Tuesday, February 9, 2016

EPCOT: Globalization is Everywhere


 This image is the map of all twelve countries that are represented in Epcot's World Showcase at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This image comes from www.pastemagazine.com. Having worked at Epcot I got to learn about the amazing features that World Showcase has to offer.

All of the countries featured in the World Showcase employee cast members from those countries so the guest gets an authentic experience when they walk into each section. Nine of the pavilions that we know today opened with the future world section in 1982. Each pavilion has a focal point of a well known landmark from each country, They also have a ride that is themed for that country and all of the food and drinks that are served are authentic. For example in China the landmark is the Temple of Heaven. In France the landmark is Effiel Tower and in Japan they have two landmarks the torii or the gate of honor and the goju-no-to or the five-story pagoda. This is an example of globalization because you are able to experience the culture of different countries that you may never get to travel to. Disney wants to make sure that everyone has an authentic experience and having the cast member for each pavilion from that country gives you the fell that you are really there. You walk into the pavilion and you are transported to that place.

from: www.undercovertourist.com

from: www.orlandoformer.com

My own picture

Source: disneyparks.disney.go.com

Not a lot of people know that the Epcot we see today at Walt Disney World is not the Epcot that Walt had envisioned. Walt's original Epcot was full of technological advances and globalization. Walt wanted to build his own perfect utopia called EPCOT: Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Walt had everything planned out to a T. There would be multiple layers underground the community for parking and for where cars could drive. You could get to work by monorail or people mover. The monorail and people mover are still around today. Disney had wanted twenty thousand people to live in this city. They would be the future for what other places would turn out to be. A lot of the technology that we see in the designs can still be found at the Disney Parks all around the world. We can see underground parking units now also. Things that Walt had created before his death are still in the world today. 

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Source: www.disneybymark.com

Source: www.imagineeringdisney.com