Help with EPCOT

[alien_host]

Last time we went to Disney, our day at Epcot was miserable. I think it was a few factors, DH was down on Epcot (thought it would be boring for DD and his attitude did not help) and it was in the middle of the trip and I had planned each of the other parks so well that Epcot got little attention and we had NO game plan.....which made things worse!

We did a lot of running around, trying to get Fast Passes and weren't successful. We did the Nemo Ride and Test Track but that seemed it for "attractions". We spent a lot of time in-line for characters (Jasmine) but didn't explore much b/c everyone was tired etc. I felt like all we did was wander around aimlessly.

Oh and we are Disney Visa cardholders so we did the photo op...which took time.

So, please help me plan a day at Epcot (for May). I know there are many Epcot lovers here but we really only have one day for it. We are only doing parks 5 days, no hoppers and need to hit AK this time since we skipped it. DD has a love for DHS and MK so one day at Epcot is what we are planning.

Thanks!

[TwinFoxes]

How old are DCs? Since it may have been awhile since you went, they may not have had Soarin'. That's a great ride, and if your kids are tall enough for it, I think they would enjoy it. Mission: Space is there, but your kids are probably too young.

You could also plan a character meal for Epcot, I've heard they are very nice (we ddin't go). The Kim Possible missions seem fun for the older kids (my DDs are 2, so too young). Are your kids the type that like street performers? Because the pavillions for the different countries have a lot of street performers, and I believe the times are printed.

Maybe Epcot just isn't your family's cup of tea. If your DH doesn't like it, and DCs are indifferent, maybe just skip it? (Unless you like it, then I say go for it!) DDs seemed to like Epcot, they got to meet Mickey again, so they were thrilled. They also loved playing in the splash zone near Mission Space. But, like I said, they're 2, so easier to entertain.

[egoldber]

Here is our general Epcot plan. We have two kids, one of whom is not tall enough for most of the "thrill" rides at Epcot. I also do not like Soarin (it's a heights phobia thing for me) and have ridden it once but don't plan to again.

Get there at opening. Do Test Track first thing while there is little to no line while the other parents goes to get a FastPass for Soarin. Test Track is the only thing we really like on that side of FutureWorld. Then we all meet up at the Character Connection greeting area and do pix and autographs with Mickey and friends.

Afterwards, it depends on what time the Soarin FastPasses are. If we have a lot of time to kill we will do things like Nemo and the Livign with the Land boat ride. Somewhere in there we fit in Soarin. Generally, we are ready for early lunch at this point and eat CS at The Land.

After that we generally get another FP for Soarin for later and then do the Innoventions. Older DD can spend forever in the Innoventions pavilions, but younger DD has a very limited tolerance for that. So sometimes I take her on Nemo again (and again and again) while older DD does the Innoventions.

Then we head over to World Showcase. We make a slow trek around the world, stopping to see characters, shop, and snack as the mood strikes. IMO the World Showcase is not to be "done", it is to be savored. Encounter street performers, esplore the little shops, happen upon characters. Don't be in a hurry. :) Ridethe dorky boat rides in Norwat and Mexico. Somewhere in there we have dinner. After we finish going around the world, we head back to FW. Then we do Figment and Honey I Shrunk the Audience (lame, but the kids like it). Then we use the Soarin FP again (and I take younger DD on Nemo, again and again and again....). Maybe do Spacehip Earth too if there is time to kill before Illuminations.

[Tinkerbell313]

We usually take a minimum of two days for Epcot. The first day we concentrate on Future World. The second day, we concentrate on World Showcase. You cannot do Epcot in one day.

In FutureWorld, we get FP for Soarin' and we eat at Sunshine Seasons for breakfast. Then we wait in the regular line, usually about 10 minute wait, for Soarin and save FPs for later. Then we go to TT and ride that one...as well as get FPs. The kids love innovations...there is so many fun learning games...and the kids love the velcro area...making velcro princesses, etc.

DD6 and DD4 love Epcot. In World Showcase, you kids should absolutely do Kim Possible. There are Kim Possible booths randomly around Epcot. You pick up a cell phone device and it gives you clues about items in a particular country. It is a learning game...but, they loved it.

There are always tons of characters in World Showcase...mostly princess characters...Belle and the Beast, Mulan, Jasmin and Aladdin, etc.

[billysmommy]

Here is our general Epcot plan. We have two kids, one of whom is not tall enough for most of the "thrill" rides at Epcot. I also do not like Soarin (it's a heights phobia thing for me) and have ridden it once but don't plan to again.

