Attention all Disney World fans, get ready to take your Epcot experience to the next level! Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned pro, there's always something new and exciting to discover at this beloved theme park. With its eclectic mix of cultural attractions, thrilling rides, and mouth-watering cuisine, Epcot truly has something for everyone. In this article, we'll share 10 expert tips to help you make the most out of your Epcot adventure. From must-see pavilions to hidden gems, we'll provide insider knowledge to elevate your visit and leave you wanting to come back for more. So grab your Mickey ears and let's dive into 10 Tips for Epcot that you won't want to miss!
1. Try Mobile Ordering:
Especially with a gluten allergy, it is hard to know which booths have gluten-free options. If you are wanting an actual meal, save time and satisfy your taste buds with mobile ordering. Again, having any dietary restrictions or allergies, the app makes it easy to find suitable options at each restaurant. My favorite quick-service restaurants at Epcot are Connections Cafe and Regal Eagle Smokehouse!
2. Keep an Eye on Wait Times:
While waiting in line for a ride, keep an eye on wait times for the next attraction you plan to visit on the app. It's a strategic way to plan your route and make the most of your day. Keep in mind, when you are at Epcot, if you want to visit all of the countries as well you will want to plan your rides accordingly so you aren’t hiking back and forth all over the park all day long. Try to hit all of the rides in the front of the park or the ”future world” before 11-12 pm. Then you can do the countries in the afternoon and once you are starting to get hungry, especially if you are there during a festival.
3. Enjoy Rides Right Up Until Park Close:
Again, just like at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, you can hop in line for any ride right up until park closing time. So, if there's one last attraction you've been itching to experience, go for it especially if there has been a long wait all day! For Epcot, the ride I would get in line for at the end of the day is Test Track!
4. My Favorite Drink in each Country:
This honestly feels like the best tip that I could give you guys! Here are my favorite drinks from each country and where you a find them! Keep in mind these are all gluten-free and because of that, there isn’t any beer or dark liquor in these drinks!
Mexico - I love the Spicy Mentirosa from La Cava del Tequila, this is technically an alcohol-free drink but I add tequila and it is literally SO SO delicious! It is made with Lyre’s Italian Orange, Lyre’s Dry London, lime juice, cucumber and jalapeño juice, agave nectar and the rim is a hibiscus salt, so good and then I added tequila!
Norway - Here I get the Troll Kreme which is at the cart right when you walk into Norway, it is a frozen vanilla and cranberry that is topped with Dragon Berry Rum and it’s yummy and cooling on a hot Florida day!
China - I always get the Kung Fu Punch, which is at the cart that is called Joy of Tea, it’s not inside the pavilion but right next to the little shop that is at the entrance to the China Pavilion. The drink includes vodka, triple sec, and then a combination of mango and orange juice!
Outpost - If I am being honest, I really can’t remember the last time I got a drink from here. I think there is beer which I can’t have and other than that I’m not sure what they offer. Next time I am there I will check it out in person and report back!
Germany - Here we like to go into the bar that is attached to the gift shop with ornaments called Weinkeller and get chocolate shots, it is in a small round bottle and it really just tastes like a shot of hot chocolate, it is so good! We have also gotten this bottle for the house, it is called Mozart Gold Chocolate Liqueur, we love it!
Italy - I usually grab a glass of wine when I am here, that isn’t super directive but I love red wine and it always tastes good coming off of the chocolate shot in Germany. I don’t think you can go wrong here with red, white or rose!
America - Here I usually just get an Angry Orchard from Regal Eagle Smokehouse, I know that is pretty boring but it’s safe and I know I can have it!
Japan - This drink can be kind of hit or miss for me, I get the Violet Sake from Garden House which is Japan’s outdoor Sake Bar, but sometimes it can be way too sweet. This drink has dry sake, ronin desert pear syrup, sweetened lime juice and water. If I am just casually drinking around the world I might skip it, if I am committed to the cause of drinking around the world haha this is what I will get! If you have any other suggestions though let me know what I should try.
