintain these carefully controlled ecosystems, and for your safety, please refrain from EFTA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are exploring innovative ways to produce health harvests now in its new future. The tropics are home to the greatest diversity of plants on the planet. Many of the foods like papaya, bananas, cacao, coffee and rice are well known around the world. These are just a few of the edible plants that have been an important source of nutrition for people living in the tropics.

Many are rich in vitamins and minerals, while others are well adapted to growing in less than ideal conditions. Some, like the water bug, thrive in wet swampy areas and waterways. All parts of this plant, even the flower petals, are edible. The starch from the plant has long been used to make flower for baking. One day, maybe it is lesser known tropical plants making as important as the bananas growing on both sides of the road. More than 28 million tons of bananas are eaten annually, making it the most popular fruit in the world. Norske Råd The station is located on the right side of the station. Seaweed gold, tilapia, becks, and catfish like the ones you see here are pretty good for the cost raised by fish farmers.

The sustainable system we're using here recycles the water it takes. As a result, we're able to save millions of gallons each year. Our small fish farm produces nearly 5,000 pounds of fish each year to serve as cost around the fishing boat. In a fishing park like this, you can even put the whole amount of fish to produce multiple harvests, instead of protecting natural resources. Norske Ropsten While we are the only 50,000 edible plants species in the world, most of us live on our own. To pick up our everyday diet, the common grains grown here, made from soil and milk plus rice, account for nearly two-thirds of our global food consumption. Learning how to increase yields of these staples is an important goal of research around the world. These plants are definitely on their way up. Innovative growing techniques like these increase yields while more efficiently using resources like water, fertilizer, and pesticides.

Another innovation at work here is our integrated pest management program. By populating our greenhouses with beneficial insects that prey on harmful pests like aphids and flies, we are significantly reducing our reliance on conventional pesticides. We're growing bee strops using our nutrient film system. This technique precisely controls and recycles water and nutrients. With it, we can produce over 27,000 heads of lettuce in here in this one small area. Some of our best ideas have been inspired by nature, like these fruit and vegetable trees. By growing these ground plants vertically, we can increase yields and better control diseases. These crops taste as good as they look. In fact, we serve more than 15 tons of produce from our greenhouses and restaurants here at the land every year. The future of agriculture may include innovative ideas like this vertical growing system. Plants grown in this way use a fraction of the space required by traditional growing

methods. That saves water and increases production. The aquaponics system on your left combines hydroponics with aquaculture. The fish provide a natural source of fertilizer for the plants, and the plants help keep the water clean for the fish. It's another great way to produce more while using less. In our lab, Epcot scientists are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a number of innovative projects.

The goal of these efforts is to produce higher-yielding and better-quality plants. plants These greenhouses represent just a fraction of the work being done worldwide to produce fountain artists for our growing population. Scientists, farmers, and even backyard gardeners are doing their part to improve the quality and quality of foods that we all rely upon. Together we can continue to find more ways to increase food production and protect our precious natural environment. Only then will we truly be living with the land. On behalf of Walt Disney World, we hope you've enjoyed this unique journey through our mega laboratory. If you'd like a closer look and check out the behind the scenes walking tour, it's a chance for the whole family to get up close and personal with the plants and growing techniques in our

laboratory. Please keep your hands and feet inside the book and remain seated until the book comes to a complete stop. Oh my God. All right, we just got done with Living with the Land. It was great as always, my favorite attraction. All right, we just got done with Living with the Land. It was great as always, my favorite attraction. We just noticed that Soarin' is 10 minutes standby. 10 minutes for Soarin' standby never, ever would have happened in the olden days, and it's probably a walk-on, so we're going to give that a shot.

We've never recorded that since we've launched Walk About the World, and I haven't personally done it in quite a while so let's go soren my name is Patrick and I'll be your chief we're getting bored in a few minutes but first I'd like to acquaint you with some important safety information when the doors to your flight open, please take a seat and store all carry-on items in the under-seat compartment. This includes cameras, purses, hats, and

of course, these little things. Matt's passengers don't consider them as a buckle or a trailer. The smaller aviators don't measure up to the height of the gear on the seat. Just put the belt through the loop in the center strap before buckling. Nice work, Beth. Soon you will be airborne.

