We agree with many fellow Disney fans that visiting EPCOT before visiting the Magic Kingdom may be a good idea for a first-time visitor. It’s a subtler introduction to Imagineering than the “big brother” park (a.k.a. Magic Kingdom).
It’s not that EPCOT isn’t “Disney-fied.” It still offers rides, characters and princesses, mouse ears, and the like. But it also takes guests back to a World’s Fair experience, where thoughts of the future and discovery are at the forefront.
We’ll start off with the park’s must-do experiences. They include Spaceship Earth, Soarin’, Test Track, Cosmic Rewind, and every square inch of World Showcase. However, the all-encompassing best part of EPCOT is the FOOD! If you are staying at Disney for multiple days, we highly recommend picking a hotel on the Boardwalk and adding a park hopper to your ticket so you can dine at EPCOT every day.
Now, let’s move on to our recommendations for a first-time visit to EPCOT without kids.
If you’re a morning person, enter the virtual queue for Cosmic Rewind at 7 a.m. and get to the park at rope drop (when it opens). You’ll be able to explore and take photos without a lot of other guests in your way. You’ll also experience an hour or two of shorter lines for attractions. Our favorite plan is to go directly to the standby line for Test Track. After that, we hit Mission Space, then cut across to Soarin’.
If you’re not a morning person, you may want to invest in the Lightning Lane system (which must be purchased in advance) to schedule late morning or afternoon visits to the attractions you want to visit most.
For thrill-seekers, don’t miss the opportunity to experience Cosmic Rewind, a rollercoaster that offers plenty of innovation.
As we alluded to earlier, EPCOT’s number one asset is food. World Showcase is comprised of 11 country pavilions: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The park is constantly in a state of festival activity, so extra international food kiosks are dotted around the World Showcase in fall, winter, and spring.
There are two ways to tackle how you want to enjoy EPCOT’s culinary offerings. One is to try whatever dish comes your way, and two is to savor Disney’s spin on a dish you already love.
For sit-down dining, our favorite restaurants include Nine Dragons (China), Biergarten (Germany), Via Napoli (Italy), Teppan Edo (Japan), Spice Road Table (Morocco), Chefs de France (France), and Le Cellier (Canada).
For quick-service food, we recommend Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe (Norway), Katsura Grill (Japan), Tangierine Café (Morocco), Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie (France), and Yorkshire County Fish Shop (UK).
Don’t forget snacks and adult libations. There really are too many to mention, but our favorite snacks and drinks include empanadas and margaritas in Mexico, giant pretzels and beer in Germany, funnel cakes in America, shaved ice in Japan, and Grey Goose slushes and pastries in France.
Now, on to the shopping and festivals
EPCOT without children means you can really browse the World Showcase shopping areas. We like to stop in Norway to see the trolls and the cold-weather clothing. (For those of us who live up north, a little Nordic sweater souvenir gets a lot of use back home.) Japan’s Mitsukoshi Department Store is one of our favorite shops in all of Epcot. Where else can you get a real kimono and Hello Kitty candy? In the UK, we love the gathering of shops that sell everything from tea and British rock tees to medieval daggers and futbol jerseys.
Then there are the festivals. EPCOT seems to have some sort of festival in action most of the year. The Festival of the Arts takes place in January and February; the Flower & Garden Festival takes over in March, April, and May; the Food & Wine Festival starts in late August and runs until mid-November; and the Festival of the Holidays closes out the year in December.
For adults, Epcot is an experience you can’t get in many other places on Earth. What’s unique about the park is that it is ever-changing and expanding. That’s what makes EPCOT a place that is fun to visit again and again.
Congratulations! You just had a magical day.
More stories from our First Time Visitor Series:
Part I Magic Kingdom With Young Children
Part II Epcot With Young Children
Part III Animal Kingdom With Young Children
Part IV Hollywood Studios With Young Children
Part V Magic Kingdom Without Children
Part VI Epcot Without Children
Part VII Animal Kingdom Without Children
Part VIII Hollywood Studios Without Children
