It’s been a month since I wrote a report of our day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the MLK weekend trip, and that was definitely not by design. Regardless, I’m back to provide all the details about our visit to Epcot on Saturday, January 13. It was a surprisingly cold and breezy day, even for January. This dim-witted blogger decided wearing shorts and a jacket was enough. The wind tunnels and open spaces of Epcot quickly reminded me why that was a terrible idea.

Looking beyond the weather and crowds, we had a great time at Epcot. This was the first weekend of the International Festival of the Arts, which increased the attendance. We still did plenty and maintained the laid-back pace of our first day. I didn’t book FastPasses that forced us to rush to the parks once again. We boarded the bus at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and casually strolled through the gates around 11 a.m. Before continuing, here’s a quick look at the FastPasses that I reserved prior to our trip:

Spaceship Earth – 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Living with the Land – 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Frozen Ever After – 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We didn’t experience Frozen Ever After during our last trip due to mechanical issues. It was the only key FastPass of the three since the others usually have manageable waits. I hoped to grab a Test Track FastPass using the app or visit it near closing. It wasn’t a perfect strategy but ended up working out well. We had enough time to grab some photos in front of Spaceship Earth before joining the long FastPass line. The Standby line had reached 45 minutes, so I definitely can’t complain about the brief wait to reach our vehicles.

A Quick Jaunt in Future World

When you’re doing a three-day weekend trip, it’s easy to feel like you can blitz through each park. That’s rarely wise, especially with fairly young kids (8 and 4). We’d covered most of the Animal Kingdom on the previous day; I logged more than 25,000 steps there. I knew we’d have a busy day at The Magic Kingdom on Sunday, so something had to give. Epcot is large and spread out, so we skipped a few attractions.

Another factor in this more casual touring strategy is decreasing excitement with certain pavilions. For example, I don’t have to ride The Seas with Nemo and Friends on every trip. Our girls love Figment, so that was our next destination following Spaceship Earth and a stop at Club Cool. I still enjoy trying the Coke brands (including the wonderful Beverly) at Club Cool, but the sticky floor threatened to keep me stuck there forever.

The fact that I’m willing to skip certain pavilions in Future World is a bad sign. Epcot has been my favorite park since I was eight years old, and it needs some help. I still love quite a bit of the park, but the lesser areas pull down the experience. I’m hopeful that the redesign of Future World (not just adding Guardians of the Galaxy) will pay dividends in the next five years.

A Counter-Service Gem

Following our visit with Figment, we stopped by the Visa photo spot at the Imagination pavilion. It’s a cool way to bypass the lines (mostly) and meet a few classic characters. Minnie and Pluto were our surprise attendees this time in a spot with an early Epcot style. Our next stop was lunch at Sunshine Seasons in the basement of The Land. I assumed that it would be quieter at 1:30, but we couldn’t even find an open table. Apparently, the word is out about this amazing counter-service location. I quickly shifted gears and decided we should be Living with the Land.

After experiencing one of Epcot’s best attractions, we finally snagged a table at Sunshine Seasons. Thankfully, the food was still excellent for a counter-service spot. My wife and I both chose the Power Salad with Chicken, which is a great choice for a long theme-park day. It’s the perfect alternative to greasy fast food. The girls are picky eaters but still had a nice variety of kids’ choices. We finished the meal with a Mickey Oreo Cheesecake and were ready to go.

Before heading into World Showcase, we stopped by the Odyssey Restaurant for the special exhibit on attraction posters. I loved the chance to step inside a location that’s only accessible during special events. The downside was how tight the space was, especially in the gift shop area. The exhibit included cool posters of Spaceship Earth, the Skyway, and many other classic attractions. I’d love to see more spaces where Disney honored its history in this way.

A Frozen Odyssey

We’d reached the FastPass window for our ride on Frozen Ever After, and World Showcase had serious festival crowds. Navigating those hordes with a stroller is no easy feat. Sadly, the attraction was down again unexpectedly. This gave us a FastPass without a time constraint, but you don’t want to backtrack too much with kids. We used this opportunity to ride the Gran Fiesta Tour, which developed a significant line of guests with the same idea. Even so, the queue moved quickly and placed us in the boats in about 10 minutes.

My girls love the Gran Fiesta Tour, and the animatronics at the end improve the finale immensely. Even so, I’d be thrilled to see a well-made Coco attraction take over that space. The exhibit in the front of the Mexico pavilion doesn’t feel out of place. The challenge for Disney would be creating a larger queue to handle the greater demand for the new attraction. I suspect that the shopping area would need relocating or removal to accommodate more riders.

The app indicated that Frozen Ever After was back, so we headed over to Norway again. Amazingly, that brief window closed before we reached the doors. I started to wonder if we’d ever see Arendelle, and it wasn’t a good look for Disney. We headed to Germany and enjoyed a giant pretzel larger than my head. Meanwhile, luck shined on us and finally gave us a chance to meet Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and the whole gang.

