- sugilley
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
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Editor Pick
EPCOT
- September 5, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
tinkerbell7856 from New Orleans, Louisiana
EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, is a theme park unlike any other in the world. Divided into two sections: Future World and World Showcase, the park offers some thrills, hands-on experiences and demonstrations, delicious dining, and numerous learning experiences. The question of how long to spend in this park is a rather difficult one. If you are pressed for time, you can easily spend half a day hitting only the main attractions. If you have a lot of time allotted for Epcot, you could easily spend an entire day or two in the park.You can reach the park by monorail, so if you are coming from a hotel on the monorail route or from the Magic Kingdom, this is the easiest and quickest way to get there. If not, you can simply take a bus from your hotel.
The front half of the park is Future World. Different themed pavilions house various shows and attractions. Your first stop should be The Land pavilion. This houses Epcot's newest ride, Soarin', a simulated attraction that makes you feel as if you are hang gliding over California. It is still extremely popular and lines can get very long if you don't make it there early in the morning. Next, head to Test Track. This ride takes you through the various aspects of vehicle testing, including uphill climbs, cold and hot chambers, use of brakes, and actual course driving at speeds of up to 65 mph. If the lines are long when you get there, either grab a Fastpass or use the Single Rider line. Although the Single Rider line separates your party, it is well worth it because it often saves you from a long wait. Mission:Space is next on the agenda. This is a ride worth experiencing, but I wouldn't necessarily call it fun. The ride simulates take off and weightlessness in space, which ultimately amounts to intense pressure on your head. If you don't want the intense experience, Disney now offers the Green Team line, which allows you to ride the ride without the high powered spinning. (The Orange Team is the original ride).
The other attractions have relatively little wait time. The Land Pavilion has a Living with the Land boat ride that can get crowded. Quite frankly, the ride is not thrilling and is only worth going to if you get a Fastpass and can get on with no wait. The Imagination! Pavilion has the always entertaining Honey I Shrunk the Audience 3-D show. Just be aware, many youngsters are scared of this show because it features dogs, snakes, and mice in 3-D. Spaceship of Earth is the attraction housed in the giant Epcot ball. The attraction is a mediocre ride through the history of communication. The Universe of Energy is an entertaining show/ride through energy with the always witty Ellen DeGeneres. Unfortunately, the show is a bit long (about 45 minutes) and breaks down rather frequently. There is also the Seas with Nemo and Friends. This pavilion features a kiddie ride and many displays and exhibits with sea creatures. Finally, don't forget about Innoventions. Housed in two different buildings: Innoventions East and Innoventions West, both feature futuristic video games and interactive exhibits. My absolute favorite is a walking tour of the House of the Future! You can spend as little or as much time as you want to hear.
The second part of Epcot is World Showcase, which features pavilions of 11 different countries. The only ride here that ever gets a long wait is Maelstorm in Norway, so hit this boat-ride attraction first. Other than that, take your time wandering through the other countries. You really need to check your park map to see the different forms of entertainment taking place in each country. Be sure to try some delicious cuisine from one of the countries, and remember lunch prices are always much cheaper! My favorite food is Teppan Edo in Japan and Marrakesh in Morrocco. Also, catch the American Adventure audioanimatronic show in the US. Canada, France, and China each have movies, but if you are pressed for time, skip them. There is nothing spectacular about any of them. Wander through the stores and take lots of pictures as you meander through the countries and as park closing nears, grab a spot and watch the always amazing Illuminations fireworks.
From journal Walt Disney World & Universal Orlando!
Florida's Best is All in Orlando
- July 19, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Ray Garner from madras, Oregon
It's no wonder that this is number 1 visited spot in Florida. Not that the other spots can't be fun. But Orlando is the best. I enjoyed every thing. Walking a chore at my age, but my wife was smart enough to get a product named Florida's Best APR that relieved the soreness and pain, that I would normally feel. She just rubbed alittle around the knees and ankles and it went to work. Now it was a pleasure keeping up with the grand kids and enjoying all the attractions.
Editor Pick
Around the World in One Day at Epcot
- July 11, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Poole Party from everywhere, Virginia
Epcot Center provides a snapshot of the world - from 'traditional' houses and plazas from Mexico, Japan, Italy to Canada, to food and drink from around the world.
In addition to the highlights from various countries, you can visit some rides like the Viking Boat voyage, a boat ride around the various 'countries', and also visit some cool and comfortable indoor theatre shows about the country. Worth the 30 minute of cool down time before you head out to the next country.
When you are done walking around and eating the fare from each country, you can stop in at Future world for exploration of time and travel with exhilirating rides like 'Soaring' for the big kid in all of us, as well as enjoy some character interaction with shows like Turtle Talk with Crush, which is entertaining for the little kid in all of us.
Once again, something for everyone. Epcot used to be one of the highlights of theme parks, but seems to be losing some of its attraction because the World Showcase is just not as fun as a theme park filled with water and roller coasters. Still, I found it quite engaging and fun for the kids, especially if they do the little project of walking around the world to collect little stamps from each country.
Epcot has Fast pass for the ride and is a great day's excursion at a much slower pace than Magic Kingdom and some of the other parks. Worth a visit in my opinion.
From journal Activities in Orlando, FL
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
- September 13, 2007
- Rated 3 of 5 by
houdini16409 from las vegas, Nevada
I think that Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is one of the better family rides in Tomorrowland. You sit in a car and help Buzz shoot all. It is a lot of fun. It is suited for the whole family and is not scary for the little ones. Everything glows in the dark, so it is really cool.
The ride is quite popular so it may be one of those rides that you will need to Fastpass, and come back so that you do not need to stand in line. Another suggestion would be to visit this attraction right away in the morning to avoid the crowds.
From journal Disneyworld with the Whole Family
Editor Pick
Disney's Epcot
- July 14, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
willtraveler from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Epcot, Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, has become much more exciting over the last couple of years. All the major attractions can be covered in one day, but there is so much to see that one could easily spend two or more days wandering around.
Line up at the park gates before official opening time. As soon as you are let in, head straight to Soarin in the Land pavilion. This ride simulates hand gliding and is a fun, relaxing, and not at all intense experience. Next, cross Future World and hit Mission Space and Test Track. Often times visitors stop at Spaceship Earth, the ride located inside the giant Epcot ball, first. This is a huge mistake! Lines are very, very long in the morning; however, if you wait until the afternoon lines are almost unheard of.
After hitting those major attractions, visit the Imagination Pavilion to catch Honey I Shrunk the Audience. There is also a new Finding Nemo attraction in the Living Seas. It loads fairly quickly, so it is not usually a big problem. Ellen's Energy Adventure is a good, long ride that rarely ever has a wait. Do it during the afternoon to escape the heat.
World Showcase opens at 11, several hours after Future World. As soon as it opens, head over to Mexico and Norway first to do the two boat rides. After that, take some time to leisurely stroll around the other countries. Also, try to catch the American Adventure. I certainly recommend dining at one of the countries. I have eaten at Teppanyaki in Japan and Marrakesh in Morocco. Both are unique dining experiences. The Moroccan food was very good, although I must warn that it has a very distinct taste that not all diners enjoy. I certainly suggest eating out for lunch, since the prices are often much cheaper, and grabbing some form of quick service food for dinner.
After you finish strolling around World Showcase, head back to Future World to catch anything you have missed. Innovations is great fun and you can spend hours exploring all the different areas. Also, though the Test Track lines often get long, if you don't mind splitting your party up, hop in the single line for a very short wait. If you make it until park closing, be sure to grab a good spot for the amazing Illuminations firework display.
From journal Walt Disney World!