For the month of June, Le Blog is going to be covering summer vacation and all things Disney. Daffy is running is Disney Song Rankings and now oakleya77 is preparing an Epcot-themed bracket game. But before the game is officially launched, he’s looking for a little help in selecting the top 8 pavilions in the World Showcase to include in the challenge. After the jump, a little history on Disney’s most grown-up theme park and a chance to pick your favorites.
In the beginning, EPCOT was designed by Walt Disney as the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”, a futurist’s dream, what was to be a showcase of ingenuity and innovation. The idea of an entire showcase metropolis to be built in the orange groves of Central Florida passed away along with Walt, but his vision remained, albeit tweaked.
With the Magic Kingdom having been a major success, plans for a followup park were set in motion. Imagineers were conflicted on the park’s unifying theme, however. Some wanted to solely exhibit the showcase of Tomorrow that Walt had pictured, others wanted a World’s Fair-style display of the world’s nations and cultures.
Compromise was reached, the new park was to be split between these two motifs. This bracket contest will be focusing on the latter of the two themes, what is known now as the World Showcase. All eleven of the world showcase pavilions (EPCOT devotees will have noticed I’m not including the Outpost in this challenge, wouldn’t have lasted long anyway) are primed for a showdown that will crown the preeminent pavilion, as decided by you, the readers.
Problem is, there are 11 pavilions, and only 8 spots in the challenge. So a preface challenge had to be called in order to determine the field of eight. Below is a poll, simply check off your top eight pavilions. Not your favorite, or top three, but your favorite eight World Showcase pavilions. From here, results will be tallied and the bracket rounds will begin!
Great concept. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
This was tough. You’re basically excluding three pavilions. I left out the American Adventure because I live in America. I don’t need an American pavilion. Aside from that, I voted for pavilions that had rides or at least a movie. I ended up omitting American Adventure, Italy and Japan.
I did leave the American pavilion on because it has the most impressive attraction in World Showcase, but if I were ranking the pavilions I probably wouldn’t rank it much higher than seventh. I left out Italy, the UK, and Norway. A year ago that last one would have been unthinkable, but I have no idea what Norway will be like very soon, and since I don’t care about princess character meals it currently has very little pull at all. I always find myself wandering in to the Japan and China pavilions because they are both so beautifully realized. Morocco… Read more »
I’m basing my vote for Norway based on what it has been, not what it will be. But also, princesses occupy quite a large percentage of my Disney real estate. The princess meal at Akershus has been a highlight of my last two Disney trips. So based on that alone, it would rank near the top for my family. I rode Maelstrom last summer but only because I suspected it was leaving soon. While I may object to Frozen on principle, Maelstrom really won’t be missed. We don’t spend as much time exploring the World Showcase as I would like.… Read more »
Not going to vote since I’ve never been to Epcot! I’ve been to Disney World once 10 years ago, but we only went to the Magic Kingdom and the water park. There is a good chance that we may go to Orlando again next March and have a fuller Disney experience (maybe with Universal thrown in too). Epcot is highest on my list of places to see.
Anyway, I’m definitely going to take notes this month so that when I go I’ll have a game plan.
That’s a good starting plan Carl!
Lots of people make the mistake of doing little to no research on their first trip to Disney World and are either surprised by stuff or just completely overwhelmed and end up missing out on things they could have done. Those people are more apt to wander aimlessly or stand around grousing about something. There’s nothing more valuable than a good source of info when planning your trip, and we here at Leblog can certainly help out if that’s what you want!
Seconded. The biggest mistake people make is failing to plan.
I always say, make a plan and then be prepared to deviate from it.
