|
OVERVIEW
EDUCATION, INSPIRATION, AND CORPORATE IMAGERY are the
focus at Epcot, the most adult of the Disney theme parks. What it
gains in taking a futuristic, visionary, and technological look at the
world, it loses, just a bit, in warmth, happiness, and charm.
Some people find the attempts at education to be superficial; others
want more entertainment and less education. Most visitors,
however, are in between, finding plenty of entertainment and education.
Epcot is more than twice as big as the Magic Kingdom or Disney Hollywood Studios and, though smaller than the Animal Kingdom, has
more territory to be covered on foot. Epcot rarely sees the congestion
so common to the Magic Kingdom, but it has lines every bit as long
as those at the Jungle Cruise or Space Mountain.
Visitors must come prepared to do considerable walking among attractions and a comparable amount of standing in line.
Epcot’s size means you can’t see it all in one day without
skipping an attraction or two and giving others a cursory glance. A
major difference between Epcot and the other parks, however, is that
some Epcot attractions can be savored slowly or skimmed, depending
on personal interests. For example, the first section of General
Motors’ Test Track is a thrill ride, the second a collection of walkthrough
exhibits. Nearly all visitors take the ride, but many people,
lacking time or interest, bypass the exhibits.
We have identified several Epcot attractions as “not to be missed.”
But part of the enjoyment of the park is that there’s something for
everyone. Ask your group. They’re sure to have a variety of opinions
as to which attraction is “best.”
OPERATING HOURS
EPCOT HAS TWO THEME AREAS: Future World and World Showcase. Each has its own operating hours. Though schedules
change throughout the year, Future World always opens before World Showcase in the morning and usually closes before World Showcase in the evening. Most of the year, World Showcase opens two hours
later than Future World. Moreover, some attractions open late or
close early. For exact park hours during your visit, call 407-824-4321. For the operating schedule of specific attractions, check the
park handout map or the supplemental Times Guide available at no
charge throughout the park.
ARRIVING
IF YOU ARE A GUEST AT ONE OF THE EPCOT RESORTS, it
will take
Plan to arrive at the turnstiles 30-40 minutes prior to the official opening time. Give yourself an extra 10 minutes or so to park and make your way to the entrance.
you about 20–30 minutes to walk from your hotel to the
International Gateway (back entrance of Epcot) and from there to
Future World section of the park. Instead of walking, you can catch
a boat from your Epcot resort hotel to the
International Gateway and then walk about
eight minutes to the Future World section. To
reach the front (Future World) entrance of Epcot
from the Epcot resorts, either take a boat from
your hotel to the Disney Hollywood Studios and transfer to
an Epcot bus, take a bus to Downtown Disney
and transfer to an Epcot bus, or best of all, take
a cab.
If you wonder why all the fuss, this reader
offers a succinct explanation:
Epcot touring plans don’t work well if you stay at an Epcot resort.
People from the Epcot resorts enter the park at the International
Gateway, far away from Test Track [in Future World]. We were first
in the park from the International Gateway, but when we got to Test
Track the line was already 95 minutes long.
Arriving at the park by private automobile is easy and direct.
Epcot has its own parking lot and, unlike at the Magic Kingdom,
there’s no need to take a monorail or ferry to reach the entrance.
Trams serve the parking lot, or you can walk to the front gate.
Monorail service connects Epcot with the Transportation and Ticket
Center, the Magic Kingdom (transfer required), and Magic Kingdom
resorts (transfer required).
Security screening at Epcot is a mess. In contrast to the other parks, all guests go through a security queue. At the other three parks, there's a separate entrance gate for guests without packs, bags, purses, or containes. This, plus the kinks in the biometric finger scanners (part of the new admission system) creates traffic jams of the first order. By contrast the other parks can admit almost twice the number of guests through the turnstiles in any given period of time. A Metamora, Illinois, gentleman had this to say:
My only real complaint about the trip was [that] the security checks at Epcot really slowed down the entry process as compared to the other parks, no matter what time of day. I would advise arriving even earlier than you suggest.
GETTING ORIENTED
EPCOT’S THEME AREAS ARE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT. Future World examines where mankind has come from and where it’s going.
World Showcase features landmarks, cuisine, and culture of almost a
dozen nations and is meant to be a sort of permanent World’s Fair.
Navigating Epcot is unlike getting around at the Magic Kingdom.
The Magic Kingdom is designed so that nearly every location is part
of a specific environment-Liberty Square or Main Street, U.S.A., for
example. All environments are visually separated to preserve the
integrity of the theme. It wouldn’t do for the Jungle Cruise to pass
beneath the futuristic spires of Space Mountain, for instance.
Epcot, by contrast, is visually open. And while it seems strange to
see a Japanese pagoda and the Eiffel Tower on the same horizon, getting
around is fairly simple. An exception is Future World, where the
enormous East and West Innoventions buildings hide everything on
their opposite sides.
Cinderella Castle is the central landmark at the Magic Kingdom.
At Epcot, the architectural symbol is Spaceship Earth. This shiny,
180-foot geosphere is visible from almost everywhere in the park.
Like Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth can
help you keep track of where you are in Epcot. But it’s in a high-traffic
area and isn’t centrally located, so it isn’t a good meeting place.
Any of the distinctive national pavilions in World Showcase make
a good meeting place, but be specific. “Hey, let’s meet in Japan!”
sounds fun, but each pavilion is a mini-town with buildings, monuments,
gardens, and plazas. You could wander quite awhile “in
Japan” without finding your group. Pick a specific place in Japan-
the sidewalk side of the pagoda, for example.
THE EPCOT ACRONYM
“Epcot” ORIGINALLY WAS “EPCOT. ” When envisioned by Walt
Disney as a utopian working city of the future, EPCOT was the
acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
Corporate Disney ultimately altered Walt’s vision, and the city
became a theme park, but the name remained. Because EPCOT, however,
was clearly nothing of the sort, the acronym “EPCOT” became
the name “Epcot.”
FASTPASS at EPCOT
Epcot offers five FASTPASS attractions. Strategies for using FASTPASS at Epcot have been integrated into our touring plans.
|