The Other Side of Epcot

While most theme park fans are focusing on the re-envisioning of Epcot with an eye toward Future World, especially the area around Spaceship Earth and the new roller coaster Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, I'm taking a particular interest to what is happening on the other side of the park in World Showcase. Since the demise of attractions such as Horizons, World of Motion, and especially Journey into Imagination, that side of the park has lost its luster, but World Showcase has become even more special and noteworthy. Inside the China pavilion, the House of the Whispering Willows might have the Shanghai Disney Resort preview center there now, but it used to highlight cultural artifacts- like the official reproductions of the famous Terra Cotta Warriors. The photo was taken by yours truly back in 2007, long before I saw the real ones in Asia.

These figures show the other side of Epcot, the charming and often more interesting but cultural sides of the countries represented. Wandering through each shop and gallery meant exploration and discovery. This went beyond characters and thrills, and they were pieces of an Epcot experience my family past and present loved. The Imagineers took us beyond the norm at Epcot. We may not be shrunk to the size of a rat or sent off on an adventure with Anna and Elsa, but the real life journeys of discovery were every bit as powerful. Will Remy's Ratatouille Adventure be as beloved and entrancing as Mexico's original El Rio del Tiempo or as thought provoking and inspirational as The American Adventure? I guess it all depends on your expectation of Disney's second Florida park. I for one wish they would have stayed true to its original vision. That said, I'll always find something to love there. So maybe I am the park guest Imagineer Zach Riddley and company are looking for.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)