The Rides EPCOT Should Definitely Consider For Each Country
EPCOT is the park in Disney World where you can travel around the world on foot in under a mile and a half. There are 12 countries located around the World Showcase, with each of them having its own distinct personality.
Norway Pavilion
Some of these countries even have their own rides, but most of them do not. However, I am here to change that — I’m breaking down my ideas for rides in every single World Showcase country pavilion. Let’s go!
A Ride for Each World Showcase Pavilion
Now, the countries that already have rides are Mexico (Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros), Norway (Frozen Ever After), and France (Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure). Other countries technically do have attractions like shows or experiences, but I want an actual RIDE in each pavilion, like, you load into a ride vehicle and go on an adventure.
Mexico Pavilion
So, I came up with a ride idea or two for each country and I wanted to share them with the class!
Mexico
I know, I just said that Mexico already has a ride. But I want to update it!
Gran Fiesta Tour is cute and all, but you know what would be so much better? Pixar’s Coco.
Gran Fiesta Tour
I would love to see this boat ride transformed into a journey over the marigold bridge and into the Land of the Dead that we see in Coco, complete with characters and music from the movie. I can already picture just how colorful and vibrant they could make this attraction, and it would fit in PERFECTLY in the Mexico pavilion.
Photo: Disney
Let’s make it happen, Disney.
China
Moving on to China, because Frozen Ever After in Norway is fine just how it is, especially after the recent updates. The obvious answer here is a ride themed to Mulan!
This is a classic and beloved Disney Animation movie that simply does not have enough representation in the Disney parks. I would keep it simple here and just do a basic dark ride where you move through the story we see in the movie.
Photo: Disney
The music from the movie alone warrants an attraction! Imagine going along with Mulan and Mushu as she trains to save her country. It would be epic!
Germany
Germany has a few options for rides, but my pick is Tangled! All Rapunzel gets in Disney World is a bathroom in Magic Kingdom, so she definitely deserves an official ride (we’ve seen it done in some of the international Disney parks, and it’s amazing).
Germany Pavilion
This would obviously be a boat ride, with a ride vehicle similar to the boat we see Rapunzel and Flynn use in the movie. The peak of the ride would be the boat moving under the floating lanterns to “I See the Light.” What more could you ask for?!
Photo: Disney
I’d love to see Pascal hidden throughout, and Mother Gothel makes a great villain for the ride. I’d also make sure to keep it family-friendly, so there wouldn’t be a drop any bigger than the one in Frozen Ever After.
Italy
In the Italy Pavilion, I think Disney would want to go for a ride themed to Pixar’s Luca, but this is my list…so I’m picking The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Yep! Millennials, this ride is for you!
The premise of the ride would be a race to get Lizzie to the Coliseum in Rome, where she has to fill in for Isabela on stage alongside Paolo. We’d get into a ride vehicle similar to a Vespa, and the dark ride would go through some major plot points in the movie.
Photo: Disney
Obviously, Miss Ungermeyer would be featured, probably as the narrator and/or the major obstacle trying to stop you from evading your field trip. And we’d most definitely include the finale when Paolo is outed as a lip syncer with a terrible voice while Lizzie and Isabella duet for the crowd.
Photo: Disney
This is my dream ride. I really want this to be real.
The American Adventure
The American Adventure pavilion literally has SO many Disney movies to choose from, as a ton are set in the U.S.A. So, I tried to pick something we don’t see much of in the Disney World parks — The Incredibles.
YES, I know that The Incredibles technically takes place in a fictional city, but it is very clearly inspired by the suburbs and cities of the U.S., set in a mid-century modern timeframe and aesthetic. This would be such a fun addition to this pavilion, which is stuck in the Colonial era of our country.
Let’s bring in some more modern vibes with The Incredibles! Since this is one of the more thrilling Disney movies, I’d like to see a thrill ride here with elaborate theming.
Photo: Disney
I think it would be fun to do some kind of dark thrill ride where you get into the Incredibile and race through the city, and then it transforms into the high-tech planes we later see, or we even get a forcefield around us from Violet as we try to outrun Syndrome and his cronies!
Japan
Choices are kind of slim for Japan, but I’d go with a Duffy-themed ride. Yep, a ride themed around Duffy and his friends, the stuffed bear that belongs to Mickey Mouse.
Duffy didn’t originate in Japan, but he is SUPER popular in the Disney parks over there, and he used to have a bigger presence in EPCOT, so let’s bring him back! This would help grow the American audience for Duffy and his friends.
Photo: Disney
I’d make this a family-friendly dark ride situation that’s super colorful and immersive, so kids of all ages are able to enjoy it. Think of something like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride in Magic Kingdom, but with Duffy, and it’d be set in Japan to tie it all together.
Morocco
Morocco is a seriously underappreciated pavilion in EPCOT — it’s absolutely gorgeous and deserves more love! The only answer here is to add a ride themed to Aladdin.
We have the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom, but it’s just a rip-off of Dumbo, and we can do better. I say we board an actual flying carpet roller coaster and zip over Agrabah!
Photo: Disney
We would meet characters from the movie and hear some of its most iconic songs, like “A Whole New World,” “Friend Like Me,” and “Prince Ali.” I think we could even have moments where the coaster slows down and you float over the city (kind of like on Peter Pan’s Flight) before shooting off again.
United Kingdom
We’re skipping France because that pavilion has ENOUGH. Moving on to the United Kingdom, this pavilion was actually supposed to get an attraction themed to Mary Poppins before the global pandemic, and it has since been put on hold indefinitely.
So, let’s make it happen! We didn’t have a ton of details from Disney on what the Mary Poppins attraction would have been, but it was thought to be a new neighborhood themed to Cherry Tree Lane from the movie.
Photo: Disney
I would love an expansion, and I actually think a ride that would be fun here is something similar to Alien Swirling Saucers, but with the dancing penguins and music from Mary Poppins. I would make it a bit longer than the Toy Story ride, though, so it’d be more worth your time!
Canada
Canada, O Canada. This pavilion has SO much potential, and I really want Disney to give it some more attention. I mean, it doesn’t even really have a quick-service food option (and all the other pavilions do).
Canada Pavilion
I’m throwing it back to the early 2000s for Canada’s ride — Brother Bear! Yes, I want a Brother Bear-themed log ride in Canada. It would fit perfectly!
Photo: Disney
Imagine traveling through the Canadian wilderness surrounded by waterfalls and bear animatronics. It would all lead up to a big drop, and the whole ride would be set to the iconic Phil Collins music from the movie. Tell everybody I’m on my way!
Bonus Countries
Now for some bonus countries! These are countries I’d love to see added to the World Showcase in EPCOT.
Starting with Peru, I’d do a pavilion that mostly looks like Machu Picchu, with the main focus being a big roller coaster themed to The Emperor’s New Groove! We need to hear “pull the lever, Kronk,” and then have a huge drop.
Photo: Disney
Another great option would be a Greece Pavilion! The architecture could be stunning here, with something like the iconic Acropolis being the central part of the pavilion. The obvious ride option here is one set to Hercules that includes a bunch of the Greek gods from the movie!
I think a boat ride would work — with a boat that looks like the one Hades uses in the Underworld.
Photo: Disney
Finally, I think an Australia pavilion would be amazing! Recreate the Sydney Opera House and throw in some nods to Finding Nemo, but I think the ride here should be a family-friendly flat ride themed to Bluey.
Photo: Ludo Studios
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