#55 - United Kingdom (Epcot)

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 8

Park: Epcot
Park Rank: 9

We have our first "Park Ambience", which will require an explanation, much as the interactives/memorabilia category did.  Ambience might not be the perfect word, but it was the best I could come up with (except for maybe "Environment", which was a bit misleading).

The first term you might use to describe this is a "location" within a park.  However, location is a bit vague, since rides and shows and restaurants are all locations as well.  These are locations that don't have another stated attraction as top billing.  WDW actually helps us quite a bit here by breaking up its parks into these tiny "worlds", much like all the different countries in Epcot or the different lands in Magic Kingdom.

Location also doesn't really describe the important qualities of these items that bring about their nostalgia.  Take for example #55 on our list, the United Kingdom land in Epcot's World Showcase.  United Kingdom brings together natural beauty, architectural beauty, specific theming, sights, sounds, music, special characters, and even a bit of shopping.  All of these work in conjunction to promote the theme of the land (in this case, Britain!).  I thought a bit about trying to isolate some of these elements (say, choosing the band that plays there and the rose garden out back and the England-style buildings, and ranking each separately), but that doesn't really do the experience justice.  You experience them altogether... you have to rank them as one as well.

There are 11 lands in Epcot, each having its own unique ambience.  You could argue that all 11 have a place on this list, but we have to pick and choose.  UK has many things going for it.  Starting with its architecture, it features buildings represented from the Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian periods, as well as cobblestone streets and thatch roofs.  The back area contains a hedge maze and a traditional English garden, with one of the few quiet places in the World.  Of course, it also is the place for the British Revolution, a tribute band that plays songs from many British groups (the Beatles, the Who, and Led Zeppelin chief among them).  Plus there is a traveling improvisation group that performs there periodically.  Couple that with the traditional British characters (Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland) and it is one of the best lands for getting immersed in the cultural experience.

There are a couple things that make this land even more nostalgic for us.  Both Kristen and I have always enjoyed the music within Epcot, and one of our favorite groups was the British Invasion (an excellent Beatles tribute band that has sadly been replaced).  Plus, UK offers a unique shopping experience for our family, as our kids happen to love BBC shows like Downton Abbey and Doctor Who, and my mother is a big fan of the tea shop.  Plus, we take our pictures in the phone booth each trip.  The one thing that UK has going against it is that the "culture" is very similar to ours already, that certain other worlds (spoiler) stand out more as a cultural experience.  Still, if there is ever a time where we have a vacation with limitless time to spend idling away, I can't think of too many better places to spend it than UK.

We go to Magic Kingdom for the first time with #54, once again listing a snack item as a restaurant.

#49 - Morocco (Epcot)

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 7

Park: Epcot
Park Rank: 7

We discussed the concept of Park Ambience with our UK entry in our list, and we revisit it here.  We have our second country from the World Showcase, featuring its architecture, music, shopping and sights/sounds for the total immersive experience.

I am guessing that Morocco would not be one of the top countries on most people's lists, unless they were Aladdin fans for some reason.  It doesn't have that worldwide cultural base that UK, France, or Italy have.  To talk about why it is on my list, let me start with a birdwalk.

It doesn't take too many trips to Epcot's World Showcase before you think to yourself, "I could have done this better."  Or, at least invited better countries.  A parlor game question would be to ask, if you could remove some current countries and replace them with others to improve the World Showcase, which would they be?  Or, if the rumors are to be believed, if you could fill in the empty 8 lots, what would you add?

It is important to have countries that have its own distinct culture, food architecture, music, and stories.  Even better if there are connections to Disney characters, so they can stand out there and sign autographs.  But, there is something to be said with adding some diversity to the World showcase, to truly build the worldwide experience.  So my answer to the first hypothetical would be:


• Remove USA, Canada, and Norway and replace them with Brazil, India, and *a sub-Saharan African country (I'm going to admit I would need to do some field testing to choose a country that isn't going to create problems... I wouldn't want to select Kenya, only to find out a year later, they are having a genocide)

My answer to the second hypothetical:

• Add Brazil, India, sub-Saharan African country, Australia, Russia, Indonesia or Philippines, Greece, and Jamaica or Cuba.  Or something like that.  Could add Chile instead... I've always like Chile.