Morocco - I go to the bar that is inside Spice Road Table and I always get the Pomegranate Acai! It has the acai blueberry pomegranate Vitaminwater, dragon berry rum, lime juice, agave, and soda water- so good! 10/10 recommend this one!
France - This seems like the most basic answer but I love the Grand Mariner Slush, it is at the booth called Les Vins des Chefs de France and its the orange slush that you will see most people carrying around! It is a slushy that has Grand Mariner, Rum, Grey Goose orange and orange juice in it and it is so dangerously delicious!
United Kingdom - This is another stop where my choice isn’t all that exciting but I love Strongbow and have a hard time finding it here in Florida aside from the United Kingdom pavilion at Epcot and the local British pub that we go to a lot. So my choice here is to stop into the Rose and Crown and get a glass of Strongbow!
Canada - I have never successfully found a gluten free beverage in Canada unfortunately. I will always keep my eyes open but unfortunately I’ve never had luck.
This honestly sounds dramatic but I went on that ride once when I was probably 17 and haven’t been on it since. It is a ride that you get into and it just shakes you up and makes you sick! I wouldn’t waste ANY time going on that ride, I promise! Don’t feel like you need to check that off the list by any means, you aren’t missing anything!
Not to give away too many spoilers but as I mentioned earlier, you can get in line right at the end of the day and then ride this ride after the park has closed. I recommend doing this because the best part of the ride is when you go outside and seriously riding Test Track at night feels 100x faster in the dark and it is fantastic! Another side note for Test Track is that there is a single rider line for this one and this is how we usually ride it! If you don’t mind being separated from your group it is so worth the amount of time that this saves you from not waiting in the line.
7. Just start in Mexico, honestly:
Depending on how you are setting up your day, 9 times out of 10 I suggest starting in Mexico. The only time I feel like it’s okay to start in Canada is if you have a fast pass to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France, other than that the flow of your drinks and snacks is going to be much better starting in Mexico.
There are two times in the day when you can get in the virtual queue for this ride, the first is at 7 am and you don’t have to be in the park, you can be at home. The second time you can get in the virtual queue is at 1 pm and you have to be inside Epcot to be able to get in the virtual queue. You can also buy a lightning lane pass for this, depending on how busy the park is, these are usually gone around 2pm ish, I usually think that people buy these if they can’t get in the virtual queue. I am going to link to a blog post where they go into detail about getting to ride Guardians of the Galaxy HERE. But if you can get on this ride it will be your new favorite, it is such an amazing and well-done ride! I would say it is my favorite ride!!
9. Hidden Rides and Attractions in the Countries:
Here are some of the rides and attractions that are in the countries that are often looked over. I didn’t know about most of these (except the main ones) until I started going to Epcot more frequently! I wanted to list them so you didn’t overlook them if they were interesting to you or a favorite of yours!
-Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros in Mexico
-Frozen Ever After in Norway
-Reflections of China in China
-Many concerts in America
-Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-long in France
-Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France
-Concerts/live music in the United Kingdom
10. Starbucks Location:
Starbucks is now located in the same building as Connections Eatery, this is new since they did the renovations! A note, you cannot use mobile ordering in the parks like you can in Disney Springs which is unfortunate. But I will say the lines move pretty quickly, they are very efficient in those locations! You should also keep in mind that you can use gift cards at these locations but you can’t use points to pay for your drinks in the parks.
We love Epcot and I would say that it is the park that we visit the most! It’s fun to go for the evening, grab a drink and a couple of snacks and then head out for the night. In my mind it seems like the most casual park to hang out in if you are a local! But some might say the same about Hollywood Studios! I am always here to answer any questions that you have or advice on different Disney facts! Please feel free to comment below with any questions that you might have or let me know if these tips worked for you and your trip to Disney!
Much Love,
Emma
