Hidden Treasures at Epcot - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Disney Parks
This tour explores the art, architecture, costumes, customs, cultures and history of Epcot's World Showcase Countries and takes a look behind the scenes.
It takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 a.m.and lasts three hours exploring the pavilions of World Showcase.
Admission is $59 per person, plus your Epcot admission.
My parents took this tour last December and although they thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt a lot wished they had taken it years ago when they first started visiting Epcot. They felt they would have had a much better understanding of what the World Showcase is all about and it would have helped them to enjoy each pavilion much more after learning what the Hidden Treasures tour had to offer.
They checked in inside Epcot at the check-in at Guest Relations; here they met their guide. Before they set off they were told a little about the history of Epcot and the Showcase.
They proceeded into World Showcase, which was closed to guests at the time and worked their way from Mexico to Germany. At each pavilion, the guide would point out the interesting architectural and artistic facts. In China the guide illustrated how the spot directly under the dome in the pavilion's replica of the Temple of Heaven alters and amplifies your voice.
As they proceeded round he showed them some great examples of how the Imagineers use forced perspective to make things look both larger and smaller.
They really enjoyed going around the World Showcase before it was open to the general public and not having to battle the crowds.
They went backstage twice and it offered them greater appreciation for the World Showcase. However they said the onstage part of this tour was just as interesting and since there was no one around, backstage answers could be discussed onstage.
In Canada they saw how Disney builds a forested mountain. This was their final stop
where their guide presented them with a limited edition keepsake pin.
They said their guide told them "You will walk away with a different perspective of Epcot." They said he was so right as they saw things on this tour that the average visitor doesn't even notice. This included some of the little things that Disney puts into the World Showcase to make it special.
They recommend this tour to everyone, it is not only for Disney fanatics who want to learn all they can about Disney but would be especially valuable for first time visitors to Epcot.
My parents will not give away too much of the information they learned about (from hidden Mickey's to architecture, funding, construction, culture, history and much more), because they are treating myself and the girls to a tour next time we go! We really are looking forward to it.
Author: Jane Sansom (Villa link: click here)
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Page added on: 17 October 2006
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