Help ME to love Epcot more.

[LimeGreenCheri]

We're helping MargaretJ to love Animal Kingdom more, so I need you to help ME love Epcot more. It's my least favorite park, we spend the least amount of time there. So, what is it about Epcot that I'm missing? I did discover I like Morrocan food the last time. :wink:

[Joe]

Well Cheri, while EPCOT is not my #1 (that's reserved for MK), it certainly is #2. We really love the variety of things to do here. With all of the attractions in Future World to learn from and really enjoy to the new and exciting things going on at Innoventions. (Remind me sometime to tell you how that exhibit cost me dearly! :lol:!) To the dancing fountains, love the Yanni piece they play there, to Test Track and the pre-show explaining how they do crash testing to Energy to Life. And I won't even get into Spaceship Earth, that is one ride we have to do every time we visit EPCOT, even if it is the only thing we do in Future World. There is just sooooo much to absorb there. And then when you get into the World Showcase, seeing and experiencing all of the explanations and exhibits of the different lands is just such a kick. Then we can talk about the dining opportunities there, just the sheer variety makes it a really tough decision to make every time we are there. All in all, I go into overload every time we visit the park.

[pixi]

Joe, tell us about Innoventions!

[Kaycee]

Hi Cheri!

I agree with everything Joe said (Hi Joe!). I'll also add a few more reasons why Epcot runs neck-and-neck with MK as our favorite park.

The entertainers are wonderful. You have Off Kilter in Canada, British Invasion in Great Britain, the mariachi band in Mexico, the Chinese acrobats, the living statues, American Vybe...I could go on and on. We never go to shows at WDW - that's just not something that interests us. But the entertainers at Epcot are different. You don't have to sit and wait for them to entertain you, you catch them as you're walking through the countries...I just think it is wonderful!

Then there's the shopping. Of course, you've got Mouse Gears, which is one of my favorite WDW shops. Then, on top of that, you've got all the great stuff from all the countries in World Showcase.


There's so much to see and do at Epcot, we never feel like we have enough time to see everything we want.

[JennyAnne]

OK, granted the last two times I went to WDW I was in 8th and 12th grades, so it's been awhile. But my favorite park when we went was EPCOT. (I guess I was a nerd-kid, considering most kids aren't crazy about this park) I think I liked the WS, learning about the different countries and seeing all the colors involved. I also have very fond memories of Maelstrom and Spaceship Earth with my mom and the rest of my family, but I guess that's more personal. I don't remember much about Innoventions and FW, so I guess I would have to conclude that WS is what did it for me. I also liked shopping in the stores that each country had to offer and of course, I loved Illuminations.

I worry because I think Jeremy is not going to care for this park as much, and this will probably be the place I will want to spend the most time! I know...I'll lose him on Main Street and scoot over to EPCOT for the day! :rofl:

[SuzyQ]

Cheri,

I think the key for us (now that we have gone with my nephews) is that kids make a big difference as to what you will see and how much you will enjoy it.

For us, the kids just were not that interested in Epcot (except, of course, Mission:Space and TT). DH and I felt that we jsut didn't get a chance to take in the fabulous entertainement that we know is there (from previous trips). Without being able to stop and enjoy entertainment like the Jamitors, British Invasion, and various theatrical acts, we would not find Epcot as interesting (we love going through the various countries - very romantic, but not so much so with kids).

So, I guess I would recommend trying to spend an afternoon there with out yoru adorables and see what happens. It's really the kind of place that you should stop and smell the roses!

~Suzy

[MargaretJ]

Epcot is my very favorite Park & believe it or not Matt's too. When he was young to get him interested in World Showcase I bought him one of the Passports they sell there. He loved going to each country & finding the CM to complete his Passport for him. They will sign the book in their own native language & then if you ask will translate what they wrote in the back of the Passport.

Future World is great for such attractions as Test Track, Cranium Command, Food Rocks, SpaceShip Earth, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Mission Space, The Land & yes even Ice Station Cool. Fun to try the various drinks & even more fun to trick people into trying Beverly.

