How to see Epcot in one day. You can spend days in Epcot, but if you are limited on time then I would suggest these tips for planning your 1 day Epcot itinerary to make sure you make the most of your limited time. If you’re wondering what to do in Epcot then read on.
Visiting Epcot is almost the top of my favourite things to do at Walt Disney World. I can spend hours wandering around the World Showcase. With 11 pavilions there is always something to see and do.
Your Epcot itinerary will be different if you have more than one day planned. With just one day at Epcot, then I suggest deciding whether you want to arrive when the park opens and stay until Epcot Forever at the end of the day.
Or perhaps it’s advisable to arrive a little later in the day to be able to stay until the park closes.
The best day to visit Epcot is in the middle of the week if you want lesser crowds. If there is a festival happening, then every day is likely to be busy.
Test your Disney World knowledge with these quiz questions
Can You See All Of Epcot In One Day?
It is doable to see all of Epcot in one day, but be prepared to do lots of walking. You will be grateful for wearing the right shoes. It may be difficult to decide on which of the Epcot restaurants to eat in however as there are some great choices.
What Does Epcot Stand For?
Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
What Are The Busiest Rides At Epcot?
With Fastpass+ no longer an option and the introduction of Disney Genie+, planning your rides at Epcot may change a little.
The most popular rides at Epcot include Frozen Ever After, Test Track, Soarin’ and the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France pavilion.
Lines for these rides are often longer than others at Epcot, so you may be deciding whether the Disney Genie+ service is for you as a guest, or whether you’ll avoid the additional charges and wait in line.
I would suggest Test Track first, followed by Soarin’ as they are near the entrance to the park. Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure should be checked out on the My Disney Experience app to guage the wait times for you to decide how long is too long to queue.
The World at Epcot
Epcot is split into different parts, World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and the World Showcase. You enter in the middle of World Celebration, and will begin here.
A must do at Epcot is to check the wait time for Mission Space when you enter the park. If the line for Mission Space isn’t too long, then I would get in line, however if there is a long wait then I would leave it until later in the day, perhaps on your way out of the park.
You may also like to read – Where to find Hidden Mickeys at Epcot
Test Track is located in World Discovery and Soarin’ in World Nature. If you are arriving early and looking to have breakfast at Epcot, I would suggest Sunshine Seasons as there is plenty of choice.
Inside the Land pavilion which is home to Soarin’, Living with the Land also has a great quick service location, Sunshine Seasons. You can get a wide variety of food and drink here and is well worth a visit. If you’re looking for a character meal then I suggest Garden Grill with Chip, Dale, Farmer Mickey and Pluto.
Epcot World Showcase
Epcot’s World showcase opens at 11am, a little later than the main park opens. Once you have seen the attractions at the beginning of the park, it’s time to explore the World Showcase, one of the best things to see at Epcot.
A great activity at Epcot for adults is to enjoy drinking around the World Showcase. Why don’t you try it one day.
There are many things I love about Epcot World Showcase, and I am still discovering more now. Each pavilion is a different country and within those pavilions there are places to shop, attractions, quick service locations, table service restaurants and amazing theming.
We always tend to start in Canada and work out way around the World Showcase lagoon anti clock wise, but if you have a reservation in the China pavilion, Norway or Mexico then you may want to start in Mexico and walk around clockwise.
Some of our favourite counter service places for lunch include the Lotus Blossom Cafe in China, and Katsura Grill in Japan.
The World Showcase itself can be walked round in approximately 1.5 hours if you don’t stop and explore all the hidden depths or stop for food. You would miss out on some amazing sights if you chose to do this, but if your time was restricted then it could be done.
How Many Miles Is It To Walk Around Epcot?
The whole of Epcot is approximately 2.4 miles to walk from the front of the park, around and back to the front again, or 1.2 miles around the lagoon and World Showcase.
Equally if you have arrived later in the day and are short on time before Epcot Forever – Nighttime Spectacular starts, then I would suggest starting the World Showcase in Mexico.
By the time you have walked around and stop to watch from between Canada and the UK pavilion, you are near the front of the World Showcase. This can help keep ahead of a lot of the queues on the way out of the park.
What To Do At Epcot For Kids
A lot of people assume that Epcot is educational and therefore not a lot of fun. This isn’t the case at all, and there is so much to keep the kids entertained.
As you are walking around enjoying the World Showcase, the kids can collect stamps in their Kidcot passport. Each pavilion has a section where the kids can take part in an activity, often in a lovely air-conditioned area.
Epcot World Showcase is a great place to meet the characters. The lines are often quite short which is a great way to meet characters. Check your times map on the way into the park, but you can usually find Mary Poppins and Alice in the UK pavilion.
Belle is often in France, Snow White in Germany, Mulan in China and Anna and Elsa of course are in Norway.
Related Post – 10 things to do at Epcot with kids
A 1 Day Epcot Itinerary Example
- Arrive at Epcot mid morning
- Ride Test Track
- Check out the standby queue for Soarin’
- Keep checking the app for wait times for Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Book a table service meal in one of the pavilions in the World Showcase
- We have eaten at Via Napoli in Italy and it was lovely
- You can find the princesses in Akershus Norway
- Explore the World Showcase
- Rest on your way around in the air-conditioned buildings, or restaurants
- Enjoy the live music that Epcot has to offer in the different pavilions
- Watch Epcot Forever at 9pm (Epcot at night is stunning and a must see)
Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks
