Epcot has always been unique among theme parks thanks to it's initial design as a permanent world's fair. And while the park has gone through many changes over the years, much of that initial design still exists. First and foremost we have the World Showcase section of the park, 11 pavilions dedicated to 11 different nations of the world. Each pavilion has shops, exhibits, restaurants, and attractions which help to spotlight the different cultures of the world. And while the World Showcase nations represent a diverse cross section of the globe, there is room for more pavilions to add even more nations. And one organization is trying to drum up support via a petition asking Disney World to add Greece to the World Showcase.
The Hellenic Electronic Center is an organization focused on promoting "Hellenic culture" online, and one of the ways the group has chosen to do that is by running an online petition asking Disney World to add Greece to Epcot's World Showcase. The website also includes an argument for why Greece should be added. There are some persuasive points to be sure. Greece is considered the "cradle of civilization" after all, and many aspects of western culture can be traced back to Greece's history. In addition, and probably more importantly, Greek food is fairly unique, and delicious, and while a Greek booth is usually part of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, it would be nice to be able to eat gyros year round. It would only improve the best theme park food at Disney World.
There's also the fact that Disney has already made an animated Hercules movie, and so there's already a go-to theme for an attraction to be placed inside the Greek pavilion. We could get a ride or a show, maybe in a traditional amphitheater, and there could be meet and greets with Hercules and Megera.
Greece certainly isn't the worst idea for a new World Showcase pavilion, but it's also not the only one that's been suggested, and even lobbied for, over the years since Epcot opened. Pavilions dedicated to Israel, Spain, and Equatorial Africa were actually promoted by Disney World in the past as pavilions that were set to happen. The first two never materialized, the third never progressed past a small refreshment shop. There was a pitch to Disney back in 2002 to give South Korea a pavilion, but it was deemed to be too similar to the pavilions for Japan and China. A Brazil pavilion has been long rumored to be coming to World Showcase, but it's never been officially announced.
While this petition, which is heading toward 3,000 signatures, might get noticed by Disney World, it will likely need a lot more support to actually happen, specifically financial support. Another of the reasons Disney World reportedly said no to the South Korea pavilion was that it was determined that adding it wouldn't bring more people into the park. Tourism is, of course, the life blood of Disney World and international tourism especially. Adding a pavilion needs to pay for itself somehow and that's done, potentially, by selling more tickets.
The other way that a new pavilion can happen is by getting the host nation to pay for it. While not all of the Epcot pavilions were subsidized by the nation's they represent, many of them were at their inception and for several years later. This meant Disney's financial investment was much less, making the pavilion more lucrative for the theme park. An organization interested in Greek culture wanting to see this pavilion happen is one thing, but it would probably be more exciting to Disney if there's buy-in from the actual nation of Greece.
There hasn't been a new nation added to World Showcase since 1988, and there's space to do it, so it's high time Disney World added at least one new nation, if not more. Would you like to Greece added to World Showcase, or would another new pavilion be more fitting? Let us know in the poll below.
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