How much walking will we be doing with this Epcot plan?

[Kaycap]

It looks like this plan crisscrosses Future World and I'm not sure how far apart the attractions are. Is this a lot of walking for a multigenerational family? Also, do you think we can do all this by lunch? I plan to come back for Future World afterwards.

1.Soarin'

2. Test Track

3.Spaceship Earth

4.The Seas Main Tank and Exhibits

5.Turtle Talk with Crush

6. The Circle of Life

7.Ellen's Energy Adventure

8.12:00pm: Taking a break outside the park » 180 minutes

 

[BrettS]

Unfortunately you are definitely going to be doing a lot of extra walking with this plan. Soarin' and Test Track are the two rides that will have big lines, so what I would suggest is that you pick one to walk on to first and send someone to the other to get fastpasses for everyone.

I'd do it like this...

Walk in and everyone but one volunteer heads toward Soarin. The volunteer goes to Test Track to get fastpasses for everyone. Meet up with your volunteer at the Land pavilian and do Soarin, then the Circle of Life (although, personally, I'd suggest Living with the land over Circle of Life... or maybe both). Then walk over to the Seas and do Nemo if you want to, or just view the tanks and do Turtle Talk... it's a short walk from the Land to the Seas.

Then head across the park to use your fast pass on Test Track, then do Ellen's energy adventure. Finally hit Spaceship Earth on your way out of the park.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Any given day at Epcot you can walk miles. this is a lot of back tracking. I'd either skip Circle of life or do it another day. It's rarely a wait (and completely stinks but thats for you to decide) and I dont know many that would walk abck to the Land pavillion and all the way inside for it when they weren't going there for something else already. Not even from the Living Seas would I make that trek for that alone. and it would be a waste to do it first thing in the morning during the best hours to tour, maybe grab a FP for Soarin and use it when you go back to see Circle of Life (assuming you are there are RD and get return time before then).

When are you going?

 

[Kaycap]

We are going in 7 days!!

I like the FastPass idea. We have ages from 1 to 70 so I know some of our group will be skipping Soaring and Test Track. I was including the Circle of Life only for the Lion King factor since it's my son's fave, but I guess we will have the show at Animal Kingdom anyway, huh? We are an easy going group (translate to SLOW ) so I have to keep it simple.

 

[BrettS]

We are going in 7 days!!

I like the FastPass idea. We have ages from 1 to 70 so I know some of our group will be skipping Soaring and Test Track. I was including the Circle of Life only for the Lion King factor since it's my son's fave, but I guess we will have the show at Animal Kingdom anyway, huh? We are an easy going group (translate to SLOW ) so I have to keep it simple.

The Lion King show in AK is *much* better than Circle of Life... Circle of life isn't terrible, but it's really just a movie... no 3D or 4D or anything. The Lion King show, though is one of our favorite shows at Disney... definitely do that while you're there.

I think the plan I outlined above would work well for you guys, and if you have someone younger skipping soarin to be with the kids then you might want to send them across the park to get test track fastpasses while the rest of you ride soarin. (I probably wouldn't send grandma for the fastpasses though

Also keep in mind that soarin appeals to people of all ages... my 90 year old grandmother went on it a couple of weeks ago. If the only reason people are skipping it is because someone needs to watch the kids keep in mind that you can get a child swap pass for Soarin (and any other ride with a height limit). Just take the kid up to the attendant at the front of the line and let them know that you want a child swap pass. They'll give you the pass and you can have someone stay back with the kids while the rest of you wait in line and ride. Then when the group that's riding finishes the child swap pass is good to let three people into the fast pass line so they can ride with no wait while the rest of you watch the kids. (And since three people can go you can have more than one person wait with the kids or if you have older kids they can ride twice... once with the first group and again with the waiter)

 

[Kaycap]

90 years old, wow!

 

[Raenstoirm]

Unfortunately you are definitely going to be doing a lot of extra walking with this plan. Soarin' and Test Track are the two rides that will have big lines, so what I would suggest is that you pick one to walk on to first and send someone to the other to get fastpasses for everyone.

I'd do it like this...

Walk in and everyone but one volunteer heads toward Soarin. The volunteer goes to Test Track to get fastpasses for everyone. Meet up with your volunteer at the Land pavilian and do Soarin, then the Circle of Life (although, personally, I'd suggest Living with the land over Circle of Life... or maybe both). Then walk over to the Seas and do Nemo if you want to, or just view the tanks and do Turtle Talk... it's a short walk from the Land to the Seas.

Then head across the park to use your fast pass on Test Track, then do Ellen's energy adventure. Finally hit Spaceship Earth on your way out of the park.

I might flip it the other way. Start at TT and have a runner get FPs for Soarin. Meander over to soarin and while you are waiting for your fastpass window do Living with the Land and maybe even the Living Seas stuff next door if it is a long time before. Do Nemo, its cute especially at the end when they combine real fish with the cartoons.
Hit SE on the way out.

 

[shellym]

That is quite a lot of crossing the park, especially seen as though you have a milti aged group.

I might flip it the other way. Start at TT and have a runner get FPs for Soarin. Meander over to soarin and while you are waiting for your fastpass window do Living with the Land and maybe even the Living Seas stuff next door if it is a long time before. Do Nemo, its cute especially at the end when they combine real fish with the cartoons.
Hit SE on the way out.

This is how I would (and normally) do an Epcot morning. However you decide to do it, have a great trip and enjoy it!!!

