Difference between revisions of "The United Kingdom"

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The final section of the United Kingdom pavilion features a city gate, inspired by  the gates built during the middle ages. After passing through, guests can enter the Toy Soldiers shop. As its name would suggest, the store specializes in English games and toys.  Another store, The Crown and Crest can be found nearby.  The Crown and Crest is based on Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford Manor.  Inside, besides just purchasing British merchandise, guests can also look up their families’ coat of arms. Another castle, the Hampton Court Palace, is also located within the United Kingdom pavilion. The palace is typical of one built during the late dark ages, and inside guests can visit the Sportsman’s Shoppe. The store sells various British sports merchandise, including football (soccer) jerseys.
 
The final section of the United Kingdom pavilion features a city gate, inspired by  the gates built during the middle ages. After passing through, guests can enter the Toy Soldiers shop. As its name would suggest, the store specializes in English games and toys.  Another store, The Crown and Crest can be found nearby.  The Crown and Crest is based on Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford Manor.  Inside, besides just purchasing British merchandise, guests can also look up their families’ coat of arms. Another castle, the Hampton Court Palace, is also located within the United Kingdom pavilion. The palace is typical of one built during the late dark ages, and inside guests can visit the Sportsman’s Shoppe. The store sells various British sports merchandise, including football (soccer) jerseys.
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==Attractions==
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Although not specific to the United Kingdom,  guests travel to the pavilion when playing the interactive Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure.
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'''Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure'''- On this interactive adventure, guests can grab a communicator and travel around World Showcase to help Kim and Ron save the world! The Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure takes place in every one of the World Showcase countries.
  
 
==Dining==
 
==Dining==

Revision as of 11:06, 21 May 2012

The United Kingdom
Unitedkingdom.jpg
The Rose & Crown restaurant in the United Kingdom pavilion.
Epcot
Land World Showcase
Opening date October 1, 1982
Number of Attractions 0
Number of Restaurants Two

Pavilion History

The United Kingdom pavilion opened with the rest of World Showcase on October 1, 1982. When the pavilion opened, it featured one restaurant (the Rose & Crown Pub) and an astonishing six shops: the Tea Caddy, the Queen's Table, the Biscuit Barrel, His Lordship, Pringle of Scotland and The Toy Solider. Although the pavilion was not home to an attraction, the original plans for the United Kingdom called for a Victorian building to be built in the pavilions rear. The building, which was going to be modeled after London’s lost Crystal Palace, would have housed a live comedy show. A description of the unbuilt attraction was given in the 1982 book, Walt Disney’s EPCOT: Creating the New World of Tomorrow:

"One side of the square remains open, the future site of a show still being created by the Imagineers. Early in the planning there was talk of a tour presentation, to be housed in an old English railroad station. The idea metamorphosed into an Elizabethan-type dinner theater, from which it evolved into a Victorian music hall. That’s where it now stands – if a genius can be found to successfully bowdlerize the rough-and-tumble British vaudeville style for a family audience."

Walt Disney’s EPCOT: Creating the New World of Tomorrow

The first change to hit the pavilion came in 1986, when the Biscuit Barrel became the Country Manor. Although the shop’s name was changed, its merchandise remained essentially the same. Then, in the late 1980s, the Country Manor was renamed the Magic of Wales, and the His Lordship shop was renamed Lords and Ladies. Subsequently, in 1995 Lords and Ladies was renamed The Crown and Crest.

The next major change in the United Kingdom pavilion came in 1999, when Harry Ramsden Fish & Chips House was built. The new restaurant was a counter service restaurant which, as it’s name suggested, specialized in fish and chips. Since the millennium, there have been two major changes to the pavilion. In the early 2000’s, the Pringle of Scotland shop was renamed the Sportsman Shoppe. Then in 2006, Harry Ramsden Fish & Chips House was renamed Yorkshire County Fish Shop.

Pavilion Layout

In order to show guests as much of the United Kingdom as possible, Imagineers made sure that each structure in the United Kingdom pavilion represents a different era. The center of the pavilion is known as Britania Square. Modeled after the various town squares found in the UK, Britania Square is where guests can find various shops and dining establishments. In fact, the pavilion’s original restaurant, the Rose & Crown can be found within the square. The Rose & Crown serves as both a restaurant and a pub, where guests can get a tradional British meal. Inside the pub part of the establishment, guests can see the “hat lady”, as she plays her piano and invites guests to sing various English songs. Outside of the Rose and Crown, guests find a recreation of a lock found on the Grand Union Canal. A nearby sign notes that Thomas Dudley is the lockkeeper at the Rose & Crown Lock. Dudley, was the governor of the English, Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid-1600’s.

