World showcase question

[Dismom820]

I recently read somewhere online that the world showcase opens at a later time than EPCOT does. Is this true? It just seems a bit odd that the park would open up and leave half of the park closed for another hour or two. I'm heading down to EPCOT in August and I haven't opened Epcot before but I'm going mainly for the world showcase. I'm just trying to get things in order so I don't show up early and excited and then have to waste time until the world showcase opens hahah TIA

 

[Robo]

I recently read somewhere online that the world showcase opens at a later time than EPCOT does.
1. Is this true?
2. It just seems a bit odd that the park would open up and leave half of the park closed for another hour or two. I'm heading down to EPCOT in August and I haven't opened Epcot before but I'm going mainly for the world showcase.
3. I'm just trying to get things in order so I don't show up early and excited and then have to waste time until the world showcase opens hahah TIA

1. Yes. Has been that way for decades.
2. Disney found that most guests would spend their mornings in FW, would not enter WS until about lunchtime and would end their day with IllumiNations, leaving FW mostly empty later at night.
This also addresses the fact that many of the attractions/areas of FW close at 7PM, nightly, too.

3. Know that at this time Mexico, Norway ("Frozen") and the bakery in France all open when FW opens in the morning.
The rest of WS opens at 11am.

 

[Klayfish]

Yeah, it's been that way as long as I remember.

Does any of it have to do with the fact that World Showcase sells alcohol or is it purely just a Disney business decision?

 

[Robo]

Yeah, it's been that way as long as I remember.

Does any of it have to do with the fact that World Showcase sells alcohol or is it purely just a Disney business decision?

It's the cost of staffing a virtually empty "half" of the park.

Back in the beginnings of Epcot, nearly no one would walk directly to WS at rope drop.

 

[Jonas_Swe]

Yup!
Yup!
And... Yup!

Dang, sometimes it's way too easy to be an active member here!

No, just joking.

I always wondered the same thing, and on my backstage tour of WS I asked the tour guide and he actually gave an answer covering the first two replies here. But he specified the dinner options, rather than the booze!

 

[Robo]

Epcot was originally designed to be two separate parks.
Then, they decided to open it as one "gate," with a split between the two major "areas."

 

[Dismom820]

1. Yes. Has been that way for decades.
2. Disney found that most guests would spend their mornings in FW, would not enter WS until about lunchtime and would end their day with IllumiNations, leaving FW mostly empty later at night.
This also addresses the fact that many of the attractions/areas of FW close at 7PM, nightly, too.

3. Know that at this time Mexico, Norway ("Frozen") and the bakery in France all open when FW opens in the morning.
The rest of WS opens at 11am.

Thanks for all the info! I suppose that makes some sense, however, I don't plan on spending much time in FW so this is kind of a bummer for me hahaha but atleast I know in advance!

 

[Dismom820]

It's the cost of staffing a virtually empty "half" of the park.

Back in the beginnings of Epcot, nearly no one would walk directly to WS at rope drop.

Bummer, I was hoping to head to WS at rope drop haha

 

[Robo]

Thanks for all the info! I suppose that makes some sense, however, I don't plan on spending much time in FW so this is kind of a bummer for me hahaha but atleast I know in advance!

Also, for decades, Disney has stated on signs, on the maps, and (since the internet) on-line that FW opens at 9AM and WS opens at 11AM.

 

[Jonas_Swe]

Bummer, I was hoping to head to WS at rope drop haha

Well, technically you can. But there won't be anyone there though!

 

[Dismom820]

Yup!
Yup!
And... Yup!

Dang, sometimes it's way too easy to be an active member here!

No, just joking.

I always wondered the same thing, and on my backstage tour of WS I asked the tour guide and he actually gave an answer covering the first two replies here. But he specified the dinner options, rather than the booze!

hahahah I consider myself an active member but this is the first time I'll be going to Epcot as an adult with kids and I'm taking the trip specifically FOR the world showcase...so when I read it wasn't open at rope drop, I had to double check with the geniuses here! Hahah

 

[Dismom820]

Well, technically you can. But there won't be anyone there though!

It's not roped off or anything?

 

[Robertfam08]

We enjoy WS more once the sun starts going down, anyway. Depending on when you go, it can be a very hot and long walk around in the middle of the day! When the sun goes down and the lights come up, we find that the entire area takes on a new life and we enjoy the atmosphere and experience much more. (We typically go in September, though. We might enjoy it more during the day in a cooler month!)

 

[Dismom820]

Also, for decades, Disney has stated on signs, on the maps, and (since the internet) on-line that FW opens at 9AM and WS opens at 11AM.

Ahhhh thanks, I've never paid much attention to that haha I guess I should be more aware of my surroundings (oops) hahah

 

[Dismom820]

We enjoy WS more once the sun starts going down, anyway. Depending on when you go, it can be a very hot and long walk around in the middle of the day! When the sun goes down and the lights come up, we find that the entire area takes on a new life and we enjoy the atmosphere and experience much more. (We typically go in September, though. We might enjoy it more during the day in a cooler month!)

I'm only spending one day here and this is a trip without any kids, so we wanted to take in as much as we can, and I've never really experienced WS before, I've done Epcot in the past but have never set foot in the WS area so I wanted to really take my time and get the full experience in that day we have planned for it.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I recently read somewhere online that the world showcase opens at a later time than EPCOT does. Is this true? It just seems a bit odd that the park would open up and leave half of the park closed for another hour or two. I'm heading down to EPCOT in August and I haven't opened Epcot before but I'm going mainly for the world showcase. I'm just trying to get things in order so I don't show up early and excited and then have to waste time until the world showcase opens hahah TIA

You can get breakfast in France at the pastry shop. It opens before the rest of World Showcase opens. You also don't want to miss the new Soarin' over the World attraction and Disney Pixar Film Festival, and Spaceship Earth over in Future world. By the time you accomplish this, World Showcase will be open

 

[Dismom820]

You can get breakfast in France at the pastry shop. It opens before the rest of World Showcase opens. You also don't want to miss the new Soarin' over the World attraction and Disney Pixar Film Festival, and Spaceship Earth over in Future world. By the time you accomplish this, World Showcase will be open

Oooo breakfast in France sounds nice actually. We have fast passes for soarin' that evening. But I'll definitely check out the rest of the stuff you suggested. I've only been to Epcot twice and all we did was soarin', test track, the Coke tasting thing and living with the land and the nemo stuff. So I know I'm missing out much more there!

 

[CAS239]

It's not roped off or anything?

You can head to the left through Norway then it's roped off, or head to the right and get to France then it's roped off. Norway because of the new frozen stuff and France because you can get breakfast there

 

[princessjilly]

No it's not roped off, there is the entrance to the park at international gateway so there still needs to be access from the other side so to speak. I loved entering from that side and walking through world showcase when it was super peaceful at 9am

 

[Dismom820]

You can head to the left through Norway then it's roped off, or head to the right and get to France then it's roped off. Norway because of the new frozen stuff and France because you can get breakfast there

Gotcha. I figured there would be some type of restrictions hahah although it would be pretty cool to be able to wander around with nobody else around hahaha