At a Glance
Duration: 30 minutes
Look Out For: many animatronics, some scenes of warfare, and a brief image of a deceased civil war soldier
Opening on October 1st, 1982, The American Adventure is a patriotic celebration of the history and people of America. But how scary is The American Adventure? Let’s take a look at the stats:
1. Ride Length
The American Adventure has a duration of 30 minutes. While you may be in the theater for a bit longer due to slight delays or the time it takes to have everyone seated, it will never be more than a few minutes as the show runs every hour.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
The American Adventure has no height requirement. Much like The Hall of Presidents, it’s an educational (and some might even say “boring“) stage show. It has no official warnings from Disney and could be suitable for even the most sensitive of guests.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The American Adventure theater seats approximately 1000 guests. Unlike many Disney World stage shows, however, the theater is not often filled to capacity – allowing for some space between your party and the others around you.
4. How Does The American Adventure Work?
The American Adventure works like any standard stage show, seating guests in stationary seats facing a stage. This attraction utilizes both a large 72 foot screen and 35 audio-animatronics of notable Americans on moving set pieces.
5. Is The American Adventure Scary?
The American Adventure is not intentionally scary whatsoever. As a family-friendly, educational show, you’ll experience what is essentially a presentation right out of the History channel. The on-screen segments involve many narration-based songs over either paintings or actual photographs from the respective time periods.
The subject matter also covers the many hardships our country has faced – some of which being wars, slavery, and the many injustices surrounding the American people. There are scenes of fighter planes (appearing quite suddenly, I might add) as well as depictions of the Civil War including a brief image of a deceased soldier on screen for about 2 seconds.
As with The Hall of Presidents, this is nothing you wouldn’t see on the History channel – but the fact that it’s in a large theater with Disney-tier sound design makes it a bit more in-your-face than if you were watching it in your living room.
6. How High is The American Adventure?
The American Adventure does not involve heights. As a standard stage show, you and your seat will remain on the ground at all times.
7. How Fast is The American Adventure?
The American Adventure does not go fast. In fact, there is no movement whatsoever on this attraction.
8. Does The American Adventure Have Drops?
The American Adventure does not have drops. As a standard stage show, your seat will not move.
9. Does The American Adventure Cause Motion Sickness?
The American Adventure should not cause motion sickness to most guests. While there is a large screen with moving visuals, it is a slow-paced presentation with no seat movement or 4D effects.
10. Is The American Adventure Claustrophobic?
The American Adventure should not be claustrophobic for most guests. While it is a 35 minute stage show, you can always see a cast member and exit at any time. In addition, the theater is large and rarely filled to capacity, making it a much more palatable theater experience, in my opinion.
11. Are There Animatronics on The American Adventure?
There are 35 animatronics on The American Adventure. Much like other educational attractions like Spaceship Earth and Carousel of Progress, the animatronics used on this attraction are a bit older and could be a little creepy to some. However, they are all definitely portrayed with reverence and have limited movement as well as being pretty far removed from you up on stage.
While this definitely takes away from the uncanny factor, I still wouldn’t recommend blindly walking into this attraction if you or someone in your party is particularly terrified of animatronics. Like anything else – it pays to know what to expect, and you can always sit in the back of the theater if you want to be farther away from the characters on stage.
The American Adventure Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the American Pavilion in Epcot. As a large stage show that is not often filled to capacity, it really doesn’t have a queue at all. You will simply enter the building, head upstairs, and wait behind the doors for the next show to begin. Like other minor attractions and stage shows, this is a great opportunity to rest your feet and enjoy the AC for a while before taking a seat in the theater.
The American Adventure Show Walkthrough
The show begins with Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain (in animatronic-form) preparing to tell the story of The American Adventure. Starting all the way back with the Mayflower, we watch as the first Pilgrims arrive in the New World. Like most story-telling on this attraction, these scenes are portrayed with songs telling the story as images and paintings appear on-screen.
Flashing forward to the start of the Revolutionary War, we learn a bit about life at the time before finding Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson drafting the Declaration of Independence. We see another scene of two American soldiers and George Washington on his horse at Valley Forge.
As the war ends, we watch as Samuel Langhorn Clemons heads West, expanding the country. Flashing forward once again, we see Frederick Douglas sailing along the Mississippi River. From there, we dive into the Civil War, finding a family taking a photograph before its two sons head off to fight in the war. The following scenes portraying one Union solider and one Confederate soldier are quite bleak – showing one of them not returning and then disappearing from the photograph.
As the country rebuilds, we find a Native American chief lamenting the injustices faced by his people. We check back in with America 100 years after declaring Independence and find Susan B. Anthony, Alexander Graham Bell, and others ushering in a new age of change and invention.
We then find Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir laying the foundation of conservation of the National Parks. With the first World War, we see fighter planes and gunfire as news articles flash up on the screen. As the Great Depression hits, we find four Americans struggling to make any money at a gas station. As World War II arrives, we find men and women working together on a warship and hoping that “by next Christmas” they’d all be home with their families.
The finale consists of flashes of great American moments on screen before we finally arrive at the Statue of Liberty, finding Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain standing on her torch. They honor the great sacrifices and hardships the country has faced but marvel at how far America has come. With an inspiring chorus, the show comes to an end and you will exit the theater.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is The American Adventure? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the show, be sure to check out this video from AllCentralFlorida:
