WALT DISNEY WORLD ITINERARIES
EPCOT
Full Day, No Early Entry, No MultiPass, Using Lightning Lane Single Pass
- This touring plan is for families with at least some kids who are over 40″, but young enough to want to meet characters.
- It does not utilize Early Entry and is a good plan for those not staying at a Disney hotel or who like to sleep in a bit. If you are staying at a hotel on this list, we do recommend taking advantage of early entry!
- This plan does not make use of Lightning Lane MultiPass. On most days, MultiPass is not worth it at Epcot. (See our main Epcot page for more about why).
- This plan DOES make use of Lightning Lane Single Pass for Guardians of the Galaxy. We highly recommend doing this to save time. If the cost is too much for you, you may want to consider jumping in line for it at the very end of the night instead of watching the nightime show.
All times below are just a guide. Do not be too concerned with sticking to this exactly – the times are more about the amount of time each activity will probably take.
7:45am - Head to the park
I know this seems like too much time, but it takes more time then you would think to get to the park and you want to aim to make it to the park entrance (not the parking lot, the actual gate) by 8:30am.
If you’re staying at a busy resort and arriving by bus, or driving in from a resort that’s not super close by, you may need to leave any early. A relaxed morning is better than a stressed and rushed morning, even if it means waking up a bit earlier.
8:30am - Arrive at the Main Entrance
Walk from your transportation to the main entrance and get in line for security and ticket check.
Time-Saving Tip:
If you’re pushing a stroller, put all bags in the stroller and have one person wait in the bag line with the stroller. Everyone else can skip the bag line and get in the ticket/magic band scanning line. The line to the far left is often the shortest. The person with the stroller will hopefully join you in line before you go through or meet you on the other side. The ticket line will often start letting people through before 9am, even if they’re not a Disney resort guests – that’s why you’re arriving early!
Make sure everyone has a magic band or have the tickets pulled up in the My Disney Experience App. Cast members will be there to help you if you have trouble.
9:00am - Walk with a purpose to your first attraction: Soarin' Around the World
As soon as they let people into the park, walk toward the big ball (you’ll do Spaceship Earth later) and to the right. Keep going around, past the Seas and Journey of Water (again, you’ll do them later) and go up the ramp into The Land building.
Once inside the building, walk around the perimeter to the escalator and go down. You’ll see the entrance to Soarin’ to your right. This is a lovely ride with a height requirement of 40″.
Why Soarin’ first?
Because everyone with early entry has already beaten you to Frozen Ever After and Remy and by the time you get there. The waits will already be long and will stay consistenly long, whereas Soarin will still be a very short wait, but will get longer later in the day as people with Lightning Lanes start using their day-of choices for Soarin’.
*This recommendation will change when Test Track reopens
9:30am - Living with the Land
Go ahead and knock out the other ride in this building. Across from Soarin, still inside the Land building, you will find the entrance for Living with the Land, a slow-moving boat ride that is an old-school Epcot classic! Learn about the journey of water, farming, and see a working green house where they grow food you eat in the park!
10:15am - Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Time for a brisk walk! The line for Remy gets long quickly in the morning as people rush to it during early entry, but then there is usually a bit of a lull around this time of the morning.
The walk between The Land and Remy (in France) will take about 15 minutes. You’ll walk through Canada and the UK and can enjoy the ambiance, but don’t stop just yet – you can explore these more later in the day.
The queue for Remy goes through many different rooms that keep it interesting, but also keep you guessing about how close you’re getting.
11:15 - Explore the world and get some food
Enjoy the France pavilion as you exit Remy. I recommend getting a pastry at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie. Check the app to see if Princess Belle is doing any meet n greets in France while you are there. There is a movie in France that rotates between Impressions de France and Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. They are enjoyable but not must-dos. If you’d like to take time to meet some characters today, I might skip this movie to save time.
Next head to the right toward Morocco, then Japan, America, Italy, Germany, and China. There are intersting shops, live enterainment, and places to get food and drink in the lands. Check the app to find what food most appeals to you. You can also check the app to see if there are any characters doing meet and greets in the pavilions.
With kids especially, you won’t have time to fully explore everything in the lands, but you can still enjoy seeing them as you walk toward Norway to meet Anna and Elsa.
