Walkabout The World - A Disney Podcast - A walkabout in Epcot from Imagination to Norway and China

Episode Date: April 5, 2021

Hello Travelers! This week's walkabout takes us to Epcot, where my daughter Chaney and I take a stroll from Future World over to World Showcase. We briefly visit the Norway pavilion, and then do a fairly in-depth walk through the China pavilion.   As always, use good listening devices as we always record in 4 channel surround sound. We hope you enjoy the episode and thanks so much for following along!    Look us up at @WalkaboutWDW on Instagram and drop us a note to say hi! Find our producer Josh also on Instagram at @TheSteele. Say hi to our west coast correspondent Ric at @opticaljedi. Lastly give a shout to our Orlando correspondent Pete at @neverlandlocal.   You can now also drop us at line at [e-mail]. Say hi, tell us how you found us, and give us some suggestions on things you'd love to hear.   Walkabout The World is a weekly Disney podcast, always recorded on property at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort with the simple goal of making you feel like you are in the middle of the magic. 

🎵 Well, hello traveler and welcome back to Walk About the World. You know who we are by now. We are your weekly audio expedition through one of the parks or resorts of Walt Disney World here in Orlando, Florida. And this week, the goal as always is to put you in the park and I have a visitor with me. It is my other daughter, Chaney, and we are going to take a meandering journey through Epcot, starting at the Imagination Pavilion. We're not going to ride figment, although we will, and I enjoy it. Don't judge me. I like it, but not this time. This time we're going to take a look around the fountains over there near the Imagination Pavilion and then work our way out to World Showcase where we're going to have a snack, and then we are going to

head over towards Mexico, not into the Mexico Pavilion this week, although we will do that soon. We're going to duck into Norway, and then we are also going to do kind of a deep dive into the China Pavilion, walk through the store, haven't done that in a while, enjoy the sights, the sounds, the auditory sights, as it were, and the sounds, see what we can see with our ears, and hopefully have some fun. If you're ready, let's do it. So we're going to take off walking and the first thing we're going to do, because I haven't been up here in a while, we're going to walk over towards Journey to Imagination. There's actually an astounding number of people over there and listener, do you know why? It's because, why is that Chaney? Well, right now one of the rides are shut down so yeah which ride Oh which ride

spaceship earth so this is the closest ride other than in the land pavilion in the seas so that's probably why more people are flooding there that's true is it because a journey into imagination is amazing and tons of people love it. Debatable. Yeah, debatable. But Spaceship Earth right now is down, and so you have the influx of people over here. But we're not going to see my buddy Figment, although we will see him briefly as a topiary. But we're really going over to where we have the jumping fountains next to imagination. I'm just pausing here at the Journey to Imagination sign because Figment is out here as a topiary. Lovely little green figment with purple flowers all around them and it's also apparently the stroller parking which is a bit odd for me because now it looks

like stroller parking with figment and I would think that they would park the stroller somewhere where you could get a picture of figment without a ton of strollers but they haven't so you're gonna have stroller parking land with figment let's head over to the jumping fountain area that no doubt is not called that. Maybe we'll find out what it means. Chaney, what is this fountain called? Huh? Or is it?

I don't know, actually. Is this the jumping fountain? No, this one doesn't jump. This is the upside down waterfall. That's what we call it. Technical name. I don't know. If it's something other than the upside down waterfall, I don't know what it's called. Well, technically the water is jumping up. Well, it is jumping. That's true. So setting the scene, we are at the bottom of Journey to Imagination. The building is just to our right. The upside-down water fountain is to our left. It's windy. Can you hear it?

We'll see if you guys can hear that. I often say that because it's often windy here. What would you call the shape of these buildings, children? See, this is what I do. I ask questions that might be obvious to others. But are they, I don't know what you call it, they're pyramidal in shape. Glass pyramids over here where Figma is. That's where the DVC lounge is, right? Isn't that where? Yes, I think so. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's the one that we've been in before. And they're telling us what to do again folks mask up be nice

say yes ma'am no ma'am brush your teeth all that good stuff i'm gonna go right over here next to the fountain itself which probably sounds like a lot of static to you guys, but it's so nice. Now we have reached the Leaping fountain area And are they leaping? I think so Oh well they're leaping on the other side Indeed they are not leaping

Those are just little spurts over here to where I'm pointing, like you listeners can see what I'm pointing at, but over here is where they have the waters that leap between these red disks, and they are indeed not leaping. I wonder why, because the fountain right

beside it is. Yeah, I don't know. And I thought for a while that maybe they had them off because they didn't want people congregating. But, Traveler, I have to tell you, people are congregating. They are congregating everywhere. But up here, there's literally no one. No, we are, other than a couple of cast members at the far end, there is no one here but us. Us and a rain cloud.

