Adult 1-Day 10:30am Arrival World Showcase Focus
Transcription
Adult 1-Day 10:30am Arrival World Showcase Focus
Via Napoli Tutto Italia Sommerfest Biergarten Refreshment Cool Post Liberty Inn The American Adventure Mitsukoshi Store and Culture Exhibit Japan Quick Service Teppan Edo Restaurant Marrakesh Tokyo Dining Train Set America Gardens Theater Japan Italy Germany Tangierine Cafe American Pavilion Morocco Impressions de France Chefs de France France of China Lotus Blossom Akershus IllumiNations China Nine Dragons Boat/Walkway to Hollywood Studios, BoardWalk and Epcot Resorts Bistro de Paris International Gateway Yorkshire County Fish Shop United Kingdom Norway Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room Kringla Bakeri MAELSTROM Boulangerie Pâtisserie La Hacienda de San Angel Mexico Canada Cantina de San Angel San Angel Inn Mexico Shops and La Cava del Tequila Gran Fiesta Tour World Showplace Showcase Plaza Le Cellier O’ Canada! Odyssey Center Captain EO Journey Into Imagination With Figment TEST TRACK SOARIN’ Fountain View Ice Cream Mouse Gear MISSION: SPACE Innoventions East Festival Center Club Cool Fountain Garden Grill (Top Floor) Electric Umbrella Sunshine Seasons Circle of Life (Top Floor) Innoventions West Sum of All Thrills Spaceship Earth Ellen’s Energy Adventure Sunshine Seasons Character Spot Guest Services Nemo Coral Ride Reef LIVING WITH THE LAND Turtle Talk First Hour Attractions Living Seas Main Entrance and Exit Resort Bus Stops Attraction Entrance First 2 Hours / Last 2 Hours of Operation Restrooms Anytime Attractions Dining Location Table Service Dining Snack Location Quick Service Dining Kim Possible Kiosk Shopping Attractions labelled in ALL CAPS are FASTPASS enabled. Adult 1-Day 10:30am Arrival World Showcase Focus 1. Soarin' - Collect FASTPASS 2. Living With The Land 3. Kim Possible - Pick up Ticket 4. Maelstrom 5. World Showcase - Norway 6. World Showcase - Mexico 7. Gran Fiesta Tour With Three Caballeros 8. Test Track - Collect FASTPASS 9. Lunch 10. Kim Possible - Collect Kimmunicator 11. Journey into Imagination with Figment 12. Soarin' - With FASTPASS 13. Spaceship Earth 14. Mission Space 15. Test Track - With FASTPASS 16. World Showcase - Canada 17. O Canada 18. World Showcase - United Kingdom 19. World Showcase - France 20. Impressions de France 21. Dinner 22. World Showcase - Morocco 23. World Showcase - Japan 24. World Showcase - United States 25. World Showcase - Italy 26. World Showcase - Germany 27. World Showcase - China 28. IllumiNations - (Park Close) 29. Open 30. Open 1. __________________________________________________ Soarin' - 28 Minutes - Collect FASTPASS 2. __________________________________________________ Living With The Land - 15 Minutes (10 +/- 10) 3. __________________________________________________ Kim Possible - 1 to 60 Minutes (No Waits) 4. __________________________________________________ Maelstrom - 5 Minutes (15 +/- 10) 5. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Norway 6. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Mexico 7. __________________________________________________ Gran Fiesta Tour With Three Caballeros - 5 Minutes (5 +/- 5) 8. __________________________________________________ Test Track - 25 Minutes - Collect FASTPASS 9. __________________________________________________ Lunch Kim Possible - 1 to 60 Minutes (No Waits) 10. __________________________________________________ 11. __________________________________________________ Journey into Imagination with Figment - 5 Minutes (5 +/- 5) 12. __________________________________________________ Soarin' - 5 Minutes (60 +/- 20) 13. __________________________________________________ Spaceship Earth - 15 Minutes (10 +/- 10) 14. __________________________________________________ Mission Space - 5 Minutes (25 +/- 10) 15. __________________________________________________ Test Track - 5 Minutes (50 +/- 20) 16. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Canada 17. __________________________________________________ O Canada - 20 Minutes (Wait For Next Show) 18. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - United Kingdom 19. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - France 20. __________________________________________________ Impressions de France - 20 Minutes (Wait For Next Show) 21. __________________________________________________ Dinner 22. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Morocco 23. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Japan 24. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - United States 25. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Italy 26. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - Germany 27. __________________________________________________ World Showcase - China IllumiNations - 15 Minutes (Park Close) 28. __________________________________________________ 29. __________________________________________________ Open 30. __________________________________________________ Open 31. __________________________________________________ Open 32. __________________________________________________ Open 33. __________________________________________________ Open 34. __________________________________________________ Open 35. Open __________________________________________________ 36. __________________________________________________ Open 37. __________________________________________________ Open 38. __________________________________________________ Open 39. __________________________________________________ Open 40. __________________________________________________ Open Epcot easyPlan for Disney Adults – Late Arrival – World Showcase Focus This easyPlan is ideal for Disney adults (groups of those age nine and older) who are planning to visit Epcot for one day and don’t plan to arrive until around 10:30am. It focuses on spending most of the day in the World Showcase, but also visits the best of the Future World attractions, including Soarin’, Test Track, Mission: Space, Living with the Land, and Spaceship Earth. In total, about three hours are spent in Future World, which leaves about seven hours for World Showcase and IllumiNations. World Showcase has a lot to offer, including numerous character interactions, live bands, comedians, stunt artists, films, boat rides, and plenty of opportunities to eat, drink, shop, and enjoy some of the world’s best and most interesting cultures. Other attractions in Future World can be easily worked into the easyPlan. The end has a list of the skipped attractions and information on the best way to fit them into your day. Just keep in mind that the key is collecting FASTPASSes for the headlining rides (Soarin’ and Test Track) as soon as possible. There is another 10:30am Arrival One-Day easyPlan that focuses on the Future World attractions. See that easyPlan if your intention is to spend more time in Future World than in World Showcase. Finally, several Two-Day easyPlans are available that visit Epcot over two days. If you’re planning to visit Epcot over two days or would like to see what else those cover, please check them out. 1. Head directly to Soarin’ in the Land Pavilion to collect FASTPASSes. If you’re coming in from the main entrance, stay to the right of Spaceship Earth and then take a right after you pass Innoventions West and arrive at the Fountain. From the International Gateway, head through the United Kingdom and Canada Pavilions and into Future World. Continue walking until you get to the Fountain and take a left. Continue straight until you walk up the hill to the Land Pavilion. Soarin’ is located inside the Land Pavilion on the lower floor, next to Sunshine Seasons quick service and Living with the Land. The FASTPASS machines are located to the right of Soarin’s standby entrance and FASTPASS return line, near where guests exit the ride. 2. Ride Living with the Land. The entrance is on the opposite side of the Land Pavilion, also on the ground floor. 3. Exit the Land Pavilion and continue back the way you came until you arrive back at the Fountain. If you are interested in doing the Kim Possible Adventure, sign up for it now. You will receive a card with a return time that you will exchange for the Kimmunicator device later in the day. Signing up for Kim Possible does not affect your ability to collect FASTPASSes or do anything else. The most convenient Kim Possible signup center is located on the walk from the Fountain to World Showcase on the left side. Sign up areas are located in both Innoventions buildings as well. 4. Even though we’re arriving later in the morning, we can still beat the crowds to World Showcase by heading over there now. From the Fountain, walk up in the opposite direction of the main entrance and Spaceship Earth, the large golf-ball-looking-geosphere in the front of the Park. You’ll cross a bridge and see a large lagoon in front of you. Take a left and walk through Mexico to the Norway Pavilion. Ride Maelstrom in the standby line. It’s located in the back of the Norway Pavilion in what looks like an ordinary storefront. Ride a second or third time if you like because there won’t be much of a line. 5. Spend some time in the Norway Pavilion. The Stave Church houses authentic Viking memorabilia and the Norway stores offer some authentic merchandise (and non-authentic merchandise). 6. Turn around and head back in the same direction you came. Enjoy the Mexico Pavilion. Most of the shopping and dining choices are inside the air-conditioned Temple of Tenochtitlan, making this one of the more relaxing and enjoyable Pavilions. Look out for the Mariachi band that plays throughout the day and the Donald Duck Meet and Greet that takes place in a nook to the right of the Temple outside on the promenade. Waits for Donald are usually short because it’s not particularly obvious or well-advertised. 7. Ride the Gran Fiesta Tour Featuring the Three Caballeros inside of the Temple of Tenochtitlan in the Mexico Pavilion. It’s located near the back of the Temple on the left hand side. The wait is rarely longer than a few minutes 8. It should be about time for lunch. Depending on where you’re planning to eat, you may want to send just one person with everyone’s tickets to Test Track to collect FASTPASSes. Test Track is located in Future World East. You can get there by heading back the way you entered World Showcase in the direction of Showcase Plaza, taking a right toward the Fountain, and then taking another right when you arrive at the opening between the large Mouse Gear store and Electric Umbrella Quick Service. There is also a more direct route using the Odyssey Bridge. The Odyssey Bridge is located across the way from La Cantina de San Angel. Stay on the right path as you wind your way around the Odyssey building and toward Test Track. The FASTPASS machines are located to the right of the standby entrance in front of the attraction. Alternatively, everyone can head to Test Track and you can collect their own FASTPASS. 