8 Things To Plan For While Visiting Epcot In Walt Disney World

Housing both the World Showcase and Future World, Epcot is an enormous park filled with lots to see and explore. It features some of the most popular and iconic rides, is filled with great opportunities to learn and experience different cultures and has some of the best food on Disney property. A day spent in Epcot will surely be full of things to do, from morning straight through to Illuminations. To help you plan your time in the park, we have put together a list of the 8 things to plan for when visiting Epcot.

8. You Will Walk A Lot

Since Epcot has two very distinct areas, it has the feel of two parks in one. The World Showcase alone is a 1.2 mile path around the World Showcase Lagoon. This doesn’t take into account the amount that you will walk within each country as you explore all they have to offer. Walking from Future World East to Future World West is also quite a trek if you’re heading from Test Track over to the Land Pavilion.

Combining the two halves of the park add up to a lot of walking to get where you’re going. That’s why most Disney guests will try to plan their day at Epcot so they’re always moving in one direction and not backtracking too much. Make sure to take breaks and drink lots of water on the hot and sunny Florida days.

7. Country Attractions

With 11 countries to visit, it can be hard to decide where to spend your time in the World Showcase. What makes it even more difficult is the fact that there are a variety of diverse attractions throughout each country, from rides to demonstrations and music. Whether you’re riding the Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico, spending time with Frozen friends on Frozen Ever After, or you’re watching the American Adventure – the attractions are always a great way to spend your time. There are also a number of performers, such as the Acrobats in China, the Juggler in Italy or the Serveur Amusant (an amusing waiter) in France. If you prefer music, there are tons of musical acts to experience, from the Taiko drums of Japan to the British Revolution in the UK Pavilion.

6. Behind The Seeds

The Living With The Land attraction in Future World offers a great insight into sustainable farming research and what Disney is doing to become a more balanced ecosystem when it comes to their food production. One of the hidden gems at Epcot is the Behind The Seeds tour which takes you more in depth to the inner workings of the Epcot greenhouses. It’s informative and a lot of fun, plus the tours run a number of times each day.

5. Spaceship Earth E-mailed video

Spaceship Earth is one of the most iconic attractions in Walt Disney World, given it’s status as the visual centerpiece of Epcot. Not only is it a look through the significant milestones in human history, but it’s also a look into the future. With your input, and based on your preferences, you are put into a vision of tomorrow in the form of a video snapshot. What many people don’t know is that you can e-mail a copy of the video to yourself once the ride is done. Just head into Project Tomorrow once you exit the ride vehicles and locate yourself on the illuminated globe to get started.

4. Dining In The World Showcase

While many guests know that there are restaurants available in Epcot, you typically won’t be told about how many restaurants there are to choose from. Combining both quick service and table service restaurants, Epcot offers over 30 restaurants to choose from throughout the park. Whether you are looking for fine dining or looking to grab a quick bite to eat, there are lots of options and certainly something for your tastes. Epcot is also a great place to explore different cuisines. Each pavilion has so many incredible dishes that it’s hard to go wrong with whatever you choose. Try researching the menus at the restaurants in Epcot to help you make your decision and be sure to make a reservation ahead of time.

3. Shopping

In addition to the large number of dining options, there is also a wide variety of stores to shop in throughout the park. Particularly in the World Showcase, each country offers one or more shops filled with cultural pieces to buy, as well as something that each country excels in. Whether you’re picking up your favorite Twinings Teas in the United Kingdom, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from France, or even a Bonsai tree in Japan, the possibilities are endless and the stores available to you are a great way to spend your time in Epcot as well as picking up something to remember your trip once you return home.

2. Get There For Rope Drop

With the format of the FastPass+ selections at Epcot, you are limited to selecting one option from Tier 1 and 2 options from Tier 2. Since Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Soarin’ are Tier 1 attractions (as well as being some of the most popular rides in all of Walt Disney World), trying to decide which one to use the FastPass for can be a really difficult decision. One of the ways around this is to arrive for Rope Drop, when the park opens, so that you can make sure you ride at least of of the Tier 1 rides you didn’t select. The beauty of Rope Drop is the fact that the crowds won’t start to fill in until around 45 minutes to an hour after the park opens, so you may in fact have more opportunities to ride your must-do attractions.

1. Epcot Forever Viewing

Towards the end of your night in Epcot, Epcot Forever nighttime spectacular can be the perfect send-off right before you leave the park. Taking place in the World Showcase Lagoon, there are a number of great viewing points offering great vantage points. The most popular viewing areas include the World Showcase Plaza, which is essentially front and center, as well as the Canada Pavilion. In between the UK and France pavilion is also a popular spot, as are the Mexico and Italy pavilions. Some lesser known spaces include Norway and the China pavilion and the terrace on the second story of the Mitsokoshi Department Store. Of course, you can forego having to stake out a viewing spot by either booking a FastPass+ selection, or making a reservation for the Frozen Ever After Sparkling Dessert Party.

What are some of your favorite tips for visiting Epcot? Let us know in the comments!