So, come on, rain cloud, give us a break. But imagination and image works right over here to our side. And this fountain area here, I'm going to walk around, check this out a little bit. If you're looking for a place to get away at Epcot, even on a busy festival day, like we're here breaking the fifth or sixth wall here. Like, we're here about five o'clock. On a Monday. On a Monday. That's behind the scenes for you guys here. But there's no one around up here. It is desolate in a good way.

You could sit up here, have yourself a coffee. There is a Joffrey's right there. There is a Joffreys right there. There is a Joffreys right at the bottom. So put those together. Got a nice relaxation station, but impromptu. Don't take your mask off, though. It's not that kind of relaxation station. And here we have a pool of water with this quite geometric installation-ish thing that mirrors the Imagination Building.

So darn pleasant. This is the type of stuff that I really love about Epcot because they didn't have to put fountains and jumping waters and all that stuff, but it really adds to the fun. Okay, so what we're going to do now, because we literally just now decided to do it, is we're going to come down out of here. We're going to walk down around this. Man, I'm pointing pointing again guys. We're going to walk down around the fountain area off to our right towards World Showcase and I think we may try to obtain a snack. Yes, that sounds good down there. There's the honey Bistro around the corner is Honey Bistro. Yes, right across I'm switching sides and turning around on Chaney, so if you hear her fade away, it's not her fault.

It's my fault. It's been cloudy for about three days here. It was misting raining this morning, and it cleared up this afternoon, and now it looks bad. I hope I don't get you drenched, travelers. It'll be part of the adventure, right? That's right. What's a day in the park without being drenched? Now, we're going to pause here Because we've now walked down and around Where we were at the Imagination building

And we're on the walkway that would lead us to the right over to world showcase but in the distance is spaceship earth so that's a thing also a cool topiary but also in the distance is the smoldering root it's not really smoldering but the the wreck and ruin of what was the heart of Future World, the Interventions area. It is no longer among us. And you can actually see the buildings being ripped down. You can see some of the facade being taken down. And I do have hope for the future of Epcot,

so I'm not being Debbie Downer here, but Interventions area was my place to be. And it is a huge bummer to see it kind of wrecked. We don't do Disney Parks cynicism, but I will pause for a moment of, not silence, but I'll pause for a moment of blabbing about Future World Interventions area over here because I really loved it. I'm hoping that whatever they do next isn't an afterthought and they put some love into it. It is a stark difference between the lovely flower planters and the water to the spines of the building, but what can you do? Well, you can admire the walls and keep moving and that's what we're going to do.

They do have little figment paintings on the walls, so you can take a cute photo op. There's also some more Epcot slogans, so at least there's something. Yeah, they have little figment wings that you can stand in front of or put your little kiddo in front of and take a picture which is kind of nice and I will say that the signage here at Epcot somebody at the top gets it is all I will say the the return of the original logos of each of the pavilions is something I really love the new signs telling you where the lands are located and whatnot. It is very well done.

It looks very retro Epcot, which is what many of us really love about Epcot. Now, travelers, I will tell you what we're looking at now because this isn't a vlog. And you may ask yourself, well, why am I not just watching a vlog? And to answer that, I say, ha! And I have no idea, but you're listening to me. So to set the scene here, we are near the entrance of World Showcase, and in front of us is the iconic little body of water here that has just, I'm not going to say millions because I have no idea, but it has many thousands of flowers planted around this little bowl-shaped area. And, wow, even through a mask, you can smell it.

I should know what these flowers are because I'm a plant person, but I have, I don't remember. Are these violas? I'm not sure. Those are petunias. I know those are petunias. And those over there are impatiens. I know those are petunias. And those over there are impatience. The red things are impatience. Also, it should be noted that we can hear test track from where we're standing. The car is going by. It is herefore noted that we can indeed hear test track. In the screams of the passengers.

Not really. I thought I heard one. I thought I heard one. That was heard one of them okay that's just a kid walking by oh okay well one of the one of the uh in uh recurring features of walk about the world is the is the the screams and the cries of of the of the little ones as the park does them in because we are often here late in the day. And they're over it by the time we get in here. Honestly, if I was here for nine hours, I would be over it too.