World Showcase is all about different cultures, shopping, entertainment & last but not least FOOD. Where else can you in a few hours visit 10 other countries, sample their foods, meet people from that country, shop around the world, learn about other cultures, & be entertained on the spur on the moment? I love Off Kilter in Cananda, British Invasion (how cool to eat Fish & Chips while listening to Beatles songs), the Chair Acrobatics in France, Myuoki in Japan (absolutely fabulous), Mo Rockin in Morocco, American Vybe, Living Statues in Italy, Chinese Acrobats - I could go on & on but before I stop how about Illuminations - Awesome!

Course one of the best things I love about Epcot besides FOOD, did I mention FOOD, chance meeting of the Manager from Animal Kingdom Lodge at Teppanyaki & having him upgrade our Standard room to a Deluxe Savannah View.

OK I know I probably have overloaded you now, but give it a chance you and your whole family can fall in love with this park. This is the prettiest Park especially during Christmas & Flower & Garden Show. Epcot is like 2 Parks in one. I promise I am going to give Animal Kingdom more attention my next trip.

[Sheryl]

Cheri,

We find that the older our boys get, the more they(and we) enjoy Epcot. We discovered Imagination last summer and spent hours there. We did the Figgy ride, and then had tons of fun, playing with all the computerized things. We still have sections of Epcot that we have not really looked into like the Energy building, but plan to next time.

Last summer they had alot of fun at Test track as well as Mission Space. I think my 12 year old would have loved it if we let him play in the little kiddie area. :lol:

And of course there is LeCellier in Canada, which is my families favortie restaurant at Epcot.

Sheryl :minnie:

[MissBianca]

Cheri, I've noticed you're more of a commando--and Epcot is the kind of experience you have to find your self. So it may just be a style missmatch. It's our favorite! 'Course as engineers we can talk about something like Mission: Space all day.

I think your experience would be improved if you came up with a theme for your Epcot day, like lets learn everyone's name in all the different languages or to visit Future World to get ideas for future science projects.

And by all means stop and pay attention to the entertainment! Get those kids dancing in the street!

[sandar]

hi Cheri,

I really like MissB's theme idea, which I intend to steal and adapt for our own trip later this year. The passports Margaret mentioned would probably help everyone get into the spirit of visiting the country pavilions, too.

If those ideas don't grab your socks, there's always all the great food to sample. :popcorn:

Sandi

[BriarRose]

Another great thing we did that really made Epcot for us was to take the Bakstage Garden tour during the Flower and Garden show. It was wonderful to literally stop and smell the roses! I love wondering around the world by myself. I send DH and DD off to do the things they like and I wander from place to place. Epcot is one of my favorite places to sit and watch the world go by. The people are definately an entertainment!

Of course FOOD is another one. Where else on Earth can you eat through 12 countries in a day. So grab a chocolate something from the bakery in France and pull up a bench. Definately worth some mental RandR after commando touring with the fam.

BriarRose

[VillianGirl]

I love Epcot!!! It's nerd heaven and I'm a nerd. I don't know if I'd say it's my favorite. I've never really been able to choose a favorite. But I probably spend the most amount my time in Epcot.

What specifically do we like? First of all because of it's size it never seems as crowded as the other parks. I detest crowds so that right there is a big plus. The thing I love about FW rides and attractions is that they are both fun and educational. I noticed particularly on this last trip in Dec they triggered a lot of interesting conversations between DS and I. I also love Ice Station Cool - where else can you enjoy the experience of grossing yourselves out on exotic foreign colas for free? (Okay, I guess that's sort of nerd-thing.) I also have wonderful memories of DS playing in the sidewalk fountains during our first trip together. TT and MS are very cool thrill rides. They also have the advantage of being non-spooky thrill rides which makes them DS-friendly (he loves fast, he's not crazy about spooky). Both of DS's two favorite rides are in Epcot - Rio del Tiempo (Mexico) and Spaceship Earth. We also both really like just hanging around World Showcase. The food alone is worth the trip but what I like most about it is that's there's always something going on in terms of entertainment - music, acrobats, jugglers, those statue guys, etc.. We especially enjoyed seeing each of the countries' Santa facsimile this past year when we went in December. I'm not a big show person, but I love American Adventure (I cry everytime). I also saw the France movie for the first time this last trip and really liked it a lot. The China and Canada films are also good but France has the advantage offering a place to sit while you watch it.