1:15pm - Meet Anna & Elsa
These popular princesses can get a long line and are not open during early entry, so many people visit them after they’ve done Frozen Ever After in the morning and the line gets longest around 10-11am. By this point, the wait time should be shorter.
This is a great character meet and greet! Both sisters really take time with each kid and make it fun!
1:40pm - Frozen Ever After
There is sometimes a little lull in the line around this time of day because many people are in the bottom half of the park after doing this ride earlier. It will still have a wait, but most of the queue is inside and quite lovely.
2:45pm - Mexico Pavilion
This is a fun pavilion to explore! It’s inside a pyramid and inside it feels like you’re in a traditional Mexican village at night.
Adults might enjoy stopping in La Cava del Tequila and getting a beverage.
Head toward the back of the building to get in line for the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. It’s a classic dark boat ride about Mexico featuring Donald, Jose, and Panchito.
3:20pm - Mission Space or Playground time
Read the attraction information below to decide if this attraction is right for you. It’s definitley not for everyone!
If you don’t want to ride it but like space, you can still go into the exit to see the exhibits inside the building.
If you’re not interested at all or have younger kids, or if you want to rider swap while one adult plays with kids – head to the playground! The playground is located behind the Creations Shop, across from the entrance to Test Track.
3:45pm - Guardians of the Galaxy with Lightning Lane
(Adjust the time if you got a different time slot)
Enter through the entrance marked “Lightning Lane” and either scan your MagicBand, a Key to the World card, or your phone opened to the My Disney Experience app.
4:15pm - Spaceship Earth
No trip to Epcot is complete without a ride into the big ball! This is an original Epcot classic that takes you on a 16-minute trip through the history of communication.
4:45pm - Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
This is such a fun area where you get to interact with water in many different ways. Warning – you can get wet! You can avoid getting wet, but your kids may choose not to avoid getting wet. It’s a great way to cool down on a hot day.
5:15pm - The Seas
Walk over to the Seas building and enter the queue for The Seas with Nemo and Friends. This is a lovely dark omnimover ride.
The end of the ride will put you into the sea base. Take some time to enjoy this aquarium! There are some great animal exhibits, a huge tank full of tropical fish and sharks, and a manatee rescue habitat.
While in the sea base, find the sign for Turtle Talk with Crush if you have kids. Teens may not be interested, but most kids love this opportunity to talk to Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo. Crush really interacts with the audience and talks and asks them questions. It’s delightful and usually funny too!
6:15pm - Meet Mickey and Friends
Head into the middle section (World Celebration) and enter the CommuniCore building where you can meet Mickey and friends! This is the place to meet Mickey in his classic tuxedo with red pants.
6:45pm - Imagination Pavilion
Walk to the Imagination Pavilion (what looks like 2 pyramids). Get in line for Journey into Imagination with Figment, a slow-moving dark ride with no height requirement. It’s not amazing, but it’s still fun!
As you exit the ride, you will go through the Imagination Pavilion which has some fun interactive areas and sometimes has characters you can meet like Joy from Inside Out. Let your kids enjoy this area for a bit!
Outside of the building are some fun jumping fountains that are fun to watch. There is also a Pixar short film festival if you need a break and want to watch some Pixar shorts.
7:30pm - Explore more countries pavilions and get some food
Enjoy the pavilions you haven’t seen yet! Canada has a lovely movie in a 360 degree theater that is fun to watch. There is often live entertainment in Canada or the UK. There is a nice garden and a maze to explore in the UK. And check the app to see if there are any characters around to meet.
Eat in one of the world pavilions, at a festival booth, or use a dining reservation.
8:30pm - Find a spot for Luminous
We like to have some food or drinks in hand, then grab a good spot to watch Luminous around the lake. Anywhere with a good view of the lake and the sky without things blocking you is a good view.
9:00pm - Luminous begins
This show is wonderful! This is not just a “fireworks show.” It combines fountains, projections, fireworks, light, music, and beautiful storytelling. If you’re a person who likes to feel feelings, and can let yourself get lost in the magic, you will love this show!
If you have no interest in the show or will be at Epcot multiple nights, then end of the night is also a great time to hop in line for one last ride of the day.
