Bonjour! Let’s do a very normal thing here and travel to Florida so that we can go to France. Yes, one day we’ll actually go to Paris and explore another Disney Park and exceptional city but until then the Land Exit Survey series has us going to World Showcase to eat ice cream, pastries and crepes. In this post, we’ll break down the France Pavilion’s offerings and give our thoughts on the area.

Theme parks are made up of sub-sections, generally called lands. Many of these lands are spectacular, some are far from it. In this series, we cover individual lands one post at a time and answer some questions about them. In this case, we’re taking a sub-section of Epcot’s very large World Showcase to talk about an individual pavilion. While this isn’t quite the deep dive into lands that we’ve done before, I’ll provide the basic information about the land as well as my opinion on a few questions. We’ll also use these posts to talk about theme throughout the area and within the park. All of the posts in this series will use close to the same questions. Let us know in the comments if there are questions that we should add!

So far we’ve covered:

• Disney California Adventure: Grizzly Peak, Cars Land and Buena Vista Street
• Disneyland: Mickey’s (old) Toontown, New Orleans Square, and Critter Country
• Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Liberty Square
• Epcot: Future World West
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Sunset Boulevard, Echo Lake and Toy Story Land
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Asia, Africa and Pandora – World of Avatar
• Tokyo DisneySea: Mysterious Island, Mediterranean Harbor and Arabian Coast
• Tokyo Disneyland: World Bazaar, Westernland and Adventureland

Let’s travel around the lagoon to the bustling France Pavilion!

What is your short(ish) review of Epcot’s France Pavilion?

I won’t hold back any praise, the France Pavilion is the best of World Showcase. Offering an impressive array of restaurants, attractions, shops and texture in such a small footprint!

What’s in the land?

More than any other World Showcase pavilion!

• Impressions de France – This 18 minutes film is shown at select times during the day in Palais du Cinema. The best of World Showcases films, this takes guests through different setting in France. In my mind, this is perfect.
• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – The opposite side of the coin but in the same theater. This is just a sing-along to different Beauty and the Beast songs. It’s one of my least favorite attractions in Walt Disney World.
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – This trackless ride takes guests on a journey through one of Pixar’s best films.
• Les Chefs de France – A table-service restaurant that looks out onto the promenade. French food is served in a fast-paced but romantic atmosphere.
• Crêpes À Emporter – This counter-service stand offers different sweet and savory crepes.
• La Creperie de Paris – This is the table-service version of the counter-service stand. I enjoyed the restaurant but it doesn’t offer the value that the quicker stop does.
• Monsieur Paul – The fine dining option in the France Pavilion, offering upscale food and atmosphere.
• Boulangerie Pâtisserie des Halles – Another quick-service stop that has loads of delectable pastries and some sandwiches.
• L’Artisan des Glaces – The best ice cream at Walt Disney World in my book. Grab a scoop at this little shop and then wind down the evening in the back streets of the pavilion.
• Les Vins des Chefs de France – A beverage stand across the promenade from the rest of the pavilion. They offer wine, champagne and slushes.
• Plume et Palette – This shop offers designer French bags and fragrances.
• La Signature – Another fragrance shop. My unsophisticated nose does not like it in here.
• Le Vins de France – A spot to buy some wine!
• L’Esprit de la Provence – Show some spirit when you go in here and shop for kitchenware.
• Souvenirs de France – More of your classic gift shop that’s mixed in with the quick-service bakery!

What is the France Pavilion’s backstory and theme?

This is far different than any other Land Exit Survey we’ve done before because the World Showcase Pavilions are based on real places. I do think the France Pavilion is somewhat unique relative to others, as there’s a certain whimsy to the whole place. Some may argue that doesn’t make this area as authentic but I prefer it, honestly. World Showcase isn’t there to just be a very miniature replica of the country they’re representing. Instead, being a romanticized version of that place inspires people to not just travel but find out about different cultures. Yes, that’s idealistic but that’s the goal and one that the France Pavilion pushes for.

Moving away from the theory of it all and into the practical, the France Pavilion has a small Eiffel Tower overhead and there is a heavy Paris influence. In the back of the land is more of a Ratatouille section that’s less about being a replica. I still enjoy that portion of the pavilion because of how heavily influenced the source material is by France. I think it all flows smoothly and certainly makes me want to visit the actual country more.

What is your favorite part of the land? What’s the most memorable aspect of it?

My favorite part of the land is Impressions de France, hands down. This short film is so beautiful, between the soundtrack, simple narration and gorgeous scenery. Even the theater feels romantic and is a picture perfect setting to watch a movie and relax for a bit. That it’s not there every hour of the day… Well, I’ll save that for the next question.

The most memorable aspect is either Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or the food. At this point, I’m naming most of the pavilion so let me pull it all together. Eat dinner in Chefs de France, get some ice cream, go watch Impressions de France and then linger in the pavilion while the line for Ratatouille dies down. It’s one of my favorite ways to spend an evening in Walt Disney World.

Are there parts of the France Pavilion that you don’t like?

Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. Allow me to be over-the-top , this movie should not exist and definitely shouldn’t be shown in the France Pavilion. It’s not a good theme park attraction, it’s not a good representation of France and it replaces a short film that is infinitely better. Epcot is worse for having Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along in it.

How does the land coincide and transition with the rest of the park? Does the France Pavilion make the park better or worse?

Now that I’ve gotten my wrath out at the Sing-Along, I’ll get back to praising the France Pavilion. The transition from the UK to France in World Showcase is my favorite, as guests cross the bridge. All of the transitions in World Showcase work but that’s the best one.

Without a doubt, the France Pavilion makes Epcot significantly better.

Where would you rank the land in relation to the others in the park?

This is my favorite World Showcase Pavilion and is currently my favorite section in all of Epcot!

What do you think of the France Pavilion? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! If you are planning a trip to Disney World, then check out our guide. Looking for Walt Disney World tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!