France
The France Pavilion is themed to look like a Paris neighborhood with a pool and fountains and with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The Showcase reflects France from 1870-1910, a period known as La Belle Epoque, the beautiful time. Most of the shops on the streets are actual shops selling French goods such as Guerlain perfumes. The pavilion features Impressions de France a panoramic movie, which visits France's cities and historical structures. It also includes two French Restaurants, the Bistro de Paris and Les Chefs de France, and a bakery, the Boulangerie Patisserie.
Impressions de France
Impressions de France (Impressions of France), located in The Palais du Cinema, is a travelogue of the French countryside, major cities, various regions, and important structures. Many aerial views are shown, mixed with closer views. It includes, among other things, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, the French Alps, Versailles, scenes from Cannes, Notre Dame de Paris, and scenes from Normandy. The movie is presented with a lively classical soundtrack, recorded in London by the National Philharmonic, and is projected onto five adjacent screens, giving 200° coverage, resembling Circle-Vision 360°. The movie is approximately 18 minutes long.
Scene List
Here is the list of the scenes:
1. The cliffs at Etretat in Normandy.
2. Gliding through the Marais Poitevin, a swamp area near La Rochelle.
3. Chateau Chenonceau; in the Loire Valley, then from the gardens.
4. Horsemen and hunting dogs cross the Cheverny Forest.
5. Aerial shot of Chambord.
6. We fly over the red rooftops up to the Bell Tower of the Church in the Vezelay Village.
7. Vezelay Church interior, with church bells in the background.
8. In the horsecart we ride through Riquewihr Village near Germany.
9. Moving through the market place in Bouvron, Normandy.
10. French pastries.
11. Wine harvest at the Monbazillac Vineyard.
12. Interior of a Cognac Cave.
13. The Fountain of Apollo at Versailles.
14. The Versailles Garden.
15. The Versailles building and the Hall of Mirrors.
16. Flying over Castle Beynac in the Dordogne Valley.
17. Man chopping wood with Chateau Montpoupon.
18. La Roque - Gageac in the Dordogne Valley (Bicyclists).
19. Chateau Montpoupon, bicyclists racing toward us.
20. Bugatti Race Cars in Cannes.
21. Hot air balloons take off near Chaumont Castle on the Loire River.
22. Hot air balloons in front of the cliff city of Rocamadour.
23. French Alps in the Spring.
24. Mountain climbers on rocky peaks in Chamonix. (French Alps)
25. Skiers in Chamonix.
26. La Rochelle Harbor.
27. On board a Brittany fishing boat at sea.
28. A rocky beach in Normandy.
29. Mt. St. Michel.
30. Interior of a small church in Brittany.
31. Wedding reception in full swing at a Brittany farm to traditional Brittany folk music.
32. Couple walks along the cliffs of Normandy in Etretat.
33. The cliff city of Bonifacio, Corsica.
34. Villefranche near Nice.
35. Calanque Cliffs near Cassis.
36. Pier out in front of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes.
37. Cannes Harbor at twilight.
38. Racing along railway tracks in the hills of Chaporoux.
39. Gare du Nord (North rail station) in Paris.
40. Champs Elysees at twilight, we see the Arc de Triomphe.
41. Seine River in Paris.
42. Notre Dame.
43. Through the Archways at the Louvre, the Garde Republicaine.
44. Eiffel Tower.
45. Aerial shot of Etretat Cliffs.
46. Aerial shot of the Alps near Chamonix
47. Aerial shot of Chateau Chambord.
48. Aerial shot of French Alps near Mt. Blanc.
49. Finale - Eiffel Tower.
Dining
Chefs de France
Located on the main level, the menu here features the creations of its three famous owner-chefs: Paul Bocuse, Gaston Lenotre and Roger Verge. Escargot, Coquilles Saint-Jacques, French onion soup, Mediterranean seafood casserole, and duck l'orange are some of the flavors you will find here.
Bistro de Paris
Located on the 2nd floor above Chefs de France is the pricier Bistro de Paris which offers delicacies such as pan-seared foie gras, truffles, lobster fricassee, and roasted quail.
Boulangerie Paitisserie
A wonderful pastry shop so save room for dessert! Get an IllumiNations spot and send one of your group here for coffee and pastries to bring back! Be sure to get a good whiff of the baked goods smell that is piped out of the shop.
Serveur Amusant
A comical waiter/juggler performs 20 minute shows usually Wednesday thru Sunday.
Touring Tips
-Impressions de France is a must-see on your Epcot Attraction List. Relax in the air-conditioned theater and enjoy the wonderful music and scenery.
-Stop in Vins De France to learn about French Wines. You can sample them for the price of a souvenir glass.
-There is a shop called “La Signature” located on the right as you are facing the Eifel Tower with your back to the lagoon. Inside the shop near the back where it opens onto a passageway is a staircase to the second level of the shop. Up the staircase and around the open second floor are a collection of pictures and signed documents by famous people. For example, they have documents signed by Charles de Gaulle, Albert Schweizer, Jules Verne, Sarah Bernhard, Pablo Picaso and others. Each is framed with a picture of the individual or in the case of some of the artists, a miniature of one of their art works. They are all for sale, the most expensive being the Jules Verne at $6000.
-France has a special "KIDCOT" area that provides an opportunity for your child to interact with a native of France.
-Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival - Springtime in Paris is the theme featuring fragrance container gardens, geometic and new Swan topiaries.
-Holidays from Around the World features storytellers in each country. France, Pere Noel (Santa Claus) makes appearances throughout the afternoon.
-Assistive Listening Devices from Guest Services Can Be Used Here.
-Reflective Captioning Available for the movie.
Interesting Facts
-Grand opening: October 1, 1982
-The park bordering the canal along the right side of the pavilion was inspired by the famous painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by pointillist artist Georges Seurat.
-The landscape here has a single objective: to reflect an urban ambiance, particularly springtime in Paris. Street trees along the central boulevard are positioned and pruned to enhance the illusion of distance. Planters in this area reveal pastel mixes of flowers, lending an impressionistic flavor and reinforcing the theme.
- The Eiffel Tower is an example of Forced Perspective. The one-tenth replica of the Eiffel Tower was constructed using Gustav Eiffel's original blueprints and is built on top of the Impressions de France show building. If you looked at the Eiffel Tower today as it stands in Paris, it would have similar coloring to the Statue of Liberty in New York. However, here in Epcot, the Eiffel Tower is more tan and pinkish. The reason is the France Pavilion here represents the late 1800s and the Eiffel Tower is the same color it would have been then.
I keep checking thinking maybe he will put up one every HOUR! 
