The Italy Pavilion at Epcot serves as a remarkable homage to the rich cultural heritage and architectural splendor of Italy.

In this episode, we embark on a virtual tour, delving into the intricate details of the pavilion, including its architectural designs, culinary offerings, and the authentic experiences it aims to provide to guests. We are joined by a special guest from Italy, who shares invaluable insights and comparisons between the pavilion and the true essence of Italy.

Our discussion encompasses the significance of the architecture, the symbolism inherent in the design, and the culinary delights that reflect Italian traditions. By exploring these elements, we aim to enhance your appreciation for the Italy Pavilion and the magic it brings to Walt Disney World.

Mary Poppins with the songs, the fun and the motion picture excitement Walt Disney is famous for.

Yes, sir, we've got everything to make life easier.

Mother.

I was reading about a fellow named Tom Edison who's working on an idea.

For Snap on Electric Lights.

To be on the moon. To hear how the story goes. Go ahead and push my nose. WDW Radio, your information station.

Hello, my friend, and welcome to the WW Radio show, your Walt Disney World information station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show number 528.

And I'm here once again not only to help you have the best vacation experience when you go to the parks, but I also want to bring you a little bit of Disney magic wherever you are.

Not just with the podcast, but with my videos, live videos and broadcasts on Facebook every Wednesday night, my books, audio tours, special events, meet to the month and so much more. You can find everything [email protected].

So, for decades, Epcot's World Showcase has allowed visitors to Walt Disney World to visit, explore and learn about regions and cultures and people from all over the world, and in many cases, countries that they might not get to see otherwise. And with all things Disney, it's rooted in story and in the case of the pavilions of World Showcase, the history as well.

We wander through the replicas of villages and buildings and shops and streets and temples. But just how close are the pavilions to the real thing?

And in the past, we've asked and answered this question with detailed looks at the UK on show 202 and Norway on show 236.

And this week we're going to travel to Italy as I'm joined from a friend from Italy who helps to compare and contrast the pavilion with the country recorded live.

As we wander through the pavilion, we'll discuss the architecture, culture, symbolism, history and stories as we virtually tour the entire piazza and shops and dining opt history, architecture and so much more.

It's a fascinating look into how and where Italian culture and traditions and history are found in the pavilion itself, and the attention to detail that Disney's imagineers include to provide guests a truly authentic experience. And we also might stop to sample an item on the menu or two.

I'll then have the answer to our last Walt Disney World trivia question of the week, and I'll pose a new challenge for your chance to win a Disney Prize package.

Stay tuned to the end of the show for additional information and updates, including upcoming events, meets of the month, and a special event coming this September. Of course, I'll have your voicemails as well. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of the WW radio show. For many guests, Epcot Center.

It's always going to be Epcot center to me is their favorite park in Walt Disney World. For some, it's the attractions, the promise of the future, the festivals, food and wine. Yay. And of course, World Showcase.

Because here we're given the ability and really the Privilege of visiting 11 nations from around the world and experiencing cultures and cuisines that we probably wouldn't get a chance to otherwise. Each nation isn't just unique, but affords us the ability to wander, engage, learn, and of course, eat.

Because how best to learn about a people than through their food? Right? And so for me, excuse me, one of my personal favorite pavilions is Italy.

It speaks to me not just because of my personal heritage, but for the art, architecture, music, romance and. Well, obviously. But just how close is Italy to Italy? Well, I haven't been there yet, but stay tuned. We've got.

Maybe because there may be an opportunity for us to go together soon in the future, but I know someone who has and can help us navigate, tour and compare Italy in Epcot to the real thing.

I want to welcome my friend Maria Riboli, who was born in Italy, not the Epcot version, the real one, lived there much of her life, and now joins the ranks of many of us who have moved from the Northeast down to Florida. Ciao. That's the extent of my Italian. And welcome.

Ciao. Lucum. Estai Ben. You're supposed to say Ben.

Two years of Italian mixed with two years of Spanish did not make for a good combination for me at all. This is a segment a long time in the works. We met, however, many years ago in Hollywood studios.

And the first thing I recognized was that your accent was not from New York.

Really? Can you tell? I can't fake it.

So tell.

Give me a little bit of background in terms of, you know, like I said, you were born in Italy, but obviously, like I said, you also moved from the Northeast.

Yeah, I was born and raised in Italy in a tiny place called Pesaro. I'm putting Giada De Laurenti's here every time I talk about something Italian. So my town was called Pesaro in the Marchi region.

It's on the Adriatic Sea. It's kind of in the center of Italy, like an hour and a half south of Bologna.

And then I moved to New York City 20 years ago with a theater company and New York City has been home ever since. And I just became a Floridian, I think, a month and a half ago. For a few months. I'm gonna be here for a few months already. My acting studio.

But it's lovely to be here, and I have a piece of home right now.

Exactly.

And I'm so excited. Not just because I think your accent's awesome. Literally, the first day I met you, I'm like, we need to do something in and about Italy together.

And I'm gonna promise you, and you, the listener, I am not going to pronounce or attempt to pronounce any Italian words today, because that. That is while you're. While you're here.

And as we were walking up towards the pavilion today, you know, I said, you know, we were talking how this pavilion compares, I think, for a lot of the countries in Epcot, they try and bring in a number of different parts of the culture and geography and architecture. But here you were even saying, this is very much reminiscent of a single area in Italy for the most.

Yes, absolutely. I mean, we're looking at Venice here. First of all, it starts right here where we are standing right now. You have little bridges here.

You have the gondolas right there. And we were talking. I wish they would have had a little gondola ride in the Italy Pavilion. That would have been fantastic.

And a little thing that I shared with you before, every time you take a gondola ride in Venice, every time you go under a bridge, you're supposed to kiss. So please be sure to take a gondola ride with your loved ones. Obviously, don't kiss a stranger.

Maybe that's why they don't have gondola rides here in Italy.

Just to be safe.

Yeah. Keep it as family friendly as possible. So, you know, I was just thinking, let's sort of switch things up a little bit. We're talking.

We know we're in Epcot, talking about the real Italy, but in Italy, and this may be a bizarre question, is Disney a big thing there? Like, and is coming to Walt Disney's World as a tourist a big vacation destination?

Oh, absolutely. I remember growing up, and I grew up, you know, watching Topolino, that's Mickey Mouse and Paperino. Donald Duck. We had different names.

What's Donald called?

What's that? Donald Paperino.

What does that mean?

A little duck Literally means, like, a little duck. But those were the names. And, of course, we had nothing even close to Walt Disney World.

And I remember my first trip to the U.S. i was around 13 years old, and we went to Disney in California, Disneyland. And I remember my jaw dropped to the floor, and I was like, I need to live here. Just let me alone.

And now you do.

And now I do. And now I do. Which one would you wish for? But it's very much loved. I mean, every kid grows up watching the Disney movies.

And now that we have also, of course, Paris that he opened, you know, a few years ago, that's also a big center.

And have you been to the one in Paris yet?

Yes, I was there, I think three times when it opened. So, you know, many, many moons ago. But, yeah, I was there.

So do you know how Topolino. Do you know how Mickey Mouse got the name Topolino?

I think it's just because it's a tiny mouse. That's what it means, Topolino, a small mouse. And it's a cute little name.

And because, of course, also we cannot pronounce anything in English, so they have to translate.

So it's kind of true. But it's also because somebod. There's almost. The story of how it came to be is actually somewhat fascinating.

Mario Nerbini, you said.

I think it's so much nicer when you say it. Say, what's the cheese that begins with M and has two Z's?

La mozzarella.

So it's like Tiana's here. He wanted to create a weekly story in the newspaper for kids using Mickey Mouse.

And so later on that year, actually on New Year's Eve, he creates a story about Mickey Mouse being chased by an elephant. Unfortunately, he never bothered to contact Disney to get the name of the right. So he named.

He changed the name from Mickey Mouse to Topolino, which means a little mouse, and then swapped out Mickey Mouse with another mouse, which he called Topolino.

And then eventually, about issue seven or so, he secured the rights to Mickey and they changed the name to the Mickey Mouse short and now made that his official name by removing the space in between. Because by that time, everybody knew Mickey as Topolino.

Topolino. Yeah, that's the name. I remember having the little newspaper every week with Topolino with all the stories. Yeah, that was the name.

And Minnie is Topolina.

Topolina. Yeah.

And I love. And spoiler alert when we get to the store, like, there's so much Topolino and Topolina merchandise in there.

That's great.

That's great.

So, all right, let's. As we begin sort of our virtual tour, and it's a beautiful day. Like, the sun has gone in, there's a cool breeze going on.

The music is in the background. We have full bellies, so there's a huge smile on my face.

That is exactly what it is. That is exactly.

And it's interesting to me because I think, you know, if you think about Italy, you think about Rome, definitely with the Colosseum, and then you think about Venice. And I'm happy that they chose Venice because it's such a magical place. If you've never been to Italy, it has to be on your trip.

You have to see Venice.

And I always say, if you go to Venice, be sure to spend at least one night there, because there's nothing like walking around the city and seeing all the lights reflecting on the Canale and, you know, on the water. It's absolutely magical. So I'm glad they picked this one.

And I think part of the deliberate choice was because of the water features. You know, water obviously is hugely prevalent in Venice.

There's 117 little islands, actually, that are connected by all these bridges and 30 miles of canals and waterways. So what we see, you know, in movies, on tv, is obviously very much like the real Venice. Look.

Oh, absolutely. That's the way it is. And of course, in Venice, you know, you can drive a car. So you walk around. Yeah, there are no cars in Venice. Zero.

Yeah, you just walk around and you take the little boats and Il traghetto from one island to another. That's how you move around.

So you hear 30 miles of canals in waterways. You're like, wow, that's probably the most. The city with the most navigable waterways in the world. It's not.

Right.

Look, it's not.

It's not. Do you know what it is?

What is it?

Would you believe that there are some cities in Florida that actually have more? So Fort Lauderdale and Fort Charlotte have about 165.

But the number one city with the most navigable waterways in the world is cape coral with 400 miles.

Interesting. Do they have gondolas, though?

I doubt it.

So, I'm sorry, it's not working for me.

I know, and we'll get to the gondolas and we're actually looking at one now, and just how beautiful. But here there's only. There's 150 foot canal and that's the representation that we get.

But part and parcel with the canal are the bridges that we're standing in front of right here, up against World Showcase Lagoon. One of the nicknames given to Venice is the city of bridges. Just because, again, there are so many to get, you know, over and around.

Yes, of course. I mean, to go. To walk around everywhere, you just have to connect that way in the city.

And it's funny because, like, you know, I had actually a friend who was in Venice. It was training for a marathon and she sent me.

I don't know why she's doing that, but she sent me pictures of her, like, really early in the morning running around Venice, and there was nobody there. And even though, yeah, I was the same, I was like, it looks painful to me. It was one of the most beautiful moments she said, ever.

Like, running on the bridges and the stairs was really beautiful.

Sounds exhausting. I'm looking at these, like, 10 stairs in front of me. I'm like, that's. I feel like Rocky Balboa just walking to the top of those.

But then you can eat. So.

But I think you can eat without the running. And don't. Oh, don't worry, we'll get to the food too. I'm not even going to try and pronounce one of the bridges. Right there.

Il Ponte della Palha, which is located.

Near the Doge's Palace.

Yes. El Palazzo DEI Do. Yes.

