The 5 Best Rides at EPCOT (And the 5 Worst!)
We’ve already ranked the rides at Magic Kingdom, so now we’re turning our attention to the second park ever built at Disney World — EPCOT.
This is Spaceship Earth
And although EPCOT doesn’t have as many attractions as Magic Kingdom, we’re still ranking them as best and worst. So which attractions at EPCOT are worth your time and which aren’t? Well, keep reading to find out!
EPCOT’s Top Five Attractions
We’re ranking these in no particular order because it’s hard to put one over the other, and as we previously mentioned, EPCOT is a little short on attractions, particularly rides. So here we go… .
1. Frozen Ever After
Okay, so we will admit that we still sometimes miss Maelstrom (which Frozen Ever After replaced), but you don’t even have to like the movie Frozen to admire the technology and storytelling of Frozen Ever After, which starts even before you get on the little boat that takes you to Elsa’s ice palace.
We’ll never “Let It Go”
Even the queue is charming, especially when you get to travel through Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna and see Oaken waving in the sauna at you.
Yooo Hooo!!
And the animatronics on the ride itself will take your breath away – they’re so lifelike.
Frozen Ever After
The ride still gives Maelstrom fans loads of nostalgia since the boats and track are the same, but Frozen fans will love the new storyline. Plus you still get the little drop and a trip backward in the water! Even if there are ONLY so many times you can hear “Let It Go” at home, it never seems to get old on this ride.
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2. Soarin’
Who doesn’t love getting on a ride that’s introduced by Patrick Warburton? But the entire concept of Soarin’ is pretty cool — you’re getting to REALLY (well, almost really) fly all over some of the most iconic places in the world: the Swiss Alps, the Taj Mahal, Mount Kilimanjaro, and more! It’s simply breathtaking.
One of the best pre-shows
Meanwhile, you’re also feeling the wind in your face and smelling some of the most wonderful scents in all of Disney World, like fresh grass and flowers. What’s not to love with a SCENTED RIDE?
Soarin’
Plus the initial “take off” and landing is just enough of a rush without being scary. It’s such an immersive experience, you’ll swear you were actually flying.
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3. Spaceship Earth
Yes, Spaceship Earth is a little outdated and hasn’t been updated in FOREVER (although a refurbishment was planned recently but is now on hold). But we still love going up into the giant ball highlighting our “grand and miraculous spaceship” called Earth while Dame Judi Dench tells us all about the history of communication.
This is Spaceship Earth
This is also a nice super chill ride — it’s in the dark, it’s relaxing, it’s slow, and it’s one of the best ways to rest your feet (and brain) while you’re hanging out at EPCOT.
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4. Test Track
You might not believe this, but Test Track is the fastest ride at Disney World. It goes a whopping 65mph through its…well…test track, and it’s pretty much one of the few actual thrill rides at EPCOT (for now. We see you, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!). The interactive queue is also fun — this is where you can design your very own vehicle.
Time to Get Designing!
Of course, the real thrill is when you get into the test vehicle go through a series of “tests” to check your design’s agility, speed, and more.
Vroom Vroom
It culminates in that speed portion thrusting you into the outside world to whizz around some tight curves — how exciting! Your hair might be a mess after riding this but WORTH IT.
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5. Living With The Land
We’re pretty shocked that Living With The Land doesn’t make a lot of “best” lists, because we think this is the most underrated attraction at EPCOT. This boat ride takes you through the story of agriculture, but more importantly, you can see EPCOT’s greenhouses where the food grown there is served at locations all around Disney World!
Plants shaped like Mickey!
This is a relaxing, family-friendly ride. It also typically has a borderline non-existent wait, meaning you can pop right on after a flight on Soarin’ (they’re located in the same building in the Land Pavilion).
AGRICULTURE IS EXCITING, PEOPLE!
Also, who doesn’t want to see Mickey-shaped vegetables? This ride also gets a fun holiday overlay! Cause what’s better than seeing a giant tomato plant? A giant tomato plant AND festive lighting.
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HONORABLE MENTION!
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
This newest ride on the EPCOT scene just opened back in October 2021 and we want to mention it here. Cause any NEW RIDE (like, a REAL ride, not an educational film) in EPCOT is worth celebrating.
Remy’s
The ride first opened over in Disneyland Paris before making its way to the OTHER France — in EPCOT! Now guests can take a silly adventure with Remy through kitchens, on rooftops, and more as the “Little Chef” escapes Chef Skinner.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
This ride is a lot of fun for all ages. We welcome a new ride in EPCOT, especially back in World Showcase! Bonjour, Remy!
