Celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Epcot's San Angel Inn Restaurante

It's Cinco de Mayo, and the best place to celebrate at Walt Disney World has to be the San Angel Inn Restaurante in Mexico's World Showcase pavilion! The chips are hot, the salsa delicious, and the house margaritas are just what the celebration calls for!

This is another instance where the concept art,

thought quite nice, doesn't;t compare to the actual end result!

It's so much for than the food and drink however. Sitting on the waterside of the lagoon, boats sail on El Rio del Tiempo, the River of Time, taking passengers on their way for a fun and music filled Gran Fiesta Tour. 

As you sit there enjoying your excellently prepared tacos, perfectly cooked steak, enchiladas, or Queso Fundido, the perpetual moonlight and smoldering volcano in the distance takes you to a timeless land far away. The stresses of a Disney World vacation melt away. This is why you came to Disney in the first place!

Sure, there are many choices for Mexican food on the property, but for a uniquely Disney experience none beats this way to spend Cinco de Mayo. Is San Angel Inn Restaurante for you? Check out all the details on my Dine or Ditch review.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft. Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Epcot!

Sometimes the simplest attractions from a technological standpoint are the most beloved. Think Peter Pan's Flight in the castle parks or in EPCOT Center's case, El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico showcase. Upon our first visit in 1983, it was one of my all time favorite experiences. And it still would be... if it wasn't changed to a character filled journey, but that is the future of Epcot. 

Take a look at the beautiful piece of concept art for the Mexico pavilion by Imagineer Eddie Martinez. As a Disney park geek, it's the perfect way to begin celebrating Cinco de Mayo before diving into tamales, chips, salsa, and especially margaritas at your favorite restaurant. Or if you are blessed to be in Florida at one of the Walt Disney World restaurants! 

Even though Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's conquest of the French during the time of the Civil War in the United States, nowadays it's just a reason to party. And there's no better place to celebrate as a Disney fan than at Epcot's stunning Mexico World Showcase!

The concept art gives way to a beautiful reality.

This single pavilion- an instant favorite from our first visit in 1983- has the unique distinction in all of World Showcase of being mostly all indoors. That is changing as the years go on, but from first glance, all guests can see is a waterside restaurant (with amazingly great food at dinner- the best of all restaurants on this side of the park), a small taco stand with adult refreshments, and a large, imposing pyramid in the midst of the jungle. You've got to go deeper to get the true flavor of it all, but it is worth the exploration.

Even this Disney publicity photo shows

how tightly they pack in the diners!

Once you step inside the pyramid, it's a beautiful sight! Reminiscent of Disneyland's  glorious Blue Bayou restaurant which overlooks Pirates of the Caribbean, here in Mexico night skies dominate, and the music of mariachis fills the air. The quaint central plaza built in the beautiful Colonial style includes a small museum with hints of Coco, a tequila bar, shopping opportunities, and an enchanting and once great but unfortunately now pricy and mediocre, waterfront restaurant, San Angel Restaurante. 

Imagineer Clem Hall's pencil sketch.

Looking past that, colorful lanterns hang in the air while mariachis play their festive tunes. A distant volcano spews smoke, and a smaller pyramid just on the far side of the river beckons further exploration. 

Official Disney construction photo 

of the temple inside.

The mysterious and beautiful setting is the home of a river cruise... into a cartoon world? Yes, but it wasn't always that way.

An empty pavilion before World Showcase officially opens.

Although the very charming, dignified, and mysterious El Rio del Tiempo attraction has now been replaced by the escapades of three fowl friends on their Gran Fiesta Tour, the pavilion is still a cause for celebration. Another margarita, anyone? How about we go back in time for a boat ride through Mexican history and and her cultures both ancient and modern instead?

Concept art for inside the showcase.

At the opening of EPCOT Center in 1982, the Disney Imagineers set a new creative standard for themselves by designing a part that was future focused but also full of human accomplishment while celebrating the cultures of mankind. Walt Disney's EPCOT- Creating the New World of Tomorrow by Richard R. Beard details the creation and execution of this cutting edge park- the first non-Magic Kingdom style playground ever built by the Mouse. It was an expensive undertaking, but what an incredible experience it was for guests venturing beyond what they knew a Disney park to be!

