A Trip Around The World: Germany
Today we’re taking a look at Germany on our next stop around the World Showcase. If you’re just joining us, you might want to visit Mexico, Norway, and China first. I’m sure a few people will catch that I omitted the Adventure Outpost area in between China and Germany. I really don’t understand what it is other than some drums and an ice cream stand. I don’t think it’s a great tribute to any land – so I left it out! Once you’re past this confused little area you’ll start heading into what looks like a storybook, starting with Snow White’s Wishing Well.
I’ve never been to Germany, but if it really looks like this, then I’m in love! Of course, it helps that just on the other side of this is Karamell-Küche. If you are in the market for amazing desserts, this is a can’t miss spot. Morgan did a great post on some of the treats at this location. I tried the salted caramel fudge brownie, and it was kind of a mess – just really tough to eat and not the best thing I’ve had.
Below is another view of the bakery from the outside. Just to the right you can see another door – this leads to the Christmas Shop next door. Ironically, during the holiday season decorations cover the sign to the shop, so I wasn’t able to feature it here!
This is what the inside of the bakery looks like. Just taking a glance at this picture I can smell the caramel and candy! I don’t know if they use scent machines in there or whether it really smells that magical, but even if you don’t plan to stop – wonder by and take a whiff! It’s worth your time. 🙂
Connected to Karamell-Küche is the Christmas store. It seems like there wasn’t as much in stock here as there had been the last time I passed through. It might be because they have to make room for all the people visiting this time of year! Even first thing in the morning I had to get creative with my camera angles to not have people in these photos. So for the people who have visited this shop before, who has a Christmas pickle ornament?
Next door you’ll find Stein Saus (which doesn’t block its sign with Christmas decorations!). I included as many signs as I could for this land because they are so bright and different. It is really something that stands out about Germany.
Inside Stein Saus you’ll, of course, find steins! There are also some other clothing and gift items. One of my favorite things is the candy you can find in this shop and sporadically throughout Germany.
Connected to this little shop is a small bar and wine shop. Below are some of the sample sizes that are available. We go to Epcot all the time, and I never really knew this was back there! I’m interested to head back and try something. Has anyone else done tastings at this bar?
There is a view of the shop. It is very small and cozy. Just looking at this photo you can see the details on the bar and photos along the wall on the right. There are tons of little details to check out in the Germany pavilion. How great are those light fixtures?
I also found this amazing carving in the wine shop. I’ve been blown away by all the neat stuff I’ve found while exploring to write these articles for you guys! It’s so different to go check out the lands early in the morning when they first open. I know not everyone has the luxury of going just to walk around – but if you have the time a morning walk around the World Showcase is so worth it!
Next door you’ll find this bright, pretty sign! I love how different the signs are throughout this land. Does anyone want to see if they can read German and guess what this sign says? (No cheating and just scrolling down!)
If you guessed crystal you’re right. Below is the view inside this lovely shop! It makes me wonder if crystal is terribly German since there is also a crystal shop in Mexico!
However, there is no denying that these cool windows found in the shop are very German!
When you exit the crystal shop you have finished the left side of the Germany Pavilion, and now you’re at Biergarten. This is a restaurant that I haven’t tried in quite a while. The dining room features family seating, so the last time we went, our party of two was seated at a table full of kids. Some people might love this, but it wasn’t for us. If you try it keep in mind you may be seated with strangers. The show is also very loud.
If you step under the arch featured above you’ll see this beautiful mural and find Sommerfest. This is a counter service restaurant featuring bratwurst and some of the best soft pretzels in all of Walt Disney World! (What can I say, I’m a pretzel connoisseur.) There is really limited seating here that fills up, so often I grab my pretzel and grab a seat in a neighboring land.
The below photo shows the right side of the courtyard in front of Biergarten. You can see the next couple stops on our tour and the fountain that is a focal point for the land. In doing research for this article I found out that the clock in this photo actually has figures that come out on the hour! I’ve never seen them before, but I plan to make sure I see them the next time I’m there!
Here is a close up of the statue featured on top of the fountain. This is St. George, the patron saint of soldiers. I Googled him, and it looks like he is often depicted poking dragons in the mouth. You just can’t make that stuff up, folks!
Continuing on, you’ll come to one of the cutest signs in Epcot! We’ll have to see what I find on the rest of our adventure around the world, but this might win the contest!