Click here to see our first experience riding Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure!
EPCOT’s Bottom Five Attractions
Again, we’re listing these in no particular order, and don’t @ us, because this is just our team’s opinion.
1. Impressions de France
Okay, so here’s the thing — Impressions de France for many is an excuse to go hang out in air conditioning for a bit, are we right? Yes, we’re learning about the wonder that is France, but the film is just so dry, and it’s not even shown in a Circle-Vision 360° theater.
Impressions de boring?
At some point, maybe Disney will change the film out — maybe something with Remy showing us the sights of the country would be more interesting. He is, after all, the biggest star in the France Pavilion now with the opening of the Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride there!
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2. Mission Space
Someone at Disney thought it would be cool to put regular Disney guests in a centrifuge that’s used to train astronauts (who have undergone a ton of physical training) and see how they handle it. And they turned it into a ride!!! Nausea= FUN!
Inside Mission Space
The ride first famously stocked with barf bags in the ride vehicles, this is not for the weak of heart. It seems simple — you’re just sitting there, right? But it’s all the worst parts of the spinny rides at traveling carnivals hiding in a Disney ride. It was so intense for some guests that, once Mission Space opened, Disney realized that might not have been the best idea for EVERY guest and made a version of the ride that doesn’t spin in a centrifuge.
Mission: SPACE
The thing is, the thrill of the ride — for those who can stomach it — is the spinning that forces your back into your seat unable to move, so the non-spinning version just isn’t that interesting. Sure, you get to push a few buttons (that do absolutely nothing in the real world) and “pretend” you’re going to space, but that’s pretty much it.
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3. Beauty and the Beast Singalong
Okay, so there’s already a fantastic Beauty and the Beast LIVE production at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, AND there’s Enchanted Tales with Belle at Magic Kingdom, so why does EPCOT need ANOTHER Beauty and the Beast themed show? You CAN have too much of a good thing, Disney World.
From Epcot’s “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along”
And this little singalong movie is a bit odd — for some reason, Disney chose to forego the original movie and add a new twist to it. For example, it sets up LeFou as Beauty and the Beast’s matchmaker, and if you’ve seen the animated movie, you’ll know that it was LeFou who tried to convince the villagers that Belle’s dad was crazy. It also uses the same theater as Impressions de France (the shows alternate all day), but only utilizes one screen with the other five being dark, which is also just bizarre.
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3. Reflections of China
Sensing a theme here? Sorry EPCOT, but the films are just not as fun. At least Reflections of China is shown in a magnificent CircleVision 360° theater but, like the movie in France, this one is a little dry. The scenery in the movie is beautiful, but the theater doesn’t even have seats — you have to stand to watch the movie. Yes, it’s air-conditioned, but don’t we want to rest our feet, too?
Reflections of China
Here’s the deal, though — this movie was supposed to be replaced with a new film called Wondrous China in 2020, but we’re still waiting on Disney to announce the premiere of that film. So far, it’s been nothing but crickets.
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5. Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Okay, so if you’re looking to take a break, the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival is indoors and air-conditioned (and out of the rain, if that’s a priority). But it’s literally short films you can watch at home pretty much any time. There’s nothing unique or anything special about the animated offerings here.
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
BUT, those that visited EPCOT in years past might fondly remember Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! or the faaaantastic Captain EO, starring Michael Jackson. Both previously inhabited this interactive theater. Both were 4D (which is 1 D better than 3D). Both had cool effects in the theater that blew your mind as a kid. You were hit with puffs of air or water and more while you watched and it was exciting! So for those of us that remember, we know what this theater is capable of and watching widely available short films ain’t it.
©Disney This lived in Disney World. Be jealous if you missed out!
You’d think Disney would add in some movies you can’t find online or on Disney+, but nope, it’s just stuff you’ve probably seen before. Can we get a WandaVision or Loki watch party in here instead? Asking for a friend.
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There you have it. We said what we said. Sure we left a few actual rides off this list (sorry Nemo and Figment) because they’re just…OK. But EPCOT is loaded with “attractions” that are really just films with less appeal for our team than those rides. So like we said, this is just our team’s opinion, but we’d love to hear what your picks for best and worst rides at EPCOT are.
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So what rides would you put in the best and worst lists at EPCOT? Let us know in the comments!
The post The 5 Best Rides at EPCOT (And the 5 Worst!) first appeared on the disney food blog.
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