For most of us, Epcot means eating yummy food from around the world (thanks, festivals) and riding fun rides, but there’s always been an educational element to this theme park, too, especially when it comes to the Land Pavilion.
On Living With the Land, you can learn about agriculture and how the land we live on was formed, and on Soarin’ Around the World, you can learn about different landmark sites across the globe. And then, there’s Awesome Planet.
This is an often overlooked attraction that will teach you more about the planet we call home and how to conserve it so generations in the future can continue to enjoy it, too (and we can’t deny that it’s a pretty great air conditioning break when you need it most).
Many people skip this attraction, and some don’t even know it exists. But if you’re thinking about checking it out next time you’re at Epcot, join us on our guide to Awesome Planet.
Awesome Planet Quick Facts
Description: Awesome Planet is a 10-minute film that tells the story of planet Earth by using wind, scents, and water effects, encouraging people all over the world to participate in conservation efforts.
Location
Awesome Planet can be found inside The Land Pavilion in World Nature, which is also the building where Soarin’ Around the World and Living With the Land are located. When walking into the park, you’ll want to head to the right side of Spaceship Earth.
When you walk into the building, you’ll find Awesome Planet to your right. Garden Grill, a rotating Table Service restaurant with character dining, is also upstairs. Downstairs, you’ll find both rides, along with Sunshine Seasons, a Quick Service restaurant.
How to Watch Awesome Planet
Awesome Planet only has a Standby Line. Lightning Lane isn’t offered here, and neither is a Single Rider Line.
The Standby Line here is often pretty short, no matter what time of day it is. There’s a good chance that you won’t have to wait longer than 10 minutes as you wait for the show in progress to end. This makes Awesome Planet the perfect attraction to check out while you’re waiting for your Lightning Lane for other attractions in the pavilion.
It would also be a good idea to visit during the afternoon hours, when the park is at its busiest, to fill your time as you wait for crowds to die down.
Do I Need to Use Genie+ at Awesome Planet?
Genie+ isn’t offered at Awesome Planet, but the good news is that you won’t need it here — fortunately, you should be able to watch the show with little to no wait.
But Awesome Planet is the perfect attraction to visit while you wait for your Lightning Lane time for Soarin’, or to take kids who may not reach the height requirement for the ride while you wait for the rest of your party with virtually no wait.
Many of the other attractions at the park do offer this service, though, so be sure to check out our touring plans for Epcot for more Genie+ advice.
What to Expect When You Visit
Queue
The queue for Awesome Planet isn’t so much a queue as it is a holding area for those who are waiting for their turn to enter the theater once the current showing comes to an end.
You’ll find it by walking directly under the sign for the attraction. It’s not the most exciting queue area that Disney Wrold has to offer, but fortunately, you won’t be hanging there long!
There are also benches along the walls to sit on while you wait. After a Cast Member shares their pre-show spiel, you will be able to head into the theater and sit in chairs that resemble the others in similar shows at Disney World, like the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along.
Accessibility Information
Guests who are using ECVs or wheelchairs will be able to remain in them while watching Awesome Planet. These guests will be seated in the back, and their party can sit in the row just in front of the designated area.
Assistive listening, audio description, and handheld captioning will be available for guests with hearing disabilities.
During the Show
This 10-minute movie starts with Modern Family star Ty Burrell narrating as if the Earth is a real estate property that just hit the market.
It takes viewers on an adventure around the globe, showing clips from all over the world, including special effects like scents and the feeling of wind on your face as you visit different countries.
All of the “neighborhoods” in the film are tied together by the common thread that we all need to work together to maintain them, sending the message that we must collectively work towards conservation and other efforts to protect the planet to keep it livable for future generations.
Is Awesome Planet Kid-Friendly?
While some younger kids may end up getting a bit bored by Awesome Planet (especially those who don’t feel like sitting still for 10 minutes), there’s nothing frightning about the attraction — children of any age may enjoy it.
There are no scary parts of the film to watch out for, but if you’re planning to visit with kids, you may want to check out our guide to things that might scare little ones at Disney World.
Strollers
Strollers are not allowed inside the Land Pavilion, so you’ll need to park it outside if you’re traveling with one. There should be ample stroller parking right outside of the building, before you head up the ramp to go inside.
Be sure to take valuables like keys and wallets with you, and you may want to cover your stroller before going inside. Even if it’s sunny outside at the time, you don’t want to be surprised by those Florida rainstorms that seem to come out of nowhere!
History
Awesome Planet wasn’t the first attraction to be hosted in the Harvest Theater. When the Land Pavilion first opened in 1982, this spot was home to a film called Symbiosis, which was about the damage that humans are doing to the environment and what we can do to help — similar to the overall message of the current attraction.
When Symbiosis stopped running in 1985, it was replaced by Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, starring characters from The Lion King. In the movie, Simba taught Timon and Pumbaa about how humans have historically caused damage to the environment, encouraging them to help the cause.
It wasn’t until two years after Circle of Life ended its run that Awesome Planet opened in January 2020.
Other Fun Details
- Awesome Planet features scenes from different Disneynature documentaries that you might recognize.
- The score was composed by Steven Price, an Academy Award winner who worked on movies like Baby Driver, Suicide Squad, and Gravity.
- Ty Burrell was chosen to play a real estate agent as the narrator of the film because his character on Modern Family, Phil Dunphy, is also a real estate agent.