See, it's so much better when you say it than I do. This is great. There's actually three bridges here in Epcot that cross the canal.

Two of them were actually here on opening day, and actually one of them was built only about 10 years ago. That sort of bring us out to this island, which has beautiful views of World Showcase and Illuminations. Oftentimes it's used for special events.

We did a dessert party here one night before a cruise. And it's just.

I think this is one of the most beautiful vistas in all of Epcot because of what you have in front of you and obviously what you have behind you. And this, this island right here is known as the Isle of the Lake, but I'm gonna let you say it in Italian.

Lisola del Lago.

So much nicer when you say it than I do.

But, you know, going to the gondolas, you were Saying earlier how wonderful it would be if Italy here had a gondola ride, much like they do in Tokyo Disneysea, which was one of my favorite things that I did there. Took a beautiful gondola ride. We saw somebody getting. Getting married there, you know, here.

And if they had something here, I think there would be lines out the door to ride it. But in Venice, there were.

There was like 8 to 10,000 boats originally in the 17th and 18th century, like I said, I didn't realize there was no streets, but that was the primary mode of transportation.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Because it was a major port, you know what I mean, for all the exchanging. And it was like a major, major port in Italy.

And so everything was on boats there. And it still is. I mean, to get around, as we were saying before, you have to be on a Un traghetto.

That's how they call it, a motorboat or stuff like that.

Yeah, but, yeah, I think now that they said that it's only around 400 or so of those gondolas left.

Right. But the gondolas, obviously, they're more for the tourists.

You know, I'm pretty sure it's an arm and a leg to get on a gondola right now, but it's like.

It's a mud. Like, you can't go to Venice without.

Exactly, exactly. It's one of those things that you have to do, and it's very sweet.

And speaking of sweet, I can't wait to get to one of those things that you have to eat when you go to Venice itself. But there were actually plans very, very early. Obviously, World Showcase has changed in terms of design and content through the years.

Originally in the back of the pavilion, where Via Napoli we'll get to the Pizza currently stands, there were plans to have an attraction back there which was going to have a walkthrough of Roman ruins and a gondola ride. There was. Before that restaurant was there. There was just a big empty wall.

And if you look sort of at a Google Earth view, you can see there was a lot of land back there that they could have. That they could have built an attraction.

But I think one of the things that makes this pavilion special and unique and beautiful is that the architecture, the pavilion itself is the attraction. And I think that's incredibly deliberate. And there is sort of this main street that runs down the center that's flanked by the two buildings.

It's known as. I want to say it, but I can't. In front of you, it's called welcome.

Street, which means Via Benvenuti.

Yeah. So there is no sign. Actually, there's a tiny one right there on the side of the building.

But obviously when you first come to the Italy Pavilion, the first thing that you see, the first thing that you're greeted with are these two replicas of these 12th century granite columns topped with the two structures that mark the entrance to St. Mark's Square, also known as the Piazza San Marco.

There you go. You don't need me anymore. I'm gonna leave now.

So there's two. On the right is St. Theodore of Amasea Perfecto. Oh, yay. My Italian teacher would be so proud or disappointed.

Very similar to a legend of St. George in Germany. Sort of the idea of St. Theodore slaying that dragon and saving the city and all of its inhabitants.

He was actually the first patron saint of Venice, obviously, the city in all of Italy, with its roots very much grounded in Christianity.

Yes, absolutely. I mean, it's Italy wherever you go. It's rooted in Christianity, that's for sure.

And on the left side is a winged lion. And he is the symbol. He's very much associated with St. Mark, but that very much is the symbol of the city itself.

Yes, the symbol of Venice. And it's also right now the symbol of the Venice Film Festival. That's the actual award. It's the lion. Yeah. But it's the symbol of Venice. Yeah.

Obviously, Maria being an actress and a director and a coach, that's the Srivi I know. So we were talking about how.

And so we can start walking this way, that this street, this entrance way opens up into a large piazza or a square that obviously here in World Showcase serves as a meeting place, a gathering spot. But you were saying a lot of not just Venice, but a lot of towns in Italy have piazzas like this that aren't just like that for tourists.

Like that's still where people get together and gather.

Absolutely. It's the heart of every city. And I think it's great that they did this here because to me, that's more Italy than anything else.

In this pavilion, like that little square where people can just stand around and just chit chat. That's Italy at its best.

And all the buildings sort of face in so that it is meant to be the place that gather. There's a sort of a raised platform there for a while. They used to do live entertainment and stage shows.

A lot of that happens now sort of on ground level.

But as you, as you start to look into the pavilion and into this piazza in the building, one of the things I notice is the color palette that's used very warm, of oranges and pinks and peaches. Even the pottery and the walkways are the same way. You know, again, from comparing apples to apples, is this sort of what that. That.

Absolutely, absolutely. That's. It feels very realistic to me, and it feels very cozy. There's something about those, this color scheme that just makes it feel very warm.

And as you were saying, because everything is facing the square, it feels like you're almost like in somebody's house. Like, it's very even. Like the tables that you have, you can eat outside. That's another very Italian thing.

Just, you know, you just sit, have something to eat. You sit there for like three hours. You know, that's very, very salient. But, yeah, that's definitely very faithful to the real place.

It's so funny you said sitting and eating for three hours, because that's why I look the way that I do is because I don't sit for 15 minutes. I sit and eat for. For three hours.

But in terms of, you know, a lot of times when we go through the different pavilions, they are representative of areas or elements of different parts of the country.

Here is meant to represent, obviously, a very specific location, but for deliberate, very intentional reasons, what we're seeing from this side is reversed from the original.

Yes, it is. And that's. I remember the very first time I saw it, I remember looking at it, I was like, I think there's something wrong with it.

And I'm not sure what it is because I couldn't pick it up immediately. So, yeah, the dimension obviously are different.

And yeah, the position of everything is a little off, but still, if you've never been to Italy, it's a good start.

I mean, look, the buildings are still, you know, massive for us, but very much on a smaller scale from the original. And it is. They are reversed from their positions in the original St. Mark's Square. And the reason why was for sight lines.

When imagineering was looking at the overall world Showcase from a distance, they wanted to create a balance with the American Adventure next door.

They didn't want to the large Dozens palace next to the American Adventure and then sort of have this imbalance between here and the gap of Germany next door. So they placed. I'm going to. I know, I'm going to the Campanile.

That's perfect. The Campanile. Perfetto.

I get so nervous in between. So there's a. When you look at it from across world Showcase lagoon, there's a little bit better of a balance and symmetry.

Yeah, absolutely. I think it works perfectly. Obviously, they did it because, you know, it made sense, and nobody does it better than Disney, so it totally works. Yeah.

So sort of going clockwise on our virtual tour. I love this building before I even knew what it was.

I love the color and the architecture and that sort of Gothic, Renaissance architecture and the archways. So this is the. This is known as the Palazzo del Doge. See, I like it so much better when you say it. I call it the Doge's Palace.

She says the Palazzo del Doge.

Doge.

The Doge. The magistrate, or the sort of the ruler of the city of Venice.

Of the city of Venice. And this. And I'm sure you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but they went through a lot of renovations.

Like, it kept getting renovated, and I know they had two major fires in two different moments. So a lot of it, like, the facade kept changing until it came back to kind of the original feel that they had with the very first one.

So how does this look? You know, if you were to sort of be here now and then go to Venice, how different, other than the scale, does this look in the original?

I have to say, the scale is the most obvious thing. Other than that, you know, you definitely get a feel.

And I have to say, right now, it feels like there's less people here than there, because Venice is known to have, you know, a lot of tourists. So right now it feels almost empty. But, yeah, it's very, very faithful. I think they did an amazing job with it.

All right, so quick aside, if there was an optimal time to go visit the real Venice, when would that be?

I always say September because it's when, you know, the kids go back in school so you have a little less crap. It's still a zoo because it's always very, very packed. But September, it's a good time, definitely.

So part of the reason why I love this building look, even just standing in front on the lagoon side, is the level of detail from the top and the finials all the way down to that, you know, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. If you look at the top of the palace, you'll see a statue of Doge. Andrea Gritti. Gritti.

Andrea Gritti, who represents a state.

And she's kneeling before The lion of St. Mark, which represents. Is sort of symbolic of the church in Italy.

And the book symbol that she's holding right in front of the statue symbolizes the sovereignty of the state of Venice.

But, you know, the amount of detail, because they really, obviously it would be doing a disservice if the level of detail was not completely accurate, especially for somebody that you like. You would come here, be like, this isn't really what it looks like. It's not a Disney fied version. It's just a shrunk down version of the original.

Absolutely, I agree with that.

And listen, I came here with some of my Italian friends who are very picky, and they walked into this pavilion, they were like, this is amazing what they were able to do here. And it's true, you get that feel. I mean, Il Palazzo del Dogeo. It's beautiful. The details, as you were saying, they're absolutely.

Even if you look at the windows, you see how many details, even the little dust on the side, like. And it's perfect because that's exactly the way it is, right?

The aging and the discoloring of some of the marble and the brick and the stone. Obviously, there's multiple levels. We only have access as guests to the first. You have to imagine that there's storerooms or offices upstairs.

How cool would it be if that was your office inside the palace in the Italy Pavilion?

But even looking down on this level, if you look at the capitals, which are the tops of the decorative columns that sort of bear a lot of the weight, that's why they sort of broaden out above the columns themselves. They're all the same here, although very intricately detailed.

But from what I understand, the one at the original palace, all those not only hand carved, but every one is unique.

Yes, they're all different. They're all different. So you get a great picture spot with every single one that you walk around. But yeah, they're all different there.

And you'll see, as you will elsewhere in civilian, lots of angels represented a lot of, you know, Catholic and religious symbolism, perhaps.

Of course, yes. You always have those even standing here. You have the angels right underneath the lion that you were talking before. Yeah.

So, yeah, if you weren't, if you didn't know that you were in Epcot, you would assume that this building was here for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Yes, I agree, absolutely.

So the campanile. Campanile. The bell tower is about 100ft tall here. It's more than 320ft tall and almost 40ft wide in Venice. So obviously the scale is the scale.

Is it's a tiny bit off. But I think again, I think they did a great job because it still feels very massive when you're looking at it.

And that's the feel that you get when you're there. So even though obviously it's smaller, they still were able to give you that feel.

And the original built back, it was started, construction began in the 9th century, but was built as a watchtower for again, like you said, there was the nearby dock in the port and like the palace itself also was damaged a number of times and converted from a watchtower to a bell tower. And I don't know if you ever heard like there's now five different bells in the tower. Each has a different purpose.

So the largest one rings at the beginning and the end of the workday. One rings at midday, another one rings to summon council members, another one begins to set it.

And I think one of them has to be for like snack time too. Just because. Do you do like coffee break? Do you do like.

Yeah, because in Italy, excuse me, Much like my parents and grandparents, did you take a little break during the day and have dinner very, very late at night, right?

Then you have your full on lunch where people come home from work and sit down and have like an hour, an hour and a half lunch. And then of course you have merenda. Merenda is your afternoon snack.

It's usually around five and it was another full on meal and then you have dinner late at night.

Yeah, so it's nice to know that I've been doing it right all along and honoring my Italian heritage, unbeknownst to me at home. Because that's, that's pretty much how I roll all day long. At the top of the campanile is the Archangel Gabriel.

Like the original, this replica is actually covered in gold. Not because it's meant to be. It's less decorative than the fact that it doesn't tarnish.

