Best EPCOT Rides & Attractions Guide (2025)

This post covers a guide to the best rides and attractions at EPCOT park in Walt Disney World. We have a full list of all the attractions and tell you all the must-dos, which ones to prioritize and which rides you can skip.

If you haven’t visited EPCOT in a few years, many of the rides have changed, and most of the original attractions are now completely gone. That doesn’t mean that EPCOT doesn’t still have some great rides though, and there is still plenty to love.

The attractions at EPOCT are different from the ones at the other Disney World theme parks. From opening day, the attractions here were aimed to entertain and teach at the same time, and for them, Disney coined the phrase “Edutainment.” Many of them highlight technological advancement and human culture, things you normally don’t associate with theme park rides.

Many of the rides are geared toward adults, in the last decade, EPCOT has started introducing more Disney Characters into its attractions, and that trend is continuing. More kid-friendly attractions are on the way in the coming years as Disney shifts away from the park’s original design.

In this post, we are going to give you the full list of all the EPCOT attractions including traditional rides, shows, entertainment options, and experiences. We rate all the attractions on a points system from 1 to 10. The higher the number, the more it is a “must-do” when you visit.

What we think are the best rides at EPCOT is subjective and every guest has their own opinion. Some of the rides we really love here many would consider boring and would rather skip entirely. Be sure to let us know in the comments section about your top attractions here.

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Full List of EPCOT Attractions

Even though your mind might think of the food and drink and the seasonal festivals, EPCOT offers some amazing attractions you need to visit on your trip.

EPCOT has a total of 21 attractions which are a mix between classic rides, shows, movies, and experiences. While not having as many as some other parks there is definitely enough to keep you busy for a whole day, and more are on the way.

Before your visit, we highly recommend reading all the Disney World Ride Height Requirements so you know ahead of time which rides your kids can go on.

EPCOT is separated into four main themed areas, known as “neighborhoods.” Whereas it used to just be ‘Future World’ and ‘World Showcase’, now it’s been split to four area. Future World has been divided into World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature. And World Showcase of course remains the same.

World Celebration

• Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Spaceship Earth

World Discovery

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Mission: SPACE
• Test Track

World Nature

• Awesome Planet
• Journey of Water
• Living with the Land
• Soarin’ Around the World
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush

World Showcase

• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
• Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360
• Frozen Ever After
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
• Impressions de France
• Kidcot Fun Stops
• Reflections of China
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• The American Adventure

How Many Rides are there at EPCOT?

There are 11 actual rides at EPCOT. There are a total of 21 attractions but there are only 11 rides in a moving vehicle. The rest of the attractions are shows or interactive experiences.

Best Rides at EPCOT (Ranked)

With so many things to see and do at EPCOT, not all the rides are absolute must-do. You need to focus on the best rides first, then if you have time get to the other ones.

The best rides at EPCOT in order are:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
2. Soarin’ Around the World
3. Spaceship Earth
4. Test Track
5. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
6. Frozen Ever After
7. Living with the Land
8. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

Out of those rides, you should make sure to do the top 7. If you have time for all 8, great, but don’t miss Cosmic Rewind, Soarin’, Spaceship Earth, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, Living with the Land, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. The Gran Fiesta Tour is also good but not an absolute must-do.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at all the EPCOT rides…

Test Track (9/10) (Currently Unavailable)

• Ride Type: Thrill, Car
• Thrill Level: High
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 4 minutes
• Height Requirement: 40 in (102cm)
• Best Time to Visit: 1st Ride of the Day or Evening

(UPDATE: Test Track is currently unavailable as it undertakes a massive refurbishment. We expect it to open for Summer 2025)

Test Track is EPCOT’s top thrill ride and the fastest attraction in all of Disney World. If you feel the need for speed, this is it. The concept behind the ride is to design a car prototype and then get to put that car through a rigorous performance test.

The latest version is Test Track 2.0 after the ride refurbishment and design changed. in 2012. The previous version took you through a car manufacturing plant to see how tests are performed, while the latest version is more reminiscent of being on “The Grid” from TRON.

Designing your own prototype car on a touch screen is a fun and interactive experience, but the best part happens when you are then loaded into a 6-person SIM Car to test it out. You’ll go through the Suspension Test, Hill Climb Test, Brake Test, and Ride-Handling Test, all of which lead up to the High-Speed Lap test where you reach an excess of 65 mph around banked curves.

Test Track is an extremely fun ride, and though we preferred the previous version’s more immersive show scenes, it still is one of the most popular rides at EPCOT. Make sure to visit it as your first or second ride of the day to avoid long wait times. You can also use the Single Rider option to save tons of time not waiting in line.

