Epcot
Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. While Magic Kingdom celebrates adventure and fantasy, this park celebrates the magic of reality through Epcot's two sections: Future World and World Showcase. Epcot's icon is Spaceship Earth which serves as the park's awe striking entrance and houses an indoor attraction!
Epcot is home to two of the best attractions on WDW property: Soarin' and Test Track; and to a number of fantastic restaurants offering great experiences. Also, World Showcase is a absolute must to experience itself.
Many say that Epcot is not for kids; but I disagree. While Epcot may not outdo the Magic Kingdom in your child's eyes, there is still a great number of attractions, sights, and experiences that kids will enjoy.
Epcot is home to two of the best attractions on WDW property: Soarin' and Test Track; and to a number of fantastic restaurants offering great experiences. Also, World Showcase is a absolute must to experience itself.
Many say that Epcot is not for kids; but I disagree. While Epcot may not outdo the Magic Kingdom in your child's eyes, there is still a great number of attractions, sights, and experiences that kids will enjoy.
Future World
Future World is the first section of Epcot you find when you first enter the park. We have to be honest, we don't spend a lot of time at Future World's Innoventions and other pavilions; however, there are a few that are necessities for us and other Disney guests!
One of my favorite things in Future World is actually quite a simple thing. I like the fountains located right in the middle. They are timed to music and look amazing with Spaceship Earth in the background. They also contain waters from different nations all over the world. Be sure to take some time to enjoy them! The Land: 4 Glass Slippers This is probably my favorite pavilion in Future World. It houses one of my favorite counter service locations, Sunshine Seasons, and is home to several attractions, including Soarin'. Be sure to spend some time here! It's good for all ages in that all the attractions are kid friendly while interesting for adults; and its also a great place to visit if raining because everything is indoors. The Seas with Nemo and Friends: 4 Glass Slippers This is a great pavilion, especially for kids. The entrance to this pavilion shows audio-animatronic seagulls from Pixar's Finding Nemo out front saying, "Mine! Mine!" When you enter the pavilion, you will feel as if you at the beach and then under the sea as you are immediately led into a line for a Finding Nemo dark ride attraction. After the ride, you will be in the main part of the pavilion where you can visit with Crush, the sea turtle from Finding Nemo, and see real fish, manatees, dolphins, sea horses, and even eels in tank exhibits. Club Cool: 5 Glass Slippers Club Cool is an indoor area located near the end of Future World that sells Coca-Cola merchandise and allows you to sample different soft drinks from all over the world for free out soda fountains. This is a great place to cool off and is a lot of fun too! Don't Miss! MouseGears: 5 Glass Slippers This is a shop located between the fountains and the area for Test Track and Mission Space. This is a large gift shop offering a wide variety of merchandise and great air conditioning. We often save some of our souvenir shopping until we get to MouseGears or just run in here to cool off. Remember if you do purchase something from this shop, or any other theme park store, they will ship your purchases to your hotel for free! Future World Attractions
There aren't as many major attractions in Epcot as there are in Magic Kingdom; however, that doesn't mean that this isn't the park doesn't offer some great rides! Epcot is home to several of the best attractions on WDW property.
Test Track: 5 Glass Slippers Test Track gives you the chance to see and and experience the series of tests new cars are put through before they are put on the market. You are placed in a test car and experience rough terrain, brake tests, temperature tests, and finally a lap on an outdoor track where your car will reach the speed of 65 mph! While this may sound scary, it really isn't and is a great ride for kids! There is only one moment where it looks as if your car will crash, but it only lasts a moment. Don't miss this! It's great for all ages because the thrills are on the tame side. There are a few thrills and rough moments, but it's mostly a smooth ride. This is also great for teens, dads, and car enthusiasts! Soarin' : 5 Glass Slippers This attraction just may be the best attraction at WDW. On Soarin', you get to ride on a hanglider (but don't worry, on this hanglider you're sitting and strapped in) and experience soaring over beautiful places and landscapes in California. This is a calm but absoultely exhilariating ride in that you truly feel like you're flying and due to the beauty and realism over the landscapes you see. Great for all ages! Exhilarating and a must see! Do have your kids prepared for a fireworks scene at the end, the loud noises can be scary. Spaceship Earth: 3 Glass Slippers This attraction is located inside Epcot's massive icon, Spaceship Earth. This is a slow, calm ride which takes you through scenes in our world's history to see the achievements humanity has attained. While it is slow and educational, the scenery, especially the end when you see the earth in the distance, keeps most kids attention and makes this an enjoyable attraction for all ages. What makes it especially cool is that its located inside Epcot's icon, a fascinating fact for kids and adults! Good attraction for older guests and adults especially, but younger guests enjoy it too. World Showcase Character Tour
Many visitors to WDW may not realize that Epcot is a great place to find Disney characters! In several countries in World Showcase, you can find Disney characters that relate to that country. For example, Belle from Beauty and the Beast can found in France and Aladdin can be found in Morocco. This is convenient for character hunters and autograph seekers because you can more easily predict who will be where. While characters can be found throughout the day, we have found more characters out and about when World Showcase first opens.
