New country rumor

What's this?  A rumor is making its way around some boards that Disney is considering adding Iran to the International side of EPCOT.  This is either nonsense or insanity, but let's assume nonsense.  So where does a rumor like this get started?  This reporter found one possible source.  In August 2009 Progress City posted this story that in 1978, the empress of Iran visited WDW and this led to speculation that Disney was considering adding Iran to the countries.  Someone may have run across this story and posted something about it, and some people missed the fact that the story is 34 years old.

As Progress City reports, in 1978 there was a factual possibility of adding Iran, but political events soon put an end to that.  Disney Imagineers apparently went to Iran and a deal was in the works - but it never happened.  Check out the story for some interesting historical information.  Imagine if an Iran pavillion was actually built and then the Islamic revolution happened.

It’s January of 1978 and Disney is desperately trying to sign up governments to sponsor pavilions for World Showcase, which was still in the conceptual phase. EPCOT’s groundbreaking was still almost two years away, its development slowed by uncertain management and the inability to line up sponsorship deals. Later, Disney would give up on recruiting governmental participants entirely and go directly to individual corporations in desired nations for funding. But in 1978 Disney executives continued to wine and dine diplomats and envoys from around the world.

 (Disney)

 Last weekend, Bob Allen and Carl Bongirno hosted Her Imperial Majesty Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi and her official party for a briefing and update on World Showcase. The Empress of Iran and her party visited the Magic Kingdom early Saturday evening before departing for a formal dinner on the Empress Lilly where she was joined by Governor and Mrs. Askew.