Tag Archives: EPCOT

Lunch at Space 220

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Another Wonderful Choice

If there is one advantage that EPCOT has over all other parks at Walt Disney World, it is that the food options are incredible. There are so many restaurants to choose from and they are also unique and distinct. There are also the food stands around World Showcase. Especially during festivals, guests can find plenty to eat without even going to a restaurant. On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, we were able to finally visit Space 220.

A new experience

Space 220 was originally going to open during Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. The anniversary plans were seriously derailed by the Covid 19 pandemic. So instead of what may have been, Space 220 opened with little fanfare or excitement. But reservations were still hard to secure. I tried to book a table unsuccessfully on several trips. I learned there is a way to get seat at the bar by waiting at the entrance to the restaurant. But it can be long and there is no real way for Disney World to provide an accurate wait time.

Space 220 also includes the restaurant and the lounge, which are basically considered two different establishments. The lounge is located by the bar and allows smaller tables and a smaller menu of basically appetizers. The Space 220 Restaurant features an expensive pre-fixe menu. My reservation was for lunch, mainly because it was easier to get. I wasn’t thrilled with such a big meal for lunch. We did really want to try this place so we did what we could. I figured part of the cost was the experience. And we were not disappointed.

Out of This World

My spoiler free review of the seating experience is that it is awesome. The travel to the space station is wonderful. The dining hall is amazing. It is sleek and modern. It looks, feels and even sounds like you are in space.

The service and the food are wonderfully Disney. The wait staff was friendly, knowledgeable and great. The food was obviously amazing. The drinks were fun. The kids loved it. We all loved it.

I would definitely recommend the Space 220 Lounge over the restaurant for most people. The lounge gets you the same experience, but it would be a quicker to get back to the park and wouldn’t require a large meal. But for anyone looking for a top notch dining experience, the Space 220 Restaurant will surely be delightful.

Should you buy Disney Genie Plus???

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Walt Disney World is certainly a popular vacation destination. There are four distinct parks, including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. No other vacation involves so much planning and offers such a diverse list of activities. Every vacation to Walt Disney World is unique on its own. Being so popular (and so amazing), means that the cost of the vacation is expensive. And that is just the start. It goes up from expensive to pretty much astronomical. Therefore, budget decisions must be made. Things to decide on include resorts, dining, souvenirs, and other extras. Then there is Disney Genie Plus. It costs can vary by day, but expect about $15 per person per day, which can easily add up to a major expense. Disney Genie Plus allows users to make reservations (the old Fast Pass) for some rides throughout the day. So The question remains, should you purchase Disney Genie Plus.

Hollywood Studios

The Definitive Answer to the Question

The simple answer is YES. You need Disney Genie Plus. They way to think about Disney Genie Plus is that however it works out, it is really amazing to skip major lines on at least some attractions. It actually makes a big difference (especially for the kids) to get on a ride without a long wait. It makes for a nice break from the lines and makes them more bearable when you get back in one.

But the complicated answer is you don’t need it every day. Disney Genie Plus works best at Magic Kingdom. Because there are so many rides, you can get the most amount of reservations. The other parks have much more limited options, and it becomes less valuable. Animal Kingdom really has the least benefit and it can probably be avoided. Especially if you can get there early and rope drop. Hollywood Studios is so busy and the reservations go so fast, it is also a struggle to use Disney Genie Plus. But even if it only gets you a few rides, it can make a difference as Hollywood Studios usually has the longest waits. EPCOT is the second best park for using Disney Genie Plus. There are surprisingly a large amount of quality rides to book and they are some pretty great ones (Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Test Track).

It’s All a Matter of Preference

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Walt Disney World is a massive resort destination for family fun. There are four distinct parks, including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Each park has its own unique theme and feel. EPCOT is actually an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The theme here is clear throughout EPCOT, with a focus on science, planet Earth and Space. Hollywood Studios, especially with the new additions of Star Wars: Galaxy Edge and Toy Story Land, is where the movies come alive. Animal Kingdom is a combination of a zoo and a theme park. Magic Kingdom is the “happiest place on Earth”. By itself, it is home to six different lands that bring wonder and joy to children and adults.

EPCOT

It is important to remember when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World that there are no wrong answers. There are so many different things to do that every trip to Disney World can be unique. So when planning your next vacation, always consider your own preference and what your family likes to do. While there are some attractions that are universally beloved (or despised), most people have widely varying opinions. Don’t rely too heavily on reviews and other sources. Make sure you experience everything once for yourself. Within my own family, we have many disputes between our favorite rides. We even disagree on which parks we like best.

