Could someone explain Epcot to me. 2 visits and I don't get it at all

[kbelle8995]

Love Epcot. It's more relaxing especially after MK.

Love Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and of course Figment.

You can relax, meander and just enjoy.

 

[nancipants]

If I lived in Florida, I could see myself just going there and not even riding anything. It's fun to walk around, have a nice dinner, and just hang out there.

This is exactly what I did yesterday. We got a snack at the refreshment port, ate at some benches and made friends with some ducks, walked around the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios, came back on the boat, walked along the other side of the Boardwalk, then completed our circle of World Showcase. The only attraction we did was Impressions de France. It was a lovely day.

 

[Tuffcookie]

It has been awhile since youngest DS got his Epcot passport and went to the different countries and had it stamped. He also had a CM from each country write a small message in that countries' language in the passport book. It made a neat souvenir to include in our scrap book.

I will be there at the end of April with another family who has 2 sons. I was thinking that would be something they could do. I'm hoping they are still available and the CMs are still writing in the books.

Does anyone know?

TC

 

[Mac4life30]

Epcot is all about stopping to smell the roses. About interacting with the different cast members who represent the countries. Watching the different shows in each country. Eating your way around the world. And of course my favorite and the one thing some people hate "because OMG its a theme park and it shouldn't be allowed yada yada" drinking your way around the world!

Regardless of what you do I suggest take it slow. There is nothing more peaceful then twilight in world showcase as you walk from country to country.

 

[jade1]

Eating your way around the world. And of course my favorite and the one thing some people hate "because OMG its a theme park and it shouldn't be allowed yada yada" drinking your way around the world!

Yep, check back when your kids are 21.

The years go by fast.

It's the family fave now, esp with the 5 min walk to BC.

 

[disney1990]

Epcot is our favorite park to relax, but there really is so much to do. Ride in Norway & Mexico. Movies in China, France and Canada. Off Kilter - have to see every visit. Future World, love designing and riding Sum of All Thrills and then going home and seeing our ride again. Where else in Disney can you get a free drink beside Cool Station.

 

[AmyB2006]

I think if you're looking for non stop rides and action all day, Epcot is not the park for you.

I agree it's a more of a "stop and smell the roses" type of place for me. We do the rides, we walk around WS and enjoy ourselves.

 

[DisneyDetective]

I love Epcot and for me that is my 'stop and smell the roses' park. I love to look at everything in each Country, the architecture of the buildings, the gardens, etc. I like the rides too, but taking a leisurely stroll through Canada's garden while having a beer, eating a pastry in France, enjoying all the entertainment, I spend all day there.

I agree. i don't think Walt intended this park to be a stereotypical theme park with exciting rides but more geared to education. i most admit I much prefer the slowed down pace of the park esp Living with the Land and grabbing a bite at Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles while sitting outside although the staff are grumpy.

 

[jade1]

If I lived in Florida, I could see myself just going there and not even riding anything. It's fun to walk around, have a nice dinner, and just hang out there..

You say this in kind of a "believe it or not" way, but its total reality for us with FP-, and totally agree with you by the way.

I guess we consider our 12 nights at WDW as living in FL for the moment though.

FP+ will add an extra shot in the arm for the evening though.

That said, our kids/adults would pick an evening at EPCOT no rides over any park with just rides if they had to choose (but throw in TT since theres FP+ ).

 

[dwheaton]

You say this in kind of a "believe it or not" way, but its total reality for us with FP-, and totally agree with you by the way.

I guess we consider our 12 nights at WDW as living in FL for the moment though.

FP+ will add an extra shot in the arm for the evening though.

That said, our kids/adults would pick an evening at EPCOT no rides over any park with just rides if they had to choose (but throw in TT since theres FP+ ).

My kids are really young, but my daughter had a blast at EPCOT when we visited in 2012 (she was 3). The wider paths were great for us too. We're going back with her and our younger two-year-old, and I can't wait to go there.

 

[SuperRob]

I didn't "get" Epcot at first either. I thought it would be boring and didn't schedule nearly enough time there, so of course, I had a rotten time. Mindset counts for a lot. My first time at Epcot, I didn't know there were any RIDES.