They're like, Mom and Dad, thanks. We need to get out of here. So, we're going to walk around the way and investigate the line at the Honey Bee Stro. Because there's a bee and it yeah and see if we can get a snack because they have some really good stuff let's do it We're at the Puckmore Beckett site. All right, so we didn't inflict you guys with loads of chewing noises. We just partook in some northern bloom. Is that right? we just partook in some Northern Bloom.

Is that right? What? No. Honey Bistro and Northern Bloom. And we got the corn spoon bread. That's probably not the right name for it. With honey. It has honey. Yes. Corn spoon bread with honey. And then from the Northern Bloom,

we got the bacon scallops. Also, not the exact name for it, but the bacon... The bacon scallops have this vinegar component that makes them a little sour, and

they are the best thing that I had on opening day when we showed up, so I wanted to try them again. And I'm happy to report they are equally best thing that I had on opening day when we showed up, so I wanted to try them again. And I'm happy to report they are equally as good tonight. The spoon bread, not as good as day one. Okay, a little dry this evening. It looks like it had been chilling for a while.

Can we go in there, or is that exit only? That is that exit only? that is the exit I think we should duck in here also did I tell you guys it's misting now? yeah yeah it's misting rain on us now

also it is Florida in spring so spring so former Odyssey restaurant to your left Very crowded. Yeah, welcome to a very... Wow. A not surprisingly crowded Mexico Pavilion. Although, the crowd isn't out in the open. It's, uh... The crowd is the line I should have known this because it's Epcot,

but the building that houses the gods of Vikings, I think that's what it's called, museum, is actually a really famous Norwegian building. I forgot what it's called. I don't want to mispronounce it because I know it will. All right, so obviously we're standing next to Norway, and Josh, we already have a task for you for you or listeners we have a task for you. What is the building called the iconic dark wood building here in Norway with the Viking in front of it?

We need some info. It is incredibly gorgeous. We're standing at the entrance to Norway and I want to see if we can poke into Kringla. Let's see if we can. I think we can. I think we can. I think it's right here. Chaney, what are your thoughts on the school bread? It's good, but you have to have a very specific taste palette. If you don't like custard, you'll very much dislike it, because that's what the filling is. Okay, okay. I'm not a custard guy, so I don't think that's going to work for me.

It says sweet roll filled with custard and dipped in coconut. Yeah. Norwegian cringla pretzel-shaped pastry with assorted toppings. Ooh, it looks pretty good, honestly. That actually does look good. Is it a pretzel? Pretzel-shaped pastry. Pretzel-shaped.

It says the options are almonds or chocolate. I've heard good things about the troll horn as well. It doesn't sound right, but it's a puff pastry. Filled with orange marmalade cream. All right, we're just looking. Oh, that's cool. Blood. I'm going to walk towards the back of the Norway Pavilion here. When you guys visit, do you walk back here into Norway? to that person. There's a great many people here. And what are they here for?

Jump! They're not here for the souvenirs. What are all these people here for, Che? They are here for Frozen Adoraptor. That's right. The most popular ride in all of Epcot.

The longest line in all of Epcot. And you know, I seek out all the waterfalls so that you can't hear me, but this is the waterfall at the back where you used to be able to see the boats remember right here is it where the boat would come around and act like it's going to go off the cliff yeah for maelstrom yes i couldn't remember the name i was like they walled that part up for um clothes never after redo the fjording. Folk crafts. Knitwear and collectibles.

Let's go take a peek. I love this. Right here. Oh, there it is. Then the troll guy to our right. Listeners, Josh. What's the troll's name? There's no way he doesn't have a name, right?

He must. Bob? Fred the troll? Fred the troll? So normally where they have the KidCat section, now there isn't a person stationed there. You just pick up one of these things? Yeah, you pick up one of these little cards that tells you about the trolls. And it has a cute little Norway sticker. Does it have the troll name?

No, it doesn't. It does not have the troll. I'm obsessed with the troll name now. Oh, on the back there's a picture of Troll and Mickey and Goofy. But no troll name. But no troll name. I can't believe it. Trollin' Mickey and Goofy. But no troll name. But no troll name. Really? I can't believe they found the syrup.

Can you smell this, listener? You can't. But it's some of the best smelling stuff in the world. Does that make me weird to say that? No, it is for me too. I had a sample of this Layla perfume. Now I smell like the fragrance in New Orleans. All right. Gear and Ness Hand Lotion applied. We are now exiting Norway, headed to the left, to our left.

