Not Quite Dead Yet!
And other positive things I can say about Disney's EPCOT
As a result of the ballooning ticket prices, I’ve been squeezing the last few weeks of my Florida Resident Pass as much as possible. With my resident pass’s dying breath, I stab at thee, overly inflated Disney admission prices! No, seriously, I don’t know how many people here have ever been to Disney World, but as a long time Floridian, the price increases over the last few years have become intolerable. The previous statement, to some, might infer that Walt Disney World is a terrible place that should be avoided like a connecting flight through JFK, but that would be too harsh, and too hypocritical considering I still hit up the parks myself.
Unfortunately there is no way to afford these annual passes anymore, so I have been enjoying while I can! And enjoy, I do. While Didney is still a lot of fun to visit, for people like me who’ve seen the parks at their absolute peak in the 90’s, I notice they’ve taken a dive in a bad way. It is a true testament to just how incredible Walt Disney World once was, the fact that it could coast for this long and still impress newcomers who are lacking us old timer’s comparatively impossible remembered standard of quality.
Still, I’m not here to focus on the bad, but rather the tiny glimmers of greatness that still shine through the muck of the current Mouse brand. One of those, at least for me, is the France, Japan, and American pavilions of EPCOT’s World Showcase.
Through some corporate shenanigans, Disney is able to offer a year long work visa to people from the respective pavilion’s represented countries, and as a result, you can have some great interactions with international “locals” while bombin’ around the park enjoying the Food & Wine festival or waiting for your Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtual queue group to come up. Really though, that’s the only ride worth it for me ever since they removed Horizons and the original Journey Into Imagination.
So what do I enjoy most about the World Showcase? Honestly just having a good laugh and fun conversation with the people who work there. The other day while passing through France, Père Noël was telling stories. As I passed by, he announced that kids could take photos with him, and then looked me square in the eye and insisted “Tall people are welcome to come up as well!” I laughed at the inference, but he double tapped the look. Roger that! So I let all the kids get their photos and as I rock up, he puts on his best Pepe Le Pew, pulls me in close, and goes Full French™.
This is the Disney experience I remember and love - Sincerity, levity, and just plain fun without worrying about people getting offended at pronouns or genders or whatever the latest pathological trend has become. He played up his bit, I enjoyed acting (HAH!) the embarrassed and happily complimented lady, and it was a lovely moment.
The American Adventure ride is also a favorite of mine, not just for the animatronics and well presented subject matter, but for the Voices of Liberty who usually sing just before the start of the show. I never pass up the chance to hear good a cappella, and along with Magic Kingdom’s Dapper Dans, these guys are some of the best!
This is going long, so I’ll save the rest for the next update!