Following the traditional list that Disney uses for its parks, the next stop on our Walt Disney World trip was Epcot. The closest park to Magic Kingdom and at least twice the size lies the park that stays away from your stereotypical theme park and focuses more on the achievements of the human race. In terms of technological advancements and celebrating worldwide cultures.
I thought that Epcot was more of a showcase than an actual theme park, there aren’t many rides and the few that are they tend to focus on the rest of the theme of the park. Split into Future World and World Showcase the massive park still allows you to easily spend the entire day here. I found that out of all four Disney parks, this was the best for adults to enjoy. There is always a different side theme here as well that is reflected with the beautiful gardens at the front and throughout the park. Whilst we were here, the side theme was the food and wine festival…which was pretty cool.
The obvious flaw in the park is the quality of the rides. A lot of them are fairly boring and don’t really offer any thrills. Whilst they do touch on important subjects such as climate change and how our planet is being affected by human influence, after a while it does kind of get shoved down your throat. Test Track is by far the best ride in the park, whilst waiting in line you get to design your own car and then ‘drive in it’. The final stretch is worth the entire wait as it is literally the only ride you’ll find a thrill in the park.
The world showcase is the real highlight of the park, 11 different countries and cultures are celebrated, with most celebrating the setting of a Disney character or film. Each has a small area that has a recognisable building structure, a few restaurants that represent their food and a few added extras at each part. We ate in Japan at a teppanyaki restaurant and was probably the best meal we had in Orlando, to give you a kind of example the Japan area contained one massive Japanese style building with two restaurants, outside a Koi pond with bridges and flowers showing a classic Japanese garden with a drum show happening every so often.
While Epcot certainly can’t be missed in terms of family holidays I can see this being more for the adults than the children. Even for people of my age the best part about it will most likely be the World Showcase area as the majority of the rides are fairly disappointing. The Seas with Nemo and Friends is a must on the trip as well, the ride isn’t much but the massive aquarium that supports it is fantastic. We spent ages here with a fantastic range of sea animals including two massive manatees that had been rescued.
So whilst the majority of Epcot can seem boring, it does send of really important messages and celebrate the history of man. It you treat it as the park that it is, you’ll have fun here, plus it’s a refreshing change from all the other theme parks in the city.
Rating – 3.5 Stars
An Average Explorer 