A COMPLETE GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD
EPCOT TIPS
 | I was at EPCOT last fall and it was raining, humid and very warm. There were many Disney poncho’s on the visitors. Just about everyone was sweating under the rain gear. I decided to buy a small collapsible umbrella, but I could not find one. I asked the cashier and she had some under the counter. The umbrella worked perfectly, I stayed cool and it folded up into a small package which I stuck into my back pocket. Thanks to John for this tip! |
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There is a lot of traffic at the Mouse Gears store in Epcot, and the lines to the cash registers can get quite long. To avoid a long wait in the line waiting to buy something, go to the jewelry section and ask one of the clerks there if they can ring up your merchandise since they are not usually that busy. They will be glad to finalize your purchase while everyone else is waiting in line. Thanks to Arlen for this tip! |
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Meeting characters at Epcot - When you arrive get a park guide listing times etc. Look for Disney Characters on Holiday and find out the times they will be at the entrance or plaza to the World Showcase. Head there about 15 minutes before the bus is to arrive and if you want Mickey in his dressy outfit (red pants, black jacket) line up at the rope furthest to the right. We did this and were first in line, then me (mom) got in line for Minnie which is the rope furthest to the left while husband took the kids through several of the smaller lines. Think they got Pluto, Goofy, Terk, Gepetto, and a couple of others. After Minnie, we still had time to do a picture with Donald Duck. Think this is where we got the most pictures and autographs on either of our two trips. Thanks to Cristy for this tip! |
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Ice Station Cool at Epcot lets you sample FREE Coca-Cola products from around the world, you enter a room filled with soda dispensers and free cups, it’s wonderful and FREE during those hot humid days in Florida. Thanks to Tiffany for this tip! |
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Make sure you try the bakery in France. Sometimes the line is long but it is well worth the wait! Thanks to Frank for this tip! |
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On the lower level of the Japanese pavilion, there is a great store selling candy, chopsticks, etc. The last time we were in the store, there was a stand where you could choose an oyster with a pearl in it. The cast member would clean it for you and put it in a cute box. Our daughter loved it. She felt like she had found a buried treasure! Thanks to Karen for this tip! |
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If you work for Hewlett Packard be sure and bring your id card and get an up close and personal view of the Mission Space ride. Go to the door marked HP Invent show your id and get escorted behind the scenes and receive a fast pass for you and your family. The hours are M-F 9-5 so don't miss out. Thanks to Tim4Kim for this tip! |
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When choosing a spot to watch Illuminations be sure to take the wind into account. An open rail by the water is worthless if the wind is blowing in your face, all you'll see is smoke. Thanks to Jeff for this tip! |
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What I really want to say is when you're at the World Showcase at EPCOT, explore every inch of every country. You'll find loads of fun things just off the beaten path. There is a little area kind of behind and below the pub in England which is a really great place to watch IllumiNations! Thanks to Jeff for this tip! |
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If you are in EPCOT with children, I strongly suggest that you do not see HONEY I SHRUNK THE AUDIENCE. It is extremely scary and very intense for younger viewers. And don't be fooled, just because it is in the same pavilion as the IMAGINATION! attraction. Trust me, most younger kids will most definitely not enjoy HONEY I SHRUNK THE AUDIENCE. Thanks to BroadwayStar2 for this tip!!! |
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At Epcot the fireworks at night time was wonderful, make sure that at you be a good viewing location by the water at least an hour for a good spot, it gets pretty crowded. The Tapestry parade is just before the firework, so if you find a good place around the in the world showcase to see both. The Disney map shows the parade route, so just stick around that path for both the fireworks and parade. Thanks to Gilberto for this tip!!! |
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Parking tip: We went to Epcot in the afternoon. There were no parking guides to tell you where to park-cruise up to the front and see if anyone has left and grab a close spot. We went to Epcot between 3-4 two afternoons-and parked front row both times. This should work for all parks. Thanks to Ellen for this tip!!! |
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In Epcot, the kids loved collecting stamps for every country visited. When we went there, they got to decorate a mask in Italy, and proceed to go to all the countries. It does take the whole day to do this, since there are a lot of things to see in each country. Thanks to Clarence for this tip!!! |