Let's look at a few pieces of concept art and photos of the splendid Mexico pavillion circa opening year.  

When we first visited EPCOT Center in 1983, this pavilion was a clear favorite among all the World Showcase countries represented. The main medium for telling the story of the country was a Disney first: a large part of the signature attraction was told through the medium of dance, but any Disney fan will also see the strong influences of other attractions, most notably If You Had Wings, an old Magic Kingdom favorite from Tomorrowland. Music was a dominating factor whether outside the pavilion inside, or on the main ride.

Mid-afternoon shot from 2019.

Really beautiful, isn't it?

Inside the large temple, a small Mexican village is darkened by eternal nighttime, and there is some celebration happening!  We had reservations for a meal during the hottest part of the day and were not disappointed. An absolutely  perfect late afternoon lunch sitting waterside sipping margaritas and eating Queso Fundido made it tempting to do nothing else, but the boats cruising El Rio del Tiempo got us out of our seats... eventually. 

The boat cruise was designed to be much more grand, closer on the scale of Pirates of the Caribbean in length and immersion. Imagine! However, the budgets were blown and time was short before opening day. Adjustments had to be made, and the signature attraction was truncated. Such is the life of an Imagineer! 


Once aboard, our departure onto the river is at once peaceful and mysterious and suspenseful. As  we enter a smaller temple, our adventure begins with a dose of Disney magic: Encountering a statue of a high priest who comes to life, dancers soon surround, moving to ancient rhythms. In its original form, this section was the showpiece of the attraction. The history of the indigenous peoples makes for a stunning story- thankfully a depiction of human sacrifices spared- but here, everything was told in an equally artistic and beautiful presentation. From ancient days, we head on.

The doll filled celebration of the Day of the Dead startles in contrast with the flavors of It's a Small World, but it's only a small segment of the ride. The new and colorful style used to tell this potion of the story is almost jarring, but it does keep the guests from getting bored! This is also where the theme song comes to life and gets stuck in your head.

                               This publicity photo shows the drama a great color scheme creates!

We continue into other regions depicting the Mexico of the Travel Channel: Beaches, parties, and tourist sites. In other words, perpetual Cinco de Mayo. It's a step down from the elegance of what we saw earlier, but it is very playful and thoroughly enjoyable. The music is memorable, and any EPCOT Center lover worth his title as fan can hum the song even while reading this post!


The Imagineers did an excellent job capturing the culture of our friends south of the border. The end result reflected a true labor of love even if doused with a shot of economic reality. It was a beloved attraction that only needed a tune up. However, the suits at Disney were looking for a new way to make a buck once sponsorship had ended, so in came the movie tie-in. This was one of the first steps into turning the park into something that also promoted Disney Intellectual Properties. Done well, Coco would fit in quite easily here.

Recent revisions to the boat ride employed an insertion of The Three Caballeros film and Donald Duck and friends. It's sassy and kid-friendly, but just plain wrong. This major mistake in direction stripped the dignity and sophistication imbred into EPCOT Center since its inception. But the addition of Nemo in the Seas, Elsa in Norway, and Remy into France with his Ratatouille infusion, means this trend will not stop. Call Epcot Magic Kingdom 2.0 now.

The finale in Mexico City!

There's plenty of reasons to celebrate Mexico and her culture today- and I wish that I could do it by going back in time to ride Epcot's gorgeous but long gone, El Rio del Tiempo.  There are dozens of YouTube videos, but one of my favorites is here.

The past is the past, but what a glorious time it was back at EPCOT Center's opening...

 Vaya con Dios (Go with God)!
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photos by Mark Taft aside from the top photo copyright Disney.)

Time to Party!

It's time to break out the margaritas, a plate of sizzling enchiladas, and several dishes of flan. It's Cinco de Mayo, and although we're stuck inside, we can still celebrate. Ready?

Isn't this piece of concept art for EPCOT Center's lovely El Rio del Tiempo beautiful? Imagineer Eddie Martinez created this view of the attraction, mixing all the joy, colors, and enchantment of a Mexican village at the edge of the river. It's easy to see how the suits plan to transition this from the current Gran Fiesta Tour into Coco, but often, it is best to let guests experience their own story as it unfolds in an attraction. not everything has to be a tie in to an Intellectual Property. This was part of the charm of the park at opening!