Spaceship Earth (9/10)

• Ride Type: Dark Ride, Slow
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 15 minutes
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Evening

One of the park’s best rides is located inside EPCOT’s iconic geodesic sphere, Spaceship Earth. This classic dark ride takes guests on a 15-minute journey through the evolution of communication throughout the history of humankind.

Spaceship Earth is a slow-moving ride with elaborate show scenes populated with dozens of audio-animatronic figures. Some scenes include ancient Egypt and Rome, the moon landing, the Renaissance, and the Industrial Revolution.

It has gone through multiple refurbishments over the years, with most changes coming to the narration of the attraction, with Judy Dench leading guests through the current version. Disney released plans for another refurbishment of Spaceship Earth, but that project is now on hold.

Spaceship Earth is absolutely one of our favorite rides in Disney World and should not be missed. Wait times are not usually more than 20-30 minutes and we like to ride it in the afternoon when we need a long break from the heat.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (10/10)

• Ride Type: Roller Coaster, Indoor
• Thrill Level: High
• Good For: Kids, Teens, Adults
• Lightning Lane Single Pass Reservations: Yes
• Virtual Queue: Yes
• Ride Length: 3 minutes 20 seconds
• Height Requirement: 42 in (106cm)
• Best Time to Visit: 1st Ride of the Day or Late in the Evening

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the newest attraction in EPCOT and also now the park’s best attraction. It’s one of the world’s longest indoor roller coasters and it will bring you on a ride like you have never experienced before!

Roller coasters are always fun, but Cosmic Rewind introduces a completely new ride system that features Disney’s first-ever backward launch on special ride vehicles which allow for 360-degree movement. The “OmniCoaster ride system” is incredible and the next generation of ride storytelling technology.

Even though there was substantial controversy around it, Cosmic Rewind is a game-changer and we absolutely LOVE this ride. EPCOT is a much better place with this attraction in place and the combination of storytelling, thrills, special effects, and the awesome soundtrack make Cosmic Rewind one of the most fun experiences in any Disney park!

Make sure you read our guide to the Using Virtual Queue at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for more info on how to ride it.

Frozen Ever After (8/10)

• Ride Type: Boat Ride, Dark
• Thrill Level: Medium
• Good For: All Ages
• Individual Lightning Lane Selection: No
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 5 minutes
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: 1st Ride of the Day

Frozen Ever After is one of the newest and most popular rides at EPCOT. It’s a dark ride that brings guests on a boat into the kingdom of Arendelle from the hit Disney film Frozen. All of your favorite characters are there including Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Sven, and more.

If the attraction feels familiar, it’s because it replaced Maelstrom in 2016 and uses the same ride system, changing only the show scenes. It’s a pretty tame attraction, though there is a small backward drop, though nothing too scary.

If you have kids or are a fan of the film Frozen, you will love this ride. You can get an Individual Lightning Lane pass during the busy season when the lines are longer, though we usually just rope drop it instead. Be sure to make it a priority and ride it as the first or second attraction of the day in order to escape the extremely long wait times.

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros (7/10)

• Ride Type: Boat Ride, Slow
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: No
• Ride Length: 8 minutes 7 seconds
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Afternoon

The Gran Fiesta Tour is a boat ride inside the pyramid in the Mexico pavilion featuring the Three Caballeros. It’s a fun dark ride on a search for Donald Duck with plenty of shenanigans along the way. This is one of the better jobs of using the Disney characters in an EPCOT attraction and integrating it with Mexican culture. Think of it as “It’s a Small World” in Mexico.

It’s a popular ride with families and fun even if you don’t know the characters. The line is always short and you can’t even get a Lightning Lane for this one. It’s one of the only rides in World Showcase, so don’t miss it as you stroll by.

Soarin’ Around the World (10/10)

• Ride Type: Motion Simulation
• Thrill Level: Medium
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 5 minutes
• Height Requirement: 40 in (102cm)
• Best Time to Visit: Morning/Evening

Soarin’ Around the World is the best ride at EPCOT and a must-do for the entire family. Guests board a flight motion simulator and feel what it is like to soar on a hang glider over some of the most popular locations on Earth.

When you enter the theater you are loaded onto rows of seats that swing up into position when the ride starts. Your legs are dangling high above the floor while looking out into a fully enveloping 80-foot IMAX digital projection screen as you take the tour.

Locations in Soarin’ Around the World include The Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, Pyramids of Egypt, the Eiffel Tower, and an elephant-filled African Savanna.

Everything about this attraction is unbelievable. From the incredible visuals, moving musical score, and authentic smells in each location, Soarin’ cannot be beaten. It has shorter wait times than Test Track or Frozen Ever After, but it is extremely popular and we recommend using one of your first Lightning Lane selections on this if you are using it.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (8/10)

• Ride Type: Dark Ride, Trackless
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Individual Lightning Lane Selection: No
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 5 minutes
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Early Morning/Late Evening

The is one of the newer attractions in EPCOT and one that fans of the classic Pixar film will love. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a trackless dark ride that shrinks guests down to the size of a rat for the ride of your life.

