How do I enjoy Epcot as a Millennial?

[tzolkin]

Perhaps you elaborated in another post, but what exactly does being a Millennial have to do with anything? I really can't think of anything that is fundamentally different about their enjoyment of life than people of other ages/generations so I don't really know how to answer your OP.

Technically (depending on what source you use) both I and my college aged daughter fall into the millennial category at both ends of the spectrum (1981 & 1999) and I have many friends who are in their mid twenties to early 30s. I actually think Epcot is probably the best park for people in that age group because there are lots of places to eat and drink, lots to look at (architecture, museum displays, Flower & Garden festival), and lots of entertainers (various types of music, comedy, acrobatics). I really hate shopping, so that really doesn't appeal to me but I know that many enjoy it. My family finds World Showcase to be a relaxing break from the other parks.

I have only been a few times when it was very crowded and we would just leave and go to another park if that's the case. I really hate crowds and that also ruins the relaxing vibe we enjoy about the World Showcase.

Future World doesn't have many attractions, but do I enjoy the nostalgia of it from my childhood. (I grew up near Disney and we would go to Epcot often, sometimes even just after school for a few hours and to watch the fireworks).

We only visited World Showcase last time. We went into the France show just to cool off and I was surprised it is even allowed to be in a Disney park. It was clearly made decades ago and doesn't seem to have been updated at all....like ever. That is where I am getting my "dated" impression from. Is World Showcase only about food, booze, and shopping? If so I would be perfectly happy to go early, do the new rides with our fastpasses and then hop on over to a better park.

Was that the only thing you did/saw? I honestly can't even remember the show in France (probably because, like you, I saw it once and didn't think it was any good), but there are little museums and live performers all throughout World Showcase that are enjoyable and certainly not dated.

I'm 30 and Epcot has been my favorite park for like a decade. We're there almost every day of our trips (park hoppers). It has the best food and drinks, Illuminations is my favorite nighttime show (especially during Christmas season). We love watching the British Revolution perform while drinking a nice beer.

This basically describes my experience/opinions (except I am a bit older). We always park hop and go to Epcot most days during each trip-- even if it's just walking in through the Int'l Gateway, getting something to eat or watching a performance, and walking back to the resort. Sometimes we will ride the monorail over from MK, do two or three attractions in Future World, and then head to our resort for a while before going to another park for the evening.

Maybe that's part of the key to enjoying Epcot?-- just hopping over for a few hours at a time rather than staying in the park from rope drop to close.

 

[megs1313]

I'm (technically) a millennial and I love EPCOT. I could wander around the WS for days. My best advice for EPCOT is TAKE YOUR TIME and schedule in breaks. there's a lot of ground to cover and tons of little details and experiences to take in.

 

[mrs.zuber]

I think the weather and crowds really did kill it for us. We are going to give it another solid try since we will be going early December when the crowds shouldn't be so bad. There were a lot of things that just went wrong with our day at Epcot, small things that added up to a bigger frustration that I will spare you all from having to read about. But living near a tourist trap (Frankenmuth, Michigans little Bavaria, worlds largest Christmas store, touristy nightmare) I know that great things get ruined just by having too many people trying to enjoy the same thing all at once.

I love that some people mentioned the different Santa's from different cultures and the museums because we would love that! We honestly didn't get to see very much of Epcot because there wasn't any room/space. We were elbow to elbow with the crowd just trying to find something, anything that we could enjoy or a reprieve from the heat.

I think we will take advice many have offered and just take our time with it and see what happens. If it turns out we don't like it, we can always leave and know to skip it on any future trips.

Thank you to everyone who responded! It was super helpful and appreciated

 

[mrs.zuber]

I'm not a millennial but we've been going to Epcot since we were in our early 30's. If you go in early December when it's not crowded, it can be very nice. That's usually when we go. We actually spend a fair bit of time in the World Showcase. During December, there's lots of street performers, storytellers, musicians and other activities outside of the rides and pavilions. That's what we really enjoy. We can spend the best part of a day there and never go on a ride. There's the mariachi band at Mexico, the mime/acrobats at France, the acrobats at China, the drummer at Japan, the flag guys at Italy (although I don't think they're there any more), the musicians and bellydancer at Morocco, the gospel choirs in Future World, and the Christmas storytellers all around. We also spend time wandering through the stores - Japan, China, Mexico and Britain specifically, and Mouse Gear as well. Then we will do some of the rides like Test Track, Soarin' and Mission Space. We usually spend a fair bit of time in the exhibits at Nemo and Friends. We also like to watch the fountains when the music starts (especially when we want to sit for a bit). It's one of our favourite parks. And in December, the weather is usually just perfect - not too hot and not too cold so you can spend a fair bit of time outside comfortably.

Thank you for sharing this! I was so excited to see the street performers and we missed out on all of that when we went. I hope we get to enjoy it this time.

 

[mrs.zuber]

Perhaps you elaborated in another post, but what exactly does being a Millennial have to do with anything? I really can't think of anything that is fundamentally different about their enjoyment of life than people of other ages/generations so I don't really know how to answer your OP.

