Epcot

[boston1029]

It's our favorite park. We tend to end up there for a little while every day. We do spend 2-3 full days there.

 

[moepanz]

I LOVE EPCOT!! We usually go to WDW in December and one of my absolute favorite things in the word to do is grab a glass of Glow Wine in Germany and walk around the WS at night. We were there last Dec. and it was in the twenties at night and still had a BLAST!!! My kids love it too.

I have had 2 friends of mine that felt very much the same way you do about EPCOT and after showing them "my EPCOT" they have completely changed their minds. I can't tell you how many times I heard "I never saw that the last time" or "I never knew this was here" I think a lot of it is frame of mind going into it. People I know have written off EPCOT before they even get there.

Give it another try!

 

[AnnetteF]

Have to agree with everyone else here. Epcot is the place where we go the most I think. Even on days when we have visited MK or one of the other parks, we will usually end up here later in the day. I love to just stroll through it at our leisure, have a nice dinner, snack, or just an exotic drink (Gran Marnier slush in France ) , and take in the different cultures.

 

[KimR]

EPCOT is my favorite park by far. I love the attractions, landscaping, atmosphere, music, architecture, entertainment, shops, and of course, grey goose slushies! I have various places througout the park I enjoy just sitting with a drink or snack soaking up the atmosphere and people-watching. This next trip, I'm trying to schedule things so that we spend at least some time at EPCOT each day.

 

[JimmyV]

It is a totally different park that requires an entirely different set of priorities. Once one understands that and buys into it, then Epcot starts to make a lot more sense. I assume, OP, that you are comparing Epcot to the MK. The MK lends itself to being a "ride commando" park that one attacks with a plan, strategy and specific goals. Other than Main Street, there isn't much of a "walk around and go where the wind takes me" feel to the park. At the MK, you are either on a ride, in line for a ride, walking to your next ride, or eating. You cannot and should not approach Epcot in the same manner.

I can't tell you how many people tell me about how boring Epcot was, and when I ask them about their times in the pavillions (other than the main attractions there), they look at me like I have two heads. "What are you talking about? We rode the Nemo ride, the kids saw Turtle Talk, and then we left." Or, "After we got off the Imagination Ride, we didn't spend any time in the pavillion at all." To me, Epcot is about all the things in the Imagination and Living Seas pavilions that aren't the Nemo or Institute rides. Granted, when I was there a few weeks ago, it rained "car wash" rain for 2 straight hours, so we were more or less trapped in the pavillion, but the kids loved spending a couple of hours in the Living Seas. And hours in the Innoventions areas. And probably 20 full minutes doing a taste test of all the Coke products, mixing and matching, trying to find something to add to "Beverly" to make it drinkable. Precious memories to be sure, and none of them involving a FP, a line, or a major attraction. I could go on, and we haven't even talked about the countries. Who knew that a 13 year old girl could spend a half an hour in the "Hello Kitty" area of the Japanese department store?

Now, if you have approached Epcot with this attitude and still don't get it, then I'd say that Epcot just isn't your thing. But if you are one who has never spent more than 15 minutes in a pavillion because there isn't a "ride" in there, then do yourself a favor and check out all the neat stuff there is that doesn't require a mad dash at rope drop. You might see Epcot in a whole new way.

 

[PoohsFan1]

OP I am sorry to hear that you don't like Epcot, but you are very much entitled to your opinion and what one might like the other very well may not. With that said, Epcot is one of our family's favorite parks, we spend at least 2 full days there during our stay. We love everything about Epcot and just can't get enough of it. I wouldn't worry about not liking Epcot or not, if you have tried it and it is not your cup of tea, then do the things you enjoy instead .

 

[POB14]

The best part of Disney World is that there's something for everyone, and you don't have to like everything.

Don't like animals? Skip Animal Kingdom.
Don't like dark rides or gentle family-type rides? Skip Fantasyland.
Don't like wasting a day of your life that you'll never get back? Avoid the Studios.

That's what I mean, though; just because I love Epcot and hate the Studios, doesn't mean that you can't be the opposite. And we can both be happy that Disney gives us what we like.

 

[Jay2009]

I like epcot but it's not my favorite. I have liked it less and less the more I go, I like the countries, but there is a lot of empahsis on "visit the gift shop" rather than truly showcasing the culture of the country.

and there isn't much in Future World that doesn't need updating or sprucing up.


I do like Illuminations.

 

[raydurz]

I love Epcot. A variety of eats and attractions like Mission: Space, Test Track and Soarin' . If there's a negative it's probably the amount of walking.

 

[FireDancer]

Epcot is my favorite park. When someone mentions Disney World it is Epcot I think of, not MK or any other park/resort. There have been two trips to central Florida where the only park I visited was Epcot because I was only on property for a day.

