Spaceship Earth as the landmark of Epcot

Epcot is one of four amusement parks at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida near Orlando. It was the second park to open in 1982. The theme of the park is international culture and technological innovation.

Initially, Epcot was the largest amusement park in the Walt Disney World Resort until 1998, covering around 120 hectares, until it was replaced by “Disney’s Animal Kingdom”. With around 11.2 million visitors, the park was the fifth most visited theme park in the world in 2013. The park’s landmark is the Spaceship Earth attraction.

The experimental city of the future Epcot(Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow) takes visitors on a journey around the world through “Future World” and “World Showcase”. While Future World demonstrates the future high-tech world, numerous countries present themselves in the World Showcase by showcasing their architecture, lifestyle and, of course, their culinary specialties. A wonderful day full of illusion and inspiration concludes with an impressive fireworks display over the lagoon.

World Celebration – The heart of Epcot

Your visit to the park starts right behind the entrance with the famous silver sphere: Spaceship Earth. In this iconic attraction, you travel through the history of human communication – from the Stone Age to the digital future. The area around Spaceship Earth has been redesigned and now forms the core of the park. The new Dreamers Point area with a Walt Disney statue can also be found here, as well as interactive exhibitions, green areas and evening lighting.

The Imagination Pavilion is located right next door. This is where you start with Journey into Imagination with Figment, a family-friendly themed ride through the world of the senses, playfully accompanied by a little purple dragon called Figment. In the adjacent Pixar Short Film Festival, humorous short films from the Pixar universe will be shown in 4D.

World Discovery – Action, innovation and space travel

In World Discovery, visitors experience the future up close. The highlight is the latest top attraction: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – a fast-paced indoor coaster with story, music and rotating platforms.

There is also Mission: Space, where guests simulate a space mission as an astronaut. There is a choice between an intensive (Orange) or moderate (Green) version. Right next to it is Test Track, a high-speed ride at up to 100 km/h, where you can design your own test vehicle beforehand. The track will be extensively modernized from 2024, but will remain a crowd puller with virtual reality elements and airflow.

World Nature – Environment, sustainability and natural wonders

This area is dedicated to the theme of nature and includes the well-known The Land Pavilion with the Living with the Land boat trip, which offers an insight into modern agriculture and future technologies. Also here: Soarin’ Around the World, a popular flight simulator over world-famous sights such as the pyramids, the Taj Mahal or Antarctica.

The interactive water garden Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana, a lovingly designed adventure trail for the whole family, is brand new.

In the neighboring The Seas with Nemo Friends, you can explore the underwater world with Nemo, Crush and real sea creatures in huge aquariums. The Turtle Talk with Crush show is particularly popular with children.

Performance of the nations in the World Showcase

The largest part of Epcot is taken up by the World Showcase, which is made up of eleven pavilion nations. Here you can immerse yourself in the world of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Morocco, France, Great Britain and Canada. In the middle of the park is the “World Showcase Lagoon”, an artificial lake with a circumference of almost 3.5 km.

Hola Mexico

The Mexican pavilion resembles an Aztec pyramid and welcomes you at the entrance with Mexican works of art from the Animales Fantasticos art collection. The main room is the marketplace at night, the “Plaza de los Amigos”. From the “San Angel Inn” restaurant at the end of the square, you can see a model of an active volcano over an artificial river. On the river “El Rio del Tiempo” (River of Time) you can sail around in small boats. The “Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros” tells the story of three caballeros.

Hey Norway

Welcome to the land of trolls. The Norwegian pavilion, modeled on a Norwegian village, shows the Gol stave church and has many stores decorated with large wooden trolls. Among other things, typical Norwegian clothing, sweets and small troll statues are sold here. In the inner courtyard is the entrance to the “Maelstrom” boat trip, which takes you through a mystical landscape with Vikings and trolls out to sea and through a violent storm.

Nǐ hǎo China

Entering through a large Chinese gate, China welcomes visitors with the “Temple of Heaven”. Inside, Reflections of China is a 360° film about the country’s history and landscape. Stores in the inner courtyard sell a range of Chinese goods. The romantic ponds spanned by bridges create a typically Chinese atmosphere. The Chinese “Nine Dragons Restaurant” serves authentic Chinese dishes.

Hello Germany

No American can think of Germany without bratwurst, sauerkraut and wheat beer, and unfortunately this is often the only thing that comes to mind when thinking of Germany. So it’s not surprising that there is also a beer garden in the pavilion, which is modeled on a small German town, where the national dish is served.

However, various architectural elements from the different regions of Germany have been deliberately incorporated, even if the overall visual impression is more reminiscent of Bavaria or Franconia. Small stores offer the second great synonym for Germany: the cuckoo clock and there are also dolls and wine from German wine-growing regions. There is a small model railway town near the pavilion.

Ciao Italy

The piazza in the Italian pavilion is framed by famous buildings from Venice and Rome, such as the Campanile bell tower on St. Mark’s Square and a replica of the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Statues, a Neptune fountain and lions adorn the square, where various street artists such as clowns and mimes entertain. You can buy Italian sweets and wine in the small stores.

Hi USA

The American pavilion was modeled on the American colonial style. Here, the stage show The American Adventure with automated actors brings visitors closer to American history. The show is very patriotic and perfectly staged in American style.

Numerous famous Americans are portrayed on a moving stage by animatronics, who tell us something about their era in US history. Video projections and a harmonious soundtrack round off the program. The Hall of Flags displays various flags from American history. Typical American dishes such as cheeseburgers and hot dogs are served in the Liberty Inn restaurant.

Konnichiwa Japan

Genuine Japanese architecture transports world travelers directly to the land of the setting sun. The entrance to the courtyard is decorated with a Japanese pagoda. A torii gate decorates the waterfront by the lagoon. Japanese pools and gardens lead directly into the Japanese castle, which is surrounded by a moat. There is an exhibition on Japanese culture here. In the “Mitsukoshi” store you can buy typical Japanese clothes, jewelry and toys. In the Teppanyaki Dining Room, the chef prepares the dishes right in front of the visitors.

Salem Morocco

The Koutoubia Minaret from Marrakech is located within the Moroccan city. The pavilion also houses an art gallery and a Fez house, an example of a typical Moroccan house. Numerous stores create a Moroccan market atmosphere surrounded by gardens and fountains, where carpets, leather goods and clothes are on sale. In the evening, belly dancers dance into the night with visitors to the park as part of a music show.

Salute France

You can catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in the French pavilion. There are stores selling French goods such as perfumes in the themed area based on the Parisian district. The “Impressions de France” panorama cinema tells the story of France’s cities and history. Of course, our European neighbors also offer culinary delights in the “Bistro de Paris”.

Hello Great Britain

The buildings in the British Pavilion are modeled on various architectural periods of British architecture. The flair is underlined by a typical English garden maze. The stores sell British goods such as tea, toys, clothes and numerous Beatles merchandise.

The Beatles are of course also on site and play well-known songs in the form of “The British Invasion”. Music continues here with pianist and entertainer “Pam Brody”, who performs a selection of well-known British music in “The Rose Crown Pub” at weekends. Fish and ships are a must here. You can get them at Harry Ramsden’s.

Hello and bonjour Canada

The castle in the Canadian pavilion is modeled on an old Canadian hotel. Behind it is a rocky landscape with waterfalls. The 360° film “O Canada!” shows the Canadian beauty of the city and country. Culinary specialties are available in the form of steaks and seafood at “Le Cellier Steakhouse”.

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