Take A Walk Through Epcot!

Number three in this series takes us to what I consider to be my favorite park at the Walt Disney World Resort; Epcot. What makes this my favorite park is not so much the rides but the variety of things to do. Let’s begin with what Epcot stands for. Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and was named by Walt Disney himself.  As you will see, this park has something for everyone. Let’s get going!

When you first enter the park, or before you even get there actually, you are greeted by what some call the giant golf ball. This is Spaceship Earth. Inside this attraction you will be taken on a journey through over 40,000 years of history. You’ll see prehistoric man, ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire as well as how we might be living and communicating in the not so distant future. It’s a great way to kick off the day. I have a list of things that you “must” do in this park just like I have for the others. Since the rides at Epcot are limited, there are usually long lines. Taking advantage of the Fast Pass feature is a must if you’re going to get on the rides on my list. We’ll start with Soarin’ which is located in The Land. Soarin’ takes you on a hang-glider flight over California. You’ll fly over the Golden Gate Bridge, Malibu, LA and more. Not only do you get to “see” these wonderful sites you will also smell orange groves and the ocean! Oh, and be sure and look for the Hidden Mickey on the golf ball as you fly over a popular golf course. Since you’re going to be in the area, hop on over to The Seas to check out the 5.7 million gallon aquarium filled with every fish and mammal you can imagine! If you have kids, The Seas with Nemo and Friends as well as Turtle Talk with Crush are a must here as well. Keep in mind, these are just my favorites. There are so many more things to do in The Land and The Sea areas of Epcot. Be sure and check your map for additional attractions.

Let’s cruise over to the other side of the park to Future World. The big two attractions here are Test Track and Mission Space. Again, use the Fast Passes for these rides. Test Track takes you on a trip through the world of automotive testing where you see how a car goes through the safety and quality tests that General Motors performs on every prototype it manufactures. At the end you’ll be sent on a high-speed run around the track to make sure your car is performing correctly so hold on to your hats! To keep the adrenaline flowing, go over to Mission Space next. Mission Space has two options, the full force version where you feel all the G-Forces of space travel or the more calm version that takes you on the same journey only without the G-Forces. If you have ever wanted to feel what it’s like to be an astronaut then this is the ride for you! My advice to you is to choose wisely when deciding which version of the ride to experience. The G-Forces are pretty intense so if you have any health issues or just aren’t sure, take the calmer version. After these two rides you’ll be ready for some relaxation for sure! There are a number of shops to stroll through in the middle of the park as well as some relaxing rides such as Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, and Living With The Land. All of these will allow you to sit and be slowly transported through and educational and entertaining experience.

Your final stop will be the World Showcase. Here you will be immersed in the cultures of the world! You will visit Canada, Mexico, China, Germany, France, Japan, Italy and more. You will be able to taste the foods, the people and the cultures of the countries without having to deal with jet lag! Just this area alone will take more than a day to full enjoy so if you have more time during your stay at the Walt Disney World Resort, plan on coming back to Epcot so you don’t miss anything. At the end of the day, stay in the World Showcase area to enjoy IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This is the perfect way to end your day at Epcot. It’s an amazing show filled with pyrotechnics, lasers, fire and fountains on World Showcase Lagoon. There are some choice spots to watch the show. If you can get a table at the Rose and Crown Pub in England outside, this will provide you with a great seat. You might want to make reservations. If you can’t get in there, go over to Italy and find a seat on the water. Either place will give you a great view.

You’ll do a lot of walking in Epcot so be sure and make time for breaks. Tasting the wonderful foods in the different coutries is a great way to relax and take a break. I could keep going with more exciting things to do in Epcot but we’d be here all day if I did! This is just a quick overview of the many wonderful things you will see in this park. As I mentioned earlier, be sure and check your map for more attractions. I hope you have enjoyed our little trip as much as I have. We’ll take another walk through a Disney World park real soon. If you have any questions or would like to book your family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort please give us a call. Remember, we don’t charge any fees, our services are totally free! We’ll talk to you soon!

Take A Walk Through Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

The Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort is my wife’s favorite park by far and I must admit, it’s on my top 2 list. Some folks imagine it to be like a big zoo but it’s so much more than that. It’s an adventure that takes you through many different cultures all in one place. The animals you will encounter are an added bonus to your visit. So, let’s take a walk through the Animal Kingdom and discover what you will see and experience there.

When you enter the park you will be in the Oasis of the Animal Kingdom. This is where you will begin your journey. You will most likely see anteaters, exotic boars, macaws, and a few other amazing animals. Cast members are also in this area holding small cages containing things like big hairy spiders!

From here you can go to your left or the right and enter Discovery Island. The first thing you will see is the amazingly huge Tree of Life. Under the Tree of Life you can see the hilarious 3-D show, It’s Tough to be a Bug. Kids and adult alike really enjoy this. Lots of surprises in this show so stay on your toes! Surrounding the Tree of Life there is an entire landscape of beautiful things to see. Galapagos tortoises, lemurs, cotton-top tamarins and a host of exotic plants and flowers.

Our next stop is always Africa. The big attraction here is the Kilimanjaro Safari. This is an open-air safari vehicle ride that takes you on an expedition through the African savannah. Get your camera ready because you’re about to get a close-up look at giraffe, gazelles, elephants, rhinos, lions, and more that are roaming freely in their natural habitat. It’s truly an amazing experience. You might want to get a Fast Pass when you come off the ride so you can do it again later. The best times to do this are in the morning and in the evening when the animals are being fed. In the middle of the day they are likely to be napping and not so active. After this, head over to the Pangani Forest and Exploration Trail to see all kinds of birds, fish, gorillas and an underwater hippo viewing area.

One thing that a lot of people miss, and we forget about at times, is Rafiki’s Planet Watch. You’ll hop on a train for this one and be taken to see where the animals are cared for when they need medical attention or just to get a check-up. It’s really amazing! There is even a petting station here so the kids can pet some rare animals.

And last but certainly not least, we head into Asia. One of the most amazing things for me to do here is to ride Expedition Everest. This is a roller coaster ride you will never forget! But there is so much more here. Flights of Wonder is a normal stop for us. This is a bird show in an outdoor setting that you will really enjoy! There is also the Maharajah Jungle Trek. The highlight of this area are the tigers! You can get pretty close to them and they love posing for pictures….when they are not sleeping that is. If you have cats you know their favorite thing to do is sleep. So you have to catch them at just the right time when they are awake and playing. If you’re really hot you might want to hop on the Kali River Rapids. I have to warn you though, you WILL get SOAKED on this ride. Not just a little damp, SOAKED!

There are also a variety of wonderful shows to see in the Animal Kingdom like Finding Nemo – The Musical, and of course there are parades as well. Oh! And if the little ones get bored with all the animals, there is a special place just for them called Dino Land. It’s got lots of great rides for the kids and for adults as well so be sure and check that out while you’re there.

Whew! I don’t know about you but I’m tired! That’s just a quick trip through the Animal Kingdom. There are many more things to do and see there as well as plenty of places to shop and grab some lunch or dinner. I hope you have enjoyed the trip and we’ll take another walk through a Disney World park real soon. If you have any questions or would like to book your family trip to the Walt Disney World Resort please give us a call. Remember, we don’t charge any fees, our services are totally free! We’ll talk to you soon!