El Rio del Tiempo and Impressions de France were my two favorite World Showcase attractions from the very beginning. Both this ride and this film celebrated the culture represented without having to put a Disney watermark of characters on top. As the classic Future World attractions such as Journey into Imagination, World of Motion, and Horizons give way to much less vibrant replacements, going to World Showcase gives off that classic Epcot vibe. At least for now, and that is worth celebrating. 

What else can we celebrate? In the midst of a season unique to our generation, we have friends, family, and a God who loves us. We may not always understand why things happen the way they do, but we can trust all things work together for good if we love Him and are called to His purposes. That is good news worthy of a party!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Cinco de Mayo Celebration of Epcot's Mexico Showcase

Who doesn't love Cinco de Mayo? And who isn't ready for some margaritas and a nice meal with a festive atmosphere?

At Epcot's Mexico Showcase, the fiesta lasts every day! Ready for opening day, those world famous Disney Imagineers created a beautiful combination of shops and restaurants to complement the lovely El Rio del Tiempo, the attraction found inside the pyramid.  This ride through a Blue Bayou type lagoon unfolds the story of Mexican culture through music and dance. 

Before we get to that, let's talk about where to eat. From my last visit, it boiled down to two choices. One with great food and an average environment, and one with awful food but a spectacular only as Disney can do setting.

Just opposite this pyramid is the restaurant with amazing food: La Hacienda. It may even have the best food in all of Epcot, and it earned deservedly rave reviews from everyone in our group, kids, parents, and grandparents. That's saying something as our state offers some of the best Mexican food in the country.

The other restaurant of notice is inside the pyramid: San Angel Restaurant. One of our early favorites when EPCOT Center opened, but one with now some of the worst food at the park, albeit with a mesmerizing environment. Can't have both here. What would you choose?

Now back to our story of the Imagineers and their vision for the Mexico showcase. They dreamed up a great concept with some wonderful art to support it. 

The concept art reveals their thoughtful undertaking. To capture a country as vibrant and varied as Mexico, they involved local artists in their work. Doing so brought an authenticity to the Disney theme park- even if it is a fanciful dream-like version of everyone's favorite ideas of what the nation actually comprises. 

Approaching the imposing temple sitting alongside the World Showcase lagoon, we see the Imagineers first give us a museum like space devoted to bringing us a small sampling of crafts from local artists. But once we go deeper inside, a surprise awaits!

The Walt Disney World experience is all the more rich because of the vision of the park's creators, and its execution. Just about anyone can build rides, but EPCOT Center was meant to educate as well as entertain. In the early days, long before the inclusion of animated characters, the pavilion's adventures had to stand on their own. And they did. 

Let's go back in time to opening day and step inside to discover the treasures of Mexico. A beautiful plaza calls to us with so much to discover. Moving past the small shops around the colonial plaza, we find yet another temple and a small lagoon.

Going deeper still, we step aboard our small boat, cruising on the moonlit waterway into a smaller but still imposing illuminated structure.  Ancient statuary sits beside it with a singular hut found off to the right. Our adventure begins!

No spoilers here about the ride itself, but instead some concept art (above and below) for the village within the plaza show us the night is alive with music and food!

The plaza sparkles in the moonlight, beckoning us to partake of its pleasures! Time for shopping. Perhaps a meal but certainly there's time for music! Yet, the other countries of World Showcase are waiting for us, making EPCOT Center a full two day park if you include the adventures of Future World. Where to go next?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photos copyright the author.)

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Epcot

A day to celebrate and relax over a leisurely dinner and a frosty margarita should you choose! There's another way to celebrate, and that is to go to Epcot and visit the World Showcase of the country of Mexico.

My wife and I have always thoroughly enjoyed the Mexico showcase and its incredible mix of shops, restaurants, lively entertainment, historical artifacts, and of course, its main attraction: El Rio del Tiempo / Gran Fiesta Tour. The showcase and the focus of the park has changed considerably since our first visit in 1983. Not always for the better, but there's still quite a bit to enjoy. That is due to the original Imagineering team and their desire to bring the rich culture of each nation to guests.

