5 Tips to Visit Epcot: The Story Behind the Travel Photos
- Nov 9
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 15
The NYC Traveler:
5 Tips to Visit Epcot at Disney World
Not too long ago, Epcot was the educational but slightly boring park in Disney World Parks family, appealing to tech geeks. That all changed in the late 1990's when attractions and festivals were introduced to bring in the crowds (and dollars). Now, those 1990s kids are parents (maybe grandparents?) and Disney still wants them to come to Epcot. But, believe it or not, I still get asked about why I like going to Disney World and why Epcot in particular. Well, I tell you in two words: Disney Adulting.
EPCOT means Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt Disney himself came up with the idea of building a residential community. He envisioned a utopia like community that was the height of technology, communication, energy and entertainment. You can actually see some of his ideas in the use of the monorail that connects Magic Kingdom with Epcot. In fact, Epcot was supposed to be the first Disney park to be built in Florida, not Magic Kingdom. However, it made sense to try to bring some aspects of Disneyland to Florida from a marketing perspective, so Magic Kingdom was constructed first. And, the Disney company could not get approval for the community to be built without agreeing to build a theme park.
But things changed after Walt Disney died in 1966. Magic Kingdom was completed and opened in 1971. Now, the question was whether to continue with the original plans for Epcot. After his death, it was decided to create a second theme park instead of building a community. However, the idea of building a town never really went away. In the late 1990s, Disney did finally build a community: Celebration, Florida. They don't own it now, they divested from it, but some of the Disney offices are there. And fun fact: World Drive connects Celebration to the Magic Kingdom. By the way, if you want to see part of the prototype of Walt's dream, it's on display when you ride through the People Mover in Magic Kingdom.
Today's Epcot is not your (grand)parents' Epcot that opened in 1982. The rides were edutainment: focusing on energy, technology and the environment. And some of them were fun. But after a while, times change and Disney realized that although education can be fun, people want a theme park with rides, attractions and entertainment. So, major changes started to be made. A lot has changed, even some the names of the areas: World Nature, World Discovery, World Celebration (which all used to be called Future World) and World Showcase. Each area has edutainment, attractions, food and more. But the technology and innovation that Walt loved so much is definitely there.
So, to start, here are 5 tips a savvy traveler would visit Epcot:
1. What's with the golf ball? Present since the opening of Epcot in 1982, it's the spherical attraction/exhibition, Spaceship Earth, an informative yet entertaining ride through humankind's history of communication from pre-historic days to a salute to the young pioneers of Silicon Valley. The attraction used to be sponsored by an outside company, but now, without a sponsor, the old lounge has been reimagined into an adults-only lounge and bar, thus continuing to make Epcot one of the more adult-friendly Disney theme park. Also, the outside was refurbished a few years ago as a light and music show, beginning at dusk. During those quick presentations and during the nightly spectacular (held on the World Showcase lagoon, take a look at your Magic Band + as it sparkles in synch with the shows.
What about the ride itself? Well, since Epcot started as the theme park with a little bit of education, that part hasn't changed. Ride through the ball itself as you see cute scenes of the story and history of technology. The scenes end at the top of the sphere and as you "descend back down to earth," the screen in your car will take you through an interactive activity about what you want to do in the future. You can even have it sent to your email. After the ride, you get to play with technology yourself, going through several themed video game inspired activities with themes such as transportation and health. You can access this area without going on the ride.
2. After Spaceship Earth at the front of the park (World Celebration), head to World Nature and The Seas Pavilion. You'll be under the sea in a huge aquarium after riding Finding Nemo. The Living Seas will introduce you to sea life complete with fish, sharks, eels, coral reefs and the real-life inspirations for Nemo, Dory, Crush and the rest of the cast. This is one of the largest theme park aquariums. There are several areas, including a room with small aquariums filled with eels, sea horses and shrimp. Then, head over to the multi-story aquarium full of sea life such as sharks, turtles, stingray and much, much more. Downstairs, pick up a scavenger hunt booklet for fun with the kids. the second level of the aquarium has some benches in the back area so that you can literally sit and watch the underwater traffic go by. You don't have to ride the Nemo ride, which exits inside the aquarium. You can enter the aquarium area by going through the gift shop. Look for special add-ons, such as deep sea exploring.
3. The main reason many people visit Epcot is to take a trip around the world in a few hours in the World Showcase, a replica of the World's Fair. Each pavilion represents a country's culture with exhibits, entertainment, rides, food and drinks along with authentic personnel on short-term contracts. For a milisecond, you will feel like you have stepped into a foreign land. If you have been there, you will appreciate the effort Disney does to bring you overseas. The pavilions are the focus of the famous Epcot Festivals (see #5). But even when there isn't a festival, visit Epcot anyway.
