Epcot World Showcase Guide
I’m a self-confessed Disney adult, having been to Disney World approximately 30 times thus far. I’m also an avid world traveler, having visited more than 70 countries. So it only makes sense that the Epcot World Showcase is one of my favorite attractions at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Epcot is one of four theme parks at Disney World, along with Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. It opened in 1982, and the name stands for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”, part of Walt Disney’s grand vision when he was conceptualizing the Florida theme parks.
This theme park consists of two halves. There’s Future World, where you’ll find many rides and attractions, including Spaceship Earth, which is inside the iconic geodesic sphere that is the symbol of Epcot. And then there’s the World Showcase, which consists of 11 themed pavilions representing different countries around the world, all situated in a semicircle around the World Showcase Lagoon.
The Epcot World Showcase is the focus of this guide, and I’ll be taking you on a journey through each country and sharing my recommendations on what to do, see, and eat while you’re there. Let’s get into it!
Which Countries Make Up the World Showcase at Epcot?
The World Showcase consists of 11 different pavilions representing the following countries:
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- France
- Morocco
- Japan
- The American Adventure (don’t ask me why it’s called this instead of USA!)
- Italy
- Germany
- China
- Norway
- Mexico
Fun fact: I’ve been to all of these countries in real life except Japan and China.
The pavilions circle the World Showcase Lagoon, and from start to finish, it’s a 1.2-mile walk to get from one end to the other. (And that’s if you just walk past each country, not into each country!)
Each of the pavilions is filled with unique themed design and architecture that really makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a miniature version of that country. There are countless restaurants and shops in the World Showcase, as well as three rides and a handful of other cool shows and attractions.
You could easily spend half of your day at Epcot just exploring the countries of the World Showcase. And after many visits, I’ve had the chance to thoroughly explore each of the 11 pavilions.
Now let’s go country by country, and I’ll tell you about the best things you can’t miss in each one!
Canada
The architecture of Canada is lovely. Don’t miss walking around the gardens and pathways of this pavilion. In terms of things to do, the main attraction here is Canada Far and Wide, which is a Circle-Vision 360 film. I like this, and I think it’s worth viewing, but it’s not something I’d prioritize if you have limited time.
There’s one restaurant in Canada, Le Cellier Steakhouse. It’s inside a replica of Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. This is a great restaurant if you want to have a nice dinner in the World Showcase.
Overall, you don’t need a ton of time to explore Canada. If you stop to watch Canada Far and Wide, that runs for 11 minutes. A stroll around the pavilion shouldn’t take you much longer than that either.
United Kingdom
Next up, we have the UK! I love this whimsical pavilion, which has a mish-mash of British architecture, from Cotswolds cottages to London lanes. This is definitely a fun one to walk around, exploring all the hidden corners. Don’t miss a photo op with the iconic red phone booths while you’re here!
There are some great shops in this area, as well as several dining options. There’s the Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room, which serves classic British fare and offers cozy indoor seating (although it can be a bit noisy) and outdoor seating. Personally, I recommend asking for a table on the waterfront terrace!
If you don’t want a sit-down meal here, you can grab a bite to eat from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop, which is a quick-service restaurant with covered outdoor seating. It serves — what else — fish and chips.
France
After you cross the bridge of the International Gateway, you’ll reach France. France is one of the pavilions where you’ll probably spend the most time in the World Showcase! That’s because there’s a lot to do here. The biggest attraction here is Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, a fun and family-friendly ride.
I love this ride, but not enough to wait in a long line for it. You can reduce your wait by purchasing Lightning Lanes at Epcot, riding it first in the morning or just before the park closes, or waiting in the Single Rider line. (Note that the Single Rider line can save you time, but it’s not guaranteed.)
There are a number of shops and dining options in France. Chefs de France feels like a typical French brasserie. It’s okay, but not my favorite. There’s also La Crêperie de Paris, which feels like a mall food court. I do not recommend this one at all. Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie is great for breakfast in France.
You’ll also find an ice cream shop (L’Artisan des Glaces) in France. And if you’re really looking to splurge at dinner, there’s Monsieur Paul, a gourmet restaurant upstairs from Chefs de France. I’ve never been because I can’t stomach the $195 prix fixe dinner price, but I’ve heard great things about this restaurant.
