The Brazilians are coming! The Brazilians are coming!

Well, all right, they've already been here for years, but they might just be getting something a little more official at Walt Disney World, if the Brazilian press is to be believed. A Brazilian newspaper column ran a story earlier this week that stated fairly definitely that Brazil would be the next country added to Epcot's World Showcase, and the first major addition to that half of the park since 1988's opening of the Norway Pavilion.




A recently released Vinylmation collection seemed to indirectly confirm the news. Take a look at the series below:

Notice that each country represented there has a pavilion in World Showcase except...you guessed it, Brazil.

Possibly a Brazilian invasion

Predictably, the news set the Disney Internet Fanworld aflutter, with posts ranging from excited all the way to outraged. Why the outrage? Well, Disney fans, you see, have a rather complex relationship with the Brazilian people. Walt Disney World is extremely popular in Brazil, and a trip to Walt Disney World is almost a right of passage for Brazilian children when they turn 16. As such, these Brazilians tend to travel to Walt Disney World in large, loud, groups. You know them as the large groups of people taking up entire paths, singing, following a leader, who's at the front of the pack holding a large flag.





Of course, there's much more to Brazil, and Brazilian tourists than just these large, rather obnoxious tour groups. The country is the 5th largest in the world, with diverse geography, ranging from distant rainforest villages to ultra-modern metropolitan area. It's a country on the rise, with a burgeoning middle class, and is poised to be spending a lot of time in the world press in the coming years. They're the host country for undoubtedly the two biggest worldwide sporting events: the World Cup and the Olympics. Plus, their inhabitants spend an enormous amount of money at Walt Disney World every year. All of this makes them an idea candidate for the long-rumored, but never built, next World Showcase Pavilion.

Adverteasement for an Israel pavilion

And make no mistake about it, World Showcase is in dire need of something new. All of their updates and pluses since 1988 (when Norway opened) have been relatively minor on a grand scale, though important. There was the enormously popular Millenium Village, which was part of (obviously) the Millenium Celebration. We also got the outstanding Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (the gold standard when it comes to nighttime entertainment at WDW, though The Magic, the Memories, and You gives it a run for its money). Then there was the addition of the popular lucrative Food and Wine Festival (my favorite time of year at Epcot), and the addition of the Kim Possible Scavenger Hunt. None of that comes close to the huge expansions in infrastructure the other parks have received. To put it in perspective: since the last World Showcase expansion, WDW has built two new theme parks.

Before we get too excited about the possibility of a new pavilion, let's all remember, this is not the first time we've heard about a new pavilion, only to have it not come to fruition. Pavilions representing Egypt, Australia, Russia, and even Spain, which went so far as to actually be announced and marketed by Disney. Take a look at the pamphlet below:

A Spain Pavilion

But, let's play along for a moment...if a Brazil pavilion were to come to Epcot, what would we like to see? There are lots of possibilities...

-The first, and most obvious, would be a really great restaurant. I'm thinking a churrascaria, a meat-lover's paradise. Brazilian meats are among the finest in the world, and an authentic churrascaria would be a welcome addition to the already diverse dining options at Epcot.





-World Showcase really needs an E-ticket attraction. Arguably, the only thing anywhere close to that is the American Adventure. The other attractions range from boat rides to circle-vision films. So, my big wish for Brazil is no boat rides! We have enough slow-moving boat rides in the World Showcase. What about an immersive trip into the Amazon rainforest, perhaps on a Soarin' type simulator. Think of the possibilities- rafting down the Amazon (he did say no boat rides, didn't he? - Mike), encounters with anacondas and jaguars, a trip over a waterfall, visit an old temple looking for treasure (and perhaps awakening some old ghosts or curses along the way)...the possibilities there are endless.

Sidewalks in Rio

-The city of Rio de Janeiro, the obvious choice for the pavilion to be modeled after has some of the coolest street and sidewalk designs in the world. Take a look:



Wouldn't that look cool?





-And of course, they have to replicate Carnivale in some way. Of course, it would be the highly sanitized Disney version of the festival, but it would certainly liven up the afternoons in World Showcase, which doesn't have any sort of character or vibe to it until the evenings.




There is of course, the obvious financial gain to building a Brazilian pavilion- the Brazilians already spend a ton of money at the resort. This would only increase that.

Of course, as usual, Disney has been mum about the potential of a Brazil pavilion. They've declined any comment, though they haven't shot it down just yet. If this is to be officially announced, odds are it will be announced at the D23 Convention this summer. We've heard very little about WDW projects yet, and they typically like to announce something for each of their resorts at the D23 convention. This would be a large-scale project that would suit the need to announce something for WDW.


What would you like to see in a Brazil Pavilion?