Recommended in World Showcase
Recommended in World Showcase are:
Mexico: the San Angel Inn serves interesting but pricey Mexican food. It is the most romantic place to dine at Epcot.
Norway: Restaurant Akershus offers a good-value koldtbord (buffet) of Norwegian dishes in a castle setting.
Germany: the Biergarten has a beer hall atmosphere, with a cheap and plentiful buffet and hearty oompah-pah music.
Italy: L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante is enormously popular and engagingly chaotic, with sophisticated dishes.
Japan: you can eat communally, either in the Teppan Yaki Dining Rooms around a grilling, stir-frying chef, or at the bar of Tempura Kiku for sushi and tempura (no reservations).
France: there are three top-notch restaurants here: the upscale Bistro de Paris (dinner only); Les Chefs de France, the most elegant restaurant in Epcot, with haute cuisine by acclaimed chefs; and the terraced Chefs de France Steakhouse for steaks, escargots, and crêpes.
United Kingdom: Harry Ramsden’s “chippy” booth sells only modest-sized, inexpensive pub fare; it makes for a great “lunch on the go” and the terrace adjoining it is the most relaxing spot in the World Showcase.
Recommended in Future World are:
The Land: the revolving Garden Grill passes a re-created rainforest, prairie, and desert.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends: at the expensive Coral Reef you can eat fish and watch them through a transparent, underwater wall.
WORLD SHOWCASE: BEHIND THE SCENES
If you’d like more than just a superficial view of Walt Disney World, its behind-the-scenes tours may appeal. In World Showcase, two-hour Hidden Treasures tours provide a closer look at the architecture and traditions of the countries featured in the park, while in the Gardens of the World tours the creation of the World Showcase gardens is explained; you are even given tips on how to create a bit of Disney magic back home. These tours cost around $25 per person. If you have $199 and seven hours to spare, you might want to sign up for the Backstage Magic tour, which includes all three theme parks. One of the highlights is the visit to the famous tunnel network beneath Magic Kingdom. Call up for information on all Disney tours.
TOP TIPS
• The World Showcase opens later than Future World, but also closes significantly later, so save your tour of the World Showcase for the afternoon or evening.
• The interactive fountain on the walkway between Future World and World Showcase is a must for young children during hot spells.
• Boats cross the World Showcase Lagoon fairly regularly. A bonus is that they’re air conditioned, and so offer some respite from the heat in the middle of the day.
• As you walk around the World Showcase, take a moment to make note of the menus at the restaurants in each showcase – you can usually make reservations on the spot for later meals.
ILLUMINATIONS: REFLECTIONS OF EARTH
The one Epcot show that you mustn’t miss is the nightly IllumiNations. Presented near closing time around World Showcase Lagoon, it is a rousing son et lumière show on an unbelievably extravagant scale with lasers, fire- and waterworks, and a symphonic soundtrack that highlight the 11 featured nations. Best viewing spots are a seat on the veranda at the Cantina de San Angel in Mexico, the outside restaurant balcony in Japan, and the International Gateway bridge near the United Kingdom.
