![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mousinaround.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Epcot-Tips9.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nI\u2019m excited to get to experience this park again without all the construction walls, plus there\u2019s going to be a new nightly fireworks show, too!<\/p>\n
Epcot Tips<\/h1>\n
Now, when I visit Walt Disney World, I usually stay in one of the resorts behind Epcot\u2019s International Gateway (Disney\u2019s Boardwalk Resort, Disney\u2019s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resort or Marriott\u2019s Swan and Dolphin) so my strategy is usually to pop into Epcot for parts of a day, but it\u2019s not a park that I tend to do from rope drop to fireworks. <\/p>\n
But maybe that will change soon!<\/p>\n
Until then, here\u2019s everything you need to know about spending the day at Epcot:<\/p>\n
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind<\/b>: This isn\u2019t just the hot new ride at Epcot (at all of Walt Disney World!), it\u2019s pretty much the gold standard that all other coasters\/thrill rides are going to be compared to. <\/p>\n It\u2019s fast, it\u2019s smooth, and it\u2019s FUN. I really can\u2019t emphasize how much the Guardians of the Galaxy theme makes a ride just pure fun. It\u2019s probably equal parts the music and the chaoticness of the characters, but this coaster packs a punch without ever feeling \u201cscary.\u201d <\/p>\n The first time I rode Cosmic Rewind, I was laughing and screaming so hard I had tears streaming down my face. And it\u2019s consistently held up as my favorite attraction at Walt Disney World. Every trip I take, I usually manage to ride it about 4 times or so. <\/p>\n Cosmic Rewind is still using a virtual queue which means that you CANNOT just show up and stand in line to ride. You either get a spot in a virtual queue and come when your boarding group is called, or you can purchase an Individual Lightning Lane to ride. Or you can do both. <\/p>\n The first virtual queue opens at 7AM and you join it from your phone wherever you are (in bed, at breakfast, on the monorail, etc.). And it goes FAST. Like in less than one second. So have the app open, navigate to the screen where you\u2019ll join the queue and be ready to hit the button exactly at 7AM. I have about a 50% success rate with getting a spot in the 7AM virtual queue. <\/p>\n If you miss the 7AM queue, there\u2019s another chance to join the queue at 1PM but this time you have to be scanned in and inside of Epcot. <\/p>\n Once you\u2019re in the queue, it\u2019ll give you a boarding group number and an approximate time that you\u2019ll be called back (it\u2019s usually pretty accurate within 30 minutes or so assuming the ride doesn\u2019t go down at all). Once they call your boarding number, you have an hour to show up at the ride. <\/p>\n If it\u2019s at all in the budget, I HIGHLY recommend buying a Lightning Lane AND doing the virtual queue so you can ride it twice. It\u2019s that good. Plus it\u2019s different every time you ride it. There are six possible songs that you can get: September, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Disco Inferno, One Way or Another, I Ran, and Conga. <\/p>\n Remy\u2019s Ratatouille Adventure: <\/b>Epcot\u2019s France pavilion got a HUGE expansion in 2022 and with that came the brand new ride Remy\u2019s Ratatouille Adventure. It\u2019s such a cute ride and a don\u2019t miss if you have kids (really even if you don\u2019t). <\/p>\n Frozen Ever After: <\/b>I still have Frozen Fever so I think Frozen Ever After is a don\u2019t miss but even if you\u2019re not a huge Frozen fan, the attraction is really well done and the audio animatronics are top notch. I dare you not to sing along ; ) Plus you can meet Anna and Else in their Royal Sommerhus nearby. <\/p>\n Soarin\u2019: <\/b>When Soarin\u2019 opened at Epcot, it was a MAJOR deal and honestly, after 20 years it\u2019s still an incredible attraction. <\/p>\n In September 2023, they brought back the original Soarin\u2019 Over California film for a limited time run, but normally it\u2019s Soarin\u2019 Around the World. <\/p>\n Stroll around World Showcase: <\/b>This isn\u2019t an attraction per se, but it\u2019s what everybody comes to Epcot to do. The 11 countries that circle the lagoon are filled with shops, restaurants, shows, attractions, and places to just hang out.<\/p>\n A lot of people like to do an eating or drinking around the world challenge where they have something from every country, or even buy a little souvenir in each country. <\/p>\n Journey of Water: <\/b>This Moana inspired interactive exhibit on the water cycle feels more like an elaborate playground that\u2019s fun for both kids and adults. It just opened in October 2023 and it\u2019s definitely worth a walk through. The photo op with Te Fiti is pretty great, plus you can meet Moana here. <\/p>\n Both Test Track and Mission Space are kind of billed as \u201cbig rides\u201d (they were certainly a big deal when they opened), but neither have really held up well and they\u2019re completely eclipsed by the newer stuff that\u2019s opened in the last few years. <\/p>\n I think they\u2019re in a weird category where they\u2019re not big headliner attractions, but they\u2019re also not nostalgic favorites. <\/p>\n Test Track<\/strong> is definitely worth a ride if you\u2019ve never done it before and it has a pretty fun \u201cthrill\u201d at the end where the car races around a track at 60 MPH. Disney just announced a big overhaul\/refurbishment for the ride so hopefully they\u2019re able to make it more of a \u201cmust do.