On paper, EPCOT can be an overwhelming park. Not only are there rides and attractions, but you also have almost year-round festivals, three separate lands with their own unique flair, World Showcase, and more! With so much to see and do, it can be easy to have a mishap ruin your entire day. So, we’re here to help! If you are heading to EPCOT on your next Disney World vacation, do not make these 8 EPCOT mistakes!

Not Setting Your Alarm

While nearly every ride throughout Walt Disney World offers a regular (and free!) standby line, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind works a little differently. Instead of being able to hop in line at any time of the day, there are two options to ride the newest attraction at EPCOT, and both require a little upfront leg work.

To ride, you must either get a spot in the free virtual queue or purchase Lightning Lane entry through Disney’s news Lightning Lane Single Pass offering. You’ll need to know which option you’re opting for to plan ahead to avoid making one of the biggest EPCOT mistakes and not being able to ride.

The virtual queue opens at 7AM and 1PM every day and fills up fast. I suggest being on the app about 5 minutes before the enrollment window and refreshing repeatedly until the given time to give you the best chance at securing a spot. Once in the virtual queue, a group number will be provided and you’ll be able to head to the ride and get in line once your group is called during the day. But, if you miss one of the two enrollment windows or don’t work fast enough, you won’t get to ride at all unless you purchase Lightning Lane Single Pass (which tends to sell out 3 days in advance when the booking window opens up for regular day guests).

This means that there is no walk-up line available for this attraction, so if you have roller coaster or Guardians of the Galaxy lovers in the party, be sure to plan ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Not Utilizing the Second Park Entrance

Though this has become more popular since the addition of the Disney Skyliner, there are still plenty of pros to using the park’s back entrance. The International Gateway is the back entrance to EPCOT, located between the France and United Kingdom Pavilions. Guests can purchase or pick up tickets from here and can even rent strollers and wheelchairs.

Not only is getting to escape the biggest crowds a huge perk of the entrance, but if you plan to rope drop Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, this is the entrance you want to be at!

While you can’t drive to EPCOT and access this entrance, there are a few ways to get here if you stay on the property. If you stay at a resort on the Disney Skyliner route, you’ll automatically be dropped off at this entrance. Yay, you! However, if you’re staying at a different resort, you have a few options. I suggest booking a breakfast dining reservation at any of the Skyliner resorts (Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Rivera and Trattoria al Forno are among our favorites). Once you finish eating, just hop on the Skyliner to EPCOT!

Not Checking Park Hours or Festival Dates

While EPCOT used to host seasonal festivals for short periods of time, these special events have expanded over the years. So, now you can experience one almost year-round no matter when you visit. And, that’s definitely not a bad thing! Festivals add entertainment, food options, and scenery to the park. But, they do bring larger crowds — something you need to be prepared for.

When it comes to festival crowds, the first weekend and the last weekend of each festival tends to be the busiest. Additionally, each festival hosts special live entertainment nightly that is included in your park admission, bringing in popular bands or celebrities to perform. Generally, the more popular the act is, the busier the park will be. So, it can be good to know who is expected to be performing each night you’re visiting to help you decide which day of the week is best for EPCOT.

Another thing to note is that the World Showcase and many festival activities do not open when EPCOT itself opens. EPCOT typically opens around 9AM, but World Showcase usually does not open until 11AM. While you can walk around and explore the World Showcase right when the park opens, you won’t be able to enjoy the rides and food booths, shopping, and other dining establishments until later.

Luckily, this is one of the EPCOT mistakes you can avoid! All the information on park hours, including festival dates, lineups, and activities can be found on the Disney World website or here at Eat Sleep Disney!

Thinking EPCOT is Not for Kids

If you’ve heard of EPCOT before this, you’ve likely heard of the popular (and unofficial) activity of “Drinking Around the World.” And, it’s not unreasonable to make the assumption that EPCOT is more of an adults-only theme park after learning about it. I am here to tell you that is WRONG!

Not only are there so many original pieces of EPCOT that are kid-friendly (and even educational!), but the recent additions to EPCOT make it one of the most family-friendly parks.

For example, certain character meet and greets are unique to EPCOT, including Moana, Mulan, and Alice from Alice in Wonderland, just to name a few. Additionally, each of the eleven countries around World Showcase offers a space called KidCOT. At these stations, kids can talk with an international representative, color, get stickers, and learn about that country. And, if you want to do some rides with your kids, you’ll find attractions that immerse you into popular Disney franchises such as Finding Nemo, Moana, and Frozen!

Skipping World Showcase

Speaking of the eleven countries of the World Showcase, don’t skip exploring them! Many people head straight for the rides, but that is one of the EPCOT mistakes a lot of people make. The countries have much to offer!

There are shops with items unique to each country, and each country has International Cast Member representatives from the geographical area! Guests can interact, ask questions, and learn new things from these cast members. Plus, each country also has an attraction or show of some sort.

And, perhaps most importantly, each country offers unique food and drink that gives you the chance to experience flavors from around the globe! Dining options are available in each country including table service and quick service restaurants! Additionally, festivals bring even more unique small-plate and drink options to each country.

Skipping the Shows and Entertainment Offerings

The entertainment offerings throughout the park at EPCOT are unmatched. There are Mariachi bands in Mexico, rock bands in Canada, the JAMMitors in World Celebration, Mimes in France, and so much more! Plus, if you’re looking for more unique activities and souvenirs, you can pick your own pearls in Japan. Or you can walk through a Tea Garden in the United Kingdom. Or, you can even hear the Voices of America in the American Adventure!

Don’t make these EPCOT mistakes and skip out on exploring the shops, dining, and the unique entertainment offerings you won’t find anywhere else.

Underestimating the Amount of Walking

The World Showcase in itself is 1.25 miles around, and the entire EPCOT park is double the size of Magic Kingdom. Walking around the World Showcase twice is 2.5 miles. And that doesn’t even include the rest of the park and the walk to and from the transportation areas!

Be sure to wear the proper shoes and know that you’ll be on your feet most of the time at this park. There are EPCOT strategies that can help plan the best routes for your day, as well as a boat that transports guests from the front to the back of the World Showcase, but overall, you’ll do a large amount of walking here.

Not Pacing Yourself

Whether it’s racing to your most anticipated ride, drinking around the world, eating around the world, or just walking the park in general, it’s important to pace yourself during your visit to EPCOT. There is so much to see and do. You don’t want to miss anything which is why the park is best enjoyed at a slow pace!

When it comes to drinking and eating around the world, whether it’s alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, you will fill up quickly if you don’t pace yourself. I suggest the “one an hour” rule. Aim for one snack or drink per hour, with plenty of water in between!

Additionally, running to the back of the park as fast as you can to rope drop Frozen Ever After or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure sounds good in theory. However, when you have walked from the front to the back of the park 3 times by 11AM, your energy levels will start to drop before the day has even started.

We recommend having a small-scale plan of attack for your essential must-dos of the day, but be sure to factor in some leisurely sightseeing to give yourself a break and embrace EPCOT the way it was meant to be explored!

Comments

Did your EPCOT mistakes make it on our list? Let us know in the comments what you think you could do next time to elevate your EPCOT experience!