If you love food, world travel, and experiencing different cultures, then EPCOT is the place for you!
EPCOT has a lot to do! You’ll find seasonal festivals here along with fun rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. While you can explore the Land and the Seas and many other areas, World Showcase is one of the biggest draws to this park. World Showcase is where you’ll find pavilions of 11 different countries from around the world, and (if you didn’t know), there is a long-standing debate about starting left or right around World Showcase. After years of researching, we have a hack that will completely change the argument!
If you go right, when you reach World Showcase, you’ll head to the Canada pavilion. But if you go left, you’ll end up at the Mexico pavilion. This can be a tough call, especially if part of your group wants to go one way and the rest want to go the other. We’ve had fights over this with family!
So we’re presenting a DIFFERENT option for going around the loop of pavilions — the FriendShip Boats! The FriendShip Boats at World Showcase Lagoon sail across the lagoon, so you can start near the middle of World Showcase and take a new route around.
There used to be two boats that ran from point to point across the lagoon, but since the pandemic, only one is currently operating. You can jump on the boat at the dock near the Canada pavilion (so you’ll have to briefly go right), and from there it will take you to a dock at the Morocco pavilion. Then you can start your day in Morocco and head to either France or Japan! (But there’s been a change we’ll get to in a second.)
Taking the boat to Morocco and then heading straight to France might be a great way to start your day by grabbing a fresh pastry and beverage for breakfast at Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie! You could also head over to Crêpes À Emporter for a morning crepe and a mimosa to start off your journey. It’s important to know, the boats start running at 11AM, whereas Les Halles starts serving food at 9AM. So if you want to get there earlier than 11AM, you’ll need to walk. This was our favorite way to break up the left versus right debate, but recently, the boat has switched from arriving in Morocco, and it now drops you off in Germany!
At the time of writing, the Morocco boat launch is currently closed, so FriendShip Boats are now operating between the Canada boat launch and the Germany boat launch. When we initially spoke with Cast Members, they weren’t sure how long this change would last. Even though it drops you off in a different spot, the sentiment still stands. Taking the boat can help you fight the left versus right debate, no matter where it drops you off.
The FriendShip boats at World Showcase end the day around 7 PM for the nighttime show on the lagoon, so if you’re in one of the countries that is on the far side of the loop after 7 PM, you’ll need to walk to International Gateway or EPCOT’s main entrance at the front of the park to leave for the day.
This hack doesn’t feel like enough of a switch? We’ve got you covered on that. Our second option to help end that classic left versus right debate is to start at the International Gateway entrance. This will also let you begin your world travels in either France (which we love!) or the UK Pavilion.
The UK Pavilion doesn’t have as many breakfast offerings as France (aka no options), but the Rose and Crown Pub opens at 10:30 AM, so if you want a good drink to start your day, that’s a good option.
Speaking of breakfast options, EPCOT doesn’t tend to have a huge array of quick bites, but if you’re looking for a sit-down option, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Garden Grill, and (for a limited time) Chefs De France all have some amazing eats.
For some quicker eats, you can head to the two spots we talked about in France, Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe, or Sunshine Seasons in World Nature (after riding Soarin’, of course). We love this hack for a new experience at World Showcase! It can take the choice of left or right out of the equation and add some variety.
Plus, if you’re attending a festival, you can beat the crowds by heading to the “back” of World Showcase when the booths open at 11 AM, while most people start near Canada or Mexico. No matter how you choose to start your trek around World Showcase, you’re in for a treat! For more Disney tips and tricks, keep following AllEars!
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Do you go left or right around World Showcase? Let us know in the comments!
The winning move is rope dropping frozen, then getting breakfast at the bakery in Norway, then going to Germany for a pint of dunkel. Leave Mexico for last at dinner.