One of my favorite places to visit while I am in Disney World is the World Showcase in Epcot.
The World Showcase is compromised of nine countries. They are Canada, United Kingdom, France, Morocco, Japan, America, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico. It is fun to visit the countries in Disney. Each country has its own show or entertainment about that country. One of my favorite shows around the World Showcase is Oh Canada! with Martin Short. It is a Circle-Vision 360° film, so it has screens all around. You are standing since there are no seats so you could look all the way around. There are bars for you to hold onto so you don’t fall.
The World Showcase has restaurants in each country, so you could enjoy the food from the specific country you are visiting. In addition to restaurants, most countries have a bakery. The bakeries have goodies from that country. I have tried the macaroons in France, a cannoli in Italy, a caramel apple in Germany and crushed ice in Japan. There are a lot of delicious things to choose from.
There are also characters and rides in the World Showcase. You could meet Belle and Princess Aurora in France, Mary Poppins and Alice in the United Kingdom, Princess Jasmine in Morocco, Snow White in Germany, Mulan in China, Ana and Elsa in Norway and Donald Duck in Mexico. It is fun meeting the characters in their countries. The World Showcase also has rides like Frozen Ever After in Norway and Grand Fiesta Tours starring Los Tres Caballeros in Mexico.
There are also games you can play while at the World Showcase. You can buy an Epcot Passport and go to the Kidcot at each country to get it stamped. There is also Agent P’s Adventure. To play this game, you must sign up at a recruitment center and you look for clues around the World Showcase.
One of my favorite things to do at the World Showcase is to pick a pearl. In the Japan Pavilion there is a store called Mitsukoshi Department Store. In that store, you will find a tank with oysters. If you go to the cashier and pay $18, they will let you pick a pearl. You can look around the tanks and pick whichever oyster you would like. The cast member will open the oyster and show you your new pearl. There is a fun ritual that goes along with this experience. It is very fun to watch and participate in picking a pearl. The cast member and other guests even celebrate with you on picking a pearl. If you would like the pearl to be set in a ring, necklace, or earrings, the store has settings for you to choose from or you could take the pearl home without a setting.
When visiting the a World Showcase, I like to stop by the shops in each country because they have country specific merchandise. Some countries even have country specific Mickey and Minnie shirts.
In addition to all of those amazing things to do at the World Showcase, they have four Festivals there. From mid January to mid February there is the Festival of the Arts, from the end of February to the end of May there is Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival, from the end of August to the middle of November they have Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival and from the middle of November to the end of December, they have the Festival of the Holidays.
It is nice to visit Epcot any time of the year, but the Festivals make it so much more fun. During Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival you can see all of the beautiful topiaries and flowers around Epcot. During Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival you can eat and drink your way around the world. In addition to the nine countries in Epcot, there are a lot of kiosks that sell food and wine from other countries. During the a Festival of the Holidays you can see how each country celebrates Christmas. They even have a candlelight processional!
Visiting the World Showcase is one of my favorite things to do when I am at Disney World. There is so much to see, do, buy and taste. It is always a fun adventure!