Be Aware of this Change at Epcot's World Showcase

For a stress-free Disney or Universal Studios vacation, let the FREE expert planners at Royal Carriage Vacations take care of every detail including dining reservations, applying discounts, and onboard cruise credit.

The World Showcase is a great way to experience cultures without leaving Disney! There is one chage you will want to be aware of as it may derail your plans just a little.

World Showcase

Disney Bucket List: Eating Around the World at Epcot — Credit: Susan

The World Showcase is, in my (Monica) opinion, one of Disney Imagineering’s greatest successes. Creating 11 pavilions based on countries around the world is a large task, and each one was created with great care and research.

Each of Epcot’s 11 World Showcase themed pavilions were created to represent each country’s landscape, architecture, and marketplaces. Each pavilion is staffed with cultural representatives from the pavilion’s country to provide an even more authentic experience.

In each pavilion, you will find attractions, entertainment, architecture, food, shopping, and more. You could easily spend multiple visits exploring what each pavilion has to offer. I highly recommend you do just that! Every time I visit I find something new to appreciate.

Getting Around the Showcase

epcotworldshowcasefriendshipboatgermany — Credit: KtP

The World Showcase “loop” is approximately 1 mile long. That is a lot of steps to experience all 11 pavilions! It can feel even more burdensome if you also factor in the size of World Nature, World Celebration, and World Discovery at the front of the park.

You may want to consider saving some of your steps, especially if you are trying to get one from one side of the showcase to the other.

Enter: the FriendShip boat. FriendShip boats run from the Port of Entry, Germany, Morocco, Mexico, and Canada. But, there is a recent change you need to be aware of.

Using a Travel Agent can help you navigate the ins and outs of planning! I am here to help! Please fill out this form and put my name (Monica) in the Special Request box.

Docks Closing and Opening

epcotworldshowcasefriendshipboatmorocco — Credit: KtP

Since the parks reopened in 2020, only two docks have been open: Morocco and the Port of Entry. While this is great to have a few open, not having the other docks open means you may be walking more than normal.

The Morocco dock is now closed, but the Germany dock is open once again. In addition, the Canada dock is also open.

So, to summarize, three of the five docks are currently open: Port of Entry, Germany, and Canada. Mexico and Morocco are closed. We are unsure if Disney has plans to open all five docks in the future, or if this is simple refurbishment work taking place.

Do you use the FriendShip boats when traveling around the World Showcase? Let us know in the comments below, and share this post with a friend.