Get there at opening. Do Test Track first thing while there is little to no line while the other parents goes to get a FastPass for Soarin. Test Track is the only thing we really like on that side of FutureWorld. Then we all meet up at the Character Connection greeting area and do pix and autographs with Mickey and friends.

Afterwards, it depends on what time the Soarin FastPasses are. If we have a lot of time to kill we will do things like Nemo and the Livign with the Land boat ride. Somewhere in there we fit in Soarin. Generally, we are ready for early lunch at this point and eat CS at The Land.

After that we generally get another FP for Soarin for later and then do the Innoventions. Older DD can spend forever in the Innoventions pavilions, but younger DD has a very limited tolerance for that. So sometimes I take her on Nemo again (and again and again) while older DD does the Innoventions.

Then we head over to World Showcase. We make a slow trek around the world, stopping to see characters, shop, and snack as the mood strikes. IMO the World Showcase is not to be "done", it is to be savored. Encounter street performers, esplore the little shops, happen upon characters. Don't be in a hurry. :) Ridethe dorky boat rides in Norwat and Mexico. Somewhere in there we have dinner. After we finish going around the world, we head back to FW. Then we do Figment and Honey I Shrunk the Audience (lame, but the kids like it). Then we use the Soarin FP again (and I take younger DD on Nemo, again and again and again....). Maybe do Spacehip Earth too if there is time to kill before Illuminations.

This sounds like our Epcot days except Test Track is the one Ds1 wants to do over and over (last time he went on it 12 times in the week we were there!!)
We stay at the Boardwalk and generally walk over to Epcot every evening for dinner and explore 1-2 countries each evening. DH and I will get a wine, beer or slushy drink while we're exploring. The boys love the Kidcot stations. The cheesy boat rides in Norway and Mexico are fun and usually little to no wait.
When we go in Jan, Ds2 will finally be tall enough for a lot of the rides and is SO excited to go on Test Track!!

[alien_host]

DD was 5 when we went and will be 6 the next time.

We tried to get a FP for Soarin but the times were too late (we went to Test Track first and got a FP, should have probably just gone to Soarin first). Although DD did enjoy Test Track.

The Flower and Garden show was going on so we did have fun looking at the Topiaries etc. We should have done the Kidcot stations but DH had no patience. I think his meh attitude contributed to the issues....I need to work on him.

In the past I've really enjoyed Epcot. I think we need to try again and make a better effort to be better prepared and get there earlier. Last time we had breakfast at Chef Mickey's which held us up. I'll try to plan Epcot on a day without an AM ADR.

DD loves street performer type stuff. I think that's also why we didn't feel like we accomplished much, she watched the Garbage Can guys do their show and stopped for some other things, which I need to remember IS part of the experience.

[fivi2]

We did two EP days last time - a FW morning/early afternoon and a WS afternoon/evening (during Flower and Garden). Our FW morning was not a huge success. We did Character Connection first, then the girls and I headed to nemo while dh got Soarin fps (me and dh only). Then we did nemo and turle talk (girls hated both). Then we did imagination (hated). Then we explored the pixie hollow garden and the playground near imagination (flower and garden only) they loved those things. Then we went to soarin - dh and I took turns riding alone while the other took the girls on the living with the land boat ride- they liked it. Then lunch, spaceship earth (liked it) and left.

WS day - we arrived around noon. Spent time in Innoventions - a lot of fun. Then wandered around WS - boat rides in Mexico and Norway, Street Performers, Kim Possible, various playgrounds and characters, trains in Germany, maze in england, etc. That was one of our best days. The girls LOVED Kim Possible.

My girls were a petite 4.5 yo so no thrill rides for them. I will probably spend less time in FW next time.

[DebbieJ]

Epcot is so underrated! It was our BEST day when we were there in June. Do you have the Unofficial Guide? Their touring plans WORK. You can also subscribe to their website www.touringplans.com (http://www.touringplans.com)

If you didn't go in The Land, you missed the best part! Soarin' was fabulous and lunch at the Food Court there was delicious. In World Showcase, you have to do the boat rides in Mexico and Norway. :) And get a Grand Marnier Orange Slush in France. :D:D:D

[partyof52011]

We love EPCOT but we don't try to do it all at once. We get up and go in the AM, getting there at opening and do Future World. We get a FP for Soarin then go ride Test Track and Nemo, Turtle Talk with Crush, basicially hit all the pavillions on that side. We then use our FP for Soarin and eat lunch at the food court area of the Land pavillion and then LEAVE.