\u201d<\/p>\n Mission Space<\/strong> is just a hard pass for me. I rode it once when it first opened and I\u2019ve never been back. <\/p>\n Full disclosure, I have a somewhat bizarre phobia of outer space, so it\u2019s really just not for me, but the ride is a simulator of a flight to Mars and you\u2019re locked into a pretty confined place. There are two versions of the ride (one that spins and one that doesn\u2019t) and the spinning version gives the effect of pretty significant g forces on your chest when you \u201clift off.\u201d <\/p>\n They had to create a second version that doesn\u2019t spin because so many people kept getting sick on it\u2026it\u2019s just\u2026problematic. Anyways, if you\u2019re going to ride it verify which version you\u2019re getting in line for if you have a sensitive stomach ; ) <\/p>\n Spaceship Earth<\/b>: This is an iconic old school Epcot attraction, and the PERFECT place to go when you need a little break in the ac. <\/p>\n Living with the Land<\/b>: Another classic Epcot attraction, this is actually one of my favorites at Epcot and I usually don\u2019t miss it. It has a vintage vibe, but it\u2019s still really cool going through the greenhouses and learning about how they\u2019re growing food right here at Epcot. Do this when you\u2019re in the Land Pavilion to ride Soarin\u2019. <\/p>\n The Seas with Nemo and Friends<\/b>: I love Finding Nemo, and if you have kids, this is a don\u2019t miss. The actual ride is a slow moving ride in the clamshell that tells the story of Finding Nemo but the Seas Pavilion is pretty big with some other good attractions. <\/p>\n Turtle Talk with Crush is a pretty funny (live) show plus the aquariums in the pavilion are pretty impressive. Don\u2019t forget to go upstairs to see the manatees. <\/p>\n Grand Fiesta Tour<\/b>: I think of this as the Mexican version of It\u2019s a Small World. There\u2019s not usually much of a line and it\u2019s a great way to break up all of your \u201ceating and drinking\u201d around the World Showcase. <\/p>\n Reflections of China & O\u2019Canada<\/b>: Both China and Canada have giant Circle Vision theaters that play movies about each country respectively. They\u2019re actually really cool, but you have to stand up the whole time : )<\/p>\n Impressions de France<\/b>: Finally, a theater you can sit down in! This theater actually shows two different shows. One is a Beauty and the Beast sing a long and the other is a film about France. <\/p>\n American Adventure<\/b>: The scope and scale of this show is pretty impressive and it\u2019s another great place to get out of the heat and sit for a while. Plus don\u2019t miss the Voices of Liberty show in the rotunda before the show starts. <\/p>\n Surprisingly, I think Epcot has the best character meet and greets of any park. I LOVE meeting characters around World Showcase in their \u201chome\u201d countries: <\/p>\n Donald (Three Caballeros) in Mexico<\/p>\n Anna & Elsa in Norway at the Royal Sommerhaus<\/p>\n Mulan in China<\/p>\n Snow White in Germany<\/p>\n Jasmine in Morocco<\/p>\n Belle & Princess Aurora in France<\/p>\n Alice, Mary Poppins & Winnie the Pooh in the UK<\/p>\n Plus there are plenty of character meets scattered throughout the rest of the park:<\/p>\n Mickey Mouse has been meeting in the Imagination Pavilion in the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival Theater<\/p>\n Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Daisy usually rotate around between the main entrance of Epcot, the gazebo at the front of World Showcase, and the International Gateway Entrance.<\/p>\n Check the daily schedule to find out exactly who is where, but it seems like once the front section of Epcot is complete, one of the things it\u2019s going to include is a more permanent character meet and greet situation for the Big 5. <\/p>\n Also there\u2019s a brand new meet and greet with Figment in ImageWorks in the Imagination Pavilion (plus Joy from Inside Out is there too). <\/p>\n And Moana just started meeting near Journey of Water. <\/p>\n Okay, now that I\u2019ve told you about all of the great things to do in Epcot, here are some tips for how to actually get it all done\u2026<\/p>\n Epcot is different from the other theme parks for me. Maybe it\u2019s just my perception, but I feel like it has less \u201cthings to do\u201d and more of a vibe where you just kind of hang out and walk around. <\/p>\n So personally, I usually like to stay at one of the Epcot Resorts (Boardwalk, Beach and Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin) where you can walk into the back of World Showcase and I like to spend a few hours at Epcot several times throughout my trip instead of doing one long day.<\/p>\n It works for a couple reasons: <\/p>\n So if that sounds like something that might work for your trip, you\u2019ll need less of a plan regarding rides since you\u2019ll have several different opportunities to ride the most popular rides, but I know that probably won\u2019t work for most people, so here\u2019s my best \u201ctraditional approach\u201d for doing a day at Epcot: <\/p>\n When Genie+ first debuted at Epcot, its value was a little questionable. First of all, there just aren\u2019t a ton of rides at Epcot in general, and two of them were not in the regular Genie+ attractions pool, but were Individual Lightning Lanes instead. But things have started to change at Epcot. Two brand new attractions have recently opened, and with Disney cutting down the number of ILLs in each park to just ONE ride, I think it\u2019s increased the value of Genie+ at Epcot.