EPCOT Review: Is It Worth Going to This Park?

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If you ask many people what their favorite Walt Disney World park is, a lot of people would say EPCOT. But does this park earn that title? Read my own personal EPCOT review to see what you can expect when you visit this famous theme park.

Thrill Rides at EPCOT

Score: 4/10

There really aren’t a ton of thrill attractions at EPCOT, which is why this category is scored lower in this EPCOT review. They have Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which you can only experience if you do virtual queue or pay to skip the line. There’s Test Track, although the time of writing this it’s currently closed for a refurb. You’ve got Mission Space, which is a ride that combines a motion simulator with the forces of a Round-Up or Gravitron ride, which can make some people sick. And that’s it. 

This park really does not have much in the way of thrills. There’s just not a lot here for thrill seekers, so if you want to experience some of the most intense rides at Walt Disney World, this isn’t the park for you – you may want to check out Disney’s Hollywood Studios for that. 

However, Guardians is a great roller coaster and I recommend checking it out if you do go to EPCOT. It’s just unfortunate that the only way to ride it is to go through the virtual queue or Lightning Lane systems (that last one costs a fee). There is no way to walk up and get in line for this ride.

Family Rides at EPCOT

Score: 6/10

There are some more options when it comes to family rides at EPCOT. You’ve got Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Soarin’, and The Seas with Nemo and Friends. You’ve also got classics like Spaceship Earth, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, and Living With The Land. 

The issue is that some of these family rides are starting to look kind of dated and could use some updating (please fix the Figment ride). They’re enjoyable, they just aren’t aren’t as top-notch and new and shiny as rides at other places. But there are options here, just not as many as, say, at Magic Kingdom, which is why this category has a better score in this EPCOT review.

Food and Restaurants at EPCOT

Score: 10/10

There are a ton of places to eat here, and this is definitely the highlight of this EPCOT review. This is arguably the best place to eat if you want variety whenever it comes to eating at Walt Disney World. 

You’ve got places to eat up in the front of the park, but really this is all about the World Showcase in the back, where you can experience different foods and drinks from different countries. If you come during one of EPCOT’s festival periods, in addition to the places that already exist, they also have additional booths set up with more food and drink that you can experience.

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However, keep in mind that for some reason, there are not enough places to sit and eat (or even stand and eat) at this park for the amount that it offers. “Trash can table time” is a common occurrence here.

If you want to eat and drink at the place with the most options in Disney World, it’s definitely EPCOT.

Entertainment at EPCOT

Score: 6/10

There’s not a ton of entertainment at EPCOT, especially if you are going during a non-festival time period. They have a nighttime firework show, which I haven’t personally seen yet, but I’ve heard is good but not great. 

Occasionally, they’ll have some things going on for the festivals at each of the different countries. They’ve got some little movies in the World Showcase, but really there’s not a ton here that’s really going to blow you away in terms of entertainment.

Experiences at EPCOT

Score: 5/10

EPCOT tends to have a lot around its festival times. They occasionally have different concerts, meet and greets, and dining packages you can purchase. They’ve also got some places like Space 220, a restaurant and lounge that requires reservations and is kind of an experience. You eat like up in space in a space station. 

They’ve also recently opened Journey of Water Inspired by Moana, which is essentially a walk-through splash area with some fun water effects. If anyone in your family is looking to cool down and enjoys Moana, they’ll like this. But it isn’t going to blow everyone away or single-handedly justify a ticket to EPCOT.

So they’ve got some things, but I don’t think that you come to EPCOT for additional experiences.

Theming and Atmosphere of EPCOT

Score: 7/10

Again, it’s a Disney park, so it’s pretty well themed – especially back in World Showcase. You’ve got a lot of the different themes for each of the countries. When you’re in Norway, it feels like Norway. When you’re in Japan, it feels like you’re in Japan. 

The front of the park has some pretty nice scenery, but I wouldn’t say that the feeling of the areas is super memorable. It’s not going to be like walking into a Tomorrowland or an Adventureland at Magic Kingdom. 

The rides themselves are pretty well themed, though just the areas don’t have a ton of them in them. It is still a Disney park, so there are some pretty areas. There’s some jumping fountains and garden displays, especially if you come during the Flower and Garden Festival.

Living with the Land is very nice to ride and go through, especially at Christmas-time when there’s lights all over it. This park is really pretty during the holidays.

However, this park tends to get pretty hot with not a ton of shade, so be sure to pack your sunglasses and sunscreen.

Operations at EPCOT

Score: 6/10

It’s a Disney park, and Disney operations are pretty good. But for this EPCOT review, I wanted to point out that the thing that this park really suffers from is they don’t have enough big attractions to help spread the lines out at other places. So their few larger rides will get really long lines all the time. And honestly Frozen and Ratatouille aren’t even thrill attractions. 

If they opened up Guardians to a regular standby queue, that may help. But I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the aging attractions at EPCOT get redone as well to help spread the crowds out. It wouldn’t be insane to say you’re looking at an hour to an hour and a half usually on average for the main rides at EPCOT.

Affordability of EPCOT

This is where the park takes the biggest hit for me in this EPCOT review. 

Because it’s a Disney park, it’s already more expensive. But this park is only $5-10 cheaper than Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s usually the same price as Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I just feel like you don’t get a ton here for how much you’re paying. 

You get a few rides that are pretty good and then the entire back half of the park is all really just mostly eating and drinking. So you have to pay a really high price to get in, and then in order to really experience the park and get the most out of it, you have to spend a considerable amount on additional food, beverages, and alcoholic drinks. I say when you go to EPCOT, plan on spending at least $100 per person per day on just food and drinks if you really want to get the entire experience. 

I feel like if I want to eat, drink, and walk around, I could do that at Disney Springs, and while no, that’s not as festive and themed as EPCOT, I don’t have to pay a bunch of money to get in and then pay more to eat and drink, whereas you do with EPCOT.

So it’s just a little too expensive for what you get in my opinion.

Scoring the Park and Conclusion of this EPCOT Review

Final Score: 47/80 (59%) – Great

Overall, this is my least favorite Disney park. I just don’t think the amount of money you pay to get in and then have to pay to enjoy your day really justifies what you get when you visit.

Don’t get me wrong – I always enjoy myself when I go here. But if I have to cut a park out of my Walt Disney World vacation, for me it’s EPCOT hands down.

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If you’re looking for some of the best food and drinks on property with some classic rides, you’ll enjoy your visit to EPCOT. However, if you’re looking for big thrill rides or high-tech shows to fill your day, you may want to try going elsewhere.

I hope you found this EPCOT review helpful. What do you think of EPCOT? Is it your favorite Disney park?