A Brief Review (Frozen Ever After)

Let’s start with a little background. I’ve ridden Maelstrom many times going back to the late ‘80s. It’s never been my favorite, but it offered fun thrills and a goofy sensibility. I’ve written in the past about my love for nerdy Walt Disney World, and Maelstrom fits that mold. When Disney announced its closure, I understood why given Maelstrom’s reduced popularity. On the other hand, I didn’t like the placement of a Frozen ride in World Showcase.

My feelings did not mean that I wouldn’t give Frozen Ever After a chance, however. My girls both loved the movie, and I’m always interested in new attractions. The queue line is well done, though it wasn’t pleasant in a tight crowd. Our FastPass line was about 20 minutes, which makes sense given the earlier downtime. The good news is that all the animatronics worked on our ride; I didn’t notice any audio or effects issues.

Frozen Ever After is a fun attraction that hits the movie’s highlights without just repeating them. I appreciate that it’s not a book report, though the story makes little sense. The “Let It Go” scene is the highlight, and the Elsa animatronic is cool. The Imagineers did a nice job matching that song to the original backward drop. The best parts of Maelstrom are the best parts of Frozen Ever After, and that’s not a ringing endorsement. I liked it overall, but it could use more depth in each scene. Several just involve animatronics in front of dark backdrops, which feels thrown together.

A Quick Circle Tour

After leaving Norway, we were inching towards the evening hours. Thankfully, crowds started thinning due to the cold weather. The tight masses were nearly gone, and it was easy to navigate the rest of World Showcase. We didn’t explore all the countries and mainly just enjoyed the atmosphere and festival extras. The photo spots inside famous paintings were fun to see, and it was nice to move without a specific agenda.

I had grabbed a Test Track FastPass on the app while we were in Mexico, and that was our only appointment for the evening. I was a little surprised to pick up a rolling FastPass for a headliner on such a busy day. Soarin’ was also available (though it did take some refreshes, and we probably could have seen a lot if we were rushing. Instead, we grabbed an ice cream and beer in France and picked up fish and chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop in the United Kingdom. There was no line at Yorkshire, which was a nice surprise.

We also caught some live music in several spots, including Bodh’aktan next to the Canada pavilion. They reminded me of Off Kilter and had a similar energy. A large crowd had gathered to watch them, and it’s one of my favorite memories from our World Showcase time. We also stopped in Japan for the “Kawaii: Japan’s Cute Culture” exhibit in the Bijutsu-kan Gallery. It’s a fun exhibit that many guests miss as they shop in the nearby department store.

Nighttime in Future World

Despite some issues with Future World, I still love its atmosphere at night. The Innoventions BGM sets the mood perfectly and creates an atmosphere of forward-thinking optimism. We only rode one attraction during the evening on this trip, and it was still a great time. I hadn’t experienced Test Track at night in a while, and it’s so much better in that environment. Just standing outside and hearing the vehicles zoom around the track is worth it.

I’ve had long waits in the Test Track FastPass line in the past, but this one was a breeze. It was also my younger daughter’s first ride on Test Track, and she loved it. It will be interesting to see how the crowd flow changes once the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster opens. That side of the park will see crowds, so Test Track will probably retain its lines. On the other hand, Soarin’ might see shorter waits.

We departed Epcot around 7:30 p.m. and enjoyed a nearly empty bus ride back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is my favorite nighttime show, but you to have to know the limits with a family trip. We had an enjoyable day and were all set for the big final day at The Magic Kingdom. On a holiday weekend, the crowds only ramp up as we inch closer to the actual holiday. We would need all of our energy to handle the longer lines at Disney World’s most popular park.

What Is Epcot’s Future?

On the most recent Tomorrow Society Podcast episode, Tim Grassey and I discussed the serious investment that Disney is making into Epcot. It’s tricky to analyze because there are so many unknowns. I love seeing all the attention on Epcot, but I’m concerned by the lack of a coherent theme. I don’t see how the Guardians attraction will align with the rest of Future World, but it’s hardly a new issue for the park.

The influx of IP is not a surprise given recent trends from Disney management, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Imagineering has shown with Pandora that they can build an immersive environment that still fits within the overall park. The question is whether they can do the same in Epcot. Disney’s recent statements indicate that they don’t really understand its theme.

I still love visiting Epcot and don’t expect that to change in the future. My hope is that Disney will eventually find a way to connect the pavilions in a way that maintains the spirit of EPCOT Center. The odds aren’t super high that it will happen, but I’ll stay positive until I experience the new attractions. I’m happy that we can have the debate and not just bemoan the park’s demise.

Looking for more details than this extended report? Here are some additional photos from our Epcot day to give you a closer look at the experience.

Related Articles

The Tomorrow Society Podcast, Episode 37: My Walt Disney World Trip Report

Disney World Trip Report: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

I Miss Nerdy Walt Disney World

Stay updated on all the latest blogs and podcasts; join The Tomorrow Society today!

Follow The Tomorrow Society on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!