Here we’ll cover the pros and cons of Epcot attractions and shows, which attractions are mandatory and more. If you are visiting Walt Disney World, you need to know which Epcot attractions and attractions you should prioritize and which ones you should skip.
Epcot is what we call a “transition park”. When it first opened, Epcot’s mission was “educational entertainment” or a hybrid of entertainment and education. Walt Disney World has abandoned that and is in the process of infusing more character-based experiences. The two major additions that are being built today are “Remat Ratatouille Adventure” in the French pavilion and a roller coaster of Guardians of the Galaxy in Future World. If you are visiting Epcot between 2019 and 2021, you may want to keep track of the construction progress.
We recommend experiencing everything you can in the time you have, even if it’s not included in this list. Epcot has a deceptive high number of “things to do”, although the total number of attractions is significantly lower than the ones at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
1. Spaceship Earth
It is the symbolic and iconic structure of Epcot, a theme park that is part of Walt Disney World Resort. Being one of the most recognized structures at Walt Disney World Resort, it is not only the centerpiece and main focal point of Epcot, but also the name of the attraction within the 18-story geodesic sphere that takes guests on a thematic time machine experience using the Omnimover system. Spaceship Earth is a 13-minute walk in the dark show that presents advances in human communication that have helped create the future step by step. The attraction involves a timeline from the origins of prehistoric man to the beginning of the 21st century, where guests can create a future for themselves.
2. World Showcase
Walking around the World Showcase might sound boring to the kids, but it’s quickly become my favorite part of the park. Obviously, going to a fake China in Orlando is by no means a substitute for a trip to the real place, but the pavilions have the charm and detail of the museum classics you can actually walk through. The effect is unforgettable. And some of the attractions within World Showcase, from the boat trip in Mexico to the movies in France, Canada, and China, are worth mentioning on this list!
3. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” has entertained millions of guests gathered around World Showcase Lagoon. Over the next year, we will celebrate this classic show, so you still have plenty of time to experience it again and again, as the excitement for what follows continues.
4. Mission: SPACE
This is an exciting ride in motion simulator in Epcot. It simulates what an astronaut possibly experiences aboard a spaceship on a mission to Mars, from the high g-forces on takeoff to hypersleep.
Mission: SPACE was made to simulate astronaut training for the first mission to Mars with humans aboard the fictional X-2 Deep Space spacecraft in 2036, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of Yuri Gagarin being the first man in space. Passengers are “apprentices” at the fictional International Space Training Center (ISTC), where they are ordered in crews of four after watching an instructional video with actor Gary Sinise.
5. Test Track
An attraction in Epcot sponsored by General Motors, Test Track is a simulated excursion during the rigorous testing procedures that General Motors uses to evaluate its automobiles, culminating in a high-speed test around the exterior of the attraction.
Passengers travel in futuristic “test cars” in a GM “test facility”, and are carried out by a series of tests to illustrate how prototype automobile evaluations are performed. The ride is highlighted by the speed test on a track outside and around the Test Track building at a maximum speed of 64.8 miles per hour (104.3 km / h) on a curve with a degree of inclination of 50 degrees, making Test Track the fastest attraction built in any Disney theme park.
6. Soarin’
Soarin’ is a simulator-type attraction that carries 87 passengers on a simulated trip on a hang glider in California. It flies over Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Redwood Creek in Humboldt County, Napa Valley, Monterey, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, PGA West golf course and other locations. The original song, written by composer Jerry Goldsmith, is heard throughout the trip and the appropriate smells are doused in the air while the hand glider gently simulates the sensations of flying.
7. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
The Seas with Nemo & Friends (previously known as The Living Seas) is a pavilion at Future World at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The attraction is based on underwater exploration, with several exhibits dedicated to this theme and was opened in 1986.
The pavilion consists of 2 attractions:
1. The Seas with Nemo & Friends, a new attraction that shows the chronicles of Nemo’s epic journey, presented with projection technology that makes Nemo, Dory and Marlin look as if they were swimming with live fish.
2. Turtle Talk with Crush, is an interactive show performed by Crush, the Sea Turtle, from the Disney / Pixar movie Finding Nemo.
It is one of the largest underwater environments in the world created by man (the largest is currently the Georgia Aquarium). The concept of the building takes passengers low at sea to the “Alpha Marine Base.” Guests watch a short film and then take a mock elevator trip to the bottom of the sea via the ‘Hydrolator.’ Visitors would then ride in the Caribbean Coral Reef Ride aboard a “marine taxi” in an underwater tunnel through the aquarium. From there, the guests walk in the “Alpha Marine Base” watching the marine life very closely. Lastly, they disembark in the main exhibition area where they can interact with various multimedia exhibits.
8. Frozen Ever After
Frozen Ever After is a nice boat ride through the movie Frozen Arendelle. The premise is that you have arrived just in time for the “Winter in Summer” celebration of Arendelle, where Elsa will use her magical powers to snow during the hottest part of the year. All the main and secondary characters of the film are represented, from Olaf, the snowman, to Sven, the reindeer, along with much of the soundtrack.
9. Living with the Land
One of the few attractions from back in the day that still operates, Living with the Land (formerly known as Listen to the Land) is something I have learned to appreciate more and more as I grow older. A dark attraction that explores the history of agriculture and a tour of Epcot’s experimental greenhouse.
Now that almost all the original attractions are gone, and now that I am older and more interested in sustainability, I recognize it as one of the most pleasant experiences in the park. Living with the Land is among the 10 best attractions in Epcot!
10. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
Disney has gradually added open Disney references to attractions that otherwise did not have. This boat ride in the Mayan pyramid in the pavilion of Mexico used to be called El Río del Tiempo, and took visitors on an alternately calm and lively tour of Mexican culture. Grand Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Knights is one of the classic Epcot!