What's next, Che? Next is the China Pavilion. Which I kind of love. I do of love. I do too. Now, as pavilions go, probably my favorite, probably your favorite, is Japan Pavilion. Oh, yes, for sure. Norway Pavilion, it floats towards the lower side of the pavilion map for me. If you're not there for the Frozen ride or just not really a huge Frozen fan, it's probably not for you as there's just not much there. There's just not a lot there. As you can guess, we are at the entrance to the China Pavilion, and there is a wonderful

cast member here holding a sign that says, Frozen Ever After line starts here. It wraps all the way back to Reflections of China. So this is the longest line for Frozen Ever After I have personally ever seen. And I was here for Christmas break. You would think this is the line for Reflections of China. And you would be wrong. It's the line for Frozen all the way up here and I'm guessing we could probably walk right into reflections of China but we're gonna

walk down past all the poor souls that are in line for frozen and go back to the store the big big store here in China is quite, so if you don't know it's back here, you probably won't even realize it. This is a pavilion that I definitely would spend time taking a stroll around. The details are incredible, and it's very peaceful, and there are places that you can stop and sit and relax. Now, to the left is the Lotus Blossom Cafe and I don't know if you have experienced ye olde Lotus Blossom Cafe but it's actually one of my favorite spots and it's not because the food is the most delicious but because it's got a really cool it honestly looks like it just it looks like a place you would just go to eat anywhere it just has a really great vibe to it yeah it has really pretty like red lighting so it sets a really chill mood

yeah the building is beautiful the see i said beautiful again it's it is all right it is ornate it is highly and richly themed and imagineered so how you like that and then right next to it we have the house of good fortune which is the gift shop however where you normally enter they have a sign that says entrance the other way you shall not pass don't come in here you have to go all the way to the very back of the China Pavilion to even get in to the gift shop how many people are in this bustling hub of activity Chaney literally no one maybe of the birds but they're not people we are standing in the courtyard of the I don't know if you go directly all the way to the back of the China pavilion you have what is normally where we come out of the store

there is like us and in two people there were no one but us but super peaceful I love this pavilion. Back in here in this courtyard, all of the buildings, it looks like a town square. That's probably not the right word for what it would be called in its location, but it looks like a town square. Looks like there are actual houses. You can even see the decorations where people live in the apartments above and whatnot. So peaceful. This is the type of thing that I had in my mind when I started Walk About the World is the hidden, it's not hidden,

but the little out-of-the-way places in the parks where in between all of the hurry of going from attraction to attraction, you can just sit and enjoy the vibe and enjoy being on vacation. Enjoy being away. way. One thing we've never done until today... I thought somebody just fell over a trash can.

One thing we've never done until today is walk the store backwards. Oh, to... Yeah, like we normally come in the other side and we come out here and... I forget about that, honestly. I've been in here a few times recently and it's been like this, so honestly

I forget that I have entered in the opposite side previously. I have not been back in this area since, I guess, since they set this up. Yeah. Well, let's do it. Let's walk through. Why not? See what we can see.

You guys can't see, but we'll tell you. We'll tell you what you can see. It'll be your eyes. That sounds better. I would sound like I'm telling them what to do. We'll tell you what you can see. You'll see what I want you to see. Not the mood we're going for.

No, no. We're not the authoritarian podcast. That's not what we are. Last time I was in here, the checkouts were not running, but now they are. So now you can purchase all your goodies at the entrance and exit. Yeah so here at this end of the store I don't know how I would

describe this but they just have a lot of house decor items some hanging scrolls and some decorative fans a whole display of panda stuff what is this we gotta investigate the panda stuff what is this? Zen Garden section. Oh man. Fun. So it is a bonsai slash zen garden kit that you can buy. With pandas just all over the display that I'm not sure you can buy. Can you buy a panda? Yes, I can. I see the price tag. Wait, wait.

Pandas are for sale. Not live ones. I'm sorry to break your dreams. No, no. For only $32, you too can have your own panda that hangs on a rope. Oh, another one's on a swing. Another one's on a swing. That's a steal.

Honestly? $32 a panda? I mean, I would buy it. All right. Let's head back. We're entering the House of Good Fortune and it clearly says exit. It also says enter here. So that was a dramatic change in ambient music folks.

