6. Japan
Possibilities:
Aside from Cars 2, there aren't any Disney animated films or Pixar films that are actually set in Japan. Inspired by a Marvel comic book team, Disney's Big Hero 6 is set in an alternate future city of San Fransokyo (fusing San Francisco with Japanese aesthetic) but that's a world more fit for Disney California Adventure than Epcot's Japan pavilion.
So let's do an "alternate universe" of our own. In 1996, Disney began working with Japan's legendary Studio Ghibli (with its head, Hiyao Miyazaki often called Japan's Walt Disney) to manage the distribution and home video release of many of the studio's films going forward. That distribution deal also saw Disney chip in 10% of the production costs of many Ghibli films of the '90s and 2000s, including My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Castle in the Sky. In 2002, Walt Disney Pictures released Spirited Away, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, prompting a wider theatrical release.
Still, Disney slowly stepped back its role in Ghibli releases after 2005's Howl's Moving Castle, with limited releases or direct-to-DVD distribution of Ponyo, Tales from Earthsea, and The Secret World of Arietty. They began to sell one-off North American theatrical release rights to Ghibli films in 2013, turning over the whole deal in 2017. But frankly, there would be no better inhabitant of a Japan pavilion – nor a cooler dark ride – than one based on any one of Ghibli's classic releases.
7. Morocco
In terms of World Showcase countries, Morocco has the same "issue" as Norway. No Disney film has been set in the country and the closest analogues are purely stylistic. For example, yes, the Epcot pavilion serves as a pretty convincing backdrop for meet-and-greets with the characters from Aladdin thanks to Morocco's arabesque patterns, spires, and domes, but just so we're clear, Morocco is about 4,000 miles and the width of a continent away from the Middle East. Aladdin and Jasmine would be more likely to fly over Morocco than live there.
Located in Northwest Africa, Morocco is a vibrant mix of African, Middle Eastern, and European traditions. It would make a fantastic location for a Disney or Pixar film. But nothing quite approaches it for now. The good news for Moroccans is that one of the most famous films of all time is set in and named after the country's largest city: Casablanca. The bad news is, the 1942 film was entirely filmed in Los Angeles, and has not even one Arab or North African character with a speaking role.
8. France
Possibilities: Beauty and the Beast (1992), Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Ratatouille (2007), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Cinderella (1950)
Like Germany, France is a hotbed of stories thanks to Charles Perrault, sometimes called the inventor of the "fairy tale" (the Grimm Brothers would adapt many of his stories a century later). Walt Disney's adaptations of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella maintain the French styling of Perrault's tellings. Two films of the Disney Renaissance – Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame – are likewise set there. 2007's Ratatouille
Obviously know that Epcot's France pavilion was one of the first to pursue the every-country-has-a-Disney-story M.O. we're exploring, and that Ratatouille was chosen as its ambassador. It makes sense given that copying-and-pasting the Modern Marvel: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure would quickly and inexpensively arm Epcot with a much-needed, family-friendly, 21st century trackless dark ride.
But pretend for a moment that Ratatouille weren't weeks from opening... Which of Disney's French-inspired stories would you have liked to see as the pavilion's cultural story?
9. United Kingdom
Possibilities: The Sword in the Stone (1963), One Hundred and One Dalmations (1961), Brave (2012), The Black Cauldron (1985), The Wind in the Willows (1949), Robin Hood (1973), Peter Pan (1953), Winnie the Pooh (1966), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Mary Poppins (1964)
A whole lot of Disney animated films have been set in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or fictionalized versions of them. Interestingly, the stories Disney's adapted or designed from the country's authors, settings, and legends range from new and classic fairy tales to more modern-set stories. Both The Sword and the Stone and Robin Hood are adaptations of timeless legends; Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh are British stories whose definitive forms reside in classic Disney films from the '50s and '60s; also, like reviving Snow White in Germany, who in their right mind would object to bringing the Lost Legend: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or a modern version of it to the U.K. pavilion?
At the 2019 D23 Expo, Bob Chapek announced major changes to Epcot in an effort to make the park "more family, more timeless, and more Disney." One of the alluded-to projects was the incorporation of Mary Poppins into the U.K. pavilion. However, Disney was pretty indirect about their plans. Rumors ranged from an elaborate Mary Poppins dark ride to a (much more probable) meet-and-greet, maybe with a carousel or carnival spinner ride. Weirdly, the announcement seemed to be connected not to the original film or even the larger IP, but specifically to 2018's Mary Poppins Returns. Obviously, that film has come and gone, so if Mary Poppins comes to Epcot, let's hope it's in honor of the larger mythology, not just as a plug for a sequel.
From Pooh to Poppins; Merlin to Mr. Toad; Captain Hook to Cruella, there's a whole lot of stories that could speak to the U.K.'s contribution to Disney. Which do you think is most deserving of a dark ride?
10. Canada
Possibilities: Brother Bear (2003), Turning Red (2022)
Fitting a Disney film into Canada takes a little effort. Brother Bear follows indigenous Inuit people in what arguably could be modern day Alaska, but since it's set after an Ice Age, it certainly wasn't quite Alaska yet. Of course, it wasn't Canada, either. But as a celebration of Canada-esque nature, wildlife, and indigenous people, Brother Bear is a pretty good encapsulation of the country's beauty and nature. Of course, released in Disney's famous dry spell of the early 2000s (when Pixar was changing the game and Disney's Renaissance was long-gone), the film and its characters failed to make much of a footprint in pop culture.
Pixar's next original outing – 2022's Turning Red – is set in modern day Toronto, following the life of a Chinese-Canadian thirteen year old named Mei Lee who "poofs" into a giant red panda when overcome with emotions. It's bound to be an absolutely wonderful film that'll no doubt touch on cultural identity, coming-of-age, and what it means to be different. Will it be distinctly-Canadian enough to inspire attractions for the Canada pavilion? We'll find out...
Comments
The great thing about a Big Hero 6 is that it is an amalgam of both Japan and the United States, and in the world pavilions, those two are side-by-side. So Big Hero 6 would work as a great in-between pavilions queue and ride, which could meld the historical architecture of the US with the modern aesthetics of Japan, before turning into the classic Japanese styles of the proper Japan pavilion.