EPCOT
Overall Tips
- Guest Relations is located outside the park on the far right of the turnstiles. There is also one inside the park on the left-hand side before you reach Spaceship Earth.
- Maps and Times Guides can be found at the Tip Board, which is located right in front of the Epcot fountain.
- Try a quick meal at the Electric Umbrella. They have a patio where you can sit outside and watch the fountain as you eat.
- For characters, the Character Spot is a great place the popular characters like Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy, all at once! Also, while walking through the countries of the World Showcase you may meet some other fun characters. The princesses commonly are seen in their home country, as well as Donald in Mexico, and Mary Poppins in England.
- There are three electronic tip boards at Epcot, displaying wait times for attractions in Future World. Check them for up-to-date wait times throughout the day.
Attraction Tips
Soarin' * *
Soarin' is an innovative simulator-type attraction that takes rides on an aerial tour of California's most popular attractions. Guests board a large seating structure that is built to resemble a hang glider. The seats are lifted to about 20 feet in the air towards a giant screen, allowing your feet to dangle freely in the air. The seats also rotate and move with the video, to really give riders the sense of flying. There are breezes and smells throughout the ride, including scents of oranges and pine trees. This is an attraction that is not to be missed!
Tips: If you plan to ride this, be at the park before opening and go right to it. Ride the attraction first while the line is short, then get a FASTPASS on the way out to ride it again later. Ask for the top middle section, it has the best view.
Test Track * * *
Sponsored by GM, Test Track allows guests to experience what it is like to test a new car in a variety of different environments. Guests are seated in a car that travels through heat chambers, break tests and high speed loops. This is the fastest ride at Walt Disney World, so buckle up and hold on!
Tips: Ride this after you are done at Soarin'. The line can get very long during the afternoon, don't even think about waiting if the line is out the door. The single rider line works well for this attraction because each car holds six, it is possible that you will end up riding with a member of your family and it saves time in line.
Mission: Space * * *
Ever wondered what it was like to take off in a shuttle into outer space? Mission: Space trains you to be part of the first human mission to Mars. You and your fellow riders will pilot the shuttle from take off to landing, in this unbelievable experience. The Mission: Space attraction consists of two version: Orange and Green. Orange Team is the original ride. It is a centrifuge type simulator and it is very intense, putting heavy pressure on riders during shuttle take-off. Green Team is the newest addition to Mission: Space. It does not spin like the Orange Team ride, it is a simple simulator much like Star Tours.
Tips: This ride does not get too long of lines, unless it is very crowded. Visit this after you have done Test Track and Soarin'. You will probably be able to visit this later in the day also if you would like to ride again. If you are sensitive to motion sickness, ride the Green Team Less Intense Training version of this ride. The Green Team version also usually has a much shorter line than the original Orange Team.
Ellen's Energy Adventure *
Let Ellen be your host in her wacky adventures to learn about energy on our planet.
Tips: It is a great ride to cool off from the heat but it is very long. There is never really much of a line, so this is something to fit in if you have time.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends *
Hop aboard your clam-mobile and help Marlin and Dori track down Nemo in this under the sea voyage. The ride ends with spectacular views of real fish in the Seas aquariums interacting with Nemo and his friends.
Tips: Ride this early in the day to prevent waiting in line. It is a great ride for children, and very tame.
Turtle Talk with Crush *
Venture into the sea with Crush, the turtle from Finding Nemo. Children sit in the front of the theater where they interact with and ask questions to Crush, who is a technologically advanced video image that can hear and see the crowd.
Honey I Shrunk the Audience * *
Guests are invited to watch Wayne Szalinski as he accepts his award for Inventor of the Year, however things do not go as planned as his shrinking ray accidently goes off in the crowd!
Tips: This is a funny 3D show for the whole family, however young children may be scared by the snake and lion visuals. There is typically a short line, so visit after you have done the other more popular attractions. This would work great as a way to pass time while you wait for your FASTPASS time for Soarin' to arrive.
Journey into Imagination with Figment * *
Riders take a fun and crazy journey through their imagination by exploring the five senses with the help of Figment!
Tips: This attraction loads very quickly, and therefore there is little to no wait.
Innoventions *
Epcot is home to both Innoventions East and Innoventions West. Both pavilions are contain areas and games where guests can test out or see demonstrations of the most up-to-date technologies. It includes the check in point for Disney's Kim Possible attraction, the new StormStruck experience, a track for Segway trials and much more!
Tips: Innoventions is great as a walk through tour later in the day. Your family can casually explore both Innoventions East and West, and decide which attractions within they would like to spend more time at. The Segway tours are only offered at specific times each day, so be sure to ask early for their schedule.
Living with the Land *
A gentle boat tour takes you through scenes of the different environments found on our planet. Riders learn how all ecosystems help and depend on each other, as well as options for sustainable farming and ranching. The boats also travel through green houses which show how new technology can be used to grow food.
Tips: This is great attraction that is commonly overlooked. It may be a little boring for children, but does not last for long. It does not have much of a line, and is great to fit in at any time. Ride this if the line is under 15 minutes.
Spaceship Earth *
This legendary attraction takes riders through the evolution of technology and communication. Watch language grow from paintings on cave walls, all the way up to today's computers.
Tips: I would suggest riding this later in the day, when the lines shorten. It is commonly the first ride that people come to, so the line is long early in the day. The line does move very quickly, so even if it looks long, the line will continuously move.
Kim Possible *
Guests are given a "Kimunicator" to help Kim Possible fight the evil Dr. Draken and save the world. When you sign up for a mission, you are give a country in the World Showcase to report to at your designated time. Once your Kimunicator is activated, you will receive clues from Kim's genius partner Wade. Follow his instructions, and search for clues around World Showcase to help Kim save the day!
Tips: This is a popular attraction and it does fill up quickly. Guests must sign up for missions at Innoventions West. After inserting your park ticket into the special Kim Possible kiosk, you will receive a ticket which states the time and location of your mission. This ticket works similar to a FASTPASS ticket. Because they go fast, make sure you sign up for your mission before noon, to ensure that your family can do this.
Maelstrom * *
Explore the world of the Vikings in this boat tour through Norway.
Tips: This attraction is located in Norway of the World Showcase. Do not wait in a line for this, visit if you have time and the line is short.
Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico Pavilion) *
This gentle boat ride takes guests on a tour through Mexican culture with the help of the Three Caballeros.
World Showcase
The World Showcase typically opens at 11 am daily. Visitors to World Showcase can experience Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, England, and Canada. It is a good idea to visit the World Showcase after your family has experienced most of the rides in Future World. It can be a very long, hot walk around to the various countries so take your time and enjoy each one. There is lots of great international food in the different countries, so plan on having at least one meal here. If you get halfway through and need a break from the sun, check out the American Adventure. It is a show much like the Hall of Presidents which includes many popular men and women in American history. The other countries of the World Showcase also have similar shows or films that work as a great way to escape the heat.
Fireworks
Illuminations is EPCOT's fireworks show, at the end of each day. It takes place in the World Showcase lagoon and can be seen from any of the countries at EPCOT. One of the most important things to considering when choosing a place to watch the fireworks is the wind. There is a lot of smoke from Illuminations and you don’t want it all blowing in your face and obstructing your view. Also, pick your place 30 minutes early so that you are not looking over people's heads. I usually choose to watch from China, as it has a good open view of the whole lagoon.
