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Many Disney fans know of Epcot, Walt Disney World’s second theme park opened in 1982, by its acronym: Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. That is a phrase company founder Walt Disney created himself. He envisioned Epcot to be a place for guests to see what a futuristic, utopian society looked like. Unfortunately, Walt Disney passed away before this concept was realized, so Epcot became more similar to a permanent World’s Fair. Half of the park is futuristic, but the other half is filled with pavilions depicting eleven countries from all around the world. Recreations of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada are featured in the park. Millions of visitors walk through Epcot’s gates every year where they travel around World Showcase by sampling the cuisine, watching the unique entertainment offerings, riding the attractions, and looking at different displays. To some guests, Epcot may seem like an accurate recreation of all of these countries, but others may believe that Disney is using stereotypes when depicting these nations. It is now time to dive deeper into this argument to see what these countries are really all about.
What do the guests think?
Because guests are really not in each of these countries when they visit the park, these countries cannot be considered authentic. However, Disney aims for “staged authenticity” for the replications of the different countries. Staged authenticity is a recreation of a real thing that is meant to make guests think they may be in the real place. There needs to be a suspension of disbelief in order for these countries to seem like they are real because it is clearly impossible to travel to these eleven countries all in one day.
Of the millions of Epcot’s visitors, a small group was surveyed about how authentic they perceived World Showcase to be. Their answers revealed that they saw World Showcase as more of a “fantasy” than a “reality”. However, this finding does not necessarily mean that World Showcase presents a stereotype. Because Epcot is a theme park, it is free from anything that would not be perceived as magical due to the Disney brand. These countries may not be as clean as Disney’s version in real life, but that does not portray a stereotype about a place or culture. As previously stated, it is impossible to travel to eleven countries in one day, so that may be another reason why guests perceive World Showcase as a fantasy.
The rest of the responses from guests favored an authentic World Showcase. Guests thought it was more “unique” than “ordinary”, more “exotic” than “Americanized”, and most importantly, more “authentic” than “staged”. If Disney is going for a staged authenticity, they have hit the nail on the head. If their guests think they are experiencing something that is authentic instead of a clear copy, then Disney has done their job of creating something that is meant to seem real. Guests are able to see the actual product as authentic instead of seeing it as something that has been clearly fabricated. Guests perceive World Showcase as more “unique” than “ordinary”, meaning these countries look like something other than what they see everyday in America. The architecture and food would be different than what we experience everyday in this country, so Disney has done their job right creating different environments. Guests also see World Showcase as something that is “exotic”, or different from what they are familiar with. They do not see these countries as “Americanized” versions of the real nations. This means Disney is using inspiration from the actual countries instead of something they think Americans would want to see.
The guests who were interviewed for this survey are from various different backgrounds. Over 40% of them had traveled to at least one country besides the United States, including countries portrayed in World Showcase. This shows that Disney is able to impress people who have traveled to the real versions of these countries. If Disney relied very heavily on stereotypes of what they think guests would want to see, the guests surveyed would be less likely to rate World Showcase as authentic, unique, and exotic if they believed Disney did not create honorable representations of these different countries.
A wide shot showing the lagoon with Spaceship Earth (left) and the country pavilions (right)
How was it made?
The best source to look at to determine if Disney intentionally created stereotypes within the park is straight from the horse’s, or in this case the mouse’s, mouth. Imagineers are the creators of everything guests see at Walt Disney World. The name was coined by Walt himself, and it combines the words “imagination” and “engineer”. Whenever they created Epcot, the Imagineers did not simply pick an idea and build it, they did extensive research and changed their plans with the more knowledge they gained. Their intention when creating World Showcase was to make a section of the park that combined various countries in a unified setting while still making sure they allowed each country to have its own identity.
A view down a Parisian street in the France pavilion
The Imagineers had a unique challenge when building World Showcase because they were appealing to a wide variety of guests who would eventually be visiting Epcot. They could not create a pavilion that was exactly identical to the country because of space constraints, but mostly because not every Disney guest would have traveled to each country in real life. Instead of making exact replicas, the Imagineers represented different countries in different periods of time. For example, the American pavilion is themed after colonial Philadelphia. That is not exactly what America looks like today, but it features unique architecture that was once standard, and it shows part of American history. It is also easily identifiable because parts of modern America may look too similar to other parts of the world today.
If a country at World Showcase does not look exactly the same as the real country today, that is done for a reason. The Imagineers say, “[W]e also limit ourselves to national vernacular building facades in the accompanying streetscapes. This is done to ensure that each country’s face portrays a very singular appearance that cannot be mistaken for any other.” Seeing things that are identifiable with a country such as a red phone booth in the United Kingdom or the Eiffel Tower is France is not done to say that this is only what this country is known for, but for the country to be easily identified from another. Other aspects of the pavilions feature authentic cuisine made by chefs of each nationality. The countries are staffed entirely by employees of each country, and also feature entertainment unique to each country. If there is anything in a pavilion that could be perceived by someone as a “stereotype”, it was not done intentionally. The Imagineers had the intention to give each country its own identity and using iconic landmarks so that it is easy to spot amongst the other ones.
A faraway shot of the France pavilion
A “real world” example
The best way to see how to Imagineers designed World Showcase is to look at the history of how a pavilion was designed. It would be overwhelming to look at all eleven of them, so the best example would be the Mexico pavilion. Mexico is one of the most popular pavilions at World Showcase for a number of reasons. It is located on the edge, so it is usually the first country guests see, it features quick-service and table-service Mexican restaurants as well as a tequila bar, it is mostly indoors which means it is air-conditioned, and it is one of only two pavilions with an actual ride. When Disney began the process of designing the Mexico pavilion, they made some preliminary ideas that they would be willing to change if they could think of a better idea. They also employed Mexican-American architects and artists to help build and design the pavilion.