Hey Carl, if you have any trip-planning questions, let us know. I’m always happy to give my $.02 where Orlando vacation planning is concerned. I just scheduled a day at Universal Studios, so I’ll have some info on that for you as well. We’ll be covering all kinds of good stuff this month. My first bit of unsolicited advice would be regarding ticket pricing at Disney. Each successive day at WDW gets cheaper. Once you cross the 5-day mark, you can add a day for next to nothing. The idea is to keep you away from Disney’s competitors. And for… Read more »
Thanks (both to you and Daffy) for the tips. When it starts getting closer to reality I’ll ask some questions. My fiancee is will be attending a conference for her line of work next March. It will be at the Disney Yacht Club, which I assumed was something at the coast until I checked and saw it was part of Disneyworld itself! The conference is 2.5 days and we’ll add on a few more days after it is over. We’ll probably do a 5 day ticket since the conference will only be during the day. So we could head into… Read more »
The Yacht Club is really nice. I’m jealous. You’ll be within walking distance of Epcot which is the park with the most adult appeal. Universal Orlando isn’t very much like Universal Hollywood for exactly the reason you mentioned. The Hollywood location sprouted up around the tour which was traditionally the main attraction out West. Orlando never had anything like that. Ironically, in the 90’s, Universal and Disney were both in a race to put up their own movie themed parks. Disney decided to do their best impression of Universal by building Disney-MGM Studios around a tour of a “working” studio.… Read more »
Hey Carl! If you’re actually staying at the Yacht Club, then you’d be among the few people I’d recommend the park hopper tickets to at WDW since you’re within walking distance of two of the parks (EPCOT and Hollywood Studios), making early or late meals or shows separate from your primary park of the day not just possible, but desirable in some situations. I never do park hoppers at WDW because I always find that it’s pretty easy to spend an entire day in one park and getting to another park takes too much time when you consider the extra… Read more »
Thanks again to both of you. Like I said before, I’ll ask you guys more questions when the trip approaches next spring, but even what you’ve said already is helpful. Daffy, in your situation a parkhopper is a must. It really is a 2 minute walk from the gate of the Disneyland to the gate of California Adventure. Be sure to plan out your first rides at each park too. Space Mountain is where I’d start at Disneyland because it gets the longest lines the earliest and the fast passes are usually gone for the day by the early afternoon.… Read more »
So voting for the poll closes in two days, then the bracket challenge begins!
So far the lowest vote-getters are the pavilions that are the furthest walk from future world. I wonder if that’s coincidental.
I doubt it. It’s not like you stop walking halfway around the loop and head back. I mean, we actually do that more than most. But that’s because we tend to go into the WS for dinner at Akershus, hit the boat ride in Mexico and the Kidcot station and turn back after dinner. But I think most people walk the whole way around once they start. It won’t save you a ton of walking to turn back once you’ve crossed a certain threshold.
I will admit that I’ve visited the Italy and Germany pavilions less often than the others because by the time I get to them there always seems to be something else that needs to be done. The movie in China and the attractions in Mexico and Norway have garnered those pavilions more consistent stops. I’m hoping on my next Florida trip to eat in Germany to compare it to the Oktoberfest restaurant I grew up with at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
I think the american Adventure pavilion is probably low ranking because it sticks out as unnecessary. Especially when we have Liberty Square at the MK. It just feels redundant.
Italy and Japan are nice pavilions with shopping and dining options, but no attractions. So unless you really like one of the restaurants there, there’s not a whole lot of reason to cast a vote for one of those two pavilions. I’m sure they are well-liked as our all the pavilions in the WS. But there’s not a lot to differentiate them from the others except food preference.
I voted for Japan because it’s such a beautiful pavilion and I love the Mitsukoshi store. I had to leave Italy out, though. I love Via Napoli but there are plenty of good Italian options around WDW if it wasn’t there and besides a fountain and a smoking area, the pavilion just doesn’t do much for me. I could take or leave it. Point being, shopping and dining aside, I’d still rank Japan above Italy purely for scenery, etc.–the pagoda, the drums, the candy art lady, the shrine out in the water. I couldn’t imagine WS without it there.
I’m certainly not advocating for the removal of any pavilions!
