Epcot was Walt Disney’s beautiful and innovative vision of the future. Now, it’s Disney’s experimental, engaging, and inspiring theme park dedicated to science, exploration, and imagination. With so much to see, do, and experience, it can be a little mind-boggling to decide what to do and when to do it.
Fret not, for we have combed through the worlds of geodesic spheres and animated purple dragons to bring you which of Epcot’s attractions you should skip and which are worth a Fastpass+. So step aboard the monorail as we take you into a world of innovations and imagination with five attractions you must do and five you can skip.
Skip: Disney/Pixar Film Festival
To be fair, you should only skip this experience if you’ve seen the films presented in the attraction once already. It’s not that the Disney/Pixar Film Festival is a bad time, but it’s not one that bears multiple trips. Granted, they do change the lineup on occasion, but once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it.
Replacing the cult-classic Captain EO, the Disney/Pixar Film Festival shows different animated short films with a 4-D theatre touch. Though it’s not as immersive as something like Mickey’s Philharmagic, it’s worth at least one viewing. That being said, if you’re more focused on bigger thrills, save this one for later.
Do: The Seas With Nemo And Friends
Don’t let the colorful kid-friendly exterior fool you, this is actually a pretty impressive experience and a great way to enter one of the biggest salt-water aquariums in the world. You might enter in a Pepto-pink clamshell, but you’ll leave with your eyes bigger than baseballs when you see what lives in The Seas.
The attraction begins with essentially a dark ride through various scenes from Pixar’s Finding Nemo, but it ends with a trip through a beautiful underwater wonderland in Epcot’s own aquarium. The exhibits are impressive, beautiful, and full of various undersea life. Definitely don’t miss out on this one.
Skip: Gran Fiesta Tour
We honestly hate that we have to say this, but unless you’ve been through Gran Fiesta Tour before or simply have a special place in your heart for it, you probably want to skip it. If you didn’t like It’s a Small World, you probably won’t enjoy this one, with or without the Three Caballeros.
That being said, we recommend riding at least once if you’ve never seen it before. Especially if it’s due to get replaced by a Coco themed attraction. But if boat rides with animatronic figures aren’t your deal, we completely understand.
Do: Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Definitely, our favorite Epcot experience on this list, Journey Into Imagination with Figment is a love letter to the imaginative spirit of Epcot and is essentially a rite of passage for all visitors to the park. It might look like a kid-friendly dark ride, but if you learned anything from The Seas, you know better than to rely on looks alone.
As well as being home to the most infectious Sherman Brothers Song since “It’s a Small World,” Journey Into Imagination has enough Easter eggs, visuals, and creative winks to the audience to choke the most die-hard Epcot fan.
Skip: Living With The Land
Don’t get us wrong, Living with the Land is a fascinating and educational experience through Disney’s greenhouses along an uber-chill boat ride, but it’s still one of those things that if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it a hundred times. It’s not a bad ride, just a bit routine for our tastes.
If greenery, botany, and ecology are your deal, then, by all means, ride this one as much as you want before it gets its upcoming Moana redesign. While it’s fascinating to see the contributions Disney has made to science and engineering, there are better attractions.
Do: Test Track
Speaking of better attractions dedicated to science and engineering, we can’t have an Epcot attractions list without the ever-popular and iconic Test Track in Future World. Known as the fastest ride in all of Walt Disney World, this joy ride of tomorrow is an experience that’s practically mandatory for all Epcot Guests.
Build your fantastic future car and send its designs to the Test Track to see how it would fair in simulated environments, hazards, and various adverse conditions. The fun part, however, is the speed test that sends guests shooting down the track at 60mph. How’s that blow your hair back?
Skip: Turtle Talk With Crush
If you have small children or are just a big fan of Finding Nemo, then go right ahead and visit everyone’s favorite surfer-dude turtle. But if you’re looking for the best that Epcot has to offer, you might want to look somewhere else for a gnarly ride. Nothing against old Crush, he’s just meant for a certain, definitely younger, audience.
Essentially a virtual meet and greet with a certain drifter through the EAC, Turtle Talk with Crush puts guests in front of a screen with a voice actor bringing the character to life. It’s an interesting concept, but one we don’t have high on our list.
Do: Soarin’
There are two types of Epcot fans, those who prefer the Test Track and those who prefer Soarin’. If you have never experienced this incredibly beautiful and immersive flight around the world and back again, what on earth are you doing? Not only is this ride Fastpass+ worthy, but it’s also worth repeat rides!
In this incredible attraction, join Patrick Warburton on a high-flying soar around the world. You’ll see a German castle, the African Savanah, and even the Taj Mahal on your immersive journey. Using environmental effects such as wind and smells to bring these places to life, it’s an attraction that definitely needs to be experienced
Skip: Frozen Ever After
We know we’re stepping on some serious toes with this one, but let’s get a little perspective, shall we? Epcot is home to some of the most incredible, imaginative, and engaging experiences and activities in the whole world. In a park where you can test your own car of the future, explore the oceans, and soar over the globe, why on earth would you want a Frozen ride?
Call us biased, salty, or whatever you want, but we just don’t believe Anna and Elsa have a place outside of the Norway pavilion’s Meet and Greet. Ask anyone who’s ever been exposed to the Maelstrom and ask them if we’re in the wrong. It just doesn’t match the ultimate Epcot experience.
Do: Epcot’s World Showcase
Honestly, we could spend an entire day in the World Showcase alone. We know it might be kind of cheating including half a theme park on this list, but if you’ve ever wandered around the various pavilions dedicated to over eleven different countries, you definitely know why we would.
From Mexico to Morroco, there’s more than enough to see, do, taste, and experience to fill up any guest’s itinerary. If you’ve ever wanted to travel the world in twelve hours or less, you could probably do it here. Enjoy different internationally themed attractions, sample cuisine from different countries, and above all, see what the world has to offer.
