When visiting Walt Disney World Orlando a few years back one of my favourite and stand-out days was our trip to EPCOT. When you talk to fellow Disney visitors EPCOT is often underappreciated or least visited…but this certainly should not be the case! EPCOT is home to epic rides like test track and the family favourite Soarin’! Also, EPCOT is connected to the resort of Walt Disney World via both Monorail and Disney Skyliner which is free for guests to use to move throughout Walt Disney World Resort. This makes getting to EPCOT even more convenient for those Disney guests staying at Disney Resorts as select Resorts are also connected to Disney’s Skyliner (Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn) and Disney’s Monorail (Disney’s contemporary Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa).
As we approached EPCOT the first thing we had to do was get a picture in-front of Spaceship Earth - though might you know it as EPCOT’s giant “golf ball”! This is such an iconic piece of Disney architecture that I knew it would be instantly recognisable in any of my Instagram pictures! Our mission with our day at EPCOT was to sample as many foods as possible from around the world as we made our way around the lake! To do this, we decided to head straight to the World Showcase Lagoon where we could start to make our way “around the world” of EPCOT!
©Disney
We began our journey in Canada which features beautiful landscapes such as the picturesque tumbling waterfall and the giant Totem Pole that represents stories from the Native peoples of Canada. Our journey began in the outpost of the Canadian Pavilion, so we were not terribly hungry, but as we knew we couldn’t pass up on sampling some Canadian treats we decided to stop and have Maple Popcorn in traditional Canadian fashion at the “Popcorn in Canada” food stall. If you decide to begin your journey in Mexico and end in Canada (the opposite way around the lake) then you might want to book a table at Le Cellier Steakhouse. The steakhouse is sectioned into regions of Canada and has several traditional Canadian dishes on the menu from steak to seafood, and you can even have a Maple Leaf Cheesecake for dessert!
After finishing off our delicious Maple Popcorn we made our way round to the United Kingdom! This was particularly fun as being from the UK we got to test how accurately EPCOT paid homage to our home country! The UK pavilion had a replica of Hampton Court, and the streets were designed to look like “traditional” English towns (think Cotswolds cobbled streets) complete with Red Telephone boxes which made for a great Instagram background! A new addition to the UK pavilion that I am sad to have missed (but gives me an excuse to return) is the Mary Poppins attraction and a Cherry Tree Lane expansion!
Of course, whilst in the UK Pavilion we HAD to sample the food and where better to go than the Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room where you can have everything “British” from “Bangers and Mash” to “Grilled Scottish Salmon”! We decided to have a pint of Pimm’s, which was rather expensive ($12) but when in Rome…or in this case the United Kingdom Pavilion at EPCOT! The UK Pavilion also had a beer cart where you could sample traditional Twining’s English Breakfast Tea if you’re not feeling like having a pint, and a traditional Yorkshire Country Fish Shop where you can get some Fish and Chips to go as you make your way over to France.
The France Pavilion is themed to resemble Paris and you can see a replica of the Eiffel Tower towering over the traditional French Parisian buildings. The shops in the French Pavilion sell actual French goods like Guerlain perfume and other fragrances/ cosmetics similar to those you would expect to find on the Champs-Elysées! The France Pavilion was home to 4 eateries including Les Creperie de France and Boulangerie Pâtisserie des Halles that served amazing fresh pastries! We were not quite ready for lunch yet, so we opted to have a Crêpe with Chocolate while we sat by the fountains in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower! However, if you do fancy sampling the French cuisine then you’ll want to dine in Chefs De France – a traditional Parisian brasserie where you can try some traditional French Onion Soup or some authentic Frenches cheeses with the “Plateau de fromages de France”. The restaurant also serves everything from Monkfish to Filet Steak! Disney have recently announced that they will be adding the attraction “Remy's Ratatouille Adventure” to the French Pavilion which is set to open at part of Walt Disney Worlds 50th Anniversary Spectacular.