After Spaceship Earth, continue walking straight (you might get distracted by the rest of the World Celebration area, but around the World Showcase Lagoon, you'll see all 11 lands. But what about where's the continent of Africa and representations of sub-Asia? You'll have to pay for a park-hopper ticket and go over to Disney's Animal Kingdom. The Imagineers got so excited planning Africa that it morphed into an entire park, with the Safari as the main attraction. Anyway, there was a reason why Walt had many ideas for building Epcot with a World's Fair area. This is because Disney patented and manufactured several exhibits in conjunction with General Electric at the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing (Queens), New York. Disney helped to pioneer audio-animatronics technology combined with realistic sculptures to create life-sized and life-like electronic performers, which you can see in original attractions such as the Carousel of Progress and the Hall of Presidents over in Magic Kingdom. Updated technology can be seen in Frozen Ever After in Epcot in the Norway pavilion. You can also see the technology in action in the show at the American Adventure pavilion
4. With all of this technology and culture, is there any entertainment and rides like other theme parks? Definitely! Get up and go: take trip by hang-gliding on Soarin' Around the World (in The Land); save the planet in Relaunched! Mission: SPACE; try out a prototype car on Test Track; see a kitchen from a mouse's point of view on Remy's Ratatouille Adventure; Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and more.
As for entertainment, there's a world full! Spaceship Earth is entertaining and so is Awesome Planet, a cute film in The Land Pavilion in World Nature. China, France, Canada and The American Adventure have films about the culture. France and America's theaters have seats, China and Canada do not.
But if you want to sing and dance along, there are shows in the newer area in World Celebration (not to mention a dance party DJ at night in that area) and entertainment in each pavilion. The longest running show is the Mariachi Band in Mexico (where many people start their Word Showcase journey and for some reason, never make it past there). The band was there when the park opened in 1982. For sophisticated and entertaining acapella singing, check out the Voices of Liberty in the American Adventure. There's magic and comedy in Italy, acrobats in China, drummers in Japan, Middle Eastern jazz and pop in Morocco, pantomime in France and a rock bands in the UK and Canada. During the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, each pavilion will have a presentation about cultural celebrations of that country, not just those that focus on Christmas and extra entertainment
Look for character greeting spots: in the Imagination area within the short films theater, adjacent to Communicore Hall in World Celebration, near the store next to Spaceship Earth, across from one of the passport stores near the start of World Showcase and in almost each pavilion: Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins (UK); Belle (France); Jasmine and Aladdin (Morocco); Snow White (Germany); Anna and Elsa (Norway), Donald Duck (complete with sarape, in Mexico). There's much more, check the app.
5. Epcot cements itself as a theme park for adults, as well as families with its festivals (click the links for the videos): The International Flower and Garden Festival, International Food and Wine Festival and International Festival of the Holidays (formerly the Holidays Around the World) and the International Festival of the Arts. Eat, drink and be merry with fine dining samplings, authentic cultural entertainment, special events and merchandise throughout both Future World and the World Showcase. Extra countries are often added to create a virtual cornucopia for the senses: India, Greece, Spain, Ireland and regions such as Africa or Hawaii, representing the Polynesian culture and much more Trust us, you will need more than one day to experience it all. The NYC Traveler Tip for Your Trip is to enjoy the other parks during the day and head over to Epcot for lunch and/or dinner and literally eat your way around the world.
In between, purchase a scavenger hunt map and look for the icon of the festival: Figment (the Arts); Spike the Bee (Flower & Garden); Remy (Food & Wine) and Olaf (Holidays). There are bonus limited time scavenger hunts in the spring (Easter eggs) and fall (pumpkins). Look mostly inside but Figment could be anywhere since he hides himself in masterpiece paintings during the Festival of the Arts!
Epcot is in the trifecta of Disney World theme parks that connect easily from one to the other. Buses go from most of the Disney resorts. If you're in Disney's Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century or the Art of Animation, you'll take the Skyliner tram ride to Epcot. For Pop Century and Animation, board the Skyliner at their central location and transfer at the Riviera and Caribbean stop. If you're staying on the Boardwalk at Disney's Boardwalk Inn & Villas, Disney's Yacht & Beach Club or one of the twin resorts, The Swan or the Dolphin, you'll take a launch (boat ride). If you're staying at the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, the Polynesian Resort Villas or if you parked at Magic Kingdom, take the Epcot monorail. You can also walk to the transportation center from these three resorts to catch the monorail. For the rest of the resorts, there are buses. If the weather is bad or if the Skyliner or monorail go out of service, there are always back-up buses. If you drive, you'll only pay once. Keep the receipt and show it at the next park. If you like to walk, hike from Epcot to Disney's Hollywood Studios and vice-versa. It's about a mile.
People still tend to think of Epcot as the boring park after all of this! Sometimes, that's OK, that means there's more for those of us who know better.
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All photos and videos created and copyrighted by Marcia Crayton, unless otherwise noted.
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