Epcot
Epcot (Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow) was originally going to be a self-contained city with homes and offices and futuristic transportation.
However following Walt Disneys death, the city was put on hold and Epcot as we see it today was finally opened in 1982. While it is not a city it still features some of the originally ideas including the Monorail which you can take from the ‘Ticket and Transportation Centre’ to access Epcot. The original scale model for Walt’s city can be seen as you ride the ‘Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover’ in Magic Kingdom.
As you enter the park through World Celebration you are greeted by ‘Spaceship Earth’. This giant golf ball, as it’s known, is the park icon and is beautifully lit every evening. It is also home to a ride through the history of the world voiced by Dame Judi Dench.
Under ‘Spaceship’ earth you will find another of our favourite Pin Trading store the aptly named ‘Pin Traders’
Once you pass around ‘Spaceship Earth’ you will find ‘Creations Shop’ for all your merchandise needs and ‘Connections Cafe’ for your coffee fix.
Moana’s ‘Journey of Water’, a walkthrough experience is now open and a must visit.
Epcot is currently undergoing a major update and there is a lot of construction work happening, therefore don’t be surprised if you see a lot of detours on your way around the park. One area that is still undergoing an expansion is World Discovery. This is home to the newly opened ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind’. A backwards launching indoor rollercoaster which will have you either singing or looking for a bathroom! There is currently a virtual queue to experience this ride and you can find all the information on a how to join the queue in the ‘My Disney Experience’ app.
The theme of World Discovery is space and here you will find one of Epcots prix-fixe dining locations 220 miles above the park at ‘Space 220’. Ride a space elevator to this space themed restaurant giving you fantastic views of the earth below and you may just see an astronaut or two outside your window.
World Nature is to the right of ‘Spaceship Earth’ and is home to one of our favourite rides ‘Soarin around the world’. Take a seat and enjoy this gentle and beautiful flight infront of a giant Imax screen.
In the same building you can find ‘Living with the Land’ a calm boat ride through the greenhouses which provide some of the fruit and vegetables to the restaurants inside Epcot.
Next is ‘Nemo and Friends’, a cute ride under the sea, that exits into the aquarium rather than a gift shop! Here you can find Dolphins and Sea Turtles, and learn about the conservation work Disney does with Manatee’s.
Once you have passed through either World Discovery or World Nature you will come to the lagoon and World Showcase. At present the lagoon plays host to the fireworks show ‘Harmonious’, however this show is due to end in April 2023 to be replaced with ‘Epcot Forever’
World Showcase consists of 12 pavilions, each expertly themed to a Country including shops and dining options, however not all countries feature an attraction. We have often strolled around the pavilions all day and seen something different each time, from Taiko drumming in Japan to Tequila tasting in Mexico.
Major attractions include ‘Frozen Ever After’ in Norway and ‘Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure’ in France, both are included in Genie +.
An alternative entrance into Epcot is through the International Gateway located in-between France and the UK pavilions. Here another of Disneys transport options, the Disney Skyliner, offers a way to enter the park from resorts such as Riviera or Pop Century. You can also walk to the Boardwalk and Yacht Club resorts, or if you are feeling especially energetic you can also walk from International Gateway to Hollywood Studios.
Epcot hosts 4 festivals throughout the year, International Festival of the Arts (January & February), International Flower and Garden Festival (March -July), International Food & Wine Festival (July -November) and International Festival of the Holidays (November & December).
Each festival features different food booths throughout the World Showcase pavilions as well as different themed entertainment such as the Garden Rocks concert series during Flower and Garden this year featuring Kool & the Gang.
We visited the Festival of the Arts in January 2022 and were able to meet many fantastic Disney artists as well as purchase signed prints of their works. Limited edition artwork is the hot item at this festival with many works selling out in the first week.
We will be visiting Epcot during the Flower & Garden festival in June 2023 and will write a blog post about it then.
Epcot has the feel of a more adult park. There aren’t as many attractions, and the pavilions are educational as well as immersive. The food and beverage options including alcoholic drinks definitely cater to an older audience. It is a common activity to ‘drink around the world’, basically have an alcoholic drink in each of the country's and try not to fall over! We have spent many hours just enjoying pottering around this park without feeling the pressure to do everything. It is definitely the perfect park for foodies especially with all the different festival options.