things to do at epcot 2021
They are both hit or miss and no schedules are posted, so keep checking throughout the day. Progress on the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster is now back up and running as Disney continues to prepare this highly anticipated E-Ticket attraction. Disney has replaced this with the new Character Cavalcades in each park, and in EPCOT there are three separate motorcades and ride randomly down the World Showcase promenade with your favorite characters. In both cases. Even at the entrance, you’ll notice all the distancing markers on the ground. A seventh, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, is opening October 1, 2021. Just walking through EPCOT, you notice many of the stores are not open at this time. You can get the full breakdown on which month to visit Walt Disney World here. You can just show up at EPCOT with no touring plan at all and still have a fantastic day. guide to the Disney Character Cavalcades in the Disney Parks. Besides the performers not being available, character meets are closed throughout the park. It made my day . ... Do not waste your time coming here in 2021. One of the biggest bummers when the parks reopened, was that Park Hopping was temporarily suspended. However, with no international Cast Members and many restaurants and shops closed, it just doesn’t have the same feel to it as before. The calendar gives you an estimation of peak times at the Epcot throughout the year. To learn more, read our article on Face Masks at Disney World – FAQs and Tips, where we explain everything you need to know about them. It’s very important to know that you CAN’T get into the parks without a park pass reservation. Starting in January, EPCOT hours were reduced with openings at 11:00 am and closings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm daily. Epcot … I was inspired to talk about this topic because, I’ve seen some crazy alcohol induced shenanigans at Epcot. In some parks it’s a bigger deal, but lines are so low right now it’s not that important that it’s missing. It looks SO good! Since Rise of the Resistance is such a big draw, you’re going to want to dedicate a significant portion of your trip there and exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Treat 2021 as a blessing and take your time. You can find some type of beverage at most carts and in each country of World Showcase. Enjoy the character interaction *first*. We also really miss the Awesome Live Mix featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy which is one of the most high-energy shows EPCOT normally does. 9 Spectacular Things You Must Do at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2021, Road Trip Essentials You Must Have: Driving to Disney Alone (Solo Disney Trip). The Florida heat and humidity is hard to describe to out of town guests who are used to milder temperatures. Disney World Resort guests can have reservations for each day of their hotel stay. Construction walls are up everywhere here and if you get the feeling of being a rat with all the mazes, at least Remy is in good company. Due to the many drink options, you definitely want to have a game plan. Maybe we’ll get used to it the more we go, but here’s hoping they come back soon. EPCOT: FastPass+ Tier 1 Choices. You can be there to eat all day and drink all day and still not try every delicious option Epcot has to offer. The Future World side of EPCOT is light on restaurants, but one that is coming is truly out-of-this-world…the Space 220 restaurant. Here are the most important ones to know about: Some of them are common sense and easy to follow (handwashing), while others are more cumbersome and test guests’ patience (face masks). I got a couple of great pictures of me scratching the back of Pluto’s neck (hey, he’s a dog!) This whole area of the park is surrounded by walls and inaccessible right now. Tourism hasn’t returned to Disney World yet however, and that has left the parks, EPCOT included, feeling empty for most of the time. The biggest disappointment with EPCOT dining has been the closure of Tangierine Cafe. Pavilion at this time, only that it will be a group of virtual experiences in the former home of the Wonders of Life pavilion. We know many families had their names on them, but they were horrendous to look at and we dig the new green look much more. All drinks are to-go now and drinks are served in plastic cups. If you are an Annual Passholder you already have your park admission covered, just remember to check blockout days depending on the type of annual pass you have. It’s no secret that a massive overhaul is going on in EPCOT right now with much of the park behind construction walls. Read our post on Disney World Transportation changes where we explain everything you need to know. However, like all the other Disney Parks right now EPCOT has greatly reduced hours. Thankfully we are not taking kids. There are some restrictions on how many park pass reservations you can have at once. For the most part the Cast Members have been good at telling people who aren’t following