** Epcot **

 

-This is my second favourite park.  It is huge and you will do a lot of walking so pace yourself!  You may want to do this one over two days.  There are two parts to it. The first part is called Future World and the second is World Showcase.

-In FW there are several great rides to do over and over (if the lines are not too long). My favourite, which you can also find in Disneyland, is Soarin. Awesome ride!! The other is Test Track. Look for a Hidden Mickey in the queue for this one.

-There is the best store for shopping in FW called Mouse Gears. I love this place. Yes lots of the merchandise can be found at other locations, but there is something about this store.  It has to be seen to believe!

-The Living the Land ride is slow, but a great way to see some behind the scenes stuff and take a break. We often ride it more than once just to take it all in. 

-In FW there is the Living Seas area. You have to see the Turtle Talk with Crush show! It is a riot and just if you have watched Finding Nemo J. The Nemo ride is slow paced, but fun. Watch for the seagulls outside. Love these guys!!

-The other buildings have a vast array of things to see and do. Take your time and enjoy. If you get the chance head to Club Cool for a drink and make sure to try a Beverly!!

-You can sign up to do a Kim Possible mission while you are in FW. This is a lot of fun, kind of like a spy mission. You may want to leave that to another day if you go more than once as there is so much to see.

-You can build and test out your own robot in FW.

-The other part of EPCOT is World Showcase, my favourite. J  There are eleven countries represented in pavilions set up around the Lagoon and it can be a long walk around. Hence the need for a day to it in. There is so much to see and do. Have a drink or snack from each country to try something new. My favourite is the bakery in Norway. You must try the school bread!!

-Mexico, the first country to the left of the lagoon if you are facing it, has some incredible stuff to see and buy. The ride inside this pavilion is a little silly, but fun. It has air conditioning, which can be a must on some days!! And the ride is like a little boat ride, with some interesting characters tagging along!!

-The ride in Norway, it is called Maelstrom, is pretty cool. If you like roller coasters you will like this ride.

-China is the next country, to the left and they put on an amazing acrobatic show. If you want to catch it check the Times Guide.

-That Times Guide and a Park Map are a must to pick up when you enter every park. I would get two. They are very helpful in planning your day and you may want to head to the Guest Relations of the first park you visit to see if you can get them for the other parks so you can plan ahead.

-A few other highlights are Germany and its toy shop and new caramel shop, called Karmel Kuche.  A bit of heaven in there!! And this is where you will find  Snow White!

-Next is Italy. This pavilion is beautiful and has wonderful restaurants Tutto Italia and Via Napoli.  Yum! The shopping is pretty great here and if you are lucky you might just run into Pinocchio J

-The American Adventure pays homage to its host country.  You will find the Voices of Liberty singing during the day and they are amazing.  The Spirit of American Fife and Drum Corps are equally wonderful. This pavilion is also where the Candlelight Processional is hosted during the Christmas season. 

-Japan’s streak house ( Teppan Edo) and the candy lady Miyuki are wonderful parts of the Japan pavilion.   At scheduled times she makes candy outside for people to watch and purchase. It is a show in itself and the candy is pretty cool. Japan also has the “Pick a Pearl” store if you like pearls.

-Morocco has the delightful Restaurant Marrakesh with great Moroccan fare and belly dancers!  Lots of fun to be had along with superb leather goods, beautiful fezzes and maybe even a chance to chat up Princess Jasmin or Aladdin.

-France has a huge array of perfume and you might see Marie the cat from the movie “The Aristocats”, another all time favorite of mine!! Or Belle from Beauty and the Beast! Great photo ops here.

-United Kingdom is a lovely pavilion with the feel of old world Britian.  There is a really cool maze to check out and get the kids to expend some energy and lots of street performers to watch while you sit a spell with a pint from the Rose & Crown Pub.  You might even see Marie from The AristoCats!

-Canada’s pavilion is full of very familiar things, but it is neat to see and they have two awesome things; the movie and the restaurant Le Cellier. It is wonderful, but hard to get into. It is recommended that you make an Advanced Dining Reservation for Le Cellier, but it cannot hurt to try a walk up when you are there.  If you are lucky you might just get in.  Try to see a performance by Off Kilter.  They are an amazing Celtic rock band and they play in Canada!

-The best way to end the day is to watch IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This is a pyrotechnic type show on the Lagoon and it is wonderful!  You can watch it from anywhere around the lagoon, but a good spot is on the stairs at the Canada Pavilion.  This is a breath taking show.

There is so much more to Epcot then what is here.  It is worth spending time in both parts of the park, even if two days are needed.  You will do lots of walking in Epcot so wear good shoes, but take time to enjoy it.  One last tidbit is the Photo Pass Magic Shots.  If you decide to use the Photo Pass option that all Disney parks have you can get a really cool Magic Shot here.  In your photo it will appear as though Mickey, Minnie and the gang are swooping over you on a hand glider much like the one on the ride Soarin’!  It is a priceless photo.

 

Enjoy Epcot!