Robbiem
Well-Known Member
I agree. Italy could have been so much more. Disneysea does it much better where you travel across the country as you go from the entrance to Mysterious Island
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The World Showcase: How many of the countries have you been to? Which is the most authentic, least authentic.
- Thread starter bdearl41
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I agree. Italy could have been so much more. Disneysea does it much better where you travel across the country as you go from the entrance to Mysterious Island
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
DisneySea does the whole World Showcase thing better, and their Italian section is the biggest improvement. In no small part because you can swim and stay overnight in it.
Giss Neric
Well-Known Member
Not just World Showcase. Hollywood Boulevard at Hollywood Studios is an ideal representation. Hollywood Boulevard in real life is ugly and dirty.
Raineman
Well-Known Member
It would make trips into Epcot infinitely better if I could walk around WS with a Timmie's triple triple or ice capp in my hand, and maybe a box of Timbits (no old fashioned plain, because
)Southern Ontario looks alot like Ohio-flat, alot of open areas, alot of farmland. Driving here is pretty boring, which is probably why I love driving through Tennessee on our trips down to Florida. Most of Canada, as far as the terrain goes, is very similar to it's counterpart in the US-mountains in the west, prairies in the central areas, forested coastal areas in the east. We, however, do not have deserts (well, we have a very small desert area in BC); we have arctic permafrost in the north instead, which is basically an ice & snow desert.
If it is truly like Lake Ontario, you wouldn't want to swim it in-at all.You guys totally missed it... Toronto is represented by World Showcase Lagoon being Lake Ontario!
It took me quite a few minutes when I initially read that article before I realized what it actually was. Talk about getting your hopes way up just to have them crashing back down quickly. Just the thought of having a Disney resort/theme park within a two hour drive of my home....
The_Jobu
Well-Known Member
Yes I agree. Not disagreeing with the poster's opinion, but for me the entire pavilion has no Southern Italian representation aside from the donkey cart, ha. Not that that's "wrong", they wanted to re-create the touristy parts of Venice that people would recognize. Come to think of it, I dont find any of the pavilions very "authentic", but I doubt they're supposed to be, they're stereotypes, but I dont think that's a bad thing. Like how Disney "Disneyfied" the West in Frontierland, they do that in Epcot, and it works well.
I've spent a lot of time in the US, Canada, the UK and Italy (and briefly visited France) and they all seem to be based off little idealized snapshots of a particular place at a particular time. I don't mean to sound negative, I love WS, its probably impossible to authentically represent an entire country in the size of an Epcot pavilion.
EngineerMom
Active Member
Yes but I would want to try them. Went to China with my daughter's school trip. We were with a tour and they told us NOT to eat the street food as they often re-use the oil, etc. We really wanted to try the unusual things on sticks but followed the rule they gave us.
20 years ago Epcot Canada had a kiosk year round selling deep fried Beaver Tails. So good and only I've seen them also traveling in Canada.Well, I look at Canada everyday driving to work and been there many times. Can not say I have ever had a great steak there
EngineerMom
Active Member
Also similar to Banff Springs in Alberta and Chateau Frontenac. All of these are the castle hotels built in Canada by railroad going across Canada. This was a good choice by Disney.
EngineerMom
Active Member
I have been to all the countries in Epcot except Morocco.
I feel all of them are idealized order versions. I think in general that was a good idea by Disney. I love Toronto but putting sky scrappers in Canada would have been less charming.
In terms of Italy. No question the food is American-Italian but then again Americans would expect that as there are so many Italian restaurants around the US. The same being true for Mexico.
The architecture in Italy is based on Venice but the food is much more Southern. We have traveled around Northern Italy and of course you can get pizza and pasta but that is not the regional food of Northern Italy. Pasta is southern Italy and Pizza started in Napoli. Do I wish the food was Northern Italy - YES that is so much harder to get in the US.
We love France the best because we think the quick service is the most Authentic.
Oh and someone said they never had a good steak in Canada. We have had WONDERFUL steaks in Western Canada.
I feel all of them are idealized order versions. I think in general that was a good idea by Disney. I love Toronto but putting sky scrappers in Canada would have been less charming.
In terms of Italy. No question the food is American-Italian but then again Americans would expect that as there are so many Italian restaurants around the US. The same being true for Mexico.
The architecture in Italy is based on Venice but the food is much more Southern. We have traveled around Northern Italy and of course you can get pizza and pasta but that is not the regional food of Northern Italy. Pasta is southern Italy and Pizza started in Napoli. Do I wish the food was Northern Italy - YES that is so much harder to get in the US.