And to use a precious metal like that was probably cheaper than having to clean and refurbish the angel on a decorative base, which is part of the reason why they also use gold on places like Cinderella Castle as well too. Let's sort of walk through, let's sort of walk through the, the palace a little bit because there's details both inside and outside.

Maybe we could even talk. So why don't we talk about the. Why don't we go through, we'll talk about the. The shop itself. It's. I don't want to even say it. The beautiful crystal.

Yes.

So from what I understand, the arches of this shop are meant to be representative of the exterior of the Sistine Chapel.

But in here, I mean, the first thing, even before you see anything you smell there is again, it just reminds me so much of going to an event with a lot of my family members. Because you smell the perfume.

It's funny that you just said that, because I walked in and I got that sense memory of just women walking down Via Condottino Roma with these beautiful dresses and this smell, this beautiful perfume. So, yeah, that definitely feels Italian too.

Or again, you know, my family originally came from Brooklyn. It was like when you went to a funeral, everybody was in black and you smelled it before you even walked inside. I love my family to death.

But, you know, again, look, our olfactory senses are the most. Are the ones that are most directly connected to memory. So.

So it's not a surprise that sometimes you smell things and, you know, this reminds me of my mother, reminds me of my aunt.

But you'll see that they have a lot of clothing and fine leather goods, jewelry, and a line of fragrances by the Acqua di Parma, as well as the scents that are created here specifically for men and some for women. And I think Prada also has a line that's exclusive to Only here and the store for. Yeah, Only here in New York.

Oh, wow. I didn't know that. We might have to try it.

I hope by we you mean you, because I'm not sure if anybody wants to be. Although it's incredibly hot outside, so it might not be the. It might not be the worst thing. Yeah, because.

And this store has changed a little bit over the years. They used to have a lot more Italian themed.

For a long time, there was a lot of Ferrari merchandise in here, which I think you need to have the car first before you buy the shirt. But they've moved a lot of that to the other side. But the store is very simple, it's very elegant.

And as you walk through, you get to really one of my favorite parts of this pavilion. Oh, look, there it is. There's the. How do you say it?

La Ferrari. La Scuderia. Scuderia Ferrari.

One of these days audio guides are still on sale, by the way, so. But in the back Is. And I'm going to mispronounce this. La Gemma Elegante.

Where am I looking? Yes, yes, The.

The elegant. The elegant gem.

Doge Vitale Michieli.

See, close enough. It sounds like a character from the Godfather, but he was victorious over the person he was running against.

And to celebrate that event, a party called a Carnaval.

Carnevale. Yeah.

Carnevale was given, and all the attendees had masks. And the reason why was to hide the differences of the social classes. And eventually the church incorporated this event into Christianity.

It became the Carnival of Venice, which happens right around Mardi Gras, right?

Yes, that's exactly what it is. And it's interesting that you're saying this, because they used to have. People used to wear those masks at different times of the year.

So not just for the Carnevale, but also, like right after Christmas, all the way to the epiphany. Just to hide themselves. Yeah, yeah. It was born like that. And then, of course, it developed into the carnival and everything. Yeah, yeah. And it's.

And you see, they all. And I'm sure you know all this, but they all have different shapes. And I was actually looking for the one that are right there.

You see the white ones that they have no mouth. It's almost like a prominent.

Like a beak. Almost like a giant.

It almost looked like a beak. That one, the two right there, the white one. And the reason why they had it like that is because they were able to eat without removing the mask.

Now you're talking. That's the one I need to get.

Yeah. And then, of course, they have all the masks for the very famous characters of the Carnevale. You have Colombina, you have Arlecchino.

Those are all the masks that are very, very famous in Italy.

Oh. So I didn't realize that some of the masks were representative of individuals or characters. I thought they were just decorative.

No, no, they have. They represent characters. And again, some of them. They had different meanings based on the people that were actually wearing them at that time. Yeah.

And then eventually a lot of these masks were also brought in. Coming full circle to you. A lot of these were also used in theatrical productions as well, right?

Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah. La Commedia dell'. Arte. That's. Yeah, that's where. Of course, then they still do. They still use all those beautiful masks.

And the costumes that come with it.

And so when Carnavale happens, is it still very much that costumed mask production?

Yeah. Il Carnivale di Venezia. It's like it's something you've never experienced in your life.

Like you see those incredible masks and those gorgeous ginormous dresses and it's just. And it goes on for days from one party to another. You go, you know, to one palazzo to another on the canal. It's very, very magical. Yeah.

I think we should do a follow up episode where we go during Carnavale and we sort of compare again, if we're going to compare Italy to the original, we should probably do, you know, a bookend episode. One of the very first videos I ever did was with Giorgio Balocalok, who is the, I guess the head craftsman and artist here.

Obviously they always have an artist here working on was just how intricate and beautiful and delicate these are. I remember I was so impressed too.

Like I got one for my mother who, you know, of all the tchotchke she had around the house, she never had a Venetian mask. But they are, they are, they are little works of art.

Absolutely.

And I think it's like if you go to Venice and I guess if you come here to Epcot, especially to the Italy pavilion, you can't go home without one of those masks. And I think everybody in Italy has at least one of those on their walls or everybody has a little mask. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

And if you have never been back here before, you should just don't touch, look with your eyes, don't. Because the oils of your hands will actually affect the masks. But they're beautiful.

And some of them are made into ornaments, some of them are made into jewelry. And I guess, you know, if you wanted to, you could take one and wear it to. You could wear it to Carnevale.

But again, some of them are so incredibly detailed. I mean, they would look beautiful up on a wall.

They're really gorgeous. And the ones that they only cover your eyes were born for women. So those are the first ones that women started to wear. And then the.

The female character of the carnemal is called Columbina, that's her name. And so she used to wear one of those. And then of course, everybody can wear also men and everything.

Yeah, they're beautiful. And again, little pieces and I think one of the most unique souvenirs that you could bring back.

So we were talking earlier about architecture and bridges and we're standing as you. If you come out the back end of La Gemma elegante. I'm going to try my best.

You come to a small alcove that has access to a backstage area with a beautiful staircase that leads to a second level that's very nondescript, but is one of my favorite little, little sort of out of the way, tucked away places here.

Yeah, it's really nice. And we were talking before. This reminds me a lot of what's called in Venice, Il Ponte DEI Sospiri. If you want to translate that, go ahead.

Il Ponte DEI Sospiri in Venice used to be this little bridge that used to connect il Palazzo del Doge to the prison cells. And so it was called El Pondere so Spiri because that was the final walk of all the people going to jail. And it was their last look at Venice.

And so everybody was like. And that was a little Dead man walking. Yeah, a little bit. A little bit. But I was in Ponta Rezo spirit.

And so this niche reminds me a little bit of that.

So do you know, again, this is not accessible to guests, but do you. So at the bottom of the handrail is the statue of a woman. I tried to. I was wondering if it was Mary. I don't know.

That's what it looked like to me right now, but I don't. I actually don't know this.

I don't know either.

No, we're gonna say it's the Virgin Mary.

We could say it's the Virgin Mary.

It probably is.

But if you come across the way. And this is one of my favorite little details. I love showing people that. I think because most people have no occasion to come back this way.

But look, even. Look at the door handles, how they sort of. The bronze fish. There's a. There's a carving of a.

A pretty hideous looking face, which Romadia San was modeled after Bacchus, who was the God of wine. I am not going to even attempt to read what it says under there.

Okay. It says, de nantie secrete contro contrabandieri et transgressorio in ogni sorte diogli. Very dramatic. Because we're very dramatic in Italy.

No, You've met my mother, obviously. I love my mom very. But so very short translation.

Do not pass over here. Like, just stay where you are. You cannot pass. So.

So something again, about. In old Italian about secret accusations against smugglers. From what I understand, this was known as the mouth of truth. Yes, it was. So you. You.

This is something.

This is like the mouth of truth. It's really in Rome and there's this. And it's like this, like, really, really big.

She has her arms way out.

I'm used to TV people. I'm used to a camera. So it's usually really, really big. And, you know, it's known that you put your mouth.

Your hand in it, in the mouth, and if you say a lie, your hand will not come back. So that's the. Obviously the legend, but yeah, it's in.

That's a much more morbid understanding of what I thought, because Maria said this was sort of a.

It was a mailbox that would allow citizens of Venice to anonymously lodge complaints against other people, the government, whatever, and report those crimes. So these were at one point in the early days of Venice, found throughout specifically for that purpose.

So you would write on a piece of paper your complaint about your neighbor, drop it in there anonymously, or even the government, without any sort of fear of repercussion against you. So if your neighbor was a criminal or evading taxes or whatever, this was your way. It's sort of like a little snitch box.

That's exactly what it was.

So happy they don't have these anymore.

Yes, we don't need those. Yeah, yeah. They probably had those around Venice. I know the one in Rome is known for that. If you say a lie, you lose your hand.

But I'm sure they have all those in Venice.

Yeah, the Italians don't fool around. You lie. Yeah, we know people.

So as we continue again on our clockwise journey to the center of the piazza, I remember over the years a number of different. Sometimes the ziti sisters used to be out here, but we're getting to arguably what. What you can say is some of my.

Our we're Italian favorite parts, which is the dining. To our left is tutto Italia, which was originally known as L'. Originale. Oh, just you say it.

L' originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante.

That was for about 25 years, the only restaurant that was here at the Italy Pavilion. It was operated by Alfredo's of Rome. The parent company was based in Rome. Very, very popular restaurant.

Not just because it was the only one here, because the food was excellent. And I will tell you, as an Italian, and you're gonna. If you haven't found this out yet, Maria, finding good Italian food in Florida, it's tough.

Yes, it is.

And you come from New York, so it's, like, doubly tough.

Yes. I feel the pain right now. Yes.

Change the name and some of the signage. See if I get this right. Tutto Italia means basically all Italy. All Italia?

No, Tutto Italia to me means, like, everything Italian. Yeah, everything Italian.

Which makes sense, because the cuisine inside is inspired by flavors and recipes from throughout the country.

Because like anywhere, like United States, we have, you know, different flavors from New York, as you would from the Pacific Northwest, as you would from the Southeast. So you'll have a lot of items that. And the menu is so huge. I love it so very much. And they have a separate lunch and dinner menu, too. Maybe.

Maybe we need to come and eat here one night. And if we're going to compare the pavilion, maybe we need to compare the food as well.

Very nice. I'm in. I'm in. Let's do it.

So when we talk about cuisine, that's. That's Northern Italian versus southern Italian. From a general perspective, what does that mean?

It's different. Like, it. In the north. North of the mountains, you get a lot of meat, and, of course, where it's cold, you get more stews that are very popular.

And then when you go to the coast, then you have fish, and it's the most amazing fish. And of course, the red string that connects it all is the pasta. Because pasta is, like, it's on every table at every meal. Always. Always. Yeah.

Which is obviously why I have the fluffy physique that I do.

It's good for you.

But they do. They've got a number of different pastas, just like 20 different appetites, which, you know, that's like, family style around the table.

Sunday, if you weren't hungry, that's good. I'm gonna make some more food. That's exactly what my grandmother would do.

But I see things that I remember from growing up, you know, including parmesans and lasagnas and pasta bolognese, which is my favorite.

