When it comes to the words “holidays” and “Disney” I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind is Christmas. Nobody can do a Christmas celebration like Disney. Or Hallowe’en, for that matter.
But did you know that Disney also likes to celebrate other holidays as well? Of course, Disney doesn’t need a reason to celebrate.
I bring this up because today, July 1st, is Canada Day! Happy Birthday Canada! Both KP and I are Canadians, so today has a lot of meaning for us.
Even though Disney is not a Canadian company, each year there is a Canada Day celebration that takes place July 1st at Epcot at the Canada Pavilion. Everything is decked out with red and white, and there are a myriad of Canadian flags hanging around the pavilion.
Cast members at the Canadian pavilion on Canada Day.
Along Showcase Promenade near the pavilion, the provincial flags and more Canadian flags were displayed. There was also a booth set up, with Canadian trivia questions and prizes.
Off Kilter gets into the act with a huge Canada Day banner above the stage.
Of course, the Canadian Cast Members always have a blast sharing about their country’s birthday (I know I certainly was, and I didn’t even work at the Canadian Pavilion!) Even the ones not working tend to hover around the pavilion, decked out in red and white, and adorned with maple leaves. Don’t be surprised if you hear a group of them suddenly break out into ‘O Canada’.
A friend of ours, Cee, Andy, and KP in front of the flag for British Columbia.
It’s a lot of fun to see Disney celebrate another nation’s holiday, particularly being a Disney fan from another country. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see Disney have so much pride in their own nation – and if you’ve seen July 4th’s fireworks, you know what I mean – but it’s also great to see they care about the people who visit their parks and the cast members who work for them, when they celebrate Canada Day and the national holidays of other countries.
Admittedly, the celebration is fairly low key, and if you had no idea that it was Canada Day you might not realise what was going on – especially if you just pass the pavilion by. But it’s still nice to have that extra bit of celebration, even if it’s just a smaller one.
So next time you’re in WDW, see if you’re there during the national holiday of one of the countries represented around the World Showcase. There might just be an extra bit of magic.
