A new merchandise display at EPCOT harkens back to the days of the old World Showcase. Let’s take a look.
EPCOT World Showcase Merchandise Display
The new display is located at Disney Traders, one of the merchandise locations at the entrance to the World Showcase on the pathway from the World Celebration neighborhood to the Mexico Pavilion. WDWNT shared this photo from the store on Facebook:
The 360-degree display is shaped like a large, old-school blue bus, with a sign reading “World Showcase Transportation” on the top. Statues of Mickey Mouse and Pluto, dressed as tourists with piles of luggage and a Disney Pin Trading lanyard, stand on the upper deck of the “bus.”
The lower deck of the bus-shaped merchandise display currently holds Disney Trading Pins, World Showcase Passports, and other small souvenirs. It’s decorated with postcard-shaped photos of Disney characters, logos for the World Showcase Pavilions, and the silver EPCOT World Showcase compass icon.
An Original 1982 Icon
Double-decker bus transportation began carrying guests around the EPCOT World Showcase at the Walt Disney World Resort theme park’s grand opening on October 1, 1982. At the time, the blue, green, and red buses traveled the 1.3-mile loop that spanned Mexico, Germany, China, Italy, the American Adventure, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. (Norway and Morocco were added later.)
Guests had to make way for buses as they walked around the EPCOT World Showcase, a problem that worsened as the park grew more popular and crowded. The bus service also didn’t save much time, because it had to drive so slowly to keep everyone safe. The “Friendship” boat, which travels from one side of the World Showcase Lagoon to another (typically between Canada and Germany or Morocco), is much more efficient.
Walt Disney World Resort quietly retired the bus service sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s. But the double-decker buses have been used throughout the Central Florida Disney parks for entertainment offerings, character greetings, and other limited-time experiences in the decades since.
What do you miss the most about the old days of the EPCOT World Showcase? Disney Dining would love to hear your memories in the comments!