Regardless, you can see that there are many countries with one skin pigmentation already represented, and many countries with many different skin pigmentations not represented.  Now you can see why Morocco is so important.

Morocco truly represents something unique to the experience.  Go in any other shops and you see soccer jerseys and chocolates from that country... it is a very similar experience.  Morocco gives you incense, henna, and traditional scarves.  Likewise, the food is unique.  Going out for Italian, Chinese or Mexican food, but Moroccan?

The thing I like best about it is the music.  For years, the sounds of the band Mo' Rockin was the enticing sounds from the pavilion (coupled with their gratuitous belly dancing).  They have replaced them with a new band called B'net Al Houwariyate, which features a similar sound, but loses the land a bit of the luster (I liked Mo' Rockin that much... join the Facebook group to "save" them).  Regardless, the sounds of Middle Eastern music forever makes me think of the Morocco pavilion.  Which, deserves them a place on the list.

Our next entry is our first show on our list, and features the first of the "4D" shows.

#41 - Frontierland

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 6

Park: Magic Kingdom
Park Rank: 18

We are finishing up our second set of ten (and our first third, for those who love fractions).  We are heading to Magic Kingdom, which will be a common occurrence.  Over the next 25 or so items, half of them will be in Magic Kingdom (!).  During this time, we will also be hitting many of the common staples of Disney World nostalgia--the slow rides that have been around for decades.

First, though, we return to our park ambience category.  The Magic Kingdom features seven lands that sit around the central hub castle.  Each park has its own ambience of course, featuring architecture, music, foliage, shopping experiences, attractions and even roaming characters all in period costumes.  This is, of course, one of the neatest things about the Magic Kingdom experience--walk into a new land and get a whole new world.

Frontierland is one of my favorite lands in the park... perhaps my second favorite.  The land is an L-shaped area that goes primarily along the riverboat waterway, before the shorter leg goes alongside the two mountain rides.  For being a long area, it is fairly devoid of attractions.  After you leave the twin mountain rides, the only thing along the path is the Country Bear Jamboree (which is easy to miss, both accidentally and intentionally).  There are some venues for special events, as well as a few western-themed shops and the Pecos Bill restaurant.  Also, there is the Westward Ho food cart, which always is pumping out great aromas.  The end of the land butts into Liberty Square and the Haunted Mansion.

WDW's lands are more than just period pieces.  Each helps reinforce those common themes that Disney attempts to portray.  Frontierland hearkens back to America's love of the Wild West, including the 50s when cowboys were the popular cultural item (to be replaced by astronauts in the 60s, as seen in Tomorrowland).  Again, the land takes the patron back to a simpler time, one where Mark Twain characters would be comfortable.

One thought that runs through my mind as I walk through this area is that people are a lot more relaxed over here.  I feel like Tomorrowland is a high hustle and bustle area (though nothing compares to the castle area during peak times), while Fantasyland is chock full of stroller carts and whiny kids.  Perhaps it is the lack of attractions, but this is one of the two places in the park where I feel you can get a nice leisurely stroll.

The other thing that really relaxes you is the waterway.  There isn't much water in the park other than the waterway here.  While it is tempting to credit the boat ride as being the nostalgic attraction here, the reality is that the boat ride is a major disappointment.  It is only the boat being part of the water and the surrounding view that makes one reminisce, and I credit that to Fantasyland.

Our next stop is a seasonal activity in Epcot, one that lasts seven weeks in the fall, and one we experienced for the first time on our last trip.

#25 - New Fantasyland

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 5

Park: Magic Kingdom
Park Rank: 11

It has been a while since we hit the park ambience category (here's a reminder of what that entails).  We had last hit on the ambience of Frontierland within the Magic Kingdom, known for providing its sense of the great outdoors in conjunction with cowboy culture.

