The World Showcase at Epcot is one of our favorite spaces in all of Walt Disney World. It is the It’s a Small World ride in park form. Visitors can explore the culture, people, and food of 11 countries spanning 4 continents. And you can do this all within a 1+ mile walk around a picturesque lagoon in Central Florida. While visiting each country’s pavilion isn’t nearly the same as visiting the country itself, I love how it embraces what makes us the same as people, while celebrating our wonderful differences.
The last World Showcase pavilion to open was Norway, which debuted in 1988… over 35 years ago. While there has been talk about adding other countries, none of these plans have come to pass. It is one of the few places at Walt Disney World that has remained relatively static. Yes, they have added some rides and dining over the years. However, these have mainly been additions to the existing areas, rather than an expansion.
We thought it would be fun to provide our suggestions of countries that could make great additions to the World Showcase. We have no insider knowledge as to what Disney’s plans are, assuming they have plans. It is just our own personal ideas. However, if someone from Disney happens to be reading this and thinks that any of these are good ideas, Banshee and myself would be more than happy to offer our consulting services to Walt Disney Imagineering. 🙂
So here are our humble suggestions, presented in alphabetical order:
Australia
Australia is one of the two major continents that is not represented currently at the World Showcase (and I am not counting Antarctica) so it makes sense to include it for completeness sake. The Sydney Opera House could immediately provide an architectural focal point for this pavilion. That would be a natural fit as it ties into Soarin’. You could also see them also including some representation of the Outback and/or Aboriginal culture as part of the physical landscape.
In terms of attractions, there isn’t really that much IP to lean into, compared to other countries. The only Disney IP that comes to mind are Perry the Platypus (platypuses being native to the continent) or Bluey. And while Bluey does appear on Disney TV and streaming, it isn’t clear whether they own the theme park rights. You could also go with a generic travelogue attraction. Honestly, that might be the best option as Australia has a lot of natural wonders that could lend themselves to something like that.
All that said, we think that Australia would actually be a better fit for Animal Kingdom. You can read more about our thoughts on that here.
Brazil/Colombia
South America is the other continent which isn’t represented currently at the World Showcase, so adding a country from our neighbor to the south makes a lot of sense.
Originally, our first country of choice was Brazil. You have so many options to choose from. I am picturing something similar to the Mexico pavilion where the inside feels like a Rio Carnivale at night, with a boat ride through an Amazon rainforest. I could see them having performers demonstrating Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian cross between martial art and dance. And of course Brazilian cuisine offers a lot of options in terms of both food and drink.
The one downside of choosing Brazil is the fact that there isn’t any readily available Disney IP to incorporate. Which brings us to another South American option: Colombia.
What makes Colombia attractive is the phenomenon that is Encanto! Now I know that there are those who don’t like the fact that Disney IP is encroaching upon the World Showcase, but we’ve already crossed that bridge and there is no going back. Besides, bring Disney properties into the pavilions is a great way to attract interest in the underlying culture of the particular country on which it is based. I’m sure Disney is searching for a way to bring Encanto into the parks, so adding a Colombian pavilion provides a natural way to do this.
And of course Colombia brings a lot to the table even discounting the Encanto connection. Colombia has a rich history in terms of art, architecture, and cuisine. I could easier see incorporating elements of Cartagena’s old city into the design of this pavilion.
Egypt
Egypt would provide Imagineers with a lot of options, given that countries long and storied history. Ancient Egypt would provide a ton of visual inspiration. From the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the monuments of Luxor, there is plenty to choose from. You could also see Disney incorporating elements of modern Cairo into the design to provide that contrast between old and new.
Disney also added Egyptian lore to the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Moon Knight. You could easily see how they could tie that into this pavilion. Perhaps they could go with a Moon Knight themed attraction. While it is a Marvel property, it would seem to be akin to Guardians of the Galaxy in that it isn’t covered by the Universal theme park deal.
On the other hand, Morocco already represents Saharan/Mediterranean Africa. While I fully realize that these are two distinct countries and cultures, it seems hard to justify a second pavilion dedicated to this region.
Greece
Like Egypt, Classical Greece provides a rich cultural well to draw inspiration front. The most obvious icon to choose for this pavilion would be the Athens Acropolis, and the Parthenon in particular. You can also incorporate the extensive Greek mythos, from the gods to Classical Greek heroes like Achilles and Odysseus. Disney can even bring in the Hercules cartoon, Percy Jackson (which will be coming to DIsney+ soon), and the introduction of Greek gods into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Food is a no-brainer. Modern Greek food is well known to most Americans so this could be a popular dining option.
On the negative side, Europe is probably overrepresented at the World Showcase. Currently 5 of the 11 pavilions are European. Adding Greece would make it 6 out of 12, or 50%. Therefore, it would be tough to justify Greece from that perspective.
India
India is one of the largest countries in the world by population, as well as a fast growing cultural group within the United States. Therefore, Indian representation at the World Showcase makes a lot of sense. Indian cuisine is also quite familiar to most Americans. It is rare for a city of any size not to have an Indian-style restaurant. Honestly, I am surprised that Walt Disney World doesn’t have more Indian cuisine on property, so this would be a natural place to add it.
Plus, you have so many different cultural touchpoint that you can choose from for the design of this pavilion. Honestly, the hardest part might be picking and choosing what to include, given the country’s diversity. The most obvious choice would be to include a representation of the Taj Mahal, given that’s the most recognizable Indian landmark. Beyond that, there is so much art and architecture to choose from.
That said, there really isn’t any Indian-derived Disney IP that can be incorporated into the pavilion. However, maybe that’s a sign that Disney needs to increase Indian representation across their properties.
So there you have our suggestions. I’m sure there are several other great choices that we missed, so feel free to leave us a comment if you have any other ideas!
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