We go back to our hotel(rental house in our case) and chill for the afternoon. We swim, have a snack, just chill during the hottest part of the day. Then we get cleaned up and go back to EPCOT to hit the World Showcase in the evening/night. That is really the key for us. If we tried to plug through all day long in the heat and mess we would be miserable and exhausted.

We always have dinner reservations at Teppan Edo because we LOVE Japanese but a dinner reservation anywhere you like is fine. Eat dinner then start at one end work your way around. The KidCot stations are a must for my girls. They love to color their mask and collect their tags. It is like a little hunt for them in each country to find the KidCot locations. They also love having their name written on their mask in different languages. Ride the rides in Mexico and Norway and Canada I think has one too.

EPCOT has a lot to do but not in an amusement park sense. There is a lot to see and experience and enjoy but not big thrill rides. You just have to go into to it with a different mindset.

[TwinFoxes]

DD loves street performer type stuff. I think that's also why we didn't feel like we accomplished much, she watched the Garbage Can guys do their show and stopped for some other things, which I need to remember IS part of the experience.

I think this is an important point. I am a big Epcot fan, and part of it is I love wandering around all of the different country pavillions. I like the performers, and the shops (I think Japan's is the best), and the alcohol, er, I mean cuisine. :) I like the Norway boat ride. The Canada film is cool. But honestly, some folks just aren't into that, and your DH might be one of those people. I love e-ticket rides as much as the next person (maybe more!) But for Epcot, I just think of it as a completely different experience. I hope DDs like it as they get older (now, they like anything.)

[fivi2]

I think Kim Possible really really helps the people who don't enjoy the countries normally. My dad and my dh totally got into it (with the girls of course ;) ) and the girls had a blast (they were 4.5). It was a slow time of year, so we could do as many missions as we wanted. The girls totally thought they were secret spies. It was great to find all the "hidden" stuff. You should definitely give it a try.

[LarsMal]

We did Epcot yesterday. I'll admit, I had a "meh" attitude going into it and it ended up being a great day. We got there a little after opening and MIL, the girls and I went straight to our princess breakfast. FIL, DH, and L went and did Soarin' (L loved it and rode it twice) and got a fastpass for test track (L loved that, too). They also did Nemo and maybe one other thing while we were at breakfast.

After b-fast we rode the cheesy boats in Mexico and Norway, walked right on both then went back to Land and Sea and did the stuff there.

I honestly can't remember what orderbwe did everything else right now, but we sort of worked our way through and saved the countries for the second part of the day. I wish I had paid more attention to what Kidcot was because L&M were really into it, but only ended up getting a few stamps.

I honestly thought we'd leave early, but we closed the park! I wish we had gone back today (no hopper pass), but we went to DHS (total bust for my fam). The kids said they had fun, but we left before 3. I think they would have had more fun going back to explore the countries.

[boolady]

I honestly thought we'd leave early, but we closed the park! I wish we had gone back today (no hopper pass), but we went to DHS (total bust for my fam). The kids said they had fun, but we left before 3. I think they would have had more fun going back to explore the countries.

We were just there on Sunday, and for a bit on Saturday night, the last two days of our trip, and I wished we'd bagged DHS, where we spent most of Saturday, to spend it at Epcot. I knew that DH and I liked it, but DD totally enjoyed herself. She loved Soarin', Nemo, etc., which I figured was par for the course, but she totally loved the countries. She had us doing things we've never done, like watching the films in some of the countries. Not that we're going back any time soon, but I will make sure we plan to spend more time there given our very positive experience.

[DebbieJ]

I honestly thought we'd leave early, but we closed the park! I wish we had gone back today (no hopper pass), but we went to DHS (total bust for my fam). The kids said they had fun, but we left before 3. I think they would have had more fun going back to explore the countries.


We were just there on Sunday, and for a bit on Saturday night, the last two days of our trip, and I wished we'd bagged DHS, where we spent most of Saturday, to spend it at Epcot. I knew that DH and I liked it, but DD totally enjoyed herself. She loved Soarin', Nemo, etc., which I figured was par for the course, but she totally loved the countries. She had us doing things we've never done, like watching the films in some of the countries. Not that we're going back any time soon, but I will make sure we plan to spend more time there given our very positive experience.

DHS was our worst park too. But it had our favorite ride--Toy Story Mania.

[boolady]

DHS was our worst park too. But it had our favorite ride--Toy Story Mania.

It was a lot of fun, but I still don't know...I was slightly disappointed? It was neat and all, I guess my expectations were just way out of proportion given the hype. DD enjoyed it, which is what really matters.