<\/p>\n Currently, Guardians of the Galaxy is the Individual Lightning Lane at Epcot (the one ride you can pay an additional $14ish to skip to the front of the line).<\/p>\n Besides the Guardians coaster, rides that I would prioritize for Genie+ in Epcot are: Remy\u2019s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Soarin\u2019, Test Track.<\/p>\n Plus there\u2019s a handful of rides that usually have Genie+ availability late in the day (Spaceship Earth, Mission Space, Living with the Land, Seas with Nemo and Friends).<\/p>\n This means, if you\u2019re willing to get there early to \u201crope drop\u201d one attraction and you work the system well, you can do pretty much every single ride at Epcot with little to no waits using Genie+.<\/p>\n Depending on which entrance you\u2019re coming into Epcot, I would either head to Frozen Ever After or Remy\u2019s Ratatouille Adventure as your first ride (Frozen if you\u2019re entering at the park\u2019s main entrance and Remy if you\u2019re entering from the World Showcase). And then I would pick the alternate ride for your first Genie+ selection of the day.<\/p>\n Okay, I know I said I mostly like to pop into Epcot in the afternoon\/evenings for a stroll around World Showcase and a little festival appreciation, but Epcot\u2019s got some pretty good rides in the last couple of years so it\u2019s worth a morning. <\/p>\n Since I like to stay back in the Epcot Resort area, it\u2019s super easy to walk over and do Remy\u2019s Ratatouille Adventure right when the park opens with no wait. <\/p>\n So my Epcot strategy is usually:<\/p>\n 7AM (Hopefully) get a Cosmic Rewind boarding group for the virtual queue. If not, definitely get one at the 1PM drop.<\/p>\n 7AM Buy a Lightning Lane for Cosmic Rewind (I told ya, I like to ride as many times as possible!)<\/p>\n 7AM Book Genie+ reservation for Frozen Ever After <\/p>\n Instead of booking a Genie+ for Remy, I head straight there when early entry starts.<\/p>\n After I ride Remy, I like to stop for breakfast at the bakery in France.<\/p>\n Throughout the day, you\u2019ll grab Genie+ reservations for:<\/p>\n Soarin\u2019 (a must do)<\/p>\n Test Track (I usually skip but it\u2019s definitely worth doing once)<\/p>\n Mission: Space (I did it once and never again but it\u2019s still a \u201cbig\u201d ride)<\/p>\n Besides Genie+ rides, Spaceship Earth is a classic and I always enjoy spending a little time in the Seas with Nemo and Friends. Be sure to go upstairs to see the manatees!<\/p>\n And while I\u2019m in the area for Soarin\u2019 I like to squeeze in a ride on Living with the Land. <\/p>\n A lot of the timing and pacing for a day in Epcot depends on your Genie+ and Lighting Lane return times, but generally speaking after I ride Remy in France, I head to Future World (the front of the park) to spend the morning and then plan to be back in the World Showcase for the afternoon and evening. <\/p>\n Epcot has become a festival park! It started with the Food & Wine Festival for 30 days in the fall of 1996 and it\u2019s grown to four different annual festivals that honestly span most of the year now. <\/p>\n There\u2019s the Festival of the Arts in January\/February, the Flower & Garden Festival March-July, Food & Wine Festival July-November, and the Festival of the Holidays in November\/December. <\/p>\n My personal favorite is the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring. The food booths are just as good as for the Food & Wine Festival, but the whole park is landscaped incredibly well including dozens and dozens of topiaries. <\/p>\n Festival of the Arts<\/strong><\/p>\n Flower & Garden Festival<\/strong><\/p>\n Want more Walt Disney World posts? Check these out\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n Planning a Trip to Disney World? Read This First\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Best (i.e. My Favorite) Time to Go to Walt Disney World<\/a><\/p>\n Tips for a Day at Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom<\/a><\/p>\n Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios Park Strategy<\/a><\/p>\n How to Spend the Day at the Magic Kingdom<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAttraction Breakdown\u2026<\/b><\/h2>\n
Under No Circumstances Should You Miss These<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nOther \u201cBig Rides\u201d That Aren\u2019t My Personal Favorites<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThese Aren\u2019t A Listers But They\u2019re Worth Your Time<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nCharacter Meet & Greets<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nEpcot Plan of Attack (aka Itinerary)<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
<\/a><\/p>\nGenie+ in Epcot<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nMy Ideal Epcot Day<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nFestivals at Epcot<\/b><\/h2>\n
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