But if you look at the architecture of the building itself, it's different than what you see, obviously, in the Doge's palace and even some of the other buildings. It's very elegant, it's very formal, inspired by a little bit more of a Florentine design than elsewhere.

It's funny because, like, when we. When we walked into the square and we started looking at all the restaurants, my first impression was, like, this really feels like Italy.

Like, this niche. It's the most Italian of the whole. Whole pavilion to me. Like, the way the Restaurants are. It's definitely. It feels like you're in Italy right now.

And that's. And that's the greatest testament that you can give to a pavilion.

As somebody coming from Italy saying, it's like that, we'll just sort of peek our heads in really quickly, because if you've never had occasion to come in here before, you'll see just how air conditioned it is. Just come for the air conditioning, stay for the food. But you see. Ciao. Good. You see just how elegant it is with.

From the rich, dark woods and the carpeting and the chandeliers, the mosaic tile work.

Yeah, it feels very rich. It feels very. It's between Rome and Florence to me right now. And it's nice.

The mosaic on the floor, it's a very nice touch because that's very Italian. Yeah.

And if you look on the walls inside, you see not just the mirrors, but the. The trompe tromp.

The paintings that sort of are meant to sort of deceive the eye, to give you a sense that you're almost looking out a window to where you'd be eating.

Yeah. And so you get the feel also that it's bigger and it's beautiful outside at any moment of the day. Yes, absolutely right.

And the imagineers and the artists duplicated the styles of Paolo Veronese. Paolo Veronese, a Venetian painter during the Renaissance. So again, as you sort of peek in, it's just a.

It's a beautiful restaurant that you'd feel comfortable having a dinner date or coming with a couple of friends for a formal evening, as well as walking off the promenade in the middle of the afternoon.

Yeah. And I notice also all the glass sculptures that they have, and that's very specific of Venice. Il Vetro di Murano, the glass of Murano.

So Venice has all the little islands in the front, and Murano is very, very famous for all the glass work. So that's definitely something that. It's very, very Italian.

Yeah.

I think we need to come here and do a live dining. Come hungry. Come hungry. Attached to here is one of my favorite venues. It's like my own little hideaway sometimes. We did.

I did a review with Becky a few years ago, and it's the Teddy Goose wine cellar. And even from the entrance itself, you get that. That feeling of that aged brick, the low ceilings, the large timbers and the dark woods.

And it has a very different feel than any of the other restaurants. Now. Is this like a wine cellar? Did you find Italy?

100%. This I really love because it feels very, very specific and very faithful to the country. I actually remember growing up in Italy.

In my little town, there was this teeny, tiny osteria that had a lot of this feel. You have a lot of, like, the woods, like the table and the brick walls, and it's just so warm. And it just invites you to stay.

Just sit, have a glass of wine, chit chat. And you know, you've got to eat.

Because they do have a full. They have a full menu here. And if you look on the site or on itunes, you'll find the review of Viannopolis.

But they have a huge sharing plate, as well as full plates of lasagnas and paninis. But one of my favorite things. Come here. I have to bring you over here. This is my favorite part.

There's also a full bar that you could just walk up and walk into. And one of the reasons why I love this restaurant is that you can just walk up without a reservation. But it's the case, the cold case, Salivating.

You don't even have to be hungry to come here and want to eat something.

We just ate. And I'm like, okay, we're gonna do this again right now.

And this is so Italian, the way it looks like, you know, the olives, that's such an Italian staple. We have it on every table. And especially at night, you eat stuff like this, Especially in the summer.

You have caprese with, you know, mozzarella and tomatoes, and you have olives. You have, you know, yafettati called prosciutto mozzarella. And of course, you have to finish with Nutella.

Well, of course. So I could just eat now. Artichoke hearts, marinated artichoke hearts. I could just sit there and eat that entire plate all by myself.

Yes. I'm the same. I'm like, I adore karchoffe. And they're like, in Rome, there's a very famous dish called I carcoffe alla Romana, the Roman style.

And they're usually like the big one and with gratin. And you put it in the oven. Yep.

You give me a little couple of plates of this, the caprese. And look at the cheese. Like, I love the freshly cut, like parmigiano, Reggiano cheeses and the salamis. I could do this all day.

Yeah, that's all you need. And that's really what it's.

That's a table in any house in Italy, like, at night, you know, for dinner, you have, you know, all those things and you find the same in a restaurant which, you know, Italian. We actually eat very simple food. It's usually two or three ingredients in the plate, no more than that. But the flavor is so strong and so fresh.

Nothing comes from a box. Nothing comes from a can. It's very, very fresh.

Just look at that little setup of the cheeses and the breadsticks and the breads. And you're right. The Nutella chocolate cake in that. And there's five or six different panna.

Cool. Tiramisu. Tiramisu. You know what tiramisu means, right? You know that?

Of course I do.

But just for the benefit of that. I thought you knew. Tiramisu means pick me up. Oh, that really was. Yeah, it means that. And because there's coffee in it. So it's a little pick me up.

So we see there's. There's a number of different specialties and pastas and dolce gusta. So what are some of the.

So we have la fettuccine meatball parmigiano in voltini di melanzane. The doors of melanzane is eggplant. Yeah.

Oh, breaded and fried eggplant. I eat it like it's candy.

So good. In Sicily, there's a plate with a pasta dish with the eggplant mozzarella, and I think tomatoes. It's one of the most delicious things ever.

And then they have fusilli di gragnano alla carbonara, which is la carbonara. It's one of the easiest thing that you can make. It's just with eggs and pancetta. It's kind of like bacon. That's all you need.

And it's like a creamy white with the.

Yeah, it's a pass. It takes two seconds to make. It's delicious. Ziti, all ragu di salsiccio.

Of course, you have a ragu with sausage, and then they have different tiramisu. So, okay, you have with the mocha, with the nutella, la panna cotta picanoli. Yum. Yeah.

And full bar, extensive wine menu. Obviously, it.

So that it's dark, because that's also the feel when you go to one of those in la.

It's beautiful here at night. I love it here at night. And again, you can, for the most part, oftentimes just walk up with no reservation and always find a seat.

I remember going there once, having little limoncello and Limoncello with limoncello.

It was meant to be.

In the back of the pavilion, I think for a lot of people. This is what not only brings them to, but brings them to the back of the pavilion.

Because I think for a lot of people, Maria, they come to Epcot and they'll look at the map and say, well, there's no attraction here, let's just walk by. There's nothing to see. Via Napoli, obviously, almost deliberately so in the back of the pavilion is that food based weenie to bring you back here.

Really love what they do and more importantly, the authenticity of. Now you've eaten at Via Napoli before.

I've never eaten at Via Napoli, no.

Add that to the list.

It's on the list. It's on the list.

But I have like two very dear friend of mine, Andrew and Corey, they're runners actually and they always do the Disney race and they always come to Via Napoli to get their carbs in before a big race. And they love it. They said the pizza is fantastic.

I come here to get my carbs before like a big walk. Like I think walking to Via Napoli is why I need to carb load. And I've said it, forgive me, ad nauseam, a million times.

One of the things I miss, who am I kidding? The only thing I miss most about New Jersey, Newark area is the food. And the pizza is very, very hard to find.

And if you haven't had pizza yet down here, and I'm not saying it because I'm just an enthusiast, but this is one of the few places to find good pizza. And please back me up. It's the water.

It's the water. It's the water.

Explain what that means because I mean.

The water in New York is really good. We're on the, you know, one of the top cities in the country. We have the best water.

And so it makes a difference when you make the pizza stuff or the pizza the dough, it makes a difference for the bagels. I'm sorry, they don't even know what.

A bialy is down here. Or a knish.

Right.

The things that we miss. But before we even get to the architecture, they do, they import the water from to a place where the ph is very similar to what you'd find in nature.

The flour is imported from Italy because the ingredients, including the water, really do matter. And they make a difference.

Absolutely. It makes a total. I have a friend of mine, he has a pizzeria in New York and he imports all the ingredients from Italy. Then it's A different story.

It's just. It's a different thing. Absolutely.

And the fact that it's wood fired, authentic, like Neapolitan pizza, because you can make your own with any types of ingredients, but they also have a lot of gourmet toppings. Like how do you say. Now I know how I say it. How do you say that word right there?

What am I looking at? Calamari.

Calamari. It's calamari.

Calamari.

The artichokes and the eggplant and the porchetta and the prosciutto. Like the price of a pizza is going to run you starting around $21, but it's worth it because of the.

When you use fresh ingredients and the flour and the water it makes. If Via Napoli delivered, I would probably never leave my house.

Yeah, I agree. I agree with you. And I love the fact that they also do the gluten free pasta and this one because I think it's impressive.

So you do gluten free. So that's important to know that they do.

Absolutely. I can do that as well. And you know, the LA Pizza Napolitana has a different. It's a very, very thin pizza. That's the way it's made.

And I can see they have a little picture here. You can see this is the, the perfect Italian pizza with the crust that you get, the little bubbles. Yeah, that's the perfect one.

That's the perfect one.

Which is different than like a New York pizza where you fold it and then the oil sort of drips down your arm a little bit onto the paper plate below. But they also have pastas, small plates. I know I did a live review of here a long, long time ago, but it's been a while since I came back.

They used to have, for a little while they had a walk up window. We could get individual slices of pizza to go. Like that's a party right there. But it's beautiful inside. One of the things I.

There's a couple things I like. Obviously they've got. It's a bit of a show kitchen.

They've got those three, the wood burning ovens that are named after some of the active volcanoes in Italy, like Etna, Vesuvius and Stromboli. Each has a face, sort of giving them a little bit of an individual personality. But one of the things I loved is we can hear.

We're gonna walk closer so we can see. Plus we can get a bit of air conditioning too. They've got seating for 250 inside.

They've got Outside seating as well as sort of covered patio seating. But I love the high ceilings. It's so light, it's so airy. You've got those painted murals that look as though they've been aged as well.

But there's something about this that makes me feel to a certain degree like I'm at a restaurant in Italy. But I love sort of the communal table in the middle. That's what that.

And that's a snack. That's how we start. Yeah. I don't know what it's like for Italians say the food is so important. We take it very, very seriously.

And one of the things that we love feeding people, we love that, like, you can make me happier if you come over to my place, I'm like, and I can cook for you. Just, I'm very happy about it. There's so much love that we put in the food and we're very particular about the way we do it.

Then you're like the big table, it feels so like, you know, la familia.

You know, there's family here and, and you share and everything is combined and it's just an opportunity to be there together and chit, chat together.

You hit on something. And I try and I've tried to artic. There is something about putting love into the food.

It's not an ingredient that you can see or quantify, but you can tell. And I think even here there's some of that because everybody here is from Italy. Every server, every chef is from, they know the importance of that.

This is not a restaurant where you go to some attractions at theme parks and it's about turnover. It's about getting you in and out.

You can sit here and have a long, leisurely, delicious meal over a giant, you know, and share two, three or seven pizzas.

I agree, I agree. It's just, it's part of the culture. And again, it's very few ingredients, very fresh. It's all about, it's all about the food and just.

And all the food that brings you together, that's really what it's all about.

And so one of the things that they have on the menu here, and I want to ask you, is that they have a signature non alcoholic drink called Aqua Frescas. There's limonata, blood orange and strawberry. Is that something that's served and like kids or adults drink in Italy.

Is it a combined thing you say, like, la limonata with. It's called aqua frescas, limonata, blood orange and strawberry. I have never heard.

