Help with EPCOT

[ourtrip]

This will be our 8th trip in as many years for my wife and I next spring. We consider ourselves to be experienced WDW planners (which is why we are planning now), but we have always had difficulty with EPCOT. We really don't "like" that park. Maybe it's been bad timing with the visits, our luck with the crowds, or maybe our personalities.

Anyway, can some of you share what you like about EPCOT and how you experience the park? I can't help thinking we are missing something...

I can say we love Animal Kingdom (with Expedition Everest) and MGM as our favorite parks. We also enjoy Magic Kingdom as well, but we spend more time at AK and MGM. We always have one nice table service dinner each day oof our stay, and we usually do a "special" activity once per trip - the guided boat tour/ride for MK fireworks or Illuminations are the most recent.

Thanks

[Drince88]

My sister and I never spent a lot of time in Epcot, until we took a behind-the-scenes tour. It made us realize we were missing A LOT by only popping in for the attractions as we power-walked around World Showcase.

I think I read that they may have canceled the garden tour of World Showcase, but that the other one was still open (I always get the names of the World Showcase tour and the Future World tour messed up).

My BIL, who I KNOW would enjoy Epcot had a horrid experience on our trip there (even with an 'expert tour guide' due primarily to going the Monday before Easter).

I've decided next time he goes, he's getting a Segway tour of Epcot as a treat, in hopes that it will 'whet his whistle' to enjoy Epcot as much as I think he could.

[crrees]

Well it seems obvious from your post that you like thrill rides the most. Im glad you enjoy AK and MGM those are two parks you dont find to often on the top on someones list, especially around here. Personally Epcot is my favorite park because I can always find something to do. Note: I do not enjoy high speed thrill rides because I get slightly nauseous. But I do enjoy test track. You may find yourself only going to the large rides and not taking the time to do Living with the Land, or really walking through each of the countries to see how Epcot describes a place that you have been to and how accurate they are.

All in all its tough to really enjoy a park if they dont offer you what suits you best. Im impressed that you are at least trying to find a way to want to spend time there. Alot of people would give up and keep it on the bottom of the to-do list

[julbright]

If you have a number of days in resort and you are park hoppers, maybe treat Future World and World Showcase as two seperate entities? Llike hit FW one morning to catch all the attractions (Soarin, Test Track etc) and then hop to another park for the rest of the day. We like to do World Showcase then on a different day in the late afternoon into the evening becuz I love Illuminations. We use this visit as more of a down time in the middle of the trip cuz there aren't the big rides there and (we have 8 & 5 year old kids) it is a nice break from rushing around (they stay in the stroller and do the kid cot stops and stuff) and we just snack and shop all the way around the world. There are still some table service restaurants we want to try on future visits, too so it works out for us to be there in the evenings, get a little later dining reservation and be done in time for illuminations....

[jheigl]

EPCOT is my favorite park. I like history, science, and marine life (I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was a kid), so EPCOT seemed like it was built just for me. On the historical side, you have Spaceship Earth, Carousel of Progress, World of Motion (last I was at WDW was in 1996), and others. On the scientific side you have Innoventions Pavillion, Body wars, Ellen's Energy Adventure (also historical), and some others. And then of course with marine life was the living seas. Now, they have mission space, test track, etc that I will finally get to experience. Spaceship Earth is my favorite ride of all time. For the reasons mentioned, that is why I like EPCOT, but I would think that unless you are somewhat like me, you will not like EPCOT.

[TinaMouse]

Epcot its my favorite too. We end up spending many half days here (as another poster suggested) and tend to either stay in Future World or World Showcase on a single day--we don't hop back and forth.

Suggestion: Don't look at Epcot as a "theme park." It is more of an interactive museum to me. Not museum in the crusty, things behind glass scene (although I like that too), but more of an experiencing of new and different things.

There are bells and whistles at Epcot--they're just packaged differently. Go for the architecture; go for the botanicals; go for chatting with CMs from a different country (we love doing this). Of course, continue to hit the big rides too!

Another suggestion: There's a cool mini-book from the Imagineers about Epcot. There was enough backstory to make it interesting without bogging down in the details. My son really enjoyed reading this and even did a book report on the book! It has really intrigued him and he is ready to hit Epcot with a new perspective. It is the thing (other than his beloved ToT and RnR) that he's looking forward to! I think it was $10--you might try thumbing through that for some inspiration.

The fact that you're willing to re-experience it is awesome--I hope you can find something to like! If you don't, there's certainly tons more that you have found to love! Have a great trip--

[cstephens]

Epcot is my favorite of the parks. I really like Test Track, and the green side of Mission Space was a lot of fun for me. I absolutely love the new Nemo ride - riding in a clamobile! I also like walking around World Showcase, browsing in all the stores and just soaking in the atmosphere of each section. We did the Segway tour this past January, and I absolutely loved that. The only ride we do in Showcase is the Norway one.

And then there are all the restaurants I want to try. So far, the only table service we've eaten at is Le Cellier, but I'd like to try the German one, the Marrakesh one, the teppanyaki one, the Italian one once Patina takes over and Coral Reef.

