So you’re planning on going to EPCOT and drinking around the world? There are some things you need to AVOID doing, then.
Whether you start in Mexico or Canada, or even enter the International Gateway and start in France, there are key things you should not do. We’re here to help you plan ahead and not make these critical mistakes when sipping some drinks around the World Showcase.
1. Don’t Ride Thrill Rides
The last thing you’ll want to do is make the mistake of drinking around the world just to hurry to your lightning lane for a thrill ride. Don’t think that you will be able to handle the twists and turn on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind after a few drinks.
We will also lump Test Track and Mission Space in here as well. Test Track does reach high speeds and that might make you feel queasy after drinking. As for Mission Space — well, we all know that you could get sick from this ride just from the ride alone. If you are planning to grab a few drinks at EPCOT, plan your lightning lanes earlier in the day and stick with slower rides like Living with the Land after drinking.
2. Don’t Forget to Rehydrate
Between drinking a few alcoholic drinks, walking around the World Showcase, and sweating, you can get dehydrated quickly. You are going to want to rehydrate in order to keep going and having fun. Don’t forget that you can grab free ice water from any quick service location.
If you are bringing your own bottle with you, there are a few water bottle refill stations around EPCOT. You can find one by guest services or even inside of Regal Eagle at the soda fountain.
3. Don’t Forget to Pace Yourself
If you are planning on drinking around the world, don’t forget to pace yourself. With 11 countries, there are a lot of drink options out there, but slow is always best. Some of the drinks are larger, so they can easily be shared with a drinking buddy. This allows you to try drinks but not have to over indulge.
Another tip is if there is a festival going on like EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival, hit some booths up for smaller portions of alcohol. Several booths have smaller pours of beer and wine to try.
4. Don’t Go Shopping
If you have had a few drinks, you might want to avoid the stores. Disney has a lot of cute merchandise that you might suddenly find yourself needing. You might go inside a store to cool down or just browse, but you might end up spending some major cash here.
5. Don’t Forget About Your Reservations
Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about any reservations you may have. If you have a dining reservation, you don’t want to get caught up drinking and forget to go to it. If you miss a reservation, you could be charged $10 per person in your party.
This also goes for any Genie+ reservations you may have. You only have a 1-hour window to return to the ride and if you miss it, you will be out of luck. Set an alarm in your phone ahead of the end time to be sure you make it back in time to ride.
6. Don’t Forget Your Manners
Make sure you are minding your manners when you are drinking. Disney is still a theme park with families and kids. Be sure to watch where you’re walking, be polite to Cast Members and others around you, and stay aware. We promise you’ll have a much better time if you’re being kind.
7. Don’t Break the Rules
You don’t want to drink too much that you find yourself breaking the rules. Be sure to stay out of areas off limits and listen to Cast Members. This is a serious event and it can get you removed from the park. Nothing could ruin your trip more than making this mistake.
8. Don’t Forget to Eat
Don’t forget to eat while drinking around the world. EPCOT has so many snack and restaurant options, you’ll want to stop at these along the way as well. Each country has something to offer so grab some grub to help you keep enjoying the World Showcase.
9. Don’t Drive
Finally, if you’ve been drinking at EPCOT, don’t drive. Disney has made this easy by providing several forms of transportation to Disney hotels. You can take the monorail, a Disney bus, a boat, or even the Skyliner. Even if you’re staying off-property, you can take a rideshare like Uber or Lyft. If you plan on drinking, go ahead and take one of these forms of transportation to the park.
Be sure to watch out for these mistakes while drinking around the World Showcase so you can keep having fun. For more Disney tips, be sure to follow Disney Food Blog.
What’s your favorite drink to grab in EPCOT? Let us know in the comments below.
Leslie says
I thought of a #10. Don’t bring your kids. I’ve seen this happen, and I feel sad for the kids.
Bobby says
Be smart when doing it. I feel like people that drink around the world get a bad rap because of the few. One tip is to split a drink with your spouse or your friend. Second tip is to take a break and ride an attraction. My third is to eat around the the world while you are drinking. We always get something and split it while we have a couple drinks. Pastries in Norway, pretzel in Germany, etc.