Epcot World Showcase
World Showcase Overview
Epcot's World Showcase gives you the opportunity to "travel" to eleven different countries and experience their art, culture and unique personalities. Each visit to the World Showcase is a different experience depending on the time of the year you go. During spring it is all dressed up for the Flower and Garden Festival. Fall offers you the opportunity to discover the wines and foods of many countries. Winter holidays are the brightest! In addition to each country dressing up in its holiday finery, storytellers entertain you with stories, rhymes and songs about the traditions of their country.
Throughout the year, you and your children can be creative at the Kidcot stations or journey through each country with a passport. In addition to permanent exhibits many countries play host to traveling exhibits. The World Showcase is also home to one of the best ways to end your day Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.
World Showcase Pavilions
Canada - The showcase features the French aspects of Canada as well as the more mountainous and rural parts. Hotel du Canada is inspired by the Chateau Laurier, an historic hotel in Ottawa, the country's capital city. The beautiful gardens here are inspired by those in Victoria, British Columbia. The Rocky Mountains are portrayed as well; even with a beautiful waterfall and canyon. Native culture on the West Coast is represented here also with totem poles.
France - The France Pavilion takes you back to an exquisite time in France between 1870-1910. This time period is known as the "La Belle Époque", or the beautiful time. This was a great time for art, literature and science.
Germany - The Germany Pavilion was opened in 1982. It has a number of shops selling German dolls, clocks, and other goods, as well as a traditional German restaurant, The Biergarten.
The Centerpiece of the plaza is a statue of St. George, who is known for slaying dragon during a pilgrimage to the Middle East.
Morocco - Epcot's Morocco Pavillion was added to the showcase in 1984 and is located between Japan and France. These pavillion represents three cities: Casablanca, Marrakesh and Fez. Towering over the showcase is a replica of Koutoubia Minaret, a famous prayer tower in Marrakesh. In order to recreate Moracco, 9 tons of tile were shipped to Epcot and Moroccan artisans created mosaics, just like the ones that have been part of their culture for thousands of years. An ancient working water wheel irrigates the gardens and the motifs repeated through the buildings include carved plaster and wood as well as tile and brass.
Norway - Norway, one of the most recent additions to the World Showcase was added in 1988. Originally, this Pavillion was supoosed to showcase a few different countries, making it a "Nordic" Pavillion.
However, investors from Norway were able to raise the $30 Million required for the entire project.
The Norwegian Government felt it would be good for their tourism and well worth the investment.
United Kingdom - The U.K. Pavillion features a variety of English architecture. As you walk through, you will see the English Tudor, Georgian, English Victorian, London, Yorkshire Manor, Hyde Park,
Regency and even a Shakespearen style cottage. While there are no major attractions in this pavillion, there are many shops and a couple of places to sample English fare.
U.S.A. - Take a trip back to the colonial days of American at Epcot's U.S.A Pavilion. The USA Pavilion is the host pavilion of World Showcase. Located at the southernmost point of Epcot, Imaginers used English Georgian Style to design the buildings. This style of architecture is seen primarily in early colonial period of the USA.
Epcot's Millennium Village
Millennium Village was located between Canada and the United Kingdom. It was created for the Walt Disney World's 15 month Millennium Celebration. Millennium Village included 50 nations, which are not permanently located in Epoct.
Each nation had an exhibit which included a variety of cultural ambassadors. These ambassadors were versed in the history of their rich cultures, entertainers and skilled craftsmen.
The Millennium Village currently is being used for special events such as the Food & Wine Festival, Teddy Bear Convention, and private parties.
Kidcot Fun Stops®
Journey around the world by visiting the Kidcot Fun Stops® located in each country. Each station allows children
to express their creativity as they create their own personal mask which expresses each of their unique personalities. A special mask has been created for the
"Where Dreams come true" celebration. After they have expressed their personal creativity each child is given a paper charm to attach to their mask which reflects the nation the mask was created.
Future World also has Kidcot Fun Stops - children receive a tag that they can hang the paper charms.
- Walt Disney World® is, as we all know, a place that is in a constant
state of change, growth and expansion. One of the places that was
designed with that type of expansion in mind was Epcot's (or should I
say, EPCOT Center's) World Showcase. In a future article, I plan on
discussing at length some of the initial plans for World Showcase,
specifically many of the nations that expressed a significant interest
in being a part of it. You don't know how close you were to seeing a
pavilion from...well...you'll just have to wait for that one.
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