Epcot is, more than anything, about expanding your horizons (pardon the pun). There's way more to our world than many people know, particularly many of us in the US who really live in our own little world here.

As I have started to travel more, I've grown to appreciate World Showcase. It really is a celebration of nations. It's also great when you learn that the cast members in World Showcase are from those nations, and they can tell you what it's really like. Those conversations can be priceless.

For some people, though, that's just not a big deal, and they're never really going to appreciate it. They don't care to travel much, don't like "exotic" cuisine (It's NOT that exotic, trust me), and the entire area holds no appeal. For them, I'd say do the Agent P adventures, ride Maelstrom and the Gran Fiesta Tour, grab a bit to eat at the least offensive place you can ... but do it for the kids, because maybe they'll appreciate it more. The younger you expose them to a larger world view, the better off they'll be for it.

Future World reminds me quite a bit of the Pacific Science Center we have in Seattle. You're going to learn and have fun doing it. Again, the rides are there to give you something to do, but if World Showcase is about our world as it is now, then Future World is about the world as it could be in time. And again, do it for the kids, because the sooner they learn about things like conservation, energy, etc. the better off they'll be in life.

Future World has most of the rides, so there's actually a lot to do here. But if you just want to experience everything once, you could do all of Epcot and be back at your hotel for an afternoon swim. Of course, you'll miss how amazing Epcot can be when the sun goes down.

Frankly, I think you could easily spend two days at Epcot, one at Future World and another at World Showcase. But this is only if you take a concerted effort to slow down and appreciate all the details (thanks Lou). But I can certainly understand the people who like me, just didn't get it at first. You really do have to go into it with a different mindset and appreciation for what the park represents.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

My girls loved those electronic post-cards you could send at the end of Spaceship Earth. And, aren't there are also games on the floor there? Can't remember if they are in there or somewhere else but they are games on the floor with lights where they turn colors. Anyway, we spent a lot of time in there.

LOVE Sum of All Thrills, never even knew about it on our first couple of trips but read about it here -- girls LOVED it!

Our other favorite is the Living Seas. Our whole family could watch the fish, dolphins, shark and turtle for a long time. Our little one loved watching the manatee eat its lettuce!

The Agent P activity is super neat, can't wait to do it again.

We also had amazing character interaction during our Disney Visa photo session. On one visit, there was no one there except us and those characters spent a lot of time with our family.

I think there is a lot to do at Epcot but if your family wants to be on a moving ride/attraction back to back to back, then I can definitely see why why this park may not be your favorite. We just love DW -- totally something for everyone! Have you ever been to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon? The water parks are often overlooked by many visitors but they are AMAZING. Some of my most favorite DW memories are from the days we have spent at the water parks. The experience is NOT the same as swimming in the resort pools.

 

[Karbase8]

It took me a few times to love Epcot. You missed Spaceship Earth, the big ball ride, you missed Finding Nemo, Living with the Seas, the aquarium and Turtle Talk with Crush. You missed Living with the Land, my son loves this and so do I. Your children would like some of the attractions in Innoventions. You missed club Kool trying different sodas. In front of Imagination Pavilion there is a dancing water fountain. In WS, there is the Mexico pavilion there is a boat ride. In Norway, there is another boat ride/attraction. Their is Kidcot where children can make crafts that younger children loves, different stations at each country. There is a fun Canada Movie and my son also enjoys the China Movie. I also enjoy the Voices of Liberty in the American Adventure attraction they are incredible. There is more to do than you think!

 

[photo_chick]

Been to DW twice, once in 2011 and once in 2013. First year we did a half day at Epcot with 2 kids under 7 (because of MNSSHP) and found we had just enough time to briefly walk in and out of most Pavillions, go on 3 rides, do Akershus and leave. The thing is, we didn't really see why we would need to spend much more time at Epcot, we felt we saw most of it.

2013 comes and we decide to spend a full day at Epcot with 3 kids (9, 3 and 1). Early lunch at Akershus so we wander the front area of Epcot until 11:00 and head for Norway. After lunch we walk clockwise around the lake and visit each Pavillion (again briefly for the most part) until we do the full circle. Besides seeing some great street performers along the way, we do almost nothing but light shopping at any Pavillion and spend only 15 minutes at each. We head to the entrance and finally find things to do (TT, Soarin, Mission Space) and leave again fairly underwhelmed.

