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 EPCOT
is the second oldest of Disney's Floridian theme parks,
and was opened in 1982.
EPCOT,
or the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow
was Walt Disney's visionary idea comprising a huge transparent
dome containing an entire city of harmony and progress.
However
with Walt's passing, many of the original ideas for EPCOT
were lost, and the resulting EPCOT Centre is a compromise
between the parts of the dream laid out by Walt himself,
and what could be achieved in practice.
 It
is subdivided into two main sections, Future World, and
The World Showcase.
You'll
probably need two days if you want to see and do everything
within the park, (1 day in Future World, and 1 day around
the World Showcase - but many guests (and especially children)
find it less interesting than the other Disney parks like The Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom or Disney MGM Studios.
Future
World which opens (and closes) earlier than the World
Showcase is themed into distinct pavilions, and is dominated
by Spaceship Earth, a large 180ft geodesic sphere made
from white aluminum. As well as providing a focus for
the park, Spaceship Earth contains a slow ride, which
winds its way along a track through the dome itself, tracing
the history of human communication from cave drawings
through satellite and television.
The World Showcase covers the area around the lagoon at
EPCOT, and it provides a view of the cultural heritage
of 11 varied nations including America, Canada, China,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway,
and the United Kingdom. However - be warned that this
is a "Disney view" of the heritage of these
Nations, and many come away feeling slightly disappointed!
However, having said all of the above , there's an awful
lot of things to do and see, many of which can be previewed
by clicking on the panel on the left.
Open daily from 10:00am through 7:00pm.
We recommend that all guests use the FASTPASS machines to plan their times on the 2 or 3 rides at EPCOT.
If you want to avoid the majority of the crowds, without
using the FASTPASS machines,
then get to the park early, work out which rides you want
to see most, and then plan a time to see them when most
guests are having their lunch at the park (between 12 noon
and 2:00pm). Another tip worth trying is to travel around
the park ant-clockwise - you'll see what we mean when you
get there, and most guests travel in a clockwise direction!
It's
BIG - VERY BIG. You're going to need to pace yourself at
this park, especially if you come in the summer months.
The sun beats down onto the pathways and reflects back up
- and you will feel the effects. Drink plenty of water,
and make sure you wear comfy shoes.
Check out the tip board first thing. There's one near
to the entrance (ask where it is). Here you can plan you
day be finding the waiting times for popular attractions/rides,
the times for that day's parades and shows, and which
(if any) rides are closed.
Give the English Rose pub a miss - it's nothing like
the real thing and 3 times the price! "Cor' Blimey!"
If you want to skip EPCOT, but still want to see the
firework show, go down to Disney's Boardwalk at 9:00pm
and walk across the bridge to the Yacht & Beach
Club for a drink - you'll get a great display for free.
Disney's EPCOT is fairly well laid out as far as access
goes, especially for those guests that need to use Wheelchairs.
Generally the aisles and pathways are plenty wide enough
to accommodate any of the electric mobility vehicles
that can be rented within the park, although many of
the paths are uneven with small hills and dips, which
could make pushing a wheelchair bound guest very tiring
for a family member.
For anyone who is a certified diver, it is possible
to make arrangements to perform a dive in the Living
Seas exhibit at Epcot at a cost of around $140 which
includes a video tape taken of the dive.
Travel
on Highway 192 to the Disney World Drive exit, and then
follow signs on World Drive to EPCOT.
All-day
parking for up to 6,000 vehicles at Disney's EPCOT costs
$6 for day visitors. Transportation from the parking lot
to the theme park entrance is provided as with the other
Disney theme parks in the form of free trams, which run
every few minutes.
Disney's
EPCOT
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Tel: 407-W-DISNEY
Web: www.disneyworld.disney.go.com
Click
for information on discount tickets.
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