As was noted, I’d like to travel to Stalinist Russia(ca 1939). BIG posters of Comrad Stalin, drap clothes, lousy meals, and KGB spies!
Yeh, but then where do you stop? Should there also be a Tsarist Russia pavilion and a Post-Soviet Russia pavilion?
Nyet! By putting such a pavilion in EPCOT USA, Stalinist Russia travels to you!
Another vote for an Australian pavilion.
As a Canadian, I’d have to say that I disagree with getting rid of the Canada pavilion–we’re ignored enough by the USA as it is; at least with a presence at EPCOT, Americans have more of a chance to learn a little bit about us than they would otherwise. But I’d change it so the emphasis wasn’t so much on “moose, Mounties, and mountains.” How about more on Canada’s Aboriginal heritage, on our current multicultural makeup, on our scientific and technological achievements (especially with Cape Canaveral in Florida, how about something on the space shuttle’s arm, which is a Canadian invention?), on our own history as well as the history we share with the United States? Much better than the impression I received when I visited EPCOT some years back, which was that we’re a land of “moose, Mounties, and mountains.”
I wrote the review of Mexico’s boat ride (the Gran Fiesta Tour) for one of the popular not-Disney-sanctioned guidebooks. Here’s the paragraph that didn’t make it into the final cut:
It’s interesting to note, of those World Showcase countries that present films, which national elements are chosen for highlighting. Ubiquitous are the quick-cut cultural montages of smiling babies, senior citizens, and happy young people on parade. Canada, France and the U.S. have movies that cram in references to everything from industrial capacity and military strength, to sporting events and population diversification. China omits the overt military references but you just know there’s a ten second clip of dancing Yi people halfway through. Mexico’s films, on the other hand, focus almost exclusively on hedonistic pleasures. One wonders if the Mexican government had any say in (or objection to) this limited perspective.
Posted here because I think “clip of dancing Yi people” is funny. Shouldn’t be so amused by my own writing.
In reference to the OP, Israel had the most bizzare entry (in the Millenium Village) of any country seemingly in the running for a pavilion: A motion simulator film titled “Journey to Jerusalem.” Thirty seconds in I thought Mel Brooks had done it as a trailer for “History of the World, Part II.”
Len
Well, one could say the same of many, many other housing developments all over the country, especially ones that have been built in the past 10-15 years. There are two major (1000-1500 family) recently-built communities not unlike Celebration right where I live, and both have a fair number of nit-picking rules on what kind of home you can build and what kind of mailbox you can have and things of that nature. But they’re all examples of neighborhoods built in the “new urbanist” style, where you have residential, commercial, and educational properties all within close distance of one another in order foster a sense of community. Since these developments are planned from the ground up, everything naturally ends up being better organized than a town that is added onto a little bit at a time.
Afghanistan of course. Afghan beef tips are wonderful, and anybody who doesn’t enjoy a good game of buzkashi can’t be pleased (especially if it’s a headless goat rather than a non-reg headless sheep or calf), and the Osama’s Hideaway B&B would be a great on-grounds high-end tie in.
The house I just sold in the Atlanta suburbs was like this. I once got a violation letter from the HOA telling me to remove the two brand new molded plastic chairs I’d put on my front porch, as having chairs on your porch violated the covenants. I got violation letters from them all the time about stupid stuff. It was ridiculous.
They can’t be vetted that thoroughly now since my older brother owns a house there
Seriously, I don’t think they vet any residents there anymore. My brother has some interesting stories about the people in town and based on these, I find it hard to believe some of these people would pass inspection.
That would be so cool if they added cloning. A completely different take on their (now defunct) “Leave a Legacy” program. You could return every few years to see how your clone (or clone army if you can afford it) is turning out.
I think that the U.S.A. exhibit should have a miniature Nations of the World Epcot with a U.S.A. in it which should in turn…