International Guests Brutally Judge Countries at EPCOT’s World Showcase

EPCOT’s World Showcase recently emerged as a unique platform for international Guests to openly critique the representation offered for their home countries. A social media discussion became the sounding board for their brutally honest assessments, shedding light on each nation’s strengths and weaknesses in the iconic Walt Disney World Park. Lets delve into the unfiltered perspectives of these global critics, offering a rare glimpse into how well each country measures up in the eyes of its own citizens.

Opinions of Countries at World Showcase

A recent Reddit thread begged the question of Disney fans worldwide — be honest, what do you think of your country’s pavilion? A plethora of responses followed from every represented country in the World Showcase Lagoon. Here are the best takes from each country that responded.

Special Mention – New Zealand is Perfect

We start our journey with a country that isn’t represented at all, and that’s the point. New Zealand has no representation at EPCOT, and that’s a common crime according to its citizens.

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Mexico Does It Right

Most people agree that the Mexico Pavilion is the best country to stop at in the World Showcase. It holds an easily accessible spot in the circle, including many things that make the country special. It has good food and drinks, and Coco has only strengthened the area’s theme.

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The United Kingdom Could Use an Attraction

The United Kingdom Pavilion is celebrated for its Crown Pub. However, many think the area lacks something to really keep people sticking around. They believe an attraction would do wonders for the location, but there is debate on what it should be themed around. Mary Poppins is a rumored contender, but some thought Bedknobs and Broomsticks would be better.

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Canada Needs Quality Food Choices

The Canada Pavilion has an upscale steakhouse, but Canadian citizens can’t understand why there is no quick service option for more accessible food from the country. Many options include poutine, meat pies, slow-roasted beef sandwiches, and butter tarts. Others believe the area is just a tad boring compared to other countries, even being so close to the circle’s entrance.

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Japanese Gift Shop Is Legit

According to one response, the Japan Pavilion doesn’t do much to make it look like Japan. This person says it has more of a general Asian feel with food that is almost representative of the country. However, the gift shop is legit. It has so much amazing merchandise and things to see.

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Morocco Is Fit for a King

The Morocco Pavilion is one of the few areas in the World Showcase that its leader actually commissioned. This alone makes it extremely accurate as Moroccan architects designed it. The only thing it stumbles on is the food, which this response believes to be an American take on Moroccan food.

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America Has Food

The general consensus for Americans is that the America Pavilion is something you pass through on the way to other countries. It has some good food and a nice show to get out of the heat, but there is nothing truly remarkable about it, especially considering it’s a little redundant with the theme park being in America.

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Italy Is Impossible

One Italian comments that the Italy Pavilion isn’t bad, but it’s hard to represent all Italy offers in such a small space. Others mention that the food is great, and Venice is such an Italian highlight that using it is familiar. However, they agree that the area is more of a tourist’s representation of their country.

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Africa Should Be More Than an Outpost at EPCOT

One commenter said the Africa Pavilion makes them sad. They wonder what happened to the plans for Equatorial Africa and feel labeling it as an “outpost” is lazy. A better representation of part of the country exists in Animal Kingdom, but EPCOT should not neglect this area simply because it exists there.

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Norway Pavilion Is Outdated

Someone in the thread details a trip they took to EPCOT with someone from Norway. They explain that the person liked it but found it outdated. However, the food was something the Norway Pavilion got right, and they were eager to share it with everyone.

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Germany Doesn’t Represent All of the Country

One commenter says that the Germany Pavilion focuses too much on the city of Munich and not the country as a whole. Others say the area does not represent a modern view of Germany and desperately needs an update.

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China Pavilion Has Weak Marketplace

The top commenter for the China Pavilion explained that they were over the area after five minutes. They say the marketplace looks like a cheap Chinatown market, and the movie inside the building needs an update. However, the area itself is beautiful.

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Modern Representation

Each country in EPCOT got a top response except for France. It would be interesting to hear what people think of its representation, but no one commented about it in the thread. The France Pavilion recently added Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which is a good draw for Guests.

The general consensus in the Reddit discussion is that many countries at World Showcase could use an update to make them more representative of modern culture. With Disney tightening its budget and EPCOT still undergoing much construction, this will likely not happen anytime soon. However, hearing international Guests opinions on it is enlightening.