It’s one of the longest persisting rumors in Disney history: is Walt Disney World finally about to add new countries to EPCOT’s World Showcase or Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
Disney’s international lands and pavilions have remained one of the most charming elements in Walt Disney World. Mostly represented in Epcot’s World Showcase and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s nation pavilions are a beautiful example of fantasy-meets-reality: a thriving world’s fair celebrating the culture, history, cuisine, and landmarks of the diverse nations of the world.
Rumors of new World Showcase pavilions are nothing new—I remember hearing them repeatedly when I was a kid in the ’90s. Many names have been floated over the years as Disney’s next international pavilion: a Switzerland pavilion with a Walt Disney World Matterhorn? An equatorial Africa pavilion to replace the Trading Post? We received some forward movement with the arrival of both Africa and Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom but not much has happened since. Disney has dipped a toe into this arena with the inclusion of dozens of different countries in Epcot’s annual festival offering but news of new pavilions has remained stagnant.
In most cases, controversy and practicalities have kept Disney from moving forward on new pavilions for both Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but we have to admit, there are a few obvious choices we are surprised they haven’t built yet… and a few Disney considered in years past that we wonder if they will ever revisit.
As of 2021, the rumors are back, and it’s looking increasingly likely that Disney might finally be about to make the long-awaited announcement of a new international pavilion at Walt Disney World. What might it be? Here are some likely (and unlikely) possibilities…
1. Likely: Greece
If there’s a European nation that makes sense to add to World Showcase, it’s Greece—to the point petitions have actually been widely circulated to make it happen.
Greece has a character entirely unique within Europe. This beautiful Mediterranean country holds some of the richest histories of any nation on the planet, with vibrant traditions of architecture, dance, food, music, and literature. The entrancing white and blues of coastal towns like Mykonos and Santorini would provide a beautiful contrast within World Showcase, and Disney could replicate famous landmarks like the Acropolis and even distant mountains to provide depth.
On top of this, Greece is an easy choice because Disney already has multiple intellectual properties set in the country—mostly from the film Hercules, which may be getting a live-action remake soon.
Oh, and did we mention the food? There’s no doubt Epcot would be a better place for the permanent arrival of gyros, dolmades, spanakopita, choriatiki, and flaming saganaki. Sure, we can work a road trip to beautiful Tarpon Springs into our next vacation, but we think a Greek pavilion remains a no-brainer for Disney.
2. Not Likely: Egypt
In our exploration of potential pavilions for World Showcase, we also wanted to look at some left-field options—possibilities for countries that Disney has actively considered or that fans have long suggested. These aren’t as likely as top contenders on the list, but they come up frequently when people start dreaming about new pavilion ideas.
A good example of this would be an Egyptian pavilion at Epcot. While you could make the argument that Epcot already has Morocco as a north African pavilion, Egypt carries a rich character and history all its own that would certainly stand out amid World Showcase, offering new opportunities for cuisine, culture, and adventure attractions. From the pyramids of Giza to the Nile delta, there are a lot of wonders Disney could explore within such a pavilion.
There are a few things going against an Egyptian pavilion. For one thing, Disney doesn’t have any intellectual properties set in Egypt—their primary competitor, Universal Studios, has maintained this edge with The Mummy. The other issue is one you will see come up a few times on this list—Disney has remained extremely cautious about setting up lands and pavilions highlighting regions that struggle with instability. While an Egyptian pavilion would surely be spectacular, given Disney’s tendency lately to stay ultra-circumspect in this area, Egypt’s troubled political climate is likely enough to convince Disney to never pursue the project.
3. Likely: Australia
Of all the choices explored in this list, this one is the biggest head-scratcher for us—why has Disney never added Australia to Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
We’re not the only ones who have asked this question. Imagineer legend Joe Rodhe brought it up recently, citing the idea that the lands of Disney’s Animal Kingdom were designed more to represent biomes and environments rather than specific countries. While this is true to a point, the idea falls a little flat due to the fact that two of the park’s major lands are named after continents—Asia (specifically South and Southeast Asia) and Africa (specifically grassland nations).
Australia is a logical third choice in many ways. For one thing, Australia contains a wide range of biomes including deserts, grasslands, forests (both tropical and subtropical), coastal reefs, and Mediterranean woodlands. Things get even richer if you throw New Zealand into the mix, which adds tundra and mountainous regions as possibilities.
Most importantly, Australia and New Zealand are home to some of the most unique animals on the planet, such as koalas, kiwis, kangaroos, echidnas, frilled lizards, platypuses (Platypi? Platypodes?), and a stunning range of birds and fish. Even if Disney focused on nothing but the Australian outback, it could make for a spectacular land.
Similar to Greece, there’s another factor that makes Australia an easy choice—once again, Disney has an intellectual property set there in the form of The Rescuers Down Under. While that is an older film, it has continued to pop up in Disney parks (particularly for its whopper of a soundtrack). This film alone could provide content for an outback-centered flying attraction, or creative minds could even concoct a new Indiana Jones adventure that could fit in the space.
4. Not Likely: Russia
We can’t do an exploration on theoretical pavilions for World Showcase without talking about the big red bear in the room—Russia.