By the time it opened in 1982, EPCOT Center was designed by the Disney Imagineers to creative a new standard for in theme parks for guests and for themselves. Walt Disney's EPCOT- Creating the New World of Tomorrow by Richard R. Beard details the creation and execution of this World's Fair type park. The first non-Magic Kingdom style playground ever built by the Mouse was full of cutting edge displays, technology used both on stage and off, and Audio-Animatronic shows on level with anything they had ever created in the past.


So, today, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, we'll look at a few pieces of concept art and photos of the splendid Mexico pavilion circa opening year. 

Photo by Mark Taft.

The detail created by those design geniuses was evident as a guest would first look at the beautifully created pyramid before walking inside to explore its treasures. The serpent head, above, shows a bit of the care taken. These heads are positioned quite a bit above the ground level, but there was no skimping on detail at all.

The lakeside view of the area (above) reinforces the fact that the majority of what was to be found was actually discovered within a darkened village inside the pyramid. If you're thinking California's Pirates of the Caribbean and the Blue Bayou here, you've only scratched at the beginning of that they created. The museum portion of the presentation opened up to an enchanting nighttime fiesta, a marketplace filled with sights and sounds pleasing to the eye- and not including the smell associated with a then first class restaurant.

The combination made this pavilion was an easy favorite among all the World Showcase countries represented. The France showcase, although extremely pretty and a close second, housed an admittedly wonderful travelogue. Yet it left us wanting- wanting to experience more. Much more. You cannot do that with a film! 

The quaint central plaza built in the beautiful Colonial style includes shops and a waterfront restaurant. Colorful lanterns hang in the air while mariachis play. We could have easily sat waterside sipping margaritas, making it tempting to stay here all day, but the boats cruising El Rio del Tiempo beckoned us to step aboard a small watercraft.

In contrast to the France showcase, here in Mexico, a different opportunity to explore was realized via that enchanting boat ride through a very mysterious environment. The story is begun rather uniquely. As guests glide along the waters through a Mexican jungle, we enter yet another pyramid as the adventure continues. In this attraction, a first for Disney, the main method for storytelling  was told through the medium of dance.

Photo by Mark Taft.

An enchanting village is contained within the pyramid.
Shades of the Blue Bayou at Disneyland.

From high priests to beautiful exotic dancers performing ancient routines, the opening scenes celebrate authentic Mexican culture with exploiting it; a goal successfully accomplished when the park first opened, later reversed by the Disney suits when it was easier to throw in Disney characters to take advantage of its guests.


Our excursion onto the river is at once peaceful and mysterious. We were so drawn into the story, mesmerized by this new way of telling an ancient story of an ancient culture. We knew so little about the history of Mexico. We came away having learned about and enjoyed every moment of it!

As the cruise continued into other regions depicting Mexican celebrations and modern life, something changed. Everything following the dance paled in comparison. It was as if something was cut short in the execution of the attraction- and in fact, it was. The journey should have been about another 5 minutes loner- on par with Pirates- but budget blowing construction and some fear from the suits cut the plans short. It was a method of delivery that would become all too common in the 21st Century. Fortunately, a lovely and playful song sets us in a joyful mood for the rest of our journey. 

The sweet and inviting theme song rang in our heads! Had we not wanted to move on to the other countries in the Showcase, we would have quickly turned around and ridden again. Not so in the more recent years when the Three Caballeros took over.

From the initial concept art to the final construction, the original Imagineers did an excellent job capturing the culture of our friends south of the border. This helped make Epcot an entirely different experience than visiting the Magic Kingdom. An adult playground with plenty for children to discover.

Unfortunately, recent revisions to the boat ride was a major misstep and an unfortunate foretaste of things to come. The dignity and sophistication imbred into EPCOT Center since its inception has been now replaced by a desire to please a less discerning crowd- and to increase sales of character merchandise at the cash registers. I hate to say it, but The Three Caballeros and their Gran Fiesta Tour helped pave the way for Nemo in the Living Seas, Martin Short in Canada, and eventually the Frozen takeover in Norway. It's no longer about learning culture and more about inserting the Disney brand into the heads of its guests. This trend which must stop if the Walt Disney Company wishes to capture the travel dollar of discriminating and aging adults.

