We love Epcot and always spend a lot of time there during a Disney World Vacation. So we thought we would share some of our Epcot Tips with you.
Epcot is split into two areas, Future World and World Showcase so let’s take a look at our Epcot tips for both parts of this fantastic Disney World Park. Hopefully these will help with your Disney World Vacation.
Find Out More About Epcot:
- What’s Inside the Epcot Ball?
- What Rides are at Epcot
- Epcot World Showcase Guide
- The Best Attractions at Epcot
- The Japan Store at Epcot
- Best Breakfast Locations at Epcot
- Epcot Drinking Around the World
20 Epcot Tips…
Let’s get started with our 20 helpful tips for planning a trip to Epcot at Walt Disney World.
1. There are Different Opening Times for Future World & World Showcase
Future World opens at 9am with World Showcase fully opening later at 11am. This means Future World is always busy in the morning until the crowds start to spread into World Showcase late morning.
2. Get There at Rope Drop to Get on Soarin’, Test Track or Frozen Ever After
You can only book 1 Fast Pass for the top tier attractions at Epcot. So to ride the others it is best to get there for rope drop and head towards one of the three straight away. The closest top tier rides from the main park entrance are Test Track and Soarin’ around the World.
Frozen Ever After is Located in the Norway Pavilion on World Showcase but the ride opens from the beginning of the day so you can also head straight to it from rope drop.
3. There is More Than One Entrance
As well as the main entrance there is also a park entrance at the International Gateway Located on World Showcase between the UK and France Pavilions. This entrance is accessed from the Boardwalk and the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.
This Entrance is great if you are staying at those resorts but is also useful if you are having breakfast at the Boardwalk too.
4. The Boardwalk is Great for a Break from the Park
The Boardwalk is only a short walk from Epcot through the International Gateway Entrance so can be a nice break from the park on a busy day. There restaurants and quick service options too as well as being close to the Swan and Dolphin resorts too.
If you wanted to try a breakfast character meal here you can meet Ariel, Prince Eric, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider at Trattoria al Forno. It is a very enjoyable breakfast with a nice menu on top of meeting the characters too.
You read more about Character Dining at Disney World here.
5. Try to Do World Showcase Monday to Thursday
Like all the Disney World parks Epcot is at its busiest over the weekend. Our advice would be to try to do World Showcase Monday through Thursday when it is a little quieter.
On a Saturday especially you will tend to find lots of groups of people enjoying World Showcase as well as drinking around the world so we tend to not do a full day there over the weekend.
6. An Early Breakfast Can Get You Into the Park Before the Crowds
We have mentioned this before a few time now in previous posts but a very early breakfast at the Garden Grill can get you inside the park ahead of the crowds to get on to Soarin’ (they are both located in the Land building). We have finished our breakfast walked down to Soarin’ and been the first in line for the ride in the past. Definitely worth thinking about if you are on the Dining Plan.
You can find more of our Line Hacks and Tips here or by clicking the image below.
7. Ride Spaceship Earth Later on in the Day
Spaceship Earth is the first attraction you come across when you enter Epcot from the main park entrance. This means at the beginning of the day the wait times for the ride can build up quite quickly. We always ride Spaceship Earth later on in the day (usually the evening) when the crowds are spread out a bit more and less people are coming into the park.
8. If You’re Not Sure Ride the Green version of Mission Space
If you suffer from motion sickness then ride the green version of Mission Space. The orange version of the ride is a lot more intense so skip it if like me you do suffer a little from motion sickness. The green version is a lot easier to handle and I have never had a problem with it.
9. Expect a Lot of Construction
From 2019 onward the main entrance area of Epcot and Future World has been undergoing a renovation so if you are visiting expect some construction walls as you enter the park.
What with the front of the park going under refurbishment and the Guardians of the Galaxy ride being under construction there is a lot going on it Future World but it will be worth it when it is all completed.
10. The Rose and Crown Has a Great Viewing Area for the Fireworks
If you dine at the Rose and Crown pub in the UK Pavilion on World Showcase you can either request to dine outside during the fireworks or ask to use the viewing area after you have eaten. We have done this in the past and you get a great view of the fireworks right beside World Showcase Lagoon.
