10 Do’s & Don’ts for EPCOT at Walt Disney World

Are you planning a visit to EPCOT? We’re right there with you! EPCOT is one of our favorite parks, filled with attractions, entertainment, food, drinks, and so much more. EPCOT has undergone some massive changes, and there are a lot of new offerings to enjoy! Before you embark on your EPCOT adventures, however, there are a few “do’s and don’ts” you’ll want to know before you go. Exploring EPCOT awaits!

1 – DO Seek Out the Many New Offerings!

Disney Imagineers have been hard at work reimagining EPCOT and the transformation and construction are complete! Among the newest offerings are CommuniCore Hall and Plaza, World Celebration Gardens opened along with Dreamer’s Point, where guests can find the new “Walt the Dreamer” statue. Also the new nighttime spectacular “Luminous the Symphony of Us” delights guests at the end of the day with an amazing show around World Showcase Lagoon. Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is open and thrilling guests!

2 – DO Seek Out the Other New(ish) Offerings

A few of the newer additions to EPCOT since 2020 include the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along Film located in the World Showcase France Pavilion. There’s also a new Canada Pavilion film called Canada Far & Wide. If over in the American Adventure Pavilion, dine at the counter service restaurant called Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts and Barbecue. Another dining choice that is now open is Space 220, located near Mission: SPACE. You can also see Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France Pavilion.

3 – DON’T Pass on the Classics

Of course, seeking out the newbies is a must, but you definitely don’t want to pass on the EPCOT “classics.” Head over to The Land Pavilion to catch a ride on Soarin’ Around the World and Living with the Land attractions. The Seas with Nemo and Friends is a remarkable experience. Journey Into Imagination with Figment is, for sure, an EPCOT classic! Get your thrill on with Mission: SPACE and Test Track. Or, sing your heart out to “Let it Go!” on Frozen Ever After. All these attractions are staying put for now and keeping EPCOT’s heartbeat alive and well.

4 – DO Be Prepared to Join the Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!

As we mentioned above, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now open. It quickly surpassed Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as the most popular attraction at Walt Disney World. Because there is no standby queue for the attractions, guests must be prepared to join the Virtual Queue if they don’t want to pay (see #5) to ride the attraction. You’ll need the My Disney Experience app to request to join the Virtual Queue and receive a boarding group. There are two chances (three for Disney Deluxe Resort guests) for guests to join the Virtual Queue. It first becomes available at 7:00 am. For this time slot, you don’t need to be at EPCOT, and you can be anywhere: your resort, car, home, etc. If you don’t get a time at 7:00 am, you’ll have another chance to join at 1:00 pm, although at that time, you’ll need to physically be in EPCOT to join the Virtual Queue. Many guests are now reporting a lot of success getting a boarding group at 1:00 pm. However, do note that boarding groups for a virtual queue are limited, subject to availability, and are not guaranteed. Not all boarding groups may be called to return based on the availability of the experience. Finally, an evening Virtual Queue is available as part of the Extended Evening Hours benefit to guests of Deluxe Disney resorts. Deluxe Resort Guests can request to join at 6:00 pm, and they do not need to be in EPCOT.

5 – DO Be Prepared for Your Lightning Lane Selections Before You Arrive

If you plan to use the new paid Lightning Lane service at EPCOT, understand and be prepared so you know how and what attractions you want to book for the day. There are two Lightning Lane paid options that include different attractions. First, you can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass for the day of your visit. This costs anywhere from $15-$39 per day per person. With Multi Pass, you can access the Lightning Lane at several attractions at EPCOT. Guests can book up to three Multi Pass experiences and arrival windows. Disney Resort Guests can book seven days in advance, while other guests can book three days in advance. Once you redeem a selection on the day of your park visit, you can choose another Multi Pass experience from either group (subject to availability). See the list below for the Genie+ attractions at EPCOT.

Disney Genie+ Attractions:

Choose up to one experience from this group:

• Frozen Ever After
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World

Choose your other 2 experiences — or all 3 — from this group:

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission Space – Green and Orange
• Spaceship Earth
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush

A second option is to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass. The attraction below is NOT included with your Multi Pass purchase and must be purchased separately. Pricing ranges from $7-$25 per attraction per person. Lightning Lane selections can be made at the same time you book your Mult Pass selections.

 Individual A la Carte Lightning Lane Attraction:

• 1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Keep in mind that you do not have to purchase either of these options to enjoy these attractions. The standby queue is available for all but Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which still offers a (free) virtual queue.

6 – DO Stroll Around the World Showcase

Outside the attractions, our favorite thing to do at EPCOT is stroll around the World Showcase. The World Showcase has eleven Pavilions featuring different countries. Shop, dine, and enjoy entertainment specific to that country! It’s an incredible experience and boasts a wealth of cultural diversity right in the heart of Walt Disney World. The World Showcase is always a must-do, but exploring during one of EPCOT’s Festivals, where even more food and beverage kiosks are added to the mix, is especially fun. Happy strolling!

7 – DON’T Miss Out on Dining Reservations

EPCOT has some of the most unique and vast dining venues. With kiosks, food carts, quick service, table service, and fine dining…there’s something for everyone, and you won’t go hungry. But – we still recommend dining reservations. When it’s hot, and you’ve been walking around all day, the very best thing to do is sit down and enjoy a meal in the air-conditioning. Most of EPCOT’s table-service restaurants do fill up with dining reservations, or the wait for a table is extremely long. We recommend making your EPCOT dining reservation 60 days in advance if possible. The two-character dining experiences are Garden Grill Restaurant and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, which are some of the most popular dining choices. Book well in advance to ensure you get to dine at the restaurant of your choice.

8 – Don’t Miss Out on Characters

EPCOT is a great park where you can see all of the classic Disney characters, many Disney princesses, and even some unique finds like Figment! Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for locations and times, and EPCOT characters seem to move around often!

9 – DO Take Advantage of Disney Transportation

Take your pick…buses, boats, Skyliner, or Monorail! EPCOT is the Disney park with the most readily available Disney transportation options. Several forms of transportation go to and from EPCOT, so do a little research to understand better which transportation option will get you there the fastest. Plus, if you’re staying at the BoardWalk, Beach Club, or Yacht Club Resorts, you can reach EPCOT on foot. As strange as it sounds, the EPCOT parking lot is one of our favorites, too! So, even if you are a Disney resort guest and don’t want to take Disney transportation, parking access is excellent and free for resort guests and Annual Passholders.

10 – DON’T Overindulge on Alcohol

We love having an adult beverage or two when visiting EPCOT, especially when strolling around the World Showcase. We will say, however, that the “drink around the world” challenge of having a drink in each country needs to be handled carefully. Drink water, eat food, take breaks, and share drinks with a friend. Simply put, don’t overindulge on alcohol. You don’t want to ruin the magic for others around you or your own memories of EPCOT. And remember that Disney Transportation we mentioned above? Plan to arrive back at your resort safely without getting behind the wheel.

There you have our top EPCOT do’s and don’ts! Are you ready? Are you set? EPCOT, here we come!