Hidden Treasures Tour    

Participants - Sandy and Judy Canetti    

The day started outside EPCOT at Guest Relations, where we met our tour guide, David.  David has been a CM for 7
years, starting in MK at the Grand Prix before moving to Guest Relations and running tours for the Disney Institute.    

We walked to the top of the World Showcase, where David did his introduction.  There were 10 of us on the tour, Connie
and her daughter Katie, from Minnesota, Florence and her mother Dorothy from Philadelphia, Stephen and Rosemary from
Malaysia, and a couple from Poughkeepsie, NY.    

We had a big advantage going in, since we would have the WS to ourselves for the first part of the tour.  David told us
how American Adventure was supposed to be at the entrance to the WS, but since they wanted to make it Colonial in
style, it would not make a good transition from Future World, so they moved it to the opposite end.  But, that is
why Canada and Mexico are the first pavilions on either side, since, as our neighbors to the north and south, it
would have made sense.    

We worked around WS starting from Mexico.  We learned about forced perspective and how things are made to look taller
than they really are. we learned about "weenies" things that draw you to them from far away and how the tallest
point on each pavilion is no higher than five stories. Mexico's night theme reflects the lifestyle of the country,
where everything shuts down from noon until 4:00.  And, did you know that Illuminations is controlled from the top of
Mexico?    

Next was Norway, where we learned about the Stav Churches. At this point we were taken backstage, where we went to
cosmetology and the wardrobe area.  And we saw the "normal" backs of the buildings.  We came back on-stage through
China, right where the movie exits in the market area. David talked about the symbolism of the colors red and
gold, the dragon and the phoenix, and the shapes representing the earth (square) and heavens (round.)    

In Germany, David taught us how the shops are either themed to the merchandise, or the merchandise themed to the
architecture of the shop.    

Italy was going to be a ride themed around its famous art, but the government was afraid of it hurting its tourist
trade, so those plans were scratched.  Interesting to note that where Italy was afraid of hurting tourist trade,
tourism in China increased dramatically after EPCOT opened. We didn't spend much time at American Adventure, since it
was assumed that we knew our own culture. But again, we were shown how forced perspective made things look smaller,
or bigger than they really were. In this case, eight foot doors and large windows, turned a five story colonial
structure into a two story building.    

We contrasted the openness of China to the stricter purpose of Japan, and talked about how Japan borrowed from other
cultures to define its own culture, before closing its doors to the world for centuries during the Shogun period.    

Morocco was our lunch stop at Marrakesh.  At the beginning of the tour we were asked if anyone was vegetarian, which
Judy and David both were.  The were given the vegetable couscous platters.  We had what seemed to be a combination
of the Night in Casablanca and the Sultan's Sampler - Roast lamb meshoui, chicken brochette and beef kefta.  It was
served with yellow rice and vegetable couscous.  I think the dessert was the Helwa from the description in the menu.    

Back on our feet, we went to France and once again, went backstage where we saw for the first time that the facades
maintained the theme of the country.  Why?  Because when the Y&B Club were built, the backs could be seen from the
hotel and an adjustment had to be made.    

In the UK (not England!) we again saw how the shops reflected the architectures through different periods,
from Ann Hathaway's thatched roof cottage to modern times.    

In Canada, we ducked backstage at the bottom of the stairs approaching Oh!  Canada, to see how the illusion of the
Canadian Rockies was created.    

All in all it was a wonderful experience.  Exhausting, since we were constantly on the go, but wonderful.  David
promised even us veterans a few "I didn't know that's" and he stopped counting at 10.  Btw, he also does the Backstage
Magic tour and if you ever take it, I hope you get David as a tour guide.    

David said good-bye to us at the pathway to Futureworld and left us on our own to find our way out <g>.  Judy and I
were pretty bushed at this point, so we walked to Wonders of Life where we sipped ice teas while enjoying the
Anatomical Players and caught Cranium Command before going back to OKW for a swim.