For a lot of people Epcot doesn’t appeal as much as the other Disney parks because they think it’s too educational. I think it’s a shame for anyone to judge a park by its name before having a look for yourself. If you’re thinking of a visit, then please read on for my Epcot tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your day.
Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow
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During our first trip to Walt Disney World, our first time at Epcot was the last park we visited over a week into our stay. This was mainly because some of the party weren’t too keen on going.
I really wish we had gone earlier in the trip as we were only able to visit once during our first trip. For me Epcot ranks very high in my list of favourites and I could spend days wandering around the world showcase taking it all in.
I’ve talked about visiting Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for the first time, but what can you expect when visiting Epcot for the first time?
Epcot is twice as big as Magic Kingdom and it would be foolish to think you could see all of it in one day if you were to REALLY look at everything. Hunting out Hidden Mickeys is a great way to explore the park.
Epcot is split into different parts, World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and the World Showcase.
Genie + At Epcot
Selected rides at Epcot include the option to purchase a Genie+ Lightning Lane entrance. This is much like the pre existing Fastpass+ options, on a payable service.
Selected rides and attractions at Epcot are included in the Genie+ purchase options. These can change according to demand, but can include the following rides and attractions at Epcot.
- Frozen Ever After
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE – Green
- Mission: SPACE – Orange
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Turtle Talk with Crush
Epcot World Showcase
Beyond World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature is the Epcot World Showcase. This is home to eleven pavilions, each one dedicated to a different country.
In clockwise order from the entrance is Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada.
The World Showcase is centred around a large lagoon which is home to the night time fireworks display.
Each pavilion is host to history, culture, amazing sights, restaurants, shops, attractions and plenty more, spanning the one mile around the World Showcase.
On our second visit I tried to delve deeper into the pavilions to learn more about the countries. I soon realised that I wasn’t going to have time to see it all in one visit, so plenty of return visits are needed if you want to see every detail.
Festivals In Epcot
Epcot is the host to different festivals each year. Festival of the Arts generally happens during January and February. The Flower and Garden festival happens in the spring during March, April and May.
Finally the Food and Wine festival happens towards the autumn during August, September and October. We were lucky enough to visit during the Flower and Garden Festival and it made the day even more fun.
There were topiaries everywhere of the characters, food stalls which allowed me to try some amazing foods from different countries.
The Flower and Garden Festival also caters very well for children with playgrounds, a butterfly house which was brilliant and plenty to spot along the way.
Epcot Food And Drink
Epcot is the home to some fun character meals such as meeting Chip and Dale in the Garden Grill, a restaurant that rotates very slowly. You can also meet the princesses in Akershus restaurant in Norway, the pavilion you can now go to meet Anna and Elsa.
Related post – Find the best Epcot restaurants
There is also plenty of opportunity to meet characters in Epcot such as Mickey and Minnie in their traditional outfits in the character spot. This is a great idea if you’re visiting Epcot with kids (or big kids).
You can also spot different character out in their countries around the World Showcase such as Belle in France, Mary Poppins in United Kingdom, Snow White in Germany and many more.
Related Post – 1 day Epcot itinerary
It’s a good idea to check out the character times as you enter the park, or check out My Disney Experience app to make sure you don’t miss out on your favourite characters. We find that the lines are never too long either around the World Showcase so you’re never waiting too long.
You may also like to read – Eating and drinking around the World Showcase
On a hot day Epcot can be quite unforgiving as there isn’t a lot of shade as you walk around the World Showcase.
It’s a good idea to take the respite in the shops within each pavilion and check out the attractions on offer. Otherwise your leisurely stroll around the lagoon may not feel so leisurely.
If you do become tired there is a boat service that runs across the lagoon to save your legs.
What’s your favourite part about Epcot?
Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks
Why not pin this for later?
I love Epcot, and we spent lots of time there on our visits. Visiting different countries and cultures in a day is such fun, and my son has fond memories of walking through them late at night. Extra magic hours are great in Epcot as less crowds and time to collect your name written in Japanese lettering 🙂