The Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot is a fascinating place to visit, and if you haven’t checked it out before it should definitely make the itinerary for your next visit. Morocco is a mountainous country about the size of the US state of California located in Northern Africa. The Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot is the only Pavilion in the World Showcase where the country’s government helped to design the space.
The Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot first opened on September 7, 1984, and the pavilion is the only one at Epcot that was fully sponsored by a government and not by a corporation. The king of Morocco sent his royal craftsman to design and lay all of the tiles in the pavilion and he sent more workers to design the carvings and paintings too. In 2020, Disney took over the ownership and operation of the Moroccan Pavilion and they have made a few changes and updates.
Let’s talk about what you will find inside the Moroccan Pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, you will find a working ancient water wheel that is used to keep the plants inside of the pavilion watered. You will also find a beautiful mosaic tile fountain inside the pavilion. The entrance to the pavilion features a realistic Minaret or prayer tower of a 12th-century mosque. The Minaret can be seen in the distance from most of the countries in the World Showcase.
You will enter the Moroccan Pavilion through an arched gate that is designed to be a replica of the Bab Boujloud gate into the medina or old city. Inside the old city, you will find a bazaar type of atmosphere with lots of traditional Moroccan goods on display for sale. You can find leather goods, baskets, brass pots, jewelry, and much more in the different shops and tents.
Shopping in the Moroccan Pavillion
If you are looking for a unique shopping experience at Epcot then you will find it inside the Moroccan Pavilion. You can find traditional clothing, jewelry, lamps, rugs, wall hangings, and more at the different shops inside the pavilion.
If you are looking for a gorgeous hand-knotted rug or tapestry then you should visit Casablanca Carpets where you will also find decorative throw pillows, prayer rugs, ceramic plates, and lanterns. Medina Arts is an outdoor shopping experience where you will find woven baskets and hats, pottery and ceramics, housewares, and Aladdin-themed merchandise.
The Brass Bazaar is the place to go if you are looking for handcrafted bowls, pitchers, cups, platters, and many items made out of brass. You can also find spices, jewelry, and assorted housewares. If you stop in make sure that you look for the hidden Mickey out in front of the store. Souk-Al-Magreb is the place to shop if you are looking for belly dancing attire or guides, Fez hats, couscous and the tools you need to make it, ceramics, jewelry, and even magic lamps. Tangier Traders is the place to stop in for traditional Moroccan clothing and shoes, decorative knives, mirrors made out of camel bones, wooden figurines, jewelry, woven baskets, and more.
Dining at Disney’s Morocco Pavillion
If you would like the opportunity to experience the tastes of Morocco then there are several different restaurants that you can choose from. Spice Road Table offers a variety of Mediterranean dishes on small plates. Order two or three different options to share and get a real feel of what people like to eat in Morocco.
Grilled lamb, spicy chicken, and fried calamari with harissa sauce are just a few of the tasty dishes you will find here. You can also find a variety of Moroccan adult beverages here like Mediterranean beers, wines, and signature mixed drinks like hibiscus mimosas and iced mint tea with gin.
The second dining option in the Moroccan Pavilion is Tangierine Cafe-Flavors of the Medina. Here you will find some Moroccan and some not quite Moroccan food offers. Fried falafel with tahini sauce, lemon garlic chicken, harissa marinated beef tips, and Moroccan spiced lamb kebabs with couscous, stone-baked Moroccan bread, and pistachio cake are a few of the items on the menu.
Their beverage selections include a variety of hard ciders and orange juice. The selections being served at this location right now are their offering for the International Food and Wine Festival. Did you know that this is the first time that a stand-alone restaurant has been used as part of the International Food and Wine Festival? Usually, all of the food and drink booths are of the pop-up variety.
If you find yourself just needing a snack break while visiting the Moroccan Pavilion then you should visit the bakery located at the back of the Tangierine Cafe. You can get pastries, cookies, mint tea, and refreshing frozen adult beverages for those warm Florida days.
There is another dining option inside the Moroccan Pavilion, Restaurant Marrakesh which is decorated like a sultan’s palace, but it has not been reopened since Disney shut down the parks in 2020. There are plans to re-open the restaurant in the future, but for now, it is an air-conditioned indoor space where Epcot guests can sit down for a bit to cool off and relax.
Attractions at the Morocco Pavillion
The Gallery of Arts and History is a museum located inside the Moroccan Pavilion in the Ville Nouvelle or new city, and the exhibits change periodically. The current exhibit is Race Against the Sun: Ancient Technique to Modern Competition which explores the amazing physical feats people have accomplished in the desert. You can also watch a slideshow about the landscape and people of Morocco inside the gallery. If you are interested you can book a free 45-minute Treasures of Morocco tour to really immerse yourself in the culture. Next door to the museum you will find the Fez House which is an accurate representation of a traditional Moroccan home.
There are stages set up in different areas of the pavilion where traditional artists and musicians perform, but those shows are currently still closed. You can also meet and greet Princess Jasmine and Aladdin in the back of the pavilion at the character meet and greet.
The Moroccan Pavilion is one of the least popular pavilions at Epcot which means that it is never too crowded. This is likely because there is no major ride or attraction located inside of the pavilion, but guests who skip it are really missing out. Not everyone has the opportunity to travel the world and the Moroccan Pavilion offers a real glimpse at what life in the country and that part of the world is like. The smells, tastes, and architecture of this wonderful country will make your trip to the World Showcase complete.
Have you been to the Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot before, and if so what was your favorite part?