Authentic shopping

Image: DisneyWhat’s better than buying a Rolling Stones t-shirt? It’s when you buy one from someone who is possibly from the same place as Mick Jagger or Keith Richards. Okay, that’s a bad example since they’re both from Kent, England, but you get the point. The employees at the United Kingdom Pavilion stores are all English natives imported to populate the merchandise counters.

How does this authenticity improve your visit? Well, it might not. Everyone’s different. For us, meeting a new friend from Wales or Northern Ireland while we shop is a huge bonus. They can tell us about merchandise that matches our interests, stuff we might have missed while shopping the aisles. Plus, it’s a great way for sports fans to talk football at Sportsman Shoppe, where high-end soccer merchandise is available. Personally, we like to talk Doctor Who with the employees, and Epcot has some fantastic franchise apparel.

Image: DisneyOne other great shopping opportunity here is at The Crown & Crest. Guests can trace their British ancestral roots. If it turns out that you have any, you can choose your family’s coat of arms from an available list. Then, you can have a plaque or mug created with your coat of arms. How cool is that?

Image: DisneyThe Rose and the Crown

Image: DisneyArguing about the best restaurant at World Showcase is probably the fastest way to get slugged at Walt Disney World. People are passionate about their favorites, and plenty of worthy choices merit consideration. Everyone’s short list should include the wonderful fare at Rose & Crown, though.

Disney did something cheeky in naming the primary restaurant at the United Kingdom Pavilion. They knew that it would have a pub theme since pubs are a key part of daily living in England. So, they did some research and discovered that the two most popular words in pub names are “rose” and “crown.” And that’s why the restaurant and pub at the pavilion have their current name. It’s a mash-up!

Image: DisneyAs for the food, this place offers all the English terms that you’ve heard such as Bangers and Mash and Fish and Chips, and you can get much of it to go at Yorkshire County Fish and Chips, just to the right of the main restaurant.

Frequent Epcot guests understand that Rose & Crown is always great, but the atmosphere levels up at night. Guests sitting outside have the opportunity to watch Illuminations in all its glory. The award-winning exhibition performs to the left of the restaurant, and guests have a perfect view of the show. For this reason, reservations at Rose and Crown tend to book 75-90 minutes prior to Illuminations. Then, customers stretch their meal via appetizers and desserts to make it last through the show. You should try to watch Illuminations this way at some point. It’s an unforgettable experience.