Epcot is a theme park located within the greater Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and it was opened up in the 1980s with a decidedly different goal than the resort’s other parks. Epcot has retained an educational slant since it’s opening, with attractions centered on nature, history, scientific progress, and international cultures.
While the attractions located within Epcot may be slightly more educational in nature than those located within other parks at the Walt Disney World Resort, that doesn’t mean that they’re any less fun!
There’s plenty of awesome things to do at Epcot, and we’ll be taking a look at the very best of them in this video! From eating authentic world cuisine within the World Showcase to learning about the history of mankind on Spaceship Earth, join ViewCation as we explore the best things to do at Epcot in Disney World.
Explore What Other Countries of the World Have to Offer in the World Showcase
One of the main aspects of Epcot is the World Showcase. The World Showcase is an area that consists of 11 different pavilions, with each pavilion being themed around a different country. Some of the many countries that receive some love from the World Showcase include Germany, France, Morocco, Norway, and Mexico.
Each pavilion is staffed with denizens from whatever country it is supposed to be paying tribute to, and there are numerous attractions within each pavilion that allow park-goers to get a taste of international life. Some of the pavilions feature full rides, while others merely feature restaurants, shops, and other attractions.
One of the most appealing aspects of the World Showcase is that it allows park-goers to get a taste of some interesting world cuisine. Those journeying to the United Kingdom pavilion can get a taste of some authentic UK fish and chips at the Rose and Crown, which is a sit-down pub. Over in the Germany pavilion, guests can visit the Biergarten Restaurant and enjoy such treats as pretzel dogs and bratwursts. There are also some interesting shopping opportunities within the World Showcase, particularly in the Morocco pavilion.
Much of the Morocco pavilion at Epcot is done up to look like a street market, and it has the wares to go with it! The Morocco pavilion remains one of the best places at Epcot to shop for souvenirs, though another great souvenir opportunity can be found within the Japan pavilion. There, park-goers are given the opportunity to purchase an oyster containing an actual pearl! Employees will open up the oyster in front of the park-goer, and the pearl is theirs!
The World Showcase is also home to some decidedly Disney-themed attractions that just so happen to coincide with the country that the respective pavilion is themed after. For one thing, the United Kingdom pavilion seems to be one of the only places within the greater Walt Disney World Resort that guests are able to get a peak of Mary Poppins.
Mary can be seen strolling around the pavilion, providing guests a unique meet-and-greet opportunity. Over in the Norway pavilion, there’s Frozen Ever After, which is a log flume dark ride based on the film Frozen. The ride opened up in 2016 and took the place of the Norway pavilion’s previous log flume dark ride, Maelstrom. Thankfully, Frozen Ever After retains much of Maelstrom’s unique decoration, which pays homage to the culture of the country.
Experience Spaceship Earth
At the center of Epcot is the theme park’s iconic geodesic sphere, and this sphere contains an attraction by the name of Spaceship Earth. Spaceship Earth is more of an educational show than a thrilling ride, but that doesn’t mean that park-goers won’t be able to get something out of the unique attraction! Spaceship Earth takes you back in time and shows you how mankind has evolved since the days of cavemen. Park-goers are able to see how mankind has progressed throughout various eras and the ride takes it’s time to showcase how humanity has evolved through history.
The attraction takes about 15 minutes and each era is brought to life with animatronics. Whether you’re interested in the history that is being taught through the attraction or simply want to admire the technical work that has gone into bringing each depicted era to life, Spaceship Earth stands as an incredibly unique and enticing attraction at Epcot.
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Try Your Engineering Skills on the Test Track
One of the more unique attractions at Epcot is the Test Track. Test Track is a high-speed slot car dark ride that allows park-goers to design and test their own vehicle. The attraction is notable for being the fastest attraction at any Disney park throughout the world, with the ride accelerating up to 65 miles per hour. The attraction starts you out in the design center, where you are tasked with designing the best car that you can.
You will then get the chance to test out your skills on the test track of the attraction’s name. The ride is incredibly thrilling, and it can be a lot of fun trying to design a car that performs better than the others! At the end of the ride, each rider is shown the performance stats of their car.
Attempt Mission: Space
Another incredibly unique attraction open to park-goers at Epcot is Mission: Space. The attraction simulates a shuttle flying to and landing on Mars, with each shuttle being manned by a four-person crew of park-goers. Guests can choose how intense they want the ride to be, with the more intense option featuring spinning and tilting and the less intense option being be a better fit for kids.
Actor Gary Sinise narrates the attraction, and he walks each of the four crewmembers on the shuttle through what they need to do in order to successfully make it to Mars. Whether you’re looking to learn about space travel or just want some fun thrills, Mission: Space is a pleasant experience!
Fly Over California on Soarin’
Soarin’ is a unique motion-simulator experience located within Epcot that allows guest to feel as if they are literally soaring over the state of California. The ride is meant to make riders feel as if they are hang gliding, and it does an incredibly impressive job! The scenery is projected on a specialized IMAX screen, and scents are even sprayed on riders allowing them to feel as if they can truly smell the nature that they pass over as they’re soaring.
Explore The Seas with Nemo & Friends
The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a pavilion that includes a slow-moving dark ride, with the theme of the area being aquatic life. True to the educational nature of Epcot, plenty of real sea life is included in the pavilion. The bulk of The Seas with Nemo & Friends consists of aquariums with the cartoon fish from Finding Nemo projected in them, but there’s also the aforementioned dark ride, as well as attractions such as Turtle Talk with Crush. Turtle Talk with Crush is a talk show type attraction hosted by one of the turtles from Finding Nemo, and it’s a lot of fun for families!
Tour American History with The American Adventure
While Epcot has plenty of pavilions dedicated to the cultures of other countries, it also has The American Adventure for those who are curious about the history of America. The stage show lasts a half hour and includes such historical figures as Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Susan B. Anthony, and Martin Luther King Jr. The area the attraction is located in acts as the host pavilion for the other pavilions within Epcot’s World Showcase, and it’s titular show is brought to life with animatronics similar to Spaceship Earth.
Eat at the Garden Grill Restaurant
Besides all of the various eateries existing within the World Showcase, the Garden Grill Restaurant also stands as a great place for Epcot park-goers to get a bite to eat. The restaurant features a variety of Disney characters walking around, but the main attraction of the restaurant is that it rotates around and gives guests an unmatched view of the Epcot park as a whole. The cuisine of the Garden Grill Restaurant doesn’t follow any specific theming, so guests of any tastes will likely find something to enjoy.
Visit the Imagination! Pavilion
Since Epcot’s opening in 1982, many attractions have come and gone in order to make room for new ones. However, one old attraction that has stood the test of time in the eyes of many park-goers is Journey Into the Imagination with Figment, which is a dark ride located within the Imagination! pavilion of the Epcot theme park. Though the dark ride isn’t the most thrilling, it remains a favorite of park-goers thanks to it’s titular mascot, who is a cute and colorful dragon by the name of Figment.
The general theming of the Imagination! pavilion allows park-goers to take part in various sensory labs that help them learn about their five senses. Figment the Dragon has come to be seen by many as a kind of symbol for the Epcot theme park as a whole, which is part of why the slightly outdated attraction is still around!
With all of the unique and educational attractions that Epcot offers it’s park-goers, it’s no wonder that the theme park stands as one of the most popular within the greater Walt Disney World Resort. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Epcot features a World Showcase that allows park-goers to get a taste of various cultures around the world, and that the United Kingdom pavilion offers Walt Disney World guests one of few opportunities in the park to do a meet and greet with Mary Poppins?
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