Animal Kingdom

Consider also why you are taking this vacation. Most likely it is to build family memories and provide an amazing experience for your children. So think about what they like to do. We have a child that absolutely loves animals. We therefore like to spend more time at Animal Kingdom than we normally would.

All Things Beauty and the Beast

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Walt Disney World is home to the most beloved characters in the world. Heroes, villains, animals, princesses, toys, the list goes on and on. Walt Disney World certainly maximizes the appeal of these characters in rides, shows, performances and greetings. One movie that certainly has left its mark on Walt Disney World is Beauty and the Beast. There are attractions in 3 of the 4 parks, with the exception being Animal Kingdom.

Hollywood Studios

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage is a professional production of the beloved movie. It runs about 20 to 25 minutes and contains all the classic songs and scenes. It is really wonderful. The show is played in a covered theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Showtimes are usually every hour, so there are plenty of chances to catch it. I highly recommend this show as it really is dazzling.

Magic Kingdom

Located in Fantasy Land, Be Our Guest is an amazing dining experience. It is a signature (think expensive) restaurant with a prefix menu. Patrons are able to dine inside Beast’s Castle and meet Beast. Walt Disney World unsurprisingly built the castle exquisitely to the finest detail. There are performance aspects to the dinner, and you can even take a look at the rose in the glass. The menu is expensive and the food is definitely high end, so this might not be for everyone. I’m not much of an eater myself, but for the experience alone we needed to try.

EPCOT

Located in (where else) France, there is an underappreciated attraction called Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. We really only stumbled upon it one day to get out of the rain. Again, it shouldn’t surprise me that even a small show tucked away in EPCOT contains Disney magic to delight fans. I won’t give anything away, but you should definitely seek out a time to see this show.

Art of Disney: Hidden Gem

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Each of the four parks at Walt Disney World each have their own unique character. And within each park there is so much activity that it is unavoidable to miss things. This is especially true when kids are so excited to get to the next ride. There is often little time to just slowly explore and take it all in. There are restaurants, snacks and shops around every corner. No park has more to discover than EPCOT. With World Showcase and a reinvented World Celebration, the journey through EPCOT can border on overwhelming. Within The American Adventure of World Showcase, there is a shop called Art of Disney. This artist showcase deserves a visit on every trip to Walt Disney World.

Loved this Inside Out artwork

Art of Disney sells quality and unique Disney artwork. We have made purchase here three times over the years. The prices are certainly reasonable for pieces that will decorate your home. They make great souvenirs and gifts. Purchasing art from Walt Disney World is a joyous moment that enables you to bring some of the magic home. We love having our Disney memories hanging on the walls.

A Mickey Mouse drawing we took home

Art of Disney is also an art gallery for all things Disney. It is wonderful to spend time just admiring the beauty. There are always new pieces to check out. They have other collectibles including figures and decorations. There is original art and limited edition items. Maybe one of your purchases will end up being a valuable item. It is said that art is also an investment. Why not invest in something that you will love to look at every day?

An Adults Only Trip to Walt Disney World

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For the first time in our adult lives, my wife and I traveled to Walt Disney World without our children. The 2 of us celebrated her 40th birthday on a 3 night vacation. Our thoughts before our vacation had us wondering what it would be like in Disney World without kids. Would there be enough to do? Would it be as fun or as magical? Would we miss them? Would they be mad at us? Well, all our questions were answered rather quickly. We had an amazing vacation. While it was certainly very different without our children, it was an experience every Disney Dad should enjoy.

EPCOT

We knew that we were not planning a usual vacation to Walt Disney World. We did not want to rush to make it to every ride. We wanted a relaxing pace so we could take in every magical moment. We also planned for a lot of time at EPCOT. We wanted to navigate World Showcase without the attention being on our children. We also wanted to see Fantasmic (finally) as it had been closed for almost 3 years because of the Covid19 pandemic. We added the park hopper option and made park pass reservations. We chose Magic Kingdom for our arrival day, because it was open late and we were staying at Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort. The second day we started at Hollywood Studios and ended at EPCOT. We reversed that plan for the third and final day, starting at EPCOT and moving to Hollywood Studios.

