Overnight, Walt Disney World Resort made an unexpected move at EPCOT, removing traces of a once-popular area of the Morocco World Showcase Pavilion. The change comes five years after a significant closure affected this section of the park.
On Thursday, September 9, WDWNT reported that the Restaurant Marrakesh sign had been removed from a walkway near the former restaurant entrance. While the hanging golden circular sign still remains, it is visibly weathered, with fading from where the restaurant’s name used to be attached. The red logo for the restaurant has also been taken down entirely.
Though it might seem like a routine update, the timing of this change raises questions. Restaurant Marrakesh has been closed for over five years, never reopening after Walt Disney World Resort closed its parks due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Like many other EPCOT World Showcase dining locations, Restaurant Marrakesh was operated by an outside company, Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant, LLC, which filed for a PPP loan in June 2020. Disney took over operations in October 2020 after filing a legal complaint against the restaurant company. Despite regaining control of the Morocco Pavilion, Restaurant Marrakesh has never reopened, with Walt Disney World Resort’s website still listing it as “temporarily unavailable.”
In 2021, Walt Disney World Resort removed the menu stand from outside the restaurant, and the space has since been used for temporary offerings. These have included an Annual Passholder lounge, a Florida Blue lounge, and even an indoor, air-conditioned seating area for all EPCOT guests. However, this area is no longer accessible to Disney Park guests.
A new Walt Disney World Passholder-exclusive lounge is opening in Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco Pavilion at EPCOT from May 1 to June 18, 2024, from noon to 8:00 PM daily as part of V.I.PASSHOLDER Days.
Walt Disney World Resort has not made a public statement about these ongoing changes at the Morocco World Showcase Pavilion in EPCOT.
Which of the EPCOT World Showcase Pavilions is your favorite? Disney Fanatic would love to hear from you in the comments!
