Disney's Attention to Detail

Photo courtesy adventuresbydaddy.com. 

The story goes that when Walt Disney was having Disneyland built he would stroll through the park with an eye for every detail.  At one point he saw a tree that was not native to a certain area of the world and he ordered his crew to dig it up.  Walt Disney left no stone unturned.  Maybe his attention to detail was his secret to success.

Photo courtesy undercovertourist.com.

Today we visited Disney World’s Epcot (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow).  Epcot just celebrated its 30^th anniversary last year.  While Walt Disney wasn’t there to see the construction of his prototype community, he did make sketches of it for others to follow.  In the centre is a lake encircled by pavilions representing several countries.  When we visited the Canadian pavilion we noticed maple trees.  Around the Japanese pavilion grew neatly trimmed and sculpted Japanese trees and in the pond swam large orange Japanese fish.  At the Japanese store they sold Japanese goods (Pokemon, Hello Kitty).  At the Norwegian pavilion we rode a Viking “ship”.  Native Norwegians manned the shop.  At the Mexican pavilion we walked through a Mexican market and restaurant. 

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Photo courtesy flickr.com.

Chinese trees grew outside the China pavilion.  Mulan was outside greeting children.   Inside were replicas of artefacts discovered by archeologists in China.  German women served us at the German shops where Rob purchased a Bayern Munich soccer shirt and I bought Werther’s Originals.  I didn’t happen to notice the trees outside the German pavilion, an oversight that Walt Disney never would have made.  Moroccan music played at the Moroccan pavilion which featured “A Taste of Marrakesh” restaurant.  A belly dancer entertained the crowd outside the pavilion.  At the Italian pavilion we saw Italian women dancing and singing in a piazza.  The architecture was true to what you would see in Italy.  Wine was for sale in the shop.  The French pavilion featured a restaurant with true French cuisine.  Sculpted in flowers were characters Beauty and the Beast from the French tale, La Beaute et la Bete.  The British pavilion featured Tudor-style shops where one could buy soccer items.  Outside sat a typical British phone booth.   In a park under a gazebo a band called The British Revolution started to play.  As they strummed Paul McCartney's "Live & Let Die"outside, Jacqueline and I waited inside for the characters of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. When Jacqueline got to the front of the line, the characters got a second wind, heard the band playing a jumpin’ tune, grabbed her by the hand and started dancing out the door towards the band.   That truly was the highlight of the day!  At the Canadian pavilion, we were greeted by a man from Hamilton, Ontario, our hometown.  In the Trading Post they sold Canadian products like maple syrup.

                               

Photo courtesy wikipedia.org. 

May at Epcot brings the Flower Festival.  How beautiful they were!  Every character imaginable was 

sculpted in flowers.  Walt Disney would have been amazed!

Photo courtesy thetravelears.com.