Tag Archives: Future World

The Epcot “Can’t Miss” List

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DSC_0311This blog post is brought to you by… yet another snow day. March has settled in and I think everyone is longing for spring. Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival started up yesterday. If I close my eyes and wish really hard, do you think I could transport myself there among the topiaries, special outdoor kitchens, and illuminated nighttime gardens?

Nope, I don’t think so either.

At least I have some beautiful pictures to brighten the gray sky.

Epcot Flower & Garden BedEpcot is Hubby’s favorite park. He likes the mix of culture from the World Showcase with the action of Future World. Epcot also has wide open spaces that he finds appealing. For us, Epcot means a blended day of attractions and culinary samplings.

The Epcot list includes attractions, snacks and quick service food. Table Service restaurants are so numerous at Epcot that I won’t address them on the list. Items with an asterisk are “super favorites,” or things we tend to do multiple times.

The Walt Disney World Blog 2015 “Can’t Miss” List:

Epcot

(By area) Future World East, Future World West, World Showcase

  • Spaceship Earth * – This attraction mixes history with the technological future. Interactive touch screens in the vehicles give you a personalized experience on the ride. You can have a different touchscreen experience every time, which is one of the reasons this is a super favorite.
  • Ellen’s Energy Adventure – What do Ellen Degeneres, Bill Nye the science guy, and Alex Trebek all have in common? They are all stars of this attraction, along with some dino animatronics. This ride lasts about 45 minutes and you will most likely exit knowing a sciency thing or two you didn’t know before.
  • Test Track * – True confession: When this attraction first premiered, it didn’t really thrill me all that much. I liked it, but it certainly wasn’t going on my “can’t miss” list. However, in 2012 it was remodeled with a few fresh ideas that not only bumped it onto the “can’t miss” list, but also into super favorite status. Sponsored by Chevrolet, you will travel through an interactive queue, build a custom vehicle on touch screens, and then have those specifications applied to your ride to see how your design performs. It’s really fun.
  • The Seas with Nemo and Friends * – This ride is adorable and clever. Climb into a clam shell and travel through the Finding Nemo story. As you exit the ride you will have a chance to roam the aquarium and view a variety of salt water dwellers. An added bonus: the queue is rarely very long and it moves swiftly.
  • Turtle Talk with Crush – If you have little ones, this is a must. Using technology developed by Steven Spielberg, Crush appears and chats with the humans who have dropped in to visit him.
  • Living with the Land * – This boat ride is all about growing and raising food. That may not sound all that exciting, but it’s really neat to glimpse the direction agriculture is taking. You’ll see plants growing in unusual configurations and in super sizes. Fun Fact: The Land produces substantial amounts of produce and much of it is used in kitchens at Epcot.
  • Soarin’ * – Oh how I love this attraction. Love it. This hang-gliding simulation transports you to California. You’ll experience stunning views, scents, and music. I recommend getting a FastPass+ for this ride  The stand-by queue time quickly climbs and stays lengthy.
  • Sunshine Seasons – This quick service spot is located in The Land. It offers a variety of fresh, tasty delights that will suit anyone’s palette. This is one of our favorite Epcot lunch spots.
  • Gran Fiesta Tour – Head inside the Mexico pavilion to hang out with Donald and his amigos on this charming boat ride.
  • Journey Into Imagination with Figment – It’s hard not to love Figment. This whimsical ride celebrates your senses and imagination.
  • Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar – We love wine. If you do too you should head to the Italy Pavilion in the World Showcase. This cozy little corner offers a substantial selection of Italian wines. We’ve had some great wine flights here. If wine isn’t your speed there is also beer. If you feel peckish, check our their small plate menu.

Wine Cellar Wine Flights 962_PH307460812-0962

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • La Cava del Tequila – Located inside the Mexico pavilion of the World Showcase this bar offers a wide variety of tequilas, tequila based cocktails, and my personal favorite – margaritas!
  • Yorkshire County Fish Shop – If you like fish n’ chips, this is your place. We love to grab a cold beer here on a hot afternoon. Cheers!

Welcome to Epcot Epcot Day

Spaceship Earth – Epcot

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Epcot DayHello once more from WHAT TO DO WEDNESDAY. I’m telling you again that this winter gloom is really getting to me. While I’m not buried in snow currently, it’s been raining all day and I find myself thinking of little else besides fresh air, sunshine, and sun ripened fruit and vegetables. Last week we found our Laughin’ Place at Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom, and today I decided to mentally hop the Monorail and head to Epcot.

Epcot is Walt Disney World’s second park, and the last project that Walt Disney had a hand in before his death. Do you know what Epcot stands for? Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. Fancy, eh?

I love the concept of Epcot, it’s really quite profound. The parks two parts, Future World and the World Showcase unite to bring global, cultural perspective to its visitors. I’m continually amazed that a visit to Epcot grants us not only entertainment, but a glimpse of our world, our affect upon it, it’s potential, and who we are as many cultures of this one planet.

Upon entering the park, you are greeted by the HUGE park icon (180′ tall to be exact) Spaceship Earth, which of course looks like a gigantic golf ball. Taking over two years to build, the technical and mechanical specs for this structure are quite impressive, including a complex draining system that prevents water runoff from the ball during rain. The water instead is channeled into the World Showcase Lagoon. But beyond the engineering, Spaceship Earth is worth discussing today because of the attraction inside.