Our next selection will be an interesting one.  We select the New Fantasyland area from Magic Kingdom, higher up on our list than Frontierland.  We aren't selecting the old Fantasyland area, either.  If the point of the list is nostalgia, it seems an odd selection to go with the land of the Magic Kingdom that is the newest.  What gives?

As close as I can get to Be Our Guest is stock images

First, let's talk a bit about the land.  The "expansion", as it is often referred to, was first proposed at Disney's D23 expo in September of 2009.  Construction then took place from 2010 all the way to 2014, when the final piece (the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) was finally released.  The new area adds 11 acres of new space to the park.  It also came at a cost of about $500 million.''

This land primarily features elements for Beauty and the Beast and for the Little Mermaid.  There is a Little Mermaid slow ride and a grotto for picture-taking for the latter.  For the former, there is the Beast's castle in the background, the Be Our Guest Restaurant (which we hear is amazing, but we still have not been able to see after several trips), and some shopping areas such as Gaston's Tavern.

Speaking of which, Gaston is quickly becoming the main attraction.  His overbearing personality makes him a favorite for guest visits.  Here are two of his greatest hits:








There are many more from Youtube worth watching.  The expansion also features the aforementioned Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and a redoing of the Toon Town Area, as well as moving around a few other items (like Dumbo, and a new Princess greeting area).

So, why does the new Fantasyland appear on a list of the most nostalgic items?  There are several reasons.  First, this area is the biggest new area to take place since our start at the parks (Christmas of 2009).  That in of itself makes it special for us, seeing as we saw the before/during/after of that development.

Plus, the new land is really beautiful to look at.  Many people have been disappointed with the Fantasyland Expansion given that it was a response to the new Harry Potter area within Universal.  But, the land does many things well.  It is wide open and expansive, but also natural in the use of rocks and vegetation.  It also utilizes the new interactive queues on the Little Mermaid and Seven Dwarf Mine Train.  In many ways, this is the future of Disney World ambience creation.

Additionally, Fantasyland is the area that the Magic Kingdom (and Disney, for that matter) is most synonymous with.  We have several other big hitters coming up (the Castle, the Monorail, the Golf Ball), and this land is up there with them for other people.  The fact that Disney was able to take the land and improve it without tarnishing the nostalgic tradition.

We continue in our Magic Kingdom mini-run with another nostalgic ride, one that debuted at the 1964 World Fair in the General Electric exhibit.  It fits in the "slow ride" category because it does move (around and around, and actually getting somewhere), but it could be categorized as more show than ride.

#18 - Japan (Epcot)

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 4

Park: Epcot
Park Rank: 4

Park ambience time (a refresher for what that is).  We come to the land that is my personal favorite, and I believe the personal favorite of all my family members.  Japan.

As mentioned in our Morocco entry, Japan stands out among lands in Epcot precisely because it is different and non-European.  The uniqueness of its culture, both ancient and modern, are proudly on display.  You have the ancient torii shrine out front, perhaps the most beautiful of all the land's lakeside icons.  You also have the 5-story pagoda (a story to represent each of the base elements -- earth, wind, air, fire, and sky), plus several galleries of ancient Japanese art.

You also have the modern Japanese dining experiences (which we admittedly have not tried).  Plus there is the traditional Japanese gardens around the perimeter.  Permeating the air is the sound of the drums from Matsuriza, which actually can be heard halfway around the lake.

Perhaps the best experience within Japan is the shopping, though.  Like some of the lands within Epcot, they have what is essentially one long store with rooms going to other rooms.  The modern section is something to behold, if you have any sense of Japanese pop culture.  Everything from Manga and Hello Kitty paraphernalia, to the Tamagotchis (virtual pets) and the crazy robots they have.

