Epcot Attractions Guide

Welcome to the future and join us as we travel around the world in our overview of every major attraction at Epcot! We cover FastPass availability, disability information, height requirements, length of attraction and our Theme Park Trader rating out of 5 for each attraction at Epcot.

Want more information on each attraction and the park itself? We are working on full in-depth analysis and histories for each attraction so keep coming back for future updates.

Now, grab yourself a beverage (or three) from World Showcase and enjoy our exploration of Epcot’s attractions!

Future World

Though it is fair to say that Future World isn’t quite as futuristic as it once was, it still contains the majority of attractions in the park. Two of these attractions, Test Track and Soarin’, are among the favourites on Walt Disney World property.

Spaceship Earth stands as the focal point of the park, having been in place since the 1981 opening and being a huge fan favourite (and a favourite of ours here at TPT).

Test Track

Opening originally in 1999 and then getting a big redesign in 2012, Test Track is currently the fastest ride on Walt Disney World property, coming in at a top speed of 65mph.

Whereas the original 1999 version of the ride had guests playing the role of crash test dummies, the new version (though perhaps not quite as good) better fits with the Future World theme, and allows guests to design their very own cars in the Chevrolet Design Studio to test on the track.

The great thing about the entire experience of designing and testing your car is that it can all be done simply by scanning your MagicBand.

Here is one of the cars that we have designed in the past:

Once you have designed your vehicle you then board the attraction to put your car through four tests:

• Capability
• Efficiency
• Responsiveness
• Power

How will your design hold up on the track? There’s only one way to find out.

Soarin

Fly high above some of Earth’s most beautiful locations in this attraction that sends you 40 feet in the air and into some of the wonders of our planet.

Originally opening in 2005 as an export from Disney’s California Adventure, Soarin’ has long since been a fan favourite at the park. In 2016 the attraction changed drastically, changing from it’s traditional California setting to one that included destinations from around the world.

Locations that are now included on your trip:

• Matterhorn in Switzerland
• Isfjord in Greenland
• Sydney Harbour in Australia
• Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany
• Kilimanjaro National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
• The Great Wall of China
• The Great Pyramids of Egypt
• Taj Mahal in India
• West and East Mitten Buttes in Monument Valley, United States
• Lau Islands in Fiji
• Iguazu Falls in Argentina
• Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
• Epcot in Walt Disney World, Florida

The attraction uses 180-degree, 80-foot IMAX projection to achieve the effect while also combining smells to truly enhance the experience.

Living with the Land

Board a boat and travel through the many greenhouses of The Land Pavilion as you learn about agriculture and the impact farming has on the land.

This attraction is actually split into two, the first part is a traditional dark ride that takes guests through a thunderstorm, into a rainforest through a desert and even the American prairie.

Guests are then taken into Living with the Land’s Living Laboratory area that includes:

• Aquacell – An area that focuses on Aquaculture (fish farming)
• Biotechnology Lab – Research on crop improvement from USDA scientists
• Creative greenhouse – Features new, interesting and unusual ideas on the future of agriculture
• String Greenhouse – Showcases vertical growing techniques and other innovative high-density production techniques. It is this area where you might see pumpkins and cucumbers grown into the shape of Mickey Mouse! Many of the crops here are used in dishes in both The Garden Grill and Sunshine Seasons inside The Land Pavilion
• Temperate Greenhouse – Featuring the nine-pound lemon and crops from temperate climates
• Tropics Greenhouse – Features crops from tropical areas of the world including bananas, jackfruit, dragonfruit, java apple and papaya
• Integrated Pest Management Lab – Entomology laboratory that raises insects for use in The Land and Walt Disney World as a whole. Not actually visible on the attraction but can be seen on the Behind the Seeds Tour

Spaceship Earth

Take a journey inside the iconic centrepiece to the park as you board your own time machine and travel through the history of human communication.

Along the journey through time there are many scenes of human history narrated by Dame Judi Dench and played out in front of guests by audio-animatronics. Scenes include:

• Early language creation through cave paintings
• Creation of paper in the form of papyrus
• Invention of the alphabet
• Creation of the printing press
• Telecommunication and the 1969 moon landings
• Invention of the modern computer

After seeing the final planetarium area of the attraction, guests have the chance to design their very own future using touch screens within the ride vehicle and pictures taken earlier on in the attraction.

