Short on Time at Epcot

[jeddalynn]

What rides and attractions in Future World at Epcot (only!) would you say are must sees, and others that can be passed if you're short on time?

The reason I am asking is becuase as I was going over my plans for my next trip (I am a meticulous planner) I realized I was setting myself up for the same problem I experienced last time: fatigue.

Things went like this:

Day One - MK. Camped out early for the opening. Stayed all day until Wishes. Tired but ok.

Day Two - DHS. Doing good. A bit tired. We stay late and follow it up wtih a late night at AC. VERY tired now.

Day Three - EPCOT. Tired in the morning. By the end of the day, I'm so exhausted I can't stay for illuminations which made me very sad.

Day Four - Animal Kingdom. Darn tired. Kind of have a lower mood by now due to being worn out.

This time around I'm going to plan it so I have a little more time to be off my feet and get proper sleep and down time. Its going to be tough and sacrifices will have to be made! The trip this time is layed out exactly the same as the last one and I don't want to be so worn out for Epcot and Animal Kingdom!

So, in summary of this much too lengthy post, I have decided to roll in a little later to Epcot (10 - 11) and see only a few choice attractions in Future World and devote the rest of my time to the Pavillions. I hope that made sense and please

[Shugoondola]

My can't be missed rides in Future World are Soarin' (get a fast pass early!!-10 or 11 might be too late), Living with the Land, and Spaceship Earth. I also love Test Track, but sometimes the wait can be long if you don't have a fast pass or go in the single rider line.

Also, be sure to check out Club Cool.

[DREAMADREAM93]

Oh geeze, i can see how you'd be tierd! You have to hit Test Track and Mission Space and Spaceship Earth. There are like, no exceptions to those (: I personally can't vouch for or against Soarin because even though i've been like four times since opening, i've never ridin it. The line is outrageously long. Me and my dad got to epcot around 11:30am one morning and the fastpasses for Soarin were GONE. & from what we heard, they had been gone for a while. But if you have time, take a trip by Journey Into Imagination (: it's a favorite !

[EvilQueen2006]

My can't miss attractions
-soarin
-mission space
-test track

When you start to get tired or hot head to
-Ellen's energy adventure
-spaceship earth
-living with the land

That should recharge your batteries and give you your second wind to tour the world showcase.

[jeddalynn]

Ok, well, so far there seems to be a consensus that I shouldn't miss test track, soarin', and mission space. I'm going to throw in spaceship earth too because...well....I guess because its spaceship earth!

[ASweetLov]

for me its Spaceship Earth, Test Track and Honey I Shrunk The Audience Oh and make some time to go into MouseGears, its a great store

[AndrewJackson]

Soarin' is an absolute must, one of the best rides in all of WDW. I would also not miss Spaceship Earth, it tells a great story, and still has some of the original concepts that Walt envisioned Epcot would be. The other rides; Test Track, HISTA, Imagination with Figment, Living Seas, Mission:Space, I could live without. I typically try to make some of them each visit, but not all of them.

[Goofy Texan]

I too got exhausted on my first trip. My feet hurt so bad I wanted to cut them off and throw them away!

You can see sooo much more in the morning, its a shame to waste them. I suggest you break up your day. Do 4 hours in the morning so you can hit the headliners with little wait. Then take a break. How long the break is depends on how long the park is open. Limit your evenings to 4 hours. If a park closes at 9, then plan to be back around 5. During your break, you can do anything you want as long as your off your feet 90% of the time. That means you can see a movie (at the theater or in your room), eat, ride Disney boats and monorails around, or lounge by the pool. The point is to make your break hours as restful as possible, but still feel like your on vacation.

Also think about how to save energy. Don't stand around waiting for a park to open if you can sit and wait. You'll pay for that 30 minutes of standing for nothing, later in the day. If needed, take turns waiting in line, or do as we do and just sit on the pavement

If you're heading back to Epcot to see the World Showcase, consider taking a bus to Disney Studios and picking up the boat to Epcot from there. The 30 minute ride will give you a nice tour of the boardwalk area, you'll be off your feet, and it deposits you right were you want to be - in the World Showcase. The 30 minutes can be part of your break so you won't lose any park time.