In the meantime, enjoy Cinco de Mayo at Epcot and take time to explore all the cultural experiences offered in World Showcase. At the rate of things, Robert Iger and company seems determined to change the focus of the park and turn it into a money machine of wine and partying... instead of the enticing cultural showcase it once was.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Cinco de Mayo at Epcot

Last year's post on Cinco de Mayo was so good, here it is again: 

Today, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's conquest of the French during the time of the Civil War in the United States. Its the perfect day to be with family and friends over chips, salsa, and frosty margaritas celebrating... at Epcot's gorgeous Mexico World Showcase!

This one pavilion has the unique distinction in all of World Showcase of being mostly indoors. From a casual view, all guests can see is a waterside restaurant, a small taco stand, and a large, imposing pyramid. Once inside the pyramid, it's a showstopper! In shades of Disneyland's Blue Bayou, night skies dominate, and the music of mariachis fills the air. The quaint central plaza built in the beautiful Colonial style includes shops, a small museum, and a waterfront restaurant. Colorful lanterns hang in the air while mariachis play. A distant volcano spews smoke, and a smaller pyramid just on the far side of the river beckons further exploration. 

Although the very charming, dignified, and mysterious El Rio del Tiempo attraction has now been replaced by the escapades of three fowl friends, the pavilion is still a cause for celebration. Margaritas, anyone? No? How about a boat ride through history instead?

At the opening of EPCOT Center in 1982, the Disney Imagineers set a new creative standard for themselves. Walt Disney's EPCOT- Creating the New World of Tomorrow by Richard R. Beard details the creation and execution of this cutting edge park- the first non-Magic Kingdom style playground ever built by the Mouse.

Let's look at a few pieces of concept art and photos of the splendid Mexico pavillion circa opening year. (All images are able to be enlarged.)

When we first visited EPCOT Center in 1983, this pavilion was a clear favorite among all the World Showcase countries represented. The main medium for telling the story of the country was a Disney first: a large part of the signature attraction was told through the medium of dance, but any Disney fan will also see the strong influences of other attractions, most notably If You Had Wings, and old Magic Kingdom favorite.

Inside the large temple, a small Mexican village is darkened by eternal nighttime, and there is some celebration happening!  A perfect afternoon lunch sitting waterside sipping margaritas and eating Queso Fundido made it tempting to do nothing else, but the boats cruising El Rio del Tiempo got us get out of our seats.

The boat cruise was designed to be much more grand, closer on the scale of Pirates of the Caribbean in length and immersion. However, the budgets were blown, time was short before opening day, and adjustments had to be made. Such is the life of an Imagineer! Their accomplishment still impresses, so on with the journey!


Once aboard, our departure onto the river is at once peaceful and mysterious. As  we enter another temple, and our adventure begins with a dose of Disney magic: Encountering a high priest, dancers soon surround, moving to ancient rhythms. In its original form, this section was the showpiece of the attraction. The history of the people makes for a stunning story, and here, it was told in an equally stunning presentation.

The doll filled celebration of the Day of the Dead startles with the flavors of It's a Small World, but it's only a small segment of the ride. The contrast from one style used to tell the story to another is almost jarring, but it does keep the guests from getting bored! 

We continue into other regions depicting the Mexico of the Travel Channel: Beaches, parties, and tourist sites. It's a step down from the elegance of what we saw earlier, but it is playful and enjoyable. The music is memorable, and any EPCOT Center lover worth his title as fan can hum the song even while reading this post!


The Imagineers did an excellent job capturing the culture of our friends south of the border. The end result reflected a true labor of love even if doused with a shot of economic reality. It was a beloved attraction that only needed a tune up. However, the suits at Disney were looking for a new way to make a buck once sponsorship had ended, so in came the movie tie-in.

Recent revisions to the boat ride employed an insertion of The Three Caballeros film and Donald Duck and friends. It's sassy and kid-friendly, but just plain wrong. This major mistake stripped the dignity and sophistication imbred into EPCOT Center since its inception. It is a trend which must stop if the Walt Disney Company wishes to capture the travel dollar of discriminating guests looking for something different than a new style Magic Kingdom.

There's plenty of reasons to celebrate Mexico and her culture today- and I wish that I could do it by going back in time to ride Epcot's gorgeous but long gone, El Rio del Tiempo.  There are dozens of YouTube videos, but one of my favorites is here.

The past is the past, but what a glorious time it was back at EPCOT Center's opening...
 Vaya con Dios!
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)