Once the show is over, everyone will be filing out of the park. I recommend taking your time if your group isn’t too tired. Let the rush go in front of you as you casually walk and enjoy the beauty of the park at night and take some photos. You can’t linger forever, but you don’t have to rush out. All Disney transportation keeps running for an hour after the park closes (and sometimes longer if there are still crowds waiting).
Attraction Information:
Description: This is a wonderful attraction for all ages! Board a boat and go through dark rooms with scenes inspired by the movie Frozen, featuring many of the great songs and all your favorite characters.
Height Requirement: None! BUT…
There are Small Drops – Hold on to babies and toddlers. When you reach Elsa’s castle scene, Elsa pushes you back and your boat goes backward down a small hill. Then after you see the big snowman (Marshmellow), you’ll go forward down a hill that ends in a small splash. The hill is similar to the small drop on Pirates of the Caribbean. Littles will be fine, but you need to hold onto them.
Queue: The queue is part of the experience! When the line is long it may start outside, but then you’ll move inside where it feels like evening in the square in Arendelle. You’ll even get to walk through Oken’s and may see Oken peeking out from the sauna.
Ride Vehicle: Boat with 4 bench rows that fit 2-3 people each. No lap bar.
Ride Length: 5 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 1 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Lightning Lane time slots are usually gone by 10am on moderate days and may be gone before the park even opens on heavy crowd days. It will occasionally pop back up though, so keep refreshing.
Average wait time: 60 minutes
Location: Norway Pavilion in World Showcase
Ride Photo: Yes! During the final drop after you see Marshmellow, the big snowman.
Description: Shrink down to the size of a mouse and go on an adventure with Remy through his restaurant in Paris. It combines real sets, 3D screens, and trackless ride vehicles to create an awesome experience!
Height Requirement: None! But hold on to babies and toddlers. The ride does a few turns that whip around a bit quickly. The ride includes 3D glasses which may not fit babies and toddlers but they will still enjoy it.
Queue: The queue is part of the experience! You will go through multiple small rooms that are themed to Paris and out onto a Paris rooftop. Some of the rooms are a little small and when you think you must be getting close, there’s another room. If the queue starts outside – it’s too long.
Ride Length: 5 minutes
Ride Vehicle: Trackless mouse with 2 rows that fit 2-3 people each. There is a lap bar that pulls down but it is not tight. The ride also requires 3D glasses.
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 1 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Lightning Lane time slots are usually gone by 8:30am on moderate days and are usually gone before the park opens on heavy crowd days. It will occasionally pop back up if you refresh, but not very often.
Average wait time: 70 minutes
Location: France Pavilion in World Showcase
Ride Photo: No
This attraction is currently going through refurbishment. We will update this with any new information after it reopens in 2025.
Description: Board a car and go through test simulations that take you around tight curves and other maneuvers in an indoor set building, then head outside for a thrilling race around a track where you hit speeds of over 60mph. It’s a fun thrill!
Height Requirement: 40″ – Rider swap is available. Check in with a cast member at the entrance to use rider swap. Smaller kids can play at the nearby playground while older kids and parents ride.
Queue: The queue is part of the experience! (This is based on the old queue which could be changing.) You will get to see some cool car designs and then create your own car using touch screens. They pair 2 or 3 people up at each car design station. Keep this in mind so your kids aren’t fighting too much over who gets to design the car!
Ride Vehicle: Car with 2 rows of 3 seats each
Ride Length: 4 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 1 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: I don’t have recent info on this yet while the ride is under refurbishment.
Average wait time: 60 minutes
Location: World Discovery
Ride Photo: Yes! It’s taken during the fast outdoor part of the ride. Through your hands up and smile!
Description: The newest, most thrilling, and best attraction in Epcot! This is an indoor roller coaster unlike any other! It has a backward accelerated start, cars that turn, amazing visual effects, and an awesome soundtrack that changes each time you ride!
Height Requirement: 42″ – Rider swap is available. Check in with a cast member at the entrance to use rider swap. Smaller kids can play at the nearby playground while older kids and parents ride.
Virtual Queue: This attraction currently does not have a standby queue option. You either need to purchase in Lightning Lane Single Pass or get a free Virtual Queue. A Virtual Queue will tell you what time to return to get in line. You will have one hour to return once your group is called. There will still be a little bit of a wait but it will be much shorter than if it was a typical standby queue.