My last suggestion is to avoid getting to the point where your feet are killing you. This especially applies early in your trip. There just isn't enough time during breaks and sleeping for your feet to recover for the next day. A good test is if you sit for an hour (say to eat a meal) and when you get up, your feet still complain, it's time to get off them for an extended period. We've found that 4 hours of touring a park is just about right. We leave with our feet complaining, but only needing our afternoon break or a nights sleep to recover.

Oh, I do have one more suggestion - in the weeks leading up to your trip, stand as much as possible. Go places and do things that require you to be on your feet until they reeeaaalllyyy hurt. Build up them feet and they won't let you down at Disney.

I hope this helps!

[Jonas_Swe]

Hi!

My suggestions for Not-to-miss attractions at Epcot FW (in no particular order):

• Soarin'
• Test Track
• Mission Space
• Living Seas

If time allows, linger ans enjoy the rest of the pavilions that host the rides above. That way you don't have to rush around like crazy from one end of FW to the other.


Good luck!

[jeddalynn]

Ugh. This is starting to remind me of when I worked in retail. Standing on my feet all day. Blech. My feet and calves were soooo sore at the end of every day.

I know that it's probably wise to go back to the hotel for a break in the day, but I don't know if I would be able to bear it. I feel like I have only a few precious hours to spend! And I have to make them all count! But I'm going to store that idea as an option, just in case.

Thinking about it more, I think I can reasonably be at Epcot for 10 am. Hopefully this will give me the chance to ride Soarin. I rode last time and loved it and would HATE to miss it

I guess I'll just have to make sure we get to AC good and early the night before and watch the so we're chipper the next day!

[biodtl]

If I could only choose one ride in Epcot, it would be Soarin, without a doubt. TT is a great ride, but the lines are long and breakdowns are common. If you can get a FP or use the single rider line, though, I'd say do it.

[crazygoalie39]

Spaceship Earth!!! That's basically my only must see in Epcot. There are a lot of really good attractions like Soarin', Test Track, and Mission: Space, but none of them compare to SE IMHO.

[#1donaldfan]

Must dos.......uuhhmmm......

1. MS, but first FP TT
2. TT
3. Head to Soarin.....wait time may be long by now, so maybe just FP it and go to Seas and Club Cool.....
4. Grab a snack at Yorkshire Country Fish Shoppe for the best Fish n Chips...
5. Now maybe Soarin...
6. Then to the showcase for a stroll and taste test of snacks and goodies....

This is of course by opening the park....plus, I've missed a Zillion other things to do and see, so maybe hit a few other things as you stroll around.....???? this has worked for us many times....have fun and good luck!!!!

[McGoofy]

Spaceship Earth--not only is it the Epcot icon, but it has recently been renovated. Some of the changes are pretty neat.

Soarin--I LOVE this ride.

Test Track--If you don't mind splitting your party up, you can save time by doing the single rider line. We went with a party of 7 on our last trip. The car holds 6, so we told our son to keep riding in the single rider line until the rest of us got to the exit. My son rode as a single rider FOUR times to our one time in the standby line!!!

Those are my 3 must do's in Future World. I am not a Mission Space fan or Universe of Energy fan, but that's just me. And FYI, Universe of Energy is something like a 30 minute (maybe longer) ride. Not a good idea when you are short on time.

Have fun no matter what you do!

[EvilQueen2006]

Originally Posted by McGoofy

And FYI, Universe of Energy is something like a 30 minute (maybe longer) ride. Not a good idea when you are short on time.

True, but its a nice sit-down air conditioned break. And, takes less time then going back to the hotel for a break.

[McGoofy]

Originally Posted by EvilQueen2006

True, but its a nice sit-down air conditioned break. And, takes less time then going back to the hotel for a break.

I agree with you there. I love the pre-show with Ellen Degeneres. "Stupid Judy!!" And yes, we always enjoy the air conditioned ride when it is hot outside. Unfortunately, my DH and I both have often caught "cat naps" when on this ride! And that's just because we finally get to sit for a long time!

[momof3+twins]

Catnaps on the rides, I remember those. And in the shows too! Disney is SOOOO tiring!

[jeddalynn]

Ooooh. I was just reading about the Grand Floridian Spa and Health Club. They have a special "Soothing Tired Leg Treatment". 25 minutes for 45$. Now THAT would be just the thing for tired legs and feet! To bad there's nothing like that at epcot! What a wonderful break in the middle of the day that would be!