[Ragrobyn]

Another aspect to possible not liking Epcot is the crowds. Epcot is not a good EMH park. Avoid those days. Also, future world is not very crowded after dinner. So it is easier to see things then when World showcase is busier.

[steamboatpookster]

EPCOT is my happy place! We spend most of our time between there and MK. We also have been enjoying AK more and more but our feeling toward MGM remains the same--we could do without.

I agree with the above posts concerning the "feel" of EPCOT. I enjoy the world showcase immensely and always look forward to it the most on my trips. We do a lot of eating and shopping there! And a trip to WDW just wouldn't be the same without smelling the inside of Spaceship Earth. No way!

[kittylovesthemouse]

Family favorite this year was Epcot...DH and I, and DS 10 and 8. AK was our favorite the last two years, but was edged out by Epcot this time. Why....hmmm....I hope I won't bore you if I tell you what we did, as I'm not sure how else suggest a way for you to make friends with Epcot.

We went three or four times...can't recall.

First trip, we had a late lunch at Le Celier...it was super (service, food, everything) so that set the tone for the day. DS 8 and I did the Behind the Seeds tour while DH and DS 10 entertained themselves elsewhere. Living with the Land is a personal favorite, so getting to explore it up close and personal was super, and cheap at only $12. DH and I people-watched while DSs rode MS. We did the WS at night. Very romantic and pretty, all lit up. We were a touch lit up, too, as we did our annual "beers around the world" tour and the kids did their "quest for chocolate" tour. In a nutshell: This was a nice blend of smart stuff and self indulgence for everyone.

Subsequent trips, we revisited Le Celier (super again), enjoyed visiting the countries during the day (at about 3 p.m., heard some really great music in Canada, England, Morocco, Mexico), and finally got a FP for Soarin'. We also sent emails and videos from Innoventions and Imagination, visited the Smart House (and made a shopping list, hah), were bored senseless a few times, and learned all kinds of stuff about energy. In a nutshell: A nice blend of ethnic entertainment, educational experiences, and entertaining technology...made even better by being fueled with pretzel bread, cheese soup and Moosehead, I'd say!

The DSs declared Spaceship Earth and Mission Space their favorites. DH gets a thrill out of Soarin'. I'm partial to chatting up the CMs in WS and enjoying odd beer.

I think we like the overall feel of the place...as someone else said, it's like a big interactive museum. Or maybe it's like a sampler platter for thoughts, ideas, cultures...and beer.

The things that lessen our enjoyment of Epcot (crowded, too much concrete, not enough shade) I guess we just chose to overlook this year...or avoid as much as possible by making a handful of short visits at strategic times rather than making a long, hot day of it.

[cheshirecatgirl]

Definitely do not attempt all of Epcot in one day! It is impossible. You have to do Future World, at least a lot of it, in the morning. Get FPs for Soarin and Test Track early. Take your time with everything else. On a different day, or after a sufficient break at your hotel, you can attempt World Showcase! Take your time here and really get into the different countries. Lots of interesting stuff if you take time to explore.

[Greg in TN]

Just last night my kids were talking with the grandparents about a trip to Disney World. G-parents asked the kids, "If you only had about 2 days in The World, on which parks would you concentrate." (They're going to surprise the kids by showing up for a couple days while we're down there). Both kids (10 yo boy, 6 yo girl) thought for just a minute, then said Magic Kingdom first, then Epcot. I don't know if they were actually thinking about which parks two grandparently-type persons would enjoy most, or if they were talking about their own favorites, but either way at least they recognize the value in Epcot.

But, honestly, the more time I spend in Epcot, the more I like it. I love the thrill-type rides (like RnR, ToT, Space, Splash--can't wait to try Everest) and Epcot has some good ones there--TT, M:S. But I really go to Epcot for a completely different kind of experience. It's the first park we're going to hit on the upcoming trip & everybody's excited about it !

[dawz1026]

I used to have no intrest in Epcot due to the "space age" type of feel it has.I never wanted to even try it until we started staying at the Beach Club and walking over every evening and enjoying the countries.We LOVE it now and have only stayed at the Epcot resorts the past 6 years so we have the convenience of having dinner there every night.We love test track and rides like energy adventure and the boat in Mexico.Its very relaxing and visually appealing.The garden show was great and we have been there for the food and wine as well and enjoyed the food (not drinkers).

[NJ Mike]

Well, we look at EPCOT as a different type of pace park. After a couple days of running(not literally) from attraction to attraction in other parks, our feet hurt, we're a little tired, and EPCOT just seems to fit the bill perfectly. We go at our own pace, and everyone is right, don't try to do it all in one day. EPCOT, to us, just seems more like a "leisurely stroll" type of park, if that makes any sense. I agree it has to grow on you a bit. Some people love it right from the start. For us, the more time we've spent there the more we have liked it. The first few trips it was ok, and now we really enjoy it. I still wouldn't say its my favorite park (actually it ranks #3 on the ol' list), but we definitely look forward to going there a couple days each trip and have a great time. There are so many great things in EPCOT, if you just take your time and look around a bit. I think that's why we like it so much now.