We love the trackless ride system as it is the latest trend among new Disney World rides (Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway already use the same system). It is spontaneous and extremely smooth. What we don’t like is that it is a clone of the ride in Paris with no changes to the ride itself.

Overall it’s very fun and something the whole family can enjoy. It fills a much-needed hole for kid-friendly rides in EPCOT and it has proved to be a hit so far with guests.

Journey Into Imagination with Figment (5/10)

• Ride Type: Dark Ride, Slow
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 11 minutes
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Afternoon

This dark ride explores the power of imagination and the human senses with everyone’s favorite purple dragon, Figment. It’s a 6-minute attraction and you’ll be singing the song “One Little Spark” all day long after your ride.

It’s a shell of its former self after the 2002 refurbishment and doesn’t come close to the original. It’s still a cute ride and the short wait times make it worth doing when in the area. No Lightning Lane Multi Pass is needed for this one.

Rumors have been around for years of another Journey Into Imagination refurbishment in the future, but nothing is confirmed at this time.

Living with the Land (8/10)

• Ride Type: Boat Ride, Slow
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 13 minutes 50 seconds
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Afternoon

Living with the Land is a slow-moving boat ride located in The Land pavilion. It is a prime example of “edutainment” and fills the original mission statement and attraction design of classic EPCOT Center.

The ride takes you on a journey to see experimental new horticulture techniques like hydroponics and aquaponics aimed at improving the relationship between humans and the land. The first part of the ride takes is more like a traditional dark ride, while the rest is a tour through EPCOT’s greenhouse where these techniques are being tested.

Kids and guests looking for big thrills will probably find Living with the Land on the boring side which is a shame since we find it to be a fascinating and relaxing ride.

Mission: SPACE (7/10)

• Ride Type: Thrill Ride, Dark, Spinning
• Thrill Level: High
• Good For: Teens, Adults
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 5 minutes 38 seconds
• Height Requirement: 40 in (102cm)
• Best Time to Visit: Afternoon/Evening

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to be an astronaut and travel to space, now is your chance. Mission: SPACE is a centrifugal motion simulator that makes you feel like you are on board a NASA spacecraft traveling to Mars.

Guests are loaded into a space shuttle cockpit, each with a specific role to play during the mission to Mars (pilot, navigator, commander, or engineer). They must then carry out those tasks in order to achieve success. You go through the liftoff, hypersleep stage, and landing sequence.

Mission: SPACE is the most intense ride at Walt Disney World, allowing you to feel the extreme G-Forces associated with space travel. Thankfully, there are two versions of the attraction: Green (less intense, no spinning), and Orange (the full intensity).

It’s definitely a unique experience, but it’s too intense for a large part of guests and the story is not particularly compelling. If you are at all affected by motion sickness, we highly recommend skipping the intense mode and going with the green version of the ride. This is a good choice for one of your later Lightning Lane selections.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends (6/10)

• Ride Type: Dark Ride/Omnimover
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 4 minutes
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Afternoon/Evening

The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a Reader’s Digest version of Disney-Pixar’s Finding Nemo film. The slow-moving dark ride takes you through The Seas’ aquarium while retelling the major plot points from the film.

It’s a cute ride that your kids will like, with the coolest scene being the Anglerfish “chase,” and the final scene when Nemo is projected into the actual aquarium.

There’s certainly nothing special about The Seas with Nemo & Friends, but the wait time is never longer than 10-15 minutes, so there is no reason not to do it when passing by.

Turtle Talk with Crush (6/10)

• Ride Type: Interactive Show
• Thrill Level: Low
• Good For: All Ages
• Lightning Lane Multi Pass: Yes
• Ride Length: 15 minutes
• Height Requirement: No
• Best Time to Visit: Middle of the Day

While technically not a ride, we wanted to include Turtle Crush on our list since it’s an experience you must do while visiting. Guests interact with Crush from Finding Nemo in a screen-based attraction using some really cool technology and funny dialogue.

The attraction uses similar technology as Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor over at the Magic Kingdom which allows voice actors behind the screen to interact digitally with guests. Kids will love Turtle Talk with Crush and will wonder how it’s all happening.

Though it has a Lightning Lane option, we don’t recommend wasting one of your selections on this since wait times are not usually long. Take a look around the Seabase aquarium and marvel at all the fish while you are waiting for the next show.

Lightning Lane Attractions at EPCOT

As you probably know by now, FastPass+ has been discontinued at Walt Disney World and replaced with the Disney Lightning Lane service. This is an entirely new way of making attraction reservations and has changed quite a few things for guests.