9. It should be about time for lunch. La Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico Pavilion isn’t particularly good. You may want to return to Norway for sandwiches from Kringla Bakeri og Kafe or head to Future World to try Electric Umbrella or Sunshine Seasons. Electric Umbrella is the most convenient and it’s air-conditioned, but most of the food is standard Disney fare. Sunshine Seasons is located back in the Land Pavilion and serves some of the best grilled food and sandwiches of any Disney World quick service. It would be more convenient if your Soarin’ FASTPASS is due so that you could ride it before or after lunch. That way, you won’t need to return to the Land Pavilion later in the day. 10. If you had lunch in or near the World Showcase and would like to try a Kim Possible Mission, pick up your Kimmunicator device now. If you had lunch in Future World, it would be more convenient to wait until you’re back in the World Showcase to do Kim Possible. Most missions take about 30 minutes. Our main goal now is to kill some time before our Test Track and Soarin’ FASTPASSes are ready for use. 11. Ride Journey into Imagination with Figment, which is located in the Imagination Pavilion. The Imagination Pavilion is the building that looks like it has glass pyramids coming out of the top of it near the Land Pavilion. The entrance to Journey into Imagination is on the lower floor through the automatic sliding doors. 12. Ride Soarin’ in the Land Pavilion with your FASTPASSes if you haven’t already. The FASTPASS return line is located right next to the standby line on the lower floor. 13. Exit the Land Pavilion in the same way you came in and walk back out to the Fountain. Take a left and walk back toward the front of the Park toward the large geodesic sphere to ride Spaceship Earth. We skipped it earlier in the day because it’s a lengthy attraction that should have little to no wait at this point in the afternoon. Had we ridden first thing, our FASTPASS for Soarin’ would have had a return time even later in the day and we wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the lowest crowds of the day in World Showcase. 14. As you exit Spaceship Earth, turn around and walk back toward the Fountain in the opposite direction of the main entrance. Take a left and continue back past Mouse Gear to Test Track and continue in a straight line to Mission Space. Mission Space should have a nominal wait if you’re interested in riding. There are two versions – the spinning Orange Team version and the non-spinning Green-Team version. If you are unfamiliar with the ride, make sure you read over my ride review to decide which version is right for you. Other than spinning at the beginning of the ride on the Orange Team, the two versions are exactly alike. There are separate lines depending on which version you choose and the Orange version typically has longer waits. If you don’t plan to ride Mission Space at all, skip to the next step. Actual waits are usually much shorter than the posted wait. If the posted wait is 25+ minutes, collect FASTPASSes and return after Test Track and a snack/other attraction. FASTPASS return times are almost always just 40 minutes in the future. 15. Ride Test Track with the FASTPASSes collected earlier in the day. The FASTPASS return entrance is located right next to the standby entrance. Note: The rest of the day is spent in World Showcase. If you’ve visited before, you may already know where you want to spend your time. If you’ve never visited, you may want to briefly visit every Showcase Pavilion or spend a lot of time in several Pavilions, while grazing the tip of others. The following will explain what’s available in each Pavilion and give you an idea about what to expect. 16. It’s time to return to the World Showcase. This time, we’ll start on the other side with the Canada Pavilion. Look around at the various shops and see Step 17 for information on the film attraction. Off-Kilter plays shows on a stage across from Rose & Crown Pub throughout the afternoon and evening. The stage is basically at the end of the Canada Pavilion on the right side with seating out front. 17. See O’Canada, the 15-minute Circle Vision 3D Film hosted by Martin Short, if you have interest. There will be a sign in the waiting area that indicates when the next show will begin. You may want to send one person to check on the time of the next show so that you don’t end up having to wait an extra 20 minutes for the next show to begin. It’s a lot of fun if you have interest in Canada or enjoy Martin Short. 18. Continue to the United Kingdom Pavilion. Characters from Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins, and Alice in Wonderland should be available intermittently throughout the afternoon. A cover band plays shows throughout the day in the gardens in the back of the Pavilion. Check your Times Guide for start times. The World Showcase Players are a fun comedy troupe that performs in the streets throughout the day as well. There are also a lot of shops that offer a variety of authentic and not-so-authentic UK merchandise. 19. Continue to the France Pavilion and check your times guide for performances and character interactions. Serveur Amusant is a comedy/stunt show that’s performed throughout the day (your author’s favorite show) and characters from Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and the Aristocats appear intermittently until around 7:30pm. 20. See Impressions de France, a 200 degree panoramic film that takes you on a whirlwind tour of Paris and the French countryside, if you have interest. It’s about 18 minutes long and offers somewhat comfortable, air-conditioned seating. You’ll find it near the back of the Pavilion, to the right of the Boulangerie Patisserie. If you have time, I recommend seeing it – ask the attendant at the door how long it will be until the next show begins. You can putz around the shops while you wait. There’s plenty of seating, so there’s no reason to line up early. 