WHEN YOU FIRST ENTER THE LOBBY ENTRANCE YOU ARE IMMEDIATELY FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN THE SCIENCE LAB SET OF THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE "FANTASTIC VOYAGE" THIS HUGE LASER CANNON LOOKING THING CALLED THE MIGHTY MICROSCOPE TILTS TOWARD A LARGE PETRI DISH OF SNOW THAT FLICKERS DOWNWARD (LIKE IT WAS SNOWING INSIDE). LARGE ROUNDED CHAIRS SEATING 1-2 GUESTS WOULD TRAVEL ON A TRACK INSIDE THE MACHINE TO A DARKEND TUNNEL.

ON THE WALL NEXT TO THE MIGHTY MICROSCOPE WAS A LARGE MURAL SHOWING A SLIDE OF A SNOW CRYSTAL WITH LABELS OF THE STAGES OF SIZE. A CIRCULAR LIGHT WOULD TRAVEL TO THE CENTER EVERY SO OFTEN AND TRAFFIC CONTROL VOICES AND SOUND EFFECTS WOULD FILL THE ROOM AS IF SCIENTISTS WERE CONDUCTING THIS EXPERIMENT ON THE DISNEYLAND GUESTS AND NOT A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL. NARRATOR PAUL FREES WOULD POP IN NOW AND THEN OVER THE TRAFFIC CONTROL TO GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOURNEY YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE.

ALONG THE WALKWAY THERE SMALL SHOEBOX SIZED BOXES WITH A LENS WINDOW TO SEE A PREVIEW OF WHAT IS TO BE SEEN INSIDE THE RIDE. THESE SMALL DIARAMAS WERE LIT UP INSIDE WITH A PAPER OR FABRIC CUT OUT OF CRYSTALS OR MOLECULES AND LITTLE CARVED PEOPLE SITTING IN AN ATOMMOBILE CHAIR (LIKE THE ONES INSIDE THE SMALLER TUBE HEADING TWARD THE PETRI DISH) WOULD POINT OR LOOK AT THE ITEMS BEING SHOWCASED. THE WALKWAY TO THE ATTRACTION IS STILL VERY MUCH THE SAME AS THE NEW ATTRACTION "STAR TOURS".

AS YOU ENTER THE MIGHTY MICROSCOPE IT IS VERY DARK AND THE ATOMMOBILE SHAKES SO YOU CAN'T FEEL THAT LEFT TURN IT MAKES. YES, YOU DON'T REALLY GO FORWARD TO THE SMALLER PART OF THE MICROSCOPE THAT HAS THE SMALLER ATOMMOBILES IN THE CLEAR PORTION OF THE MICROSCOPE.

AS YOU MOVE IN THE DARKNESS SMALL SNOWFLAKES APPEAR AT THE TOP OF THE CEILING (PROJECTED FROM HIDDEN SOURCE) AND YOUR CHAIR TILTS BACK TO SEE THEM. AS YOU MOVE FORWARD THE CHAIR SPINS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM TO SEE MORE LARGER SIZE SNOWFLAKES PROJECTED ON A HUGE WALL ALL AROUND YOU. THE NEXT ROOM HAS GIANT "PHYSICAL" SNOWFLAKES AND CRYSTAL SETS THAT WERE BUILT TO GIVE THE ILLUSION OF SIZE. SOME OF THE LARGE CRYSTAL MODELS HAD SMALLER SNOWFLAKES PROJECTED IN THE CENTER OF THEM AND ROTATED. I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT THE CRYSTAL SNOWFLAKE ROOMS WERE COLD TOO.

AS THE CAR WOULD MOVE FORWARD YOU WOULD SHRINK SMALLER AND THE CRYSTALS WERE MADE BIGGER UNTIL YOU COULD GO INTO A TUNNEL OF HANGING MATERIAL REPRESENTING GROUPS OF ATOMS. THE RIDE TOOK YOU INTO GIANT SETS OR PROJECTIONS OF ATOMS ALL AROUND YOU IN MANY LARGE ROOMS. THE ATOMMOBILES WOULD MOVE FROM ROOM TO ROOM AND WOULD HIDE THE TRANSITION IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. THE REST OF THE RIDE HAD LARGE OVAL SHAPED ROOMS ABOUT 10-20 FEET TALL AND 50 FEET WIDE WITH THOUSANDS OF MOLECULE PROJECTED ON THEM FROM MANY HIDDEN PROJECTORS. BEING IN THESE ROOMS WITH ALL THE ATOMS MOVING ALL ABOUT GAVE A SENSE OF FLOATING MOVEMENT AND A SLIGHT DIZZY FEELING. (KIND OF LIKE THE SPINNING TUNNEL IN UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TOUR BUT A LOT SLOWER)

THE TRIP FINALLY ENDS WITH MEETING THE CENTER OF THE MOLECULE AND REACH THE GIANT ATOM. IT MAKES A HEART BEAT SOUND AND BLINKS IN SINK WITH EACH BEAT. THE NARRATOR NO LONGER WANTS TO GO ON SHRINKING SO ITS TIME TO REGAIN NORMAL SIZE. THE CHAIR ROTATES AND TILTS BACK TO AN END OF A MICROSCOPE. AS YOU PASS BY YOU CAN LOOK FAR UP INTO IT AND SEE A GIANT EYE BALL MOVING LEFT AND RIGHT LOOKING AT YOU. (THIS FREAKED ME OUT AS A KID!)

THE NARRATOR SAYS "WERE BACK ON VISUAL AND WERE RETURNING TO OUR NORMAL SIZE" THE RIDE WOULD END THERE AND YOU COULD SEE THE SMALL BUBBLES PROJECTED ON THE WALL TO SHOW THE SNOWFLAKE HAS MELTED. NOTE: THE SAME EXACT BUBBLES PROJECTION ARE USED IN IT'S A SMALL WORLD RIDE AT DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA. IT IS IN THE MERMAID SECTION IF YOU LOOK FOR IT.

THE CHAIRS LET YOU OFF IN A DISPLAY AREA OF PRODUCTS MADE BY MONSANTO AND A GIFT SHOP FOLLOWED. THERE WAS A TYPICAL 50'S FAMILY TYPE SONG "MIRACLES FROM MOLECULES" THAT RANG OUT IN THE GIFT SHOP/ DISPLAY AREA. REALLY SOUNDS EXTREMELY DATED BY TOADY'S STANDARDS BUT IS QUITE HUMOROUS. CLICK TO LISTEN: