Germany Pavilion at Epcot
| Germany Pavilion | |||||||||||
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Entrance to the Pavilion | |||||||||||
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| Attraction type | Themed Pavilion | ||||||||||
| Theme | German Village | ||||||||||
The Germany Pavilion is a Germany-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase, within Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Its location is between the Chinese and Italian Pavilions.
History
The original design of the pavilion called for a boat ride along the Rhine river. It was to have focused on German folklore, in a similar manner to Norway's Maelstrom. According to the Walt Disney Company's 1976 annual report, the ride was to be " ... a cruise down Germany's most famous rivers — the Rhine, the Tauber, the Ruhr and the Isar. Detailed miniatures of famous landmarks will also be seen, including one of the Cologne Cathedral."[1]
Though the building was built, Disney did not complete the ride construction by opening day. It was announced to be part of "phase two" of expansion. To avoid costs, Disney dropped all phase two attractions and decided that any expansion projects would only be allowed if the host country funded them. Because of lack of funding, the ride building is now used as storage space. You can see the main entrance hall, as it is now the dining area for the Biergarten. The ride building is used for storage for floats, a workshop, and cast member rehearsal space.
Layout
The Germany Pavilion is designed to look like a German town, but with architecture from different eras and regions. The Platz (square) is decorated with a statue of St. George and the Dragon inspired by the statue in the medieval Bavarian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber,[2] and a clock tower. The Biergarten, at the rear of the courtyard, sells traditional German food. The pavilion also has numerous small shops selling German goods, including dolls and cuckoo clocks. The area near the pavilion is decorated by an extensive model village with working model trains.
Characters from the Walt Disney animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", which was inspired by the version of the tale attributed to the Brothers Grimm, make appearances in and around the pavilion.
Attractions & Services
Attraction
- Agent P World Showcase Adventure (June 23, 2012 – present)
Dining
- Biergarten Restaurant, a buffet restaurant designed to look as though Oktoberfest is being celebrated there. Schnitzel, strudel and beer offer a taste of Bavaria at the Biergarten Restaurant. It features live entertainment and beer served in one liter steins. The dining hall is actually in the entrance area for the never built boat cruise down the Rhine.
- Sommerfest, a quick-service restaurant
Shopping
- Das Kaufhaus
- Der Teddybär
- Die Weihnachtsecke
- Karamell-Küche
- Volkskunst
- Weinkeller
Other
- Miniature Train and Village: A small outdoor model garden railway. It was originally created for the Flower and Garden Festival, but was kept due to its popularity.The trains used in the exhibit are LGB.
- Glockenspiel: The clock that overlooks St. Georges Platz.
- St. George: A large statue of Saint George slaying a dragon.
Entertainment
- Characters - Snow White
References
- ↑ Jim Hill blog
- ↑ "Visit an Inspiration for Epcot’s Germany". 365daysofmagic.com.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Germany, Epcot. |
- Walt Disney World Resort - Germany Pavilion at DIS
- Video tour of the Germany Pavilion at Epcot
- Walt Disney World Resort - Biergarten Restaurant
- Walt Disney World Resort - Sommerfest Take-away with Oktoberfest musicians
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