World Showcase Question

[Wannabe Walt]

Does anyone know why World Showcase is laidout the way it is? I mean, is there any specific reasoning for the placing of the countries? One thing I noticed is that America is in the middle (duh.) and Canada and Mexico (our neighbors) are at the ends?! You would kindof think that they would be next to the American Adventure. Just a thought...any ideas on this?

 

[Enderikari]

I don't particulary know, except for the fact that America is between Germany and France....

 

[Fraisie]

Actually, America is between Italy and Japan... why ? no clue !

 

[diddy_mouse]

that *is* a very good question, the layout does seem rather random. hmm...now i'll be mulling over that one for a while. time to break out the Epcot map and analyze!

 

[Wannabe Walt]

lol...yea its Italy and Japan :lol:. diddy mouse, the map never explained it to me...but maybe you can get something out of it! lol

 

[EpcotPhotoSchmo]

I know that negotiating the locations of the pavilions was tricky. I remember hearing that at one point the American Adventure building, as the host pavilion, was to stand at the entrance of World Showcase, where Showcase Plaza is today. When the Imagineers decided that the massive show building would be too overpowering from Future World, they moved it across the lagoon, but could not reopen the headache of repositioning all the countries to match. That's why Canada and Mexico are where there are; they are on either side of the location originally intended for AA.

 

[Wannabe Walt]

OOOO!!! That would make sence! But still...what about the others?!

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

OOOO!!! That would make sence! But still...what about the others?!

Ask jonnie, (micbat), he filled me in on a lot of great epcot trivia! he did tell me that every country, has the same amount of room, or area in size, to show equality between them.

 

[Wannabe Walt]

thats interesting...some of them seem SOOO much bigger...like the American Adventure for example...that one seems huge compared to all the others, and Germany seems tiny. I guess once you figure outdoor and indoor space, it equals out!

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

thats interesting...some of them seem SOOO much bigger...like the American Adventure for example...that one seems huge compared to all the others, and Germany seems tiny. I guess once you figure outdoor and indoor space, it equals out!

i thought the same thing.

 

[marni1971]

Nope - they all vary in size. The original plan for World Showcase was to locate it next to the T&TC, in 2 curving buildings around a plaza. Each country would have exactly the same ammount of frontage onto the plaza, but could build backwards as far as they needed.

Once America came down off its legs in todays World Showcase plaza it was moved to its current central location (originaly a lake and fountain) since it is the host nation, and so no others could be perceived as having preferential treatment. Strangely, each country that was added to the various masterplans in the late 70`s stayed in position (unlike the Futureworld pavilions)

Switzerland it seems was to go between Germany and Italy - at the time an expansion of Japan was planed, including the Ginzai (sp) district in the Meet the World building, and the Mt. Fuji rollercoaster, on the plot between Japan and Morocco. To balance the skyline with these 2 mountains, they were to be equidistant from America.

A phase 2 plan (as discussed elsewhere) had Germany and Italy adding water based rides, planned from the outset, so perhaps they are neighbours to share the pump and filtration systems?

China and Canada may be as far apart as possible to separate their common attraction technology

Morocco I can only guess was added where it is in `84 to fill in the gap between France and Japan.

The UK was to have a crystal palace stage show as part of a phase 2 (hence the village square to nowhere) - this required a large ammount of land behind it. Same for Italys gondola ride (Germanys river ride building was mostly constructed but never used, same as Japans `Meet the World` carousel theatre building.

Finally France was to have an exposition hall added as part of a phase 2 which needed extra room, and its current plot has plenty.

Either that, or someone played pin the tail on the donkey with a map of World Showcase :lol:

 

[BRER STITCH]

Another interesting tidbit I picked up on the Backstage Magic Tour is how they actually built the American Adventure Building as the highest point on the shocase lagoon.

Next time you are in front of the AA building, notice that going left OR right from that point, you will be going down hill!

 

[venooch333]

The original plan was to have another circle with the brige to the new circle of countries to be where AA is! This could explain the weird place for it and what apeears to me at least to be a rushed layout!

 

[brisem]

try this


http://allearsnet.com/tp/ep/epcotmap1.jpg

 

[crazycalf]

France and UK are next to each other. I heard the waterway between them represents the English Channel.
Also, on the pavement there is a different color between France and Morocco. I think this is supposed to represent the straight of Gibralter(sp)
The other countries I have never heard anything about.

 

[marni1971]

The original plan was to have another circle with the brige to the new circle of countries to be where AA is! This could explain the weird place for it and what apeears to me at least to be a rushed layout!

Very interesting - never heard this one! I know the original EPCOT Theme Center plan had world showcase as the entry half, then you would cross a bridge (where AA is positioned) into Futureworld.

Any art or more details or sources about the 2nd circle??

 

[leebier]

On the backstage tour I took a few years back (it was whatever the World Showcase one was called), they said the following about the plans. (remember though, this is an Imagineer talking on a tour group, so all stories are "official" versions that may differ widely with reality).

America was supposed to be between Mexico and Canada. They had planned a super-modern building to create a sort of archetectual bridge between Future World and the World Showcase. However, they were concerned with a) foot traffic being too heavy around the enterance to FW and b) that people would stay in the massive AA area and never make it around the rest of FW and so it was put in the back without moving Canada and Mexico.

The tour-guide also said that it's intentional that all countries have equal amount of frontage space around the lagoon. The area each country inhabits, of course, differs wildly, but they all have the same amount of space in front, so when looking across the water, no one country seems larger.

I don't recall any information about the placement of other countries, but I'd imagine it was mostly due to functional reasons (like the mentioned spacing out of similar exhibits and the possibility of sharing certain backstage equipment).

Leebier

 

[marni1971]

..it's intentional that all countries have equal amount of frontage space around the lagoon..

Ah - sorry venooch, I thought you meant total floorspace being equal, not frontage.

Another tit bit I know is America was also de-stilted since it may appear to be too presumtuous or `big-headed` - eg "Hi, we`re in America and this is the American Adventure. Its at the center of the park, at the entrance of World Showcase, and you have to walk beneath it to enter" - not exactly a welcoming message, or certainly of equal appearence with the other countries! Here is the proposed American pavilion on legs:

 

[marni1971]

Regarding the above picture, also note:

The monorail route in and out of the park, and only a single track (switch at end of loop)

The Living Seas where The Land was built, and its the glass domed roof version.

World of Motion - where it was built, but the earlier concept with much more of an outside track

The ecology pavilion where Horizons was built, before it morphed into Imagination

A *possible* early Land concept where Imagination was built

Horizons - around Century 3 time - where Living Seas was built, with its observation tower.

No legs on Spaceship Earth, water around it, and gold in colour

A very early Communicore design and alternate entrance plaza

America on legs on World Showcase Plaza

Australia where China was built - Sydney Opera House on the shore

Africa next to Germany

Fountain where American Adventure is - and a lot more countries!

If any one has a large version of this picture please say..

 

[MicBat]

Here's what I know...

-Mexico and Canada are the first nations you encounter as you enter World Showcase. Other than the United States, which is in the center, these were the only other two pavilions that were specifically placed in these locations. This is because each of these borders the United States - Mexico to the South and Canada to the North.
-The American Adventure is in the center to show the fact that it's a "melting pot" of sorts made up of people from around the world. It's higher in elevation than the rest of the countries because it serves as a "host nation" for the World Showcase.

Another random fact...
-Something like 26,000 feet of lights outline the pavillions in the World Showcase as part of Illuminations. This is long enough to stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge over 6 times!