EPCOT is a tricky park; that much is notable from the moment you step into it.
Don’t get us wrong — we love it, but it’s very different than the other Disney World parks. There are festivals here happening throughout most of the year, drinking around the world is a popular pastime, some rides here could REALLY make you feel queasy, and that’s just the start. If you’re heading to Disney World for the first time and visiting EPCOT, don’t make these mistakes we’ve seen many rookies make!
Not Pacing Yourself Around The World
World Showcase is an incredible attraction in itself — where else can you visit 11 countries in just over a mile? But that also means that if you’re drinking or eating around the world, that’s ELEVEN different snacks and/or drinks you’re getting in one day.
Especially for those drinking around the world, it’s incredibly important to pace yourself as you go around the world. Have a bite to eat if you can with each drink, and certainly drink a glass of water to help offset the alcohol. In fact, we think one of the best ways to experience World Showcase is doing a mix of eating and drinking around the world — at some countries, grab a snack instead of a drink, or both!
You also have the option to do a non-alcoholic drinking around the world challenge, but we will admit that EPCOT is severely lacking on their mocktail game. However, there are plenty of other exciting drinks in most pavilions, so if you’re not a drinker or you’re the designed driver, you can still have a great time.
Forgetting to Check World Showcase Hours
Unlike the rest of EPCOT, the majority of the dining locations in EPCOT don’t open with the rest of the park. If EPCOT opens at 9AM or 10AM, most locations in World Showcase won’t open until 11AM.
Now, you can still walk around World Showcase, check out the pavilions and ride the attractions, but if you’re eating or drinking around the world, you may be disappointed to find you’ve gotten to the park at 9:30AM but you can’t actually start your adventure until 11AM.
That’s why we say it’s always important to check the hours of the location(s) you’re looking to visit on the My Disney Experience app or Disney World website before planning out your EPCOT day!
Not Checking Festival Dates
EPCOT Festivals are happening throughout most of the year, but the keyword here is MOST. There are weeks at a time where EPCOT festivals aren’t going on, and for many guests, these weeks aren’t even worth visiting the park.
However, for other guests, they choose to visit when there isn’t a festival going on because the crowds are often lower. Whichever way you fall, if you identify within one of those groups, it’s imperative you check ahead of time what festival may be going on when you visit.
While going off of the previous year’s festival dates can be helpful, they’re not guaranteed to be the same ones year after year. If you can, we recommend waiting until festival dates are announced to book your trip so you can ensure you trip is falling when you’d like it to!
Not Paying Attention to Ride Warning Signs
There are two rides in EPCOT that wreak havoc on people with motion sickness — Mission: SPACE Orange and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (funny enough, they both have colons in their names). While the warning signs outside this attraction warn of this, many people don’t read the signs and ride anyway.
The problem? This could ruin your ENTIRE day if you feel nauseous for the rest of your park day and have trouble eating, drinking, or riding anything else. This why if you’re sensitive to ride movement, we BEG you to please pay attention to those warning signs. They’re not just for show, they really could help you avoid an unpleasant rest of your day.
We’re always here to bring you the latest and greatest tips to help you plan for your next Disney World vacation, so stay tuned to AllEars!
Disney Just Dropped 4 HUGE Announcements
What’s a mistake you’ve made in EPCOT? Tell us in the comments!
Riding Spaceship Earth after rope drop is a mistake I see countless guests make year after year. It’s the very first ride you see after the tapstiles, and it gets a long line of rookies at the start of the day when what they don’t know is that it is often a walk-on later in the morning and for the rest of the day.
Exactly, my family has only been twice in the last 3 years but we went right for frozen the first time and Remy the second time. Those lines stay long all day, bonus that either way you are also in a breakfast friendly pavilion.