Today, we received a comment from a reader named Charlotte who is from the U.K. and will be visiting Epcot with her husband-to-be. They are in their mid-twenties and will be traveling to Epcot without children. They don’t enjoy rollercoasters or thrill rides, so their question is, “What is there to do at Epcot?”
With that background in mind, here is my “Epcot for Adults at a Glance”:
First, Epcot is definitely the most “adult” theme park in Walt Disney World. When you get to Epcot, pick up a map and “Times Guide” at the entrance, so you can see what shows and performances will be going on that day and when. If you have any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to ask a cast member or stop by Guest Relations.
As you enter Epcot, you’ll first arrive in Future World, with Spaceship Earth looming before you. Keep in mind, the majority of rides at Epcot are educational. Over the past decade, Disney has added more “exciting” rides to Epcot to remain competitive in the theme park world, but many of the rides are still calm and great learning experiences. For example, Spaceship Earth is a slow-moving ride through the history of communications. Living with the Land is a slow boat ride that teaches guests about agriculture, aquaculture, and more. Journey into Imagination is a slow-moving ride that delves into the five senses. The Living Seas brings you The Seas with Nemo and Friends which is another slow-moving ride. If you’re not a fan of Nemo, then you might want to skip this ride and head straight into The Living Seas via the back entrance (to the far left as you’re facing The Living Seas) to view the indoor aquarium.
Test Track is also a relatively calm ride. In fact, the majority of the Test Track ride is quite slow and educational as riders learn about the types of tests cars go through before they hit the market. The only fast part comes during the final seconds of the ride as your car accelerates to a high speed that’s lower than most people drive on the highway. If thrill rides aren’t your thing, then the only ride I’d advise against at Epcot is Mission Space, which is a motion simulator that has a reputation for making riders ill.
During your visit to Future World, take some time to stop off at Innoventions East and West which flank Spaceship Earth. Here you’ll learn about a wide variety of technologies and more. It’s worth a walkthrough, particularly on a hot day. Innoventions provides a great air conditioning break.
When you’re done making your way around Future World, head further into Epcot to World Showcase. This is where adults will have far more fun than children. In World Showcase, you’ll find a huge lake surrounded by a variety of pavilions each of which represents a different country. You can leisurely make your way around to each country, stopping to check out the shows, rides, shops and tasting the food (it’s always fun to “eat (or drink) your way around Epcot” sampling all the food (or drinks) from the different countries along the way.
For example, during a trip to World Showcase you might decide to:
- Visit the marketplace in the Mexico pavilion
- Ride Maelstrom in Norway
- Watch the acrobats show at China
- Check out the trains and try a beer or sausage in Germany
- Go shopping in the Italian stores
- Watch The American Adventure show at the American pavilion
- Watch the taiko drummers at Japan
- Browse the shops in Morocco
- Try the pastries in the bakery in France
- Grab a yard or pint of ale and watch the British Invasion show in the United Kingdom
- Check out the 360-degree movie and watch Off Kilter perform at Canada
Don’t forget to make a lunch or dinner reservation at one of the restaurants at the World Showcase (depending on what kind of food you like). The restaurants are amazing and fill up quickly. Call 407-WDW-DINE before your trip or stop by Guest Relations at your hotel (if you’re staying at a Disney hotel) or at any Disney theme park to make your reservations.
Be sure to plan your dinner around Illuminations, the laser and fireworks show that happens every night at 9:00 p.m. It’s an incredible show that you won’t want to miss.
Finally, if you’re staying at a Disney hotel, don’t forget to take advantage of Disney’s package delivery service. You can have anything you buy delivered to your hotel for you (as long as you’re not checking out within 48 hours of your purchase). Alternatively, you can have your purchases delivered to Package Pick-up, meaning they’ll be sent up to Guest Relations at the front of Epcot for you to pick up at the end of your day at the park. Epcot is a great place to shop, so it’s important to take advantage of the package delivery and pick-up services so you don’t have to carry a lot of bags around all day.
Most importantly, take your time at Epcot and stop to smell the roses (yes, there is a rose garden between Journey into Imagination and World Showcase). People get crazy when they visit Walt Disney World thinking they have to do everything in a very short amount of time. Instead of rushing your way through Epcot, take your time, and really enjoy what you do while you’re there. If you don’t get through everything, that’s just an excuse to have to visit again! Remember to have fun!
Do you have any other tips to share with adults visiting Epcot for the first time? Leave a comment and let us know what worked for you or what you really enjoyed during your visit.