The windows for getting a virtual queue open at 7am (when you’re not in the park yet) and 1pm (must be inside the park). Set an alarm for a few minutes before the time so you don’t forget! Have the My Disney Experience App open on your phone, and click on Virtual Queue from the home screen or the menu. You may be able to confirm your party before the time slot opens. Have a clock with seconds available and pull down to refresh the screen at 5 seconds before 7am or 1pm. As soon as the button turns blue click “Join Virtual Queue”. It should then give you a boarding group number. The app will send you an alert when it’s time for you group to join.
The 7am window fills pretty quickly. The 1pm window is usually pretty easy to join.
Queue: The queue is part of the experience! You’ll get to learn all about the planet Xandar and meet some of the Guardians as you wait. My favorite part is Star Lord talking about Epcot in the 90s. There is also a pre-show that sets up the storyline for the ride. This is what makes Disney attractions so great – the stories, the creativity, and the details!
Ride Vehicle: String of roller coaster cars with 2 rows, 2 seats each.
Ride Length: 4 minutes
Lightning Lane: Lightning Lane Single Pass only. The typical price is $17-20/person.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: I don’t have recent info on this yet while the ride is under refurbishment.
Average wait time: 10 minutes with Lightning Lane, 30 minutes with virtual queue
Location: World Discovery
Ride Photo: Yes! It’s taken during the accelerated start which makes for some hilarious photos!
Description: Blast off to outer space! There are two options on this ride, green or orange. The orange side is more intense and spins you in a centrifuge to simulate the g-forces you would experience going to space. The orange side takes you on a mission to Mars. The green side has movement like a typical simulator but without the spinning. The green side takes you into orbit around Earth.
Warnings: Both versions involve tight spaces and I don’t recommend doing it if you get claustrophobic. Only do the orange side if you NEVER get motion-sick and can handle spinning. Because you’re in a centrifuge, you won’t see that you’re spinning but you will feel it. If typical motion simulator rides make you motion-sick, don’t even do the green side. This ride can ruin the rest of your day if you’re not careful. If you really want to try it, I recommend taking motion sickness medicine beforehand just in case.
Height Requirement: 44″. Rider swap is available.
Ride Length: 15 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 2 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Usually not until early or late evening
Average wait time: 23 minutes
Location: World Discovery
Ride Photo: No
Description: This is the attraction inside the huge ball and is an Epcot classic! You will board a 2-person omnimover and go on a journey through the history of communication. The ride is slow-moving and takes you through lots of cool historical scenes with animatronics as you make your way up into the ball. On your way back down interactive screens light up and kids can make choices that will lead to a story about what the future could be like.
Height Requirement: None!
Queue: There isn’t a themed queue for this attraction. Most of the queue is outside until you go up a ramp and then board an omni-moving car. Parts of the outside queue can be hot and sunny, some parts can be in the shade of the ball, and some parts can be very windy as wind whips around the ball.
Exit: Instead of exiting into a gift shop, this ride exits into an area with cool interactive exhibits and games. Just keep in mind that your kids may want to check out these interactive areas which will make this attraction take up more time overall.
Ride Vehicle: 2-person omnimover
Ride Length: 16 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 2 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Lightning Lane time slots are usually gone by 10am on moderate days and may be gone before the park even opens on heavy crowd days. It will occasionally pop back up though, so keep refreshing.
Average wait time: 15-20 minutes (I once saw it at 90 minutes on a holiday though!)
Location: World Celebration, front of the park, inside in giant ball
Ride Photo: It’s not a typical ride photo, but they do take your photo and place your headshot into an interactive scene at the end.
Description: Board an omnimover clam shell and go on an underwater adventure with the character from Finding Nemo. The end of the attraction has windows into a real aquarium so it looks like real fish and the characters are swimming together.
Height Requirement: None! But…
A few scary parts: There is a dark part of the ride with an angler fish that can be a little scary. There is also a room with giant jellyfish that is actually quite beautiful but could be scary to some. Most of the ride is very tame and has a fun, happy song.
Queue: There isn’t usually much of a line, but the queue is all indoors and themed so it looks like you enter at the beach and then go underwater.
