An expert guide to the EPCOT World Showcase details you need to look out for during your next visit to the Disney World theme park.

EPCOT Lovers Unite! As one of our favorite parks at Walt Disney World, we love to explore the pavilions including the World Showcase. Travel 11 countries in one day while eating and drinking your way around the world. But, did you know that there are actually some secrets and interesting facts about the World Showcase that a lot of people don’t know? With so many countries around the Lagoon, there’s bound to be a few interesting tidbits here to pique your curiosity. 

We’re unlocking the Secrets of the World Showcase that You Didn’t Know. Grab your passport and let’s go! 

EPCOT World Showcase Details

EPCOT’s World Showcase Pavilion features 11 countries. We know, the great debate is should you start in Mexico or Canada? For the purpose of this blog post, we’re starting in Mexico. We are skipping both China and Italy since they don’t have any secrets. 

Mexico Pavilion

¡Hola y bienvenidos a México! Our first stop in the World Showcase is the Mexico Pavilion. Here are some secrets of Mexico! 

• Take note that the whole pavilion is inside the pyramid itself, unlike the other countries. 
• The animatronics you see in the Three Caballeros rise are actually repurposed from the extinct Mickey Mouse Revue. 

Norway Pavilion

Hei og velkommen til Norge! Next up in our trip around the world is the Norway Pavilion. 

• Long ago, before Frozen Ever After, Maelstrom occupied the ride location here. Maelstrom took guests on a boat ride that informed guests about Norwegian culture. Today’s Frozen Ever After Ride pays homage to Maelstrom through a sign that says, “Maelstrom sighting southeast bay of Arendelle” and a bear carving in Oaken’s shop, which references an animatronic bear from Maelstrom. 

Germany Pavilion

Hallo und willkommen in Deutschland! Next up we’re heading to Germany and this one has one of the coolest little (and we mean that literally) secrets. 

• On the outskirts of the pavilion, you’ll find a huge model train set. If you look closely, you’ll see that the decorations are changed during the year to reflect the EPCOT festivals. 
• Germany should have had a ride as well, called Rhine River Cruise and a building was even built, but it never came to fruition. 

The American Adventure

Hello and Welcome to America! We’re halfway through the World Showcase and we have some great secrets still waiting to be unlocked. There’s quite a few secrets hidden in America. 

• Take a look at the American Adventure Building. It might look like it’s three stories tall but it’s actually five stories tall! 
• When you walk around and explore, you’ll see a white door with a speaker and touchpad. That’s rumored to be the location for entry to the exclusive Club 33 and it’s said to be in the upstairs area of the building. Wouldn’t we all love to see that lounge? 

Japan Pavilion

Kon’nichiwa, Nihon e yōkoso! We’ve made it to Japan. 

• One of the most popular spots in the pavilion is the Mitsukoshi Department Store. The pop culture gifts and Japanese souvenirs you’ll find here can only be found in EPCOT or in the actual country of Japan. That’s because this store is the only of its kind in the United States. 

Morocco Pavilion

‘ahlan wamarhaban bikum fi almaghribi! The next stop is Morocco. From murals to art, it’s uniquely authentic to Moroccan culture. 

• The Moroccan government paid for this whole pavilion and even sent designers. 
• The Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios is located in the direction behind Morocco. But, since it would have been visible to the eye, Tower of Terror was painted to blend in with the pavilion so that it wouldn’t ruin the cultural immersion of Morocco. 

France Pavilion

Bonjour et bienvenue en France! The France pavilion is one of the most popular and filled with restaurants, shopping and attractions. 

• The Eiffel Tower in the pavilion is meant to look large but it’s actually just 1/10th the size of the real Eiffel Tower. 

The U.K. Pavilion

Hello and Welcome to the United Kingdom! Home to a restaurant, shopping and beautiful gardens, we love the UK Pavilion. 

• Next time you walk from France to the UK, look around. That bridge is meant to represent the English Channel crossing that really exists between France and the UK. That trip usually takes 35 minutes to make and you can do it in just a few at EPCOT! 

Canada Pavilion

Hello and Welcome to Canada! We’ve made it to our final country on our trip around the world. And Canada’s hidden secret doesn’t disappoint. 

• Ever see that huge waterfall in the back of the Canada pavilion? While impressive, it’s actually only there to hide the appearance and noise of the generator that it disguises. 

Room for More

We finished our trip around the 11 countries of the World Showcase. And 11 countries is just the beginning of what can be in EPCOT. 

• EPCOT currently has room for between 5 and 7 more countries. 
• These expansion spots include the current spot of the Outpost and the empty spots between the International Gateway and Canada. 

Three Countries Didn’t Make the Cut

The countries you see in EPCOT now aren’t the only ones ever considered. 

• Back in 1982, guests were greeted with signage saying, Coming to World Showcase that featured three new pavilions: Israel, Equatorial Africa and Spain. The pavilions were set to have entertainment and food options. Unfortunately, they didn’t happen.  

Government Backing

As we said before, Morocco became the only pavilion to be backed by its government. 

• The original plan was for all countries to be paid for by their governments. This ended up changing and businesses sponsored some of the pavilions, not the governments.