The World Showcase at Epcot honors Walt Disney’s dream of a permanent World’s Fair at a single location. The 11 pavilions that comprise the international section of Epcot all reflect the cultures of the participating nations. While everyone has their favorites, every pavilion is worthy of your time due to Disney Imagineering’s loving representations of foreign cultures. Each month, we at Theme Park Tourist plan to highlight a pavilion. We’ll start with Epcot’s British invasion. Here are six wonderful things about the United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase.
A pleasant stereotype
Image: Disney When you think of the United Kingdom, you likely think of an idyllic village from the Victorian era or possibly medieval buildings. Oddly, you’ll find both of these styles and more at the United Kingdom Pavilion. Disney honors the traditions and heritage of the Empire with architectural tributes befitting multiple generations of the country. Most of the buildings are inspired by buildings from 1500 to 1800 A.D. Disney even pays tribute to Shakespeare with one of the cottages. Simply stated, everything you remember about British history finds a place at the pavilion.
Due to this charming hodgepodge of stereotypes, this part of World Showcase is a popular rest area for guests. The tea garden in particular offers a serene environment for guests to sit and enjoy their time at Epcot.
What do Mary Poppins and Winnie the Pooh have in common?
Image: DisneySome of Disney’s most beloved characters have come from England. For example, Alice, she of the lovely blue and white dress, loves spending time in her garden, at least when she’s not hanging out in Wonderland. She will regale visitors with tales of her visits there, and the tea garden where she hosts guests is thematically perfect for the story.
Three other famous Disney characters also appear at the pavilion. You might not think of Winnie the Pooh as British, but author A.A. Milne certainly did. The creator of the character placed Pooh Corner in East Sussex, England. You can visit Winnie and Tigger from time to time when you shop for their merchandise at the store.
The other characters at the United Kingdom Pavilion are the obvious ones. Mary Poppins and her loyal “friend” Bert also meet Disney fans at the tea garden from time to time. These five characters are constant presences at the pavilion, and the lines here are oftentimes shorter than you’d find at Magic Kingdom.
Authentic shopping
Image: DisneyWhat’s better than buying a Rolling Stones t-shirt? It’s when you buy one from someone who is possibly from the same place as Mick Jagger or Keith Richards. Okay, that’s a bad example since they’re both from Kent, England, but you get the point. The employees at the United Kingdom Pavilion stores are all English natives imported to populate the merchandise counters.
How does this authenticity improve your visit? Well, it might not. Everyone’s different. For us, meeting a new friend from Wales or Northern Ireland while we shop is a huge bonus. They can tell us about merchandise that matches our interests, stuff we might have missed while shopping the aisles. Plus, it’s a great way for sports fans to talk football at Sportsman Shoppe, where high-end soccer merchandise is available. Personally, we like to talk Doctor Who with the employees, and Epcot has some fantastic franchise apparel.
Image: DisneyOne other great shopping opportunity here is at The Crown & Crest. Guests can trace their British ancestral roots. If it turns out that you have any, you can choose your family’s coat of arms from an available list. Then, you can have a plaque or mug created with your coat of arms. How cool is that?
Image: DisneyThe Rose and the Crown
Image: DisneyArguing about the best restaurant at World Showcase is probably the fastest way to get slugged at Walt Disney World. People are passionate about their favorites, and plenty of worthy choices merit consideration. Everyone’s short list should include the wonderful fare at Rose & Crown, though.
Disney did something cheeky in naming the primary restaurant at the United Kingdom Pavilion. They knew that it would have a pub theme since pubs are a key part of daily living in England. So, they did some research and discovered that the two most popular words in pub names are “rose” and “crown.” And that’s why the restaurant and pub at the pavilion have their current name. It’s a mash-up!
Image: DisneyAs for the food, this place offers all the English terms that you’ve heard such as Bangers and Mash and Fish and Chips, and you can get much of it to go at Yorkshire County Fish and Chips, just to the right of the main restaurant.
Frequent Epcot guests understand that Rose & Crown is always great, but the atmosphere levels up at night. Guests sitting outside have the opportunity to watch Illuminations in all its glory. The award-winning exhibition performs to the left of the restaurant, and guests have a perfect view of the show. For this reason, reservations at Rose and Crown tend to book 75-90 minutes prior to Illuminations. Then, customers stretch their meal via appetizers and desserts to make it last through the show. You should try to watch Illuminations this way at some point. It’s an unforgettable experience.
I wish you were a beer
Image: DisneyYou know that beer’s important since Rose & Crown is also a pub. It does not disappoint, either. You’ll find more than 20 brands of beer at the pavilion, including the requisite Guinness offerings. Beer matters to the British, and that’s why a deep roster of ales and stouts populates the roster. It’s an inclusive menu that isn’t specific to England. Guinness is a concoction from Northern Ireland, after all. For that matter, a brand doesn’t even have to come from the country to have a tap at the pub. Stella Artois, one of the most popular drinks on the British Isles, is a Belgian brew that’s available at the pavilion.
Guests who don’t want to stop at the pub – or can’t get seats – have another option. You can grab a bottle on the go from the UK Beer Cart. You’re free to carry it around Epcot or sit down somewhere at the Pavilion to rest your feet while chugging. If you’re not a big drinker and have no idea what’s good, simply ask the employee manning the cart. They too are British natives, meaning that they know what’s culturally authentic. You’ll feel like a true Brit as you down a lager and complain about ManU.
The pro of the con
Image: DisneyOne thing this pavilion lacks is a true attraction. I’m a fervent believer that every pavilion should have some sort of ride, and I don’t count those IMAX movies that are glorified sponsored travelogues. That means that I am frustrated with most of the pavilions at Epcot. My hope is that the situation ill improve in coming years, but I will still point out each one’s lack of an attraction as a negative.
The United Kingdom Pavilion also gets dinged for cancelling a fun show they used to have called World Showcase Players. This comedy troupe traced their roots to the first year of EPCOT Center, and they’d put on shows at the pavilion for more than 30 years prior to ending their run in 2014. They were consistently good for a laugh, thanks to their splendid retellings of King Arthur and the Holy Grail among other classics. Eliminating this show negated one of the strongest positives about the pavilion.
Image: DisneyOne positive remains, though. A live band called The British Revolution performs several sets a day. They play basically any classic rock track originally performed an English music act. They run the gamut from psychedelic to hard rock to punk, which means that a show could include The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and The Clash. The only act that’s 100 percent to have a song during each set is The Beatles. The entirety of the United Kingdom Pavilion celebrates the band that triggered the British Invasion of the 1960s. Their merchandise is (understandably) ubiquitous. As for The British Revolution, their stage is a gorgeous setting surrounded by hedges. It’s a wonderful spot to relax for a bit and take in a show featuring many songs you know by heart.
What do you like and dislike about United Kingdom Pavilion? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