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To really enjoy Epcot at it's fullest do your best effort to catch the little shows they give outside of every "country". It totally enhances your experience and it helps a lot if you have little kids that don't really understand the concept of the World showcase, this way they get to see neat stuff and they can enjoy this park too. Thanks to Miros for this tip!!! |
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In Epcot center, there is this big igloo called Ice Station Cool. In addition to being a freezing cold building (for those extra-hot Florida days) there are soda fountains inside with Coke products from around the world. Grab a bottle from a gift shop (or from Wal-Mart) your first day in the park and head to the Igloo. Taste the different Coke varieties until you find one you like (my favorites are the apple (from Israel I think) and watermelon from China… and AVOID ITALY’S! J ) . Fill up your bottle with soda from there (as many times as you like) and you won’t have to pay for any your entire time at Epcot. One downside is that you won’t have any ice, but in Florida the ice melts quickly anyway, so you can probably go up to any of the cafeterias and ask them for a cup of ice if you so desire. Thanks to Heather for this tip!!! |
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If you are spending time in another park and want to watch the fireworks in EPCOT, drive to the Boardwalk (if you are not driving, take the bus there). Park in the visitor parking area and walk to the World Showcase entrance (pretty short walk). When you get into the park, head for the Bridge near France. Even if you don't get a spot on the railing, you can see most of the show because you are slightly elevated. When the fireworks are over, head back to the boardwalk and you beat all the crowds heading back to the EPCOT Parking lot/Monorail. Grab a snack on the Boardwalk. The Beach Club has a great Ice Cream Shop called "Beaches and Cream"...awesome!!! Try the kitchen sink or the Reese's Pieces Sundae. Thanks to Sam for this tip!!! |
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The most delightful tea shoppe exists in Britain (by Rose & Crown) at EPCOT. Don't miss the imported crackers & cookies, and candy! You'll also find fun tea accessories (like cutting boards and aprons), and some really nice (reasonable) jewelry... nice souvenirs that don't scream WDW. Thanks to Sam for this tip! |
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When attempting to find a good location to view Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot's Showcase, some sources recommend snagging a lagoon side table at the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom pavilion. If you should decide to follow this advice, be prepared to eat more than just an appetizer. Epcot staff are fully aware of this tip and will only seat patrons who intend to eat a full meal. Thanks to Andrea for this tip! |
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Go to the World Showcase as soon as it opens at 11:00 a.m. Finish Future World in the late afternoon. |
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We like to only eat in the Epcot country restaurants, but after our first trip discovered how expensive it was to have dinner there. Now we have a late lunch, we try and book the last lunch seating. You get a large portion of food at about half the price, Then in the evening we just grab a snack or eat after we leave the park. It has saved us a lot of money on our trips. Thanks to Patti for this tip! |
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Your kids will probably like Future World better than the World Showcase. |
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The best place to view the fireworks/laser show is the pavilion between Mexico and Canada (right between the two stores). But get there early, because it fills up completely. |
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An excellent place for lunch is to buy the Fish and Chips in the United Kingdom -- but don't go in the Rose and Crown Pub. Try the food stand located right next to it (towards France). |
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When going on the new attraction at Epcot Center - Test Track, choose to go as a single rider, this will allow you to get onto the attraction faster than those who go in pairs. Thanks to Paul for this tip! |
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On the Norway boat ride Maelstrom, Get in the front of the line after getting off the boat. Then when they let you in the theatre you can follow the last group of movie viewers out of the theatre. This saves you the incredibly boring video! Thanks to Gabe for this tip! |
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EPCOT has a board between the Innoventions plazas that offers the wait times for each ride in both the Future and World showcase. |
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One show to sit up front on is The American Adventure. Everyone will push for the middle. But the best seat is front and center. You will see every movement and expression made by the characters, and the movie potions are near the back of the "stage". No one will be around you. Thanks to Jeremy for this tip! |
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If the line for test track is long, and your party doesn't mind being separated, go through the singles line, you all go through the pre show together, and when it is time to get on a car, they fill you in one by one into the empty 3rd seat when 2 people sit. Sitting in different cars (usually one behind the other) was a small price to pay for this time-saver! Thanks to Laura for this tip! |
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