What to Do With Only One Day in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT

One day may not seem like a lot to spend in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT.  And true, you won’t be able to see and do everything at the Park in that time.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t get an excellent taste of what EPCOT has to offer in just a day.  

Here are a few things you won’t want to miss if you have just one day in Disney’s EPCOT Theme Park.

Test Track 

To avoid long lines, it’s a great idea to ride Test Track in World Discovery as soon as you arrive in EPCOT if you don’t have Disney Genie+.  Guests can design their own car, and then hop aboard a ride vehicle to test how your creation fares in various scenarios.  Post-ride, there are fun activities you can take part in (film a commercial for your car, race it again, or choose a fun backdrop for a photo opp).

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

This 4D attraction in the France Pavilion at the World Showcase is so new and popular that it’s not covered under the basic Disney Genie+ service, and the virtual queue previously in use for the ride ends as of January 10.  This means you’ll either have to purchase Individual Lightning Lane access to skip the lines at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, or just take your chances in the standby line.

Frozen Ever After 

Another popular attraction that’s not included in Disney Genie+ is Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion.  If you want to board a Nordic ship and visit Arendelle and your favorite friends from Disney’s animated film Frozen, you can purchase Individual Lightning Lane access, brave the crowds by waiting in line, or wait until the end of the night, when crowds tend to be lighter.

Space 220

EPCOT’s newest table service restaurant is simply out of this world.  Guests board a space elevator where you’ll watch the ground recede as you ascend to a space station far above Earth.  During your meal, gaze at spectacular views of the planet below you.  

A prix-fixe meal here will cost you, so if a $79 per person dinner isn’t in your budget, you can opt to eat in the Space 220 Lounge, where you’ll enjoy the same fabulous views with a less expensive, a la carte menu.

Soarin’ Around the World

Ready for a hang-gliding adventure over the wonders of the world?  Step on up to Soarin’ Around the World at EPCOT’s World Nature! The 180-degree IMAX dome, the music, and the scents piped in combine to make it feel like you really are soaring above the world’s most magnificent natural and man-made wonders.

The Seas With Nemo & Friends

Hop on a clamobile and catch up with all your favorite characters from Finding Nemo at The Seas With Nemo & Friends.  After the ride, spend some time checking out the 5.7-million-gallon aquarium that boasts everything from rays to clownfish.

The World Showcase

Eleven countries are represented in the World Showcase at Disney’s EPCOT theme park, and you could easily spend days exploring them all!  With only one day, you still have time to become acquainted with each, if only fleetingly. You can visit the World Showcase in either direction around the World Showcase Lagoon, and the distance is about 1 ¼ miles.

The countries you’ll find in the World Showcase are: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the USA, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. 

Shop Around the World

While you’re walking around the World Showcase, you’ll be spoiled for shopping opportunities. Many of these items are next to impossible to find anywhere else in the country since they (along with the Cast Members working at each pavilion) hail from the countries represented.  

Some of our favorite shops here are China’s House of Good Fortune, the U.K.’s The Tea Caddy, and Germany’s Karamell-Kuche, which boasts the most mouth-watering selection of caramel treats of life.

Eat and Drink Around the World

There are plenty of fabulous table service locations when you get hungry in EPCOT’s World Showcase. But with only one day in this Park, it might be a better idea not to limit yourself to one restaurant here.  

Why not eat (and drink) around the world?  As you wander from pavilion to pavilion, stop at the quick service locations you see and sample a taste of each country.  Our personal favorite? France’s L’Artisan des Glaces, which offers to-die-for artisanal ice cream (get it as a macaron ice cream sandwich to really be transported to France!).

Harmonious

After dark, EPCOT comes alive with a new nighttime spectacular: Harmonious.  Pyrotechnics, choreographed water, lasers, huge screens, and fireworks combine to create worlds inspired by some of Disney’s most beloved stories.  

When the fireworks end, stick around for a stroll around the World Showcase – not only is it at its most beautiful at night, but you’ll avoid the crowds making a beeline for the buses! 

Bottom Line

One day will never be enough to see, do and taste everything in Disney’s EPCOT Theme Park, or any other Disney theme park, for that matter!  Plan on arriving for rope drop, and if you’re staying at a Disney Resort Hotel (or one of the select other hotels), take advantage of the 30-minute early entry for each Park.

If you can do the majority of items on this list, consider your day in Disney’s EPCOT Park an overwhelming success!