Trip Report: EPCOT

Anticappointment has a name, and its name is EPCOT.  Out of all of the parks on my Orlando trip itinerary, I was looking forward to EPCOT the most, and after hearing Disney fans clamor over how amazing the park was for years, I was excited to finally visit for the first time.  My expectations remained low though, knowing full well how the Walt Huggers like to proclaim everything Disney related as the greatest thing ever, but the supposed blend of entertainment and education within EPCOT was very intriguing to me.

It was cold and grey on the day we visited, and the crowds were very low.  We had our three fastpasses booked in advance for Test Track, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth.  Even though the only two attractions in the entire park that needed a fastpass were Test Track and Soarin’, due to the tiered FastPass+ system in place at EPCOT (and Hollywood Studios) we had to use our three fastpasses early in order to be able to reserve an additional time for Soarin’ as well.

We spent the first half of our day in Future World.  EPCOT first opened in 1982, and based on the sad condition of the entire area it feels as though nothing has changed since then.  Everything felt very outdated and downright neglected, which is something I did not expect from the supposedly industry leading Disney.

Future World had two attractions that I thought were good in Test Track and Soarin’, and four attractions I thought were okay in Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, Living With the Land, and The Seas with Nemo & Friends.  Everything else was awful.  Universe of Energy, Circle of Life, Journey into Imagination, and Captain EO could (should?) be demolished tomorrow and I would not care at all.  They were terrible.  Innoventions East could go as well, and as far as I’m concerned the only thing worth saving in Innoventions West is the Cool Club and its free samples of sodas from around the world.  None of the attractions blew me away, and to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

One of the few bright spots in Future World for us was our lunch from Sunshine Seasons in The Land pavilion.  The selection here goes well beyond your typical counter service offerings, and it didn’t feel like a complete rip-off based on the quality of the ingredients and the quantity of the entrees.  I ordered the spicy thai green curry shrimp with jasmine rice (and a cup of free water), and I would highly recommend it.

After lunch we decided to roam around World Showcase.  The only attractions I can comment on are the Gran Fiesta Tour and the American Adventure because, well, those are really the only attractions there outside of a few films from various countries.  Neither of these attractions are anything to write home about.  The Gran Fiesta Tour has a cool setting next to the indoor marketplace and restaurant in Mexico, but the ride itself is rather boring.  The American Adventure is worth seeing if you’ve never seen it before, and the shuffling of the audio animatronics is interesting from a technical standpoint, but you’re not missing much if you decide to skip it.

I was very underwhelmed by the rest of World Showcase.  The thing I hear time and time again from the die hard Disney fans is that the best thing about World Showcase is the opportunity to spend money.  Whether it’s the overpriced restaurants that you need a reservation ten years in advance for, or the gift shops peddling kitsch inspired by random countries, everything seemed like a money grab.  The various entertainment throughout each country was a nice touch and helped the otherwise lacking atmosphere, but it did not make up for the cheap feeling I received from nearly everything.  Perhaps it’s because I’ve experienced some of the countries and landmarks first hand, but I did not see the appeal of World Showcase.

We wanted to have a nice sit down meal for dinner, but after being turned away by restaurant after restaurant because we didn’t have a reservation, we decided to eat at Tangierine Café in Morocco.  It was decent food, but keeping with the overall trend of World Showcase it was way overpriced. 

After dinner we found a spot near the lagoon and settled in to watch IllumiNations.  I had heard good things about this show, but after the disappointment from the rest of EPCOT my expectations were down the drain at this point.  I must say that I enjoyed this show quite a bit.  The fireworks, the laser lights, and the physical set pieces on the barges combined with a great soundtrack to create a very entertaining show.

As I was leaving the park for the night, I couldn’t help but think of what EPCOT could be compared to what it currently is.  There is so much potential here, but Disney is not doing anything with it because people still flock here in droves for some reason unbeknownst to me.  With all of the empty buildings and neglected attractions in Future World, and all of the overpriced everything in World Showcase, I don’t see the appeal of spending a bunch of money just to have the opportunity to spend even more money and experience a couple of mediocre attractions.  I had a decent day at EPCOT, but I don’t have much desire to return until something changes.