Let's go look at the menu. I've never heard of wine because we. You know, when you see On. Sorry. On TV or in movies, you know, everybody's drinking wine all the time.

It's Even if you want. So, I mean, is that true? I mean, is wine very much a part of the everyday meal?

Yeah, it's. It's. You know, I remember growing up, my father always had a glass of wine for lunch and one for dinner. And it was never a taboo. We never grew up.

We're like, oh, it's a taboo, or nothing like that. Yeah.

And kids start drinking about as well.

Yeah, yeah. Or seven. Yes. Yeah. Depends from the family, but yes.

Let's see. Okay, so they don't have it on the. They don't have it on the menu outside here, but yeah, they have a bunch of different.

They're called aqua frescas, limonata, blood orange and strawberry. They do have some signature drinks as well. I saw. You saw the limoncello Mule.

It looks really nice with vodka, limoncello, orange juice, pineapple juice puree. Oh, my goodness. We might have to go back in.

That would be a little refreshing on a hot day.

And I wanted to point something out. I'm sorry. They do have one of the pizza with prosciutto melone that. It sounds a little interesting to me as a pizza, but prosciutto melone.

So how you say prosciutto? Right. That's how you say prosciutto and cantaloupe. That's the summer dish in la. You just.

We have. I had. As a kid, you had a slice of melon with prosciutto on top.

Yeah. That's dinner. That's dinner.

Oh, yeah. Oh, that was like an appetizer.

Yeah. Well, yeah, the appetizer for dinner. Yes, yes, I agree.

An appetizer for us is, you know, But I always wondered, like, how that came together.

I don't know who came up with it, but it was a genius because I think you have the sweetness of the fruit and a little bit of the salty of the prosciutto. It's perfect, and it's so fresh.

And that's why.

And especially around the holidays, a lot of times I won't make it from the kitchen to actually a table because what ends up happening, you all gather around the kitchen as the meat and the cheeses and the artichokes and the peppers and all that's being sliced. And you stand around that. You know, here, and especially a lot of houses here in Florida, we have the big island in the middle.

You just sort of stand around the island and just pick. And that's sort of the social center.

Yeah, absolutely. That's exactly what it is. And it's funny because, like, even I still do that. That's. I think that's the Italian in me, the fruit.

And so even if I have friends over, I do that, and people feel like you're doing too much. I'm like, this is not. You need to see me when I cook at Thanksgiving dinner. This is nothing.

We're gonna do a live broadcast from your house, from your apartment at Thanksgiving. I can't wait to come over because you've never actually cooked for me, so I need to just.

I want to make sure that you can back up everything that you're saying and the fact that I'm. And that I'm starving, so you might be able to hear the falling water behind me. This is.

It's often been called the Neptune Fountain or the Trevi Fountain, and it's actually a little bit of both. It's a combination of the two.

Yeah, it's a combination. I think it's a little. It's a salute to the fountains in Rome.

To all fountains, but mostly Trevi.

Exactly. So la Fontana della de Nettuno di Bernini. It's in Rome in the Piazza Navona. And Piazza Navona is one of my favorite spots in Rome, actually.

It's this gorgeous square that used to be a stadium, like the Colosseum. That's what it used to be like.

And so they had, you know, fights there and everything, and they actually used to close it and fill it up with water and have bottleship, and it was. It was fantastic. Yeah, it was really pretty amazing. But they were able to. To do. But so this is a little homage to that.

And of course, I can see all the little coins in the fountain for good luck. You're. If I remember correctly, you're supposed to use your right hand and throw it over your left shoulder if I. If I.

Or else it's going to backfire on.

You in a big way like that. Yeah, we're very superstitious.

I think the Italians are very Super. Yeah. Top 10 superstitions Italians have, Right? You got to walk it. You got to walk out the door. You came in. You never sit with your back to the door.

That could be more of a Godfather,.

But there are so many. Of course, you know, you can't walk under a ladder. The broken mirror. Seven years of bad luck you have. And if you're.

If you're on the table, if you're eating and somebody asks you to pass the salt, you have to put it down. You don't pass it from one hand to another. You put it down. And then the other person, oh, I've.

Been doing it wrong.

Yeah, that's what it is.

That explains a lot.

Yeah, yeah. But we have a lot. We have a lot.

You'll also see a little bit of the Neptune fountain in Florence. And from Greek mythology, it looks very much like Poseidon, the God of the sea. And like the Greek God, in his left hand, he has a trident.

You also see the two messenger dolphins and the conch shell in his right hand. And as you can see, while we're standing here, here, this is one of the most popular photo spots, probably in. In.

Not just in the pavilion, but one of the most popular ones in Epcot. Forget the bubblegum wall on the purple wall. You want to take it by the fountain.

Yes, I agree. It's, It's. It's beautiful. And it's just so, to me, also reminds me a little bit of the Little Mermaid.

So I'm sure there was a wink there to the Little Mermaid, but it's. It's a lovely spot. Yeah. And you can make your wish, but.

Do it the right way. Way right. Throw it over your back to the water, over your shoulder.

And, you know, if you look immediately to the left, you'll see this stone wall, which it currently is used for a smoking section. You know, from a personal perspective, I kind of wish it wasn't, because you see that hanging over that wall are grapevines.

Because people, I think, sometimes don't realize how important the wine industry is and how prevalent it is. They. About one fifth of the world's wines come from Italy, and it's made throughout the entire north and southern regions.

I mean, pretty much everywhere in Italy.

Wines everywhere. And every single region has. Every wine has a different taste. And, I mean, you know, so many that come from Italy, you know, for.

Of course, in Chianti, that's, you know, the. One of the most famous ones. But every single region has a different taste because of the wine. The.

The grapes are different, so you get something sweeter if you like something sweet, a little bit more fruity, something a little more acidic. It depends what you like. But, yeah, every Single region has something.

Are you a red or a white?

I'm going with a white. It depends. And, you know, it depends from the meal. Of course it depends on the meal. I do like.

Like in the summer, it's chill white wine with some fish. I'm good to go.

So not only are they. Are Italians the leader in the world production, there are leaders in consumption. So per capita.

Per capita, they drink 18 and a half gallons a year, as opposed to six and a half gallons in the United States.

It's good for your heart, right?

It's right. It's also like antioxidants and.

Yeah, it's. I mean, it's fruit I can justify.

See, I like how you think we can justify almost anything. And you're right. It's not meant. It's not consumed like, you know, you're chugging beers at the game.

It's just part of your daily routine and diet and menu.

It's a way to enhance your meal. That's really what it is.

And that's why it's picked very specifically what you're eating, because you want to bring some acidic notes or you want to bring something a little.

There's very much an art and a science to the wine and wine pairing I've tried to learn over the years. I still have no idea what I'm doing. I was told, look at the most expensive one and the least expensive one and just pick one in the middle.

And that's the one that you should order.

And if you like it, then it's good.

Right? And that's the thing. If you like the wine, it doesn't matter what Wine Spectator says or what this reviewer says.

If boxed wine from Price Close Club is your thing, then go for it, man. It's. It what? It's whatever makes you happy.

Because a lot of those are actually from, you know, other vineyards, and it's just sort of repackaged that way. And it's. And it's convenient in the box, too. Outside here, we see one of the.

Siciliano. Those are typical in. In Sicily, you see those. And they used to have all the. The puppets also with those. That Siciliani, they were called.

It's a very, very specific thing of Sicily. And you see the colors. It's very loud with the colors. Yeah.

So as a kid, I remember I had, like, a little model of this that my uncle or somebody had brought back for me from Italy.

And it was this little cart, and I didn't understand, you know, what it was for or what it was used it was brought into Italy by the ancient Greeks and then were actually utilized by, depending on the region and the terrain, they were led by a horse or donkey to, you know, carry supplies. And then also used at like, weddings and things like that as well. Right?

Yeah, yeah, for weddings as well. And also in the theater with all Puppi Siciliani. Yeah. So they. They used it a lot. Absolutely.

And I love, like you said, the bright, vibrant, although you can see again the dated and aged and faded colors. But this cart offers two different options. It offers gelato and sorbetto. So what's the difference between the two?

Il sorbetto, it's just that it's usually fruity. And Il gelato, it's a little bit more creamy. So there's milk in it and there's nothing like Italian gelato. Sorry, there just isn't.

So for people. So how does gelato differ from ice cream?

It depends. It's not that far from it. If you get a good ice cream that it's really creamy, it's very similar to gelato. That's really what it is.

Gelato, you know, it's usually made, you know, by a family that owns the store. And again, you taste the love in it. That's really what it is. But it's much more creamier.

They also have a number of different wines and drinks. They have the Rosa Regale, it's a red sparkling wine, which, by the way, pairs very, very well with dark chocolate. Just FYI.

I love one. We might have to try that as well.

Bellinis, limoncello cocktails, orangello cocktails. And look at this. Wait, they have a tiramisu popsicle.

I'm impressed. I've never seen that before.

She's giving it the thumbs up. Creamy tiramisu gelato layered with espresso dipped ladyfingers topped with cocoa powder.

It sounds like a winner.

All in a little push up pop. Wait a minute. Let me just. Hold on. I don't know if I can. Actually, maybe I. I should probably have one just. Just to make sure it.

It tastes as good as it looks. So I would like a tiramisu popsicle, please. Oh, I'm dropping everything. I'm so excited. I'm dropping everything out of my. Here, can you hold that?

Yes.

She'll just talk.

Where are you guys from? Napoli. Bo.

It's under the Vesuvio.

Nice. How long have you been here?

It's my first month. Today is one month and one day.

Wow. Congratulations. How do you like it? Yeah, I love it. Yeah, thank you. Very different from back in Italy.

Yeah.

Here the weather is totally different. We have at least one hour of rain every day here.

Yeah, but it's amazing. Good, good. It so one Tina Pops, right?

Here we are.

I like how faithful you are to. To the job.

Like, you know, wait, I'm a giver. I want to make sure I. I, you know, represent accurately.

Thank you.

Oh, here.

All.

Here we are.

Sorry.

Oh, yes, please. Because we're going to share. Can I have two spoons, please, just to avoid any cootie contamination. All right, Here you.

Oh, look, there's a little donkey on the front too.

What am I doing with this?

You're gonna. You're gonna pop the top of this thing. And how do I do this?

Oh, okay. There you go.

Oh, look at that. It's like. It's like being a little kid having like the push up pops from the ice cream.

It's like being at an ice cream cart, except this one has a big fake donkey in the front of it.

You go for it. Oh, me for.

No, ladies first. No, no, no. Here, wait. I'll do this for you. Here, I'll open up your. Your spoon.

We're being very polite.

Well, because that's what we're taught, right? I was raised right.

Yes.

Ladies first. So here, you take that. I'll take this.

Okay. I'm trying. Is it. Oh, good.

Oh, look at that.

Oh, this is really good. This really tastes like tiramisu. Yeah.

Oh, my.

Yeah.

Oh, that's cold and creamy. I just felt my body temperature go down like 30 degrees too. Wait, hold. Keep holding that for a second.

Yeah.

There's gonna be nothing left to say.

Oh, my goodness. There's nothing like a good tiramisu.

And I like it because it's not overly sweet.

I just took it way too big of a bite.

But wait, it's a push up pop. Why are we not pushing up the pop? We're so doing this. Yeah, look at that. We're making so much. Oh, wait a minute.

This is really has the Italian taste of a tiramisu. The creaminess and the.

