From the category archives:

Epcot

An Analysis of Disney’s Quick Service Dining Plan

February 2, 2010

Last week, some friends of mine from Pennsylvania were on vacation at Walt Disney World, so I took Friday off from work and joined them as they wrapped up their time in Florida. Recently I’ve been staying off-site, but I was able to get a pretty decent room rate at All-Star Music as an annual [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: A Christmas Journey (Canada)

December 26, 2009

Having learned about Christmas traditions of the United Kingdom from Father Christmas, we’ve reached the eleventh and final pavilion of the World Showcase, Canada. The text of the scroll reads:
From the waterways of eastern Newfoundland to the snowcapped mountains of British Columbia, the Christmas holidays hold special magic for the vast expanse of Canada.
Although favorite [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: Father Christmas (United Kingdom)

December 25, 2009

Coming from France, where le Père Noël shared the country’s traditions by way of a letter from Babette, we continue on to the United Kingdom to learn about the traditions of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Here, the scroll reads:
Many wonderful Christmas traditions originated in the countries of the United Kingdom. Great Britain, [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: Père Noël (France)

December 24, 2009

During our visit to Morocco, Taarji taught us about some of his countries most important holidays. We move on to the ninth country in the World Showcase, France, where we’ll learn about le Père Noël. The scroll on display reads as follows:
The magic of Christmas can be seen everywhere in France. The shops and baraques, [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: Taarji (Morocco)

December 23, 2009

Leaving Japan, where the Daruma vendor shared about O-Shōgatsu, we move on to Morocco where we’ll learn about two major Muslim holidays. Here’s the text from the scroll at the Morocco pavilion:
Two major holidays of Morocco are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
One of Morocco’s holiest celebrations is the month of Ramadan, which commemorates the month [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: Daruma Vendor (Japan)

December 22, 2009

Having learned about the traditions of Kwanzaa from the fantastic storyteller Imani, we travel to Japan where we learn about the nation’s New Year celebration, O-Shōgatsu. The text on the scroll reads as follows:
O-Shōgatsu, which lasts January 1st through January 3rd, is the traditional Japanese New Year. It is a time for reflection, family, friends, [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: Kwanzaa (The American Adventure)

December 21, 2009

Though we didn’t have an opportunity to learn about Hanukkah, we continue the celebration of holiday traditions around the world with another stop at the American Adventure. The second holiday we learn about at this pavilion is Kwanzaa. The scroll on display here reads:
Kwanzaa is an African-American harvest and community festival that has its roots [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: Hanukkah (The American Adventure)

December 21, 2009

Having learned about the legend of La Befana at the Italy pavilion, we move on to the American Adventure where the history of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is shared.
Unfortunately, when I went to Epcot to see the storytelling of Hanukkah, the woman who shares the holiday’s history was, according to another Cast Member, on [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: La Befana (Italy)

December 20, 2009

Leaving Germany, where Helga discussed the Adventskalender, Weihnachtsmarkt, Tannenbaum and Nussknacker, let’s move on to the next pavilion, Italy, where we’ll find a good-hearted witch with a story to tell. Here, the scroll reads:
“Natale con i tuoi. Pasqua con chi vuoi.”
This old Italian verse truly expresses the strong feelings the Italian people have for the [...]

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Holiday Storytellers: A Christmas Wish (Germany)

December 19, 2009

Following our visit to China where the legend of the Monkey King was told, we continue on to Germany where the origins of some popular Christmas traditions are shared. Here’s the text from the scroll:
The German Yuletide season is a magical time when friends and family celebrate together! Many of Germany’s rich customs and traditions [...]

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