Hope this helps.

[LimeGreenCheri]

Cheri, I've noticed you're more of a commando--

Who? Me? :roll: No way! :wink:



Ok! Ok! I admit it.
<marquee>My name is Cheri and I'm a commando tourer!</marquee>

[PoohbearFan]

I love EPCOT, too, and we usually end up spending at least a day and a half to two days here. Two of my favorite things to do, which I don't think anyone has mentioned yet (unless I missed it) are Living with the Land boat ride and the France movie. We always do each of these 2-3 times! :lol: And, of course, we ride Spaceship Earth countless times each visit.

I think all my other favorites have been mentioned by others...I also enjoy the Living Seas and watching the dolphins there, the huge fountain shows to music, all the varieties of food choices in WS, the American Adventure and, of course, ILLUMINATIONS!!! :clap:

I hope you "discover" this park soon! :tink:

Poohbear

[MikeS]

Hi Cheri,

You are not alone. Some guests cannot embrace EPCOT because they can't figure out just what theme EPCOT is pushing.

Also, EPCOT is a hard sell for young children.

Sheryl's post indicates that as the kids get older and more curious about the things around them then EPCOT tends to grow on them as well.

I think EPCOT is a good theme park to visit just about the 72nd hour you've been in Orlando. That's when most people hit the WDW wall and exhaustion sets in.

If, however, you are in World Showcase and just strolling from country to country then you will find yourself relaxing a bit and actually recharging.

Think of EPCOT as two theme parks in one.

You have Future World up front which is sort of a techhie theme park...and then you have the pastoral like (bear with me on this) World Showcase. Take your time walking around World Showcase.

I think there are many areas to discover in EPCOT but this theme park is definitely one in which slugstyle touring works best.

My $.02.

MikeS

[smallworld0]

I just think it all stems from your manner of park travel. If you're a commando-style of tourist then I think it's hard to appreciate the meandering qualities EPCOT offers. In each side of the park are opportunities to slow down and explore. It's a stop-and-smell-the-roses kind of park. Think of getting into every nook and cranny of each country, then make sure to give yourself plenty of time at each station in Imagination East and West. You'll be glad you gave it a shot and your adrenaline will be pumping a little slower. :mrgreen:

Nancy

[Barb D]

Epcot is my favorite park: Why maybe this will help you understand for me.

I love all the variety there. First in the World showcase I love how I get to taste visualize and get to know a little piece of so many different cultures and countries. Its like getting to go on a vacation but never needing to go in areas you dont understand with the language. I know its such a small sampling but to me its enough to appreciate so much.

I lvoe future world for a whole different reason. I love what small world said about looking into nooks and crannies. I love Innoventions for this. They have a lot of hands on learning areas and kiosks. My favorite is the DDR (Dance Dance revolution) in one of the Innoventions. You dance to the disney tunes based on whats on the screen. This 40somehting loves to do it even with the teenagers. I love how we watched a little puppy called Aibo - Im convinced my next pet will be Aibo! Hes so cute and smart and no doggie clean up in the yard if you know what I mean. I love how they intermix all this learning with rides. Test track to some is just a fast moving ride but stop to look at the displays and learn something new each time you enter the building.

Epcot to me is so much more than a Theme park. Its like living smack dab in the middle of a discovery chanel show. Try to view it this way and you may discover something new you never even thought about. I for one feel like my knowldeg is a pea in a gallon of water. I know I love to learn all the time.

[Cinderella]

Well, Cheri:

You are a commando-style tourist like I am but this last trip I actually slowed down quite a bit (due to the fibro and fatigue, I MADE myself slow down enough so as to get through all of Epcot without being carried out!) and found that I never enjoyed Epcot so much.

Anyhow, my favorite is and always will be MK as I am one of the oldies who was at DW at the beginning and there was ONLY MK to see. When Epcot came along, our children were not thrilled about it so not much time was spent there.

I did love getting my Passport for Epcot for our 2000 trip and I got all the countries signed and stamped and have it as one of my great souvenirs of that park.

We always loved going through FW but then had to rush through WS. This time we took our time in both and seemed to enjoy each area more.