Once finished on the ride guests enter Project Tomorrow, an area full of interactive games and exhibits that feature Siemens AG technology. Current games featured in Project Tomorrow:

• Body Builder – a 3-D game that allows guests to construct the human body
• Super Driver – a driving video game
• Power City – a large, digital game where guests need to power their city
• InnerVision – A combination of coordination and reaction to test memory and brain function

Mission Space

Learn what it’s like to be an astronaut training for the first manned mission to Mars aboard the X-2 Deep Space Shuttle.

Due to this attraction proving to be too intense for many guests when it first opened, Disney were forced to split the ride into two groups, Orange and Green.

Orange Team – The original attraction as it opened in 2003 with spinning included

Green Team – Added in 2006 and updated in 2017 to include a new Mission focussed around Earth instead of Mars.

This is also one of the only attractions in the world that actually comes equipped with sick bags!

Before guests board the simulator they are given a series of warnings (there are a lot on this attraction) and then given a role to play on the mission. These roles are:

• Pilot
• Engineer
• Navigator
• Commander

Each of these has a big role to play in the training mission with two distinct tasks being assigned to each of them. Though these play out in the form of a simple button press, this attraction (specifically Orange Team) is not for the faint hearted so Disney were right to keep it simple!

The mission itself includes lift-off, a slingshot around the Moon and an intense landing on Mars itself!

Green team get to see some of the sights that Earth has on offer from space and it is great to see that both teams now have very different missions.

After the attraction, guests can take part in the Advanced Training Lab. This area includes games and a kiosk where video postcards can be sent to friends and family at home.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Take a trip in a Clamobile to find Nemo who has managed to get lost again in this family friendly dark ride. Along the journey guests will encounter many of the characters from the Disney Pixar movie, ‘Finding Nemo.’ These include:

• Dory
• Marlin
• Mr. Ray
• Bruce
• Chum
• Crush
• Squirt

This ride features a unique projection towards the end of the attraction that looks as if Nemo and his friends are actually swimming with real sea creatures inside the aquarium!

Turtle Talk with Crush

Have an actual conversation with Crush and stars from both Finding Nemo and Finding Dory in this interactive experience that revolutionised theme park attractions when it was first introduced.

Here are just some of the characters that may join Crush as he encounters people through his ‘Human Tank’:

• Marlin
• Nemo
• Squirt
• Dory
• Destiny
• Bailey
• Hank

The show works as an improvisational real conversation with Crush and his friends and to any small child who is a fan of the franchise, it is a truly magical event.

Journey into Imagination with Figment

Join Dr. Nigel Channing and Figment in the Imagination Institute as they explore the five human senses, each with their own lab:

• Sight
• Sound
• Smell
• Touch
• Taste

Of course with Dr. Nigel Channing starting off the tour not really believing in the power of the imagination, Figment is sure to be just around the corner to show him otherwise!

Who can forget one of Disney’s most instantly recognisable songs by the legendary Sherman Brothers, One Little Spark.

Circle of Life – An Environmental Tale

Join Simba, Timon and Pumbaa as they teach audiences important lessons about the environment and how you can better take care of it.

As Timon and Pumbaa start work on Hakuna Matata Lakeside Village, Simba steps in to warn them on how creating such a resort without any regard for the environment can lead to disastrous outcomes.

Circle of Life includes both original animated sections as well as live action moments that features over 30 countries.

Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival

Sit back and relax as Disney showcases three of the best short films produced in recent years from both Disney animation and Pixar.

Though it is fair to say that you may have seen these shorts in the past, this is the first time that any of them have been shown in 4D.

Epcot Character Spot

Meet favourite Disney characters at this spot in Future World that includes some of the famous five as well as new favourites. Here is the current list of characters you can meet at the spot:

• Mickey Mouse
• Minnie Mouse
• Goofy
• Joy
• Sadness
• Baymax

World Showcase

Explore the wonders of eleven different cultures from around the world as different countries are represented and situated around World Showcase Lagoon. With the exception of Frozen Ever After, most of the attractions encountered in this area of the park are less busy and the land as a whole usually offers quite a chilled atmosphere.