I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong. Everyone has such high opinions of Epcot but we never see it. We're happy everywhere else. MK is non stop rides all day. DHS is relaxing and watching as many shows as we can. AK is kind of a mix. But we have no idea what to do at Epcot. Honestly if it wasn't for the fact the girls love Akershus we'd probably just skip Epcot next time.

Anyone know how we could adjust our Epcot plans next time to get more out of it?

If you only found light shopping in the pavilions you're missing a good portion of what's there. Go to the Epcot page and look at what each country as well as what Future World has to offer. With the way the park is designed you really have to know where things are or you'll totally miss most of what's there.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Epcot is our relaxation park, and we love it!!

Of course we love Soarin', and Test Track, but we love the Nemo ride and aquarium area too. We like Living with the Land. We love walking around World Showcase and snacking our way around and having some drinks. Our kids really like Epcot too. They love going into the stores of the different countries. They love doing the activities at Innoventions.

We just like that it's a park that we can leisurely enjoy and there's so much to see.

 

[gwmort]

and do try to branch out with some of the dining in Epcot,

It took years for me to work up the nerve to try the Moroccan restaurant and it was awesome, actual belly dancers and everything.

This last trip I practically dragged my family to the German buffet, they loved the food once they saw/tried it and we all got down on the dance floor and danced a couple of polkas with the live band playing, everyone had a wonderful time.

Basically, WDW is the size of the City of San Fransisco, if you think of Epcot as the part of the City with some really interesting cultural shopping/dining experiences, beautiful parks and interactive museums, it starts to make more sense (to me).

 

[mslhb]

I am a science nerd who loves to travel... so Epcot is perfect for me!! It definitely isn't for everyone. And to me you can't approach it like the other theme parks. I look at it less about having a touring plan and ticking off attractions/shows and more about exploring and getting lost in a particular area. For instance last trip we spent almost an hour in the game area at the end of Spaceship Earth playing electronic shuffle board with our DD. I am not a big fan of shows so AK and DHS are of less interest to me for this reason. Different strokes!

 

[Moonwolf]

I think the thing about EPCOT is that it's not so much about the rides like a traditional Amusement Park but it's about the experience. Yes, there are several rides so if you only like to do rides you can do those then leave. But I feel that would having you missing out on most of what the park has to offer. EPCOT is not so much about the rush but the discovery of new things.

My touring style is to wander through every section, look at all the items, watch all the performances I come across. At the exit of all the rides I'm the one going to all the fun things at the end and playing with everything for a moment (though I admit I did miss out on the Seas Pavilion other than the Nemo ride which I'm bummed about).

For WS, my family would usually try to do EPCOT in one day which left us rushing through the Showcase and not going into any of the Pavilions which was highly unmemorable. My last trip I insisted on going into each one. Actually looking at all of the displays and getting into the feel of each area. Unfortunately due to time restraints I only made it through 3-4 pavilions before having to rush by the rest again to make and ADR and I didn't get a chance to see any performers. For my next trip I am determined to actually get a chance to look into all the rest of the areas. I would also love a chance to try some food from each country.

 

[cigar95]

If you've not seen Epcot at night, then you haven't seen Epcot. World Showcase in the evening is breathtaking.

And while I happen to not care for Illuminations, there are more than a few folks who will tell you it's their favorite thing in all of WDW.

As Epcot is far and away my favorite park, I can spend an entire afternoon and evening just enjoying the live entertainers in World Showcase, including two or three sets of the Voices of Liberty. (Sadly, one of my faves, the Ziti Sisters, recently ended their run after a couple years of zany entertainment in Italy.)

 

[sunkissed4]

Epcot is my favorite park and I don't even like Soarin'!

It's a relaxing park for us and we have two small kids (4 and 2) and we easily spend an hour in the aquarium after Nemo. Then skip Soarin' and ride Living with the Land, which is a huge favorite of our's. Stroll over to Figment, FP test track because my DS won't let us miss it then just leisurely wander around World Showcase.

At other parks no matter how hard I try not to, I always end up feeling rushed trying to get to the next ride. At Epcot, it's my time to grab a margarita and take my time.