Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Spain would be a fantastic addition. Have a look in community, I posted a trip report to just a small part of Spain we visited last week. There is a lot of uniquity that could go into it and Disney could do a really great job. A Tapas bar, a history display of the impact of Spain on the rest of the world, flamenco shows, sherry and sangria tasting, nazari moorish analucian, moderne, medieval, baroque, renaissance and modern arcitecture. It could be an amazing pavillion.
Originally Posted By MPierce All that report needed to be complete was speculation on the Monorail expansion.
Originally Posted By leemac That made me chuckle. Who feeds them this information? There were plans for a Spain pavilion on the cards several years ago. Discussions were fairly advanced with the government but then Spain's economy cratered and there was no desire politically to make it happen. It quietly went away. I doubt it will come back any time soon especially considering Spain continues to suffer economically. Governments just aren't keen to finance these country pavilions any more. There is little incentive for them to do so. And the costs are huge. It might be a while before we see a new country. There just aren't that many out there that will fund them (except the Middle East and those countries don't meet Disney's strict participant criteria).
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I never have felt that WS would ever get a new nation post-mid 90s. Largely for all the reasons Lee posted above. That's why I was pleasantly shocked when I find out the discussions with Spain were legit earlier this decade, especially because 1.) I love the country; and 2.) it was originally planned to be added in the 1980s. I pretty much assumed the Business Journal story was bunk when I read it, but journalism and true vetting of info doesn't really exist in the USA anymore ... much like a real middle class. ~Wanna play the 'Name WS pavilions that were considered/planned' game?~
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Originally Posted By davewasbaloo We did indeed. I like to see that my haunting skills are still up to scratch, especially in a casino!
Originally Posted By Mr X ***except the Middle East and those countries don't meet Disney's strict participant criteria*** I would love to hear more about this, are you talking business or political?
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ Both. It is two-fold (although they are inextricably linked) namely: 1) Is it appropriate to partner with that country. This isn't just limited to Epcot pavilions but to the broader WDP&R business. Numerous developers in Israel have pushed for Disney-branded hotels but the company has always balked. Why? One is the political instability of the region - should an entertainment company like Disney be perceived to be taking sides (irrespective of whether you think that a hotel in Israel is indicative of taking sides). Countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia have substantial issues like human rights violations that would make a permanent pavilion unpalatable to Disney (although ironically the Millennium Village at Epcot featured both Israel and Saudi Arabia - and Lebanon!); and 2) Does it make business sense to partner with that country. Will they come through on the funding pledges and cultural liaison that is required to not only build a pavilion but also maintain it. Will the pavilion be a draw for guests?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Given the strata of guests that visit Epcot, sadly they would probably not like the middle eastern pavillions, heck, many ignorami refuse to enter the Morocco pavillion, even though it is more like a European country in many ways.
Originally Posted By Mr X Thanks Lee. I figured as much, but wondered at the same time how then China gets a pass. But then again, economic powerhouses often do (get a pass).
Originally Posted By vbdad55 If they wanted to cater to the 'crowd' that visits than Brazil would be the next pavilion -- it's the least they could do for the millions of jobs we've shipped there
Originally Posted By MPierce ^^^ we've offshored so many of our jobs there, we might as well create a few more jobs for them right here.
Originally Posted By standor The thing that I miss the most in WS is the double decker buses. It was great to ride around WS before getting off and visiting the countries. Disney said it was a traffic problem, but it never seemed to be.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 Having seen how stupid some pedestrians can be, I'm sure the chance of accidents was high.
Originally Posted By NoChesterHester >>>"Having seen how stupid some pedestrians can be, I'm sure the chance of accidents was high."<<< Liability killed the bus?
Originally Posted By MPierce I know the double decker busses would add to the atmosphere of the WS. I remember when the characters would come out in one sadly they had to have CM's out there shooing all the guest out of the way.