As you move down the room, you get more ancient.  They have a live pearl-jewelry-making exhibit, where you pick out your oyster, crack it open, and get the pearl made into jewelry right in front of you (you can't miss it; they make it a pretty loud affair).  Then there is a kimono room, filled with beautiful kimonos and robes.  You also get the Zen room, where you have miniature rock gardens and calligraphy pen sets.  And wind chimes.  And fans.  And wall hangings.

They also have samurai swords there as well (haven't figured out how to get those on the plane home yet).  Plus they have the china sets (I wonder if they have a different name for china in Japan).  It finally ends in the small grocery, where they have tons of Japanese candy and other goodies available.

Maybe we are Japanophiles (I'm trademarking that word), but we love the shopping, and we feel we aren't alone.  The store would make it on our list by itself; there are so many unique items to grab our attention.  We have purchased something every time we have been there.

The land itself mimics the homeland.  Japan is known for its Zen peacefulness, sitting in quiet meditation in distant places, juxtaposed with the crazy zaniness of Tokyo, being crammed into small noisy spaces.  And, the Japan land in Epcot does that too.  It is amazing to think that there was originally much more planned here.  They were going to put in a replica of Mount Fuji and have a roller coaster in it (darn).  Fujifilm wanted to sponsor it, but of course, Kodak was the park sponsor, and we couldn't have that happening.  Of course, now with iPhones, all my younger audience (I'm talking to you, Mom) is saying... what is "film"?  They were even thinking of having a monster like Godzilla come out and scare people on the ride.  No joke.  The concept of the ride was eventually turned into Expedition Everest.

It is true that Japan is our favorite land and has a high rank on this list because of it (though ironically being beat out by one other land... what is it with my favorites not being ranked the highest).  I'm guessing that Japan would appear on other individual's list if they were considering park ambiences.  What is interesting to me is that China, which was a close second in our favorites, is nowhere to be seen.  It has slipped quite a bit, and offers a somewhat similar experience to Japan, but without the zany modern culture or the good music or the beautiful shrine or the symbolic pagoda or the top-level food establishments.  Well, they do have swords.  That's somewhat cool.  Regardless, I'm on the record to state that a) Japan is much better than China, and b) China is very overrated among Epcot lands.

We are up to #17, and that brings us to another seasonal event.  This one is fortunate enough to be another first-day event, and forever changed my opinion on what I considered the worst part of the 4th of July (and Nordic Fest, while I am thinking about it).

#11 - Mexico (Epcot)

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 3

Park: Epcot
Park Rank: 2

We are back to the strange "park ambience" category, that item describing those areas of the park that pull together the sights, sounds, smells, and all-around experiences into one package.

With #11, we hit the highest ranking world of Epcot.  We've seen the UK, Morocco, and Japan earlier, and made mention about why we didn't pick other European lands in our list.  Mexico makes the list as an overall great attraction, but its lofty ranking is for something altogether different.

First, the land itself has one of the more notable landmark features, the Mesoamerican style pyramid.  In true definition of ambience, when you go inside the pyramid, you are whisked away to a whole new experience, as it is permanently dusk inside.  Within, there is an "outdoor" village marketplace as well as an eating area for the San Angel Inn restaurant, all of which are lit by lantern-style street lights.  There are a couple shops, as well as the Three Caballeros boat ride, which goes on the indoor lagoon next to the backdrop of the Mexican countryside (featuring a volcano).

The pyramid's interior stands out among all the pavilions.  While other pavilions have their shops and their circlevision shows, this is the only one that brings the whole marketplace inside.  The effect is very neat.

The exterior isn't too shabby either.  As a regular feature is the Mariachi Cobre, one of the longer lasting music groups within Epcot.  Though it doesn't have the flair that Mo' Rockin has, the music is distinctly Mexican and festive.  In addition, there is a character meet-and-greet area for Donald, one of the original Three Caballeros.  Unbeknownst to us, the Mexican culture and Mexico-in-general as a setting has been one of the longest running staples of Disney movies, rivaling UK and France.