• There are now 2 pay-to-ride reservation services: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is very similar to FastPass+ and it lets you skip the standby queue for attractions by moving through the “Lightning Lane” instead. That means a ton less time waiting in line.

Guests can make reservations for attractions they want to ride through the My Disney Experience app. Once the reservation has been made they are given a one-hour return time. Guests then come back during that time slot to ride.

Like FastPass+, Lightning Lane Multi Pass reservations can be made 3 at a time prior to your trip. Guests staying at a Disney World Resort can book them 7 days prior to the start of their trip whereas non Disney Resort guests only have 3 days prior.

The only thing is that Lightning Lane Multi Pass is NOT free and it comes with an extra charge to use it. Lightning Lane Multi Pass costs usually around $15 and $35 per day, per guest.

Another service is the Lightning Lane Single Pass selections. This is another pay-to-ride service separate from Multi Pass, and with another additional cost. Unlike Multi Pass which gives you access to many attractions, Lightning Lane Single Pass selections allow you to pay to ride just one attraction at a time.

Right now there is only 1 attraction using the Lightning Lane Single Pass in EPCOT. It’s not necessary to purchase a Lightning Lane Multi Pass to make a Lightning Lane Single Pass selection as they are 2 different services. Prices for Lightning Lane Single Pass selections at EPCOT range from $15-$17 each, per guest. The only attraction currently to use this at EPCOT is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Here are all the current attractions using Disney Lightning Lanes at EPCOT:

Lightning Lane Multi Pass Selections:

• Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
• Frozen Ever After
• Journey into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission: SPACE – Green
• Mission: SPACE – Orange
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush

Lightning Lane Single Pass Selections:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Even though there are 13+ Lightning Lane attractions to choose from in EPCOT, not all of them are worth one of your limited selections throughout the day. These should be saved for the most valuable attractions, the hardest-to-get ones.

The best choices for your first Lightning Lane selections at EPCOT are these attractions in the following order:

1. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
2. Test Track (When it reopens)
3. Frozen Ever After
4. Soarin’ Around the World
5. Mission: SPACE
6. Spaceship Earth

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Test Track are usually the first rides of the day to sell out of reservations, so make sure to book them first. The rest of them are popular, but reservations should last at least until midday.

As for the Lightning Lane Single Pass selections, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind should be the priority, but only if you are not able to get into the virtual queue or if wait times are over 90 minutes. If you can’t get into the Virtual Queue for Cosmic Rewind, right now buying your way on is the only other option.

If Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is listed as an Individual Lightning Lane attraction, you can wait in the normal standby line if you don’t want to pay the extra money.

Is it Worth It?
Naturally, guests are not thrilled to pay an additional $15-$35 per day for a service that they used to get for free and they may be asking if it’s even worth the extra money. From our experience so far, we do not feel that Lightning Lane Single or Multi Pass selections are necessary at EPCOT to have a wonderful experience, and it’s not worth the extra cost.

EPCOT has a minimal number of attractions, and all of them can be done easily in one day if you plan it right. The only time I would recommend getting a Lightning Lane is for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Right now it uses the Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane Single Pass, so if you can’t get a boarding group, you may have no choice but to pay.

Even when it switches to a standby queue, we expect wait times to be over 2-3 hours, and in that case, it might be worth the money to skip the line.

It’s not worth it to pay extra just to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure since there is a standby queue and you can just rope drop it without paying extra.

You can read our overall feelings in our post “Is Disney Lightning Lanes Really Worth It?“

We cover even more tips and touring strategies in our guide to Lightning Lane at Disney World so make sure to give that a read before your trip. We also have come up with a specific strategy for Lightning Lane at EPCOT which you should definitely read before you visit.

New Attractions Coming to EPCOT

EPCOT has recently finished a major expansion project, in fact, a huge part of the park was a working construction zone throughout the last few years.

Here are the new additions to the park during this latest construction project. We also have a preview of some more exciting ones coming in the future as well!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Now Open

EPCOT has seen multiple new rides in the last couple of years with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opening up to eager crowds. There is no doubt that the Guardians of the Galaxy-based roller coaster is our favorite of all the new attractions that have come in the last several years to Walt Disney World.

If you are a fan of Marvel and the MCU, then we have just the ride for you! Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is one of the longest indoor roller coasters in the world and it features Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, and the rest of your favorite space misfits.

Disney uses the actual actors from the films and pulled out all the stops including a backward launch and ground-breaking new ride vehicles that rotate a full 360 degrees toward the nearest show scene. If you are even remotely a fan of roller coasters or the Guardians of the Galaxy, you MUST try this!

• Opened on May 27, 2022

Moana: The Journey of Water – Now Open

This is the first attraction based on the character Moana. This isn’t a ride but a walk-through attraction in the World Nature area of the park. The entrance is just next to The Seas.