Oh, don't tell Mar.

I dropped some.

Wait, here.

We're being a little messy right now.

You just take that. Just eat it. Don't even use this one. I'm done. No, I'm so fluffy. That's all you.

I cannot finish this. This is you. So.

So for people who we've all heard of tiramisu, what exactly is it?

The tiramisu. You have the Biscuits, that is lady fingers. And then you have the coffee and the zabaglione. So it's very. We're just like so good.

Again, it's very simple ingredients that it just. They combine together and they're so delicious. And I love this one because it's chilled and it's just perfect. It's just perfect.

And I love. That's all that last. That last bite of you. I love how it's fun and it's easy to eat.

Clearly you can share, although I don't necessarily recommend sharing. I'm doing it just for show purposes. That's a nice little treat. And it was what, five, six dollars somewhere around there. Oh, that was very yummy.

I completely forgot what we were talking about, by the way, was really good. That was delicious. That was a nice little. That was a nice little unexpected treat. But as we.

Grazia.

What she said. As we round the corner again, another statue, which is a replica of the statue of Gabriel that is on the top of the campanile.

Very nice. Gabriele. Gabriele. You're like, Yep, what she said.

So here's a little kid cots. Fun stop which. Where you can decorate your little Duffy.

In the past, they used to have things where you could do like a little Venetian mask on, like a little paper Venetian mask on a stick. But this is one of my other favorite areas, especially on a day like today when it's a little overcast. I love the. All the potted plants and that.

The casual tables. You can sit outside. But this shop, it'll go on the main entrance. This shop is the. Oh, go ahead.

Enoteca Castello, which means it's the wine shop Castello. It's a castle. Yeah, yeah. And I can see all the beautiful models already in the windows. So looking forward to see what they have here.

Do you actually purchase here? Have you. Have you ever purchased?

I have, I have. And I know exactly that the limoncello is right there.

So this is something that I would imagine you would find in northern Italian places like Tuscany and things like that. Like a wine shop where you'd go in, purchase a box, bottle or four and just go out and share it with friends and family.

This is something you would find in any city, any city in la, because it's just, again, it becomes a staple of the Italian culture to be able to sit down and have a glass of wine. It's like the. The tea time for the. For the British, we have the wine time.

And again, it's because you were saying it before, like it doesn't go to an excess. It's not about, you know, going out and drinking. It's about really enjoying a glass of wine with a friend.

Not nothing more than that, and enjoying the food that comes with it.

Of course, what's nice about here too, is you can buy it by the wine. By. By the wine. Really? I promise, I haven't had any yet. You can buy it by the bottle. You can also buy it by the glass. And there's also.

And there's a Canti and a Pino Grigio. And again, a nice place that you can just walk up, grab something, and then sit outside on the promenade at sunset with the music in the background.

There's nothing better.

Perfecto. And then you kiss somebody because it's.

There's a. Clearly. Maria. There's a trend going on that happens when. With, you know, look, that's why it's, it's, it's, it's, it's. It's all about romance.

Talking about something Italian, just my eye went straight to the bialetti. And that's the. You will have one of those coffee makers in every single Italian house.

So again, I thought that was something only my grandmother had.

Everybody has. This is the only coffee maker that an Italian will try. That's how they make.

Why. So these are. So it's called bialetti.

You see the shape, it's very particular. You fill the bottom part with the water and goes right underneath the. The bulb for the air. And then there's a little accessory that goes on top.

That's where you put the coffee. And you don't press the coffee down, you just put it in.

And then a little trick that I learned from a friend from now actually from Naples, he used the spoon to put. Just make three little incision on the coffee that you just put there, because he said it breathes better. It's again, it's an, it's an art.

And then you, you twist it and you, you close the. The coffee pot, you put it on. On the stove. And then you hear that, you know, like, it starts coming out. And then the house smells like breakfast. And.

Yeah, that's, that's Italy for you.

And they even have some lavata.

Is that lavazza? And also another one. I wonder if they have it here. It's the ILI Cafe it's another one that is very, very famous in Italy.

But those, those two are definitely the, the top ones.

And there's one specifically for coffee. There's one specifically for espresso and one for cold brew coffee.

Yes. It's interesting that they're being so specific. Like, growing up, it was one. It was literally this, this shape. And you know, the espresso, it.

It's.

Everything is an express in Italy because, you know, when you do the coffee, it always comes out in a small cup and then it changes if you put a little bit of milk in it or you don't like. So that's the difference. But like, we don't have anything like the American coffee that comes, you know, in big cups.

Right. You're not getting a super venti 36 ounce cup of joe. It's a little espresso. So we're.

We're technically in La Bottega Italiana, the Italian boutique where you'll find.

And this store has changed a little bit over the years, but candies and cookies and pastas, and I was noticing earlier they have olive oils and spices and like wine. Like, there's an art to olive oil.

You'll see this tiny little bottle of olive oil is about $22 because it's white truffle flavored, super duper extra virgin. Which. Which makes a difference.

Yeah, it's another major. Like the white truffles and the black truffles are very famous, especially in the. In the center of Italy. Very expensive.

But again, again, you can make oil with it and you can have risotto with those. Yep.

Oh, they even sell black truffles and black truffles and mushrooms, pesto and truffles.

Very fancy. Of course. Olives. Olives.

Wow.

Olives.

I'm gonna have to turn my attack. Olives are not my thing.

I hear you. A lot of Americans, it's not their thing.

I can feel like I can eat artichokes. And I'm not saying I have actually gone to the grocery store in the past, sat in my car and ate artichokes out of the Bajar.

But in theory you could do that. But this is all stuff for the home too. I love the Italy themed merchandise. It's Italian themed as well as Italy pavilion.

Yeah. And it's really, really nice. And they have a lot of different things because all the ceramic things that they have, this is very Italian as well.

So what's the. Okay. Because again, my grandmother had like this with the rooster on it.

I don't know what it is. Everybody had the rooster in their house. I had one, too. Everybody had one.

I guess when you become a grandmother, they just give you one. Like, once the baby's born at the hospital, they just give you something with the rooster graduate.

Here's a rooster.

But also, right when you become a mother, they give you the guilt card. And then a grandmother, they give you the rooster.

Yes, that for sure. But also all the ceramic that has the lemon motif, that's very, very popular in Italy. I actually have a little lemon thingy in my.

In my apartment that survived every single move that I've ever made. It comes from Italy. Yeah. This is very.

And what does this mean?

It says, wife is always right.

I'm not bringing that one home. So I love how they have this little cold. Right. Oh, look at this. There's little candies and sweet treats. I don't know what's in these.

What are these little tiny cones? Wait a minute.

Stop it.

They're like little baby. This is like hazelnuts.

Oh, and I have caramel.

Caramel. Oh, we might have to get a couple of these just to sell Nutella. Who doesn't love Nutella? What is this? Oh, the biscuits.

So you have a little biscotti and a little espresso or a little sambuca at the end of the night. That's a good evening right there.

I can't believe, like, I'm having a moment because I grew up with some of those little chocolates. This one. This is from Torino, from Torren. And this is really all. Also what's kind of in the Nutella. You have the kind of a flavor.

But I remember eating those as a child, like they were going out of style. I haven't seen one of those in, I think, 30 years.

What is this? Little fluffy Raffaello.

Those are very similar. Like, it's little three bowls, Almond and coconut. Yeah. With. Similar to the Ferrero Rocher. But you have almond treats. And of course, hibachi Perugina.

Those are very, very famous.

Do you think we should try a couple of these? I think we should.

We need to eat.

I think I need to get that one. Get that one. And a couple of little ice, creamy things.

Which one do you want?

I saw they got to get the hazelnut one.

Get the hazelnut. And then they have so many cocoa parties. I have caramel milk. Yeah. I'll pick the caramel. You got the hazelnut, right?

I got the hazelnut. And then pick out whatever sort of thing that we need. The chocolate that we need to Try to remind you of.

Okay, I'm getting this for you because you need to try this and then.

And get this mixed nut shaped chocolate with nut filling.

Yes, Those are the little egg shaped. Oh, my goodness. I might cry.

Lots of different kids. See, this is why we're friends. Look how excited she gets with the food.

So this is, you know this one, right? Il Mulino Bianco. So this is a very famous brand in Italy that does all cookies and you know, Le Merenda. That's what.

What.

That's what we call it. But I grew up eating those in Bayoki. Those are hazelnut and cocoa cream sandwich cookie. Forget about an Oreo.

After you eat this Oreo will be like, no, never again. No, never again.

So. So some of these. Oh, the lemon cookies. Yeah, we had the lemon cookies. Amarantini. The little amaretto cookies.

This is like we're literally looking at. Do you remember before I was telling you, Miranda, is the snack that we have in the afternoon. That's what it's all about. A see, Forget it. It's a Ron.

Like, I'm just gonna. I'm just gonna move in in this store.

Wow.

I've never had so many little cream filled puff pastries. Double chocolate biscuits with chocolate filling. Those are like Prati shortbread cookies. Shortbread cookies filled with hazelnut cream.

Nutella and covered with cocoa glaze and puffed rice. What the what? I think I'm gonna have to make up a nation of care package for some of the nation people and send them. I'm just.

My goal is to make the people in the nation have the exact same physique as I do.

Yeah.

If I'm gonna go down, I'm taking you with me.

All right.

Let's just make sure there's no other snacks that we can buy first. So they have another number of little Pinocchio figures.

And so Giro di Cosen. So let me see what it says, because I can't write Giro and always let your. Your conscience guide. Yeah, that's really cute.

I like that. I like that. I like that.

Yeah.

Oh, that's a really nice one down there.

I've never seen this before.

So you see too, they have a lot of the Topolino and Topolini. I love that Topolino sweatshirt.

That's exactly the writing of the magazine that I used to get when I was a little kid. The Topolino, the font, it's the same. Wow.

So at one point, and I don't see it here anymore, and I think I'm Almost sure it was in this shop. They had pieces for Mr. Potato Head that were made of blown glass. Like way, way, way back when. I don't know what just made me think about that.

They had. Yeah, they used to have a couple little other tables here in the middle with like little bins and stuff. Put your money away, woman. No, you are not.

You just stole my wallet. Wait a minute. This is another Italian thing too. You always fight over money and who's going to pay.

I love some of the photos on the walls too, but I'm so excited to eat this stuff.

I know.

Okay, so although we almost came to fisticuffs to try and see who was going to pay as they come back out the side of the pavilion again. I love, and I love this pavilion, especially during flower and garden festival.

They do a lot of these potted plants and potted flowers, which one of the horticultural said is very much what you'll find, you know, throughout Italy throughout the year. There's even. Even the. The fountain that says alla salute, which means.

Yeah, to your health, has the flowers in it.

But I love how the exterior of the building, again, it has that aging sense to it that you get a sense. And listen, obviously, Maria, you know, tradition, we don't eat at tables. We eat on top of garbage cans. You've already eaten mostly everything.

Look at those little itty bitty baby ice cream cones.

I know.

Is it ice cream? Is that what it is?

Yes, that's exactly what is it. Tiny ice cream cream cone that just because I'm in public, I'll try not to eat in one bite because I don't want to embarrass myself. Those are.

That's why I do audio, not video. Look at this.

This is.

They're tiny little. They're like $2 each. Yeah, it's probably the size of. Oh, wait. Oh, I could open mine. I'm like ripping it apart.