One more thing to do in France is catch the Impressions de France film, which lasts 18 minutes. It’s only shown first thing in the morning and for the two hours before the park closes. The rest of the time, it’s the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along film, which is cute, but I vastly prefer Impressions de France.
Morocco
Morocco has always been one of my favorites in the World Showcase! Sadly, it’s no longer as remarkable as it once was, due to some closures and changes. Previously, it was run by the Kingdom of Morocco itself, but during COVID, the management changed over to Disney World, and it’s just not the same.
But I still love the ambience of Morocco! It’s a great one to wander around. There’s a marketplace area, a small museum (super cool!), and plenty of unique architectural details. There are two restaurants here: Spice Road Table and Tangierene Cafe. Tragically, the beautiful Restaurant Marrakesh has closed.
I can recommend Spice Road Table, and it has nice seating both indoors and outdoors overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. Tangierene Cafe is the quick-service alternative. Both restaurants have ambitious menus that go beyond your typical theme park fare with traditional Moroccan flavors.
Japan
Next up, your journey will take you to Japan. This is a great pavilion for shopping, because it’s home to the massive Mitsukoshi Department Store, which is filled with unique Japanese merchandise and snacks. I always stop here and buy some of my favorite Japanese treats, and it’s really fun to browse everything.
When it comes to restaurants, there are two table-service options: Teppan Edo (hibachi) and Shiki-Sai (sushi). I haven’t tried either of these, but I have tried the quick-service restaurant Katsura Grill, which is delicious and has a great outdoor seating area surrounded by tranquil gardens and landscaping.
I highly recommend catching Matsuriza, a unique drum show that happens in Japan. While you wait for it to start, you can grab a shaved ice (perfect on a hot Florida day!) from Kabuki Cafe. Like in Morocco, you can also find a small museum in Japan, which is definitely worth checking out while you’re here.
The American Adventure
If you’ve made it here, you’re officially halfway around the world! The American Adventure sits at the center of the World Showcase. I have to admit, this has always been my least favorite pavilion.
It’s just too familiar! That being said, if you want to cool off, I would recommend going inside the main building here. You can listen to a performance from the Voices of Liberty (an a cappella group) in the rotunda, or head upstairs to catch a showing of The American Adventure film. It’s 30 minutes long, though, so not something I’d prioritize if you are a first-time visitor or you’re short on time.
For dining, there’s the Regal Eagle Smokehouse, an indoor quick-service restaurant serving barbecue, and Fife & Drum Tavern, which serves turkey legs and has outdoor seating. There’s also the creatively named Funnel Cakes, which serves… you guessed it… funnel cakes. I haven’t tried any of these.
Maybe it’s un-American of me, but I simply don’t care about this pavilion! I’m here for the different countries! That being said, Epcot often hosts concert series, so I will stop at the America Gardens Theater here to catch the performances. It’s also where the lovely Candlelight Processional happens in December.
Italy
Italy is a beautiful pavilion with a replica of the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Tower in Venice, but it’s one where I usually don’t spend that much time, because there’s not actually much to do here.
There are really just a couple of shops and several dining options here. You have Tutto Italia Ristorante, which offers Italian fare in an Old-World dining room. There’s also Tutto Italia Wine Cellar, a wine bar. I haven’t tried either of these, but they seem like they could be good for a nice dinner.
You can also eat at Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, which is a more casual table-service restaurant. The outdoor seating here is nice, but the pizzas are just… fine. Not my favorite place to eat at the World Showcase, that’s for sure. If you’re craving something sweet, there’s also the Gelateria Toscana.
Germany
The Germany pavilion will make you feel as if you’ve stepped straight into Bavaria. This can be a somewhat rowdy place because of the “drinking around the world” trend at Epcot, but aside from that, I love the theme of Germany. It’s not a very big pavilion, but there are several things you can check out here.
You’ll find some cool shops, as well as the delicious Karamell-Küche, where you can buy all kinds of caramel treats. If you’re after something more substantial, there’s the Biergarten Restaurant (a buffet with live music) and Sommerfest, an outdoor spot where you can enjoy pretzels, bratwurst, and frankfurters.
Beyond that, there’s honestly really not much else to do in Germany, so you can take a quick stroll around here and move on, unless you’d like to stop and linger for something to eat or drink.
China
China is one of my favorite countries in the World Showcase. It’s a very intricate pavilion, and I highly recommend taking some time to stroll around and explore all the details here. One of the attractions here is Reflections of China, a Circle-Vision 360 film. This 14-minute film is definitely worth seeing.