This is simply a walking pathway that includes lush gardens and interactive water features for guests to enjoy and they will “meet and play with the magical, living water.” We’ve really enjoyed this addition to the park and think it’s an enjoyable way to get out of the Florida sun and get refreshed by water! It only takes about 10-15 minutes to walk through it at a brisk pace.

• Opened on October 16, 2023

Updates to Test Track

Ever since debuting Test Track 2.0 in 2012 fans have been calling for an update to Test Track. The good news is… Test Track 3.0 is reportedly on the way! While we don’t know the exact dates or what exactly they are changing with the attraction, but they did promise to pay homage to the original attraction in that building World of Motion.

We expect this will likely be years down the road as Test Track is a highly-popular attraction for EPCOT, and adequate planning for shutting this down for a considerable amount of time certainly hurts park flow. For more details, take a look at this post here.

• Estimated Opening Date – Summer 2025

Play! Pavilion – Coming TBD (2025?)

We still don’t know too much about the Play! Pavilion yet, only that it is a mix of interactive attractions and experiences geared toward kids. It is taking over the old Wonders of Life pavilion and construction is currently underway.

There is also the rumor that Disney has quietly canceled the project, although they haven’t announced anything yet. We’ll keep an eye on it and see if it actually gets built.

• Estimated Opening Date – 2025 or later

Spaceship Earth Lounge – Coming in 2025

Announced at the D23 Fan Event in Anaheim California in August 2024, this new Spaceship Earth-themed lounge will open sometime in 2025. It is located in the former corporate loan overlooking World Celebration. We can’t wait to see this! Disney has done a fantastic job with themed lounges in the last decade, so we are confident this one will be another stellar addition!

For a more detailed look at more Disney attractions in the next few years, read our post on the Best New Rides Coming to Disney World.

Shows, Entertainment, Activities & World Showcase

Besides the rides, there is plenty more to get excited about at EPCOT including a variety of entertainment options including shows, street performers, games, and activities for kids. These can be found in any area of the park, from Future World to World Showcase.

Let’s take a look at the rest of the best things to do at EPCOT, and we’re not even mentioning the food in this guide…

Entertainment

There are plenty of entertainment choices in EPCOT for guests to enjoy including character meets, street performers, shows and fireworks.

Some of the EPCOT character meets include:

• Anna and Elsa – (at Royal Sommerhus in Norway pavilion)
• Mickey Mouse – (Mickey & Friends at World Celebration, Also at the Disney Visa Cardholders Exclusive Character Spot Near ImageWorks)
• Minnie Mouse – (Mickey & Friends at World Celebration, Also at the Disney Visa Cardholders Exclusive Character Spot Near ImageWorks)
• Goofy – (Mickey & Friends at World Celebration, Also at the Disney Visa Cardholders Exclusive Character Spot Near ImageWorks)
• Pluto – (Mickey & Friends at World Celebration, Also at the Disney Visa Cardholders Exclusive Character Spot Near ImageWorks)
• Alice – (UK Pavilion)
• Asha – (World Showcase Plaza inside the Friendship Ambassador Gazebo near Mexico Pavilion)
• Aurora – (Inside the Gazebo Between France and Morocco pavilions)
• Belle – (Between France and Morocco pavilion along the water)
• Daisy Duck – (Near Dreamers Point in World Celebration)
• Donald Duck – (Mexico Pavilion)
• Figment – (ImageWorks)
• Jasmine – (Lamps of Wonder Meet in Morocco pavilion)
• Moana – (Near Journey of Water Attraction)
• Mulan – (Inside the Great Hall of China inside the China pavilion)
• Snow White – (By the Wishing Well in the Germany pavilion)
• Winnie the Pooh – (Christopher Robin’s room in the U.K. pavilion)

Read our post about Character Meets Return to Walt Disney World for the latest info on how these experiences have been modified.

World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature

Here are the entertainment options available in these three neighborhoods:

Advanced Training Lab (3/10) – Groups of digital games at the Mission: SPACE ride. Space-based interactive games aimed at kids and races against other players.

Awesome Planet (6/10) – Located on the upper level on the right side of The Land Pavilion and next to the Garden Grill. At 10 minutes long, this newly re-done film uses in-theater effects to tell the story of planet Earth. We love the breathtaking visuals and the music is top-notch.

Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival (4/10) – A 4-D movie experience showcasing Disney and Pixar animated shorts. Not a high priority and only a must-do for big animated shorts fans or if you need an air conditioning break.

ImageWorks The “What If” Labs (2/10) – This is the after-ride area to Journey Into Imagination with Figment at the Imagination! pavilion. It’s an interactive area for kids to explore their senses by making music and designing images. It’s not what it uses to be in the 80s and 90s and can easily be skipped.

