The colours of the night market provide brilliant contrast to the dark evening sky. The spicy scent of the local delicacy reach the nose and make the mouth water. The gentle trickle of a prettily tiled fountain replaces typical musak, along with the excited voices of a bustling market and gentle strains of a nearby mariachi band.
And that’s just what you get when you first walk into the place.
The Mexico Pavilion is a unique experience at Epcot, or any of the other North American Disney theme parks for that matter. It is my second favourite pavilion around the World Showcase for several reasons: the theming is inspiring, the food is amazing, and the inside market is a lot of fun.
The Mexican Pavilion pyramid.
The design and theming of the Mexico Pavilion can be easily described in one word: inspiring. The exterior of the pavilion is dominated by an Aztec pyramid, designed after those built in Mexico around the 3rd century. While I don’t ever claim that pavilions are accurate to the countries they represent (KP and I are not lumberjacks, despite the costumes worn my cast members at the Canadian pavilion), the World Showcase pavilions focus on certain visual elements of each country that help specifically identify them with that country. This lofty building is what grabs the attention first, inspiring people much the same way Spaceship Earth does by just its style alone. Many of the elements featured both inside and outside the building reflect the pre-Columbian heritage of Mexico, though elements of the country’s Spanish roots are also present. This pavilion is a beautiful sight in and of itself.
Andy posing with a sign outside of the Mexico Pavilion.
The food at the Mexican Pavilion is absolutely delicious, and is one of my favourites found at Epcot – second only to the German Pavilion. Featured outside on the World Showcase promenade and inside the Pavilion, the Cantina de San Angel and the San Angel Inn both offer delicious tasting Mexican cuisine. While the atmosphere of the interior San Angel Inn is great because you get to experience the interior of the market and watch the boats go by for the Gran Fiesta Tour, the Cantina de San Angel will always be my preference of the two. I love being able to sit out on the World Showcase Lagoon, watching the Friendships go by while eating my lunch – nothing beats that ambience. Plus the prices at the Cantina are a much more reasonable price range, whereas the Inn should be reserved for special dinners since it’s a fair amount more.
Finally, I love atmosphere inside the pavilion itself. This is my favourite part of the Mexico Pavilion. Entering inside, one finds themselves surrounded by many beautiful cultural artifacts and arts and crafts, as the initial foyer area of the building plays hosts to cultural exhibits from its home country. The last time I was there it featured an exhibit called “Animales Fantasticos”. It was worth the stop to view these great pieces, because they were beautifully carved and the paint on them was bright and colourful. As an artist myself I find the pieces very inspiring. There is also usually somebody with a table set up, carving pieces for display and sale, who is always willing to share with you about their craft.
Once you make it through the foyer, then the real magic begins. Disney likes to claim they make the night as bright as the day, but in the Mexican Pavilion they turn the day into an easy nighttime hour. I always feel as thought I have stepped into a quiet village town square in the evening – the village square is called Plaza de los Amigos, where the nighttime Mercado is underway. Colour banners cross the dusky sky, with vendors selling more traditional (and touristy) goods from maracas to sombreros. The Mariachi Cobre can also be found playing some light tunes nearby that adds to the ambience. At the end of the plaza you come to the waterfront, where you can view more pyramids and Aztec ruins in the distance. Tour boats quietly slip by in front, while happy patrons eat at the San Angel Inn.
So inspiring do I find this pavilion, that I have been humming the theme to El Rio del Tiempo (the attraction that The Gran Fiesta Tour replaced) all day.
While the other pavilions around the World Showcase do an interesting job of giving guests a sample of being in the country they represent, I find that the Mexico Pavilion is the most fascinating and the most inspiring for me. On your next visit to the parks, make sure this fantastic pavilion makes your list of To-See (and To-Eat!).
