Park Size: 305 acres (123 hectares)
Time: One to two days
Start: Spaceship Earth
End: Canada Pavilion
Points to note: Try to spend two days here if you want to enjoy all the attractions in both sections of the park. The musical entertainment in World Showcase is excellent.
Walt Disney envisioned a planned residential community that would incorporate the exciting new ideas and technologies that were emerging in the 1960s. He called it the Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Several years after his death, his dream metamorphosed into EPCOT, Disney’s second Orlando theme park, which opened in 1982. Epcot didn’t turn out to be a real community but a theme park with a breed of educational twist; yet several years later the nearby town of Celebration – at first owned by the Disney folks, now independent – fulfilled parts of that vision.
The monorail passing in front of Spaceship Earth
Getty Images
Epcot has two very different sections: Future World and World Showcase. As with the Magic Kingdom, there’s no best way to take it all in. It’s a long way from one end of the park to the other, so two days will buy you the luxury of exploring at a leisurely pace. You don’t necessarily need to devote each day to a separate section, but World Showcase in particular is meant for wandering and you don’t want to find yourself dashing back for a FastPass in Future World from the far side of the lagoon. Live performers share cultural traditions at the pavilions at staggered times throughout the day, with the biggest concentration in the evening. Note that World Showcase opens a couple of hours later than Future World, normally at 11am, and stays open later in the evenings too.
Since Future World opens first, it’s the logical place to begin. Your interests and the ages of your children will determine your route. Again, arrange for FastPass+ tickets in advance if you can, and/or head for your must-see attraction first. It’s fairly easy to criss-cross this part of the park quickly, and the open spaces, fountains, and flowers are delightful. This route covers the park highlights.
Expect fireworks at llumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Alamy
Future World
More than 35 years have passed since its opening in 1982, and Epcot’s world of the future has become the present. But periodic refurbishments have incorporated new technologies to keep it fresh and up-to-date. For example, Spaceship Earth used to show videocalls as a futuristic idea. Now that the technology is common – even on smartphones – the ride has evolved to be more futuristic. Riders tailor their own personal ending.
Spaceship Earth
As you enter the park, a gleaming sphere resembling a giant golf ball looms before you. This is Spaceship Earth 1 [map], Epcot’s symbol. You may want to save this for later when the lines are shorter. Inside you board a time machine which transports you through the milestones of communication, with such lifelike scenes as a Greek scholar giving a maths lesson and Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel during the Renaissance. You even invent your own future world.
Innoventions
Just past Spaceship Earth you’ll come to Innoventions 2 [map], a pavilion with interactive displays featuring new technology. In Colortopia, where three zones explore how color affects our lives, you can easily get carried away for an hour or two learning while having fun.
Mission Space is the place to experience weightlessness
Goa Min/Visit Florida
The Land
If you’ve chosen to save Spaceship Earth and Innoventions for later, head instead for The Land 3 [map], a prism-topped building home to Soarin’, the park’s most popular attraction. Certainly, if you don’t have a FastPass+ reservation, proceed straight there: FastPasses go quickly and the day’s allotment can be gone by noon.
Located on the lower floor, Soarin’ is one of Disney’s best rides. It simulates a hang-gliding flight over world highlights. Your seat rises 40 feet (12 meters) in the air with nothing but a seat belt between you and the surrounding high-definition, laser-projected screen. With the wind in your face and your feet dangling, you soar over six continents to see the Great Wall of China, Egypt’s pyramids, and Paris’ Eiffel Tower; some sections have matching scents, such as roses as you view India.
In the meantime there’s plenty to do nearby. Also in this building is Living with the Land, an educational boat ride through rainforest, desert, and prairie landscapes into the greenhouses of a plant research station, where new and innovative varieties of food crops are being cultivated that can help feed the world’s growing population and benefit the planet.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Walt Disney World Resort
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turn left out of The Land to visit The Seas with Nemo & Friends 4 [map]. Here you can take a mild ride in a clamshell through Nemo’s underwater world, with the cartoon characters superimposed into the real aquarium at the end.
You can while away hours in this pavilion watching the manatees, dolphins, sharks, and seahorses. The huge Caribbean Coral Reef – a 5.7 million gallon aquarium – holds real-life Nemos (clownfish) and over 60 species of sea creatures. There’s also an entertaining interactive show, Turtle Talk With Crush.
Visit this pavilion early in the morning, if possible, when the fish in the Caribbean Coral Reef are usually fed. It’s also fun to watch the manatees devouring heads of lettuce for their morning meal.