Project Tomorrow (1/10) – These interactive games are in the unloading area for the Spaceship Earth ride. What used to be a fun space for kids is now severely outdated, and many of the machines are broken. It is scheduled for a total refurbishment whenever Spaceship Earth closes for one.

Jammitors (8/10) – This musical group uses their cleaning instruments (buckets, broomsticks) to perform unique and entertaining musical ensembles. Whenever they are playing you can’t help but stop and watch as they are extremely talented musicians.

Seabase – The Seas Pavilion (8/10) – This is the aquarium building where the Nemo & Friends ride is located. When it was built in 1986 it held the largest salt-water tank in the world, and houses hundreds of fish and more. Not what it was in its heyday, it’s still a cool space and worth spending 20 minutes to look at the incredible marine life.

Character Meet: Figment
Location – ImageWorks in World Celebration
Hours – Scattered Daily. Usually only a couple hours daily.

Character Meet: Goofy
Location – Near EPCOT Main Entrance
Hours – Several Appearances Daily.

Character Meet: Joy
Location – ImageWorks in Imagination! Pavilion
Hours – Usually only for a couple hours daily.

Character Meet: Mickey Mouse
Location – Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival in World Celebration
Hours – Usually only for a couple hours daily.

Character Meet: Minnie Mouse
Location – Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival in World Celebration
Hours – Usually only for a couple hours daily.

Character Meet: Moana
Location – Journey of Water in World Nature
Hours – Usually only one daily appearance.

World Showcase

Our favorite area of EPCOT is in World Showcase. It is made up of 11 countries positioned around World Showcase Lagoon, each with its own individual characteristics, architectural styles, food, and entertainment.

The 11 World Showcase countries are Canada, the U.K., France, Morocco, Japan, American Adventure, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, and Mexico.

There’s nowhere else you can visit all these nations all in the same afternoon and you’ll want to take your time strolling through each one, admiring the scenery and being entertained.

First, let’s look at the one activity that’s available around the entire World Showcase:

Kidcot Fun Stops (5/10) – A fun card collecting activity for kids where they learn facts, traditions, and cultures of every country around World Showcase. This won’t appeal to adults, but if you have kids between 5 and 12 it’s a lot of fun.

Festivals

EPCOT is famous for its 4 yearly festivals, and while they are technically events, each of them brings with it plenty of activities and games to take part in. Plus there is all that good food! Click the links to learn more about each festival.

• EPCOT Festival of the Arts
• EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
• EPCOT Food and Wine Festival
• EPCOT Festival of the Holidays

Canada Pavilion

Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 (7/10) – This Circle-Vision 360-degree show was recently updated in 2020 and shows the geographic and cultural beauty of Canada. The show lasts 12 minutes and is a very impressive look at a wonderful county. The only thing is there are no seats and you have to stand

W.A.Y.S. – This Canadian boy band plays on the Mill Stage in the Canada pavilion. The show features authentic music and dance from Montreal and is worth a visit if you are passing by when they are playing.

Gardens & Waterfall – This area of the Canada pavilion is a bit off the beaten path from the promenade, but it’s worth a visit as one of the quietest and most peaceful spots at EPCOT. Head down the path toward Le Cellier to see the gardens, and loop around the back of the cliffs to see the waterfalls.

U.K. Pavilion

Command Performance – If you are a fan of The Beatles and other classic British rock, this is the show for you. Located in the back of the U.K. pavilion, this is our favorite EPCOT musical group and a must-see if you are in the area in the late afternoon.

Character Meet: Winnie the Pooh
Location – Back of the U.K. pavilion in Christopher Robin’s Room
Hours – Multiple appearances daily.

Character Meet: Alice in Wonderland
Location – Gardens along the promenade
Hours – Usually only one appearance per day.

Character Meet: Mary Poppins
Location – Various locations in the U.K. pavilion
Hours – Not always there. Her times are scattered. Check My Disney Experience app to see if she will be there

France Pavilion

Impressions de France (9/10) – Probably our favorite of the EPCOT films. Even though it’s definitely dated, it offers breathtaking visuals of the French countryside, sea, mountains, villages, and people. If you haven’t been to France before you will definitely want to go after seeing this.

Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along (3/10) – This film located in the same theater as Impressions de France is a re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast tale from LaFou’s point of view, but taking some big liberties with the story. This is part of Disney’s attempt to integrate more characters into EPCOT, but it fails miserably with severe plot holes showing up. You’d be doing yourself a favor by skipping this film.

Serveur Amusant (Currently unavailable) – Perhaps the most spectacular show of all the EPCOT street entertainers. This duo performs amazing acrobatic feats while offering comedic relief at the same time. Stop and watch and then ask yourself if you could climb that stack of chairs too!

