As Disney World has begun its initial re-opening, EPCOT has looked very different since we’ve been back in the Parks.

EPCOT (like all of Disney World’s theme parks) is operating at lower capacity with the Park’s opening hours set at 11AM to 9PM for the foreseeable future. While not every experience is available in the Park, there are still lots of things to do in World Showcase and in Future World.

Since planning your time in EPCOT will need some extra thought, here are some tips for how to plan your EPCOT day with limited crowds!

Wait Times

In the past, EPCOT’s most popular attractions (Test Track, Frozen Ever After) could easily rack up lines over two hours. However, wait times have seen a pretty drastic change since the park re-opened on July 15.

Recently, the waits have been lower than usual over the course of the day. Multiple attractions have sat at small five- to ten-minute waits from the beginning of the day to the end (which sounds great to us). Although the afternoon and evenings have brought in the longest queues, we’ve really only seen the waits peak (up to an hour at most) around 3PM and 6PM.

When you’re visiting EPCOT, it’s important to note that the attractions will close for a short amount of time for sanitation and cleaning procedures. The wait times for the closed attractions will usually dip a bit when they re-open again.

Since FastPass and Single Rider are closed (but Rider Switch and Disability Access Service is available), it’s more important than ever to keep an eye on your My Disney Experience app. The wait times are consistently updated throughout the day, along with information on ride closures.

Here are some of the wait times we’ve experienced at Disney World since the parks have re-opened!

Skyliner Transportation Is Officially OPEN

As the Disney transportation around the World follows guidelines to keep Cast Members and guests safe, the Skyliner Gondola System has officially re-opened to everyone. The Skyliners will be going to and from the Caribbean Beach, Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Riviera Resorts as well as EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

The Skyliners are operating with only one party per gondola with distanced lines and hand-sanitizer stations. However, when guests arrive in EPCOT, they’ll need to go through a temperature check before they can enter the park.

While the lines move quickly, people will need to take into consideration that the new distancing measures and screenings may add some travel time as they head to EPCOT.

Heres a look at all the newly re-opened Disney Transportation in Disney World!

Entertainment Throughout EPCOT

Although character meet-and-greets aren’t happening in the parks, we’ve been SO happy to spot the new Character Cavalcades in the parks. You can see the Frozen Promenade making its way through the park with Elsa and Anna greeting guests…

…along with the Princess Promenade that showcases all our favorite heroines in their best outfits!

You can find Joy and Pooh frolicking through the grass over in the courtyard…

…Alice and Mary Poppins twirling around in the UK Pavilion’s garden gazebo…

…and one of the only re-opened character dining experiences available in Disney World at the Garden Grill with Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale.

For some energetic tunes, you can listen to the JAMMitors and Mariachi Cobre play at the America Gardens Theatre. The benches are operating with distanced seating so everyone can safely sit and groove along to the music.

Here are all the places you can find your favorite characters in Disney World!

A Taste of Food and Wine

Although other restaurants around the park are open for Quick Service and Advance Dining Reservations at Table Service spots, A Taste of EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival has officially debuted in the park!

This year’s festival is a unique experience for guests to have in EPCOT through the Fall since the food booths and merchandise are a combination of the Flower and Garden Festival and the Food and Wine Festival.

The World Showplace has also opened with food demonstrations and unique sips and bites (like the Nitro Cake Pops that we LOVE at Desserts & Champagne). If crowds happen to get heavy at the World Showplace, Disney is using a Virtual Queue to get into the area. We encountered this only once so far.

While we love stopping at the restaurants around the Park, A Taste of EPCOT Food and Wine is a great choice for an extremely delicious snack or meal that can be grabbed quickly before exploring the rest of the Park.

This is what A Taste of EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is like in a newly re-opened park!

Although guests will need to plan their time in EPCOT differently, Disney World still has plenty of magical experiences for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to see the new entertainment, attractions, and more that will hopefully be making its way to the park soon too!

These are the things you need to know before your next Disney World trip!

Have you been back to EPCOT yet? Let us know in the comments below!

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