Journey Through The American Adventure
Journey Through The American Adventure
Mark Twain once said, “The secret to getting ahead is to get started.” That is just what our country of America did. We started out through humble means as a colony of Great Britain. A new world. We lived and created lives here but still, we were controlled by a king far away. All of that changed when we decided that we should govern ourselves. There was no going back after that but that was ok. We were starting a great journey. We were starting an American Adventure!
The show begins on a similar note. It invokes strong feelings in proud Americans and an air of understanding to those born on foreign soil. In modern times, non-Americans find it hard to understand our culture but the truth is to understand where our culture is today, you need to know where we came from. In comparison to the world, America is young. She is less than 250 years old and still growing and learning. She has seen a great deal in that time. The fast-paced lifestyle of many Americans can be attributed to the compressed history and fast-paced need for our country to ‘grow up’ much like a younger sibling.
The show is narrated by Ben Franklin and Mark Twain. The tell the tale of each stage of our adventure. The story spans with the colonization of a new world. Early settlers traveled to America to make a new life for themselves. Little did they know, that this journey would be far from easy.
The story transitions from the American Revolution to the Civil War. We went from fighting oppressive governments to fighting ourselves. The show follows two brothers who fought on opposite sides to illustrate just how devastating the American Civil War truly was.
From there we move into Industrialization and life got easier for a time. Americans had a chance to focus on building the nation finally which after all was what the goal of this whole experience. America was flourishing and settling in nicely until we were dragged into World War II with the sudden and deliberate bombing of Pearl Harbor on D day, a day that will live in infamy.
After the World War ended progress is able to begin again. The adventure continues to more internal struggles and a kind of renaissance during the 60s and 70s and progression to the modern age and right up to today’s technological boom. The American adventure is a ‘roller-coaster’ ride of trials and challenges that have brought us to where we are today. Where we go from here is anyone’s guess. But it is a very exciting time.
Be sure to arrive early. In the reception area of the building, you can hear the beautiful a cappella music of the “Voices of Liberty”. Their multi-part chorus blends their voices in delightful harmony as they sing patriotic American classics. Between their set and the beginning of the show, explore the American Heritage Gallery Museum and art in the waiting area.
Fun Fact
The animatronics for this attraction are all located underneath the front of the American Adventure building. They move up to the stage during the show. During the creation of the American Adventure, Imagineers didn’t have the space to house them behind the building and so they created a track system referred to as the Underground Train (or AA Train) to move them into place in time with the show. There is a behind the scenes tour to see how this beloved attraction works. Contact your Travel Agent for details.
DVC Member/WDW Annual Passholder/DCL Castaway Club
203-939-7389