Universe of Energy
Continue round to Universe of Energy 5 [map], which houses Ellen’s Energy Adventure. The corny storyline takes comedienne Ellen DeGeneres back to prehistoric times, and while the dinosaurs are good and Bill Nye the Science Guy makes an appearance, the show could use some updating. Still, it is engaging and offers a 45-minute break from the heat.
Discovering how cars are made and tested at Test Track
Walt Disney World Resort
Mission: SPACE
Hurry on to one of Epcot’s most exciting attractions, Mission: SPACE 6 [map]. Blast off to Mars in a simulator that re-creates the feeling of space flight, including the G-force, spinning and sense of weightlessness (and for some people, the motion sickness as well). Astronauts say it’s amazingly close to the real experience. For those who don’t feel up to chancing the full-on Orange version, there’s a less intense Green alternative that eliminates the spinning and is just as much fun.
Test Track
For more vehicular thrills, Test Track 7 [map] is right next door. This ride through an automobile proving ground is a must for anyone who loves cars and speed. You’ll see and feel how acceleration, brakes, suspension, steering and other systems are rigorously tested as you zoom around the track at up to 65 mph (100 kph).
Epcot’s behind-the-scenes tours
Disney World offers many fee-based behind-the-scenes tours, and Epcot’s are among the best. Some are available year-round, others only during special events. Behind the Seeds provides a closer look at the hydroponic gardens and fish farm in The Land. Epcot Seas Adventures – Aqua Tour invites adventurers to snorkel with more than 6,000 sea creatures in their underwater world. With DiveQuest, scuba enthusiasts swim with the sharks and other aquarium dwellers. Dolphins in Depth teaches participants about dolphin behavior. For information on these and other tours, call 407-WDW-TOUR (407-939-8687), or visit the website at www.disneyworld.com/tours.
World Showcase
This section of the park is set around the World Showcase Lagoon, a circular body of water covering nearly 40 acres (16 hectares). It’s about 1.3 miles (2 km) around, but the promenade is pleasantly broad and made for strolling. You can also take a water taxi across the lagoon, though this isn’t a speedier option.
Each of the 11 pavilions represents a nation of the world, showcasing its landmarks, architecture, arts, food, drink and, of course, its wares. You’ll often find Disney characters from animated movies tied to the locale, such as Mulan in China or Jasmine and Aladdin in Morocco. Some of the pavilions also have rides, films and cultural exhibits in addition to shops and restaurants. Shops sometimes feature visiting artists demonstrating crafts from their homeland.
Most pavilions have performances periodically throughout the day and into the evening, listed in the park’s Times Guide and on the My Disney Experience mobile app. Among the highlights are China’s Jeweled Dragon Acrobats and the Mariachi Cobre band (Mexico).
World Showcase is home to some of the best food in the entire resort, so this is the place to indulge. Spirits-driven travelers come here to ‘drink their way around the world’ at assorted geographically tied bars and kiosks. Even the ‘casting’ is authentic – many of the employees in the pavilions at World Showcase are natives of the country they represent.
Frozen Ever After is Norway’s star attraction
Walt Disney World Resort
Best of all are the pavilions themselves. Each is an impressively detailed rendition of the landmarks, buildings, squares, and other elements that represent a country’s culture and history. You can spend hours here just leisurely browsing and admiring the artful features you see.
Pizza at Via Napoli in the Italy pavilion
Walt Disney World Resort
Mexico, Norway, and China
This route proceeds clockwise around the lagoon, beginning with Mexico 8 [map]. Inside the striking Aztec pyramid are a colorful array of shops and intriguing cultural exhibits set around a Mexican-style plaza. You can take a labyrinthine boat ride with The Three Caballeros, which floats by the romantic San Angel Inn restaurant. La Cava del Tequila has more than one hundred varieties of its namesake beverage.
A Viking longboat and a beautiful wooden stave church are highlights of the town square in Norway 9 [map]. Frozen Ever After, a mild thrill ride themed to the animated movie Frozen, is the main attraction. It includes popular songs, and delights fans of Arendelle with glimpses of trolls as well as Anna and Elsa. The resplendent restaurant Akershus Royal Banquet Hall hosts princess character meals all day long.
With its circular temple, landscaped gardens and soft, traditional music, China ) [map] is an oasis of tranquillity. Reflections of China, a Circle-Vision 360 film, completely surrounds you with images from this truly beautiful ancient land. Yet more fascinating are replicas of the famous Terra Cotta warriors. Chinese acrobats perform in the plaza regularly and the shopping at this pavilion is dazzling and diverse.
