Every once in a while I’ll be wandering through the Disney parks when I stumble across a hidden gem — something that most guests will probably just walk right by, but that catches my food-obsessed eye.

On my last trip, I was browsing through The Sportsman’s Shoppe in Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion. On my way out (headed to the pub across the street), I saw this. Click on any of the photos for larger images:

This gorgeous diorama sits in a short lobby leading to the outdoors, just outside the shop and just across from the Rose & Crown Restaurant. I’m not sure I’d ever seen it before, but I was spellbound. I stared for several minutes, first trying to determine the story in the scene and then trying to take in all of the unbelievable detail.

Clearly, what we’re looking at here is a Royal Feast: the King is seated next to his Queen and Royal guests, servants bustle about behind the table, and an entertainer is rolling a hoop in front of the Royal party. And that’s not all — Knights in Armor guard the table with glistening, bejeweled shields; musicians stand in the balconies ready to entertain at a moment’s notice; Royal crests bedeck the walls; and a huge stained glass window completes the scene.

And he’s “rolling” in the true sense. The diorama is animatronic. You can watch the [Read more…]