Across from the Rose & Crown, guests can visit The Tea Caddy. This shop was inspired by the childhood home of Anne Hathaway (William Shakespeare’s wife). Inside, guests can purchase teas, coffees, and hot chocolates made by Twinnings. Across from the Tea Caddy, guests can find another shop, The Queen’s Table. The store features Elizabethan architecture, from the 1600s, and inside guests can buy tea, tea sets, and dinnerware. Behind the Queen’s Table, is a typical English garden. The various “homes” that look out into the garden, were inspired by the houses in Disney’s Marry Poppins. Guests can often find meet and greet characters such as Alice (from Alice in Wonderland) and Marry Poppins here.

The back of the United Kingdom pavilion is themed to look like the residential section, of a town set in the 1800s. The area, which is known as Tudor Land, is home to the Lords and Ladies shop. This boutique sells clothes and fragrances for both men and women. Another section of the town, Upper Regency, is home of various houses with late Georgian architecture. These houses are home to the pavilion’s Kidcot station, and Winnie the Pooh sometimes makes appearances inside. The houses themselves look out into a replica of Hyde Park where guests can watch the British Revolution, perform various rock songs. Also located in the park is a hedge maze based on the Somerleyton Hall Maze.

The final section of the United Kingdom pavilion features a city gate, inspired by the gates built during the middle ages. After passing through, guests can enter the Toy Soldiers shop. As its name would suggest, the store specializes in English games and toys. Another store, The Crown and Crest can be found nearby. The Crown and Crest is based on Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford Manor. Inside, besides just purchasing British merchandise, guests can also look up their families’ coat of arms. Another castle, the Hampton Court Palace, is also located within the United Kingdom pavilion. The palace is typical of one built during the late dark ages, and inside guests can visit the Sportsman’s Shoppe. The store sells various British sports merchandise, including football (soccer) jerseys.

Attractions

Although not specific to the United Kingdom, guests travel to the pavilion when playing the interactive Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure.

Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure- On this interactive adventure, guests can grab a communicator and travel around World Showcase to help Kim and Ron save the world! The Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure takes place in every one of the World Showcase countries.

Dining

Rose & Crown- This table service resturant features both a dining room and a pub. Here, guests can get a traditional British meal, as well as different ales, lagers, ciders and stouts.

Yorkshire County Fish & Chips- The quick service resturant offers guests the oppurtunity to get authentic fish and chips. Other items such as soft drinks and snacks are also offered on the menu.

Shopping

Crown and Crest- This store is actually two different shops joined together. On of the shops (the Crown) sells Beatles and Epcot souviners, while the other allows guests to look up and even purchase their families coat of arms (the Crest).

Sportsman Shoppe- Located within the Hampton Court Palace, this shop sells English sports merchandise.

Queen's Table- Located near the Rose & Crown, this shop specializes in tea and tea accesories.

The Tea Caddy- Located across from the Queen's Table, this shop sells tea, candies and chocolates.

The Toy Soilder- At this toy store, guests can purchase a Paddington Teddy Bear among other toys.

Characters

Alice- Alice from the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland, can sometimes be found near the English garden (uncommon).

Marry Poppins- Marry Poppins can often be found near the English garden (common).

Winnie The Pooh- Winnie The Pooh can be regularly found near the pavilion's Kidcot station.

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • Originally, Imagineers wanted to put a statue in the center of the square, and while many different famous Brits were considered, (including kings, queens, Lord Nelson, Lord Byron, Robert Burns and William Shakespeare), Imagineers eventually decided to place a sundial there.
  • The music played in the United Kingdom pavilion includes selections from Gilbert and Sullivan and Greensleeves.
  • Imagineers tinted the top of the UK pavilion's chimneys to make it look like they are in use.
  • The United Kingdom pavilion features three classic, red phone booths.
  • The lock located outside of the Crown and Rose, was at one time surrounded by gates. The gates however, have since been removed.
  • In the windows of the Hampton Court Palace, guests can see the crosses of St. Andrew, St. George and St. Patrick, the patron saints of Scotland, England, and Ireland respectively.

References

http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_uk.htm

http://progresscityusa.com/2009/04/02/neverworlds-epcots-united-kingdom-pavilion-victorian-music-hall/

http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/walt_disney_world/theme_parks/epcot/united_kingdom/

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/united-kingdom-pavilion/