How long at Epcot?

We are a family of 5, kids ages 6, 7, and 9 heading to the World in December. We like to do all the things at Epcot but I am wondering how long people are spending there these days. Kids (and parents!) have loved KidCot previously and can wander about the WS all day but is KidCot still happening? Basically wondering if it’s necessary to rope drop Epcot or if, say, 5 hours will get it done? Or maybe we rope drop and leave early? Decisions, decisions! WWYD?

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I’m having a lot of trouble trying to fit in all the experiences in the shortened hours of 11am-7pm on a Wed in Oct…With the late opening of 11am and World Showcase immediately open (and maybe you’ll get Remy by Dec) I’d go the full 8 hours with a 6,7 and 9 year old. IMHO that’s when I liked that park best as a kid and when my kids did (at right about 8yo). Now they think it’s boring that they are 13 and 16 (but I’m sure when they reach 21 and can participate in drinking around the world they might change their minds Ha!)

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Also, I think Kidcot is still going on; at least the website doesn’t say it is closed: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/kidcot-fun-stops/ like it does for many of the other attractions.

Oh I didn’t think about Remy! This is good f/b! The last time we were there we had PPO ADR and were on Soarin before opening. We toured all day and went home around 5 pm happy so you’re probably right we will need the full balance of time. I am thinking its better to go early and RD then roll in late.

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We couldn’t get through everything at EPCOT in a single day in August. We managed to do everything in FutureWorld, but World Showcase was seriously shortchanged. Only did Mexico and Norway. Everything else was a “wave as you walk by” situation. We might have managed to get a BIT more done at Epcot, based on when we left…but we were downright exhausted. We had wished we had a second day there.

If you want to make it a shorter day, you have to decide early on what to cut. Skip things like watching Awesome Planet in The Land, and the looking at the animals in the Seas, and figuring out exactly which countries aren’t worth your time, etc.

People keep saying how Epcot is “gutted” right now. But the truth is there is really only ONE major attraction not open right now compared to usual (The Universe of Energy, now GOTG).

So, having said that…I personally would plan for a full day at Epcot. Also remember that in December, you will have nighttime hours, so leaving early would cut short on some of the beauty of Epcot in the dark.

Of course, early means “noon” with the officially posted hours. :slight_smile:

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Good thoughts, thank you. I am now considering heading to Epcot on arrival day, flight lands at 12:20 pm, we are renting a car. Going straight to park then stay till close. But may not do that either. Thankfully I have 60 days to obsess over it all lol!

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Good friends of mine just got back from a trip last week. They love Epcot & “Drinking / Eating Around the World” . They were at Epcot on a Saturday.

They said everything had an insane wait. They had to wait more than an hour just to get inside the Mexico Pavilion. Pretty much every food stand was a 40 minute wait. FEA was a posted 85 minutes wait and even LwtL was posted at 45 minutes.

These guys are APs, from out of state, and go regularly. The trip before this was in August and was nothing like this. It seems like since Labor Day the parks are super busy / crowded. They attribute it to lower staff levels. You’d have places that normally have 8 - 10 CMs operating it and now have 4 - including the Managers pitching in. (Who normally, supervise and float around)

I say this just to prepare you to lower / limit expectations. :smiley:

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Yikes! Thank you for this. Maybe things will look different in 60 days. Hopefully for the better!

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I’m wondering the same. I’m having the hardest time deciding if we need 2 says in EP or HS. I’m ready to add an extra day into our tickets if need be, though.

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That’s so nuts but I’ve seen that on YouTube videos with Mexico. I’m so weirdly of thinking of rope dropping to go to Mexico first which is just so strange. Hopefully that doesn’t make Frozen or Test Track undoable later. What time are they letting people into Epcot? Is it like DHS and an hour early? I’m thinking of doing breakfast at Boardwalk with ADR for Trattorio so we can come in the IG and get there before parking lots open and skyway arrivals like we’re doing for DHS. And all of that for Mexico! Nuts!

Kidcot stations are still there but are not what they were in the past. Basically, each country has the Kidcot station set up but they more or less just hand you the ziploc briefcase with all the country cards and stickers already in there—so there is really no point in stopping by more than one right now IMHO. The Kidcot stations also seem to close a couple hours before EPCOT closes.
We went to EPCOT on our arrival and departure days simply because we were staying at BCV and so it was an easy walk. If we were not right there, we only would have gone once.

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I DM’d my friends and they say they got through IG via skyliner - right before 11am and were allowed in the park. They say there were a “significant” number of people already there, but didn’t know if anything had opened early.

(Sorry that I can’t give a better answer!)

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We were in the park by 10:15 from the IG and went straight to FEA and they opened that ride right around 10:30-10:35. I put the actual times in my trip report but don’t remember off the top of my head right now. Finished with FEA and entered the Mexico pavilion and got on 3C before official park open at 11 and there were people in the boats in front of us. Hope this is helpful.

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Thanks! We’ll follow your plan. :slight_smile:

Which trip report? I looked in your “FOMO” and “who’s on deck” reports and couldn’t find anything about rope dropping Epcot.

Who’s on deck. It was on 9/25. Post 80 or 81

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Awesome! Thank you. For some reason my search of the page didn’t bring that up- probably because that part wasn’t loaded when I did the search, now that I think about it. I found it!

Thank you for the kidcot report!

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