A lot has changed in Epcot, and things are starting to look up for Disney’s most enigmatic park.
With Spring Break arriving and full capacity days becoming more common (remember, Disney is maxing park capacity at 35% right now), we are starting to see a lot more activity in Epcot, as well as some forward progress on the park’s massive reimagining.
Our most recent visit took place on Thursday, March 18th—a full capacity day, but one with more families than the usual weekend crowds. Here’s what we found for you to expect should you visit during this season.
1. The Flower & Garden festival really is a breath of fresh air
Video: YouTube, Jett Farrell-Vega @My Kingdom For a Mouse – Glimpses of Disney
Annual festivals have become a major part of the Epcot experience. Since reopening, we’ve seen scaled back iterations of three Epcot festivals. While we definitely felt the cutbacks at some previous festivals, we are happy to say that Epcot is really starting to get its groove back with “A Taste of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival” (that… is a mouthful).
There’s so much to talk about regarding the festival that we gave it its own update (complete with a video you can view above), but a few highlights this year include the return of the butterfly pavilion…
Some excellent choices among the food options, including a few new dishes we loved…
And, of course, many stunning garden displays.
Overall, we were surprised what a positive impact this particular festival has had on the atmosphere at Epcot. It’s really doing a lot to make the park feel like itself, and it seems like Disney is doing more to make these festivals special as guests return to the park.
2. Crowds have increased, making wait times hit or miss
Back in September, we observed that Epcot felt like Disney’s quietest park. That tide has finally begun to change.
For the remainder of March, Epcot appears to be at maximum capacity for most guest groups—meaning any day you visit the next few weeks, expect a full house. We previously had issues with bottlenecks in thoroughfares at Epcot, but some of those problems have begun to decrease with the opening of more walkways (such as the new Spaceship Earth courtyard with those lovely new flags and pylons).
Wait times are hit or miss on full capacity days—while there did appear to be some pockets of low waits just after opening gate, by 1:00 PM, waits for Soarin’ and even Mission: SPACE (whaaat?) had ballooned up to 75 minutes, with Test Track close behind at 65 minutes. Weirdly enough, one unusually long line we saw was for Reflections of China–it wound through almost the entire pavilion.
By the time park hopping opened up at 2:00 PM, things shifted only slightly, with Test Track and Soarin’ capping at 75 minutes, Frozen Ever After hitting 60 minutes, and Mission: SPACE dropping back down to 35. Little had changed by 6:00 PM, and wait times stayed high until late in the day (starting to taper off a little after 8:00 PM but really not plummeting until after 10).
On a side note, the line for Frozen grew hilariously long by late afternoon—winding backstage behind the Norway pavilion, curving back out onto the thoroughfare around World Showcase, and ending a bit past the China pavilion. Yikes.
In short, your best bet at Epcot right now is to hit the park as early as possible—waits are an unavoidable part of visiting right now, but your chances will be better than if you arrive later.
3. Construction on new attractions is chugging along
In good news, we are starting to see some signs of progress for construction on two of Epcot’s most anticipated upcoming attractions.
Unlike our update on Magic Kingdom’s TRON Lightcycle / Run, most of Epcot’s attraction construction is taking place behind closed doors. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is currently in the process of continuing its makeover of the old Universe of Energy building.
Across the lagoon, things are really looking good for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Guests can now wander past the righthand edge of the France pavilion to visit the Rue Auguste Gusteau, future home of the ride. Construction barriers are keeping the attraction itself out of guest view, but the presence of the new archway and other decorative nods to Ratatouille bode well for this ride to still open in 2021.
On a side note, if you see a cast member wandering around with a platter, feel free to ask them where Remy is for a charming surprise…
4. The Harmonious barges are… interesting
Since the closing of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth back in 2019, guests have been curious about Epcot’s new nighttime spectacular, Harmonious. Disney is calling the show its biggest nighttime display ever, pairing the use of lights, lasers, drones, floating barges, water curtains, and more to tell a unique story using favorite Disney musical pieces paired with music from many cultures.
Harmonious’ debut is likely a ways off, but testing for the show has begun… and if you visit Epcot, it’s hard not to notice the show’s hulking centerpiece.
It’s basically a Stargate.
Some guests have been less-than-happy with Disney’s decision to make Harmonious’ signature mega-ring a permanent feature of World Showcase Lagoon. Epcot has long been unique thanks to the beautiful sightlines visible from almost anywhere. Needless to say, Harmonious’ big space ring causes some disruption to those sightlines.
Time alone will prove if the decision proves worth it for a show like no other, or if the “Stargate” goes down in infamy next to the cake castle and the giant Mickey Hat.
In conclusion, Epcot still has some post-lockdown issues, but it’s starting to get its stride back. We were reticent to visit previously due to all the cutbacks, but we’re feeling more and more comfortable returning to this park as a primary Disney destination.
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