©Disney
After dining on delicious crêpes in France we headed over to the Morocco Pavilion which is fabulously decorated to resemble a traditional Moroccan city including a realistic Minaret! The Morocco Pavilion includes traditional architecture, from houses to fountains, that really gives you a sense of Moroccan culture. The Moroccan Pavilion is a great place to shop and purchase some of your EPCOT souvenirs; the Pavilion is home to a variety of traditional shops and stalls where you can buy anything from authentic jewellery to Moroccan-made rugs and lanterns. You will truly be treated to a Moroccan feast when dining in the Moroccan Pavilion – the Spice Road Table offers a variety of dining options from Grilled Lamb Kefta to Fried Calamari (which was simply fantastic). This is a great restaurant to visit for those who are a fan of Mediterranean spices and flavours! The Morocco Pavilion is also an excellent location for those all-important Instagram shots as the beautiful architecture and decorative walls made for fabulous backgrounds!
After galivanting around Morocco, our next stop was the Japan Pavilion that was full of beautiful shops, buildings, and plenty of restaurants! The Japan Pavilion consists of buildings surrounding a traditional Japanese courtyard with the entrance featuring a traditional Japanese Pagoda and a torii gate decorating the water in front of the Pavilion. This iconic symbol of Japanese culture makes for a great photo background where you could almost make your followers believe you took a quick trip to Japan! The Japanese Pavilion was all about culture and education and included an exhibition gallery that held long-term exhibits on Japanese art and culture. One unique feature of the Japan Pavilion is its inclusion of a teppanyaki-style restaurant, Teppan Edo, where the food is cooked right in front of you on the table! Teppan Edo serves steaks, chicken, shrimps, scallops, and Vegetables that are all cooked in front of you, along with select sushi rolls, miso soup, edamame, and tempura as an appetizer, and various ice cream flavours! This is ideal for Sushi lovers and those who want to get a bit more out of their Disney Dining experience! Those looking for a quicker meal or those who were unable to book a place at Teppan Edo will want to check out Katsura Grill – this is a counter-service restaurant where you can also enjoy Sushi, Udon and chicken/ beef Teriyaki! When visiting the Japan Pavilion, we decided to just sample the Green Tea Cheesecake along with an Iced Green Tea from the Katsura Grill as we were saving our lunch for Italy!
©Disney
The central pavilion around the lake is The American Adventure that is themed in colonial American style with its centre feature being a colonial style mansion. Whilst in the American pavilion we had to stop for a funnel cake – I chose to have the classic funnel cake with vanilla ice cream…I mean what could be more American than delicious sugary snacks?! The American Pavilion is also the best place to get a Mickey Pretzel, which makes for a great snack and photo opportunity! The Mickey Pretzels can be found at the Fife and Drum Tavern and while you’re here you can also sample the American Dream slushie (you guessed it, this drink uses a combination of flavours to create a red, white, and blue slushie drink!). Also, Disney have announced that there will be a brand-new attraction based off their hit PIXAR movie Soul added to the American Pavilion that will let guests travel across the U.S.A. with the main character Joe Gardner!
After riding out our funnel cake sugar rushes it was time to carry on to the Italy Pavilion that was designed with a mixture of Italian architecture in mind. The Italian Pavilion resembles the streets of Venice with its Venetian bridges and gondolas, it captures the spirit of Rome with its Neptune inspired fountain and the fun of Naples with the live street singers “I Cantanpoli”. In the Italian Pavilion you will also find the 83-foot belltower with is an authentic replica of the original campanile in St. Mark's Square, Venice. We had been waiting all day to make it to the Italian Pavilion as we were craving some infamous, authentic Italian stone-fired Pizza! For this we stopped at Via Napoli which is designed to replicate the architecture of Florence, and with its open kitchen and prep area we could see our Pizza’s being made, cooked, and brought out to us! If you also fancy some pizza but don’t have time to stop and have a sit-down meal, Pizza al Taglio is another great pizza option that serves take-away pizza from a walk-up window! Wine lovers will also love the Italian Pavilion as it has its very own wine bar, Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, that creates an intimate atmosphere and offers over 200 varieties of Italian wine! Of course, we couldn’t leave the Italian Pavilion without also sampling some of Italy’s world-famous Gelato – which is available throughout the Italian Pavilion!
