Birt Family Focus

Epcot World Showcase, Italy -- 9/18/02

Ciao Bellas!

Today we visit Italy. A little warning here- unless you like to look at architecture and shop, there is very little to do here. There is a nice restaurant- Alfredo's- which does fair to good Italian. There are no fast food places. You can get some beautiful and EXPENSIVE Italian leather handbags and belts here as well as some other very nice and pricey things. There are a couple of streetmosphere acts that are worth catching and the stone and cement work reproductions are amazing. If you are looking for movies, rides, or fast food, though, you might want to give this one a miss.

The courtyard is designed to look like St. Mark's Square in Venice. I have only seen pictures of the real thing, but if I couldn't see the rest of Epcot behind me on entering, I would swear I was there.

Notice the winged lion on the top of one of the columns.That is the symbol of St. Mark, the mythical guardian of Venice.

The Doges Palace in Venice is made of a special marble that it would be impossible to reproduce, so Disney Imagineers made faux marble from fiberglass, and some very creative painting. It looks remarkably real, even up close.

Regular Streetmosphere is the Character Masquarade. You just have to be lucky to catch them because they are not on your program. It is basically a bunch of dancers dressed in Italian Rennaisance costume with masks for a costume ball. They come out and dance with each other and with visitors, interacting silently with guestures. They are very elegant and beautiful to watch.

For a while, you could catch a musical ensemble called Nova Era. They left for a while but I heard a rumor that they were back for limited engagements. I hope so because they are, for me at least, the main reason for visiting Italy. They play classical music with a rock-n-roll twist and they are fantastic! I had never heard an electric harpsichord before! I believe they have CD's available at a kiosk just outside the square.

Be sure to have your picture taken by the fountain, a beautiful reproduction of the Neptune Statue from the Doges Palace. No one will know that you weren't really there if you don't tell them.

The natural flora from the south of Italy grows well here in Florida, so all the plantings and garden areas feature native italian species that would be found in Venice, further enhancing the ambiance of the courtyard.

All in all, Italy is worth a nice half hour of your time to stroll through and admire the beauty of Venice represented here. Of course, shopping and eating here are very viable options, too. ;-)