EPCOT part two – World Showcase part 1
(The World is just so big!)
The World Showcase is amazing. Here’s your first dilemma – do you start in Canada or Mexico? You enter the World Showcase through Showcase Plaza, you can either take a left to Mexico or right to Canada. For some reason we nearly always turn right to Canada – maybe it’s the lure of the closeness of the Rose and Crown for a quick pint in England, or maybe it’s that the Mexico pyramid just looks so fabulous in the late afternoon early evening sun – who knows!
The World Showcase is a collection of countries from around the world, showcasing their local cuisine, drinks, stores and landmarks – it also features the Disney characters that might be relevant to that country – Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins and Alice In Wonderland all obviously live in England – but more of that later. Let’s start in Canada as we always do.
O Canada – anyone who has been here will get that reference as it refers to the Circle Vision 360 degree film of Canada’s cities and scenery. You’ll also find a fabulous shop here, a totem pole and a waterfall and gardens. There’s a table service restaurant too based on the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. It serves seafood and steaks and has an extensive wine cellar. There’s also a stage which has live Canadian bands performing on it at various times during the day. All in all a very nice way to start the showcase. We have gone into the shop so many times and tried on lumberjack shirts and hats – always good fun and they sell some pretty fab Canadian stuff.
So on we go to the United Kingdom, it represents England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – first off there’s the Rose and Crown because the whole world thinks that’s what we Brits do, drink alcohol in pubs ……. oh wait, yes that is what we do! It serves typically British drinks, Guinness, Harp, Boddingtons, Tennents and Strongbow amongst others. It offers typical pub food too, bangers and mash, cottage pie, fish and chips and corned beef. It also offers Jaffa Cakes and rhubarb tart! Be warned though, you won’t pay UK prices – theme park prices would be nearer the mark. Still we can’t resist at least having a pint. There’s also a Twinings Tea Shop, which also sells McVities Choccy biscuits if you’re really missing them but again three times the UK price. There’s a sports shop and a fish and chip shop and a replica of a thatched cottage, a villlage square and also a miniature of Hampton Court Palace. In fact it contains a replica of a building from each century of English History. You can also meet Alice, Mary Poppins and Pooh and Tigger here too. If you wish to while away half hour or so there is a bandstand where a band play cover versions of famous British rock songs, they are called the British Revolution. A really good foursome.
From there you wander on up to the International Gateway, which is a bridge which takes you into France and also a walkway to the Epcot Resorts and Hollywood Studios if this is your exit point. The bridge has some nice photo opportunities with France in the background, Eiffel Tower etc – looks pretty good in photos. Also at this point you can see the new Disney Skyliner! This is going to be a brilliant experience for anyone staying in a Disney property, hop on this and glide to the parks while taking in all the views.
France, is beautifully represented as you can imagine. The Eiffel Tower, and lots of other buildings that look very very French indeed. There are always street performers in France, look out for the chair stacking waiters – both brilliant and hilarious. A wander along the lagoon here is like being alongside the River Seine, artists painting and others drawing caricatures of you, or you can get a painted parasol with your name on for $20 (to keep the sun off you obviously). There’s always Champagne and crepes to be found, and as you’d expect in France a fabulous patisserie and restaurant called Les Halles Boulangerie, this is a quick service restaurant with a distinct Gallic twist. Cheese platters and French sandwiches and cakes. There’s also a couple of beautiful stores selling French make up and perfume, so gorgeous, Mrs Oh! Orlando just loves it and is often wandering around there with a champagne cocktail usually procured at the extra pop up booths during the Food and Wine Festival. Disney have also announced the introduction of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (see photo above) which is well underway and opening soon. We look forward to adding that to our list of new things to try on our next visit.
Morocco is next along the lagoon, this is an absolute feast for the eyes as well as the nose! The architecture is stunning, it was all done by craftsmen that actually came from Morocco, sent by King Hassan to make sure it was all done correctly. Oh boy what a job they did. You have never seen so many tiles in such intricate pattens. Simply stunning. This is one of the most relaxing countries to visit and because of the tiles and numerous fountains dotted around it always seems cooler. There are lots of nooks and little places to sit and ponder. If you want to get a hit of the A\C for a while there is a lovely little display showing national dress and costume, and also no one seems to visit this! So if you do go in you have a very good chance of being by yourself.
Outside the pavilion is where the little shops and stalls are. You can get a Henna tattoo for around the $20 mark, the more detailed the designs the more you pay. The gift shop here selling jewellery and magic (???) lanterns is called Souk Al Maghreb.
If you are looking for gifts then visit the Casablanca Carpets shop. All manner of things in here, full princess Jasmine outfits to carpets that have been woven in Morocco, leather cushion covers that have some really bright and interesting designs on them. (Don’t worry about getting a cushion home, it comes with or without the stuffing!) It’s in here you can meet Princess Jasmine, she is stunning dressed in her costume.
The one thing you cannot avoid here is the food. The smells coming from the kitchens are delicious!! The Spice Road Restaurant is brilliant, lots of finger foods and tagines. The entertainment is an eye opener with the belly dancers right next to your tables! And of course you cannot visit Morocco without sampling the Baklava!!! This on our list of faves. Sticky fingers and a sugar rush after you’ve eaten it. Job done! We are always amazed that so many people tend to skip this pavilion, it is by far a hidden Jewel in the World Showcase.
Onto Japan. Hands down Mr Oh Orlandos favourite place in the whole World Showcase. From the temple to the Koi pond – it is stunning. Again the level of detail that Disney put into these places is amazing. When you walk up to the temple you see the Taiko drummers playing on the balcony, the size of the drums they use beggars belief. The temple is 5 stories high, these representing the 5 things that all things are made up of in Buddhism. (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Sky in case you were asking). If you walk around the side of this there is a massive Koi pond. This is one of the most relaxing places you will find. The pond meanders around the side of the temple and this leads you to a lovely hidden little seating area that is covered by trees, just the job for sitting with a cool drink watching the fish and and listening to the breeze blow through the bamboo trees. Bliss. One thing you cannot miss is the Castle, you enter though an imposing portal flanked by Samurai on horseback. The Castle is part shop and part exhibition space. There are some beautiful displays of Kimono and and pottery here, all aspects of Japans culture are shown in a wonderful subdued light. It is always so quiet in here!
The other exhibition is on the Japanese Kawaii culture (that’s cute to me and you) this is a bit of a funny one, Hello Kitty, Sailor Moon etc. We’ve got to say it’s hard to explain! Lots of animals with big eyes and cute faces…
There are some really good restaurants here, the Katsura grill for quick service food items (a little like Wagamama here in the UK) the new boy on the block in Japan is called Takumi-Tei, which when translated means house of the artisan. This is a high quality restaurant that serves authentic cuisine in rooms that are themed to the elements, an expensive restaurant but the service and experience are second to none.
One thing you should not miss is the Tori gate that sits in the lagoon, this is a direct copy of one that sits in the bay in Japan. It’s said this is one of the best places to stand and view the fireworks at night. It frames the lagoon and Spaceship Earth perfectly.
So we’re almost half way through – join us next time for the rest of the world!! We got so over excited remembering all the things we wanted to say about how fabulous the World Showcase is we thought, why rush it, it is the whole world after all.
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