Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
Where the future meets tomorrow.
EPCOT is best known for all of its festivals, which are a definite highlight of this theme park! EPCOT truly was originally meant to be a community, and Walt put a lot of his heart and soul into these ideas, which make it that much better.
EPCOT has less Disney IP, so it sometimes gets a reputation of being for adults only. This is no longer true because there are now so many attractions for guests of all ages. This is truly a park where each family member has magic waiting around every corner.
There is so much to discover here, and a treat for all of your senses. There is entertainment, amazing and exotic foods, brilliantly done rides, water and land experiences, and much more. EPCOT is truly a unique experience, and it really does take you on a discovery around the world with the authenticity of every country. You truly will get a cultural experience.
Lands
World Celebration contains the iconic EPCOT geosphere that houses the well-known attraction, Spaceship Earth. This area has been refurbished recently from being one massive land, Future World, and in my opinion, these changes have made it even more iconic. You will still see Club Cool as well as great shopping at Creations Shop.
World Discovery contains one of the newest rides in Disney World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and is all about innovation and thrill! For me, this area is a constant reminder that nothing is impossible when we utilize technology in a stable way.
World Nature connects us to the Earth and allows us the chance to learn more and appreciate the living world around us. With a nod to both the seas and the land, guests will get an in depth and educational adventure into the many aspects of this area within the EPCOT park. We only get one Earth, and it is our job to understand it so we can take care of it.
World Showcase is a fantastic look into countries all over the world including Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. There is also an entrance to the parks located in World Showcase, and Disney adds food booths from other countries not featured in the Showcase periodically during festival times.
Resorts
EPCOT is home to several close proximity resorts because there are so many ways to get to EPCOT. My favorite mode of transportation is the Skyliner! The Riviera is the most luxurious resort on the Skyliner, and Caribbean Beach is a great option as well if you want to have a great location and save money. Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk are true EPCOT resorts because you can walk from them into World Showcase, so they are excellent options if EPCOT is your priority, especially during Festival times.
Dining
Most of the restaurants are in the World Showcase area, but there are still some gems like the Character Dining at Garden Grill and dining in an aquarium at Coral Reef! Check out a comprehensive list below. My favorite Table Service restaurants are Chefs de France and Via Napoli. My favorite Quick Service restaurants and Snacks are the French pavilion items and La Creperie de Paris. Festivals are the best way to sample what EPCOT has to offer, and there is almost always a festival going on!
Attractions
EPCOT has the best ride in any theme park in all the world – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind! I truly love this ride full of speed, immersion, laughter, and entertainment. This is my all-time favorite ride! My additional favorites in EPCOT are Soarin,’ and Test Track, but I like them all, with the exception of Mission:Space – it is a cool concept, but it makes me so queasy.
Entertainment
EPCOT has one, big nighttime show, and they change it every few years, but it always has a flair for unity around the world. There is always entertainment all over The World Showcase that you can stumble upon, and every bit of it is fantastic!
The highlight of EPCOT is the FESTIVALS! Try to go when one is taking place, and prepare to be completely immersed in culture via entertainment, education, and most importantly, FOOD! Food booths are the best way to go during a festival.
Character Meet & Greets
There are so many characters in EPCOT, and my favorites are the Princesses that are in their respective countries around the World Showcase! There is a good mix of character meet and greets around the park, including a not-so-official meet and greet with Crush at Turtle Talk with Crush!
Transportation Options
EPCOT has plenty of transportation options, but the highlight is the Skyliner! The introduction of the Skyliner really put the Skyliner resorts on the map as places to stay! Any of these options are great, and EPCOT is a great place to travel to at the end of the day for snacks, drinks, and entertainment, so it is a good thing there are so many transportation options!
Even More Magic at EPCOT
Journey of Water is mesmerizing for all ages! Playing with water just got a whole meaning. EPCOT dessert parties are a great way to see Luminous: A Symphony of Us with a great view and yummy treats! If you love to learn, check out one of the backstage tours!
Lightning Lanes
EPCOT is one of the parks for which I do not automatically purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass. There are very good attractions here, but there are not a ton, and you should be able to do all of them if you go from rope drop to close. The main reason to get Multi Pass here is if you just hate standing in line or if you are in a hurry.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass is usually not as expensive in EPCOT because it has less attractions.
Keep in mind that EPCOT does have the best attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which is only available as a Lightning Lane Single Pass, not Multi Pass. Guardians of the Galaxy is always worth it to me because riding it just once is never enough!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is also available for Virtual Queue, no standby queue. All guests can join the virtual queue at 7am or 1pm.
Planning Lightning Lane Multi Pass Day
At 7am EST: Get Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy
After scanning into your first attraction: Another member of your group selects your next Lightning Lane Multi Pass Selection (I recommend Frozen, Ratatouille, and Test Track as highest priorities – these are most popular and sell out quickest).
Obviously, you should not select a ride for which you already have a pre-planned selection.
1:00pm EST: All guests can try for the Virtual Queue for Guardians
Make the festivals your priority at EPCOT, and only book one Table Service (or none) so you can enjoy snacking around the world all day. Also, you will do yourself a favor by sharing food and drinks so you can experience more offerings!
If you are traveling with littles, Kidcot Fun Stops are a fantastic option for you! Kids get to get a card and fill it up along all of the Kidcot Fun Stops in EPCOT! Each card has a fun activity, and this can be a good activity for them while you are drinking around the world!
Rope Drop Tips
If you want to have a chance at a high priority ride at rope drop, you need to be in line to get into the parks an hour before early entry posted time.
Resort Guests can take advantage of Early Entry and get in 30 minutes before the park opens to non-resort guests.
Scenario 1: If you are riding the Skyliner or walking from Boardwalk, Yacht Club, or Beach Club, you will come in the International Gateway close to Ratatouille, so that makes sense as your rope drop priority.
Scenario 2: If you come in the main entrance, Remy’s is too far, so your best bet is to rope drop Frozen or Test Track to knock one of those out.
Scenario 3: If you do not purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, my advice is to try and rope drop Ratatouille, then go straight to Frozen, and just keep an eye on Test Track throughout the day. Wait times get shorter around 11:00 during festivals for Test Track because that is when a lot of the booths open, and people will be over at World Showcase.
Make sure you are not rope dropping the attraction you got the first Lightning Lane Multi Pass Selection for unless it is one you want to ride twice.
*If you do not have Early Entry, hit some of the smaller rides like Soarin’ and Living with the Land until you can book another Lightning Lane Selection. Frozen or Test Track can be your next Selection.
NOTE: Test Track is the only one of the three priority rides that has a single rider line, so this could serve you well if you choose to make this one your wait in line ride. It is also the only one with a height requirement, so keep that in mind.
