EPCOT Essentials

• First and foremost EPCOT is the biggest park with one of the biggest parking lots on property. Expect to walk a lot at this park. An EPCOT day is one of the few days in my life where I’ve clocked over 30,000 steps. Pre-train, wear comfortable shoes, hydrate, and pace yourself.
• EPCOT, and in particular the World Showcase, has an open design that is unique in its abilities to feel hotter on hot days and colder on cold days. The mix of concrete and very little shade amplifies the sun in the summer. In the winter, the lack of wind breaks means the cold air is constantly blowing. It’s important to dress accordingly.
• EPCOT is often viewed as the adult park of Disney. It has the most dining options of any park in WDW and pioneered the idea of alcohol at a Disney park. This is great for mom and dad but can be challenging for kids to find fun here, especially in the World Showcase. The Showcase only has three rides (Grand Fiesta Tour, Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure) mixed in with panoramic movies (these movies feature the sites of countries and don’t have much that most kids will enjoy). Keep an eye out for the various scavenger hunts, Kidcot Fun Stop stations, and areas to explore that will keep your little ones engaged.
• EPCOT has become the festival park for WDW and I’d strongly encourage you to go during one of the three major festivals: Festival of the Arts, Flower and Garden Festival, and the king of them all the Food and Wine Festival. During these festivals, temporary specialty food booths are placed around the World Showcase featuring savory foods, desserts, beer, wine, and cocktails. The food is all small portions, but can be absolutely delicious.
• EPCOT actually has two entrances. If you’re staying in the Crescent Lake (EPCOT) resort area or at a Skyliner resort you’ll have access to the International Gateway between the United Kingdom and France. This entrance is really nice if you’ll be doing a lot of dining in World Showcase, sticking around for the fireworks, and for rope dropping popular rides. Everyone else uses the front main gate by Spaceship Earth. Understanding which gate you’ll be using can impact how you plan your day at the park.
• The current construction at EPCOT can be confusing and difficult to navigate between the lands of Discovery and Nature. This construction, combined with the size of World Showcase, means you should plan to visit attractions near each other to complete an entire area before moving on rather than traversing back and forth across the park based on wait times.

• Goofy and Pluto – Currently these two loveable dogs can be seen occasionally hanging out near the main front gate entrance to EPCOT
• Pooh – The silly old bear often comes out to catch butterflies on the lawn near the Imagination Pavilion
• Mickey – Find the main mouse in his classic tuxedo attire at the Disney/Pixar Short Film Festival at the Imagination Pavilion
• Joy – This ray of sunshine can be found sharing happy hugs inside the Imagination Pavilion
• Vanellope – This sugary sweet racer can be found inside the Imagination Pavilion
• Minnie – Can be spotted in her classic polka dots at one of the gazebos near the entrance to the World Showcase
• Daisy – Wearing her classic attire, this sassy duck can be spotted near the new Guardians Cosmic Rewind
• Donald – Sporting his fiesta costume, the “number one” duck can be found just past the Mexico Pavilion
• Anna and Elsa – Chill out with regal sisters at their Royal Sommerhus in Norway
• Mulan – Greets guests in the gardens at the China Pavilion
• Snow White – Visits her wishing well at the Germany Pavilion 
• Jasmine – Magically appears at the stage just outside the Morocco Pavilion
• Belle and Aurora – These beauties can both be seen near the gardens in the France Pavilion
• Alice and Mary Poppins – Can be spotted at the United Kingdom Pavilion in the gardens either next to the tea shop or near the hedge maze tucked behind the shops

• EPCOT boasts a modest number of rides for a park of its size, with the majority of them in the front of the park. It’s debatable if you need Genie+ at this park, as only two or three of the rides will see much of a line at all
• Longest waits/best choices to Genie+:
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – Officially downgrading from Individual Lightning Lane on Memorial Day, this ride has boasted multi-hour lines since opening. It remains to be seen if that will last once the newness wears off, it’s worth the pass.
  • Test Track – Until Guardians joined the line up, this was the thrill ride at EPCOT. Lines can get long as those looking for an adrenaline infusion wait to ride this.
  • Frozen Ever After – Even a few years later the popularity of Frozen still makes this ride a sought after attraction for park goers – especially those with young kids.

• There is a lot of Dining in EPCOT enough that it can and will be its own article at some point. Within the park there are 26 quick service and counter service locations along with 20 table service locations. That is just during normal times. During festivals, another 10-20 festival booths will pop up as additional quick service options.
• In the World Showcase the rule of thumb is that every country will have at least one quick service and one table service serving their regional cuisine. Many of the countries will boast an additional table service.
• All of the countries also offer alcohol at quick service locations including traditional and/or frozen cocktails, beer, and wine.
• There are a few options outside the World Showcase: Space 220 in Discovery; Sunshine Seasons, Garden Grill, and Coral Reef in Nature; and Connections Café & Eatery in Celebration.
• Right now Garden Grill offers the only character dining at EPCOT, but hopefully the Princess character experience in Norway will return soon.
• There are additional table service and quick service options at the EPCOT resorts which can be accessed by exiting through the International Gateway. You do not need to be staying at these resorts to utilize their dining.

• Creations Shop (previously Mouse Gear) is one of the largest shopping locations at WDW. It offers specialty themed park specific EPCOT merchandise along with classic souvenirs. Creations was recently constructed and features some cool art installations throughout. 
• Almost every one of the countries has a shop which will contain items from and themed to their rides and country. Merchandise here is extremely exclusive and will not be found elsewhere on Disney property. Learn more about why “see it, buy it” is recommended.
• Unlike Magic Kingdom, most rides here do not have gift shops at their exit. There are a few such as Figment and Nemo, but don’t expect to find many themed shops beyond World Showcase.

• Harmonious is the new fireworks show at EPCOT that combines LED screens, fountains, projections, and fireworks. This larger-than-life show is visible anywhere in the World Showcase. Unfortunately, unlike the previous shows, it is best viewed from the front of the Showcase. This will be the most crowded area, but it also has the added advantage of being the closest to the exit for those using the front main gate. As with any other park, after the fireworks show expect long lines at all transportation options – be that bus, boat, monorail, or Skyliner.

— Dave