We've always gone in the summer before and I always had to look for an attraction that would allow me to sit and get out of the hot sun. We always did Maelstrom and the boat ride in Mexico and sat to watch the dancers in China etc. But, since we went in Dec. last trip, we really had time to stroll along and stop whenever we wanted. We really spent a lot of time watching that great statue in Italy and had more time to just visit all the shops we wanted (and buy something in most of them!).

One trip I took alone with DS after DD left for college. DS was about 13. He was not thrilled that I planned to spend time in Epcot (he had never been but said it sounded boring to him). Well, the day we went, he was dragging his feet when I headed to WS. Well, when we got to Italy, he was picked to perform with the street players and never had so much fun. He was talking about it all the way home. He also was very impressed with the food offered and liked having so many choices at each country.
So, they DO change their mind as they get older with each trip.

DH's favorite restaurants are in Epcot - specifically Le Cellier - so he enjoys going there. He has to buy something from Italy each visit. And this actually was THE FIRST time I survived long enough in Epcot to see Illuminations - well worth it.

I have not yet succumed to the desserts in France but plan to try that next trip. We've only eaten at Biergarten once but hope to try that again too. Plus, so many here have their favorite restaurants in each country that we must try some new ones next trip as well.

This trip was our first time to eat at The Land's Garden Grille for our rehitchin' ceremony and the characters and food were both great.

Still so much to see that we have not gotten to. Always something to try and I think your kids will enjoy it more as they get older. Give it a try!!!!

Cinderella

[Kaycee]

I think MissB really hit on something - find a theme for Epcot, and I think it'll make all the difference.

Our first trip, we got the passports for the guys to get stamped in each country. That really kept them interested.

Our second trip was at Christmas, and we had taken the guys out of school a couple of days before the school break started, so I promised my older DS's teacher we'd do a report on the storytellers at Epcot. Going from country to country listening to each storyteller and getting pictures for his report was a blast!

Our third trip was just DH and me, so the theme was finding adult, romantic stuff we'd normally overlook with the boys. Needless to say, we had a great time!

I just realized...now we need a theme for our next Epcot visit! :shock:

[findmewdw]

MargaretJ,
Where do they sell the passports? The last time we went to WDW, my kids weren't fond of Epcot either and we didn't get to spend hardly any time there. Of course, they were 2 and 5 at the time. I'm hoping this time, Epcot will be more to their liking.

[Rosebud]

finemewdw,
They sell the passports at all (or most of) the stores and carts in World Showcase - don't know if you could find them in FutureWorld. They are usually located right near the cashier. If you don't see them, just ask.

One year when we did it and stopped in Japan to get it signed and stamped. They wrote my DD's name and a message. I was thinking it probably really didn't quite say her name since their language is so different than ours, but then we had to go to a different area of Japan for the stamp. When we got there the lady read the name - we were so surprised.

When you get it done, make sure you write down in English right away what they wrote because you won't remember later. I don't remember if there is much room to do that, but I would suggest having a small notebook with you and write the country name and the message so you can refer to it later.

[Kaycee]

We bought our passports at the gift shop in Showcase Plaza, as you're leaving Future World and entering World Showcase. I think that's a convenient place to buy them because you won't have to carry them around Future World but you'll be ready to get your passport signed and stamped at the first country you come to.

[Thumper]

I can't add much to what everyone has said already except to say that Epcot is my favorite park as well!

Epcot has Spaceship Earth, which is one of my fav rides in WDW, as well as all sorts of neat nooks and crannys to explore. My last trip was the first time I'd even heard of the Coke station, let alone go sample some of the flavors.

World Showcase is lots of fun for me - cause, well, hello?? Shopping and food - what's not to love? :rofl:

I know it's "Disney's" version of other countries, but I probably will never get to most of these countries, so WS offers me the illusion of being a world traveler!

I think Miss B's idea of finding out everyone's name in each language is a great idea!

:)
Sue

[DonaldDuck]

DH and I use to feel the same way. We did not enjoy Epcot that much. Magic Kingdom will always be my favorite park at WDW. But, the day we go to Epcot is a leisure day. We look in the shops of World Showcase. We try food from each country. We watch the different shows that the countries have to offer. I love World Showcase more than Future World.