Technically (depending on what source you use) both I and my college aged daughter fall into the millennial category at both ends of the spectrum (1981 & 1999) and I have many friends who are in their mid twenties to early 30s. I actually think Epcot is probably the best park for people in that age group because there are lots of places to eat and drink, lots to look at (architecture, museum displays, Flower & Garden festival), and lots of entertainers (various types of music, comedy, acrobatics). I really hate shopping, so that really doesn't appeal to me but I know that many enjoy it. My family finds World Showcase to be a relaxing break from the other parks.

I have only been a few times when it was very crowded and we would just leave and go to another park if that's the case. I really hate crowds and that also ruins the relaxing vibe we enjoy about the World Showcase.

Future World doesn't have many attractions, but do I enjoy the nostalgia of it from my childhood. (I grew up near Disney and we would go to Epcot often, sometimes even just after school for a few hours and to watch the fireworks).




Was that the only thing you did/saw? I honestly can't even remember the show in France (probably because, like you, I saw it once and didn't think it was any good), but there are little museums and live performers all throughout World Showcase that are enjoyable and certainly not dated.




This basically describes my experience/opinions (except I am a bit older). We always park hop and go to Epcot most days during each trip-- even if it's just walking in through the Int'l Gateway, getting something to eat or watching a performance, and walking back to the resort. Sometimes we will ride the monorail over from MK, do two or three attractions in Future World, and then head to our resort for a while before going to another park for the evening.

Maybe that's part of the key to enjoying Epcot?-- just hopping over for a few hours at a time rather than staying in the park from rope drop to close.

I used the term Millennial because I knew I would get a higher response rate then if I left it out. People either connect to it negatively or positively but they almost always have an opinion on "Millennials." Which I technically am so I wasn't lying or anything

 

[tzolkin]

I love that some people mentioned the different Santa's from different cultures and the museums because we would love that! We honestly didn't get to see very much of Epcot because there wasn't any room/space. We were elbow to elbow with the crowd just trying to find something, anything that we could enjoy or a reprieve from the heat.

Yes, any time we see masses of people we try to get out of whatever park we are in. (A major reason why we always get park hoppers!) I would even rather just hang out at the resorts than be miserable in a crowd of people at a park where you can’t walk or see anything.

The first time we went we looked at the outsides of the buildings and watched the performers, but the second time we found all the little indoor “museums”. I know there are galleries in Norway, Morocco, Japan, and China that were interesting. They change out the exhibits every so often so there’s something new on future trips. Some are not very noticeable, so it’s a good escape from the heat and people because we have often been the only ones inside.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Thanks for liking my post Mrs. Zuber!

 

[Moliphino]

I think the weather and crowds really did kill it for us. We are going to give it another solid try since we will be going early December when the crowds shouldn't be so bad. There were a lot of things that just went wrong with our day at Epcot, small things that added up to a bigger frustration that I will spare you all from having to read about. But living near a tourist trap (Frankenmuth, Michigans little Bavaria, worlds largest Christmas store, touristy nightmare) I know that great things get ruined just by having too many people trying to enjoy the same thing all at once.

We usually go in early December, but last year went in September for F&W for the first time. We wound up leaving Epcot early one day because it was just too miserably hot and crowded (we went to Trader Sam's for a few hours instead). We've never experienced that in December. At night it actually gets a little too chilly at times around the World Showcase.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Just to jump on the bandwagon, I love Christmastime at Epcot! The Candlelight Processional is one of my fav things at all of Disneyworld! I like to get a times guide and schedule our walks around the world (you can usually get them all in order save one or 2 if you time it right) to catch all the Christmas storytellers....and you can do a little Christmas shopping too! I also love that you don't have to stake out spots to see Illuminations like you would have for Happily Ever After or Fantasmic wayyyyy ahead of time, I literally walked up to the fence in front of Canada 1 minute prior to the show on Monday night and got a spot leaning on the fence....

I'll echo the weekday vs weekend sentiment, we just got back from F&W this past weekend, Friday night was quite busy, and Monday was half deserted.....

We also just discovered the Shanghai Disneyland exhibit in China on Monday! So fun!

 

[sponica]

When I was a kid my parents always skipped Epcot because they thought we wouldn't be interested in it. I went for the first time as an adult in 2016. I'm a total foodie and we went during food and wine fest and I was so excited to finally get to go. But it was beyond crowded (because F&WF) and it was so hot that walking around in the open with little to no shade had me and my midwestern boyfriend sweaty and miserable.

I hear all kinds of great things about Epcot online and from friends and I'd love to give it a second chance for our December 2018 trip. But I also don't want to spend time and money on another day there when last time it was too hot, too crowded and too dated for us to enjoy our visit.

Please tell me how two 27-year-old adults can have an awesome time at Epcot!

International bar crawl? Kidding (but not really)...But I don't think the showcase opens until later in the day (after 11 or noon). If you're a character person, I've found it easier to meet characters there than elsewhere. We literally stumbled upon Winnie the Pooh and Tigger in England when we went in late January 13. We entered a shop and kept going through the spaces and ended up in Christopher Robin's bedroom...

