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Credit: Inside the MagicA British TikToker has called out Walt Disney World for the inaccuracies (and accuracies) in EPCOT’s United Kingdom Pavilion.
For decades, Parkgoers from across the globe have used EPCOT as a way to see the world without ever leaving Florida. The Park’s World Showcase is home to eleven different pavilions, each themed after a different nation: Canada, Japan, China, Norway, the United States, France, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
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In the United Kingdom Pavilion, Guests can experience classic British delicacies – such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and scotch eggs – at the Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room and Yorkshire County Fish Shop, as well as shop for typically British items including football (AKA soccer) shirts, Twinings tea, The Beatles merchandise, and real English chocolate.
Like all of World Showcase, the United Kingdom Pavilion leans into some of the more idealistic stereotypes of both British culture and lifestyle. For most British Guests, this is something that’s relatively easy to overlook – but one Brit recently decided to point out the differences on TikTok.
TikToker KT Franklin (@ktfranklin) filmed her experience on a recent visit, where she said she was “going undercover as a Brit in America. We’re going to the UK Pavilion today, which is basically England, made by Americans, and it’s in Florida.”
@ktfranklin Accurate or nah? Going undercover at the UK pavilion in Disney World😉🇺🇸 lets see what the Americans think the UK is like! #disneyworld #epcot #ukpavilion #disneyepcot #dailyvlog #fishandchips #britinamerica
The Pavilion got some things right about the UK, such as the pub. “The first thing you see when you walk in are a bunch of fish and chip shops and also a bunch of pubs,” she said, “which is pretty accurate, but it’s crazy because these buildings are all like mock buildings.” She was also surprised by the variety of genuine British snacks in the stores, such as fruit gums, Jammie Dodgers, and Aero.
Related: “Won’t Even Look the Same,” Disney Has Big Plans For EPCOT
However, she wasn’t overly impressed by the fish and chips themselves, at which she was disappointed by the lack of vinegar (which, coming from a fellow Brit, is admittedly a tragedy). Other Brits chimed in agreement in the comment section, leaving critiques such as “no vinegar is such a crime omg.”
Some commenters also disagreed with her take on the pubs looking accurate, writing: “It couldn’t look less English if they tried.”
Viewers also pointed out a major flaw with the United Kingdom Pavilion – the presence of Guinness. The shops are packed with Guinness merchandise, despite the fact that Guinness is from Dublin, Ireland, which is decidedly not in the United Kingdom. Awkward.
Have you ever noticed any inaccuracies in your country’s pavilion at World Showcase? Let us know in the comments!