We love France the best because we think the quick service is the most Authentic.
Oh and someone said they never had a good steak in Canada. We have had WONDERFUL steaks in Western Canada.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I haven't been to that many that are in WS. I have been to Canada, Great Britain, France, Japan and Italy. I think it depends on what part of those countries that one has visited. Canada, eh! Well, my wife was from Quebec so I made a gazillion trips to mostly Montreal. Not to much of Montreal was showcased. We did go to Quebec City on our honeymoon. That was a lot more like the pavilion. Great Britain, well the only place I went in GB was London and nothing I see in WS matches any of my memories. France, yes, many places in WS reminded me of the real thing mostly with the architecture. Japan, all I was able to see that reminded me of Japan were the stores. I know that there is more Japan than just retail. Italy! mostly just shows Venice, but just have a glass of wine an you will be in Tuscany. They can't really depict Rome without either going a religious route or the Ruins. I think that if they went with the ruins people would be complaining about how Disney doesn't do the proper maintenance and now it's falling apart. 
JugglingFreak
New Member
As has been said. All of the countries are idealized versions of a small area of the country. Oddly, if you ask someone who has never been to the U.S. what they think it would be like, I can almost guarantee they will describe something like New York City or Los Angeles.
That being said, Japan in Epcot is an idealized version of what you would find around Kyoto. I can promise that you won't see hardly anything like that in Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka, with the exception of Osaka Castle. However, even then, Osaka Castle is a little spot surrounded by skyscrapers.
Even Mitsukoshi (which is a real Japanese dept store) only sells stuff like anime merchandise and kimonos, etc. For a "real" Japanese dept store experience outside of Japan. Hit Uniqlo in Disney Springs.
But, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the Japan pavilion.
(Osaka Castle, with Skyscrapers in back)
That being said, Japan in Epcot is an idealized version of what you would find around Kyoto. I can promise that you won't see hardly anything like that in Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka, with the exception of Osaka Castle. However, even then, Osaka Castle is a little spot surrounded by skyscrapers.
Even Mitsukoshi (which is a real Japanese dept store) only sells stuff like anime merchandise and kimonos, etc. For a "real" Japanese dept store experience outside of Japan. Hit Uniqlo in Disney Springs.
But, don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the Japan pavilion.
(Osaka Castle, with Skyscrapers in back)
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
I noticed this last time I was in Quebec City. On thé left is the front door of the Château Frontenac hotel, and on the right is one of the doors of l’hotel du Canada (the building Le Cellier is in). You can tell an imagineer took a photo of this door and copied it.
Heppenheimer
Well-Known Member
The only part of Italy I've visited is the north. I expected that the cuisine would be different from the Italian-American version, but was surprised by the very sharp degree of difference. The food was closer to regional French or Austrian than what we consider "Italian" in the US.
The_Jobu
Well-Known Member
Most of Northern Italian culture and food is indeed inspired from French/German/Alpen culture. Central and Southern Italy are more representative of what is seen as Italian/food and culture.
It doesn't completely hold up, but I kind of think of it along the lines of the East coast of the US. New England "America" is very different than South "America" with its BBQ and cookin', etc.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
Here’s another one when I went to Norway. I was at Akershus and was like no way! It’s the exact same lights they have at Epcot. Same as above, you can see that the design was
taken directly from the host country.
Sbk1234
Well-Known Member
We have an exchange student from Milan living with us. He is constantly complaining about the "Italian" food here in the states. I've never been to northern Italy, but I was in Rome last summer. Although there were some differences, I actually found the food pretty similar to what I was used to in Italian restaurants where I live. (It seems the more expensive the Italian restaurant at home, the closer it is to authentic, IMHO.)
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I always found food, in Italy to be fairly bland, but very tasty. The American versions added a lot more spices.
Robbiem
Well-Known Member
Italian food is great and varied but the quality in Italy can really very depending on where you are and what you’re eating. Try to stay away from tourist places with English ‘menu turisticos’ on display and try to eat where the locals do if you can. Like a lot of places the local specialty is just that so while Naples has amazing pizza like no where else dont expect the same in Venice where its only made for tourists
If you love gelato my other tip is check the colour of the pistachio- it should be muddy. Bright green is a sign of artificial ingredients
likely to be in the other flavours too.
Often in travel we are told not to eat the streetfood. This is bad advice. On Donghuamen Street in Beijing i had grasshoppers, silkworms, and scorpions. It caused me no issues. This along with many other foods around the world. Streetfood is some of the best food. Next time dont listen. If its cooked in hot oil, youll be ok.