Mexico benefits, though to a slightly less extent, from the same "foreign-ness" that Morocco and Japan benefit from.  The music, the clothing, the artwork, the food, and the language is all distinct from the European bland lands.  We aren't drinkers of alcohol, or otherwise I'm sure the margaritas would be a reason to visit Mexico as well.

The biggest benefit of Mexico is hard to explain, however.  As mentioned, we are creatures of habit, and we tend to eat in the same locations when we visit.  When it comes to Epcot, I already mentioned the crepes that we get as a snack.  Our lunch has most often been the Cantina de San Angel counter-service restaurant, which is outside on the lagoon.  No, the food is not unbelievably outstanding... it is run-of-the-mill Disney counter service (though it is better than what Disney Rob thinks).

It is the view, though that puts this place so high on our list.  We get our lunch and sit and look out over the lagoon.  It offers a relaxing respite during the busy day of walking, and it is actually fairly out of the way of the hustle and bustle.  There will often be birds there scrounging for food, which adds to the fun.  Now, you could re-create this experience in many different locations around the lagoon (there are admittedly many great views which you could couple with the food of your choice).  But for us, the choice is Mexico.

As mentioned, that midday respite is one of the most relaxing places in all of WDW.  Moments of serenity happen to be one of the best things more me to reminisce.  Our next item, and first one in our top ten, is a similar respite "park ambience", though at a different park.

#10 - Flame Tree BBQ Eating Area

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 2

Park: Animal Kingdom
Park Rank: 1

This post will make a lot more sense if you have read the previous post on Mexico, since it is a bit odd of an entry.  This one definitely fits into the "nostalgic-for-me, not-for-everyone-else" category.

Our first entry in the top ten is our top item from Animal Kingdom.  Animal Kingdom as a park doesn't have much that screams "nostalgia!" in it, though it does have some thrilling attractions.  In fact, you might have been surprised it didn't top out with the Kilimanjaro Safaris way back at #35.

The first thing to say about it is that it isn't the restaurant that makes this list.  Flame Tree BBQ is a great counter-service restaurant.  In fact, we have eaten at it every time we have visited the park, and being that we have never eaten at a table service restaurant there, that makes it the only restaurant in Animal Kingdom we have eaten at.  This, in of itself, is fairly significant.  The restaurant features a pretty good BBQ ribs and chicken platter, which is one of the best deals to get when on the dining plan.  Plus, I'm a big fan of the key-lime-pie dessert.

If we were ranking the restaurant by itself, you might see it at around #40 on the list or so.  But much like the Mexican Pavilion in Epcot, it gets so much higher because of the respite and the view.

While the restaurant itself is on one of the busy walkways within the park (there are not too many paths to walk within the park, given its relative few features and wide expanses of natural habitat), the eating area for it sits behind the restaurant in a heavily shaded area.  There are many small pavilions here to choose from, each featuring their own condiment station.  Every time we eat (which admittedly is usually between 2:00-3:00), the place has never been that busy.  Which means, like in Mexico, we get a relaxing lunch to fill up on good food, away from all the other tourists.

You couple that with a truly Disney view.  The Discovery River goes right by this viewing area, though it looks more like a lake from this view than anything else.  Over on the left side of the view, you can see the Asia land within the park.  And straight forward is a majestic view of Expedition Everest.

I can't emphasize how strangely tranquil this area is.  It is truly a Disney experience.  You get a peaceful scene to look at, with the only sounds the occasional far-off screams from the roller coaster.  In addition to the shade and a nice breeze, you honestly could take a couple hours and rest to enjoy the view.   Given how much a respite during the busy day is enjoyable and refreshing, it serves as no surprise that this then becomes one of my favorite locations to fondly reminisce about.  Many a day at work I wish I was sitting at the pavilion looking out at the Discovery River.

As with the Mexico Pavilion, the area is frequented by many different birds, and even a squirrel or two.  One of the unique things are the different paintings and carvings within the pavilions, which all feature animals eating other animals.  Though none of them are gory, it is a bit odd to see within Disney (and it isn't exactly the most noticeable feature).  This is meant to tie in with the circle-of-life theme.  Not that this is the reason this appears in the top ten, but I thought it was unique enough to mention.

