So you’re headed to EPCOT! Congratulations — EPCOT may be one of the most underrated parks in Disney World (at least in our opinion).

Not only does EPCOT have some of the best snacks and restaurants in ALL of Disney World, but you’ll also find some popular rides, a World Showcase that lets you travel around the world in one day, a ride that’s literally the same as the simulator astronauts train on, and more. If you want to have a great day (or days…because if you have more time, we recommend spending MORE days in EPCOT), we’ve got some tricks that will change the way you visit the park.

1. Start in France

Forget the Mexico vs. Canada or right vs. left arguments because there is a WAY better way to go in World Showcase at EPCOT. You’ll want to enter the park via International Gateway (which also has access to the EPCOT-area hotels and the Skyliner) and then go right and start in France. 

There, you can enjoy a delicious quick breakfast pastry from Les Halles while drinking an ice cream martini and enjoying Disney’s version of the Eiffel Tower. We’ll just say it: France > Mexico.

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2. Use Gift Cards for Festivals

That festival food can really add up and if you’re not paying attention, you can easily go over your budget. That’s why we recommend grabbing a gift card for festival foods for the exact amount you’d like to spend on those snacks. You’ll be able to stay within your budget easily using these gift cards.

You’ll find special festival gift cards in most shops that come attached to a wristband. These are easy to have on-hand when you’re checking out festival food booths. If you are planning to use gift cards, we suggest getting them at Sam’s Club or Target, so you can get discounts!

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3. How to tackle EPCOT

EPCOT is MASSIVE, so you’ll need a game plan on how to tackle it. What you’ll want to do is split up your day and either do rides in the morning and World Showcase in the afternoon or World Showcase in the morning and rides in the afternoon.

Just keep in mind that EPCOT has a nighttime show on World Showcase Lagoon, Luminous “The Symphony of Us,” so if you want to catch that, make sure you’re in World Showcase to view it at night.

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4. Wait to Ride Spaceship Earth

If you enter EPCOT through the main entrance, the first thing you see is Spaceship Earth — and you might feel drawn to it because it’s so big. You need to ignore the pull of Spaceship Earth because EVERYONE tends to head their first for a ride through the history of communication.

Your best bet is to wait it out a little bit because Spaceship Earth wait times will go down later in the day. It’s also a nice little break later in the day when you need to rest your feet and be somewhere cool and calming (and it doesn’t get any more relaxing than Spaceship Earth).

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5. Get Free Drinks

Need to cool down and drink something refreshing? Head on over to Club Cool, where you can get FREE soda samples. There’s a catch, though — you’ll be sampling Coca-Cola drinks from around the world, and, well, some are better than others (if you’re brave, though, try Beverly).

You can’t get a lot of things for free in Disney World, but you can get free drinks in EPCOT, and we think that’s pretty…COOL (see what we did there?).

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6. Don’t Miss Out On the World Showcase Game

Before you leave on your trip for EPCOT, be sure to download the Play Disney Parks app. You’ll want to play the EPCOT scavenger hunt game (and it’s 100% free) DuckTales World Showcase Adventure game. The game will prompt you with clues to find “seven lost magic treasures” and return them to their rightful owners.

This game gives you a chance to interact with EPCOT in a unique way.

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7. Don’t Miss Out on Kidcot

Every country in World Showcase has a Kidcot station where you can pick up a unique postcard and stamp for that particular country, as well as learn a little more ABOUT that country. Sure, it’s got the name “Kid” in its title, but it’s also a fun activity for adults, too, especially if you want to do something different in EPCOT.

You’ll find Kidcot stations marked on your park map and in the My Disney Experience app. If you visit all the countries, you’ll get a special reward! Bonus? It’s free!

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8. Know How to Ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

If you’re wanting to ride one of EPCOT’s most popular rides, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, you’ll need to know that this ride does NOT currently have a regular standby line like other rides in EPCOT. Instead, you can only ride it one of two ways: via Lightning Lane Single Pass (which you’ll have to pay for) or by virtual queue (which is free).

To grab a virtual queue spot for Cosmic Rewind, you’ll need to be logged into the My Disney Experience app at 7 AM or 1 PM. Before those times, make sure that everyone in your party is linked up in the app so that when you grab that virtual queue spot, everyone is added to it. At those two times, you’ll see “Join Virtual Queue” on the home page of the app. You’ll want to be fast and grab a boarding group quickly. If you try at 7 AM and fail, you can try again at 1 PM. Note that you can only have one virtual queue spot for the ride per day.

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9. Really Explore World Showcase

If you really want to get the most out of your EPCOT trip, take time to really explore each country pavilion. This is why you might want an extra day in EPCOT, too. Take advantage of everything each pavilion has to offer, but also be sure to talk to Cast Members, who are from those countries — you’ll learn a lot and get to have a nice cultural exchange.

There is so much to see and do just in World Showcase alone — try not to miss out on any of it.

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10. Use the “Secret” Meet and Greet

If you have a Disney Visa card, you can get to access a special meet and greet that those without a Disney Visa don’t have access to. In EPCOT, you can find this meet and greet near the Journey Into Imagination Pavilion. You will need to present your Disney Visa to enter.

You never know who you might get to meet there, but this is a great photo op that not everyone gets access to.

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So the next time you visit EPCOT, make sure you’re prepared to have even MORE fun with these tricks. And stay tuned to DFB for more.

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Do you have a favorite EPCOT trick that makes your visit better? Share with us in the comments!