I like them all. But with kids, I don’t really get to spend a ton of time exploring those shops. Japan and Italy both tend to be walk-through pavilions for us if we get to them at all. As I said before, we actually do end up stopping at Norway more often than not but I imagine we’re the exception and not the rule.
Oh I know you’re not! I’m just saying for the sake of ranking… I think Japan beats out some despite not necessarily having more to offer in terms of attractions just based on what it provides visually alone. Italy and Germany didn’t make my top 8.
I actually can’t remember what else was in my bottom three. This was hard. I know I left America solely because of AA. Shame they don’t do something more interesting with that pavilion. Even something as simply as a more diverse food/beer selection would be nice.
I’m totally with you on this one, Annie. The Japan pavilion is so beautiful I just have to walk through it to look at it sometimes. Italy and Germany don’t have that same pull. The crazy products in the stores are also super fun. I lived in Japan as a little kid and the stuff still bewilders me.
I heard the dried crabs are delish! Good enough that people have been known to burst into song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8-g636jfN8
Can’t get the reply button to pop up on my iPad for le beau’s reply, but I’ve watched that video way too many times. I’ve shown it to others, even. Endlessly amusing. Maybe Daffy should have some DL dares for his trip 😛
Make a suggestion and I’ll consider it. Anything low cost that won’t get me thrown out of the park.
It’s time to brainstorm people!!
So the poll is closed, results are up:
1 France vs. 8 Germany
2 China vs. 7 United Kingdom
3 Mexico vs. 6 Canada
4 Morocco vs. 5 Norway
Looks good! The first opportunity to vote will be up today. Great work setting this up!
I’ve got chalk in the first round, but Mexico pulling a couple of upsets to take the title.
Mexico is certainly a favorite, but I think that Paris will have a reason to build a second Arc de Triomphe after the French take this title.
I imagine France will definitely make it as far as the final, but unless Le Cellier fans or xenophobes show up in large numbers I don’t see anyone on Mexico’s side of the bracket who should beat them. China’s pavilion is beautiful and has interesting shops and displays, but their film is boring compared to the French and Canadian ones and the food in their restaurants is bad to mediocre. I’ve honestly never had worse Chinese food anywhere than I did at Lotus Blossom Cafe.
Never tried the Lotus Blossom, but Nine Dragons is reliably good. I would agree and say don’t sleep on Canada. Also, Morocco has a legion of fans.
Restaurant Marrakesh is actually my favorite table service restaurant in any of the parks, but it’s clear not too many people agree with me because it’s always easy to get a table there.
I once saw a comment that those who fail to plan eat at Restaurant Marrakesh. My first visit to Epcot was in 1988. The Morocco Pavilion was relatively new. (It opened in 84.) It was bustling. I have never seen it so lively since. I remember overhearing someone talking about trying to get reservations at Restaurant Marrakesh but that they were all filled up. I started to worry a bit because my brother and sister and I had no plans whatsoever. We ended up eating at the pub in the UK pavilion and enjoying the meal quite well. I vaguely… Read more »
I would alter that quote to: “Those who fail at life plan not to eat at Restaurant Marrakesh.” 😉
Obviously it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste, but I also think a lot of people reject it without ever trying it and are really missing out.
But that’s ok by me, since I know I can always get a table at a place that serves excellent food!
Hey wait! I think I just said I don’t plan to eat at Restaurant Marrakesh!
Epcot isn’t what it once was. But one of its strengths remains the diversity of dining options.
This seems like as good a place as any to remark that Disney World restaurants are notoriously hit or miss. I have had good meals at unpopular restaurants and bad meals at popular ones. Also, I think a lot of my personal dining experience has to do with my frame of mind. When I’m hot, tired and hungry, Disney food seems like the best meal I have ever eaten. Other times, I’m stuffed from trying to maximize dining plan credits and cranky from sore feet and tired kids. Those meals suffer as a result. Which is part of why I… Read more »
I could see Mexico taking the title. It’s currently the only pavilion with a ride. The eats are good. Donald meets there. It’s got a lot going for it.