12 Exciting Things You Can Do at Epcot
At Walt Disney World, you’ll never lack for entertainment options. Every theme park provides a veritable cornucopia of fun things that you can do. Let’s start a new series about some of the most unique points of interest at Disney’s Orlando campus. Here are 12 things you can do at Epcot.
1. Build a Car
Some of the wondrous distractions at the various theme parks are ones that you may already know. Others are honestly a bit hard to believe. People like at me funny when I tell them about #7, for example.
I suspect that most Disney fans know about building a car at Epcot. That doesn’t make it any less amazing. When you wait in the regular (or FastPass) line at Test Track, you’ll eventually come to a room where you can design your own vehicle.
The running joke is that everyone builds the Batmobile, but the touchscreen assembly is impressive. You can design anything from a dragster to a monster truck, depending on your mood. Later, Test Track will score you based on your design. The only drawback with Single Rider is that you don’t get to build a car, which is why I never do Single Rider here.
2. Catch the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats
The China Pavilion at the World Showcase features one of the best performances at Epcot. The stunning exhibition here stars the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats. These tumblers dress up in gorgeous, bright costumes and put on a show wherein they juggle, balance objects, and contort their bodies at impossible angles.
One of my favorite aspects of a World Showcase visit is when I stumble on the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats. I’ve seen it enough by now that I don’t even watch the performers the whole time. Instead, I watch the delighted faces of first-time viewers. Their awed expressions say everything needed about the quality of the show.
3. Celebrate Kawaii Culture
Kawaii is the Japanese term for cute culture, as the country has an obsession with all things adorable. Currently, the Japan Pavilion at the World Showcase is hosting an exhibit called Bijutsu-kan. It’s a gigantic display of many of the most popular Kawaii characters in Kawaii – and all over the world, really.
During a visit to this exhibit, you’ll get to study the way that various rooms get decorated in Japan. Pokemon, Doraemon, and Hello Kitty accessories are all on display. Of course, the centerpiece is famous Kawaii artist Sebastian Masuda’s Melty-Go-Round statue. Any fan of Kawaii should visit here during your time at Walt Disney World.
4. Hang Out with Disney Princesses
The World Showcase is one of the best places at Walt Disney World to discover character meetings. As an example, the France Pavilion varies its rotation but often has a pair of Disney Princesses available. They’re A-listers, too!
Belle from Beauty and the Beast hosts a permanent greeting here. Well, it’s as permanent as anything can be at Walt Disney World. Belle wears her famous villager’s outfit here, which makes it an Insta-worthy picture. Also, you may bump into Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty while you’re here.
5. Help Agent P
On approximately 225 occasions, Phineas and Ferb thwarted the nefarious plans of the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Usually, they had help from their pet platypus, Perry, who also happens to be Agent P, hero of O.W.C.A. (the Organization Without a Cool Acronym).
Really, the boys just built things, and then Agent P would stumble across them while fighting Dr. Doofenshmirtz, who was his mortal enemy rather than theirs. At Epcot, you can assist Agent P in his quest to protect the world from supervillainy.
Disney’s Play Disney Parks app allows up to nine teammates to work to foil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. You’ll search for clues at one of six different pavilions. The game is different at each one, which means that you can help Agent P six times before repeating anything. Each challenge takes less than an hour and is a wonderful way to entertain kids.
6. Joke with Crush
Everyone loves Marlin and Nemo and especially their friend Dory. But my favorite character in Finding Nemo is Crush, the ancient but still youthful turtle who loves surfing the gnarly waves of the East Australian Current.
While you’re at The Seas with Nemo & Friends, you’ll probably ride the main attraction here. Don’t sleep on the one that’s nearby, though. Turtle Talk with Crush is an imaginative attraction where a fictional turtle somehow interacts with real children in the audience. Kids feel like they’re talking to a cartoon. It’s truly magical and a huge hit for families.
7. Marvel at Master Juggler Sergio
Seriously, nobody ever believes me when I talk about this. At the Italy Pavilion, you can watch a show that stars a – please don’t laugh – juggling soccer clown. His name is Sergio, and he is basically the worst soccer fan in the world.
Close your eyes and imagine the most annoying person that you’ve ever seen at the World Cup. They’ve got a whistle, ridiculous clothing, and an umbrella that blocks your view, right? Sergio is like that, only his mission is to entertain children, presumably by annoying their parents.
I’m having a lot of fun with this since the concept is so far out there, but here’s the truth. Sergio puts on a phenomenal show. It’s another presentation that kids adore. They get to lob soccer balls at a clown. If he were in a dunk tank at the time, I’d be all about it, too. Okay, that was mean. Still, I heartily recommend the Master Juggle Sergio show whenever you’re at the Italy Pavilion.
8. Meet Anna & Elsa
Frozen 2 is just around the corner. For this reason, everyone is suddenly remembering just how much they loved the original film back in 2013. The 24 months that followed were the Year of Frozen at Walt Disney World, only it ran twice as long since everyone loved the characters so much.
Over time, the Norway Pavilion evolved into the Arendelle Pavilion, with the Frozen Ever After attraction replacing Maelstrom. It’s not the only significant change, though. Imagineers built an entirely new area for Anna & Elsa to meet guests.
At Royal Sommerhus, Frozen fans can hang with the coolest sisters on the planet. Be aware that this character spot has one of the most extended lines at Epcot, though.
9. Pilot a Spaceship
While Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run receives all of the attention, Walt Disney World fans have had the ability to fly a spacecraft for more than 15 years!
Best of all, Mission: SPACE isn’t even fictional! This ride is 100 percent NASA approved! Actual astronauts had input during the design phase of the attraction. The authenticity of this outer space simulation is as good as a ride can get.
Mission: SPACE even has other similarities to the Millennium Falcon ride. You choose a job in the spaceship and work with others to fly a successful mission. In a way, it’s the prototype for the wildly popular ride at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Best of all, you’ll only need to wait a few minutes to ride this, and no reservations are required!
10. Prank a Friend
Club Cool is one of the best places for pranksters to hang out at Epcot. This place is ostensibly where you can sample Coke flavors from around the world. In reality, it’s an exercise in cruelty, as many of the international specialty Cokes taste like evil in liquid form.
One of the longstanding tricks is to take a friend to Club Cool. Then, tell them to sample the Beverly. It has the bitterest taste that anyone can possibly imagine. Apparently, that’s how people like their Cokes in Italy. In the United States, however, your friend will make a hysterically terrible face as they sample something that no human being should ever swallow.
11. Relive the British Invasion
Music lovers, pay attention! The United Kingdom Pavilion at the World Showcase wants you to feel like teenagers did back in 1964. Each day, The British Revolution recreates the British Invasion with a set list that turns back time half a century.
This four-piece band plays a more diversified music set than you’d expect. Sure, they cover classic tunes by the Beatles and Rolling Stones, but they throw in some Led Zeppelin and Queen, too. There’s even an Oasis song thrown in for good measure. As long as the original band is British, their music could be a part of the performance.
12. See a Romantic Miniature Train
The Romantic Road Miniature Train Village aka the Garden Railway near the Germany Pavilion is one of the most fascinating parts of a World Showcase stroll. This pint-sized reimagining of the German countryside is breathtaking, and the train actually runs on time!
Disney goes the extra mile to keep it interesting. They’ll modify the setting during certain times of the year. The holiday decorations are especially good. Plus, the area features several different trains, all of which are fun to watch weave their way through the idyllic setting.
I think I speak for most World Showcase walkers when I say that I always stop to watch the Garden Railway. It’s such a charming bit of local color.