11. You Might Get Asked For ID When Drinking Around the World
There are a lot of alcoholic drinking options around World Showcase. There are kiosks and quick service spots in each pavilion where you can buy beers, wines and cocktails but do be aware that you may be asked for ID at any of these locations. If you are a non U.S guest you will need your passport to prove your age.
In the past we have taken photos of our passports on our phones (a cast member recommended it) to back up our non U.S driving licences to save us from carrying them around the parks.
12. Kidcot is Great for Younger Children
There are Kidcot locations at each World Showcase Pavilion where children can color in a Duffy Bear card that is on a stick. At each location you can get the cast member there to personalize it to which will be relevant to which country you are visiting and this can be a great way of keeping younger children entertained as you make your way around World Showcase. World Showcase is great for adults but younger kids can sometimes struggle as there aren’t the rides and attractions that you get in some of the other parks.
13. There is Only Three Rides on World Showcase
Whilst we are on the subject do be aware that there are only two rides at world Showcase those being the Grand Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros in Mexico and Frozen Ever After in Norway and a Ratatouille ride in the France Pavilion.
14. Try to Visit Epcot during a Festival
Epcot has various special festivals throughout the year:
- Festival of the Arts – mid January to late February
- Flower and Garden Festival – early March to early June
- Food and Wine Festival – late August to early November
- Festival of the Holidays – early November to early January
Each festival has something different to offer with special food offerings and other shows and displays so definitely try to catch one if you can.
15. Epcot is Great for Meeting Characters
You can meet a lot of Characters at Epcot with character meet and greet locations in Future World and various character spots around locations. Make sure you have your autograph books ready and you camera too. The Inside Out characters are located in Future World as well as Mickey and Friends and Baymax from Big Hero Six. On World Showcase you can meet various characters relevant to each Country such as Snow White in Germany, Belle in France and Princess Jasmine in Morocco.
16. Watch People Picking Pearls and Try Japanese Candy
In the Mitsukoshi Department Store you can watch people pick pearls which is a lot of fun with the cast member in the store banging a drum and making a lovely show of the process and you can also buy some very interesting Japanese Candy and Sodas. There is a lot to choose from but I always enjoy exploring this store the most out of all those you find on World Showcase.
17. Take a Look at Our World Showcase Guide For More Epcot Tips
For a lot more information on World Showcase take a look at our complete guide which you can find here or by clicking the image below. This is a really comprehensive guide in addition to the Epcot Tips in this post.
18. We Also Have a Full Guide on all the Rides at Epcot Too
Yes we also have a complete guide to all the rides at Epcot which you can also find here or by clicking the image below. Hopefully you will find this article and the World Showcase Guide helpful when planning your Disney World Vacation and find out some extra Epcot Tips in these articles too.
Take a look at our Epcot Disney Genie Plus Guide
19. You Can Park Hop by Boat and Monorail
From Epcot you can park hop by boat to Hollywood Studios using the Friendship boats located at the International Gateway. You can also use the Monorail to get to Magic Kingdom and the resorts that surround the Seven Seas Lagoon on the Monorail Resort loop. Simply jump on a Monorail from Epcot and then change at the Ticket and Transportation Center.
You can find more Disney World Transportation Tips here or by clicking the image below.
20. You Can Also Take a Boat across World Showcase Lagoon
If you want to head to the center of World Showcase quickly rather than walking you can catch a Friendship boat that will take you across the lagoon. Whenever we have been on vacation we have caught these from Canada and they take you to Morocco. You can travel both ways and there are also ports at Mexico and Germany too.
Bonus Epcot Tip -World Showcase Looks Fantastic at Night
At night World Showcase looks beautiful so it is definitely worth sticking around until later in the day or park hopping over to Epcot in the evening. World Showcase looks amazing illuminated in the dark and spending some time there in the evening and then enjoying the fireworks is a great way to finish a day at Disney World.
If you have found this post and our Epcot Tips helpful then please do share this post (sharing is caring) using the pin below.
You can find our previous article right here. Thanks for Stopping by.
Darren
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