In the fifth part of our series of posts about the Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot theme park in Florida, we’re going to take a look at some of the attractions in the World Showcase section of the park.

World Showcase consists of 11 different “pavilions”, each of which represents a different country: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the U.S.A, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom and Canada. Each pavilion has shops, restaurants and attractions relating to the culture of the country represented.

In this post, we’re going to be looking at the Mexico, Norway and China pavilions.

The Mexico Pavilion

The Mexico pavilion is one of the most atmospheric pavilions in the World Showcase area of Epcot and is also one of the only pavilions to house a ride. The pavilion is designed to look like a huge Aztec pyramid and contains a Mexican marketplace with a range of stalls and shops.

The ride, the “Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros“, is an 8 minute long boat ride, in which you’ll join the animated characters Panchito (a rooster) and Jose Carioca in a race to find their friend, Donald Duck. The ride includes a series of large screens featuring the animated characters superimposed over shots of different places in Mexico.

If you fancy something to eat, you can enjoy a meal at the pavilion’s San Angel Inn, which overlooks the boat ride. Its menu includes Mexican-style dishes such as tacos, nachos and enchiladas. Alternatively, you can stop for a snack at La Cantina de San Angel or Taqueria del Lago. If you’re aged over 21, you can also take part in tequila tasting at La Cava del Tequila.

A traditional Mexican band, Mariachi Cobre, plays inside and outside of the pavilion throughout the day. You can find details of the performances in the Epcot daily timetable leaflet, which is available at the park gates.

The Norway Pavilion

The Norway pavilion is designed to look like a traditional Scandinavian village square, and its buildings include a replica Norwegian castle, inside of which you’ll find the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, a Disney character restaurant with a menu which includes a range of traditional Norwegian dishes. If you’d prefer a snack to a full meal, however, you can stop off at the pavilion’s Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe for coffee and pastries.

The pavilion’s main attraction is its ride, Maelstrom. On this 10 minute ride, you’ll travel through Norway and into the North Sea in a Viking ship – watch out for the trolls! You can also see an exhibition, Vikings: Conquerors of the Seas, which is housed within the Stave Church building and features a range of Norse items.

The pavilion also includes a shop, where you can stop up on Norwegian-themed souvenirs, such as pewter ornaments, Geir Ness fragrances and books of Norwegian fairy tales, to take back to your Orlando hire car or hotel.

The China Pavilion

The China pavilion is beautifully designed, with traditional-style Chinese buildings and gardens. Although there are no rides within the pavilion, there is a 13 minute long Circlevision 360 film presentation, Reflections of China, which features excellent shots of some of the country’s most famous places, such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. You can also visit the House of Whispering Willows Gallery, which houses the “Tomb Warriors – Guardian Spirits of Ancient China” exhibition, where includes examples of Chinese tomb art.

There are two main restaurants in this section of the park: the Nine Dragons Restaurant and the Lotus Blossom Cafe. The Nine Dragons Restaurant is a table-service restaurant which serves Chinese-style cuisine. Its menu includes dishes such as Shanghai Beef and Tofu, Sweet and Sour Pork and Vegetarian Stir-Fry. The Lotus Blossom Cafe is a counter-service restaurant which serves salads, rice dishes and noodles.

The pavilion includes a shop, which sells Chinese-themed souvenirs, including fans, silk clothing and jade jewellery. Entertainment in the pavilion consists of Si Xian (traditional Chinese music played on a zheng) and performances by the Dragon Legend Acrobats.

In the next post in this series, we will be taking a look at the Germany, Italy and U.S.A. pavilions.

Image: David R. Tribble