After Italy it was on to Germany, and by now we were starting to get very full! Our mission to sample food from around the world at EPCOT was beginning to get rather difficult! The German Pavilion is themed with a mix of traditional medieval German style and fairy tale Bavarian architecture (think Hansel and Gretel) with a model German village and miniature model trains. Though we were truly full from lunch, the food in the German Pavilion looked amazing as it was themed in a traditional Oktoberfest-style. The Biergarten served an “Oktoberfest Buffet” that we admired from afar…though we could (and did) just about manage a traditional German apple strudel from Sommerfest! Though there are currently no attractions in the German Pavilion, there is an array of shopping where you can purchase anything from a limited-edition EPCOT beer stein to German football memorabilia!
The China Pavilion came next, which you enter through a distinct triple arched ceremonial gate patterned after the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The China Pavilion was a great place to stop and relax for a while after an intense first half of the day – there were footbridges, bamboo groves, a small waterfall, and ponds which provided the perfect getaway from the crowds. The picturesque buildings also made for great photo backgrounds and the various items in the shops made for great photo props! House of Good Fortune is the largest shopping complex in the World Showcase that offers a wide variety of traditional merchandise from silk clothing, lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlay furniture, Yixing teapots and jade carvings, to stuffed pandas, incense, candles, and paper fans. In terms of dining, the focus here is obviously Chinese food but the Chinese Pavilion has a small reputation for not being the most delicious food around the Lake (and we had already been treated to such amazing delights), but we did however enjoy some traditional Chinese tea from Joy of Tea along with some Egg Rolls from Lotus Blossom Café.
The next Pavilion is Norway, and it is here you can finally enjoy another ride! The Norway Pavilion is designed to look like a traditional Norwegian village with large wooden trolls decorating the inside of the many shops – these also make for great Instagram photo buddies! It is in the Norway Pavilion you will find the Frozen Ever After ride – a fun, family boat ride that will take you through Arendelle with Olaf, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff. After the ride we also queued (not for very long) to meet both Anna and Elsa – something I highly recommend doing if you are fans of the film! Food in the Norway Pavilion again follows a traditional theme and we decided to sample from the Norwegian themed bakery Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe – this Kafe serves a variety of snacks, and my favourite was the Norwegian Kringla (a Norwegian pretzel with an assortment of toppings). I also had a Viking Coffee to wash it down – think Irish style coffee as it has an extra kick in it!
Lastly it was on to the Mexico Pavilion, which is designed in a Mesoamerican style with Aztec Pyramid replicas. Inside the pyramid is themed as an outdoor twilight-lit Mexican village and marketplace, Plaza de los Amigos. Similar to Norway, the Mexico Pavilion features its own boat ride within the Aztec Pyramid – think “It’s a Small World” in Magic Kingdom but with Donald Duck and in Mexico! Mexico has a variety of eateries to choose from, however we decided to book dinner in La Hacienda de San Angel as this restaurant is said to parallel one of the same name in Mexico City that has been operating since the 1600s! When in Mexico (or the Mexico Pavilion) you can’t not sample some traditional food, so I just had to have the Enchiladas…followed by an El Diablo (an excellent tequila cocktail!). For those of you who began your journey in Mexico or do not want to have dinner just yet, you’ll want to check out Choza de Margarita where you can get some Nachos to go, Tacos to go or even some traditional Guacamole! For those of you who skipped the wine bar in favour of spirits or those of you who love a Mexican Fiesta you absolutely must check out La Cava del Tequila…the Mexican Pavilion’s very own Tequila Bar! With over 12 signature tequila cocktails you’ll be spoiled for choice: my personal favourite was a classic Mexican Mule as it was super refreshing after such a long day at EPCOT!
©Disney
To finish our EPCOT: Around the World adventure we headed over to the ride Soarin’ Around the World, located in The Land Pavilion, where you fly over the world in an elevated simulator hand glider! On your ride you will soar over places including Australia’s Sydney Harbor, the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Mt. Kilimanjaro, India’s Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Soarin’ Around the World is a very popular ride at EPCOT and queue times can reach up to 120 minutes throughout the day. If you are really keen on riding but detest queuing, then I would recommend riding Soarin’ Around the World before embarking on your Around the World adventure in EPCOT (before 9.30am is best for short queues!).
EPCOT is an amazing day out and it was one of my most memorable so be sure to include a day (or 2) at EPCOT in your Disney itinerary as there is so much to do and see…and there will be even more when new attractions for Disney’s 50th Anniversary open!