Walt Disney’s World Epcot offers all this and more – and needless to say, it can be a bit overwhelming for first-time visitors. Today, we’re sharing 7 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid at Epcot so you can make the most of this magnificent park.

7 Rookie Mistake to Avoid at Disney World’s Epcot

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Below, I’ve listed some of the rookie mistakes that I see happen nearly every trip I’ve made. Epcot is the one park where a rookie mistake could ruin the rest of your trip. Here are some rookie mistakes to avoid at Disney World’s Epcot!

7. Underestimating the Size of Epcot

Epcot is 300 acres! That’s 227 football fields.

The time suggestions to travel between attractions are often inaccurate. Whether they are supplied by the the My Disney Experience App or many of the “top” Disney travel websites that are written by adults who don’t take small children to the parks.

According to My Disney Experience, it should take you 10 minutes to walk from Spaceship Earth to the Frozen Ever After ride in the Norway Pavillion. I can tell you honestly as a mom who is travelling with little humans with little legs, that trip is going to take you at least 20 minutes unless all the kids are buckled into strollers and you’re keeping a good pace – unhindered by busy crowds.

This is such an important thing to keep in mind when making your Epcot plans, whether you’re trying to make it to a character meeting or a dining reservation. It will take twice as long as the app suggests.

6. Not Wearing Sunblock or Good Shoes

A rookie mistake to avoid at Disney World’s Epcot is forgetting your sunscreen or sunshades.

Epcot is one of the more “wide open” parks. There isn’t a lot of shade in between the countries, and it’s usually already occupied. Can you imagine getting sunburnt the first day?

The rest of your trip would be pretty rough. Even if you’re fine in the sun, don’t forget about those kiddos in strollers. Their little legs hanging out in the sun all day could get burnt.

And when it comes to good shoes… remember how I said that Epcot is REALLY big?

Not only is it a huge park, you will spend most of your time walking rather than riding – the walk around the countries is 1.2 miles, by ITSELF! Add onto that the walk from the hotel and transportation and you will be on your feet a lot.

Your footwear is going to matter a lot at this park, and that includes your socks. I understand wanting to dress nice at some of the restaurants, but high heels or loafers are just a bad idea if you plan on visiting the rest of the park.

5. Not Digging Further

It wasn’t until my third trip to Epcot that I discovered that what I thought was just a decorative pyramid in the Mexico Pavillion actually houses an amazing shopping area styled after an open-air Mexican vendor market, the Gran Fiesta Tour ride AND La Cantina de San Angel restaurant.

The same can be said for several other areas, like the Morocco Pavillion that features a seemingly dead-end alleyway that holds several shops and even a character meet and greet.

Take your time exploring the nooks and crannies of this park to discover all of it’s hidden treasures.

4. Not Riding Soarin’

While Spaceship Earth is just a classic and everyone jostles to get into Frozen Ever After, my hands-down favorite ride at Epcot is Soarin’.

This unique 4D roller coaster often has a short wait time but it’s such a fun experience. I don’t want to give away too much but if you decide to make the time for this ride, all I have to say is “nice work, pal!”

3. Test Track Trap

I’ve been going to Disney World long enough to remember Test Track opening.

My kids absolutely love Test Track, but it breaks down a lot. This means that your predicted hour wait could easily become two. It is completely worth it, especially if you’ve never ridden it, however I recommend planning accordingly if you really want to ride this one. Don’t have an important ride or reservation booked immediately afterwards.

2. Skipping Rope Drop

A lot of people only plan half a day for Epcot, which is such a mistake!

Although the World Showcase doesn’t open until later in the morning, you really do need a full day (at least) to explore this park.

Get there for rope drop and experience everything you can in the Future Showcase BEFORE the World Pavillion opens up.

This is SUPER important if you want to ride Frozen Ever After. If you don’t get to this ride early, then expect a pretty lengthy wait.

1. Not Taking Your Sweet Time in the Countries

A major rookie mistake to avoid is not taking the time to “taste” the countries.

Disney has so many festivals throughout the year that it’s always festival season at Epcot! We’ve been lucky enough to experience several of these but my personal favorites are the Festival of the Arts and the Food and Wine Festival.

During these Festivals, there are additional attractions, vendor booths, experiences and even more dining options available to guests. Many of these are only available once – so if you miss them on one trip, you won’t ever get a chance to experience them again.

Slow down, appreciate your surroundings – and taste everything you can!

I hope this blog post was helpful in helping you learn to navigate how to get around these rookie mistakes to avoid while at Epcot!

I highly recommend looking into the food and wine festival here! Also, come join us over at Disney Express Lane on Facebook here!

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