Tangerine Cafe

A great place to relax with a great Safari beer is the Tangerine Cafe in the Morocco pavilion. While I have to say I haven't actually eaten here yet, I hope to try it soon. It's a nice shady place to relax and listen to the fantastic sounds of Mo'Rockin.

The British Invasion

The British Invasion in the United Kingdom at World Showcase is one of my favorite live performances in all of WDW. As you can see above, peculiarly, they only had three performers as recently as our October '08 trip. To my relief, my parents informed me that they now have a fourth member when they got back from their January trip. There's no better way to enjoy a performance than to grab a pint from the Rose and Crown and listen to some Fab Four tunes. However, be warned...dancing may break out.

China Detail

Like all of the other pavilions in World Showcase, the China pavilion is richly themed and completely immersive. One of my favorite aspects of this immersion is the China background music. I have always loved this and love hearing the music played on sites like MouseWorld Radio. I took this picture back in October and this is from the vantage point of the back of the pavilion. Looking up at the buildings and all around (combined with the Florida humidity) one gets a great feeling of being away from their normal environs and whisked away to China. One other recommendation: try the newly renovated Nine Dragons. We have always loved the food (contrary to some people's feelings) and the renovation and new menu really made the restaurant truly exceptional.

Missing Canada

While visiting Epcot on our last visit, I spent a good amount of time at the Canada pavilion. As I was strolling through, I realized that it has been some time since anything open to guests has occupied the chateau building pictured above on the left. There used to be shops here that I seem to remember sold jewelry and crystal goods perhaps. If anyone remembers for sure what various things were sold here feel free to respond. Also, if anyone hears if the building may open with new shops or anything else to the public please feel free to comment. It's a beautiful building as is the whole pavilion and it's a shame that the shops that were once open there are now closed.

O Canada!

At first glance, this picture looks like it came from anywhere but Walt Disney World. I acutally took this at the back of the Canada pavilion on my son's first birthday trip. This was a great place to go to relax while he napped in his stroller as the peaceful sound of water cascades down the rocks. While others in the group took in the performance of Off Kilter, I wandered up to the area above the entrance to the O Canada movie while Dylan napped and I relaxed and was able to take this great shot. If you are ever in need of some relaxing down time for you or a little one, this is a great place to go. Get yourself a snack and maybe a Moosehead Lager or something from the Rose & Crown outdoor kiosk and enjoy some much needed relaxation.

Norway's Stave Church

An often overlooked exhibit at Epcot is the Vikings exhibit inside the old Stave church in the Norway pavilion. While everyone sees the beautiful exterior of the church, many often just admire the architecture and walk on past as they proceed to Maelstrom or to the Akershus restaurant. Next time you get a chance to visit Norway make sure to visit the inside exhibit here. It's a cool, quiet break from the crowds and there are beautiful Viking artifacts and historical facts to enjoy.

Germany

This shot that I took on our 2007 trip gives a good idea of the attention to detail that the Imagineers put into the World Showcase pavilions. The German pavilion has exquisite details that are just beautiful to look at. One of my favorites is the statue of St. George slaying the dragon which can be seen in the picture just below the shop sign and above the green awning. Make sure to notice all the great details in each country on your next visit.

UK Bound

The United Kingdom in Epcot's World Showcase is one of my favorite places in the park. This shot that I took on our 2007 trip could have been taken in a small country town in England if you weren't familiar with the Epcot version of the country. Being a huge fan of English football (that's soccer to most Americans) I love the merchadise in the shops and I also love the area of the shops that has the chess boards on display as well as the family crests. There's nothing better than getting a pint and walking through the shops before ending up in the courtyard toward the rear of the pavilion to watch a British Invasion performance. The Rose and Crown is also one of my favorite restaurants in all of WDW. Whether you eat inside or outside there is plenty of great atmosphere to take in. In what might seem like heresy to many in the Disney community I actually prefer eating here over Le Cellier. I always enjoy conversing with the cast members here as well. They may see me wearing my Arsenal Football Club shirt and just strike up a conversation that really is a joy. For my next post we'll head back over to Future World for a trip to Seabase Alpha.