TRAVEL
WALT DISNEY WORLD ® RESORT , FLORIDA CONT .
Epcot has its own special magic ! Amongst some of Walt Disney ’ s Future World predictions , you ’ ll find the World Showcase , a pitstop around the world with unique attractions , such as Norway ’ s Frozen Ever After water ride and France ’ s not to be missed Ratatouille ride , alongside global cuisine and drinks . Epcot also boasts Disney ’ s newest and arguably most impressive ride , Guardians of the Galaxy : Cosmic !
Ready ’ s Epcot Must Rides / Sees : Guardians of the Galaxy : Cosmic ( our top ride across all parks ! We recommend you pay if the Lightning Lanes are fully booked . It . Is . Insane !); Soaring ; Test Track ; Remy ’ s Ratatouille Adventure ; Frozen Ever After ; and then dine and drink around the world - think fresh French crepes , Chinese bao buns , English fish and chips , Belgium beer flights … and you can see the draw ! Before ending with Harmonious , Epcot ’ s spectacular closing light and firework show .
Alongside the attraction parks sits Disney ’ s two water parks : Blizzard Beach , a winter wonderland of splash fun , and Typhoon Lagoon , where you can wash up on tropical shores , ride the roaring rapids , lazy rivers and delve into Florida ’ s largest inland surging lagoon ! We found that half a day here was the perfect time for us .
So how do you make the most of your time ?
Start with choosing one main park per day . Wear sensible shoes ( we walked about 10-15 km a day !) and pack plenty of water , suncream , hats , ponchos etc . depending on the weather .
Hopper tickets are fab , you start by allocating a park to each day of your hopper pass , but once it hits the afternoon you can then ‘ hop ’ to another park , which is great for revisiting rides with less wait times , shopping , and simply meandering the parks at a slower pace .
Each park has its own journey , a key thrill coaster or two , an iconic show , unique food , exclusive shopping and its own awe-inspiring closing fireworks / show or parade . The main draw rides for each park will be massively popular so the key is to spread out your day , booking slots for these through Genie + and then mixing this up by going on rides or watching shows that have smaller wait times .
The best trick is to utilise Genie +!
All guests to the resort have access to the complimentary Disney Genie service , a digital friend in the form of an easy to navigate app , that guides you around the parks , can make recommendations for dining and help you personalise your itinerary for the day . However , upgrading to Genie + is my No . 1 Disney World recommendation !
Available for more than 40 of the parks ’ attractions and experiences , you are able to make one reserved slot from 7am ( which is before the parks even open ) to ride / watch / visit from the next available ‘ Lightning Lane ’ slot . You can then make your next reservation either as soon as you have gone on that attraction or two hours after you made your reservation if your reserved slot is later in the day . When it is your time to ride / visit you even have a separate ‘ Lightning Lane ’ queue to enter which whisks you straight to the front of the actual queue !
As well as the virtual queue solution freeing you up loads of time to go on other rides and attractions and to shop and eat - which was particularly helpful in keeping the littlest Readys from the dire depths of queue boredom ( although there is a handy Disney Resort games app for that too !) - the app also gives you access to Disney PhotoPass Lenses to explore the park in augmented reality and Audio Tales to listen to fascinating fun facts too .
We began by picking out each of our park ‘ must dos ’ for each day . We then allocated one ‘ big ticket ’ ride to be our first Genie + selection at 7am , and one to be our first ride of the day , joining the gate opening dash to join the physical queue with a coffee and doughnut in hand for breakfast . This meant that even if the wait time was long ( in some cases 90-120 mins ) we had snacks , a chance to wake up , already had the next big ride timeslot secured , and could select another Lightning Lane pick mid morning too .
And then we simply had the time of our lives …
We met Mickey , rode a paddle steamer , ate Minnie Mouse-shaped toffee apples and Mickey-shaped brownies , waved to Donald in the parade , met Princess Tiana , laughed and shrieked on the rides , got wet , got dry , basked in the Flordian sunshine , rode the lazy river , went to Disney Springs for dinner and shopping , bought numerous souvenirs , took numerous pictures , made memories to last a lifetime , and found that perfect holiday for every single one of us .
And then we did it all again . And again . And again .…
Even now , the trip is all the kids talk about . They are already planning their next magical trip , and it ’ s easy to see why you should too … Just don ’ t forget your Mickey ears !
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