Oh, my goodness, it so rich. I got the caramel one. It's all chocolate. You can taste the caramel.

Cute.

It's so tiny.

Which one did you get?

I think I got the hazelnut.

Yeah, I got the hazelnut. It's stupid.

You almost can stick the whole thing in your mouth, but I'm trying not to, so you can have a bite.

Wait. Yeah, it's very similar.

Oh, so.

Right.

It's not really ice cream. It's like eating a Nutella. Yeah, like a Nutella cone.

But it was like in the. Here, it was in the. It wasn't like fridge kind of area. Right?

Yeah, because Florida,.

You can taste the caramel in that one, right?

Oh, I just started talking into the ice cream cone because I didn't realize I didn't have the recorder in my hand.

How excited we are. It's very rich.

Everything is better with Nutella. And is. Is Nutella. Is it something that's eaten like, again, forgive the ignorant question, but is it eaten like a lot and just by kids or by adults?

Sorry, I'm just stopping my face with chocolate, everybody. And it's our peanut butter and jelly. That's the Nutella. Like again, the five o' clock snack. Di Merenda.

I grew up with a fresh from the bakery bread and just Nutella on top. That was my snack.

So good.

I say, you know, again, I'm savory over sweet. This is. So this might be the perfect little snack.

It's the right size, it's small enough that you're not really supposed to share it probably, but you got that, the nice fresh crunch from the cone and just like densely packed in Nutella with little pearls or whatever on top. Oh, that's yummy. That's $2.40. Really, really well spent.

I agree.

And it's funny because, like, you know, in Italy, when you have those cones, the ice cream cones, usually just at the very bottom, at the tip you have, it's all filled with chocolate. As I remember eating it and getting to the very bottom. That's the favorite part.

And I love that they did the whole cone in chocolate because I'm sure somebody was like, we need to do that.

I almost want to do a video or like a top 10 thing with that. But I'm afraid the curse of Luke, because usually when I do a video of something, it goes away. But that's a must do dessert.

Like, I'm looking around like I want to tell somebody. Why are you people walking by this pavilion? All right, open up these other things too. Oh, yeah, wait, let's save that.

Yes. All right, you.

Whatever order you need, you need to try this. So now what is this?

So this is called gianduiotto and it's really like, it's from Torino, but it's a Janduia based chocolate.

So I don't know what any of those words meant. The only herd. The only thing I heard was chocolate.

It's. It's a kind of a Nutella thing. Try it.

So it's like a little bit larger than like a piece of Herzi, but it's like a little pyramid shape. Yeah, you want to break it in half or you know that.

Oh, how is that?

Oh.

Oh, it's filled. Oh, this one. It's a little fancy, has a little heart in it.

Oh, that's lovely.

Wow.

That with a little maybe glass of like red wine.

Right, right. You just have the little something to just wash it down and it melts in your mouth. You feel it like, you don't have.

To even chew it, it just falls apart. Okay, do the little nut thing. It looks like an Easter egg, but it's almost shaped like a. It's designed to look like a little. A nut or something.

Yeah, that's a little Easterish egg. It's gonna take me like half an hour to find the right place to open it. Oh, this is not helping at all. Oh, it was the other way. Almost there. Ah.

All right, I'm gonna take a bite because I'm already holding it. This is not pretty at all. It really sticks to it. The paper.

It's also a thousand degrees outside.

Very creamy.

Oh.

Oh, my goodness.

Super soft. It just melts away. The other one, you have to take a bite out of. This one you could just put in your mouth and not even chew.

But it's not overly sweet, right? It's sweet, obviously. I mean, it's chocolate. You feel it, but it's not. It has a little bit of a bitter taste.

I like the. I like dark chocolate chocolate.

Yeah.

And all these, these little sample chocolates are like 79 or 99 cents.

No, something like that. So very doable.

Which is a really nice way to sample some of the flavors without having to do a full sit down menu or buy a giant bag of chocolates that you might not enjoy, but trust me, you'll enjoy these. Now these are little. They look like little coconut balls.

Yeah, that's exactly what it is. Almond and coconut. Probably the size of a Ferrero Rocher. Sorry, we're having a full on me of people here. How do we like it?

That's not what I was expecting. It's crunchy.

So it's like a crunchy almondy outside and then like a really light, fluffy, creamy coconut inside and then with coconut flakes on the outside.

Did you get to the nut? There's a little nut. You got it.

Oh.

And it's very creamy, but it's very light. Doesn't feel heavy at all. It's called Rafaello if you guys are looking for it. It's the name Rafaello.

Not super sweet. It's. It's not heavy at all. I was afraid it was gonna be Like a really heavy almondy. That's wonderful.

I'm looking around with a big smile on my face like, that is. That is a wonderful little treat. And that's one of the things I love about World Showcase is the ability to do exactly what we just did.

To walk through, to wander, to get little samples, to understand and just see how similar, more importantly, how different the cultures and especially the cuisines are.

I agree.

And I think it's like, you know, it's so different for me right now that, you know, I live here and I'm like 20 minutes from the park than when I used to come for vacation. You know, you come here on vacation, you have few days, and you kind of quote, unquote, rush through the park a little bit.

Of course, I mean, you try to do and see as much as you can, and you don't really have the time to slow down a little bit. And that's the Italian way to just slow down and enjoy, Right. The smell, the roses a little bit.

But I think this was the perfect example of being able to do that, even just to take a really nice walk around. And we. We didn't even eat at a restaurant. You know, we just walked around and have a few snacks. So it's definitely a nice way to go.

And we didn't even touch. There's also the little. The gelato stand out there as well. You can also get espressos and cappuccinos and. Oh, maybe we should walk over there.

Just maybe a little. Like, they have, like, a little frozen coffee drink right now.

It's one of those things that, like, we need it. We need it.

No, that's all you. No, I can't. I'm. I'm. I gave him up for Lent. I always feel, especially on days like today, that we're walking off the calories, so.

Okay.

And calories don't count when you're recording.

Okay, that's good to know. Oh, my goodness. I'm just gonna eat the whole thing.

Go ahead.

Just popped it. You popped the whole thing in your mouth.

So originally, the donkey cart used to be out here, and now they have about six or seven different wines, as well as cold beverages and coffees. So they have Italian beers, sparkling water. So there's the Aranciata and Lemonata sodas.

I don't know what. What they have. Like, Laranchata is kind of like a Fanta. It's an orange soda. Limonata is the same. A lemonade, but a little bubbly.

Hot coffees. We'll have to see maybe if they've got something a little, you know, to cool us down and just cleanse the palate.

Maybe not limona. Herbs are. Yeah. Or they have a lemon tea. Or both.

We could just get both. So before we do. We won't. We won't. We'll do this off the air so we can. We don't take up the spots in line.

I think Italy is such a great example and representation of the history and the details.

And I think there's such opportunity here, not just for us as adults, but I think if you are a parent, you have people say there's nothing for kids, quote unquote. There's nothing for kids to do in Epcot.

I think as parents, we have the opportunity to take them through here because everybody is from Italy or from Japan or from Norway or Arendelle, whatever. You have the opportunity to talk to them, to learn about their culture. You were speaking Italian to the girl behind the counter, which I loved.

I'm sure she enjoyed and appreciated, too. She's been here for about a month. But you don't have to have an attraction per se on a guide map to make these pavilions attractions.

I agree. I agree 100% what you just said, and especially the talking part.

Just go up to one of those cast members here and just ask them about their cultures or what's your favorite thing on the menu? Because I know they love to share and they're so friendly and they will tell you things about the culture that they really know.

Because again, you're right. I was talking to a girl in a store. She just moved here a month ago. She's fresh off the boat like I was 20 years ago.

And it's different for me, obviously, you know, 20 years ago. And she just came from Italy. It's, you know, it's her cult. She lives there. And I can feel it, the way she was talking and everything.

She was beautiful. And so I think it's one of the most important things. Go from one pavilion to another and chit chat with them.

Another thing that I just want to point out. Also, be sure to see the park at night. Right.

Because there's something about, again, seeing with all the lights and you have the lagoon right in front with the water. There's something very, very magical about it. Yeah.

Like take your time as you wander through, talk to the cast members. That's what they're there for.

All the things that we wanted to show you and point out to you, they can speak to as well and sort of share Stories from their experiences back in Italy. I think you're right.

Sitting outside here with some fun snacks or a glass of wine, or being here at night and watching Illuminations, I think this is one of the more beautiful pavilions, especially when it is lit up at night. So I think the play is you go make a late reservation for dinner or do a little tuto gusto, order pretty much everything off the menu, call me.

I'm like 15 minutes away. I'll meet you. No problem. And then you come outside, you grab a prosecco, a bottle of wine. Glass. I mean, a glass of wine or a bottle of wine. Whatever.

Bottle of wine or straw. However you decide to roll and enjoy Illuminations and the Promenade.

And I love the fact and why I wanted you to come on was not just for the food, but to get a perspective from somebody that has not just seen it as a tourist, but has lived there. I can say, yeah, this is exactly what it looks and more importantly, what it feels like.

I agree.

And it's like, you know, even right now that we're standing right outside of it, there are so many people just gathering in the center of it, in the piazza, in the square, or just sitting on the steps. And that's something very Italian to do. And I think, again, because of the way it was designed, it attracts people to do that.

They were able to bring that kind of feeling to the pavilion. And it's one of the most crowded pavilion when it comes to just chill out. And that's exactly also what Italy is all about.

But, you know, we talk about it all the time.

The reason why we come here and the reason why we come back, and I think the reason why we like this pavilion, and obviously there's a connection for us individually, is the way it makes you feel. And there's a warmth and a friendliness and an authenticity to it that reflects not just Italy, but what you find in all the other pavilions as well.

So this is not meant to just be a guide for you to slow down and appreciate this pavilion more, but I think really appreciate all of World Showcase as a whole. Take your time. You know, try.

And when I say go, try a restaurant maybe you haven't tried before, it's a great way not just to have a good dining experience, but to really learn about the people and its culture. We will definitely be back, because now we have got to go and bring this full circle and dine here together.

I can't thank you enough for bringing your insight and your experience and the love and the family and the really.

Cool accent today, the accent comes with a package, so that's easy for me, but thank you. I've been. It's funny, like, I've been following you since the very beginning. Can you imagine that? Really? Yeah. I was thinking about it the other day.

I was like, I was, I was listening from the very, very beginning back in New York, and I was walking in the city listening to Lou talking about, you know, Disney, and I was like, oh, it feels good. It feels like I'm there. You're able to do that. And, and then, of course, we met and became friends.

And to be able to do this, it's a gift to me, trust me. So thank you very much, Grazia.

This is wonderful. Thank you. And for you, the listener, if you've been to Italy, if you've walked through this pavilion before, let me know.

That's where the conversations and communities take place. And let me know what your favorite part of the Italy Pavilion is.

My favorite part today has obviously been able to spend and share some of this time with you, and I can't wait to do it again and eat all the things.

We need to eat all the things.

And come over for Thanksgiving.

Yes, yes, please.

And Christmas.

Yes. On Christmas. Forget about it. Forget. Forget about it for Christmas.

The.

The. The cakes. Oh, no.

It's like, yeah, Stretchy pants are a must all the way.

GRA grand.

It's time for our Walt Disney World trivia question of the week, where I invite you to test your knowledge of Walt Disney World's history or see how well you pay attention to the details sometimes in what you see, hear, remember, or eat. If you think you know the answer, you can enter via our online form for a chance to win a Disney prize package, of course.

