Epcot

Divided into two slightly incongruous sections—the technology-driven Future World [1] and the international expositions of the World Showcase [2]—Epcot has taken a while to shake off its early identity crisis as the Disney park that doesn’t seem like a Disney park. For much of its early life, visitors would arrive to Epcot expecting amusement-park rides and Mickey Mouse ears, only to be befuddled when confronted with Italian acrobats and the House of Tomorrow.

Today, the park stands quite well on its own, with a combination of exciting attractions like Mission: Space and Test Track, interesting semi-educational pavilions that easily outclass your favorite science center, and the crash course in global culture that comes from a walk around the “world.”

Special Events

A popular pastime at Epcot is to show up with an empty stomach, skip right past the rides and science exhibits of Future World [1], and eat and drink one’s way around the world…or at least around the World Showcase [2]. While this can be fun any time of the year, it’s most enjoyable during the annual Food & Wine Festival, held late September–early November.

In addition to the regular array of treats and tipples the World Showcase offers, the Festival adds dozens of kiosks serving tapas-style nibbles and various beer and wine samples. Most of the regular World Showcase countries are represented with kiosks, but there are also more than a dozen additional countries serving food and drinks; 2009 featured fare from India, Greece, Spain, and several other countries that don’t have year-round representation at Epcot. The food samples usually cost $2.50–5, and drinks are typically $5–7.

In addition to the Food & Wine Festival, the annual International Flower & Garden Festival (spring) draws amateur horticulturists and backyard gardeners for topiary-gawking as well as tips and workshops.