So if you or your little aviators have a fear of flying or heights, How's work, pal? Soon you will be here If you or your little aviators have a fear of flying or heights, you might want to wait for your party at the arrival Okay, let's review. That is seat seat belt carrying and safety Just want to make sure you have your heights, keep your hands around the inside at all times Yeah, have a nice flight So we're in the tower. We are ready for takeoff. Oh, look at this! Whee! Oh, you're changing lights. I love you. What's that? Thank you. I'm going to go to the top. Thank you. I'm sorry. ¶¶ I love you. I love sorry. Thanks for soaring with us. Okay, what have we done? We have re-ridden the land,

and we managed to go get on Sorin, which I haven't done in a while. Also, classic Epcot music. And you're saying, that sounds really clear. That's right, because I found a speaker that's right next to the stone bench. That's called. Because I found a speaker that's right next to the stone bench. That's called professionalism. I'm not sure it is.

Heather's here with me. Hi, Heather. Hi, guys. So we've decided, even though we have come back down into Future World, that we're going to go back out to World Showcase because we want to check on a couple of merchandise items in the Port of Entry, and then we're going to go over to Starbucks, which I'm not sure is called anything special here at Epcot, but we're going to go to Starbucks, grab us a caffeinated beverage, because it is well into the evening here, and then since we already know that the jumping fountains are working again and that it's a very peaceful area,

we're going to take our coffee back over there, which is right around the corner, and spend a few minutes just soaking in the evening Epcot vibes. It's cleared up. I thought it was going to be stormy, but it's ended up fairly nice and clear with a with a breeze this evening and we're just gonna chill have some caffeine which maybe we shouldn't do late in the day but this type of risk

we're willing to take so we will resume with you guys once we have procured caffeine see you in a second. Well, travelers, thank you for tagging along today in Epcot. We're going to wind it up. Our caffeine has been procured and we are up near the leaping fountains across from Imageworks. We're just going to wind down for a while up here. Occasionally a crowd pours out from a show that they have, but otherwise there's no one up here and it's super pleasant. I do have to share that when we're here, we've been coming to the parks for many, many years.

And obviously we still love them. That's why we do a podcast. I mean, it is our happy place. We're not the cynical Disney podcast. We love the parks truly. Uh, but it is such a cool thing to see people experience the parks for the first time. And today when we rode Soarin', we had a family next to us who clearly had never ridden it before. Andather even asked them afterwards if it was their first trip on soren and what did she say yeah she said it was the first time they had been on the soren it was her most favorite rider from trip so far and she said it even topped test track in her opinion

she said i think i'm going to get right back in line and do it again but the whole time they were on there she was well i we say, the mom, the mom and the kids were all laughing and having a great time, and that's what it's about. Makes me happy to see. Overall, we had a great day. Our first trip into the Cellier, which we really enjoyed, and we got to experience it with friends from California, which made it even better, and then got to ride the land, which is my favorite attraction. Okay, so I have to say that this recording of the land may not be any better than the last one, and that wasn't the point.

But I did want to see if the plastic dividers being down would make a difference in the recording. But the boat that we were on, the speakers that play the narrator's voice seem to be very low. And once we get all this edited and it comes out, you guys can let me know what you think about that. But it seemed very muted to me. And so I wanted to make this point also before we sign off that this podcast isn't about finding the optimum recordings of a thing and then having that stay pristine in our playlist forever. That's not what we're about. This is going to be you and me and Heather and or my daughters and or Josh and or friends visiting the parks over and over because that's what we do and that's what we love. And we just take you along with us for the ride.

And some days we'll show up and do things we've done 10 times. And some days we'll ride an attraction and the sound will be wonky. And some days it'll be great. Because that's the way park trips are. But the whole point here from the very beginning, as we creep up on 20 episodes, is to put you in the park, to take you along with us. That's the point. That's the goal. And we're going to keep at it.

Unless you guys tell us to stop. And we might still keep up. I don't know, because I'm stubborn. But regardless, look us up on Instagram at walkaboutwdw. It is our one and only place where we interact with you guys. And so drop us a note. Tell us what you like, what you don't. If there's an area of the park you would like explored, please do so.

We'd be glad to go capture some sound for you. And overall, just say hi. We'd be glad to go capture some sound for you. And overall, just say hi. We'd like to hear from you. Look up Josh on Instagram also at TheSteel with an E. And as always, there is a great, big, beautiful tomorrow out there. We will see you in one of those on another episode of Walk About the World. Bye, guys.