Orlando D

Chapter 13

Epcot

In This Chapter

Highlighting Epcot basics

Checking out Future World

Touring the World Showcase

G

rab a big pot. Start with a theme park foundation, stir in a heaping

helping of technology, and add splashes of global architecture, street

performers, and interactive exhibits. What do you have? Epcot, a science

field trip combined with a whirlwind tour of the world — without the jet

lag, although some say it’s just as draining when you try to experience it

in one day.

Walt Disney wanted his “Experimental Prototype Community of

Tomorrow” to be a high-tech city. But, when it opened 15 years after his

death, it was a theme park, and the name was shortened to an acronym,

Epcot, because, well, it looked good in the snazzy Disney brochures.

While the Magic Kingdom is every child’s dream, Epcot isn’t. It’s techno

and worldly. Epcot is best suited for older children (over 8) and adults

with vivid imaginations or cravings to know how things work — or will

work in the future. It’s the least friendly of the Disney parks for those

younger than 8, even with Disney’s relatively recent additions that were

intended to keep the younger members of the family entertained. If you

have wee ones, or if all your kids are under the age of 6, I recommend

skipping it this time around. If, on the other hand, you have older kids or

an inquiring mind yourself, I suggest at least a two-day visit because it’s

so vast and varied. In the World Showcase, you experience exotic, far-

flung lands without a passport; you can visit China’s Temple of Heaven,

or Italy’s St. Mark’s Square. In Future World, you can jump into the third

millennium as you explore cutting-edge technology and the latest and

greatest thrill rides.

Discovering Epcot’s Essentials

Before helping you dive into Epcot’s attractions, I need to get a few prac-

tical matters out of the way.

198 Part IV: Exploring Walt Disney World

Buying tickets and making reservations

Tickets to Epcot cost $60 for a one-day adult admission, $48 for kids

ages 3 to 9, but prices frequently change. See Chapter 11 for other admis-

sion options.

Tickets aren’t the only thing you’ll find that deplete your stash of cash.

The prices of consumables are pretty much standard among Disney

parks. Epcot will put you out $2 or more for a soda or milk, $1.25 to $2

for bottled water, $2.40 for an ice-cream bar, and $1.90 for a cup of coffee

or cocoa.

You can make Advanced Dining Reservations (see Chapter 10) at Guest

Relations in the Plaza area, though it’s best to make them ahead of time

by calling % 407-939-3463.

Future World usually is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and sometimes as

late as 10 p.m. World Showcase usually opens at 11 a.m. or noon and

generally remains open until 9 p.m., sometimes later.

Locating special services and facilities

In case you forgot to bring essential items, or if you need special assis-

tance while at the park, here’s a list of services and facilities that may

come in handy:

ATM machines accept cards from banks using Cirrus, STAR, and

Plus. You can find them at the front of the park, in The American

Pavilion (near the very back), and on the bridge between World

Showcase and Future World.

The baby-changing area for Epcot is located in the Baby Care

Center near the Odyssey Center in Future World. It sells dispos-

able diapers, formula, baby food, and pacifiers. Changing tables are

in all women’s and some men’s restrooms.

You can buy disposable cameras and film throughout the park,

although supplies for digital cameras are few and far between.

Registered nurses staff the First Aid Center. It’s located near the

Odyssey Center in Future World.

Lockers are located west of Spaceship Earth, outside the Entrance

Plaza, and in the Bus Information Center by the bus parking lot.

The cost is $7 a day, plus a $2 deposit.

Lost children are usually taken to Earth Center or the Baby Care

Center. Children under 7 should wear name-tags on the inside of

their clothing.

You can send packages from any store in the park to Guest Relations

in the Plaza area, where you can pick them up all at once at the end

of the day. (This service is free.) Allow three hours for delivery. A

package pickup also is located at the International Gateway entrance