Germany
"A Welcome from Germany"
If you want to feel like you have been instantly and magically transported to Europe, the German pavilion is the place for you. The architecture reflects a diverse cross section of German regions, from the replica of the medieval castle to the fairy tale Bavarian style buildings.
A fountain with a statue of St. George slaying a dragon, is the centerpiece of the cobblestoned German plaza.
Our first item of business to take care of in Germany was get some delicious, buttery treats from the famous Karamell-Kutch. This fun little eatery has more caramel products than you have ever seen before in one place! It was a tough decision, but I ended up with a chocolate caramel cookie and the most scrumptious gingerbread caramel square.
We spent some time wandering through all the cute German stores
There is thee cutest miniature German town with three model trains running through it. We made sure to take plenty of time to really appreciate all the cute little scenes they have created, one of my favorites was a camp site being invaded by bears, pictured below...
We had a perfect view of Spaceship Earth as we were leaving the German pavilion.
Italy
"Welcome to Italy!"
"Welcome to Italy!"
We hit Italy right as the sun was beginning to set and the clouds and golden light created the most beautiful backdrop for our short time in Italia.
We were beginning to run a little short on time so we didn't spend too much time in Italy. We made sure to pop into a couple of the stores, the Venetian mask store should not be missed, and walked around the piazza to see the replicas of all the famous Italian buildings such as the bell tower and Doge's Palace.
USA
"Welcome to America" ;)
It was interesting to see what they chose for the American pavilion since it is the country I am the most familiar with. I always wonder if people from the other countries feel the pavilions accurately depict their country and culture. I feel like the American pavilion is dedicated to American history since they chose a colonial style mansion as it's center piece, it is reminiscent of Independence Hall, Boston's Old State House, Monticello and Colonial Williamsburg. The 110,000 bricks used on the building are all hand-made from Georgia clay and were tinted and aged to add authenticity, Disney cuts no corners!
We were getting pretty tired by this point, but we were still smiling!
The lobby and halls are lined with quotations from notable Americans such as Walt Disney, Althea Gibson, Charles A. Lindbergh, Ayn Rand, Thomas Wolfe, Wendell Wilkie and Jane Addams. The artwork depicts the development of the United States.
I always loved seeing the little areas they had for kid-cot, where I would get my passport signed. It was always decorated in some cute way that represented the country.
Seven down, four to go!
Next up, Japan, Morocco and France
These countries seem bigger with more to them than I remember. Germany was spot on and Italy caught all the ambiance of the country itself. The masks never cease to fascinate me. I am so glad I have bought a few to call my own and get out at Halloween and Carnival/Mardi Gras. I like the architecture of the American one; that was a good choice rather than go for modern, even though it was copied from the British Georgian arch of the period. I love its elegant yet solid lines.
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