Orlando Car Rental Travel Guide - EPCOT

Travel Guide - Home Discount Accommodations Discount Attraction Tickets Orlando City History   Walt Disney World      The Magic Kingdom         Main Street USA         Cinderella's Castle         Fantasyland         Liberty Square         Frontierland         Adventureland         Tomorrowland         Mickey's Toontown Fair      EPCOT         Future World           Spaceship Earth           The Universe of Energy           The Seas with Nemo & Friends           The Wonders of Life           The Land           Imagination           Innoventions           Mission Space           Test Track         World Showcase           Mexico Pavilion           Norway Pavilion           China Pavilion           Germany Pavilion           Italy Pavilion           American Adventure Pavilion           Japan Pavilion           Morocco Pavilion           France Pavilion           United Kingdom Pavilion           Canada Pavilion      Disney's Hollywood Studios         Hollywood Boulevard         Echo Lake         Sunset Boulevard         Mickey Avenue         Animation Courtyard         Streets of America      Disney's Animal Kingdom         The Oasis         Discovery Island         Africa         Rafiki's Planet Watch         Camp Minnie-Mickey         Asia         Dinoland USA   Universal Orlando      Universal Studios Florida         World Expo         San Francisco/Amity         New York         Production Central         Hollywood         KidZone      Universal Islands of Adventure         Super Hero Island         Toon Lagoon         Jurassic Park         The Lost Continent         Seuss Landing Places To Kill Time    Pirates Cove Adventure Golf Cirque Du Soleil Travel Guide Archives

EPCOT Center Dedication Plaque:

"To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome. EPCOT Center is inspired by Walt Disney's creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire, and above all, may it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere."
- E. Cardon Walker (Chairman & C.E.O., Walt Disney Productions)

On October 1, 1982, the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow opened as Walt Disney World’s second theme park. It was one of Walt Disney’s dreams to create a futuristic self-contained city and; although he was not alive to see the completion of his second Orlando vacation theme park, it embodies Walt’s dreams of the future and his love of World’s Fairs. At EPCOT, Disney has created a place that not only entertains, but educates its audience at the same time.

Twice the size of The Magic Kingdom, anyone who has ever been there may very well say that EPCOT stands for Every Person Comes Out Tired! It is truly two parks in one, with one half of it named Future World and the other half being the World Showcase.

Future World explores the past, present and future of all aspects of our lives. From energy to the land and sea; from communication to the human body and the wonder and possibilities that come from our imaginations, there is something entertaining and educational for everyone at Future World.

The World Showcase offers an opportunity for park guests to visit other countries and experience their different cultures, architecture, art and cuisine. Because the Cast Members that work at each of the countries represented at the World Showcase are actually from those countries, it is an occasion to interact and learn firsthand about places that many people only dream about going to (as if someone would even consider something besides an Orlando vacation).

EPCOT was not intended to be seen in its entirety in just one day, so it is best not to even attempt it during your Orlando vacation. Take your time and relax; there really is a whole lot to see at EPCOT and nothing deserves to be skipped. This is also an excellent park to go to on days that are extremely hot or where the weather forecast calls for rain.

Orlando Car Rental Travel Guide Tip: If your Orlando vacation will be during the summer months, it rains pretty much every day here - usually between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Don’t panic and leave the park; most of these storms last just thirty minutes to an hour. A lot of people leave the parks and crowds thin out substantially if you just wait the storm out. Since there are several attractions housed inside of each building, you can stay out of the elements for an hour or more before venturing outside for the short trip to the next building.

Those who have made the wise decision to get an Orlando car rental will have the flexibility to come and go as they please without having to stick to a strict hotel shuttle bus schedule. To those people, I suggest seeing some of EPCOT in the morning and leaving the park in the afternoon. Relax by the pool or take a nap and come back in the late afternoon or early evening to continue where you left off. You’ll be glad you took a break and made it to the park’s closing when you see the night show, Illuminations, which is truly one of the most dazzling displays of lasers, lights, dancing water and fireworks that the Orlando vacation area has to offer!

Did You Know?

The individual pages in the EPCOT section of this web site include some interesting facts or tips that I hope will enhance your enjoyment of this theme park and your Orlando vacation. For instance, you will want to keep the following things in mind when you visit EPCOT ...

If you have small children with you, you might want to rotate between the Future World and World Showcase parts of EPCOT. Children tend to become bored if exposed to the countries for prolonged periods of time and are more engaged by the interactive aspects of Future World. There are double-decker buses that can help ease the burden on your feet as well as ferry boats that go from one half of the park to the other. You’ll need those feet later in the week as you traipse to other Orlando vacation destinations!

You may have to “set up camp” as much as an hour ahead of time if you want to view the Illuminations show from the best vantage points. Some of the better spots include the bridges at Italy, France or Mexico. Perhaps the best place at EPCOT is on either of the deck areas that abut the lake on both sides of the bridge at France. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that if there is any wind, you will want it to your back. The best unobstructed view in the world can quickly become the worst if the wind is blowing the smoke from the fireworks directly into your face.

Drive your Orlando car rental to EPCOT and park it there, rather than taking the monorail to the park from the Transportation and Ticket Center outside of The Magic Kingdom. You’ll be glad you did at the end of the day when you see the throngs of people queuing up for the monorail ride back to The Magic Kingdom area. They won’t get to their cars for at least forty-five minutes, while your vehicle will be waiting for you just a short, five-minute tram ride away.

Originally named "EPCOT Center," the theme park changed its name to "EPCOT '94" in 1994 and "EPCOT '95" in 1995 before becoming just plain old EPCOT in 1996. The reason for the name change(s) has never been adequately explained.

The navigation bar at the top, right of this page will give you the opportunity to further explore the two main sections of EPCOT - Future World and the World Showcase. From there, you will see other navigation bar combinations that will describe the different attractions to see in each section of the theme park. If you haven't done so already, reserve your Orlando Car Rental now. You'll be glad you have the flexibility to come and go on your own schedule once you see the size of EPCOT!