21. It should be about dinner time. I highly recommend making a dining reservation if you’ll be eating at a table service restaurant when you’re touring Epcot because many of the restaurants will be booked solid by the time you arrive. You can also opt for a quick service dinner if you prefer. For quick service, I recommend nearby Tangierine Café (Morocco) and Yorkshire County Fish Shop (United Kingdom). For table service, I recommend nearby Le Cellier (Canada), Teppan Edo (Japan), and Tokyo Dining (Japan). Via Napoli (Italy) and Biergarten (Germany) are also recommended, but further away. La Hacienda de San Angel and Rose and Crown Dining Room both offer outstanding views of IllumiNations and will cut down on the wait time necessary to get a good spot to see the show. If you would like to enjoy dinner while watching IllumiNations, I recommend a dining reservation around 8pm at either restaurant so that you can get settled, order, and eat at least one course before IllumiNations begins. None of the other restaurants offer a view of IllumiNations, other than Tokyo Dining, which does have several window tables. If you’re not ready for dinner yet or had dinner earlier, skip ahead. 22. It’s time to move on to the Morocco Pavilion. Look out for Mo’Rockin, a six-piece ensemble that plays music throughout the evening and characters from Aladdin, which are present until around 7:15pm. Although there is no traditional ride or film in Morocco, there is plenty to see and do in the various buildings. Because Morocco features replicas of religious buildings, lights do not shine on the Pavilion during IllumiNations. 23. Continue on to the Japan Pavilion. The Mitsukoshi Department Store is one of the most popular shops in Disney World, with “literally” tons of authentic merchandise from Japan. Also make sure you enter the White Heron Castle in the back of the Pavilion, which houses an interesting Japanese culture exhibit and check your times guide to see when Miyuki the Japanese candy artist and the Matsuriza Taiko drummers will be performing. Their last performances are usually shortly after 6pm, so we may be too late. 24. It’s time for the United States Pavilion/American Adventure. If you have 30+ minutes to spare, feel free to watch the American Adventure animatronics show and listen to the Voices of Liberty. Both are found inside of the large colonial-style building. It’s a nice, air-conditioned diversion if you need to cool off or have a particular interest in United States’ history. The next show time will be posted on a sign outside the building. Also check your Times Guide to see if the Fife and Drum Corps will be playing while you’re in the vicinity; most of their shows are scheduled in the early afternoon. At this point, be sure to check your watch because you may be running low on time depending on how long you’ve spent in previous Pavilions. We still have Italy, Germany, and China ahead. 25. Look around the Italy Pavilion and check your schedule to see if Sergio or the Ziti Sisters will be performing. Sergio is a juggler and the Ziti Sisters is a fun comedy group that invites audience participation. 26. Walk through the Germany Pavilion. There isn’t a whole lot to do here other than look around, shop, eat, and drink beer, but Snow White makes appearances throughout the day and there is a large model train set on your right just before you reach the Pavilion. 27. Continue on to the China Pavilion. Reflections of China is a 15 minute Circle Vision 360 film that is projected onto nine screens set up around the audience. The entrance to the theater is in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, where you’ll also find some ancient artifacts from China. If you’d like to see the film, look around the Hall of Prayer until it’s time for the audience to enter the theater. The amount of time until the next show is shown inside the Hall or Prayer in the far corner of the waiting area. There are also plentiful benches in the air-conditioned Hall if you’d like to take a break before the show, but there is no seating once you enter the theater – it’s standing room only. Check your Times Guide to see if Mulan will be doing meet and greets if you’re interested. She appears outside on the promenade underneath the arch at the front of the Pavilion. At this point, she is most likely long gone. Also check for the Chinese acrobats or another classic act. Finally, be cognizant of crowds around World Showcase Lagoon for the start of IllumiNations. If IllumiNations begins in 30-60 minutes, you may want to find spots along the railing now. See the next Step for recommended viewing locations. 