Changes

Although Like many of the Italy pavilion was ready for opening dayWorld Showcase pavilions, the Italy pavilion that opened was much different then changed drastically from its early designs to its final construction. When the one originality planned. The pavilion was going initially being designed, Imagineers wanted to include construct an area which was to that would represent Southern Italy. Here, guests which would be able to go on an include a dark ride attraction, which where guests would be a gondola ride board gondolas and travel through various Italian scenes. Ever getting off After riding the rideattraction, guests would be deposited released into a Roman Ruin walkthrough attraction. After three years of construction however, Epcot was over budget. Disney executives eventually decided to push back the creation middle of four attractions, including the Italy ones. The original plans was for the attractions to reopen with "Phase II" of Epcot, shortly after the park opened. Unfortunately The money that was set to be used for Phase II, was instead put towards the opening of Horizons, the [[Journey Into Imagination]] attraction, the [[Morocco]] pavilionRoman ruins, which they could then walkthrough and the creation of the [[Living Seas]]explore.

When Italy did open, it featured a restaurant Like other early plans for World Showcase (Lsuch as Germany'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorantes Rhine River Cruise), as well as two shops (La Gemma Elegante and Il Belle Cristallo). The entire plans for the Southern Italy section of the pavilion faces one plaza, which features a raised platformwere pushed back until EPCOT Center's Phase II. Originally the platform This delay was going to be used for live entertainersmentioned in Walt Disney's EPCOT: Creating the New World of Tomorrow: {Quotation|"Few buildings remain perfectly preserved as they were when new. Over the centuries, but such shows landlords change; one year they are now performed near the lagoonprosperous, and they build on additions. The focal point next year they’re a little short of funds, so they tear down part of the structure and sell the stones.<br> In a sense, the Italy pavilion itself is a recreation victim of the Dodge Palace in Venice. Both this cycle of fortune; the area which was to represent Southern Italy pavilion– not to mention a splendid replica of Roman ruins – may not be completed until 1983."| Walt Disney's shops can be found within Epcot Center: Creating the palace. Located at the end New World of Tomorrow (1982)}} Unfortunately for the Dodge PalaceItaly pavilion, is a statue the money that was originally designated for the Southern Italy expansion was eventually used for the construction of a grotesque face[[Horizons]], [[Journey Into Imagination]], and [[Morocco]] as well as early work on [[The Living Seas]]. Such sculptures were used in  Although without a feature attraction, Italy by citizensdid open with the rest of World Showcase on October 1, to complain about their neighbors or their government1982. The pavilion also features was designed to feature Florentine, Venetian, and Roman architecture, including a 100 foot tall campanile ft. recreation of St Mark's Campanile (or a bell tower), which is a replica of one found in Saint Mark's Square. On top of the campanile is the Archangel Gabriel. One of When the most popular photo opportunities in Walt Disney Worldpavilion opened, the Neptune statue, can also be found in the Italy pavilionit housed one restaurant “L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante” and two shops “La Gemma Elegante” and “Il Belle Cristallo”. The statue pavilion is based on two sculptures also home to the Theatre al Fresco where various street performers have been found in Italy, over the original Neptune statue in Florence and the Trevi Fountain Romeyears. [[Image:Neptunee.jpg|200px|thumb|The Neptune statue located in Since its creation, the Italy pavilionhas seen a relatively small number of changes.]]The first only major change came to the Italy pavilion in 2007, when Italy's original (and only) restaurant, L'orignale Originale Alfredo di Roma Risorante Ristorante closed. The building was purchased by Patina Restaurant Group, and Although the restaurant was renamed Tutto Italia which translates very popular, Disney chose not to "All Italy"renew the dining contract with the restaurant’s owner Alfredo the Original of Rome Inc. Another change came Disney’s decision was due in part to the fact that Alfredo had initially promised to construct a second dining location in the pavilion on in 1983. Disney wanted the second restaurant in order to meet the dining demand in World Showcase. With no second restaurant built, and the initial contract now up, Disney decided to instead award the sponsorship to a new company- The Patina Restaurant Group. Following Alfredo’s closure On August 531, 2010 when 2007, the restaurant was replaced by a new resturantrestaurant “Tutto Italia”. Following the change in sponsorship, Via Nopoli opened where in 2010 Italy's dark ride attraction finally got a second restaurant “Via Nopoli”. This was to have beenfollowed by the opening of Tutto Gusto (a wine bar) which opened in 2012.