Show Length: 4 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 2 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Usually not until the evening, sometimes afternoon on busy days.
Average wait time: 15 minutes
Location: World Nature, Seas Pavilion
Ride Photo: No
Description: A fun show where Crush from Finding Nemo really talks to kids in the audience! Kids are seated on the floor up front and adults sit on benches behind them. There is a big screen/window where Crush can see all the humans in the human tank. He will call on kids that politely raise their hands and kids can ask Crush questions. It always ends up being quite funny and entertaining!
Your kid may not get picked: Not every child can be chosen to ask a question. Prepare them for this so they understand and will enjoy the show even if they aren’t chosen.
Queue: There is usually no line, you’re just waiting for the next show to begin.
Ride Length: 8 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 2 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Usually not until the evening.
Average wait time: 15 minutes
Location: World Nature, the Seas Pavilion
Description: This is a delightful walk-through attraction where you get to interact with different water elements. It’s beautiful, it’s fun, and the Moana-inspired music is magical!
Crowds: There usually isn’t a line to get in, but on crowded days they may limit the number of people allowed in the area and then a queue could form. Once inside you may have to wait your turn to try out some of the interactive elements. Make sure you and your kids are cognisant of other people waiting to have a turn.
Your kids may get wet: It’s completely possible to enjoy this attraction without getting wet, but kids can find a way to get very wet if they want to!
Average time spent enjoying it: 15-20 minutes
Location: World Nature
Description: Embark on an exhilarating ride around the world! You will board a simulated hang-glider seat and take off into the sky in front of a huge IMAX screen as you see scenes from around the world. The music and smells change with each scene and the whole experience is delightful! The ride is very smooth and appeals to all ages that meet the height requirement.
Height Requirement: 40″
Queue: It’s all indoor and there is a fun trivia game you can join from your phone or just play as a family. The questions are best suited for older kids through adults. The line won’t constantly move, but usually moves in big waves, then stops, as the theater fills.
Ride Vehicle: The theater has 3 rows with 3 groups of seats each, and each seat group has about 10 seats grouped together. There is a spot under each seat to store loose items.
Best Seats: The best seats are the middle center – B1, so nothing on the slightly curved screen is distorted. Cast members will tell you which section to go to, but you can ask to wait for your preferred seats if you desire.
Ride Length: 8 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 1 attraction. Don’t choose this one as your first Tier 1 attraction. Select it after you’ve used your first Lighting Lane for the day if the other Tier 1s are gone.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Usually not until the evening, or afternoon on busier days.
Average wait time: 35 minutes
Location: World Nature, the Land Pavilion
Ride Photo: No
Description: Board a boat and learn about land, water, and how we grow food. That may sound dull but it’s really a delightful boat ride through several scenes of nature, a farm, and then into a real working greenhouse using the latest technology to grow food that is used in restaurants all around Disney World. This is a an Epcot classic and our whole family enjoys it!
Height Requirement: None. No drops or fast motions.
Queue: This attraction does not have a themed queue, but it’s all indoors inside the Land Pavilion.
Ride Vehicle: Boat with multiple rows of benches.
Ride Length: 14 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 2 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Usually not until the evening.
Average wait time: 10 minutes
Location: World Nature, the Land Pavilion
Ride Photo: No
Description: Go on a tour of the Imagination Labs, but watch out because Figment (a little orange and purple dragon that is a figment of your imagination) is going to take over and show you what a little imagination can do. It’s not the greatest attraction, but it’s cute enough and rarely has a long line.
Height Requirement: None. No drops or fast motions.
Queue: All indoors unless it’s a really crowded day.
Exit: This attraction exits into a fun interactive indoor play area. Kids will love exploring the Imagination Pavilion. During some hours (not all so check the app) you’ll find characters like Joy from Inside Out.
Ride Vehicle: Cars with 2 rows that fit 2-3 people each.
Ride Length: 6 minutes
Lightning Lane: Yes, included in Lightning Lane MultiPass as a Tier 2 attraction.
Lightning Lane Sell-out Time: Usually not until the evening.
Average wait time: 11 minutes
Location: World Celebration, the Imagination Pavilion
Ride Photo: No