Russia is unique in the discussion of World Showcase as it is one of the countries that came the closest to having its own pavilion in Epcot. I remember hearing discussions about it as a kid—an epic pavilion appropriate for the largest country on earth. Original plans included a replica of St. Basil’s Cathedral, a sprawling courtyard, a ride based on the tale of Ivan and the magic pike, and a massive animatronics show on the scale of The American Adventure.
Disney got reasonably far into the project before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The dramatic political shift launched the plans into the stormy waters of controversy—an even bigger problem since Disney still relied on sponsors to fund pavilions back then. Since then, the idea of a Russian pavilion has remained shelved and likely will for the foreseeable future.
5. Very, Very Likely: Brazil
Rumors have increased heavily in recent years that at any moment, Disney is announcing the arrival of a Brazil pavilion to the World Showcase. This rumor crops up a lot on Disney news websites. At the time of this writing, fans are particularly intrigued by shrubs set up along the pathway between the Germany and Italy pavilions. What is Disney building behind those shrubs? Is it the Brazil pavilion?
Disney has long teased hints that a new World Showcase pavilion is on the way, and many experts think Brazil is the most likely candidate. For one thing, South America is long overdue some sort of representation at Walt Disney World. While a rainforest addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom would be great, a Brazil pavilion at Epcot is really the ideal choice. Not only is Rio de Janeiro one of the top tourist spots on the planet, but Walt Disney World draws a huge number of Brazilian tourists every year. The pavilion is likely to be a hit with all parkgoers, but the addition would be very well-received Disney’s steadfast Brazilian guests.
What the pavilion could contain is anyone’s guess—a Brazilian steakhouse is a strong possibility, along with striking landscape elements like mountains, waterfalls, and a replica of neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Disney has remained silent on the subject, but this is one rumor that may have some real traction.
6. Not Likely: Turkey
This one may seem like another far left-field choice, but the idea has actually been considered: representatives of the Turkish government did have some conversations with Disney over the possibility of a Turkish pavilion in Epcot.
A Turkish pavilion is definitely an intriguing possibility—it’s a beautiful country with a lot of history. At this time, there aren’t any Middle Eastern nations represented in World Showcase (Morocco comes close, but that’s North Africa). There are some good arguments that could be made for a Turkish pavilion, largely due to the country’s openness to tourists and the draw of historical sites like Istanbul.
While a representation of Turkey’s rich culture (and especially their incredible food) would be a welcomed addition to World Showcase, this is another case where controversy has proven too much of a factor for Disney. According to reports, they gently declined the Turkish representatives regarding the possibility of a pavilion, and it’s unlikely the idea will be revisited any time soon.
7. Likely: Spain
This is another possibility that has gained a lot of traction over the years, to the point that many fans expected Disney to announce a Spain pavilion alongside Brazil at D23 in 2019 (which didn’t happen).
Spain is one of the original nations that was considered for World Showcase’s phase II. Contracts were actually signed to make it happen. These plans fell apart over the course of the ’90s, along with other phase II possibilities. While the country has been highlighted yearly in Epcot’s annual festivals, there’s no question that a Spain pavilion would be a huge addition to World Showcase.
Spain sometimes gets unfairly overshadowed by other nearby nations. France is often known as the culinary capital of the world, but a strong argument could be made that Spain holds equal ground in this category—the country is filled with bold expressions of food that are often highlighted as some of the best and most innovative in the world. Like Italy, Spain sits on the Mediterranean Sea, but the cultures of both are very different, particularly considering Spain’s intertwined history with Morocco as well as their influence on North and South American exploration. Spain is also a much larger country than most people realize, with a wide range of historical and cultural sites, as well as rich traditions in art, architecture, music, literature, and dance.
We have no doubt that if Disney finally does move forward on a Spain pavilion, it will be spectacular in beauty and full of delicious food (particularly tapas!). Similar to Brazil, this is one that we know Disney has explored to some extent.
8. Not Likely: Israel
Rounding off our dive into possibilities for World Showcase, there’s a final pavilion that many fans have hoped for–one that almost happened but sadly never came to be: Israel.
Israel was another nation that Disney signed contracts with for phase II of World Showcase (only Norway was ever built). Designs for the pavilion included a replica of the Lion’s Gate of Jerusalem, courtyards based on Jerusalem landmarks, streets inspired by modern Israel, and a recreation of King Solomon’s palace as described in the Bible. It would have been a beautiful celebration of one of the most unique nations on the planet, one that has had an incalculable effect on the history of the world.
Sadly, controversy once again sank plans for the pavilion. As tensions in the Middle East increased, Disney executives grew concerned that the pavilion might prove all-too-tempting a target for terrorism. Disney revisited some of the ideas for the Israel pavilion during the Millennium Celebration in 2000, when Israel was included amidst Scotland, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Chile and Brazil as part of the year’s Millennium Village, but controversy stirred almost immediately over elements of the exhibit pertaining to Jerusalem. While Disney did end up proceeding with including the Israel exhibit, including a short virtual trip through 3000 years of Israeli history, the company faced a great deal of blowback that likely soured any possibility of the Israel pavilion becoming a reality.
What pavilions and international lands do you hope to see eventually added to Walt Disney World? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments. Thanks for reading!
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