28. See the “Epcot Overview” for more tips on how to see IllumiNations with the least amount of stress. Generally speaking, plan to find a viewing location for IllumiNations at least 30 minutes early if you want prime spots at the front of the railing. There are good viewing locations in all Pavilions other than American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, and most of China due to islands in World Showcase Lagoon or other obstacles that block the view. You’re looking for a spot where you can see the water in the middle of the Lagoon and the sky above. Most Recommended Areas: • Showcase Plaza, directly across from the United States Pavilion at the base of World Showcase. This area is reserved for parts of the year, including Thanksgiving through New Years for Candlelight Processional Dining Package users. Highly Recommended Areas: • • • • Most any location along the railing from Norway, through Mexico, into World Showcase Plaza, and through Canada is great (basically anywhere from Norway through Canada on the lower half of World Showcase). The only exceptions are areas right in front of the boat docks. The bridge that connects United Kingdom and France. Along the railing across from the Italy Pavilion, particularly in the area that juts out further into the Lagoon. Make sure the America Gardens Theater isn’t in your line of sight. The balcony or patio at or around Rose & Crown Pub. You’ll need a reservation at Rose & Crown to sit on their balcony, but Yorkshire County Fish Company seating is good and the area immediately outside the Pub is also very good. Good Locations: • • • Along the railing across from the Germany Pavilion. The second floor balcony of the Japan Pavilion, right outside of Tokyo Dining. The seating section for La Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico Pavilion – note that people tend to park themselves here from 7:30pm through IllumiNations. It’s very difficult to get a table and you may have to fend off people standing in front of you as the show time approaches. Not Recommended: • • Most of China is blocked by an island. Most of American Adventure is blocked by the America Gardens Theater. • • • Most of Japan is blocked by an island. Most of Morocco is blocked by an island. Areas right near the boat docks are blocked by the dock, depending on your angle. My personal favorite spot is directly across from Maelstrom in the Norway Pavilion along the railing. It’s not particularly popular and offers a great view. Skipped Attractions and How to Fit Them In Captain EO: At about 20 minutes long, plus the time it takes for the next show to begin, this is a lengthy attraction that most people won’t enjoy as much as others. Should you have a particular affinity for Captain EO, plan to see it around the same time as Journey into Imagination with Figment, which is also located in the Imagination Pavilion. If possible, ask an attendant when the next show should begin. If it’s more than ten minutes away, ride Journey into Imagination first and then return to Captain EO. Character Spot: Wait times for the Character Spot are 30+ minutes from 10am onward and all of the characters are located at the other theme parks. Don’t plan to visit the Character Spot unless you arrive before 9:45am and visit first thing or don’t have another opportunity to meet the characters and don’t mind the wait. Circle of Life – This 15-minute film is cute, but it doesn’t rank up there with other memorable attractions like Test Track and Soarin’. It’s located on the upper floor of the Land Pavilion and you’re welcome to see it if you would prefer to do it over something else. For most people, Circle of Life isn’t better than the alternatives. If you do see it, save it for later in the afternoon. After lunch, before or after you ride Soarin’, would be great. Try to time it so you enter the theater just as the audience from the last film is leaving. Ellen’s Energy Adventure – This attraction is about 45 minutes long, which is too much time to spend with just one day to tour Epcot, unless you have a particular affinity for Bill Nye, Ellen, and animatronic dinosaurs. If you do want to ride it, fit it in later in the day, after you’ve done the bulk of the Future World attractions. Waits are rarely longer than it takes for the next ride vehicle to leave. It’s also an excellent attraction when it’s hot or raining out because it’s airconditioned, slow moving, and doesn’t require a whole lot of attention. Innoventions – Many of Innoventions’ exhibits take a considerable amount of time to experience and most of them aren’t worth the opportunity cost with just one day to tour Epcot. Feel free to walk through and check out anything that pops out at you, but most people prefer to spend their time in the World Showcase and other Future World attractions over most things they see in Innoventions. I do recommend Sum of All Thrills, which you may want to fit in between Test Track and Mission: Space in the afternoon. If you’re headed to Innoventions, do so in the afternoon, after riding the headliners and experiencing the other Future World attractions. Like Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Innoventions is an excellent opportunity to get out of the sun or rain for an extended period of time. Seas Pavilion, Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Turtle Talk with Crush: This “aquariumlike exhibit” and the attractions that go with it are definitely worth experiencing, but something has to be axed in order to spend more time in World Showcase. If you want to do the Seas Pavilion, visit in the late afternoon around the time you ride Journey into Imagination with Figment and Soarin’ with FASTPASS. If you have extra time before your FASTPASSes to the major headliners are ready for use, you may also consider visiting the Seas during that time because it’s conveniently in Future World, air-conditioned, and indoors. Take a mental note of what you’d like to return to in future visits.