 

[disneygolfer1985]

I’m a millennial as well and I love Epcot. I have always loved Epcot for the last 20 years because I was always fascinated with science. As I have gotten older, I have come to truly love the WS. There is so much to do. Going in December the weather will be nice and all of the holidays decorations and activities will be going on. The storytellers are great. The holiday version of illuminations is great. Another fun thing I like to do is talk to CM at each country about their homeland and what they like about America. It can be fun to find out little nuggets if information. I truly love Epcot because it is less hectic more relaxed experience. You can just wander around the WS and watch live performers, listen to music, and just have fun.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

I like going to Epcot (fall into the millennial age bracket) and loved FW as a kid, but am willing to wait for re imagining to revitalize that side of the park. As for the WS I loved it as a kid before I had actually done any world travel. I feel like maybe some of the disdain coming from people who dislike WS stems from actually visiting the countries that are mentioned? I think they lose a

When I was a kid my parents always skipped Epcot because they thought we wouldn't be interested in it. I went for the first time as an adult in 2016. I'm a total foodie and we went during food and wine fest and I was so excited to finally get to go. But it was beyond crowded (because F&WF) and it was so hot that walking around in the open with little to no shade had me and my midwestern boyfriend sweaty and miserable.

I hear all kinds of great things about Epcot online and from friends and I'd love to give it a second chance for our December 2018 trip. But I also don't want to spend time and money on another day there when last time it was too hot, too crowded and too dated for us to enjoy our visit.

Please tell me how two 27-year-old adults can have an awesome time at Epcot!

I like going to Epcot (fall into the millennial age bracket) and loved FW as a kid, but am willing to wait for re imagining to revitalize that side of the park. As for the WS I loved it as a kid before I had actually done any world travel. I feel like maybe some of the disdain coming from people who dislike WS stems from actually visiting the countries that are mentioned? I think they lose a bit of the charm after doing the real thing. Are you OP a heavy world traveler?

 

[mrs.zuber]

I like going to Epcot (fall into the millennial age bracket) and loved FW as a kid, but am willing to wait for re imagining to revitalize that side of the park. As for the WS I loved it as a kid before I had actually done any world travel. I feel like maybe some of the disdain coming from people who dislike WS stems from actually visiting the countries that are mentioned? I think they lose a

I like going to Epcot (fall into the millennial age bracket) and loved FW as a kid, but am willing to wait for re imagining to revitalize that side of the park. As for the WS I loved it as a kid before I had actually done any world travel. I feel like maybe some of the disdain coming from people who dislike WS stems from actually visiting the countries that are mentioned? I think they lose a bit of the charm after doing the real thing. Are you OP a heavy world traveler?

I was (once upon a time) a travel agent and was blessed to get to travel many places I wouldn't have been able to experience at a younger age otherwise. I've been to a lot of the countries featured at WS. But not any in Asia so I'd love to experience the Japan area which was too busy to get near last time we went.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

I was (once upon a time) a travel agent and was blessed to get to travel many places I wouldn't have been able to experience at a younger age otherwise. I've been to a lot of the countries featured at WS. But not any in Asia so I'd love to experience the Japan area which was too busy to get near last time we went.

Even after having visited Japan, I still love the Japan pavilion! That's the one that hasn't lost its luster for me after visiting the country.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Bring an umbrella with you through World Showcase for your own portable shade. Book a Candlelight Processional TS meal and have a relaxing meal and then a show later in the evening. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
Also stop in America and go in the building to hear the Voices of Liberty. They are great.

Epcot is my 2nd favorite park but then I like to stroll around, watch the performances, have a few drinks, take pictures, and wander in the countries.

 

[stinkpickle]

Of course, you can always visit 4 of WDW's top 10 bathrooms while at Epcot! ENJOY!!!

https://www.disneylists.com/2016/02/top-10-restrooms-at-walt-disney-world/

 

[DVCcurious]

A millennial can enjoy World Showcase in two ways

When you finish touring you’ll receive a participation trophy

or

You can help all the old geezers (anyone born before 1980) upload the pictures on their phone to Facebook

 

[BK2014]

But it was beyond crowded (because F&WF) and it was so hot that walking around in the open with little to no shade had me and my midwestern boyfriend sweaty and miserable.

I too am from the midwest. I have found that being sweaty and miserable makes it hard to have fun, or to enjoy the wonderful food options. For whatever reason, the heat just kills my appetite. But if I stop to rest, or go back to resort and cool down, I will be hungry in about 10 minutes. Taking breaks is key.

 

[mrs.zuber]

Of course, you can always visit 4 of WDW's top 10 bathrooms while at Epcot! ENJOY!!!

https://www.disneylists.com/2016/02/top-10-restrooms-at-walt-disney-world/

Thank you for this. I'm sure it was meant to be funny but as someone who needs to "go" a lot, this is very helpful. Although, I have to disagree with #1. I have been in the Rapunzel bathrooms a few times and found it unclean by Disney standards.

 

[stinkpickle]

Thank you for this. I'm sure it was meant to be funny but as someone who needs to "go" a lot, this is very helpful. Although, I have to disagree with #1. I have been in the Rapunzel bathrooms a few times and found it unclean by Disney standards.

Well, Repunzel IS quite hairy.