There are 11 countries in EPCOT’s World Showcase. Starting on the Mexico side of the lagoon, the order is Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada.
If you start on the Canada side instead, simply reverse the route. There isn’t a correct direction to walk World Showcase, but knowing the order makes it much easier to plan dining reservations, rides and how far you still have to walk.
I’ve walked the loop in both directions plenty of times. I usually care less about choosing the perfect direction than I do about avoiding unnecessary backtracking. World Showcase is much more enjoyable when I let the countries lead naturally into one another instead of crossing the lagoon repeatedly for reservations.
The EPCOT Countries in Order From Mexico to Canada
- Mexico – The pyramid contains the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, shops, dining and La Cava del Tequila.
- Norway – Home to Frozen Ever After, Royal Sommerhus, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe.
- China – Centered around the Temple of Heaven, gardens and Reflections of China.
- Germany – Known for its village square, shops, miniature railway, Biergarten Restaurant and Sommerfest.
- Italy – A dining-heavy pavilion with Via Napoli, Tutto Italia, Tutto Gusto and architecture inspired by Italian landmarks.
- The American Adventure – The midpoint of the World Showcase loop and home to The American Adventure attraction and Regal Eagle Smokehouse.
- Japan – One of my favorite pavilions to explore slowly, with Mitsukoshi, Japanese gardens and several dining options ranging from Katsura Grill to Teppan Edo.
- Morocco – A maze of detailed courtyards and narrow passageways that rewards walking farther into the pavilion instead of staying on the main promenade.
- France – One of the largest stops on the loop, with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, French dining, bakeries and multiple attractions farther inside the pavilion.
- United Kingdom – Built around British streets, gardens, shops and the Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room.
- Canada – The final pavilion when walking this direction, with gardens, waterfalls, Canada Far and Wide and Le Cellier Steakhouse.
One useful orientation point: Germany is the only country pavilion between China and Italy. On the opposite side of World Showcase, the International Gateway entrance sits between France and the United Kingdom.
If You Start in Canada, the Order Runs the Other Way
Walking toward Canada first gives you:
Canada → United Kingdom → France → Morocco → Japan → The American Adventure → Italy → Germany → China → Norway → Mexico.
I wouldn’t rearrange an entire EPCOT day just to start on one particular side. Your first dining reservation or attraction usually gives you a better reason to choose a direction.
For example, if I have an early meal at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall or want to ride Frozen Ever After, starting toward Mexico and Norway makes sense. If Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is the priority, approaching from the France side may work better.
World Showcase Has Three Major Rides Spread Across the Loop
Most World Showcase pavilions aren’t built around rides. That’s part of why I don’t approach this area the same way I approach the attraction-heavy parts of EPCOT.
The three major rides Disney currently highlights in World Showcase are:
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros in Mexico
- Frozen Ever After in Norway
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France
That’s useful when planning the loop because Mexico and Norway are beside one another, while France is almost all the way around on the opposite side.
If rides are the main priority for your EPCOT day, my complete EPCOT ride list covers the attractions outside World Showcase too.
World Showcase Doesn’t Simply “Open at 11” Anymore
This is one piece of old EPCOT advice I wouldn’t use as a blanket rule.
World Showcase does not have one universal opening time for every attraction, restaurant, shop and experience. Individual locations keep their own schedules.
Major attractions in the countries can operate from EPCOT’s morning opening, while restaurants may begin serving breakfast, lunch or dinner at completely different times.
For example, Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure can operate with the park in the morning. Akershus serves breakfast, while individual restaurants elsewhere around the lagoon may not open until lunch.
I check the My Disney Experience app for the specific pavilion attraction or restaurant I care about instead of assuming that everything around World Showcase begins at 11 AM.
The World Showcase Loop Is About 1.2 Miles
A full circuit of the World Showcase promenade is roughly 1.2 miles before you count all the walking you do inside the individual pavilions.
That second part matters. If I’m going deep into Mexico’s pyramid, walking back toward Remy’s in France, exploring Mitsukoshi in Japan and wandering Morocco’s interior, my actual distance is obviously going to be longer than one simple lap around the lagoon.
My guide to how many miles you can walk at EPCOT goes further into the distances around the park.
The American Adventure Makes a Useful Halfway Point
If I need to know roughly where I am in the loop, I use The American Adventure as the easy landmark.
It’s essentially at the back of World Showcase, between Italy and Japan. If you started in Mexico, reaching the American Adventure means you’ve worked through Mexico, Norway, China, Germany and Italy already.
From there, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom and Canada take you back toward the front of the lagoon.
I find that more useful than trying to memorize a map while I’m actually walking around EPCOT.
Food Can Turn a 1.2-Mile Loop Into Half a Day
The countries themselves are why I wouldn’t treat World Showcase as something to race around just to say I’ve seen all 11.
There are restaurants, bakeries, shops, gardens, films and smaller details tucked farther back into many of the pavilions. During EPCOT festivals, temporary food marketplaces add even more stops around the route.
If food is a major reason for your visit, I’d decide whether I want one table-service reservation or a more casual day of smaller stops. Trying to eat a full meal in several countries isn’t going to leave much room for anything else.
Mexico alone now has enough dining and drink options that I’ve broken it out separately in my guide to Mexican restaurants at EPCOT.
For the entire park, use my EPCOT restaurant list rather than trying to cram every menu into this World Showcase guide.
There Are Still 11 Permanent Countries During EPCOT Festivals
EPCOT festivals can make the number of countries feel confusing because Disney adds temporary Global Marketplaces themed to destinations from around the world.
Those festival booths don’t change the permanent World Showcase lineup.
The permanent count is still 11: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada.
That’s the list I’d use when planning the actual pavilion loop, regardless of which EPCOT festival happens to be running during the trip.
I Wouldn’t Try to Give Every Country Equal Time
Some pavilions can take considerably longer than others.
France has a major ride and multiple dining locations. Mexico has an indoor pavilion, a boat ride and several places to eat or drink. Norway has Frozen Ever After and princess dining. Other countries are more about walking through the architecture, shopping, eating or watching a film.
That’s why my World Showcase plan is usually loose. I know the country order, mark the reservations or attractions that have actual times attached to them, and let the rest of the loop happen as I walk.
Knowing that Mexico leads into Norway, Germany sits between China and Italy, The American Adventure marks the back of the lagoon, and France leads into the United Kingdom and Canada is usually enough to keep me oriented without spending the day staring at a map.