 

[pad406]

That's what I mean, though; just because I love Epcot and hate the Studios, doesn't mean that you can't be the opposite. And we can both be happy that Disney gives us what we like.

Very true, and there's something in Disney for everyone

Don't like wasting a day of your life that you'll never get back? Avoid the Studios.

I think that I'll become a champion of HS, IMHO it gets a bad rap. It's not my favourite but it does have

TSM - must be THE most popular attracions in the whole of WDW, though I'm not that taken with it.
RNR - love this
TOT - pretty good
Star Tours, not been on it as it was closed for refurb, so hope I'm not going to be disappointed, but there have been great things said about it since re-opening
Beauty & the Beast, again haven't seen this yet but seems to be popular
Lights. Motor, Action, the kids love this
Indiana Jones, again the kids love it
Jedi training, kids, again!
Magic of Disney Animation, my DD loves this, she's into art
Fantasmic

that's not a bad bunch

 

[NewEnglandCamper]

Epcot was one of my favorites but this time around I think it is tied with DHS.
Many of the attractions in Future World need an update. (perhaps add one or two).

We do like the dining and food at World Showcase and spent more time there this time around.

 

[AnjieNet]

OP you are not the only one! We ride Soarin', Test Track, Mission Space, Nemo, and do Turtle Talk and look at the fishies and we are pretty much done. Might head back for a dinner at some point but that's about it. The World Showcase just doesn't hold much interest to us though we've tried to enjoy it several times. I will say we did enjoy it more on our Christmas trip. The WS was more interesting to us then with the decorations and holiday traditions.

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

Next to the MK, Epcot is my fave...
It's all in the World Showcase for me, though. Getting to submerge in so much culture with shopping, food, drinks, so much attention to detail in the architecture and design of each country...its such a great experience that never gets old for us.

 

[Tinkerboy00]

Epcot is our favorite park! We just came back and only three park days and we did two at Epcot and just one at Magick Kingdom.

We love walking around the countries and getting drinks and food from each one, and chatting with the CM that are from those countries. It must be a new batch of people, because they all told us they had only been there for 6 weeks and were loving it.

Plus some of our favorite rides are there: Test Track, Soarin, Nemo, The Land, Maelstrom, The Three Amigos

 

[vicki_c]

Epcot is my favorite park. When someone mentions Disney World it is Epcot I think of, not MK or any other park/resort. There have been two trips to central Florida where the only park I visited was Epcot because I was only on property for a day.

We only had 1 Disney day last November - we were on a space shuttle trip (sad, didn't happen) and Harry Potter trip but had 1 day tickets left that we could use at Disney. And we chose to go to Epcot & Food and Wine. I just couldn't pass up a chance to go to F&W!

 

[W.E.D.]

It's our favorite as well! We always spend two days there and several evenings. Often my wife, the photographer, will wander Epcot while I'm off catching some rides at the other parks. We love everything about it. I get really nostalgic for the FW of yesterday, but it's still my favorite place to be at WDW!

 

[jaceraden]

My last WDW trip was my first time to EPCOT. I wasn't blown away. I actually thought it was "meh". Then of course I got planning for this year's trip and discovered that somehow I missed 75% of the park. I never got to the World Showcase nor did I ever find Test Track, Soarin' etc. Looking at the map now, I have to wonder if I was abducted by aliens on EPCOT day because it just doesn't make any sense.

This year, we're going to do EPCOT up right!

 

[Aunt Bee]

I didn't really enjoy Epcot at first, either. We were there the first year it opened and I remember thinking, "what's the big hoopla all about???"

And then one year I decided to really educate myself on what there was to experience/see/learn and came away with a whole other view and appreciation of the park.

It's a park that takes time to explore and you have to know what you're seeing and what to look for. I found a source for walking tours for each pavillion in the World Showcase and was amazed at all the times I'd "seen" things without really knowing what I was seeing.

The behind the seeds tour is fascinating (and cheap), well worth the time and money to see hydroponics and fish farming in action as well as different crops from around the world.

Epcot isn't so much a "be entertained" as it is an "entertain yourself" park. It takes some investigative work but is well worth the effort.

Aunt Bee

 

[Aunt Bee]

My last WDW trip was my first time to EPCOT. I wasn't blown away. I actually thought it was "meh". Then of course I got planning for this year's trip and discovered that somehow I missed 75% of the park. I never got to the World Showcase nor did I ever find Test Track, Soarin' etc. Looking at the map now, I have to wonder if I was abducted by aliens on EPCOT day because it just doesn't make any sense.

This year, we're going to do EPCOT up right!

Have fun!!!