Inside the shop it just gets better. It really looks like the inside of a giant toy chest. There is a very well placed Kidcot station inside this shop that all little ones should visit!
Next door is a pretty neat painting/sign. I know the angle on this photo is a little odd, but it was the only way I could fit everything into frame. For years I have walked by without really appreciating the level of detail that went into this area!
Also in front of this shop is a stained glass window of a clock maker. The photo doesn’t do it justice because of the reflections. The colors are brilliant, and it really shines at night!
As I’m sure you can guess inside you’ll find clocks! The ones found in this store are quite pricey but amazing! I don’t know that I would ever pay to get one, but they are fun to look at. Has anyone reading actually bought one of these? I saw someone paying to ship one home while I was there and was shocked. I guess I didn’t think anyone actually bought them!
The last shop as you leave Germany is Das Kaufhaus, which means “the department store” according to Google Translate. That makes sense as they carry mostly clothing and other gifty odds and ends. The sign for the store is gorgeous!
Again inside you can find beautiful details hidden. This carving was just over a doorway as I was wondering through. Germany was a great land for details if you have an extra few minutes to take a look!
Here is a view inside the store so you can get an idea of the kind of things they carry there.
When you exit the store, be sure to look up at the detail on the building. I did some hunting but didn’t find the story on these guys. Does anyone know the significance of these figures being on the building?
One last stop is the Bier Stand! This is just what is sounds like, featuring German beers and soft pretzels. Don’t let the empty line fool you: this place gets hoppin’ later in the day! Sommerfest is a little more hidden, so when I’m craving a pretzel I head there for a shorter line.
As you leave Germany and start walking towards Italy, you’ll see this kiosk out towards the World Showcase Lagoon. It features carved glasses and steins. Sometimes the carving can get backed up, so if you have your heart set on one, it’s a good idea to visit early in the day.
Of course, no visit to the Germany pavilion is complete without walking through the miniature trains exhibit! I skip a lot of the World Showcase, but I think we stop and look at this every time. It’s fun to see the changes that are made seasonally and all the work that goes into maintaining the garden.
And with that we have finished another stop around the world. Did you see something new in the Germany pavilion? Is there something I missed that our readers should know about? Please let us know in the comments below. I’m always thrilled to hear from you and I hope you’ll be back to take a trip through Italy! As always – thanks for reading!
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I sampled the Radeberger Pilsner (and later lost my Souvenir Mug) and I sampled the Altenmunster Oktoberfest too. I didn’t like either of them.
Then I tried the Schofferhofer Grapefruit Beer, twice,and the girls got prettier and the birds and the bees began to sing to me.
Then I tried the Barenjager Honey and Bourbon concoction, and bourbon has never been the same again! I did all this while nibbling on 1 pretzel.
I am not proud of it. And I missed a lot of Italy because of it. And, btw, when I checked them out there were 6 Hapsberg knights hung up on that wall, not three! Could I have been seeing double? Thanks for informing me about all this.
I absolutely love the Germany pavilion! The Biergarten restaurant was a favorite of myself and my family, having eaten there quite a few times and celebrating my birthday there twice. The second time inviting me up on stage, cladding me in lederhosen, and conducting the band in ‘happy birthday.’ Also, my father won a shot glass in a yodeling competition. He couldn’t yodel, but that didn’t stop him from hiking up his shorts in attempt to hit the high notes..so funny yet embarrassing for his then tween daughter.. The dance floor is a great place for kids to let off a little bit of their energy before and after dinner. The food is pretty authentic, according to my mother who has lived in Germany. This was also about 10 years ago, so some things may have changed. Definitely a restaurant to try! So many wonderful, fond, family memories held there 🙂
Thank you so much for this series! I’m returning to Epcot in February after 8 years, so this is a wonderful way to refresh my memories about everything I loved about Epcot!
I love this site and the information about Germany. I have been to the pavilion at least five or six times and didn’t notice half of the things you pointed out. We are returning in April and this has just ignited my excitement! Thanks!
Hi, I’m from Germany and in most towns it doesn’t look like the German pavilion, but we have a quite a few medival towns which look like it. If I remember it correctly, Rothenburg ob der Tauber was the town which the try to duplicate.