While we took a look at two park ambiences that have meaning more for me than others, serving as a relaxing place to eat lunch, we now will have two items that everyone will have on their list.  They are two of the biggest symbols within all of WDW.

#1 - Main Street, USA

Category: Park Ambience
Category Rank: 1

Park: Magic Kingdom
Park Rank: 1

We have reached the top.  And sitting there is the ultimate park ambience.  Main Street, USA, the first place you go when arriving at Magic Kingdom, is the number one nostalgic item on our list.  And it isn't even close.

Main Street USA in Disneyland (not WDW) is modeled after Marceline, Missouri (Walt's home town), though if that truly is what main street looks like, I want to go live in Marceline.  The WDW one, when built, altered slightly as they took inspiration from other places in Missouri as well as New England.  I'm not an expert at architecture, so I'm not really noticing the difference, but at the "4 corners" area on the street, there is a different style of architecture for each of the buildings.

Like Cinderella's castle, the entire street uses forced perspective to appear grander than it is.  The 2nd floor of the buildings is shorter and a bit narrower than the 1st, while the 3rd is even shorter and narrower (though the top two floors are not open to the public or functional spaces).

As with everything else in the parks, it is so clean and quaint, everyone so charming and happy, despite thousands of people going through it each day.  The colors are beautiful pastels, and it features many different acts such as the brass band or the barbershop quartet.  Actually, the barbershop quartet is probably one of the best symbols of the area, everything from their dress (early 1900s clothing) down to their profession (crooners begone from a different time period).

Upon walking through the gate, you walk underneath the Disney Railroad station (the ride itself is meh, but seeing and hearing the slow moving train makes you actually like trains again).  You then come into the town square, featuring a flagpole with daily flag ceremonies.  Around the exterior of the square are the firehouse, a functional barbershop (we need to get a haircut there one day), and the "town hall" which is guest relations.

Then you are off down the street.  On one side is the Main Street Emporium, a large store that actually runs through a half dozen storefronts.  On the other side are things like the confectionery, the bakery, the exhibition hall, and the ice cream parlor.  And, you are suddenly reminiscing of the childhood you never had (which was actually spent eating at McDonalds).  At the end is Casey's Corner and the piano player.

The journey down Main Street is at both times wildly exciting and relaxing.  Your anticipation of all the fun you will have on your vacation continues to mount as you go down the street, seeing the castle in the distance, and oohing and aahing at all the sights.  You are caught between wanting to get going to your favorite ride and taking a diversion into one of the stores or even just people-watch.  There is always activity in the street too, as there are balloon vendors merrily selling their wares, as well as popcorn vendors.  Plus you have the Main Street vehicles, including a trolley or a horse-drawn carriage.  Or the photographers setting up for a photopass opportunity for a lovely family full of joy at finally being in the greatest place on earth.  Or, of course, the many parades that come through each day.

I could go on and on.  You might be saying, "I thought you already did go on and on".  But, that's the magic of this place.  For little kids, the magic is the princesses and the fantasy areas or the astronauts in future land or the pirates or all the mythological stuff.  For adults, the magic is the fantasy of the quaint small town childhood that you never had.  The slow pace relaxation in the midst of all the tourists, and all the cast members making you feel at home truly brings you to another place.

I think of Main Street USA most fondly of all the places within WDW.  If you said that you could go to Magic Kingdom but you had to stay on Main Street USA and not go further to ride rides or see shows, I'd be okay with that.  I could enjoy it to no ends.

And, that marks the end of our list, and the end for our blog.  A worthwhile trip down memory lane for me, as I truly enjoy thinking back to the park.  In fact, I finish this entry on the cusp of our next trip, a Disney Wonder cruise to the Western Caribbean.  Oops, we are running late, disembarkment is in a mere few hours!