Guide to EPCOT in 2024

EPCOT is typically the favorite park among adults. EPCOT always has something new to discover between the seemingly endless weeks of festivals and eating and drinking around World Showcase. EPCOT also has plenty to offer kids and families with character meet and greets, exciting rides, and cultural exploration.

A trip to Disney World wouldn’t be complete without a day spent at EPCOT.

Check out our other park guides:

• Magic Kingdom
• Hollywood Studios
• Animal Kingdom

Getting To EPCOT

Where to stay will determine how you get to Epcot. Your transportation options may include bus, monorail, boat, skyline, or walking.

The Monorail to EPCOT

Guests staying at the Magic Kingdom monorail resorts, Disney’s Grand Floridian, Disney’s Polynesian, and Disney’s Contemporary can easily take the Monorail to EPCOT. To get to EPCOT, take the Monorail at your resort to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and then transfer to the EPCOT Monorail.

You can also park hop from the Magic Kingdom to EPCOT via the monorail.

Pro Planning Tip: We recommend using Jessica Lieb with ET Family Travel to book your Disney vacation!

The Skyliner to EPCOT

Resorts located along Skyliner routes can easily be navigated to EPCOT. Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort give you direct access to EPCOT via Skyliner. Guests staying at Disney’s Art of Animation or Disney’s Pop Century Resort will take the Skyliner to Caribbean Beach and then transfer to the EPCOT Skyliner.

Guests using the Skyliner to visit EPCOT will enter the park through the International Gateway in World Showcase.

The Bus to EPCOT

Bus transportation is the most popular mode of transportation to the parks from Disney resorts. Buses start to run before the park opens until after the park closes. Check your My Disney Experience app for updates on bus times.

Resorts in the Boardwalk area do not offer bus transportation to EPCOT since you can easily walk to the International Gateway Entrance. The Boardwalk area resorts include Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, and Swan and Dolphin Resort.

Walking to EPCOT

Guest staying at the Boardwalk area resorts, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, and Swan and Dolphin Resort can easily walk to the International Gateway entrance of EPCOT.

Boat to EPCOT

Guests staying at the Boardwalk area resorts can also take a Friendship Boat to EPCOT. The Friendship boats travel to Hollywood Studios and Epcot from the Boardwalk area resorts. The Friendship Boats take guests to the International Gateway entrance.

Driving to EPCOT

Guests may also choose to drive to EPCOT. Parking at all four theme parks is included for Disney resort guests. Guest staying off-property must purchase Standard Parking ($25/day) or Preferred parking ($45 – $50 per day). Guests pay one fee for a valid parking pass all day at all four theme parks. Annual pass holders do not have to pay for parking.

Transportation within EPCOT

Epcot is a large park, and walking around World Showcase can be exhausting, especially for the little ones. Thankfully, there is transportation within Epcot, the Friendship Boats. The Friendship Boats ferry you across World Showcase Lagoon. The boats travel between Canada and Morocco and between Mexico and Germany.

Epcot Attractions, Dining & Shopping in 2023

EPCOT was an experimental concept developed by Walt Disney in the sixties. EPCOT is an acronym that means “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” His original plan included a futuristic city where people lived and worked together with advanced technology.

Today, the idea of EPCOT has been developed into a theme park focusing on educational and technological innovation. EPCOT is divided into four distinct “neighborhoods,” World Discovery, World Celebration, World Nature, and World Showcase

World Discovery

World Discovery explores the wonders of science and technology.

World Discovery Attractions

• Mission: SPACE
• Test Track
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

World Discovery Restaurants

• Space 220
• Refreshment Cafe
• Joffrey’s Coffe and Tea Company

World Discovery Shopping

• Treasures of Xandar

World Celebration

World Celebration connects guests with the global community.

World Celebration Attractions

• Spaceship Earth
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment

World Celebration Entertainment

• Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival

World Celebration Restaurants

• Connections Cafe
• Connections Eatery

World Celebration Shopping

• Pin Traders
• Gateway Gifts
• Club Cool
• Creations Shop

World Nature

World Nature will leave guests amazed by our incredible planet.

World Nature Attractions

• SeaBase
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Living with the Land

World Nature Entertainment

• Awesome Planet
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends

World Nature Restaruants

World Showcase

World Showcase allows guests to discover cultures across 11 countries.

World Showcase Pavilions:

• Canada
• United Kingdom
• France
• Morocco
• Japan
• The American Adventure (USA)
• Italy
• Germany
• China
• Norway
• Mexico

*The Outpost is a small Africa-themed area.