 

[figment_jii]

This might be useful for you when planning your day:

http://allears.net/tp/ep/epcotmap.jpg

One option (along with the plans laid out by the previous posters) is to put Ellen at a point when you think your family will need a break. It's a pretty long ride and you're seated for the entire time.

I would be very surprised if you could accomplish all of this before noon. Ellen's Energy Adventure is 45 minutes alone (assuming no wait).

 

[Edgehopper]

The way I'd normally do an Epcot morning, similar to others mentioned here, is:

1. Send a runner to Soarin' for fastpasses, everyone else head to Test Track.
2. Everyone do Test Track
3. Everyone do Mission: Space (anyone tall enough should be fine handling the green side).
4. Ellen's Energy Adventure
5. Head over to the Land for Soarin', Living With the Land, and perhaps Circle of Life (suggest skipping, particularly if you dislike preachy environmentalism).
6. Do The Seas with Nemo, including Turtle Talk w Crush
7. Spaceship Earth and post-show
8. If you have any time left, Innoventions.

Geographically, the three pavilions on each side (Side 1: Test Track, Mission: Space, EEE; Side 2: Imagination, The Land, The Seas) are close together, and each group is far from the other, with Innoventions and Spaceship Earth in the center. Soarin', Test Track, and Mission: Space are the only rides that get very crowded, in decreasing order. Since you're going in mid-February, Mission: Space probably won't ever be crowded, and Test Track will be under 15 minutes wait for the first hour and a half or so of the park opening. So once you've got your Soarin' fastpass and Test Track done, you shouldn't have to worry about lines again.

 

[Micca]

Everybody singalong: "And I would walk 500 miles..." Sure seems like it some days at WDW.

 

[Kaycap]

45 minutes for ELLEN?!

That's getting the ax.

 

[gigi1313]

I agree with all of the above, but maybe send the person who is going to skip TT to take the little one to go get the FPs... That's what we did and strolling thru the park is more fun for the little one than just sitting waiting...

 

[Kaycap]

Trying again - looks like my numbers are better aligned on the map this time:

1. Test Track

2. Someone get FastPasses for Soarin'

3. See Soarin'

4. Living with the Land

5.The Seas Main Tank and Exhibits (and Nemo if the kids beg)

6.Turtle Talk with Crush

7. Spaceship Earth

8. Sum of All Thrills (May skip this if it's too complicated for 7 year olds, or do it when we come back in the afternoon)

 

[suemom2kay]

Trying again - looks like my numbers are better aligned on the map this time:

1. Test Track

2. Someone get FastPasses for Soarin' (if you;re going on Soarin' why are you getting Fastpasses?) Are you planning on riding twice?)

3. See Soarin'

4. Living with the Land

5.The Seas Main Tank and Exhibits (and Nemo if the kids beg)

6.Turtle Talk with Crush

7. Spaceship Earth

8. Sum of All Thrills (May skip this if it's too complicated for 7 year olds, or do it when we come back in the afternoon)

Much too complicated... Try this.

FPV Soarin'
Ride Soarin' Standby
Seas with Nemo
Seas Tank, etc.
Turtle Talk w/Crush
Get FP for Test Track (or just ride Standby if line is <30 minutes)
Mission Space Green (unless you wanted to do orange, but line for green is shorter and better for little ones).
SSE
Test Track w/FP
Sum of All Thrills (7 year olds will love it - if over 48" - just may be too small to go upside down {54"}).
Living with the Land
Soarin' w/FP
Lunch in the Land Pavillion

My plan is very doable and have always gotten a FP for Test Track after doing the morning stuff in the Land/Sea buildings.

 

[kaligal]

That's a lot of walking for an old person. I don't know if by "multigenerational" you meant that you'd have old people with you, but that's what people usually mean.

Have a good trip.

 

[LiveToTravelNicely]

Trying again - looks like my numbers are better aligned on the map this time:

1. Test Track

2. Someone get FastPasses for Soarin'

3. See Soarin'

4. Living with the Land

5.The Seas Main Tank and Exhibits (and Nemo if the kids beg)

6.Turtle Talk with Crush

7. Spaceship Earth

8. Sum of All Thrills (May skip this if it's too complicated for 7 year olds, or do it when we come back in the afternoon)

Everything on your schedule looks great, except switch 1 & 2. As soon as you enter Epcot, the fastest person in your group that can go alone should head to the Soarin' Fast Passes. Then, everyone will meet at Test Track. If the fastpass person is fast enough, the rest of you will probably not even have to wait on him/her.

Ellen is definitely one that we skip, unless we are tired and hot. Then, it is the perfect place to rest in the cold A/C and a show to go along with the A/C and rest. The wait is usually nothing, so this is a sure-bet for us.

For Sum of All Thrills: we waited in line for 45 minutes to do this activity at 11:30am last July when the touringplans crowd level was at a 6 that day. It was a long wait because the Q line is major boring. However, the ride was really cool; I'm doing it again when return this fall!!! However, with 7 year olds, I would definitely have an adult there to navigate the building process. There isn't a lot of time to build (but there is enough time---it doesn't feel extra hurried, but you can't mess around either). So the trick will be letting the 7 year old have enough control to have fun, but the adult there to get the thing to a workable stage before the time expires.

Happy trip to Epcot!


One more thing....if you get done with Test Track before your Soarin' window, you can just do Living with the Land in the land pavilion before Soarin'. It is a pretty awesome learning experience, and the kids will like the boat ride. I'm glad you added it to your schedule!!! It's my favorite non-thrill ride at Disney World! (second favorite is the Tomorrowland Transportation Authority PeopleMover)