Epcot at Disney World Orlando
Here is a great video giving you a quick tour around Walt Disney's Epcot theme park. Epcot opened back in 1982 and covers over 300 acres and is more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom.
What does EPCOT stand for, well it stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow which was a utopian city of the future planned by Walt Disney and was all about technology and innovation.
In 2014 EPCOT was the third most popular theme park in North America with over 11.4 million visitors with of course Magic Kingdom being number 1 with just under 20 million visitors and Disneyland in California number 2 with 16.7 million.
The park is split in to two sections, the first is the World Showcase which set around a huge lake and features recreations of 11 different countries. These recreations showcase the landmarks, food, drinks, music and people you would expect to find in these countries.
There are a number of shows featuring traditional music acts like the Mariachi Cobre in Mexico as well as things like the Jewelled Dragon Acrobats (China) and the Canadian Lumberjacks who show you there axe throwing skills!
At night the World Showcase Lake comes alive with an amazing laser and pyrotechnic firework show, aptly named IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Check the Epcot web site for nightly show times.
In each country you have various themed restaurants, bars and rides showcasing that part of the world. Did you know there are over 70 places to eat and drink in Epcot from hot dogs at the Refreshment Cool Post to fine dining in The "Hibachi" Experience
If you are visiting Epcot in autumn then why not check out the Epcot food and wine festival which runs from the 25th September - 16th November and features food and wine from around the world not just the 11 countries Epcot has. The cost of this is included in your Epcot ticket and then you just purchase the food and wine as you like within the park.
The 11 different EPCOT countries:
- USA
- Japan
- Italy
- Morocco
- France
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Mexico
- Norway
- China
- Germany
The second section is Future World where you have a number of different rides from ones that educate you for example, Spaceship Earth which is actually inside the 18 storey iconic geodesic sphere and is located at the main entrance to the Epcot theme park.
A fun fact for you the Epcot sphere has 11,520 isosceles triangles forming 3,840 points!
Spaceship Earth takes guests on a 15 minute ride via an omnimover (like a small boat) to show them the advancements in human communication from past to present and how they have changed the world we live in today.
My highlights would be Mission Space which is a NASA style training simulator and takes you on a shuttle launch. Soarin which is another simulator but this time you are flying over the hills of California and Soarin like an eagle!
I would also highly recommend Test Track where you become the test track dummy and speed around the track at over 65mph and in to 50 degree bends which creates amazing G-Force.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a great family ride as there are no height restrictions unlike a lot of the other rides. Follow Nemo as he swims and sings with all the colourful characters from the movies, and ends with stunning aquariums of tropical fish. Can you spot the real Nemo?
If you like 3D then Captain EO is for you, follow the king of pop, Michael Jackson as he dances and sings his way through an alien adventure to save the day, great fun! Also this is open to all as there are no height restrictions.
Future World Attractions:
- Spaceship Earth
- Universe of Energy
- Mission Space
- Test Track
- Innventions East
- Innoventions West
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- The Land
- Imagination!
- Wonders of Life/Festival Center (Seasonal Operation)
Let me know if you have visited Epcot and what you liked and didn't like and would you recommend it as a must visit when on holiday in Orlando.
Personally I think if you have an unlimited Disney Park ticket then it's a no brainer and of course if you have never been there you must go. But if you have been within the last few years and don't have the unlimited ticket I am not sure there are enough new attractions to make me go back.
The next new attraction to open at Epcot will be 'Frozen Ever After' which is based on the huge Frozen movie and will open in 2016 as part of Norway in the World Showcase section of Epcot.