[ourtrip]

thanks for all the replies and suggestions. i think maybe epcot just isn't the "right" fit for us, we both decided we would just skip it the next trip and spend more time in another resort. maybe in a few years we will give it another shot...

[WDW heart]

I would set aside a whole day for World Showcase if you have the time. We made it fun for our kids with the passports that they have.

[cheshirecatgirl]

Aaahhh, just returned from another mini trip to Epcot tonight. Saw Davy Jones three times in a row, he is awesome! I also thoroughly enjoyed the flower and garden stuff and took lots of pics of pretty flowers in World Showcase. But I am sad there is no Mary Poppins topiary this year. Oh well, I saw her in person in UK! And then saw the hilarious World Showcase players doing King Arthur and the Holy Grail. I was hoping to catch Romeo and Edna in Italy, but they weren't out tonight. That's okay, Davy more than made up for it!

[kittylovesthemouse]

Re: "the hilarious World Showcase players doing King Arthur and the Holy Grail. I was hoping to catch Romeo and Edna in Italy"...I've not managed to catch either of these. King Arthur...is that something I'd find in UK? About what time? And Romeo and Edna...I'm most curious! Appx. time on that, more info? Thanks! : )

[cheshirecatgirl]

These shows are done on the hour usually in the afternoon and evenings. King Arthur and the Holy Grail is in the UK. I saw them at 4ish yesterday. Romeo and Edna is in Italy, usually right at the front. They are basically mini plays with lots of audience participation and corny jokes. Romeo and Edna is a particularly funny version of Romeo and Juliet. Usually they have three actors come out with some props and they pull people from the audience to help put on the show, and everyone else watching has to do various things when certain phrases are uttered during the show, like saying "Long live the King" whenever King Arthur's name is mentioned.

You can find the specific times for these on the Times Guide. They are listed as The World Showcase Players. Yesterday was the first time I had seen King Arthur, but I love Romeo and Edna and make it a point to see them whenever I am there at the right time!

[iheartwdw]

I used to dislike EPCOT. My recommendation day plan is this: get there early! Go to Mission: Space first, then hit Test Track across the way. Hit Soarin' early, too. The Land isn't for everyone. Avoid the rides that are too educational. As for World Showcase: I used to dread the hot hours spent touring fake countries. I learned to love Maelstrom and El Rio del Tiempo, and I love shopping, so I took in the qualities stores in England and France. Go to the little outdoor patio in France at night, get a pastry at the little bakery after Illuminations, when everyone is leaving, and sit outdoors at a little table and just take in the people and the atmosphere. Doing that was one of my most profound moments. I'm a Disney Expert: I go every 2 weeks (I live a hour away).

[iheartwdw]

Did you know EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow?

[Cart Tart]

It's actually "Community" not "City"

[DaisyDuck001]

On the historical side, you have Spaceship Earth, Carousel of Progress, World of Motion (last I was at WDW was in 1996), and others.

Isn't Carousel of Progress in the Magic Kingdom, not Epcot?

BTW, I really miss World of Motion since they took it out.

[BertDSweep]

EPCOT is cool. It has strayed far from Walt's original vision

(hijack - does anyone know what the entertainment value of Walt's EPCOT was supposed to be? Were visitors to come to Fla and watch.... other people live in a tomorrow-community? I've never quite /gotten/ what Walt intended? Or was EPCOT supposed to house the MK workers? Or Orlando/Kissimmee at large?? Anyone know?)

But it is neat. It's a study in dichotomies - the thrill of the future with the calm of the old world. Rides vs. experiences. Adrenaline vs. culture. Somehow, it all works for me. I think improvements could be made: The poor Wonders of Life pavilion is shunted off like an oddball cousin at a reunion, and I believe the park needs a good parade again, but on balance, it's a great experience.

And every cell of my body enjoys Illumunations. The music, the grandeur, the message... It humbles me to the point of fat, blubbery tears every single viewing.

[tjrj]

Epcot was the park I was most looking forward to. And it exceeded expectations in every way.

We treated it as two different Parks. FW and WS separately. We were there at rope drop for FW-twice and enjoyed WS on 3 separate late afternoons and evenings. And I still feel as we "power walked" WS to a great extent-I would really appreciate getting into WS in depth.

The beauty and depth of each country was terrific; the live entertainment was especially a treat; talking to the CM's was great. To keep my youngest son(15 with ASD) interested we tried to find chocolate in every country-and succeeded at most of them.

Live entertainment:

Off-Kilter in Canada-kilts, bagpipes and rock/Celtic music-loved it, loved it
UK players-yeah, the Monty Python skit was funny
British Invasion-Beatles tunes with an adorable "Princess Jasmine" groupie
Voices of Liberty-wonderful
Fife and Drum core-oldest son's favorite-he was a drum major in hs
Drummers in Japan-

I know there's more but that's all I can think of wo looking at the entertainment schedule