With thatched cottages, old pubs and a castle the Disney World UK pavilion perhaps perfectly represents how the rest of the world actually sees Great Britain
When you think of our country, what comes to mind? A Victorian seaside town, munching on a Greggs sausage roll, or perhaps even a legendary Toby Carvery.
But from the outside looking in, much of the world pictures Britain in a very different way. Many imagine our towns to be made entirely of old winding streets like York shambles, work coming to a halt at 3pm for a dash of afternoon tea, and dinner being exclusively fish, chips and mushy peas.
And perhaps nowhere can a place be stereotyped more than at the World Showcase at Disney World EPCOT. One of the largest parks at the Disney resort in Orlando, Florida, more than half of the park is designed to let you travel around the world without ever having to leave the humid Floridian heat.
With 11 designated “pavilions”, each one is said to have been meticulously designed to reflect the culture, architecture, and cuisine of its represented country.
With countries like France being represented by stereotypical Parisian streets, Mexico by a replica Mayan temple and Japan with a textbook pagoda, when it comes to the UK, the “imagineers” (Disney’s engineers) seemed to have blended the old buildings of London and York to create a funny look of Britain.
Complete with Rose and Crown pub, Yorkshire County Fish and Chips, mini castles and thatched cottages, the area takes little bits from around the country to blend them into something that looks straight out of a cartoon.
During a visit to the park, Callum Ryan on TikTok was shocked at how Americans really viewed the UK.
Making a video around the pavilion, he added: “Here is my honest opinion of the UK land at Disney World EPCOT. Now I know we have a reputation for drinking lots of tea, but I didn’t know it was represented this much by having a whole garden dedicated to it.
“Something that was definitely a little more British was the Rose and Crown pub, and this actually looked and smelled like a UK pub, and I feel like if you know, you know.”
But one thing more than anything else struck Callum – and that was the clothes that the staff had been made to wear.
He said: “One thing that I wasn’t quite sold on was the outfits that the staff were wearing. I think they meant to be somewhat traditional, but definitely didn’t look like that.
“However, they would have been much better off going to the merch stand from areas around the UK.”
Under the video, fans all thought that just a few little additions could make it feel much more like a home. Even if it did send Americans into a frenzy!
One viewer commented: “Where’s the Tesco?” While another added: “There should definitely be a Wetherspoons and a Greggs.”
But another, shocked at how nice they had made the UK look, added: “Now I understand why tourists are dissatisfied when they come to the UK.”