It always makes me want to visit China ASAP, and if you only have time to do one of the films in the different countries (Canada, France, America, and China), I would personally choose this one.
When it comes to dining in China, I don’t recommend Lotus Blossom Cafe. This quick-service restaurant was truly the worst I’ve been to at Disney World, which is a shame! If you want Asian food, Katsura Grill in Japan is much better. I can’t speak for Nine Dragons Restaurant, the table-service option in China. One other spot I like in China is the Joy of Tea stand. This is a great spot for bubble tea and other tea drinks.
Norway
Next up on your trip around the World Showcase, you’ll reach Norway. This pavilion is home to another one of the headliner rides at Epcot, Frozen Ever After. Since this is such a popular ride, you’ll either want to purchase Lightning Lanes and reserve it, or ride it early in the morning or late in the evening.
This ride is very much worth it — it’s a family-friendly water ride with music from the hit movie Frozen. After the ride, I would recommend stopping for a sweet treat at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe. Frozen fans might also want to wait in line at the Royal Sommerhus to meet Anna and Elsa for a princess photo op.
The other dining option in this pavilion is Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. I’ve never eaten at this table-service restaurant, but it’s a great option for kids or kids at heart who want to meet the Disney princesses. It’s a character dining experience, which means you’ll be able to meet the princess while you eat.
Mexico
Mexico might just be my favorite pavilion at the World Showcase. Most of it is indoors, inside a giant Mesoamerican pyramid. Once you step inside, you’ll be greeted by eternal twilight in a charming Mexican town square. It’s fun to browse the marketplace here, and you’ll often hear live mariachi music too.
The third and final ride of the World Showcase can be found here, and that’s the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. Do not sleep on this fun water ride with a catchy soundtrack! Featuring Donald Duck and pals Panchito and Jose Carioca, it’s a highly underrated ride that never has a real wait.
For restaurants, my top pick is the San Angel Inn Restaurante. Located inside the pyramid, you can’t beat the ambience of this restaurant. Be sure to ask for a table by the “water” here! There’s also a bar inside the pyramid called La Cava del Tequila. It can get a little rowdy with the Epcot drinking crew.
Outside the pyramid, there’s another restaurant with a similar name and menu: La Hacienda de San Angel. I like this restaurant too, but the indoor restaurant is still my favorite because it just has such a cool atmosphere. There’s also a quick-service restaurant outside, La Cantina de San Angel, that I would skip.
Rides and Attractions in the World Showcase
To recap, there are three rides within the World Showcase:
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France: A fun, trackless ride that makes you feel as if you’ve been shrunk down to rat size and takes you on a fast-paced journey through the world of Ratatouille.
- Frozen Ever After in Norway: An immersive water ride filled with great music and familiar characters from Frozen, with a couple of very mild thrills that is fun for the whole family.
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros in Mexico: A classic water ride that is woefully underrated (but that’s a good thing, because there’s never a line!) and feels like a true fiesta.
I highly recommend all of these rides if you’re a first-time visitor.
There are also four different immersive films you can catch throughout the World Showcase:
- Canada Far and Wide in Canada: An 11-minute film about the beauty of Canada.
- Impressions de France and Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along in France: The first is more worthwhile in my opinion — it’s an 18-minute film about France that runs during limited hours. The latter is a 15-minute film featuring songs from the Disney movie that runs most of the day.
- The American Adventure in The American Adventure: A 30-minute film about US history.
- Reflections of China in China: A 14-minute film about the wonders of China.
As I mentioned earlier, Reflections of China is my personal favorite of these shows. Note that in Canada and China, however, the theaters are mostly standing-only, with limited seating on benches.
Final Thoughts on the Epcot World Showcase
The Epcot World Showcase is one of my favorite areas, and I hope you found this guide helpful! If you’re in a hurry, you can visit each country and do some of the rides and attractions in just a few hours.
But hopefully, you can dedicate even more time than that to exploring the World Showcase. If possible, I recommend taking two “laps” around the World Showcase, one in the daytime at one at night.
There’s so much to discover here, from rides and attractions to unique dining and themed architecture. The biggest mistake you can make at the World Showcase is strolling past all of the different countries without actually going inside each of the pavilions. The magic is in the details and the hidden corners here.
Enjoy your trip to Epcot and Walt Disney World Resort!
Related Guides:
