A few comments on this map. North is somewhere to the left, not at the top. Guests entered the winding waiting line at the upper left above the word "SHOW." The entire waiting room is not shown; the large colorful snowflake on the wall of the waiting room is off the map, just to the left of the map. Jon Nadelberg tells me that the long flat surface shown to the left of where the guests entered was a large mirror.
The word "LOADING" is where guests would get into the atomobiles. The looped recorded instructions "The front panel will close automatically" was cut off as the spiel started, which happened immediately as the atomobiles entered the tunnel.
The sharp U-turn at the extreme left is how the ride designers cleverly managed to make the full-sized cars disappear so that the tiny models of atomobiles that people in the waiting line were watching seemed to be the same atomobiles that had shrunken in size. The protruding wall on the left after this stretch, above the Y-shaped partition, is where the giant models of snowflakes were, I believe.
The chambers along the route appear rounded because that best gave the effect of being at the center of an atom, or of being amidst a flurry of snowflakes or molecules, via projections onto the walls. I believe the largest room in the center, where it says "MONSANTO," is where the nucleus of the atom was--the climax of the adventure.
The serpentine path beyond that is where the Monsanto advertising spiel in a different voice began. After the eye in the microscope, there was only a slightly downward inclined ramp with featureless walls. I believe the microscope was where the straight line is, just after the large room. Due to a combination of the microscope being behind a wall, the orientation of the atomobiles, and the microscope being angled away from approaching cars, you couldn't see it coming until you were right up to it.
The small circular area above the word "UNLOADING" is where the floor-to-ceiling rain lamp was. Note that the UNLOADING and LOADING zones are physically close to each other; it was possible to look through the employee walkway back into the loading area just before disembarking. The Monsanto posters for AstroTurf and other items were on the wall above where it says "PRODUCT DISPLAY." The exit is as marked, at the upper right.
The front panel will close automatically.
The front panel will close automatically.
The front panel will close automatically...
For centuries, man had but his own two eyes to explore the wonders of his world. Then he invented the microscope, a mighty eye, and discovered the fantastic universe beyond the limits of his own meager sight. Now your adventure thru innerspace has begun. Thru the mighty microscope universe you will travel into the incredible universe found within a tiny fragment of a snowflake. I am the first person to make this fabulous journey, suspended in the timelessness of innerspace are the thought waves of my first impressions. They will be our only source of contact once you have passed beyond the limits of normal
I am passing beyond the magnification limits of even the most powerful microscope. These are snowflakes, and yet they seem to grow larger and larger... or can I be shrinking? Shrinking beyond the smallness of a tiny snowflake crystal. Indeed, I am becoming smaller and smaller! These tiny bits of snowflake crystal tower above me, like an enormous wall of ice. Can I penetrate this gigantic prism? And yet this wall of ice only seems smooth and solid. From this tiny viewpoint I can see that nothing is solid, no matter how it appears.
And still I continue to shrink. What compelling force draws me into this mysterious darkness? Can this be the threshold of innerspace?
All these strange spheres... Have I reached the universe of the molecule? Yes! These are water molecules, H20! They vibrate in such an orderly manner because this is water frozen into a solid state of matter.
These fuzzy spheres must be the atoms that make up the molecule. Two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single oxygen atom, and I see it's the orbiting electrons that give the atom its fuzzy appearance.
And still I continue to shrink. Is it possible that I can enter the atom itself?
Electrons are dashing about me, like so many fiery comets! Can I possibly survive?
I have pierced the wall of the oxygen atom! I am so infinitely small now that I can see millions of orbiting electrons. They appear like the Milky Way of our own solar system. This vast realm... This is the infinite universe within a tiny speck of snowflake crystal.
And there is the nucleus of the atom! Do I dare explore the vastness of its innerspace? No... I dare not go on. I must return to realm of the molecule before I go on shrinking--forever!
Oh, how strange! The molecules are so active now. They have become fluid, freed from their frozen state. That can only mean that the snowflake is melting.
Yes, the snowflake has melted. But there is no cause for alarm.
You are back on visual and returning to your normal size.
This has been one of many exciting adventures thru innerspace, in a never-ending search for new ways to rearrange molecules for the benefit of mankind.
Now, in our display area you will see modern miracles created by rearranging molecules, not only of water, but of air, coal, petroleum and may other raw materials.
This is Monsanto. [song "Miracles From Molecules"]
The front panel will open automatically.
The front panel will open automatically.
The front panel will open automatically...
Miracles from molecules are dawning every day,
discoveries for happiness in a fab-u-lous array!
A never-ending search is on by men who dare and plan:
making modern miracles from molecules for man!
Every atom is a world, an infinity unfurled!
A world of innerspace without an end!
A world of mystery, of endless energy,
with treasures more than man can ever spend!
Miracles from molecules are dawning every day,
discoveries for happiness in a fab-u-lous array!
A never-ending search is on by men who dare and plan:
making modern miracles from molecules for ma-a-an,
making modern miracles from molecules for man!
Miracles from molecules around us every where,
there are miracles from molecules in the Earth, the sea, the air!
Now men with dreams are furthering what nature first began:
making modern miracles from molecules for man!
The full spiel and lyrics were originally typed by James Trundale,
and are available at the Don Bertino site,
The Bertino Disney archives.
I have edited the spiel to the shortened version that I remember (and once recorded) from the early 1970s, which had no ambiant discussions or preliminaries,
and with my own interpretations of emphasis and words.
The ATIS map is from
The Bertino Disney archives maps section.
The small eyeball image is by Dennis Caswell, 1972, from the site
Yesterland.
Updated: October 30, 2001
