Epcot Center is a wonderful place.
It is the second-oldest in the cluster of theme parks Disney built in Central Florida. The fifth most-visited park in the world, it spans over 300 acres and sees upwards of eleven million guests a year. Something of a permanent World's Fair, it is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement in the realms of technology and culture. Its very existence is a monument to these concepts.
It is the second-oldest in the cluster of theme parks Disney built in Central Florida. The fifth most-visited park in the world, it spans over 300 acres and sees upwards of eleven million guests a year. Something of a permanent World's Fair, it is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement in the realms of technology and culture. Its very existence is a monument to these concepts.
One of EPCOT's biggest draws is the world showcase. This section of the park features several distinct national pavilions highlighting the art, culture, and lifestyle of the country represented. When the theme park opened on October 1, 1982, nine pavilions were featured. Two more (Norway and Morocco) were added later, but let's put these aside for the purposes of discussion. In clockwise order, they original nine were: Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The countries that made the cut into EPCOT's world showcase, and their position in the park itself, raises some interesting questions.
The countries that made the cut into EPCOT's world showcase, and their position in the park itself, raises some interesting questions.
Where's Russia?
Russia is an awesome country in terms of culture. It gave the world such outstanding novelists as Vladimir Nabokov and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Russian ballet was at one time considered the pinnacle of the art. It's also the country that gave us the kick-your-legs-while-squatting Cossack dance. And Zangief the bear wrestler, pictured here doing the Cossack dance with a leader of Russia who in no way resembles Premier Gorbachev.
No resemblance at all.
Russia's contribution to world culture is undeniable. What's more, Russia was one of the five United Nations security council countries. When EPCOT was built, could someone have made a conscious decision to purposefully exclude one of the five most important countries on the planet?
Our guess: Maybe.
Russia and its allies (the Warsaw Pact nations) were ideologically opposed to the U.S. and its allies (NATO and the Western Bloc). One major sticking point was question of Communism, which Russia promoted.
Surely, the whole Communism thing would be enough to make one say: "A-ha!" and cut Russia right out of EPCOT, but remember - China was one of EPCOT's original nine, and China has been Communist since Chairman Mao founded the People's Republic in 1949. China, like Russia and the U.S., is a member of the U.N. security council.
So why might Russia be left out? Our theory: Because people might boycott the park if Russia were to be added.
Let's set Communism aside for a moment. During EPCOT's construction, the world was in the midst of the Cold War (roughly 1947 to 1991). The mightiest nations on the planet, the United States and Soviet Russia, were on the brink of starting World War III. These two, and their allies, possessed enough nuclear weapons to decimate all life on the planet. It should go without saying that these were frightening times. Maybe, just maybe, some planning executive thought it would be a bad idea to open a theme park showcasing a country that we thought wanted to bomb us flat - but that's just a guess.
Our guess: Maybe.
Russia and its allies (the Warsaw Pact nations) were ideologically opposed to the U.S. and its allies (NATO and the Western Bloc). One major sticking point was question of Communism, which Russia promoted.
Surely, the whole Communism thing would be enough to make one say: "A-ha!" and cut Russia right out of EPCOT, but remember - China was one of EPCOT's original nine, and China has been Communist since Chairman Mao founded the People's Republic in 1949. China, like Russia and the U.S., is a member of the U.N. security council.
So why might Russia be left out? Our theory: Because people might boycott the park if Russia were to be added.
Let's set Communism aside for a moment. During EPCOT's construction, the world was in the midst of the Cold War (roughly 1947 to 1991). The mightiest nations on the planet, the United States and Soviet Russia, were on the brink of starting World War III. These two, and their allies, possessed enough nuclear weapons to decimate all life on the planet. It should go without saying that these were frightening times. Maybe, just maybe, some planning executive thought it would be a bad idea to open a theme park showcasing a country that we thought wanted to bomb us flat - but that's just a guess.
I See London, I See France...
In the real world, France is located in Europe with Spain to the west, Germany to the northeast, and the U.K. across the English channel to the northwest. Its closeness to Germany was likely one reason why the Germans invaded during World War II. It would take a concerted effort by Allied forces - American and British, for the purposes of our discussion - to oust the invaders.
At EPCOT, France is nowhere near Germany. Tellingly, the U.S. is between them - you know, in case Germany decides to start something - and the U.K. is right next door to France. There isn't even a body of water separating France from the U.K. - people get there via a footpath.
Germany and Italy, both Axis powers in the Second World War, are side by side at EPCOT, despite that they share no borders on the globe. The other major Axis state, Japan, is separated from its allies by the U.S. This may allude to how the war first ended in European theater, leaving only the U.S. to contend with Japan in the Pacific, but again, that's just a guess.
Germany and Italy, both Axis powers in the Second World War, are side by side at EPCOT, despite that they share no borders on the globe. The other major Axis state, Japan, is separated from its allies by the U.S. This may allude to how the war first ended in European theater, leaving only the U.S. to contend with Japan in the Pacific, but again, that's just a guess.
Oh, Mexico! Ay, Canada!
EPCOT's world showcase is built in a semicircle around a lagoon. If one were to set all of EPCOT's countries along a line, you'd get this:
Mexico, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Canada
Mexico is at one extreme, Canada is at the other, and the U.S. is in the middle - and that's about the only part of world geography the park planners got right. To be fair, the individual pavilions are spot-on in terms of demonstrating the respective cultures. We mean to take a jab at the countries' placements relative to each other within the park.
Other than the aforementioned, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why Mexico and Canada are the park's capstones. It works out just fine the way it is, but in a sense we're a bit dismayed they weren't placed closer together - or better yet, right next to each other.
Now we'll never know what a maple syrup margarita tastes like.
Other than the aforementioned, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why Mexico and Canada are the park's capstones. It works out just fine the way it is, but in a sense we're a bit dismayed they weren't placed closer together - or better yet, right next to each other.
Now we'll never know what a maple syrup margarita tastes like.
