Epcot: The Most Misunderstood Theme Park in the World

Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida just might be the most misunderstood theme park ever created. Perhaps that's because at its roots, it was meant to be a social experiment. According to wdwinfo.com, EPCOT is an acronym that stands for, "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow". The idea came from Walt Disney himself, and was meant to be the first real try at a Utopian society in the 20th century. (Read about this and more Disney history in the book, "Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real" by The Imagineers with a forward by Michael D. Eisner. That was your "Reading Rainbow moment of the day, you're welcome.)

Because of this loose concept, some people may find the idea of the park unappealing. But Epcot has been carefully shaped and sculpted since it's opening to become just as exciting and fun as the other parks of Walt Disney World. Epcot now has thrill rides such as, "Mission Space" and, "Test Track", as well as unique concept attractions like, "Soarin'". On, "Soarin'", you are treated to the illusion that you are flying over the entire state of California, and the feeling is extremely real. The rides are most definitely up to par with Disney standards.

Epcot also has the World Showcase, a collection of eleven countries from around the world including food, rides, shops, live performances, architecture, landscaping, and more. This section of the park seems to have a reputation as being more geared toward adults. But don't make the mistake of skipping this if you have children of any age. There is a real sense of wonder at the World Showcase, it can spark an interest in geography, world culture, and even world history. It's something you won't want to miss, and neither will your kids. Also, there are plenty of those trademark movie tie-ins that will keep the experience light, fun, and movie referential. (For example, Beauty and the Beast appear regularly in France, Mulan can be seen at China, and so on.)

Epcot also houses a delightfully huge aquarium where you can go and see all types of fish, sea turtles, sharks, dolphins, and more. Also at the aquarium are a couple of, "Finding Nemo" attractions that are fun, educational, and will definitely make you laugh! At the end of the day, you'll also experience a fabulous closing show. All the Disney parks are well-known for their lavish and beautiful close-of-the-day fireworks spectacles. Epcot's takes place on the lagoon at the center of the World Showcase, so there's plenty of room to grab a seat and relax at the end of the day. It's called, "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth".

Epcot is something that you have to experience for yourself. Sure, I can give you a run-down of what's there and what the rides are like, but there's just something about the park as a whole. Each individual feature and section of the park works amazingly well in concert with the other sections and features to form a satisfyingly complete and harmonious experience. It's one of the best all-around theme park experiences that you can find today.

It's also full of wide-open sprawling promenades, remember, this was designed to be a city originally, not a theme park. So you'll marvel at how much roomier everything is at Epcot than it is at any of the other three parks, especially the painfully cramped, "Animal Kingdom". Epcot is truly enchanting, a peaceful day of accidental learning and beautiful sights, sounds, tastes, and even smells. It's a treat for your senses full of innocent fun and thrilling ride experiences. Whatever you've heard that's negative about Epcot, I encourage you to disregard it until you can experience it for yourself. It's the park that always seems to take new visitors by surprise, and I don't think you'll be any different.