October 9, 2023

EPCOT's Israel Showcase- An Unbuilt Gem

Imagineer Herb Ryman's beautiful Israel pavilion for EPCOT Center deserves to be built. Painted in June of 1982, shortly after the park's grand opening, this piece of concept art captures all the warmth, history, and beautiful architecture the country is known for. You can feel yourself walking down the streets and exploring the courtyards. That's Herb! It even made the infamous list of coming attractions to Epcot. Take a look below.

Back when Epcot was truly forward looking, the Disney Imagineers had great plans for additions that celebrated human ingenuity and culture with a beautiful design plan to keep guests coming in for decades. But greed and lack of vision altered that plan, so now we have Marvel characters, Disney princesses, and friendly fowl replacing  scientific theory, legendary trolls, and Aztec and Mayan culture.



The blueprint for Israel (shown above) has been in circulation for quite awhile, and it shows the expected mix of shops, a cafe or restaurant, and an entertainment venue. Blow the image up and explore a bit! It might make you wish this had come to pass- although it did in a much smaller version for the Millennium celebration. I saw it first hand, and it was quite interesting. 

A photo of Israel at the Millennium Celebration.

In the real world, Israel is under attack from Hamas and with the help of Iran apparently. But don't worry just pray. For whatever reason, the Almighty God has called Israel his chosen people, and He will not let the nation be destroyed. Many nations have tried, some have even conquered the land, but the people endure. And they will do so until the end of time when Jesus returns to earth and brings judgment to both those that love Him and those that do not. I do not know about you, but I do not want to be against anything or anyone God is for! (Is it time to once again crack open that book of Revelation in the Bible's New Testament?) No, everything Israel does is not perfect, but God will judge that too. (Nations are just like people, aren't they?)

In the fake world of Epcot, World Showcase badly needs this Israel addition! It is very Eurocentric, and fleshing it out with a country from the Middle East would be a smart albeit risky move. 

The proposed, delayed and forever not yet announced Brazil addition would be a good place to refresh this half of the park by bringing a new country and culture to explore. It needs more than Ratatouille. (Find out more in these posts with artwork included. Post One. Post Two.) Even if it is only shopping, restaurants and some entertainment, World Showcase needs this, and the "new" Epcot especially.  In a fantasy world geared toward kids and Disney intellectual properties, the roots of World Showcase should not be ignored. But that's just one man's opinion. Is it yours?

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