Mexico is represented by one of the dominant landmarks in Epcot -- a huge building like a Mayan or Aztec pyramid overlooking the eastern shore of World Showcase.
Inside the Mexico pavilion, Walt Disney World guests find a moonlit plaza surrounded by tile-roofed shops and one of Mexico City's most famous restaurants, San Angel Inn.
The pavilion also features a festive and colorful celebration of the beauty and culture of Mexico that is fun for guests of all ages. "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros" is an excursion by tour boat through the vibrant, eye-filling sights and lively music of Mexico.
The pavilion is one of eleven which make up World Showcase.
The pyramid which serves as entranceway to the Mexico showcase is readily identified from across the lagoon with its five-tiered sloping walls fifty steps high. Ornate Indian "stone" sculpturing makes it a work of art.
A second pyramid, weathered and wrapped with jungle vines, overlooks the waterside restaurant and plaza of a typical Mexican pueblo inside the pavilion.
In the center of the plaza is Fuente de la Vida (the fountain of life), whose bubbling-water sounds mingle with the music of mariachis wandering from shop to shop.
Since the setting is contained within an 85,000-square-foot show building, the romantic moonlit effect is maintained day and night.
Just inside the pavilion, visitors see a rare display of hand-crafted Oaxacan wood sculptures.
Completing the circular layout of the pueblo and sitting at the edge of a meandering stream is the 180-seat San Angel Inn, a sister of the popular Mexico City restaurant of the same name and ownership which has played host to such famous Mexican figures as General Santa Ana and Pancho Villa.
The Inn serves Mexico City-style tacos, enchiladas and burritos, with especialidades that are more continental in nature, such as Mole Poblano -- chicken simmered in 20 Mexican spices and a hint of chocolate. Another specialty is Mahi-Mahi a la Veracruzana -- mahi-mahi poached in wine, with onions, tomato and Mexican peppers.
A major feature of the Mexico pavilion is "Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros," an eight-and-a-half minute boat trip showcasing the people, history, culture and arts of Mexico. During the experience, guests catch a glimpse of some of Mexico's most famous cities, resorts and beaches, including locations such as Mexico City, Chichen Itza and Acapulco.
Guests move into the present with views of Mexico's great resorts and the bustle and noise of an open-air marketplace displaying sombreros, serapes, piñatas and the staples of daily life south of the border.
The show culminates with a fiesta of singing, dancing and fireworks along a replica of Mexico City's Reforma Boulevard.
Specially designed costumes are worn by the hosts and hostesses who represent the Mexican nation in order to present an authentic appearance.
The pavilion is staffed with Mexican-American and Mexican-born citizens, including several Mexican college students who participate in the World Showcase fellowship ambassador program. Along with similar groups from the ten other nations in World Showcase, the students spend a year studying management and operation in tourism and entertainment while working in their pavilion and meeting with fellow students in a true cultural exchange.