Credit: Paul Hudson, FlickrOn August 31, 2026, a quiet departure inside the twilight-lit Plaza de los Amigos of EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion signaled the end of an era. Alba Hernandez Santiago, the artisan associated with the Oaxacan wood-carving operation who spent decades meticulously painting hand-carved Oaxacan wood figures known as alebrijes, packed up her paints and walked away from her workbench. Disney gave fans only a short period of public notice before ending the operation entirely. The future of the space has not been officially announced, although there has been speculation that it could eventually be used for other purposes, including as an overflow area for La Cava del Tequila.
Santiago’s exit was not just an isolated operational tweak; it can be viewed as another milestone in the transformation of EPCOT’s founding mission. What opened in 1982 as a permanent international exhibition—a grand, idealistic window into global human culture, scientific achievement, and international exchange—has been substantially reshaped. In its place stands a high-priced adult playground increasingly dominated by “Drinking Around the World” bar crawls, ubiquitous alcohol kiosks, and shoehorned Disney movie intellectual property (IP).
The Slow Extinction of World Showcase Artisans
EPCOT was never intended to be an ordinary theme park. When Walt Disney World built World Showcase, the goal was not merely to sell branded plush toys and mass-produced souvenirs, but to foster genuine human connection. Guests traveled around World Showcase Lagoon to meet real people from around the globe, learn about traditional crafts, and witness centuries-old art forms performed live.
Over the past decade and a half, Disney has seen the departure of several resident master craftspeople:
Germany’s Egg Painter: In 2012, EPCOT lost opening-day cast member Jutta Levasseur from the Germany Pavilion when she died after a battle with cancer. From 1982 until her death, Levasseur sat in a small alcove facing the lagoon, decorating eggs in an intricate German tradition. Her work transformed casual tourists into passionate collectors, yet after her death, no comparable resident egg artist took her place.
Japan’s Candy Sculptor: In 2013, Miyuki Sugimori ended her run at the Japan Pavilion. For nearly two decades, Sugimori captivated crowds by sculpting warm, putty-like candy into delicate, whimsical animals right before children’s eyes—a master demonstration of the ancient Japanese art of amezaiku. After restrictions surrounding the preparation and distribution of her candy creations made the practice increasingly difficult, she departed. She was never replaced by another artist performing the same type of candy-sculpting demonstration.
Morocco’s Royal Craftsmanship: Erected in 1984 through a direct partnership with the Moroccan royal family, the Morocco Pavilion was a masterpiece of cultural authenticity. Morocco’s government and royal court were directly involved in its creation, with Moroccan artisans brought to Florida to craft intricate mosaic tilework, carved plaster, and wooden architectural details. The pavilion featured a bustling souk with authentic leather goods and rugs, live North African music, and traditional entertainment. When the previous operating arrangement for Morocco transitioned to Disney in 2020, Disney assumed responsibility for the pavilion’s operations. The pavilion has continued to offer Moroccan dining, merchandise, cultural elements, and character experiences, although the balance among those offerings has changed over time.
With the closure of the Oaxacan wood-carving operation in August 2026, EPCOT lost another important example of the resident artisan tradition that once gave World Showcase much of its character. The cultural representatives and performers who remain at World Showcase continue to provide international perspectives, but the number and visibility of traditional craft demonstrations have declined.
The Transformation into the World’s Biggest Bar
As authentic cultural representatives and specialty artisans disappeared or became less prominent, alcohol moved further into the spotlight. What began as a fun unofficial pastime known as “Drinking Around the World” has increasingly become intertwined with EPCOT’s broader food-and-beverage business.
Today, EPCOT operates under what feels like a perpetual festival calendar. Between the International Food & Wine Festival, Flower & Garden Festival, Festival of the Arts, and Festival of the Holidays, the park is lined with pop-up booths for much of the year. In 2026, those four festivals collectively account for roughly 250 days of the calendar. While culinary variety is welcome, many festival offerings focus on specialty cocktails, craft beer flights, wine pours, and other alcoholic beverages, alongside substantial food selections.
The physical layout of World Showcase reflects this commercial priority. Space throughout the park is used for temporary festival food-and-beverage booths. At the same time, other areas previously dedicated to cultural displays, artisan workbenches, and quieter educational exhibits have been altered or removed. On weekend evenings, the once-serene promenade around World Showcase Lagoon can feel less like an international cultural pavilion and more like a rowdy downtown entertainment district, complete with loud bachelor parties, matching “Drinking Team” t-shirts, and crowded pathways.
Replacing Cultural Magic with Corporate IP
Hand in hand with the expansion of alcohol sales is Disney’s increasing use of its own intellectual property in EPCOT’s international settings.
When World Showcase opened, attractions were designed in part as journeys into the history, geography, and mythology of real nations. Norway’s Maelstrom took guests through Viking legend, oil rigs, and Scandinavian wilderness. Today, it has been replaced by Frozen Ever After, transforming a real-world country into a fictional fantasy setting. In France, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure anchors the pavilion’s expansion, while Mexico’s Gran Fiesta Tour incorporates The Three Caballeros. Across the park in World Discovery, the futuristic, forward-looking scientific marvels of EPCOT’s original Future World have been supplemented and replaced by attractions such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
While these attractions are undeniably popular and technologically impressive, they alter the fundamental premise of EPCOT. Rather than utilizing the park primarily as a platform to broaden horizons and teach guests about the real world, Disney has increasingly incorporated its cinematic library into the EPCOT experience.
Mourning EPCOT’s Original Vision
EPCOT was born out of a radical premise: that a theme park could treat its audience with intelligence, dignity, and curiosity. The park, which ultimately opened in 1982, evolved considerably from Walt Disney’s original vision of EPCOT as a planned, futuristic community. Still, World Showcase was conceived as a permanent international exhibition and was often discussed as a kind of permanent World’s Fair. It was trusted that children and adults alike would stand mesmerized watching an artist sculpt candy in Japan, paint intricate eggs in Germany, or carve wooden animals in Mexico. It is believed that meeting someone from another country and learning about their heritage could be just as compelling as riding a roller coaster.
By replacing individual master craftspeople with more conventional retail and entertainment uses, while swapping some real-world historical experiences for animated movie characters, Disney is trading aspects of long-term cultural legacy for short-term retail, entertainment, and beverage opportunities.
As fans look out across World Showcase Lagoon, the architecture remains breathtaking, but some of the living traditions once found inside those plaster facades are fading. When another artisan packs their tools and leaves the park, EPCOT moves another step away from being a window to the world—and toward becoming another place where the Disney experience, food, entertainment, and commerce take center stage.