About the pickle ornaments. I don’t know anybody who has one on his Christmas tree here in Germany and I’m not sure, where this urban legend comes from. The German pavilion (but I think that’s a point for all pavilions) shows a small part of Germany ( especialy Bavaria)and I hope it intrigues people to come and visit Germany.
I was a Food & Wine Festival Castmember 10 years ago and Germany was my home pavilion (I generally worked in the Australia kiosk which was just outside of Germany.) I spent many many hours in that pavilion and even I never noticed a lot of these wonderful details, including Snow White’s wishing well! This post brought back many fond memories and shone a light on new (to me) things. Can’t wait to see it again on my trip next month. 🙂
Hi Celisse – How cool that you worked there! I bet you have lots of fun stories! 🙂 I’m really glad you enjoyed and I hope that you have a great trip!
Great post! I never knew about the Snow White Wishing Well.
Thanks for reading, Ken! 🙂
The knights on the building is modeled after this building in Germany that has four knights. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Historisches_Kaufhaus_Freiburg.jpg) These represent four emperors of the Hapsberg family. The imagineers only had room for three. If I recall correctly, I think this tidbit is found in the book The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot. I also think there is a hidden Mickey on one of the crowns.
Thanks for sharing this! It’s funny, I’ve been going to the parks several times a week for 10 yrs and at minimum several days a month before that but I’ve never gotten into all the tidbits and trivia of the parks. I really appreciate your comment! I’m sure it is no great surprise Googling, “Three kings Germany” didn’t yield this information!
Jack Spence did an excellent blog about Germany a couple of years ago at All Ears. You can still view it and he talks about those figures on the buildings.
Wow – you aren’t kidding! If anyone wants the history lesson I’m lacking here you should Google this article! Thanks for the info, Sharon!
Stein Haus, as in House.
This is a clever idea for an ongoing series. Given the excellent track record of this website as well as the wonderful Unofficial books, I kindly suggest whomever is chosen to write the rest of the series do a little research on each country’s Epcot home before going to print. The series so far has been one long “Here’s a picture of something I don’t know much about; what do you think?” I find it simply unbelievable that between simply asking Epcot Cast Members, utilizing the rest of this website and the books…let alone the internet…one cannot find the answers to the simplest of questions regarding each Epcot land. There is also a fascinating history behind The Outpost both in its past and current incarnation, even though the concept is obviously flawed. Choosing to skip it because you “don’t get it” is just lazy reporting and not the hallmark of this website.
Personally, I have really enjoyed these installments. If you are able to visit disney several times a year, then these articles may not be for you as these details are most likely already etched in your brain. But for those of us that can only devote one or two days at epcot per trip, which comes only once every 1-4 years, this information is invaluable.
For instance we have been to epcot a total of 3 times, and we always skipped germany because we didnt think there would be anything for our kids. And we weren’t about to waste precious time to find out. But now i know that there is a mini train set display that my son would adore, and that toy store would be fun to look in for my girls. Also, my son is obsessed with clocks, so that clock store is a must see for our next trip (which isnt until April of 2015). Without this article we definitely would have skipped germany once again on our next trip. Knowing exactly where to go and what we can skip is huge for a planner like me. And with 3 small children, I don’t need a history lesson, I need to know if that crowd is worth penetrating or not.
I’ve loved this series. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed many of these details.
Seriously, it’s not meant to be an in depth cultural look at Germany. It’s meant to be a “wish I was there” piece to build excitement.
And yes, it’s “Haus” not “Saus”, but it’s also a blog and not the edited and published Unofficial Guide. A simple note so the author could correct would have been enough.
I think we just have a case of, “you can’t please all the people all the time”. My intention isn’t to present all the history of the pavilions. This is just for fun to give people a look that might not have a chance to visit. I leave things open ended in case others want to share their immense Disney knowledge. (Thanks Sasquatch :)) If this isn’t your cup of tea I hope you enjoy our other blogs on the site!
Rosalie and Sarah – I’m really glad you’re enjoying these! Thanks for your kind words!
The garden train exhibit features a hidden Mickey! It also changes locations with the seasons. Enjoy!
Hey Tina! I was looking around when I was there for photos and couldn’t find it. There wasn’t a CM around to ask so I thought maybe they weren’t doing it anymore. I’m so glad you shared – thanks for the info and happy hunting!