When at World Showcase, look for these characters at these countries... In United Kingdom, look for Mary Poppins, Alice from Alice and Wonderland, and Winnie the Pooh and friends. In the back of one of the shops, there is an area set up especially for Winnie the Pooh and his pals. Be sure to look for them there! In France, be on watch for Belle from Beauty and the Beast, the Beast himself, and Marie from the Aristocrats. Also, in Le Chefs de France, a table service restaurant in this pavilion, you may see a small, audio animatronic Remy from Ratatouille showcasing desserts! At Morocco, look for Aladdin and Jasmine. Venture back through the pavilion to find an Aladdin themed photo area where they can be found from time to time! At the American pavilion, you can ocassionally find a few characters. Our last trip, about an hour after World Showcase opened, we found a few American themed characters, such as the Country Bears. Whether this is common or not, I don't know but keep an eye out! In Italy, you may get to see Pinocchio! In Germany, you may find Snow White and the dwarves! In China, you can find Mulan! At Norway's pavilion, a great spot for characters is at Akershus. The interior of this table service restaurant is a Norwegian castle where a variety of Disney princesses, such as Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel can be found. This is one of the best character meals in WDW, especially for little girls! In Mexico, you may find Donald in a sombrero in his own area nearby! |
World Showcase China Pavilion
World Showcase features 10 pavilions that serve as little pieces of different countries from all around the world. These pavilions have shops, restaurants, architechture, icons, cast members, and sometimes even films and attractions representing their countries. Touring World Showcase is absolute MUST for anyone at Disney. Where else can you travel around the world in an afternoon?
World Showcase encircles the lake and you can choose to tour it from the right beginning with Canada or from the left beginning with Mexico. This is a great experience for young and old; however, it can be tiring. Be sure to pace yourself, not only due to its size, but also so that you can take in the amazing amount of details and hidden corners located throughout this section of Epcot. World Showcase is a great place for photos, shopping, and for food! There some many photo ops here and merchandise from foreign countries that you probably won't find unless you actually traveled there yourself. Also, there are restaurants and stands offering menu offerings from their country. Educational and delicious! The cast members who work in World Showcase are actually from the countries in which they work. Feel free to ask them questions! They are eager to tell about their country and culture. It could make their day and yours! World Showcase usually opens later that Future World, so be sure to check the times guide and plan accordingly. Also, if you walk through World Showcase when it first opens, cast members often stand in front of the country pavilions to greet you! Sometimes there are a lot of characters out and about around opening time too. World Showcase Pavilions Morocco Pavilion
Pavilions are areas that represent a piece of a country's culture, architecture, history, products, and food.
Canada: 5 Glass Slippers This is one of our favorite pavilions! We recommend visiting their excellent shops and having lunch at one of the most popular restaurants on WDW property, Le Cellier. Be sure to venture up the steps and behind the shops to see rockwork, waterfalls, and a mine shaft near the back that serves as a cool entryway for the entertainng and informative Canada film entitled O' Canada! United Kingdom: 5 Glass Slippers This pavilion has a number of excellent shops, including a toy store selling iconic British toys and a shop selling perfume and teas! There is also some Irish and Scottish merchandise for sale here as well; and be sure to enjoy the window displays. This pavilion is full of history and details, along with nooks and crannies. Take some time to explore and maybe even have some fish and chips! France: 5 Glass Slippers France has two great restaurants and great shops selling perfume, jewelry, kitchenware, little Eiffel Towers, Marie from the Aristocrats merchandise, and more! Be sure to see a replica of the Eiffel Tower in the background of the pavilion and the glass stained windows from the film Beauty and the Beast! Morocco: 4 Glass Slippers The Morocco pavilion is beautifully ornate and unique with colorful mosaics and arched passageways. You truly feel as if you are there! Morocco's government actually sent their own people to oversee the construction of this pavilion to make sure it would be accurate. We recommend visiting Morocco's shops for unique merchandise and thoroughly exploring this pavilion because it has nooks and crannies that many may not see. You might even find an area tucked back where Aladdin and Jasmine might be waiting! Japan: 3 Glass Slippers This pavilion isn't one of our personal favorites; but it should be explored! Be sure to visit the shops here which sell Sanrio and other popular Japanese merchandise. United States: 4 Glass Slippers This pavilion is the halfway point for your tour of World Showcase. It offers a small shop, a counter service location, and the American Adventure attraction, one of the best shows in all of WDW. Also be sure to stop by the funnel cake stand, one of my favorite places for a snack at Epcot. Italy: 3.5 Glass Slippers Italy has two restaurants, one serving traditional Italian food and the other is a newly opened pizzeria. After doing some shopping here, take in the fountain and surrounding architechture! Germany: 5 Glass Slippers This is one of our favorite pavilions. Germany has several great shops selling soccer products, toys, steins, and cuckoo clocks. There are also two restaurants and a plaza where a giant clock tower and cuckoo clock chimes over your head on occassion. Nearby, there is an area where toy trains go through quaint miniature towns and landscapes, very entertaining for kids! China: 4 Glass Slippers China is a beautiful and ornate pavilion with two eating locations for those who love Chinese food and great shops offering a variety of products. You can watch a film on China here and possibly see Chinese performers. Also be on the lookout for Mulan here! Norway: 5 Glass Slippers Another of our favorite pavilions, Norway has one of the best character restaurants on property, great shops, a delicious bakery, a museum inside the nearby Stave Church, and a small attraction called Maelstrom. There is so much to see and do in this pavilion! Pay attention to the details and architecture, and be sure to try on a Viking hat! Mexico: 4 Glass Slippers When you reach this pavilion, be sure to venture inside the temple. Once you do, it's like being transported back in time as you find yourself in an open air market at sunset with a temple and a glowing volcano in the background. Shop for a variety of items in the market; and if you need to get off your food, take a ride on the small, boat ride attracion, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. |