World Showcase Attractions

• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros – Mexico
• Frozen Ever After -Norway
• Meet Anna and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus – Norway
• Reflections of China – China
• The American Adventure – American Adventure
• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – France
• Impressions de France – France
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – France
• Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 – Canada

Kidcot

World Showcase isn’t the most exciting place for kids. Disney knows this, so they created Kidcot. Kidcot Stops are fun stations located in each World Showcase pavilion.

• Visit a Kidcot station in any pavilion to collect a Ziploc “suitcase”
• Collect Kidcot cards from each country.

Kidcot cards come with a sticker, a blurb about the country, and at picture to color.

World Showcase Scavenger Hunts

During the many Epcot festivals throughout the year, EPCOT offers scavenger hunts. To participate in the scavenger hunt, you purchase the map and stickers at one of the gift shops near the front of the park. Upon completing the scavenger hunt, you will typically collect your prize at one of the same gift shops.

Using Genie+ at Epcot

What is Genie+?

Genie+ is a paid add-on service for guests in each Disney World park. The Disney Genie+ service allows you to bypass the standby line at selected attractions via Lightning Lane, and you may pay for the privilege of skipping the line on two high-demand attractions a day by purchasing Individual Lighting Lanes.

Genie+ is priced per day per ticket. Prices vary by park and park capacity.

Individual Lightning Lanes charge a separate fee for Lightning Lane access to the more popular rides. Genie+ cannot be used on rides that have Individual Lighting Lanes.

Genie+ Rides in Epcot

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• Frozen Ever After
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Individual Lightning Lane

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Early Entry at Epcot

One of the perks of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort (or a Good Neighbor Hotel), is that you are eligible for Early Entry. Early Entry allows guests to enter the park 30 minutes before the official opening time.

Rides available for Early Entry at Epcot:

• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along (please don’t spend your Early Entry time doing this)
• Frozen Ever After
• Mission: SPACE
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Characters at Epcot in 2023

Epcot is where you can meet many characters in their home countries. You can meet Belle in France, Mulan in China, and Mary Poppins in the United Kingdom.

Epcot Character Meet and Greets

There are a lot of opportunities to meet characters at EPCOT throughout the park. Check their meeting times in the My Disney Experience app.

Characters that meet in the front of the park:

• Goofy & Pluto – near the entrance.
• Mickey Mouse – Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival.
• Joy and Vanellope von Schweetz – ImageWorks in the Imagination Pavilion.
• Winnie the Pooh – outside near the Imagination Pavilion.
• Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Daisy, and Pluto – near Spaceship Earth or at the Gazebo at the front of World Showcase.

Characters that meet in World Showcase:

• Alice – United Kingdom
• Mary Poppins – United Kingdom
• Belle – France
• Princess Aurora – France
• Snow White – Germany
• Mulan – China
• Donald Duck – Mexico
• Elsa and Anna – Norway

Epcot Character Dining

Booking characters dining is a great way to meet multiple characters at once.

Garden Grill – The Land pavilion. Characters you can meet: Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – Norway Characters you may meet: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White.

Epcot Outdoor Entertainment

Epcot has many outdoor entertainment options, with various small performances occurring in almost every country throughout the day. Something is always going on, from the drummers in Japan to Mariachi Cobra in Mexico. Check your times guide or My Disney Experience app to see when performances are occurring during your visit.

Special Events and Festivals at Epcot

Epcot holds several festivals throughout the year.

Festival of the Arts

Epcot’s Festival of the Arts runs from mid-January to mid-February. Festival of the Arts celebrates culinary, visual, and performance art.

Epcot’s Festival of the Arts highlights:

• Artistically inspired food
• Notable performances by unique artists
• Art booths featuring exceptional artists
• Animation Academy
• Opportunities to participate in community art projects
• Photo ops
• Festival merchandise

Flower and Garden Festival

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival occurs in spring.

Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival highlights:

• Garden focused food
• Live concerts and music
• Character topiaries
• Festival merchandise

Food and Wine Festival

Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival runs from the end of July to mid-November.

Epcots’ Food and Wine Festival highlights:

• Food and drink inspired by countries around the world
• Events with celebrity chefs
• Outdoor entertainment and concerts
• Culinary demonstrations and seminars
• Festival merchandise

Festival of the Holidays

Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays runs during the Christmas holiday season

Epcot’s Festival of the Holiday highlights:

• Holiday themed food
• Candlelight Processional
• Holiday Cookie Stroll
• Holiday Storytellers in World Showcase countries
• Holiday Entertainment
• Festival merchandise