Bay Lake Tower

One of the things we attempted that we had never done before on a family Disney vacation, was to have a nice dinner. We made late reservations at California Grill inside of the Contemporary. We had a wonderful day at Magic Kingdom. We rode Splash Mountain (one last time before the new theme). We returned to our resort to grab a drink and watched the fireworks from our hotel room balcony. That was something we didn’t plan in advance but gave it a try when we realized we could. And it was so worth it. It was an experience we never considered, but it was so magical to have a private view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We played the accompanying music on the hotel TV and we felt like rock stars. California Grill was amazing and we lucked out with a table at the window with a wonderful view of Magic Kingdom.

The second day at Hollywood Studios we planned for a short stay there. We wanted to get to EPCOT right at 2 when park hopping opened. We watched Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream inside the Walt Disney Presents museum. It was a great show that we were never able to get to with kids. We had a few drinks at Oga’s Cantina and saw Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. The wait for Tower of Terror never got low enough for us to get in line. There was so much we wanted to experience without having to get on the thrill rides to appease the kids. Another first for us, we took a Friendship Boat to EPCOT. It might be the slowest way to make the trip, but it was so cool. And the boat operators entertain with jokes that imitate Jungle Cruise.

EPCOT without kids was awesome. We did get Lightning Lane reservations for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind twice. That ride is so much fun. We got to enjoy so much of what makes EPCOT unique and fantastic. We stayed until 11pm with extended hours and headed right back the next day at 8:30 for park open. We stayed until almost 5 pm and then finally headed over to Hollywood Studios. This time we took the Skyliner to Carribean Beach from EPCOT and hopped on the other line to Hollywood Studios.

Our night at Hollywood Studios included a Lightning Lane reservation at Rise of the Resistance, drinks at BaseLine Tap House, and a late 9:30 showing of Fantasmic.

Visiting Walt Disney World with only your spouse is so easy. It’s so much quicker to decide on where to go or what to eat. Many decisions become cumbersome when traveling with kids. It becomes even more slow when the extended family comes along. But with just 2 people that are so familiar and comfortable together, we traversed effortlessly through the parks. We were able to do so much in just three days, we both felt like we were there for a week.

Another EPCOT Hidden Gem

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EPCOT is a BIG park. To be honest, I find out something new every time I go. It is too big to really get to know in one day. But at the same time, it lacks some of the thrill rides that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have. It is hard to justify spending multiple days there on a vacation that is not super long. So there are sections of the park that people don’t get to explore and they unfortunately miss out on experiences. This is totally understandable as there is just not enough time to do everything.

The Seas with Nemo and Friends might just be the most overlooked area of EPCOT. There are no thrill rides here. The Finding Nemo right is cute, but it is not a big draw. Turtle Talk with Crush is not one of my favorites. Even the restaurant Corral Reef (which I personally love) is one of the easiest places to get a reservation. It doesn’t help that the area is basically tucked away in the corner of EPCOT. However, there is one thing here that should be a bigger draw.

There is a really nice aquarium here that you should spend some time checkingout. Sea turtles, dolphins and sharks can all be found in the massive tank. It is a wonderful indoor (think A/C) space where kids can run around and enjoy some freedom. I’m a big proponent of letting them run free at times as a little break from waiting in lines and being forced into compliance with the itinerary. Bigger kids can also learn from many of the friendly cast members.

The aquarium is accessible after the Finding Nemo ride or by walking into the unadvertised entrance to the left of the Nemo entrance.

Attraction Profile: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

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Something truly amazing is happening at EPCOT.   What Disney World is working to vastly improve the park. Without getting into too much detail here, there was a time not too long ago where I would travel to Walt Disney World and spend half a day at EPCOT. And that seemed like too much. Last year EPCOT welcomed Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. And they followed with the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is an unbelievable attraction. It is described by Disney as a rotating roller coaster adventure. My spoiler free review confirms that. It is definitely a one of a kind coaster experience. It is something different than most other coasters. And the entire attraction is just that, an experience. It’s almost like Disney Imagineers dreamt of a ride that combined Rise of the Resistance with Space Mountain. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is more than just a ride. It is an entertaining adventure.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is one of the most fun rides I’ve ever been on. Especially that first time, when everything is unexpected and guests don’t know what is happening. Disney did a wonderful job incorporating the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They created a blockbuster level movie in a theme park. I must admit that I do love the MCU and the Guardians of the Galaxy, so my experience was even that much better.

The attraction is obviously in high demand. As of right now, the only way to ride is with a virtual queue or Lightning Lane reservation. We purchased the Lightning Lane and it was well worth it. Much like Rise of the Resistance, there is more to the attraction than just the ride. The guests are pulled into the story and the experience.

