Disney World After Dark: France

It should come as no surprise that the France Pavilion in Epcot is my favorite place to be along the World Showcase. I think I may have written about from time to time. To help with this return to Disney World After Dark, I thought I'd reach back to 1991 and share a paragraph from the Steve Birnbaum Official Guide to Walt Disney World. This was time when Epcot was still known as EPCOT Center.

"Some interesting background notes: The dusty rose-colored, lace-trimmed costumes that the hostesses wear were inspired by the dresses in the Impressionist painter Edouard Manet's Le Bar aux Folies-Bergere, and the park to the west of the pavilion, with its tall Lombardy poplars, was inspired Neo-Impressionist Georges Seurat's painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The main entrance to the pavilion recalls the architecture of Paris, most of which was built during the Belle Epoque ("beautiful age") years of the last half of the 19th century when, following the designs of city planner Baron Georges Eugene Haussman (he's also responsible for the master plan of Washington D.C.), thoroughfares were widened and 7 stories became the standard height for city buildings. The lane known as La Petite Rue ("the little street") is inspired by small provincial byways. the sinuously curved, Art Nouveau-style facade of the entrance to the arcade between La Signature and Plume et Palette ("pen and palette") recalls the entrances to Paris's great underground transportation system, the Metro. Don't miss the quiet garden on the opposite side of the this arcade - one of the most peaceful spots in World Showcase."

Steve Birnbaum Brings You the Best of Walt Disney World, Hearst Professional Magazines, 1990, pg. 141

I have spent a good deal of time in this pavilion and hope to enjoy many more hours in the years to come. The France pavilion asks you to slow down a bit, enjoy the atmosphere, the culture and the people.