Spaceship Earth signSpaceship Earth is a ride that takes you on a journey through the evolution of people and the history of communication. Science-fiction author Ray Bradbury and a team of prestigious historians worked with Disney to compose the original storyline of this ride. (Ray Bradbury was also played a part in designing the Spaceship Earth structure.) After entering, you climb into a teal-colored car that will take you through history beginning with Cro-Magnon man, heading to Ancient Egypt, Greece, and passing through the Renaissance. Printed press, telephone operators, and the invention of computers are all part of the adventure.Spaceship Earth

DSC05211One of my favorite moments of the attraction occurs in the middle when your car rotates and you begin to go backwards. In the process you are greeted by a dark sky littered with stars and a view of Earth from space. While much of this attraction remains true to its original 1982 form, a few updates have been added. In 2008 the attraction gained a new musical score, a new narration by Judi Dench, and in the inclusion of touch screens in the ride vehicles.

Spaceship Earth Future AnimationimageThe touch screens bring the ride to life and give a unique, interactive experience to each guest. Cameras take your picture at the beginning of the ride and through answering a series of questions you can see what your life could be like in the future.

Upon exiting the ride you enter Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future. Here you can view your picture on a giant screen, and send it out through email. There are also interactive displays and games that highlight the latest accomplishments in medicine, travel, and energy.

Spaceship Earth is an attraction for all ages. As a whole, the ride moves quite slowly, with no fast-moving sections. During the nearly 15 minute run time there are plenty of dark sections – so take heed if you have little ones fearful of the dark.

At times the queue can look much longer than it is because of the way it wraps around the outside of the building. I have always found this is a queue that moves along quickly. I do suggest if the wait time is above 45 minutes, especially if it’s in the morning, that you simply try the ride at another point in the day. Chances are you’ll get lucky with a reduced standby wait.

Epcot closeup

M. M. – Sunshine Seasons at Epcot

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Hello hungry people! For MUNCHY MONDAY this week we are visiting one of the best Quick Service spots in Walt Disney World – Sunshine Seasons at Epcot.

Epcot Day

The Land If you’re in Future World in Epcot and your stomach starts to rumble, head to The Land Pavilion and make your way downstairs to quiet your hunger in this delicious eatery.

Part of what makes Sunshine Seasons so charming is it’s bright decor. Vibrant greens, warm yellows, and oranges are the focus of the color scheme, making you automatically imagine warm sunshine and lush grass. The Land is designed with an open floor plan, so that the seating area of Sunshine Seasons has a view of the ceiling overhead. Suspended above are whimsically painted hot air balloon sculptures and draped ribbons. The globes of the hot air balloon sculptures each represent one of the 4 seasons, centered around one that is painted as the earth.

The Land CeilingSunshine Seasons serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As far as breakfast is concerned, Sunshine Seasons is one of the few spots in Epcot that offers this meal. The menu is minimal, but you’ll find the basics such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, fruit, bagels, yogurt, and even french toast for kids.

Lunch and Dinner offer much more extensive and variant menus. But here’s what is really great about it – Sunshine Seasons offers yummy, flavorful, HEALTHY food. Let’s be real. When you’re at WDW, you’re on vacation and for many of us that means indulgence. We tend to eat less carefully and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I find I get to a point where I really want something more than a burger and french fries. Sunshine Seasons is a fantastic spot to grab something tasty and healthy to give your body some much needed fuel. (Epcot is huge – you do a lot of walking!!)

Sunshine SeasonsThe lunch & dinner food choices all fall into categories: Sandwiches, Asian Flavors, Soup and Salad, and Wood-fired Entrees. Each category has it’s own station, where you order what you like. In the sandwiches station you can expect to find something such as a turkey sandwich with monterery jack cheese and chipotle mayo on ciabatta bread, served with potato salad. I have that delicious sandwich for lunch more than once. Salads offer classics like chicken cesear, or try one with roasted beets and goat cheese.The grill features oak-grilled chicken and fish entrees served with veggies. If you want something with Asian flair, try the Mongolian Beef with veggie fried rice, or the Spicy Cashew Chicken with vegetable stir-fry noodles. Kids have a range of choices such as a chicken leg with mashed potatoes or rice and grapes. Or perhaps they’d macaroni & cheese with carrots and grapes. And let me tell you – that mac n’ cheese is darn good.

If your sweet tooth happens to strike, fear not. Just because there are healthy choices here doesn’t mean dessert isn’t at hand. A big, beautiful case displays a myriad of dessert choices so you can find just about anything you’d like. (Think cheesecake slices, mini fruit tarts, cookies, strawberry shortcake, brownies, and plenty of cupcake choices.)

After you finish eating, don’t leave The Land right away! Soarin’, Living With The Land, and The Circle of Life attractions are also in this pavilion. The Garden Grill restaurant calls The Land home as well, but that’s another yummy story for another MUNCHY MONDAY.

Just like anywhere in WDW, the menu may change with the seasons. But overall, Sunshine Seasons is focused on offering healthy choices with some Asian flavors. I know you’ll find something there that will make you smile.