Top Five Things to Love about Epcot

With this being the kickoff weekend of the 2014 Food and Wine Fest, I've had Epcot on the brain. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite park, most of the time, but if you forced me, I'd probably choose Epcot. It is simply a world unto itself. As many times as I've entered this park, I can make it a different adventure every time, there is just so much to do and see.

1. The Fests.
Of course, my love for the Fests is well-documented. Back when it was just the annual Food and Wine Fest, I counted down with so much anticipation. You might think it has waned some, having been to so many now, and with the addition of the "Outdoor Kitchens" to Flower and Garden Fest, but no. I am grateful for the shorter wait between culinary delights, now, but I look forward to *both* with extreme excitement. I am a big fan of "small plates" meals. It makes my harrowing ordeal of decision making (hello, I'm a Libra) so much easier when I have weekend after weekend to conquer everything on my list, and the small portions allow me to try so much more than just a single meal would ever allow.



2. The food.
I am unafraid to try new foods (as long as they aren't *too* extreme) and World Showcase offers me so many delightful places to try them! There are counter service locations, sit down restaurants, food carts, and little places tucked here and there that offer appetizers and small plates. The hardest part for me is deciding whether to choose some place new or revisit an old favorite. The two restaurants I'm drawn to most are Tutto Gusto (in the Italy pavilion), and Biergarten, which, for me, is just like eating my Gram's kitchen again.



3. The "lesser" attractions.
Everyone knows about Test Track and Soarin' (and Mission Space, for those of you with stomachs stronger than my own), but there is something truly amazing about the non-thrill rides Epcot has to offer. Living with the Land is a quiet little boat ride through some greenhouses, but, when you have the opportunity to ride as frequently as I do, you realize that this ride changes all the time! Yes, plants grow, but they are constantly changing the current produce and rearranging the plant configurations. It was on this ride that I first learned how pineapples and Brussels sprouts grow! Spaceship Earth...like a grand and miraculous spaceship, indeed. The narration has changed a time or two, even just since I moved to Florida and became a (nearly instant) Annual Passholder, but the ride itself, that slow-moving classic in the "giant golf ball," remains fun to visit again and again. There's that unknown Egyptian pounding reeds into papyrus, Gutenberg and his skinny little legs, Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (and that portion of the soundtrack OMG), Foxy Cleopatra in the giant computer room, and that glorious moment, when your car swivels to face center and you're looking at planet Earth from far off. I've seen it dozens of times and I always settle back with the same sense of thrill. And then there's Maelstrom, sadly not much longer with us, but can you really top that skinny polar bear and those trolls popping up to threaten you -- Back! Back! Over the falls! -- before you zoom down that little hill to splash into the waters below the oil rig, and then depart in that charming little Norwegian village? Such kitschy fun always lay waiting, as the Viking boat climbed its way up toward Odin's glowing eye while hearing "You are not the first to pass this way, nor shall you be the last. Those who seek the spirit of Norway face peril and adventure. But more often find beauty and charm. We have always lived with the sea, so look first to the spirit of the seafarer." These attractions are fascinating, and if you'll just slow the pace of your pursuit of the next thrill, Epcot has so much more to show you.




4. The countries.
The World Showcase, with its plentiful food options, interesting shops, various shows (the movie in China is my favorite!), and a couple of boat rides, has much to offer, but for me, it's a playground for my camera. The colors, the architecture, the details. I've walked the paths of the pavilions countless times, and I never fail to find something new to capture my attention.






5. The entertainment.
Storytellers and musical ensembles. The Candy Lady in Japan. The acrobats and the guest participation comedy skits of the World Showcase Players. The shows are a treasure worth stopping for.






Ok, fine, if you know me at all, you know there aren't five. There are six. Because that's just how I roll.

6. The American Adventure.
This may actually make me feel more patriotic than the Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom. The condensed history of the United States is told well, but it's the animatronic scenes that steal the show for me, sliding in from either side of the stage, raising up from the floor. I wandered in, once, for an air conditioned place to rest my feet for a few minutes, and fell in love.



(inspired by this post)