Italy’s emphasis is on food
Walt Disney World Resort
Germany and Italy
The main attraction in Germany ! [map] is the Biergarten restaurant, see 1, a buffet with live oompah-enthusiastic entertainment (for more information, click here). Shops are set around a statue of St George in the half-timbered square.
An amazing re-creation of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, with exquisite architectural detail in everything from the Doge’s Palace to the statues, makes Italy @ [map] one of the finest pavilions here, although one of the most boring, since it has no attraction. The Italian shops are secondary to the scenery, but the Italian fare in the two restaurants by New York’s Patina Group is good – try Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, see 2.
Moroccan flavors sing at Spice Road Table
Walt Disney World Resort
The American Adventure
Be ready for a big dollop of patriotism at The American Adventure £ [map], where The American Adventure show does an admirable job of covering highlights in American history in 26 minutes with a cast of superb audio-animatronic characters led by Ben Franklin and Mark Twain. The America Gardens Theatre hosts outdoor concerts regularly, and the Voices of Liberty, a cappella group, sing patriotic songs inside the main building.
Japan, Morocco, and France
Japan $ [map] is another tranquil spot, with beautifully landscaped grounds, a pagoda, and striking Japanese architecture. The Bijutsu-Kan Gallery houses cultural exhibits and the Japanese drumming shows called Matsuriza are spirited. The mini Mitsukoshi department store will satisfy your souvenir needs with gift items from elegant chopsticks and tea sets to pearls extracted from oysters you select.
Beautiful handmade mosaic tiles were used to construct the fine replicas of the Koutoubia Minaret and Bab Boujouloud arched gate in Morocco % [map]. Behind is a winding souk where you can get authentic wares from carpets to henna tattoos. Guided tours of the pavilion highlight the country’s culture and history. Check out the handcrafted objects d’art behind the stained-glass doors of the Gallery of Arts and History. The Tangierine Café offers quick and tasty Moroccan dishes; Spice Road Table, for more information, click here, serves more exotic Moroccan cuisine in large and small plates; while the fancier Restaurant Marrakesh specializes in Americanized versions of Moroccan classics with entertainment by belly dancers.
If you’ve been to Paris, you’ll enjoy the France ^ [map] pavilion’s pastiche of this great city, from the Eiffel Tower to the Belle Epoque architecture. And of course, it has two of Epcot’s best restaurants (including Monsieur Paul, see 3), plus a patisserie and a rather addictive gelato shop, L’Artisan des Glaces. Impressions de France, a fine film narrated by a Frenchman with a smoky voice, takes you on a tour of the French countryside set to stirring music by French composers.
Typically French fare on offer in France’s pavilion
Walt Disney World Resort
United Kingdom and Canada
Cross the replica Pont des Arts to the United Kingdom & [map], where the country’s history is represented by a thatched cottage, a castle, a Georgian square, Tudor chimneys, and half-timbered and Victorian buildings. There’s even a pair of the traditional red phone boxes that are a rarity in Britain itself these days. Naturally, the main attractions are the Rose & Crown Pub, see 4, and the fish and chip counter, although the stores’ tea sets and family crests make for great retail therapy. A band that plays Beatles tunes is often on the schedule.
An imposing totem pole marks the entrance to Canada * [map], alongside a trading post and a Rocky Mountain waterfall with the Hôtel du Canada rising up behind. The Circle-Vision 360 film O Canada!, narrated by Martin Short, is a look at the wildlife, people, cities, and landscapes of this vast and varied nation.
Nightly extravaganza
After dark, don’t miss Epcot’s night-time extravaganza, IllumiNations – Reflections of Earth. The 12-minute show is a mixture of fireworks, lasers, colors, fountains, and lights, set to music and centered on an enormous globe in the middle of the lagoon. It’s visible from all around the promenade – anywhere where you can see both the water and the sky – but stake your spot at least 30 minutes in advance. Good viewing points include Showcase Plaza (at the bridge with Future World) and the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom.
Food and drink
Germany Pavilion; $$
This buffet-style restaurant, set in a dimly lit mock-timber house, serves bratwurst and an array of German fare. The healthy selection of beers will get you in the mood for the live Bavarian music.
2 Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
Italy Pavilion; $$
A bustling family restaurant specializing in authentic Neapolitan pizza.
3 Monsieur Paul
France Pavilion; $$$$
Exquisitely prepared French cuisine in a light, bright, fine-dining setting, all a tribute to renowned chef Paul Bocuse.
4 Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room
United Kingdom Pavilion; $–$$
Bass ale, Guinness stout, and traditional pub grub – fish and chips, meat pies, ploughman’s lunches, and even sticky toffee pudding – ensure this popular watering hole is busy throughout the day. Try for a waterside table.