the proper mask-eating rules to change what they are doing. Hollywood Studios just went through a similar situation being tied up in construction for 4+ years before getting to the point they are now. They were so much fun to watch and brought a lot of energy into World Showcase which now is pretty dead. From what we’ve seen ourselves, EPCOT isn’t even hitting that threshold and is under 20,000 on most days. During festival season we definitely miss the Eat to the Beat concert series. Most of the construction is happening inside, so it’s hard to see how far along it is. The fountain is now open and it offers so many awesome photo opportunities both during the day at night (when we can actually still be here at night). Even before the closure, most of the machines here weren’t working, and it looks like they are packing it in until the refurbishment starts where this whole area is getting gutted. I Hope you enjoyed this guide to doing Epcot as an adult. I always have fun at Epcot, even on scorching days. In fact, Food and Wine started right from reopening Day 1 on July 15, and it wound up being the longest-running festival the park has ever had. The centerpiece of the plaza is the re-done fountain right before reaching Spaceship Earth. Read our post on How to Make Disney World Park Reservations for a detailed walkthrough on the new system. Let’s head into the ride loading area where more distancing is set up. Basically anywhere a line would normally form, you will see the distancing markers. Even though EPCOT doesn’t have the most attractions of all the parks, all the big ones are open and running fine for the most part, though some like Frozen and Test Track have had small maintenance issues. The princesses are all *really* good with kids. Each World Showcase pavilion has lots of nooks and crannies to discover. How to Get Into EPCOT in 2021. This is just one of the many restaurants that have the menu available to guests by QR code so you can scan and read it on your phone. Here is a list of the EPCOT Entertainment you can expect to see during your visit and also what’s not opening at this time…. Specifically, the festival is a celebration of culinary, visual, and performing arts. Just to show how crazy things are, the average wait time across the board for EPCOT attractions since the reopening has been only 20 minutes. And Garden Grill is waaaay less of a crazy rush than Akershus seems to be. After the ride is over, we find the interactive features of the post-show also turned off, but the cars are still viewable. It has started to develop its own cult following. Sculpted Topiaries at EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival 2021. I … China is one pavilion where the change is felt most as the restaurants are all closed along with many shops. Get used to these because most attractions have them. EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival We spent the day giving you live updates, eating just about everything at the food booths, and showing you some of the activities and entertainment at the festival. Also Tokyo Dining is also a personal favorite that we would love to go to right now. A very peaceful adult thing to do. Everyone at the restaurants are very familiar with how park security runs in the mornings and *no one* has ever had their reservations canceled because of a security delay. This is a attraction of Epcot which requires English to make the most of it. Like everywhere in the park and I mean that. The classic dark rides, the theatrical entertainment, and the seasonal events are great for a more mature audience. The queue has plenty of distancing markers: And those plexiglass barriers are here too once you get to the loading area: Even the ride vehicles have plexiglass dividers between seats: Another big change is there are no scents on any of the scenes which is a big part of the ride imo. ... By maxbuffmelvin71 on Sun, 21 Feb 2021 11:12:36 -0800. Our 1-day Epcot itinerary assumes moderate to high crowds at the park when lines are long.. Glad you liked the idea! Of course, you’ll need to know about all the changes to the Disney park guidelines before going and how to get your park passes so you can actually get in. Thank you! Disney will release more info soon on when we can expect these experiences to return. This has steadily been one of the two most popular rides in EPCOT since it opened in 2016, and it remains that way after reopening. Work has been going on here for over a year now and the the layout is completely different. Attractions have never been EPCOT’s strong suit, but at least almost everything they have is open right now. This exact plan was utilized when crowds were rated 9/10 according to … While you might not get as much of a kick out of the character interactions as the kids do (or you might…you might surprise yourself! TIP: EPCOT is the easiest park to make last-minute park pass reservations to, so if you are a local, use this to your advantage. Copyright © 2012-2020. We do this often from the Beach Club and that way we can try as many snacks as possible. The Best Time to Visit EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2021. You can snap a few photos without a mask if you do … If so, read the Disney Vacation Planning Guide for your next dream trip! As we mentioned, there is still a way to see the Disney characters even though there are no character meets. The Garden Grill is in the same building as both Soarin’ and Living With the Land and Akershus is next door to Frozen Ever After. Out of the three locations we prefer the two outdoor ones at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop and the section between Mission: SPACE and Test Track since staying outdoors when taking off your mask seems like the better choice. Walk up Main Street and take in all the sights. