Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
Anyone who has taken a slow lap of World Showcase knows the routine. You reach Germany, the smell of warm, salted dough drifts across the walkway, and suddenly a giant pretzel feels less like a snack and more like an obligation. This week, though, EPCOT guests have found that one of the easiest places to answer that call has gone missing.
Much of the refurbishment noise at Walt Disney World this year has come from other parks, with projects like Piston Peak National Park coming to Magic Kingdom, and Monstropolis arriving sometime in the near future at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. EPCOT’s Germany pavilion, however, has been quietly racking up a list of its own. The Volkskunst merchandise shop was previously closed, Der Teddybär shut temporarily before reopening, and construction walls went up around the pavilion’s restrooms.
Now, the Germany pavilion’s pretzel and beer cart, a long-standing stop for oversized German-style pretzels and a selection of beers, is no longer in its usual spot. Disney has not explained the removal, and there has been no word on whether or when the cart might roll back in.
Against that backdrop, it would be easy to file the pretzel cart under the same pavilion-wide spruce-up. Disney has not drawn that connection, however, and the timing alone does not prove one.
Disney World Annual Passholders Point to Race Weekend
The cart’s absence did not go unnoticed by EPCOT regulars. In the public Annual Passholders for Walt Disney World Orlando Facebook group, one member offered a practical explanation.
“Preparing for this weekend’s race,” one commenter wrote. “All the carts are in the run path; it’s a safety hazard.” The EPCOT Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend commences today, October 22, and runs through October 24, with the half-marathon event closing out the runDisney proceedings.
It is a theory that makes plenty of sense. Race courses pass around World Showcase, and clearing mobile carts from the route would be a sensible call for runner and guest safety. Still, it comes from a fellow guest rather than Disney, so it should be treated as an educated guess, not confirmation.
There is one wrinkle. Another member wrote, “Omg I noticed that last week . I hope it’s temporary,” which suggests the cart may have vanished a little earlier than race preparations alone would explain. The post’s author simply replied, “I hope so.” Others took the news harder. “Noooo, the carb cart is gone! They can’t do that to us!” one fan wrote, giving the stand a nickname it arguably deserves.
Fortunately, a stop in Germany does not have to end pretzel-free. The German Bier Stand, located nearby, still serves pretzels alongside its beer offerings. Farther back in the pavilion, Sommerfest, the quick-service spot near Biergarten Restaurant, has them on the menu too.
If you are heading to EPCOT in the coming days, do not build your World Showcase snack plan around the pretzel cart. Make German Bier Stand or Sommerfest your go-to instead, and expect the occasional surprise as refurbishment work in the Germany pavilion continues.
Whether the cart returns once race weekend wraps up, or has been retired for good, remains to be seen. Until Disney says otherwise, the smart money is on the backup options.
What is your go-to snack when visiting the World Showcase at Disney World? Let us know in the comments down below!