Before we get to this week's question, we're gonna go back, review last week's and select our winner.

So last week I was excited and honored to have Jim Cummings, the voice of Winnie the Pooh in the upcoming Christopher Robin film, join me on the show. I'm a big Pooh fan. I have been since I was a little kid.

And I talked about some of the details of the picture of Pooh and Moly and Toad handing the deed over to Owl.

But your question last week was to tell me what now extinct attraction is honored not in the queue or the attraction itself, but outside the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. And I also gave you an extra bonus question as well.

Again, that was just a bonus for a little bit of an extra prize. But let's go back to the main question. What attraction is honored not in the queue, but outside the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh?

Of course, I'm talking about the tribute to 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, which you can find inside the treehouse play area that's out in front of the attraction. It's got that very, very small door for little kids or little Lumangello to be able to walk into.

And if you look up into the second doorway that leads directly into the queue, you'll see that there are carvings inside. And one of them has that patinaed green look and color of the old Nautilus from the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea attraction.

And that was of course known as Tigger's Bouncy Place. You didn't have to enter that one in order to be entered. I took all of the correct entries, randomly selected one.

And last week you were playing for all of my digital products.

That includes 102 ways to save money for that Walt Disney World, all seven of my virtual audio walking tours of the Magic Kingdom, both of which you can find in the WW Radio shop as well as Amazon and itunes.

A brand new, brand new, not available anywhere else vinyl sticker for your car, your laptop, your wall, anywhere, and a WW radio pop socket for your phone. And last week's winner, randomly selected, is Leah Chappelle. So, Leah, congratulations.

You did not answer the bonus question, but I will send you the prize package. I will save the bonus prize for maybe this week's or next week's trivia contest.

But if you played last week and didn't win, that's okay because here's your next chance to enter in this week's Walt Disney World Trivia challenge. So this week's show is all about Italy. And like Italy and like me, it's all about the food.

And Via Napoli in the Italy pavilion has three wood burning ovens that don't just afford us guests and locals some of the best pizza you're gonna find like anywhere. But there's also a little bit of a story behind their unique design because they pay tribute to the three active volcanoes in Italy.

Your question this week is to tell me what are they And I'll even give you a hint. One of the names is a name you'll find in a Disney animated film, Pinocchio.

I'll also ask you to tell me where do you think has the best Italian food in Walt Disney World? That's not a trivia question. I'm just asking for recommendations. You could append that to your entry.

You can call the voicemail, you can email me or post in the WW radio box people group on Facebook at www.radio.com community. Let me know where do you think the best Italian food in Walt Disney World is? That's not for a prize, it's just for everybody's benefit notification.

Again you're going to play for all the digital products, a new vinyl sticker and a pop socket for your phone. So good luck and have fun. That's going to do it for this week's show. Thank you so much for taking the time to to tune in this and every week.

Please be part of the continuing conversation, more importantly the community by going to www.radio.comcommunity that will take you to our Facebook group. Please come by, introduce yourself, comment on this week's show. Let me know your favorite Italian restaurant in Walt Disney World.

Start a conversation of your own. Again, be part of the community and the WW Radio family. Don't forget you can also connect with me.

I am Lou Mangello on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and that's also my personal profile on Facebook.

If you have a question you want me to answer on the show, you can email me louwwradio.com or call the voicemail comment on this week's show, ask me a question or just say hello from the parks. Of course, as much as I love connecting with you online and speaking with you there, I still believe that nothing beats a handshake and a hug.

That's why I still continue to have Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World as well as other events on the road.

Go to our events [email protected] www radio stay tuned for the August Meet of the Month announcement coming in the next couple of days, as well as on the road events in Indiana and Pennsylvania. Be part of our WW Radio Running team by going to www.comrunning.

I also want to welcome and more importantly thank all of the new and longtime members of our WW Radio Nation family, including Claire Casarado, Hershel Elney, Rick Pierce, Amber Grant, Madison Nicholsis and Noemi Fixmer.

If you want to not only find out how you can help the show because it does go a long way, but also get exclusive rewards every single month, including care packages, scavenger hunts, personalized MagicBand cover logo gear. We do live video group calls, special events, early access to events which may come in handy later on this year, and a lot more.

You can visit www.radio.com support and don't forget that a portion of your contribution does go to our Dream Team project to benefit the Make a Wish foundation of America.

Please also visit lou mongello.com if I can come to speak to your school, your conference, your event, or help you turn what you love into what you do with private or small group coaching.

I currently have only two spots left for my Tuesday night weekly Mastermind group which is going to begin in August, and I now have less than 10 spots available for my Momentum Weekend Workshop in WALT Disney World October 6th and 7th. Dan Cockrell and Ashley Eckstein are our keynote speakers.

I'll be announcing sessions and additional speakers this week, but again, if you are looking for an interactive, small, helpful environment where you're surrounded by like minded entrepreneurs to help you really take your idea or your business, your product or service to the next level, please visit loomongello.com Momentum thanks as always to MouseFan Travel, my official and recommended travel providers.

Whether you're going to any Disney destination or really anywhere for a vacation, that can help you with the best possible prices all available discount and really at no cost to you for what is an exceptional level of personal service. Visit them@m MouseFanTravel.com Also check out CelebrationsPress.com where you can subscribe and order back issues of Celebrations magazine.

And as always my friend, and you are my friend, whether we have met yet or not. All I ask is that if you like the show, please help spread the word.

That is how our family and community will grow and more importantly grow organically and continue to grow with like minded, positive, happy people that just love talking about the things that we enjoy about Walt Disney World and the Disney Parks. I want to thank some recent reviewers like Tom Nolan from Princeton, New Jersey says WWE Radio Best podcast ever with dots for emphasis.

He says, I've been a loyal listener for a couple years. It keeps getting better and better.

WWE Radio isn't just the best Walt Disney World podcast, it's among the most entertaining, enjoyable and just plain fun shows to listen to to. It's all because of host Lou Mongello. Thank you. He's obviously a true Disney, Marvel, Star wars, etc fan just like I am.

But it's pure magic listening to Lou talk about what's coming at the parks, the movies, anything that makes the Disney brand the wonder that it is. I encourage everyone to listen and catch up on old shows if you're a new listener. Good advice.

It'll make you feel as though you are right there at the happiest place on earth. Just as fun for me personally is listening closely to catch one of the many movie or pop culture references Lou will sneak in.

What's equally entertaining are the intros to every show. Lou throws in a bunch of Disney attraction quotes, movie references, music, etc. And it's a really cool way to kick things off and start the fun.

So from one Jersey guy to another former Jersey guy. Many thanks Lou. They continue to make my long daily commute from New Jersey to Manhattan more enjoyable.

Carman761 says Lou may not know everything about Walt Disney World. Oh, okay. Oh, but he knows who do the bed pot. The best podcast about Disney Lose love for Disney oozes in every show. Oozes.

He lives to share his passion and truly cares for his listeners. A true joy to listen to. The show will feed your Walt Disney World addiction and keep you coming back for more. And Eric and Ashley say Lou is awesome.

Thank you. My wife and I love listening to the WW Radio podcast. This podcast has helped us get our Disney fix in between trips.

He's a friend We've never actually met yet. With all the. And with all the negativity in the world, it's great to listen to his fun and positive podcast. Keep doing what you do.

Lou, Eric, Ashley, Carman and Tom, thank you all so very much. If you want to leave a quick review, you can go to iTunes, search for wwradio or just go to www. Radio.com iTunes.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you so very much for being my friend, for taking the time out of what I know is your incredibly busy day or night to tune in, to listen, to comment, to share and to like. And if there's some way that I can help you, please reach out to me on email or Facebook messenger.

And to quote a very wise little bear, always remember that you are braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and you're smarter than you think. And I hope that this truly is your best week ever. So until next time, thanks again. See ya.

Good morning, Lou Mongello. This is Michael Riley.

Thank you so much for giving a shout out for Nolan's birthday yesterday in the box I got him for his birthday, the Goofy Disney Treasure DVD set. I got him the Louis Prima Mary Poppins lp. So cool. And I asked him what his favorite thing was. What was his best Christmas thing?

You wishing him a happy birthday. Thank you, buddy. Have a great day. Love you. Bye. Hello, it's Christine Marson from Flowertown, Pennsylvania. I wanted to give you a heads up.

I just took a road trip to South Carolina with my uncle and we listened to Enzo's hideaway review, which was awesome.

But he loved it because he is a Italian man from New Jersey just like you and you took him right back to when he was a kid and he loved it so much that we then on the way back, I think we listened to three or four of your podcasts and he is hooked. So he's gonna go home, download the app. He's all about it, which is really, really cool. He just loves it.

He loves your positivity and he loves the content of the shows. So it's a rainy day here in Pennsylvania. I've got a lot of laundry to do. But I haven't listened to the latest podcast so I'll be doing that.

I'll see you guys tonight in the box. It's Wednesday morning at 8:22. Have a beautiful day and everybody make somebody else smile. Talk to you later. Bye.

Hi Lou, My name is Brenna Trainor and I live in Colorado Springs Color and I'm very new to your podcast. And I just wanted to say that I love it.

And I know that on a recent podcast you mentioned just the wonderful grandeur and just beautiful set and production of Beauty and the Beast on Disney Cruise. And I wanted to mention that if you haven't already talked about it, Aladdin the Musical is on tour right now in Bath.

I think it's in Boston and then it's going to Buffalo, New York. Anyway, I saw it when it was in Denver and it was the most spectacular show that I have ever seen.

I mean, the Cave of Wonders set alone was worth the price and the cast was just excellent and it was just so lively and fun and amazing. So I just wanted to give a really strong recommendation for that for anybody that lives in the area. And thank you for all that. You do.

Have a wonderful day. Bye. Hey Lou, this is Jeff Richardson in Brookhaven, Mississippi.

Just discovered your podcast after our last trip to Disney World, which was this past January. We're going again this coming January. I wanted to tell you it's a great thing to listen to while you're doing work around the house.

My wife can't understand why I want to go outside and do work when I normally didn't want to, but she always sees the earphones in my ear.

Also, because you only do one podcast a week and that's not enough time for me, I've gone back and and listening to all the old podcasts from one all the way up through where I started a couple months ago. So I just listened to show number 57 where you talked about the best books to order and just want to let you know I ordered three of those today.

So that was a great show. I thought that was good.

I'm one of those 50 something year old guys who like sports and all the other stuff in the world, but I'm crazy about Disney World and you kind of help help fix that addiction. I have every week to hear more and more about what's going on down there in Orlando, Florida. So thanks a lot Lou. Keep up the great work.

Good morning Lou Montello. It's Darlene Yagy from West Seneca, New York and I am here to give you the newest countdown for your Japan trip.

441 Days as of today and then you have only, Believe it or not, 69 days until momentum. And we have, Believe it or not, 62 days to our Sternberg and Maggie vacation in Disney World. So excited, everybody.

Can't wait to get down there again and now see Toy Story Land and Pandora and the Fantasyland expansion. It's just going to be so amazing. I cannot wait. Thank you so much for everything that you do.

And I have to go and see the newest Ant man and Wasp movie. I have not seen it yet. I'm hoping to get there this week. Thank you for not spoiling it for me and have a great, wonderful day.

Stay positive and always smile. Love and hugs.