How I Spend a Day at EPCOT

Walt Disney World is the place where the magic comes alive.

While Walt Disney himself never lived to witness his dream become a reality, his brother and Imagineers built the place.

One of Disney’s final requests involved the creation of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Alas, Uncle Walt envisioned a capitalist utopia where everyone living there worked for Disney.

After his death, park planners altered those places to make them, well, decidedly more Disney in spirit.

I’ve never shied away from the fact that EPCOT is my favorite theme park at Walt Disney World…or anywhere else.

Here’s how I spend a day at EPCOT.

Starting the Day

First, longtime readers probably know by now that I always stay at an official Disney resort.

I swear by the amenities you’ll find at these properties, one of which is Early Theme Park Entry.

Thanks to this option, I typically leave my hotel and arrive at the park 45-60 minutes before it officially opens.

Then, when Early Theme Park Entry begins, I’ll target an attraction to start my day.

Typically, I head toward Test Track, hoping to sneak in a ride before it becomes a 60-minute wait.

My preference is to walk through the attraction queue at Test Track. Otherwise, I’d miss the Chevrolet Design Studio.

I’m not a car person per se, but the vehicles on display here wow me. It’s a nice way to start the day.

Minutes later, I’m zooming down the track at 64.9 miles per hour and having the time of my life.

Once I exit Test Track, I have one goal in mind. By this point, the park has almost certainly opened to regular guests.

So, I need to get to Soarin’ Around the World before everyone else.

In the unlikely event that Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Soarin’ has short lines, I’ll veer to the World Showcase instead.

That happened a lot more frequently during the pandemic, but it’s a near-impossibility on most dates now.

That’s okay, though! I consider Soarin’ a perfect ride experience, so much so that I’ve ridden it five times in a day before.

With these two attractions already in the books, I’ve already had an ideal start to my day.

So, I fall back to what Disney’s tech will allow me to do for what comes next.

The First Forks in the Road

Before I ever leave my hotel, I will check my phone to glance at the wait times on My Disney Experience.

Usually, I purchase Disney Genie+ and attempt to reserve a spot in the Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

That’s a balancing act for me in that I’d rather not ride Cosmic Rewind early in the day.

When you purchase a Lightning Lane, you gain a bit more control over scheduling.

Of course, my family typically does both. We snag the virtual queue and then we buy the Lightning Lane, a move that comes with some risk.

On both occasions when I’ve ridden Cosmic Rewind twice in an hour, I’ve regretted it. At some point, I’m sorry to say I got old.

So, I’ve learned to wait on the Lightning Lane, and if it sells out, that’s okay. It’s cheaper that way, and I’ve ridden the coaster many times.

Still, I build the rest of my morning around a combination of my Cosmic Rewind virtual queue slot, Disney Genie+ options, and wait times.

The one thing I do NOT try to do is squeeze in a ride on Spaceship Earth, which is odd because it’s my favorite.

However, I know that standard park behavior is for guests to ride Spaceship Earth first thing when they enter the park.

I can avoid the crowds by waiting until mid-afternoon, at which point I may ride it two or three times. Did I mention it’s my favorite?

In the 10-11:30 a.m. range, I target Living with the Land, Journey into Imagination with Figment, and The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

These rides rarely require long waits, making them simple to slot into any schedule.

Generally, I do have one tactic around 11 a.m., though.

Hanging Out at the World Showcase

I’m an oddball when it comes to Disney. I don’t drink, which means I have no affinity toward Binny the Trashcan.

Similarly, I’m pretty much the opposite of a foodie. And despite these two personality quirks, I looooooove the World Showcase.

Here’s the one idea Walt Disney had for EPCOT that became a reality: A daily World’s Fair site brimming with multicultural splendor.

In a matter of hours, I can marvel at French and Chinese architecture, shop at a centuries-old store, and then dine wherever I want.

Inevitably, I choose lunch at San Angel Inn, which has been my favorite place to eat at EPCOT for many years.

While I’m not much on the cuisine here, the magical backdrop by the water of Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros calms me.

I love eating a tranquil meal and then shopping at the bazaar-style shops inside the Mexico pavilion. And Gran Fiesta Tour is a must!

After lunch, I can roam the World Showcase, burning off the calories I just added.

Plus, I know all too well that I’ll discover many snack options during my walk around the World Showcase.

Over the years, I feel like I’ve seen and done everything here, but then I notice multiple new things each time.

The difference between a World Showcase visit now and before 2016 is that I must account for the popular attractions.

So, I’ll typically try to snag a Lightning Lane reservation for one of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Frozen Ever After.

Then, I’ll stand in line for the other one. Once I’ve finished these two and spent all my shopping budget at Mitsukoshi Department Store, we head back.

Mid-Afternoon through Dinner

By this point, the less enthusiastic EPCOT guests have started Park Hopping to places with more thrill rides.

That’s when I capitalize by buying a Lightning Lane for Cosmic Rewind and finally visiting Spaceship Earth.

I will ride Spaceship Earth until my wife threatens to divorce me, and then we’ll check wait times to determine what’s next.

Typically, we take advantage of a Disney Vacation Club amenity that allows us to hang out at the DVC Lounge at the Imagination! pavilion.

That brief respite and some free beverages/snacks fuel me as we attack the rest of the day.

By this point, we’re often double-dipping on rides like Finding Nemo, which I unabashedly adore, and Living with the Land.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I treasure Living with the Land, but I’ll also use it for a good nap as needed.

And that brings us to dinner. At this point, there’s one place I prefer to go, pricey though it may be.

A meal at Space 220 feels like the type of thing Walt Disney would have adored.

As someone from the Space Race era, Disney was obsessed with exiting the Earth’s atmosphere. So, this restaurant is perfect for EPCOT!

Also, I find the dog walks in outer space quite charming. So, this is where you’ll find me if I get my way for dinner.

Afterward, we tend to walk back to the World Showcase in case the lines for Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure have decreased.

Along the way, we may stop at Soarin’ again, depending on the wait time.

As for the nighttime show, we generally only watch it when we’re eating at Rose & Crown Dining Room.

This setting is more magical for us when we have a table rather than fighting the crowds.

Final Thoughts

I realize that the topics of Lightning Lane and Disney Genie+ have proven divisive.

At EPCOT, you don’t really need Disney Genie+ for all but a couple of rides.

So, you’ll have plenty of time to ride everything you want at the park, presuming you spend the entire day there.

You can save on the cost of Disney Genie+ and thereby spend that money toward food and merchandise.

I didn’t discuss any particular festival – I’m a Flower & Garden guy – but the food kiosks at these events help, too.

A day at EPCOT is perfectly manageable for Park Hoppers, too.

The sole difference is that you’ll target a smaller list of rides. You can do more by prioritizing the ones with 15-minute waits.

However, the quality of the E-ticket attractions more than justify the longer waits.

Similarly, while you don’t need Disney Genie+, I’d suggest splurging for the Lightning Lane at Cosmic Rewind…in one instance.

Typically, you can snag a virtual queue reservation here on all but the most crowded days.

When you can’t, Cosmic Rewind is worth the money, especially if you’ve never ridden it before.

Imagineers have done a spectacular job of telling a story while you race through space on a roller coaster.

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Feature photo: Disney