Over the years, I’ve owned up to the fact that I have a favorite theme park at Walt Disney World.
No, I’m not about to say Magic Kingdom, even though I adore that place. I’m insanely attached to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well.
Alas, when I was a child, I visited one park that spoke straight to my heart, and I’ve treasured it ever since then.
Here’s how I would rank all the rides at EPCOT, my favorite Disney park.
9) Journey into Imagination with Figment
Okay, as a reminder, your list shouldn’t look like my list. It’s mathematically unlikely that we order nine different attractions exactly the same.
Also, please keep in mind that these are my opinions only. If you don’t agree with any of them, that’s totally okay!
These lists are here to provoke conversation, nothing more. So, when I say that I think two EPCOT attractions flag behind the rest, that’s just one #HotTake.
For me, Journey into Imagination with Figment does what Disney intended. It entertains children with a sunny story about the creative process.
For that reason, I hope that a version of Journey into Imagination always remains at EPCOT. We need more of that glorious Disney optimism.
Alas, the first version of the ride qualified as a timeless masterpiece. The current version isn’t a disaster like the middle one, but it’s…less.
Occasional rumors particular that Disney will reinvent and modernize the ride, presumably with the Dreamfinder returning.
Until then, this one’s perfectly adequate, at least for kids (and my wife).
8) Mission: SPACE
Yes, I know that I just lost some of you.
Many people adore this white-knuckle experience wherein the rider simulates space travel.
Specifically, you escape Earth’s gravity, float weightless for a time, and then crash land on Mars.
Well, that’s one version of the ride, the more intense one that utilizes a centrifuge. The centrifuge-version only involves orbiting the Earth. I prefer that one.
As a NASA fan pretty much since birth, I’m fascinated by the mechanics of the attraction. I admire that it’s claustrophobic, too.
When you sit beside some in a movie theater, you have more room than the Apollo 11 astronauts did during their flight.
So, Disney got the concept right. It just doesn’t work for me because I find myself enduring the ride more than enjoying it.
7) Living with the Land
I initially slotted this attraction one slot higher, and I feel a bit bad about putting it in the lower quadrant of the list.
After all, I adore Living with the Land. You’ll often notice me praising it and recommending it in the strongest possible terms.
Among the infotainment rides at EPCOT, this one always stood out as one of the best.
Image: Orlando Inside
Only three such attractions remain at the park, which speaks volumes about their staying power.
If I were at EPCOT today, I’d probably ride Living with the Land at least once if not twice. So, why did I rank it in the bottom third of the list?
Image: Disney
EPCOT’s just that good, folks. All the rides from this point forward qualify as overall favorites at Walt Disney World. Alas, something had to give.
You should totally ride Living with the Land during your next EPCOT visit, though. It’s terrific.
6) Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
I’m overly fond of all the remaining rides. Yes, I’ll acknowledge that they come in two tiers, the unpopular and wildly popular.
Personally, I don’t distinguish them that way. As a Disney fanatic, I just want to have fun on a ride, and everything from here on provides total enjoyment.
Image: Disney
Gran Fiesta Tour counts as the one that I flipped with Living with the Land. The reason why stems from the admittedly boring early part of that ride.
With the Three Caballeros, I’m looking at dolls and having fun with Donald Duck almost immediately.
This ride oozes charm and positivity, albeit with some dark cartoon humor. That one chef carves and serves duck right in front of Donald!
Multigenerational rides like this one demonstrate the best of Disney theme park visits. I’m totally in the tank for Gran Fiesta Tour…and unashamedly so.
5) The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Marlon really ought to consider putting Nemo on a leash. That lil dude’s curiosity is gonna get him killed. He’s always getting lost in the ocean.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends technically doesn’t follow the story of Finding Nemo, but it pays homage to the best beats from the film.
You’ll encounter Bruce the Shark, swim the East Australian Current, and eventually reunite Nemo with his friends from school.
The whole experience feels like a Cliff’s notes version of the movie. I mean that in the best possible way, as it captures the spirit and purity of Finding Nemo.
Plus, the air-conditioning on this ride makes it even better than wet rides on a hot day.
4) Test Track
The next three rides represent the attractions that require the most effort at EPCOT. They’re the ones that claim the longest wait times and most demand.
Photo: Disney
When Disney operated the FastPass tier system, this trio toplined the system, forcing you to pick one.
Park officials designed the system that way due to the perception that EPCOT has three rides that are better than the rest.
Image Credit: Disney
A fourth, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, will join them soon, but it’s not eligible yet.
Among the three rides, I vacillated on the rankings. Honestly, if you asked me again tomorrow, I might change the order completely. They’re all that good.
My favorite at the moment comes down to my mood at the time.
Right now, I’m ranking Test Track fourth because the thought of the others makes me happier. It’s really as simple as that.
Still, I adore the simulation from the car designer all the way through to the roller coaster elements at the end of the ride.
Test Track satisfies from start to finish. The highest compliment I can give EPCOT is that three other attractions surpass it, at least for me.
3) Frozen Ever After
Imagineers mastered the art of the dark ride all the way back in 1955. Since then, Disney hasn’t rested on its laurels.
Instead, the company has made incremental progress on better versions of the same premise.
With Frozen Ever After, guests get to visit Arendelle, interacting with Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.
The sets utilize state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics and digital mapping. The outcome causes animated characters to seem real, even from up close.
Image Credit: Disney
I especially admire the slowly progressing nature of Frozen Ever After, which reaches a crescendo with the franchise’s epic song, Let It Go.
Better yet, the water drop from Maelstrom remains, now with a ride photo!
2) Soarin’
Some Disney fans lament the fact that side views of this ride lead to slanted landmarks.
I maintain that such critiques miss the forest for the trees. When Imagineers filmed the new iteration of Soarin’, they utilized the entire image.
Now, as I ride Soarin’, I pay attention to a different part of the screen each time because I’m still discovering and appreciating new aspects.
At this point, I even have favorite people like the kite lover at the Great Wall of China and the folks on the boat near the Eiffel Tower.
Photo: DVC Shop
The wide-ranging, visually stunning scenes on Soarin’ Around the World wow me with their comprehensiveness.
Just think about how many frequent flyer miles you’d get if you traveled to all these places! Somehow, Disney packs it all into a few minutes of organic storytelling.
I’m in awe of Soarin’ and prefer it (right now) to EPCOT’s other members of the big three. Alas, it’s not the attraction that I love best. That honor belongs to…
1) Spaceship Earth
Yeah, I’m that guy. When I was a little kid, I gazed upon the splendor of that giant silver golf ball in the sky and felt awe. It never went away, either.
Photo: Disney
Moreover, I’m someone who appreciates the infotainment elements that remain at EPCOT, at least the ones done well.
Spaceship Earth somehow encompasses the totality of humanity, starting with the first time we formed a social contract to hunt as a team.
Image Credit: Sarah Phillips
Disney plans to update the attraction with a connecting story, which I’m sure will be lovely. However, I’m in love with the one that’s already in place.
From papyrus writing to mathematics to the printing press and finally the internet, this ride shows how far we’ve come.
Simultaneously, it underscores how much technology has helped us advance as a people.
Oh, and I’m sucker for the down part of the ride, as I love the Choose Your Own Adventure format where I plan my Jetsons lifestyle.
Photo: Disney
When I think of EPCOT, the ride that embodies all aspects of it is Spaceship Earth. Ergo, it’s the best attraction to me.
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