Skipping Epcot?

[EpcotFan182]

It's hard for me to imagine skipping Epcot because I love it so much, but I'll agree with others when I say to skip it. If you and your family don't enjoy it as much and feel you can fill the time doing other things then go for it! It's your vacation so do whatever you want to do!

[KennyandKim]

I can't imagine what kind of talk they got when boarding Spaceship Earth. That's the first I've ever heard of something like that. Are you confusing it with Mission Space?
Epcot is our favorite. Have you done anything else other than Soarin and Test Track? I'm confused.

Yes my daughter corrected me it was Mission Space that they got the talk. We only did Soarin and Test Track at Epcot. At otehr parks I rode Splash Mountain, BTMR and I even did EE (i can't believe I did that one), Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, Spaceship earth. All very mild rides. I would never to RNRC OR TOT.

[TheVBs]

Definitely, if you don't think you'll enjoy your time there, skip Epcot.

There's no way we could skip it though! I couldn't imagine not going to The Seas, or riding through the gardens on Living with the Land, and as silly is it is, I love the Figment ride. I also love Spaceship Earth. I think there's enough to do and see in Future World that's worth a visit if you want to skip the World Showcase.

[crltkcagle]

What about Figment and nemo? I know your kids are older but would they enjoy these just for the experience? There is also plenty to do at innoventions. I know when I was a teenager I didn't like Epcot either. I was all about the thrill rides and could care less about the countries. My mom used to drag us through them and I hated it. Now that I'm older its one of my favorite things to do. Maybe you could do the Kim Possible thing in the countries. It's a fun way to really see all the things that are over looked there.

[forever a child]

My suggestion would be to give it another chance on your next trip. Do some of things mentioned here that you missed before like American Adventure, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, and Kim Possible. Try a new restaurant, go to Innovations. At least give it half a day and see if you feel differently.

It would be sad to be missing out of some great things just because you never gave it a second chance. It may never be your #1 park ever (which is ok)...but you may find there are some things there worth spending a half day to visit and do and there are definitely some nice restaurants worth exploring to make your time more enjoyable.

[Daisy'sMom]

If you are not that happy with it, then don't go. We only visit AK every now and then because we only like to do the safari and the shows. But if you ever want to try it again, take your time and look around at all the things that make it a Disney park. The detail is remarkable and listen at certain points. You will experience alot more than you think.
I guess I want everyone to love it because I do.
Whatever you do, have fun.

[BellesRose]

I think Epcot is lacking in thrill rides. I would never ever try Mission Space, but other than that, the thrills are limited. Test Track is quite boring, in my opinion. And though I like Soarin, they wait line is always way too long, and I would never consider it a "thrill" anyways.

On the other hand, I feel like they are lacking in slower rides as well. Living with the Land is good to do because there isn't a wait, but not at the top of my "to-do" list. Nemo is fine, but not a favorite, though your kids might like it. I thought I was going to die on Figment - worst ride I've ever been on! I don't recommend it if you already don't like Epcot - it gave me the creepiest feeling and I wanted to go to a different park immediately. I didn't feel like I was at Disney when I went on it.

So basically, I get your point for wanting to skip. I'm not a hater - I love visiting the countries simply for France, Italy, and United Kingdom. Love it enough to call it my favorite park. But I really do understand what you mean, and I still stand by previous statement that you should skip it in favor of something you love.

[luvdiznee]

I could never skip EPCOT. WS one day FW another day. Then maybe WS again!

[PrettyMinnie]

IMO, the age of your DDs is the perfect age to enjoy Epcot, but of course everyone is different. I much prefer WS rather than Future World while in Epcot, and true, a lot of it is poking around in shops, but if you enjoy trying new foods I would suggest taking the time to try what the different countries have to offer. We typically "eat around the world" and share a snack or each get something small in each country. Also, not everything is foreign food. We got really good root beer floats at the African outpost.

Another thing Epcot is good for is pictures! There is almost always a photo opportunity, so take advantage of it. This may just be me, but I feel like there is always something to see and admire while walking through WS. There may not be as many advertised attractions, but if you take your time, you can find some gems. If you have a little extra cash, your family could try the Segway tour. I have heard nothing but good things!

I just wanted to elaborate more on what Epcot has to offer, I completely understand if this particular park isn't for your family. Happy planning!