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. THE BIG PINK Simpsons Donut at Universal Studios– It’s bigger than your face! Some guests like it that way, and we do to at times, but we also enjoy grabbing some food, a drink and watching the nightly shows. You can wander into the park at midday and still get all the main attractions done that you want. Le Cellier, Biergarten, San Angel Inn, Garden Grill, Rose & Crown, Via Napoli and Teppan Edo are all solid choices and give variety depending on which type of cuisine you are in the mood for. At Hollywood Studios for example, rope drop is still a vital part of your touring plan, at EPCOT, not so much. Use arrows key to select day and page up or down keys to change between months. It’s a true classic Disney ride and I usually have a boat to myself. Inside the theater many of the seats are blocked off and it’s easy to tell where you can sit. There are a handful of big headliner attractions you’ll want to work into your day, and the awesome Fast Pass+ system will allow you to skip some of those lines. Another super easy ride to get on with waits between 5 and 10 minutes. The interactive Advanced Training Lab has also been turned off. Calendar Control. My name is NikkyJ and I’m the owner of ThemeParkHipster. The 2021 Epcot Festival of the Arts performances are somewhat limited, but thankfully several will return. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. And…3) You might also be tempted to strangle Epcot security first thing in the morning—it feels like they take their sweet time about *everything*! They cost $2 each. The cultural learning aspect of Epcot is what attracts many adults. A very peaceful adult thing to do. One of my favorite things to do at Epcot is to ride Living with the Land in the morning before the park gets busy. Epcot is one of those parks where there’s no pressure. All links that go to Amazon are affiliate links. As for the other festivals in EPCOT, Disney ran the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays in 2020, and have announced the Festival of the Arts and the Flower and Garden Festival are also running in 2021, though in a reduced form. We also hope the character cavalcades stick around, they add some needed fun to the park. Like all Disney World parks not named Hollywood Studios, EPCOT has experienced extremely low crowds since reopening in July. There is a distanced queue leading into the lobby area where places to wait are clearly marked. Once the temperature screening is finished, let’s head to the turnstiles. The entire section of land behind the France pavilion is getting an addition including a new restaurant, shops and of course a ratatouille ride brought over from Disneyland Paris. This is one way that ThemeParkHipster is made possible. Are the shops open in the English pavilion.? All 4 Disney World theme parks have limited capacity from what they normally have. ThemeParkHipster: A subsidiary of NJ Vaughn Media, LLC. This makes it convenient and easy to get to, and since guests are only being loaded one group at a time on the Skyliner, your risks are minimized. Long-time EPCOT fans remember this as the Camera Center. The ride itself is pretty much the same except the scent in the Rome scene had been turned off, but is now back again. Guardians of the Galaxy Roller Coaster Perhaps the most anticipated addition to Epcot in the coming years is the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, which is scheduled to open in … You may notice the huge Leave a Legacy monuments are gone, and Disney is putting more emphasis into making the entrance green with lots of trees and flower beds. On our trips to EPCOT crowds were low and there wasn’t much crowding at all to get in. Terms & Privacy | Disclosure | Disclaimer | My Story | Contact Me. Park-wide, wait times are lowest in the first hour of EPCOT opening, then they spike for a few hours until mid-afternoon and then drop lower until closing. It kind of takes away some of the immersion the experience should give you. All in all, we haven’t noticed too many people breaking the rules and most guests are pretty respectful of others, more so than we imagined before visiting, especially during festival season. Hey Laura and how I do my reservation? Overall we can’t complain too much about the selection of restaurants in EPCOT at this time. And we were NOT alone. The new security checkpoint at the EPCOT entrance is working and guests were moving through quickly without many holdups. Princess Promenade – Princesses like Belle, Aurora, Snow White, Jasmine and more ride along in a horse-driven caravan greeting guests. Pack your patience and know that it will all be ok. Wow, Laura! Our overall experience at EPCOT since reopening has been a good one, though still the strangest out of the 4 parks. Many of the normal services and experiences in EPCOT are not currently running at this time and have been suspended. If you aren’t there at rope drop, no worry. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA. It’s actually a hybrid between the Flower and Garden Festival and Food and Wine with some of the menus from Flower and Garden sticking around and a couple of topiaries too. Test Track is the other most popular ride in EPCOT, and like Frozen it’s been averaging about 30 minutes, but less first thing in the morning or later in the day. Awesome Planet is running in The Land pavilion. Right now there are 41 restaurants open in EPCOT including table service, quick service, lounges, and snack carts. Plan for the full experience to take at least 60-90 minutes and you will feel much more relaxed about the whole thing. Thank you! Having to wear face masks while visiting EPCOT is probably the biggest, and most cumbersome change for guests. Princesses, potato casserole, then walking on to Frozen Ever After…sounds like a pretty magical start to the day for me! Right now there are a total of 19 open attractions on the list, meaning you can visit all but 2 right now. Waits for Spaceship Earth are almost inexistent and rarely have wait times more than 10 minutes. The biggest change with Mission: SPACE besides the distanced queue is they only load from the same party into each ride vehicle. Shoppers are encouraged not to touch the merchandise unless you are seriously considering buying it. Once you tap in and enter the park, you find yourself in the new EPCOT Entrance Plaza. This was bad news for anyone like us that like to go to one of the parks in the morning, head back to the room for a nap, and then over to EPCOT in the evening for dinner. Great tips for character dining rookies, especially a rookie like me. Mickey & Friends World Tour – Goofy leads the way here with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in a travel-themed Rolls Royce and Pluto following not too far behind. Epcot … At least we can ride it a few more times again before the change. I’ve never done character dining at Epcot. On March 3rd, the 2021 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival officially kicked off! Now there are only a few minor things before the whole entrance is completed. Like on many other attractions, the ride vehicles for Test Track are being cleaned frequently and only guests together in the same group are being loaded into the vehicles together. Snow was treating *her* like she was the princess, and it brought a tear to my eye just watching it. Most of the time it goes well expect the man who attacked a security guard who was told his family needed to change masks. I’ll be perfectly honest, having a specific plan right now just isn’t as important as it usually is. I will say it was a joy to people watch at both the princess character breakfasts (we also did Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom). But, the line moved swiftly and by 10:17AM we were already parked. It’s a true classic Disney ride and I usually have a boat to myself. Best SeaWorld Orlando Annual Pass Benefits You Must Know for 2021. There are a few options for transportation to EPCOT depending on where you are coming from and if you are staying off-site or not. EPCOT to me is also the safest-feeling park with the wide walkway around World Showcase Lagoon. The majority never go above 10-15 minutes, and many are walk-ons at all hours of the day outside the “busy” period from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm. We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know as soon as we find out more. Here are some things to do at Epcot, plus some information about how to plan your trip: EPCOT … ), there are three big reasons to book that character breakfast: 1) The food is good, especially the signature pastries at both breakfasts, 2) seeing the park with almost no one in it is a really cool and unique pixie dust moment, and most importantly…3) you can get on one of the big-ticket rides with no wait. Not that this was much different before the closure, but the construction is EVERYWHERE in EPCOT and is impossible to miss. The problem is as we brought out earlier is that almost all of the international Cast Members were sent home months ago, leaving the World Showcase pavilions understaffed as less immersive than they once were. Anticipating that not all guests will be able to go all day in a theme park without a break from face coverings, Disney has created designated areas called “Relaxation Stations” where guests can stay mask-free. This way you will be seated right when the attractions are all closing down. Walk through the shops of the United Kingdom Pavilion. An EPCOT without Tangierine Cafe is a sad EPCOT, and we hope it comes back soon. Selected date, Thursday, March 11, 2021… This is AMAZING advice!!!! Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros, Walt Disney Imagineering presents the Epcot Experience, Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future. One of the awesome new experiences coming to Epcot is the all-new Play Pavilion,which will open in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021. These heavy hitting attractions are adult favorites. Right now this is a split attraction with Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along running for most of the day and Impressions de France only available for a few showings during the last hour of each day. Ready to plan your theme park trip? First, you need to buy your park ticket for EPCOT if you don’t already have one. The Big 3: Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Soarin’ Around the World are all on average 30 minutes or less making them easy to get on multiple times per day. Once you have your park admission, you also need to make a Park Pass reservation. I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival. While the grounds at Epcot are always beautiful, the … Get it from Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie … I usually have a drink from the Rose & Crown Pub, such as the Leaping Leprechaun or a nice cider. 41 is certainly enough to cover the needs of the greatly reduced crowds in the park right now. You already have enough to worry about for your Disney vacation. Some of the links on ThemeParkHipster are affiliate links. This system allows you to book up to three attractions before you arrive to the park. Everyone, including Cast Members are still trying to get used to the new changes, so go into your trip knowing that things will be a little different than usual and possibly not as convenient as they usually are. You can read all 13 new rides, attractions, and features coming to Epcot here! Here are some of the changes you should be aware of: As of this writing, all special experience bookings, tours, and events have been canceled in EPCOT for now in 2021. These are the new Winter Hours starting up at Walt Disney World with all parks getting a significant reduction after the holidays. A huge change in the park-going experience is the fact that you must buy tickets in advance, and they must be accompanied by one of the new Park Pass reservations. The biggest part of the work is focused in the old Future World, which is getting split-up into three separate lands. These are two separate things and the reservations are free, but both are required. This year’s flowery festival is chock-full of … Winnie the Pooh and Joy from Inside Out – These two can be found in Future World hanging out and playing in the grass. We don’t know if those will be the final hours for EPCOT or if park times will be changed again and possibly extended as the weeks go on. Families will be upset about the absence of character meets, and unfortunately at this time we have no idea when they will be coming back. The entrance arrival experience is definitely different than before. The Florida summer heat and sometimes the early fall heat can affect someone who’s not used to it. This is one of my favorite things to do … But we got the Deluxe Dining Plan (went during Thanksgiving) and decided to splurge on a *bunch* of character breakfasts. Winnie the Pooh over by the Imagination! Here is a list of the biggest projects underway right now in EPCOT: The entrance to the park has been under construction since 2019 but is nearing completion now. Again, you take the simple things for granted once you don’t have them anymore. Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters! Read how to find your perfect vacation home rental near Disney World by Clicking HERE! I mention this tip in almost every post because it is very important. Disney has come up with a replacement for Extra Magic Hours called “Early Theme Park Entry.” It lets all Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests access the parks 30 minutes before the scheduled park opening for that day. Disney started the Park Pass system due to the current limited capacity of the theme parks. Some of the attractions are still closed (though very few), entertainment options are scarce, and even many of the restaurants in World Showcase have yet to open their doors. That’s due to the distancing set up in the attraction queue and everything moves very quickly. The only way to get on any of the attractions in EPCOT at the moment is to wait in the stand-by line. Posted on Last updated: March 9, 2021 By: Author Ziggy Oskwarek. There are still some restrictions however as the parks still have capacity limits. This was supposed to debut in Summer 2020, but the construction on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure also hit a setback due to the closure. For the Walt Disney Company visit their website: www.waltdisney.com, Copyright © 2020 | Bamboo on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Disney's Magic Kingdom After Reopening | What's Open in 2021, Disneyâs Hollywood Studios After Reopening | What's Open in 2021, Walt Disney World Phased Reopening | Complete Guide, How to Make Disney World Park Pass Reservations | Complete Guide, Disney World Closures – Updates, How to Get a Refund & Future Impact, Disneyland Reopening â Latest Updates, FAQs & Refunds, Disney Cruise Line Closure â Updates, Refunds & FAQs, Oga’s Cantina (Menu, Review and Reservations), Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Hotel | Location, Cost and Opening, Savi’s Workshop – How to Build a Custom Lightsaber, Complete Walt Disney World Reopening Guide, How to Make Disney World Park Reservations. What will replace it remains a mystery. This has been consistent with all 4 parks. Journey Into Imagination with Figment averages less than a 10-minute wait to get on, and we have been getting on even faster. This has been consistently the case in all 4 parks. This is always a must-stop on our trip around World Showcase as they serve the best tequila drinks in Disney World. March 21, 2019 March 21, 2019 5 min read Laura Mason. Planning a trip soon? We chose to go to Epcot on our second day at Disney World and what a great choice it was. I’ve never left the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival without nagging Leap to re-do our landscaping. Tickets are also cheaper when you purchase them online. A Look at Every New Attraction and Experience Coming to Epcot by 2021. Disney cast members are some of the best people who are around to help. I’ve wrote a whole article called the Do’s and Don’ts of Drinking at Epcot. Make sure to take advantage of this if you are staying on-site. It will be available at all 4 theme parks, every day of the week once it debuts sometime later in 2021. Even if you didn’t know, it’s hard to miss all the signs around EPCOT. However, if you truly want to explore all the nooks and crannies of the park, then you’ll need two days. Staying close to EPCOT means you can go back and forth as many times as you want to the Food and Wine Festival (as long as you have a Park Pass for EPCOT that day). First, you need to buy your park ticket for EPCOT … The *only* way to get on Frozen Ever After without a ridiculous wait is to either win the FastPass+ lottery OR have a delicious early breakfast at Akershus. Annual passholders are limited to 3 at a time. It was supposed to be ready to open in 2021, but now it won’t be opening until 2022. Car is by far the best way to travel at the moment if you are trying to minimize contact with others, which isn’t always possible on Disney transportation. In the mist of helping, they sometimes do what’s called “plussing” your day. Turtle Talk with Crush. This new ride is opening on October 1, 2021, so at least one attraction is getting crossed off the list for sure. For that reason, we would suggest visiting during the week for the least crowds, especially early in the week is best. Of all the procedural changes in the parks, dining and restaurants have perhaps been the most affected. Yes, even as adults. 99% of the people follow the rules and are respectful of others, and there are a few who you find every now and then trying not to wear them. Just from the first two attractions, you see a big drop in wait time for Soarin’ Around the World, which has average wait times below 20 minutes, and even 10 minutes if you go early or late. EPCOT in particular has been right there with the Animal Kingdom for the lowest attended park. Make sure to read our other guides to the Disney park reopenings before visiting: Also, before we look at EPCOT, make sure to read our Complete Walt Disney World Reopening Guide which will answer any questions you have about anything going on during the reopening period in the parks, hotels, and restaurants. If you haven’t been to EPCOT in a while, the whole entrance to EPCOT has been re-done and it is now a much smoother experience. So if you didn’t do one of the big ones early on, you can get it before going home. Of all the Disney parks, Epcot is probably the most adult friendly and fun park to discover. Around the World in One Day: The EPCOT Pavilion Experience! Tickets are available right now through December 31, 2021. It will be an “innovative city” that is “bursting with interactive experiences, your favorite Disney characters, hands-on activities and engaging entertainment,” according to Disney’s announcement. The first day at Magic Kingdom was a bit more chaotic and crowded but Epcot is so laid-back and perfect for a second day. TIP: Disney’s new Early Theme Park Entry for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests allows you access to the theme parks 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled opening time. While we know these changes can be annoying, try to have patience while visiting Disney right now. This has been done through Future World highlighting technological advances of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.