The initial design for the pavilion featured opulent architecture that was exclusive to ancient wealthy families in Mexico. However, Disney wanted to ensure that this strategy would work, so they called upon a large group of foreign exchange students from Mexico to survey them about what they thought of the design plans. They answered that it did not look enough like modern Mexico, and that the only people who would have been familiar with the architecture would have been ancient, wealthy families. They wanted to see a modern Mexico for all people. Disney listened to their feedback and went back to the drawing board.
The new plans eventually were built into the pavilion seen today. The facade is an ancient Mayan temple unique to Mexican history. The entrance of the temple features pre-Columbian artifacts and descriptions of history from that time period. However, after going past the foyer, guests are greeted with the sights and sounds of a present-day Mexican street market at night. A blacked out ceiling full of stars towers above the market where skulls for Dia de los Muertos are sold along with hand-painted crafts like maracas and diningware. Mariachi bands occasionally play around a large fountain in the center of the plaza. There is a tequila bar featuring different brands of Mexican tequila as well as a table-service restaurant by the water featuring authentic Mexican cuisine. A boat ride through different parts of the country also features a guest appearance from the Three Caballeros, a trio of singing birds led by Disney’s Donald Duck.
The boat ride was designed by legendary Disney artist Mary Blair who also designed the art for “it’s a small world” and the interior of the Contemporary Resort. Blair traveled to Mexico to study the clothes worn by people there. The finished attraction is full of sound, color, and Blair’s elaborate costumes that came straight from her research in Mexico. The boat travels through different parts of the country including beaches, Mayan temples, cities, and restaurants. The references to the Three Caballeros were added later. While that is not traditional to the country, and some may see it in poor taste to add cartoon characters when trying to show the highlights of a country, it has made the attraction more popular because guests love Donald Duck.
In addition to Blair’s research, Disney hired Mexican-American artist Eddie Martinez in 1976 so they could have someone on the design team who was part of the culture they were trying to portray. Martinez was creating art about Mexican culture in the 1960s while he was living in Los Angeles. He created murals and paintings in L.A. to show true Mexican culture in a time when companies like Taco Bell were trying to promote their products as authentically Mexican. Martinez had designed the boat ride in the pavilion after Mesoamerican architecture, sculptures, and art. The ride in its current form now features both Mesoamerican architecture along with modern scenes from the country of today. The attraction at the time was called El Rio del Tiempo, or River of Time, and the sets designed by him still exist in the attraction today, even with the addition of Disney characters.
The pavilion itself is unique and authentic because it is able to combine three different cultures and time periods. The Mayan temple and small museum full of pre-Columbian artifacts show the country in its earliest time period to show the technological innovations the Mayans contributed. Part of the boat ride, now called the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, features Mesoamerican architecture and influences alongside some of Disney’s cartoon characters. Finally, the main section of the pavilion features the country in the present day. Street vendors are in the middle of the plaza selling handcrafted goods while live musicians add to the ambiance. The restaurant features queso, tacos, quesadillas, chicken, beef, salsa, and margaritas. The Imagineers depicted not only Mexico in its current form, but also showed some of the history that paved the way for it. The only thing in the pavilion that could be depicted as a stereotype would be the addition of the Three Caballeros to the boat ride. Seeing Donald Duck in a poncho and sombrero is not something authentic that would be seen in Mexico, but it is not done with the intention to poke fun at a culture. Disney is merely using the intellectual property it has to draw in guests to the attraction, which has made it more popular than it was previously. Things represented like tequila and Dia de los Muertos skulls are actually unique to Mexico and deserve to be represented in the pavilion. Disney did not choose something that did not originate in the country to represent, so it is free of offensive stereotypes.
Is it authentic?
Epcot’s World Showcase is undoubtedly an appropriate representation of the countries it represents. Guests who have visited admit it is more of a fantasy than a reality, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Disney’s representations have world class employees and a clean and safe environment which may not be something found if tourists traveled to the real countries. In addition, it is impossible for guests to believe they are really traveling the world when they can see Canada right next to England. However, they believe that World Showcase is more authentic than staged, which means they believe Disney actually created something meant to be real instead of a made-up version. The exterior of the pavilions was made to be something recognizable to the guests so each country could stand out. The research that went into World Showcase was extensive and even changed when citizens of a country did not like the representation. Disney even hired artists from each country to make sure they had input on their countries straight from the source. While Epcot will not always depict countries as they appeal currently, they show the history and culture in a unified setting to show peace amongst nations and to give guests a chance to interact with places they may have never seen before.
Sources
Houston, H. R., and Meamber, Laurie A. “Consuming the ‘world’: reflexivity, aesthetics, and authenticity at Disney World’s EPCOT Center.” Consumption Markets & Culture, vol. 14, no. 2. 2011, pp. 177-91.
Imagineers. The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World. New York: Disney Editions, 2006. Print.
Milman, Ady. “Guest’s perception of staged authenticity in a theme park: an example from Disney’s Epcot’s World Showcase.” Tourism Review, vol. 68, no. 4, 2013, pp. 71-89.
Sehlinger, Bob, and Testa, Len. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2014. Birmingham: Keen Communications, 2014. Print.
Sheppard, Randal. “Mexico Goes to Disney World: Recognizing and Representing Mexico at EPCOT Center’s Mexico Pavilion.” Latin American Research Review, vol. 51, no. 3, 2016, pp. 64-84. Print.
*All photographs were taken by the author