[kemps@wdw]

We would never think of skipping Epcot. Future World is only a small part of the draw for us. We usually take 2 days for it. We simply enjoy strolling around the WS lagoon, sampling all the food and drink, (that's why we go during
Food and Wine Fest), catching the local musical talents, checking out the shops (not necessarily buying) and the movies, and I am always looking for new photo opps. (and finding them even after 30 yrs). Our DD is older also, and doesn't move at as slow a pace as us, but she likes the "stroll" also. I think it gives you an opportunity to slow down in an otherwise fast-paced atmosphere!

[eandrsmom]

If your kids aren't really into Epcot, then skip it. Fortunately, ours LOVE it, and have loved it since they were little. We let them know at an early age that Epcot didn't have as many "rides" as MK, but was cool it's own way. They now look forward to the feedings in the Living Seas, tasting food from the different countries, and watching some of the street entertainment. The Chinese acrobats are awesome! I think my kids are really impressed, because the acrobats are near their age. Overall, if you're looking for a lot of thrill rides, they may be disappointed. For us, a trip to Disney wouldn't be complete without a visit to Epcot.

[KennyandKim]

Thank you all for your comments. It has helped alot. We did do Living with the land and Finding Nemo on our last trip. I guess majority will rule on our next trip. I would be willing to give it another try. I have a hard time spending time in shops when there is so much else to do and things I want to do. LOL! We did find great photo ops when we were there last time but not sure its enough to take us back there. I guess I will try to convince my family to give it another try.

[RocknBev]

I understand your situation....my DH is not a big fan of EPCOT all of the time. He comes and goes. My suggestion would be to make an ADR in the WS which is one of the best parts anyway! They have such fabulous restaurants and then you could enjoy Illumnations as well! Have fun and do what makes you happy....isn't that why you go?!

[tinkerbellfan246]

For me, personally, I would never skip Epcot. If I were to skip a park it would most likely be Animal Kingdom. I guess liking or not liking Epcot is just a matter of opinion, not having to do with age. I know older kids who enjoy Epcot. If you don't enjoy Epcot as much as the others though, I would skip it and not waste time being somewhere me and my family didn't enjoy

[CaptSmee]

We usually do 2 days or more at Epcot depending on how long we are staying at WDW. We usually start a day there, hitting all of the Future World attractions then have a nice dinner at 1 of the countries and leave afterwards. Then we do a day where we either park hop or sleep in a tad and re-ride out fav Future World attractions and spend the rest of the evening walking around World Showcase. The movies are all good, there's some great entertainment to be found, the food is excellent, and we enjoy hitting the shops particularly in Japan & China. We then stay for Illuminations as well.

[CosmicRay]

Epcot is our favorite, it was our favorite long before we had kids and now our oldest kids (ages 9 and 8) love Epcot too.

But people would think we were crazy because he don't like AK and we don't care for much at DHS. There have been times that we just skip those parks all together.

It's your trip and your preference, do what you like!

[Crow]

I could never skip Epcot I love partaking of the refreshments, eating at t diff places, seeing the diff castmembers..
I took my gf on her first trip last Jan & we are going back next month..she said she doesnt want to go to Epcot much cause of the walking...but she did like Soaring & Test Track. and I bought her a ring in Mexico & proposed...we did Kim Possible.
I like SE, SOarin, etc also.
We will be eating in England & a few other countries this time
I usually start at Epcot & visit it almost every day of my trips

[Mogie]

Epcot takes 2 days to really see for a few reasons:
1) It's basically 2 parks - Futureworld and World Showcase
2) Size - it takes a LONG time to walk around the world show case, and Future World individually, let alone walk from one to the other.
3) The rides in Futureworld typically have really long waits, because they are some of the newest attractions in the park and because there are so few of them in Epcot.
4) Theres so much detail in World Showcase, so many little performances and specialized shops you can spend a lot of time at each country.
5) Your day will typically involve a meal at one of the country's restaurants.
6) You will want to stick around for the fireworks at night and find a good viewing spot ahead of time.

[FenwayGirl]

It's true that everyone has different likes and dislikes, but I cannot imagine not setting foot in Epcot on a WDW trip. On our upcoming trip in May we will be in Epcot some time of the day on 3 of the 5 days we are there.

[AllDisney]

While at WDW do what you like. If EPCOT is not for you don't go.

EPCOT is our favorite park we love to walk around and take it all in. We always allow 2 full days to do this park. The one park we could miss on a trip, now & again, is AK.