Park Hopping Post Covid

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The Covid19 pandemic had lasting implications throughout Walt Disney World. The park reservation system apparently is here to stay. Park Hopping still remains altered, as you can only go to your second park after 2pm. But other than that, it was a seamless process.

EPCOT

I recently enjoyed a single day trip to Walt Disney World. I’m doing so, I purchased a park hopper pass and made a reservation at Animal Kingdom. My second park was going to be EPCOT. I really wanted to buy a Lightning Lane reservation for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Genie+ said guests can purchase reservations for any park even without a reservation, as long as you have a park hopper ticket. I was nervous Genie+ wouldn’t allow me to or it wouldn’t work right. My concerns were put to rest early, as I was able to buy the Lightning Lane reservation just before 7am.

The My Disney Experience App showed our park reservation for Animal Kingdom. We were then able to add into Genie+ that we were going to EPCOT as well. That was a fun and intuitive feature so we could see EPCOT attractions on our Tip Board. When we eventually got to EPCOT, it no longer suggested anything at Animal Kingdom.

We left Animal Kingdom at 1:30 which was a little later than we wanted. We couldn’t find the bus initially because the bus to EPCOT was off to the side of all the other bus pickups. We missed a bus as we were walking over and then had to wait almost 15 minutes for another one. We still got to EPCOT right around 2, but I would have expected busses more frequently as park hopping began.

In any case, we got into EPCOT easily. There wasn’t any back up or delay. The International Food and Wine was happening so we were worried it might be rough getting in, but we didn’t have any issues. Disney once again showed their process works and they provide the best guest experience.

A One Day Visit

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I recently did something I had never done before when visiting Walt Disney World. I went for just one day and didn’t stay on property. It was a very unusual experience to say the least. So how did it go?

I was in Orlando and decided to plan for a one day visit to Walt Disney World. Needless to say, it was difficult to pick which park to go to. So the first decision we made was to plan on park hopping. We definitely wanted to try and ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Also, the Food and Wine festival was going so we knew we wanted to end the day at EPCOT. For the morning we wanted to pick a park that had a few great rides that we would be able to do in a short time. We would begin the day at Animal Kingdom.

It was very unusual to go to Walt Disney World for just one day without planning for a long stay. We didn’t make any dining reservations and didn’t plan on using Disney Genie+. We did hope to get a Lightning Lane reservation for Guardians of the Galaxy and we were able to purchase those around 6:50 am.

We used a rideshare app to get to Animal Kingdom and it was smooth. We made it there by 8:30 am for a 9 am park opening. It wasn’t too busy yet and we got dropped off close to the entrance and didn’t have to wait in traffic.

Animal Kingdom

We started at Expedition Everest and barely waited. We rode that twice and hopped on Dinosaur, again with nearly no wait time. We then headed over to Avatar: Flight of Passage with a wait of 60 minutes. After that we made it just in time to catch Festival of the Lion King. We almost didn’t make it in, but did so after the initial seating and ended up with front row seats. We had a quick lunch at Pizzafari, watched It’s tough to be a Bug and made our way to the exit.

We got to the EPCOT bus stop just after 1:30, which was a little later than we wanted to be. As we approached, the bus was leaving. We then had to wait about 15 minutes for another bus. That seemed kind of long, as it was the beginning of the park hopping window and there were many people trying to move.

We entered EPCOT without much of a line at all. I expected there to be more of a rush at the 2pm opening of park hopping. There was a bit of a hitch, as none of our fingerprints worked on the first try.

We had our Lightning Lane reservation for 4pm to 5pm, so we didn’t want to do too much before that. We enjoyed some snacks and drinks at World Showcase. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is unbelievably awesome.

We then enjoyed some more dining and exploring of the Food and Wine Festival. We only made it on Soarin’ and Test Track to end the night. There was just too much to doin EPCOT for a half day. We got off Test Track just in time to watch Harmonius.

Leaving EPCOT using a rideshare was, unfortunately, not easy. Walt Disney World has seemingly not prepared enough for the rise in this technology. There were too few signs directing us where to go. We got lost at least once when we followed a sign to an area and then got there to find another sign pointing us back. There were temporary rideshare signs placed around as guides, but they were difficult to find. When we finally stumbled upon the right spot, there was no organization to the area. People were just standing around hoping to find their rides. It really was a mess. Disney World is going to have to devise a system for this emerging transportation method.