Of course, the hottest rumor of the week goes to Jim Hill Media for reporting the rumor of the possible edition to World Showcase at Epcot - the Russian Pavilion.
I am actually not surprised by this, since this would be logical. However, I am highly disappointed by the choice. For something called "World" Showcase, it is very "top heavy", as in populated entirely by nations from the Northern Hemisphere. It would have been nice if we get some nation from South America (Brazil and Argentina would be two contenders).
Also, and I will probably get into trouble for this but what the hey, this will make World Showcase even "whiter". Before you jump all over me and accuse me of being "racist", hear me out. I would love to visit Russia, and as a world culture, it is certainly one of the most important and dominant. But it would have been a bold move to include a country that is very different than what most people in the US are familiar with. To me, only the Morocco Pavilion comes close to accomplishing this with the current pack of nations at World Showcase, since the country and its food are not familiar to most people. Having something very different and exotic would be sensational and would fit in very well not only with the philosophy of World Showcase, but also indirectly with the mission of Epcot to educate and inform.
Of course, that "exotic" criteria alone doesn't get a pavilion built. Having a pavilion means that a corporation within that country needs to be able to afford to support it. So that other half of the equation is certainly an issue for many deserving countries around the world. This may not be something Disney can control entirely. Still, I wish they had done something more daring.
In any case, I am still rooting for this rumor to be true. It is about time that we get a new nation in World Showcase. Russia would be a great addition, and I expect excellent quality vodkas at the gift shop!
:)
Zz.
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