Epcot

Unlike the others, we would not describe Epcot as a typical park. It's Disney's wonderful showcase where they offer an insight and an experience of each country they have represented. Every country not only has imported food, drinks and merchandise but cast members are from those countries which add more authenticity to the park! In our opinion, Epcot is the park where you need the least amount of planning as it is in a loop, you can go down the left hand side starting from Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, UK and Canada. Epcot offers entertainment during the day and the night.

There are 4 Festivals a year, Festival of the Arts, (typically January - February) Flower and Garden(typically February to May), Food and Wine (typically August to November, though it has started in July beforehand),and Festival of the Holidays (typically November to December).

The months and dates of the festivals can vary year to year so it also advised to check the Walt Disney World website prior to traveling to see what Festival will be on when you arrive, or even better before you book as there maybe a Festival you would prefer to see, though all of them are just amazing! Each Festival has their own merchandise to purchase as well so you can be sure to bring home something to remember!

Epcot can get very very busy at night as most guests will go around the showcase eating and drinking. Spring break, Public Holidays and School holidays are also an extremely busy time, so be prepared for crowds. We like to take a small tray you can use to put your dishes onto as it easier to try and carry that rather than 2 or 3 different dishes at one time. You can pick these up from your local supermarket, or online for a few pounds and are well worth it.

Lockers are avaliable but there are currently only 2 locations, at the front of the park and at the rear of the park by the France section. They vary in price depending on the size, small $10, large $12 and extra large is $15 currently. You can open and close it as much as you like as you rent the locker for the whole day.

There are a few meet and greets in Epcot which currently have Anna and Elsa in the Norway Pavilion, Mulan in the China Pavilion, Snow White in the Germany Pavilion, Princess Jasmine in the Morocco Pavilion, Belle and Princess Aurora in the France Pavilion, Alice and Winnie the Pooh in the UK Pavilion, and Moana in Journey of Water. Please note, these can be subject to change so it is always best to view the My Disney Experience app.

Epcot also has a number of places to eat other than the booths, such as Nine Dragons (chinese food), Space 220, Sunshine Seasons, Connections Eatery/Cafe and The Odyssey.

If you're looking for character restaurants, Epcot has 2, Garden Grill and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Both are sit down meals and offer breakfast, lunch and Dinner.

$$$$ Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Prices vary from $35 per child to $60 per adult. This is a buffet style restaurant where you can eat as much as you like for the price as well as seeing 5 different princesses, this could be a good time to get those pictures/autographs without having to wait in different lines throughout the day and enjoy a meal at the same time. We do advise to book this one in advance when you can book your dining reservations as it does book up very quickly, sometimes you can get a table on the day if someone has cancelled but don't run the risk if this is something you want to do or know someone in your party will enjoy.

$$$$ Garden Grill - Prices vary from $35 per child to $60 per adult. This is a buffet style restaurant where you can eat as much as you like for the price as well as seeing different characters such as Chip and Dale, so again, this could save you a good amount of time to get those pictures/autographs without having to wait in different lines throughout the day and enjoy a meal at the same time. You can book a reservation for this restaurant same as above but Garden Grill does offer a walk up on the day which you might be able to get into. Again, if its a must, make sure to book it when your dining window opens.

A small snippet of the Festivals -

Festival of the Arts - This is a wonderful time to see the park, there are artists which add chalk art to the ground, special places you can take photos with different backgrounds, a huge numbers mural where guests can take part in colouring a few boxes.

Flower and Garden - Amazing gardens which are in full bloom, alongside fresh food from different booths, some of which are locally sourced right at Epcot! Take part in a food stroll, collect the 8 items and receive a stamp for each one purchased.

Food and Wine - This is our favourite festival as it's full of, well Food! So many different cuisines to try from different places around the showcase, from China, Japan to Norway. For wine and beer lovers, there's something here for you too! Kids can also take part in Remy's Hide and Squeak, a fun little adventure of a book trying to find Remy. You can also complete Emile’s Fromage Montage, trying different dishes of cheese around the showcase.

Festival of the Holidays - If you love Christmas, this is the festival for you, warm chocolate yule logs, different hot chocolate to try, warm hearty stews just to name a few. You can complete the cookie stroll too, collect the booklet and purchase 5 cookies from the selected booths, collect a stamp and once you have all your stamps, you get a free cookie at the end! Some of the rides get an overlay of Christmas Decor so be sure to look out for those.

For those of you who drink, you will need a form of photo ID either a photo of your passport or your card Driving License. We have been able to use our Driving License on a number of occasions however there are some times that some cast members will not accept this so it's best to have a photo of your passport as well as.

There are some wonderful rides in Epcot, Guardians of the Galaxy which is just out of this world, pun intended😂, no seriously, don't miss out on this one. There are different songs they play throughout the ride and the technology is spectacular! At this time, this is a virtual queue only where you have to either try and get a reservation at 7:00am (local time) via the My Disney App or 13:00pm (local time) when you are in the park. They currently do not offer any standby line but you can purchase a Lightning Lane if you are unable to get into the Virtual queue. Prices vary but can be around $14 - $17 per person.

Journey of Water which is inspired by Moana, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends,Turtle Talk with Crush, Living with the Land, Journey into the Imagination with Figment, Mission:Space, Test Track (soon to close for refurbishment), Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros,Frozen ever After and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure.

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