Character Meet: Aurora (Prince Phillip Temporarily Unavailable)
Location – In the covered gazebo between France and Morocco.
Hours – Generally makes 1 or 2 appearances daily. Check app for times.

Character Meet: Belle
Location – By the water’s edge off the promenade between France and Morocco.
Hours – Generally makes 1 or 2 appearances daily. Check app for times.

Morocco Pavilion

Gallery of Arts and History – Traditional Moroccan jewelry, clothes, and artifacts are on display in a building in the back of the pavilion. It’s an interesting look at the Moroccan culture and worth a stop.

Atlas Fusion (Currently unavailable) – This musical act shows the variety of traditional North African music. It changes often and sometimes even features belly dancers.

Character Meet: Jasmine (Aladdin is Temporarily Unavailable)
Location – In the back of the Morocco pavilion Lamps of Wonder Meet near Casablanca Carpets
Hours – Generally makes 1 or 2 appearances daily. Check app for times.

Japan Pavilion

Matsuriza – These traditional Japanese drummers play “Taiko”, authentic musical arrangements. Shows happen each afternoon.

Mitsukoshi Department Store – Yeah we know this isn’t really an attraction, but no trip to the Japan pavilion would be complete without stopping by the Mitsukoshi store. It literally has everything, from traditional Japanese wear, to kitchen products, anime collectibles, and more. There is even a Sake bar and you can search for pearls inside oysters.

Bijutsu-kan Gallery – Japanese anime fans will love this gallery which focuses on Japan’s “Cute Culture” and the influence it’s had worldwide.

American Adventure Pavilion

The American Adventure (9/10) – This 30-minute show highlights the most important moments in American history. The audio-animatronic figures used throughout are very impressive as well as the sets they interact in. Truly one of the greatest achievements in Disney Imagineering history and not to be missed. There is a 45-minute wait between shows so make sure to consult the showtimes so you can time your arrival right.

Voices of Liberty – This a cappella group performs patriotic songs in the atrium of The American Adventure theater. They are known for their incredible voices and they are a good warm-up act while you are waiting to enter the theater.

American Heritage Gallery – This gallery shows off Native American history with unique cultural artifacts, clothes, and jewelry.

America Gardens Theater – Located across from the main building in The American Adventure pavilion, the America Gardens Theater is the stage for dozens of musical groups performing during EPCOT’s 4 yearly festivals.

Italy Pavilion

Sergio – This is an Italian juggler and comedian that you can find throughout the afternoon and early evening in the Italy pavilion. He’s very entertaining and even involves the crowd in his act if you are brave enough.

Germany Pavilion

Miniature Train Set & Village – No stop in Germany would be complete without looking at the impressive miniature train set and village. You can watch the running trains and the incredible details the Imagineers included. The village and trains also change themes for the holidays and festivals throughout the year.

Born to Polka – This is a high-energy German polka band that plays friendly mixes of Bavarian music and Balkan rhythms. They play on select dates.

Character Meet: Snow White
Location – Just off the promenade
Hours – Generally makes 1 or 2 appearances daily. Check app for times.

China Pavilion

Reflections of China (7/10) – This is a Circle-Vision 360 film showing off the gorgeous scenery of China. Another solid EPCOT film, Reflections of China takes you to places where Western camera crews are usually not allowed. It is 14 minutes long and is shown every 30 minutes.

The House of the Whispering Willows – This exhibition space shares a look at the groundbreaking Shanghai Disneyland Resort. See how Disney Imagineers designed the resort through a unique Chinese art gallery.

The Jeweled Dragon Acrobats (temporarily unavailable) – These acrobats are a sight to behold and will blow you away. They perform near the big gate and wow audiences with flips, spins, and many other high-flying maneuvers. They start in the afternoon with shows lasting about 15 minutes. Unfortunately they have NOT returned since the parks reopened in 2020.

Character Meet: Mulan
Location – Near the water garden or next to the temple.
Hours – Generally makes 1 or 2 appearances daily. Check app for times.

Norway Pavilion

Stave Church Gallery – This icon of the Norway Pavilion is modeled after 13-century churches. Outside stands a statue of Olaf II, King of Norway, not the Olaf from frozen. Inside it houses a small museum of Norwegian history including artifacts such as Viking weapons, clothing, and tools.

Character Meet: Anna & Elsa at the Royal Sommerhus
Location – Royal Sommerhus (Norway Pavilion)
Hours – 9:15 am to 6:30 pm

Mexico Pavilion

Mexican Folk Art Gallery – Right when you step inside the pyramid in the Mexico pavilion you will see the Dia de Muertos exhibit with art by prominent Mexican artists and inspired by Disney·Pixar’s Coco. See how this day influences modern Mexican culture and life.

Mariachi Cobre – Outside the pyramid, you will find the Mexican folk band Mariachi Cobre playing the music of Jalisco, Mexico, and songs from Coco. These guys are amazing and standing there watching them makes you want to start dancing and singing.