It was. And right when you enter they have little plushies of an ox because it's the year of the ox i did not know it was the year of the ox yeah and what is the ox it's a delicate patient and eccentric animal well apparently you are that too if you're born one these years 1961 1973 1985 2009, and 2021. If you are born in 2021, you're an ox. I would not have described an ox as delicate. I admit. You learn new things every day, right?

That's part of the journey here in World Showcase. More pandas? Actually, a significant amount of pandas. What were you going to see, Cherry? There is some, alongside the plushies of the ox, there's a cute little pink fan and a nice pin. So there's multiple oxen. There's all kinds of oxen. Goodies. Oxen-themed goodies here for your pure enjoyment

I've always loved the section where they have the tea These elaborate teapots and teacups those are cool Think we're boxed in little courtyard in the middle with a carved stone Buddha and I always think these things are jade but I think they're just really nicely decorated resin but still still they look cool, right? I like them.

Bunch of resin dragons. These things I love. I'm pointing again. They have a display here of lamps. Paper, like wooden and paper lamps. I'm sure there's a really good name for those, again, that I don't know. Doing my part to broadcast that I have no idea what I'm talking about. The designs are, I'm going to say, beautiful.

But what are the designs of? Well, there's ones of... Dragons. Dragons. Bamboo they have, some birds in flight. I'm guessing that is a cherry blossom? Similar, at least. It is a blossom, let's put it that way. Red flower. Our music just calmed down. What do we see? I have never seen them in here before, but it looks like a little lamp.

But it looks like planets. Yeah, they are. Moonlights. 3D printed. 3D printed moon lamp. These are very cute. And what does that have to do with China, you say? I have no idea. I don't know.

We don't have to have all the answers. We've now entered the clothing and jewelry section of the store, neither of which I will be purchasing today. But if you so desire a really authentic and incredibly comfortable looking, if I'm honest, outfit... Oh, wait. Now these things we've got to look at. I'm coming over to the shoulder bag section, and why am I coming over here? Well, because I always wear a shoulder bag Again fifth or sixth wall, but my shoulder bag is the The same bag that Indiana Jones carried in all of his movies really like it these some of these are great really cool like

rugged looking Messenger bags I have no idea what that symbol is Leslie I have no idea what that symbol is. Leslie, if you want to get Jordan, really quickly, that's the next stop. By the exit, this is more Disney specific. They have spirit jerseys, a cute little lantern. Oh, that's right. That's very pretty. That lights up. They actually have a really ornate looking red spirit jersey with

gold lettering, Year of the Ox, Walt Disney Company logo on there. Very nice. Very nice. Alright, here we go. Out of the store. Now, if you are at the back of the China Pavilion, and you have the theater over here. By the way, this is called the Street of Good Fortune. Did you know that?

I had no idea there was a name. I did not know that. But back here are some stone seats. They're under a little porch, and it is one of my favorite places in world showcase to just sit and relax because normally no one's over here and it holds true right now a huge crowd there's like one guy sitting over here and in front of you sorry jay in front of you is like the queue area right in front of the theater, but it has a pond, bamboos, super picturesque, very peaceful. Also, it's raining, and you can duck in.

All right. We're going to walk past the theater here. All right. all right outside of the theater and we are standing at the corner of the walkway out of the china pavilion it's a bamboo garden it has such a lovely little peaceful vibe i just thought I would stand here a minute. You can stand when you do a walkabout. You don't always have to walk. Admit it. You want to stay in here a while, don't you? I know you do.

I mean, it is your favorite water feature. I know. I'm a water feature fan. I mean, for a good reason. Disney does it right. This is tucked away all the way at the back. Like, literally, as far as you can almost possibly go. It's a little stone waterfall surrounded by ferns

peaceful and cool let's keep going Woo! Kepala All right, travelers, that's going to bring our audio expedition this week to a close. Hope you had some fun walking around with us. I know we had some fun. Did you have some fun, Che? I did. It was really nice and relaxing, minus the crowds. And it wasn't 97 degrees, which it will be very soon, so that's nice.

Surprise, because it's spring. Oh, it will be very soon soon trust me. Next week. Probably yeah actually I think next week. So look us up over on Instagram at walkaboutwdw if you can drop us a note. Tell us what you like what you don't where you would like us to explore next. If you have any comments or questions please pass them along. Look up our producer Joshua Steele and the artist behind our wonderful logo at The Steele with an E, also on Instagram. And I will leave you, as always, reminding you that there is a great big beautiful tomorrow out there. And I will see you in one of those in the next Walk About the World.