11 Tips And Secrets For Epcot In Walt Disney World

Guests who enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation love spending time in Epcot enjoying entertaining attractions, beautiful pavilions, amazing dining, shopping, and live entertainment. Epcot is a favorite park of many guests thanks to its two unique “halves”. Future World is in the front of the park and celebrates a fusion of technology and nature and World Showcase in the rear of the park highlights eleven different countries from around the world. Guests who spend a day in Epcot can dive into the seas, soar high in a hang gliding adventure, travel the world, design their own cars, and enjoy delicious and unique foods. With so much to do and see in Epcot, guests want to make the most of their time there and can do so by following a few simple tips and secrets designed to save them time and frustration. By following these tips guests can be sure to have an amazing day in Epcot! Here are eleven tips and secrets for Epcot in Walt Disney World.

11. Rope Drop

One of the best ways to save time when visiting any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks is to arrive for rope drop each morning. This entails arriving at the park before it officially opens to the public and waiting at the gates to enter. Guests who arrive for rope drop at Epcot are treated to a festive welcome speech which tells them about the fun and adventures that await once inside. Guests who arrive for rope drop at Epcot ensure that they are some of the first guests inside the park upon opening and are rewarded with low crowds, low wait times, and wide open pathways.

10. FastPass+ Soarin’

The Land Pavilion in Future World is home to one of the most popular attractions in all of Walt Disney World. Soarin’ invites guests on a hang gliding adventure over beautiful sights around the globe including places like The Taj Mahal, The Great Wall of China, and the African plains. Since the attraction is so popular with guests, the wait time can easily surpass 90 minutes on busy days in Epcot. A great way to enjoy the attraction while avoiding the long wait time is booking a FastPass+ for the experience.

9. OR FastPass+ Frozen Ever After

Frozen Ever After is located in the Norway Pavilion and boasts extremely long wait times in the stand-by line. Frozen Ever After is a family-friendly boat ride that took the place of the former Maelstrom and follows a similar track, winding through multiple experiences up and down the river. It’s a fun attraction with beautiful surroundings, top notch animatronics, and of course… the forever popular Frozen characters and songs to sing along with! Keep in mind… Epcot is on a Tier System, meaning you can only select one of the most popular three attractions to FastPass – Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, and Test Track in your initial three selections. If you arrive at the park right when it opens, you should have no problem hitting both Soarin’ and Test Track without extremely long lines. If you are a Frozen fan, our recommendation is to FastPass Frozen Ever After early afternoon, head straight to Soarin’ at park open, then head to Test Track. If the standby line for Test Track is too long you can always check out the Single Rider line as mentioned below.

8. Single Rider Test Track Presented By Chevrolet

Another very popular attraction in Epcot’s Future World is Test Track Presented by Chevrolet. This attraction invites guests into the design studio where they can create their very own SIM cars and then test them on the track in Efficiency, Power, Responsiveness, and Capability. With thrills and special effects, Test Track Presented by Chevrolet is extremely popular with guests and usually has long wait times. Guests can avoid losing time spent waiting in line by opting to use the Single Rider line instead. Single Rider lines can be found at various attractions throughout Walt Disney World and allow guests to enjoy popular attractions with lower wait times so long as they don’t mind being split up at the loading area.

7. Eat At Sunshine Seasons

Located right next to Soarin’ on the lower level of The Land Pavilion is a quick service dining location that serves up unique and delicious options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sunshine Seasons features several different stations which each offer unique meal options. There are plenty of options that would be good for kids or adults and the desserts are amazing. There is tons of seating and it’s pretty spread out, making this the perfect spot to grab a snack and sit down for a rest. Guests who want to get the most out of Epcot should definitely enjoy at least one meal at Sunshine Seasons!

6. Do The Underrated

While there are plenty of big ticket attractions in Epcot, there are also plenty of less popular attractions which tend to be overlooked by guests. These attractions are fun and entertaining in their own ways and are therefore definitely underrated. Guests can enjoy Journey Into Imagination with Figment and tour the sensory labs of the Imagination Institute with the loveable purple dragon. Another great underrated attraction for guests to enjoy in Epcot is Living with the Land which brings guests though massive greenhouses where fresh produce is being grown using new and efficient technologies.

5. Watch The Fountain Of Nations

Located in the plaza behind Spaceship Earth and before World Showcase is a beautiful fountain. The Fountain of Nations is massive and puts on a show several times an hour which features wonderful music and dancing water certain to impress any guest. You can also find performances on a stage the faces the World Showcase from time to time as well!

4. Visit The World Showcase Attractions

World Showcase features eleven different pavilions full of amazing details, culture, history, and some very enjoyable attractions. While exploring the pavilions, guests should be sure to stop by each attraction in World Showcase to learn more about each country. Mexico is home to the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros where Jose and Panchito search the country to find Donald in time for their concert. Norway has Frozen Ever After which we mentioned above. China features the circle vision film Reflections of China which showcases the beauty and culture of the country. The American Pavilion is home to the American Adventure which uses audio animatronics, artwork, and music to tell the story of the American people. Impressions de France in the France Pavilion brings guests on a beautiful tour of the country and showcases the culture and history found there. Finally, the Canada Pavilion features O Canada!, a circle vision film hosted by Martin Short which demonstrates the diversity and unity of the country.

3. Have Dinner In World Showcase

One of the best ways to enjoy time in Epcot is dining in World Showcase. Each of the eleven pavilions is home to at least one full service dining location and one quick service dining location which serve up traditional and unique cuisine from that culture. Guests can enjoy meals in World Showcase unlike anywhere else in Walt Disney World and some of the most popular options are Le Cellier Steakhouse, Monsieur Paul and the San Angel Inn Ristorante.

2. Get A Good Spot For Illuminations

Each night, World Showcase Lagoon comes to life with Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. The show combines pyrotechnics, fireworks, laser lights, special effects, wonderful music, and dancing water to convey the message that we are all united. While there are plenty of amazing viewing spots around World Showcase Lagoon, guests should plan on arriving up to an hour before the show begins to score a great spot!

1. Stay Put For A While

After Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is over, guests are smart to stay put in their viewing spot for about fifteen minutes to let the crowds dissipate a little bit. Once the initial wave of guests have headed to the front of the park to return to their resorts for the night, the park tends to be less crowded making for a leisurely and enjoyable stroll towards the exit.