Character Meet: Donald Duck
Location – Off the promenade in the Mexico pavilion
Hours – Makes several appearances throughout the day. Generally every 30 minutes.

EPCOT Fireworks

Back in 2019, Disney retired “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth” and debuted a temporary fireworks show, “EPCOT Forever.” If you are a fan of the original EPCOT Center, you would have enjoyed the show’s look back on classic EPCOT music and new special effects.

While it was temporarily replaced by Harmonious, sadly Harmonious did NOT last very long due to its unpopularity with Disney Park guests. While EPCOT Forever once again returned for the interim, we are excited that in December 2023 Disney brought about a new show Luminous – The Symphony of Us. This is NOW the nightly show at EPCOT.

While it’s not our favorite fireworks show at Disney World, Luminous is a step up in terms of technology, park aesthetics, and feel to its short term predecessors EPCOT Forever and Harmonious. We give it an 8.0 as it’s not our favorite fireworks show at Disney World, it’s still a solid offering!

For more details on the show, read our post here about what to expect when you see the show!

Best Family Rides

Almost all the attractions at EPCOT are family-friendly, these include slow-moving dark rides and boat rides that everyone in the family will enjoy, no matter young or old.

Here are the best family rides at EPCOT in order:

1. Soarin’ Around the World
2. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
3. Spaceship Earth
4. Frozen Ever After
5. Living with the Land
6. Gran Fiesta Tour
7. The Seas with Nemo and Friends

All the above rides can be enjoyed by 95% of guests in the park. We put Soarin’ number 1 for family rides because it is the overall best ride in the park. It does simulate flight, but most guests will have no problem handling it and we’ve been on with people of all ages, as long as they meet the 40-inch height requirement.

The rest of the rides on this list don’t have a height requirement and can be enjoyed by the very smallest of guests. They are all slow-moving and appeal to guests of all ages.

Perhaps the most popular ride in EPCOT at the moment for families is Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. This uses a trackless vehicle to shrink you down to the size of a rat as you follow Remy through a crazy trip through Gusteau’s restaurant.

Best Thrill Rides

For the most part, the rides at EPCOT are pretty tame and there are only 4 that have some kind of thrill element to them. When the park was built, thrill rides were not the focus and attractions were more geared to edutainment, and that holds true today.

Here are the top thrill rides at EPCOT in Order:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
2. Test Track
3. Mission: SPACE
4. Soarin’ Around the World
5. Frozen Ever After

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is now the best thrill ride in EPCOT and it has the ultimate combination of thrills, speed, storytelling, and is just flat-out fun. It now challenges for the Best Roller Coaster in Disney World.

Test Track is the former best thrill ride in EPCOT as it has a great combination of twists and turns and it is one of the fastest rides in any Disney park around the world.

If you are talking about just intensity, however, Mission: SPACE wins hands down. It is an extremely wild ride that mimics the G-forces an astronaut feels when taking off and flying in outer space. No bigger thrills than that.

Soarin’ is a better ride than the first two, but if you are looking for a traditional thrill ride, then the others will whet your appetite more. Frozen Ever After isn’t really a thrill ride, but it does send you down a small drop backward (not super scary though).

How to Avoid Long Lines for Rides at EPCOT?

To enjoy the attractions at EPCOT to the full, it’s best to avoid waiting in line. There are a few ways to avoid long wait times, and it will lead to a much more pleasant visit if you do.

Go When the Crowds are Low – The best way to avoid waiting in line is to go to EPCOT when the crowds are low. Avoid EPCOT on the weekends during festival season since more locals come out to the park. Use our Disney World Crowd Calendar to find when there is the fewest number of people in the parks.

Use Lightning Lane – The Disney theme parks give you the opportunity to get multiple reservations per day to skip waiting in line for the most popular rides and character meets. You can make Lightning Lane selections up to 7 days before the start of your trip, if you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort. 3 days prior if you’re NOT staying at a Walt Disney World Resort.

Use Single Rider – Some attractions have the Single Rider feature which lets you get ahead in line more quickly than the stand-by queue. Riders are used as fill-ins wherever Cast Members can squeeze another person into the vehicle. Because of this, you can’t go in the same ride vehicle as anyone from your group. Test Track is one of the best rides to use this feature on in EPCOT.

For more attractions, be sure to check out our other Disney World Ride Guides:

• Best Rides at Walt Disney World Ranked
• Best Rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Guide
• Best Rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Guide
• Best Rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

If you are thinking about going to Walt Disney World in the coming future, make sure to read our Disney World Planning Guide. There you will find all the info and tips you need to plan your trip.

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the EPCOT Rides…

• What is your favorite attraction in EPCOT?
• Which new ride are you looking forward to the most?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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