Each country offers unique merchandise locations with many also showcasing attractions that dive into the sights and cultures of each country. Here’s the current list of locations around World Showcase:

• Mexico
• Norway
• China
• Germany
• Italy
• United States
• Japan
• Morocco
• France
• United Kingdom
• Canada

Now, lets explore the attractions that can be found in and around World Showcase.

Frozen Ever After

In one of the more controversial moves in recent Disney Parks history, Maelstrom was replaced by Frozen Ever After at the Norway Pavilion in June 2016. Despite the controversy within the blogging sphere, the ride proved a hit with families and Frozen fans alike and is currently one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World.

All the main characters from the movie are present including:

• Anna
• Elsa
• Olaf
• Sven
• Kristoff

Major songs such as ‘Let it Go’ are of course also included in the attraction experience.

The American Adventure

Join your animatronic guides in Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain as they describe America’s short but rich history alongside other animatronics, film footage and music in this 30 minute show.

The show covers a wide variety of historic events that include:

• Boston Tea Party
• Landing of the Mayflower
• Winter at Valley Forge
• Civil War
• Penning of the Declaration of Independence

Along the way audiences will meet more American visionaries including Will Rogers, Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Thomas Jefferson.

Impressions De France

Impressions De France has been playing at Epcot since the park first opened in 1982 and offers guests a five screen 220° look at some of the best features the country has on offer. Here are just some of the scenes that can be spotted during this journey through France:

• The Cliffs of Normandy
• Cheverny Forest
• Cannes Harbor
• Eiffel Tower
• The French Alps
• The Louvre
• Gare Du Nord railway station
• Castle Beynac
• Notre-Dame-de-Penhors church

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

Journey through Mexico with José Carioca and Panchito Pistoles as they hunt down the third Caballero, Donald Duck in this gentle, family friendly boat ride.

During the hunt to find Donald Duck you will encounter some of Mexico’s well known sights and travel through an area very reminiscent of It’s a Small World from Magic Kingdom. Those that dislike It’s a Small World will be pleased to hear the song is absent.

In December 2015 Disney added the three animatronic caballeros into the attraction that were originally found in the classic Disney attraction, Mickey Mouse Revue!

O Canada!

Journey into Canada with the incredibly talented Martin Short in this 360° film showcasing Circle-Vision technology.

Locations explored in this journey through Canada include:

• Niagara Falls
• Horseshoe Falls
• New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy
• Toronto Film Festival
• Vancouver
• Victoria
• Quebec City
• Montreal and the Cirque du Soleil

Famous faces including Jim Carrey, Mike Myers and Alanis Morissette are all included alongside Eva Avila’s performance of Canada (You’re a Lifetime Journey).

Reflections of China

Join ancient Chinese poet Li Bai as he takes you on a tour through China in another 360° film showcasing Circle-Vision technology.

Visit locations throughout China that include:

• The Great Wall of China
• The Forbidden City
• Shanghai
• Hong Kong
• Hunan
• Suzhou
• Guilin

Voices of Liberty

Take a load off and enjoy this cappella group as they sing American patriotic music before The American Adventure show begins. The rotunda’s dome is actually acoustically perfect and amplifies the sound of the 8 membered group.

The group sings a wide range of different songs that include:

• Ol’ Man River
• Yankee Doodle
• Amazing Grace

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

Pick a spot around World Showcase and enjoy one of the best shows in all of Walt Disney World. The show combines fireworks, lasers, water and fire effects in a show that tells the story of Planet Earth.

The show is split into three distinct parts, each as mesmerising as the last:

Part One: The Earth is Born

Witness the beginning of earth with fire and fireworks from the centre of World Showcase Lagoon. Once the initial fireworks have died down, a globe slowly glides across the water for part two of the show.

Part Two:  The Triumph of Life

The central globe lights up as the history of humanity is projected onto it. This part of the show focuses on the real achievements of mankind, something that we can all agree is needed in today’s society.

The globe and the centre of the show was the world’s first spherical video display system and weighs 350,000 pounds.

Part Three: Hope for the Future

The show ends with the globe opening up as a torch is set on fire and the fireworks beginning the shows finale.