EPCOT is arguably the least family-friendly park at Walt Disney World, so you may not need more than a few hours to do everything of interest if you have small children. With that said, a full day at EPCOT is highly recommended for first-timers.
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In general, you should think of Epcot as a two-day park. There's so much to see and do that you really need a couple of days to enjoy everything without feeling like you're rushing through the park. But we recognize that most people can't or won't give two of their precious days at Disney to Epcot.
The best part is that you can eat lunch in a small village in Mexico and by evening you can dine near the Eiffel Tower. You can easily spend a full day (8+ hours) in World Showcase, but you can likely hit the highlights in about four hours.
As a general rule of thumb the best day of the week to visit EPCOT typically tends to be Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. We would recommend visiting on a Wednesday during the festivals mentioned above.
Epcot is a huge park in terms of sheer square footage and a number of attractions. Nonetheless, with two full days to explore it is entirely possible to get an excellent feel for the park. Keep an eye on the time, but allow yourself to get off the beaten path. Epcot will surprise you with its hidden secrets.
EPCOT is arguably the least family-friendly park at Walt Disney World, so you may not need more than a few hours to do everything of interest if you have small children. With that said, a full day at EPCOT is highly recommended for first-timers.
If you are driving to Epcot, aim to be to the parking lot plaza about 1 hour before the parks open. If you are taking the Skyliner, be to your station around 90 minutes before the parks open. If the monorail is running, you'll want to be to the station about 60 minutes before park opening.
So when should you visit for the lowest crowds, generally? Go on a Wednesday! Fewer guests head to EPCOT mid-week and you can hopefully then walk up to the festival booths without having to wait in long lines. As a bonus tip — make sure to visit the festival booths early in the day.
Walt Disney World Epcot – Best for Ages 8 to 14It's a great theme park for intellectually curious kids (and adults) but not the best for little kids under the age of 8. Older kids will enjoy some of the major thrill rides (like Test Track and Mission: SPACE) and may really enjoy World Showcase.
Walking Distances at EPCOTEPCOT is more than two times the size of Magic Kingdom, coming in at 300 acres total. Just the walk around World Showcase alone is 1.2 miles. If you walk completely around Future World and World Showcase, you'll be at 3 miles easily.
If you really just want to do theme parks every single day of your trip, then I'd suggest 2 full days at Magic Kingdom, 1 or 2 full days at Epcot, and then one day at each Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
If you are able to walk past all of the tempting pavilions, (what willpower!) your trip around World Showcase is about 1.3 miles. Sooo, considering the fact that you may have strollers and other obstacles in your way, I would allow 30 minutes just to be safe.
Is Epcot fun? For the right visitor, yes. If you're into rides more than general theme park merriment and atmosphere, we suggest skipping Epcot, as it doesn't offer as many thrills. However, families, foodies and world's fair enthusiasts will likely enjoy their time at this concept park.
If you're wondering what rides does EPCOT have, you'd be shocked to find out that there are more rides at EPCOT than at Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom! There are 11 rides at EPCOT in 2023, and only 9 rides at Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom.
Walking Distances at EPCOTEPCOT is more than two times the size of Magic Kingdom, coming in at 300 acres total. Just the walk around World Showcase alone is 1.2 miles. If you walk completely around Future World and World Showcase, you'll be at 3 miles easily.
A Magic Kingdom itinerary is simply a must if your family only has one day at Disney World. The main reason being the Magic Kingdom Park is by far the most-visited theme park in the world.
The Disney After Hours at EPCOT event takes place from 10.00pm to 1.00am. You can get a head start on the fun by entering EPCOT at 7.00pm. You do not need a Disney park reservation or additional ticket to enter EPCOT after 7.00pm.
Saturday and Sunday tend to be the busiest days in all parts of Disney World, and Epcot is no different. The busiest time at Epcot is on a weekend day during a festival. If you're visiting then, you'll have to accept that you'll have tens of thousands of people with you!
The EPCOT fireworks showtime is usually 9:00pm, every night. Epcot Forever is a temporary show, they run it while they are doing lagoon work so it's short and to the point.
The Extended Evening Theme Park Hours program allows guests of Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Disney Resort Hotels and select others to enjoy a theme park on specified nights for up to two hours after it closes to the general public.
Doing both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT in one day requires a Park Hopper add-on to your ticket. Park Hopper add-ons are $65 per 1-day ticket, $75 per 2 or 3-day ticket, and $85 per 4 to 10-day ticket.
You can absolutely purchase a single-day park ticket to visit both Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. You'll need to add the Park Hopper Option to your ticket in order to visit both parks in one day.