Tell me all about your love of Epcot and why?

[mikala]

Our traveling party will include my family of four, me, husband, two little girls and my inlaws...they have never been and we always go for one day but this park is soooo undiscovered to me and us. We know Test Track, Mission Space, Nemo and that Pavillion, we have eaten at the quick service fish place but have never seen any shows or circle visions.

For our Sept/Oct plan, we have one night EMH with just us adults and then we have a full day with everyone. I feel like the other three parks are well discovered. Although we always learn something new. Thanks

[littlej]

Sigh. Where to begin? It all started in 1982, when I was at the tender age of 9. I walked through the gates, and realized, all at once, what it was to be hopelessly in love. Keep in mind that I was a total geek, nerd and nascent scientist. The thought, the revelation that here was an entire theme park devoted to science, this blew my little mind. I never wanted to leave.

I never did get over my first love.

Okay, reasons that normal people love Epcot:

It's different. It's not the same old fantasy/roller coaster theme park. It takes the amazing wonders of the planet all around you, and presents them to you in full color and stereo with huge amounts of fun and excitement thrown in.
It's a theme park that treats adults like grown ups for a change.
The sheer variety of music, cultures and food is nearly unparalled outside of an actual World's Fair. Aside from Manhattan, I can't get Moroccan food for lunch and Norwegian food for dinner anywhere else.
The emphasis on natural beauty is often overlooked at Epcot. I personally think the best examples of horticulture and landscaping in WDW can be found here.
How can you not love walking (or dancing) over the stars embedded in the concrete sidewalks at night?
It's the only one of the four parks where I could spend the whole day just walking around and taking in the sights as they come without going on a single attraction.
Do not, under any circumstances, miss Captain EO. There's a reason they brought it back after all this time. It's magical.
I'm a cynical, rational minded person. But when I'm at Epcot, I truly believe in a better future, if we can all come together to make it happen. They actually make it sound like an attainable goal.
I get goosebumps every time I attend a performance of the Taiko drummers, and I want to swing my hips around every time I hear Mo'Rockin'.
Give yourself plenty of time to explore both sides of Innoventions. There's a lot of fun stuff in there. Don't miss the velcro show, I think it's called What's Your Problem? Really funny!
Spend time inside of Mexico. The mental transportation is complete.
Do the tiny Maelstrom ride at Norway, but not when the line is long. It's just fun. You can skip the movie at the end. ;-)
Don't miss Living with the Land, the boat ride inside of the Land. Even my 4-yr-old thought it was cool.


I know I can think of more. I may be in the minority for loving Epcot the way I do, but you asked, and I'm proud! It's not the same as it was when I first fell in love (who is?). I miss Horizons, the World of Motion, the original Imagination, Wonders of Life and Kathleen Turner's voice in the preshow of the Living Seas, but there's still so much there that keeps me coming back for more.

I'm sorry for the long post, but Epcot's my favorite. Could you tell? :geek:

[cstephens]

Here's a recent thread about the World Showcase section with some comments that you might find interesting/useful. (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=149060)

[mikala]

Littlej

Please no apologies. Your take on it is wonderful, keep it coming.

Your goosebumps are like mine when I describe to a guest things to do and reasons to go to WDW. I am a Disney store CM.

I should also add we have eaten at Coral Reek, love Spaceship Earth, never been to Innoventions, love Illuninations, would like to go to Le Cellier, loved the character spot with Fab 5, our girls went crazy. :)

[disnut8]

Why do my husband and I love Epcot? Quite simple, it's our retreat at Disney World. It's become our touring pattern to start out in one park but then we always end up closing our day at Epcot. Even if it's nothing more than to walk around World Showcase once. To us, Epcot is the sane place at Disney World. It's wide open compared to the other parks. We almost never feel crowded there (although Saturday nights during the Food & Wine Festival leave a lot to be desired). We can walk around World Showcase and see different things each time. We feel like we can relax there since there's no rush to get to the next thing. We're not on a time table. Well, except for watching Off Kilter, that is. But the other entertainment is just as good and some would say better than that one band. Every country has entertainment and each entertainment is different from each other. You can get Celtic rock, 60s British music, mimes Mediterranian music, Japanese drummers, fife and drum corp/patriotic singing choir, a juggler, acrobats, Norwegian folk music, and a mariachi band just on one walk through of World Showcase and without entering a building. Plus, the venue for each of these entertainers is open so you can walk up, enjoy for as long as you want, and leave whenever you want. You don't have to stay for the entire performance. Where else can you do that?

There have been times when my husband and I have done nothing at Disney World but World Showcase, never "riding" anything. And those have been some of the best times for us. Because we are away from everything but right in the middle of so much, if that makes sense.

[danyoung]

mikala, it sounds like you haven't spent any time in the World Showcase, which is one of the true gems of WDW. The trick to enjoying it is to forget about attractions and rides. Yeah, there are a couple of rides, and a few movies, and the best AA show in the World. But World Showcase is much more about atmosphere. It's about strolling through countries you've never visited before and soaking up some of the vibe of an exotic locale. It's about shopping and eating and talking with cast members from the host country and finding out a little bit about life in Germany or Japan or France. Take your time, buy a glass of wine and sip as you stroll from country to country, and plan on spending a delightful afternoon and evening just being and experiencing. And don't forget IllumiNations, the big fireworks show at the end of every night. You're gonna have a great time!

[mikala]

We are beyond thrilled about this upcoming trip and always get the planning into high gear around this 90 day mark. So excited. Thanks for these suggestions and would love more...

[Drince88]

Just like I said in the thread cstephens linked to, I think the Kim Possible Adventures are great for many age groups.

Also, for your age group (if your kids aren't TOO young), the Behind the Seeds tour is enjoyable. You get an in-depth look in the green houses in The Land pavillion.

[WdwGurl4life]

I love the FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD :) end of story lol

[bochnikm]

I think the people who love Epcot (like me) have figure out a few basic things.

Head to the World Showcase well rested, and later in the afternoon or evening. There are usually more performances going on and you are missing the heat of the day.

The people who don’t have great things to say about Epcot typically do Future World early in the morning like everyone else (since World Showcase doesn’t open till later ~ 11AM) then head for the World Showcase during the heat of the day and when they’re most tired and just trudge around. Not a good recipe to enjoy the day or the showcase.

My advice; either rest midday back at the resort then head back out later. Or if you are in the park all day, take a leisurely lunch, hit the sit down, indoor thrill rides again and rest up before the showcase. You’ll have the energy and the awareness to enjoy what everyone here is raving about!

My favorite things are: the World Showcase Players; trying a new food, drink or dessert; the interactive areas after many of the Future World attractions; and the quiet remote areas, such as in the back of Morocco or the gardens of England and Japan.