This isn't Neverland, trust me...

Emily in Epcot on a very cold day in December.  Paddington Bear was her souvenir.

Epcot

            I am so excited about this next park.  Magic Kingdom is a lot of fun and it is the epitome of Disney World.  But Epcot is grow-up land.  They serve alcohol there (did I mention there is no alcohol in Magic Kingdom?).  In fact they serve many different types of alcohol from different places of the world.  Hence, why I believe this is the favorite area of every beleaguered parent who has already spent a whole day at Magic Kingdom with their kids.  And since I am always trying to give you the truth, my dear readers, children may get a little bored in this area, especially younger ones (more about this later).
            Epcot is supposed to resemble Walt Disney’s original ideas for a self-containing community.  And there are some very interesting attractions based on these ideas.  But, in all honesty, Epcot is really just a daily world fair.  There are two sections to the park: Future World and World Showcase.  Future World is all about science: energy, space, the seas, agriculture, etc.  The World Showcase brings to life 11 separate countries (plus an African outpost), featuring their exotic cuisines, customs, music, etc.
            If you’re visiting WDW for the rides, then you will enjoy Future World more than World Showcase.  Only two of the countries in the World Showcase feature a ride, the rest all have shows or movies.  However, if you are really trying to get a well-rounded vacation, then Epcot is definitely worth 1 to 2 days of your time.  Hubby and I love the fun and excitement of M.K., but one of our favorite parts of the vacation is walking through the World Showcase and trying foods from other countries.  I will warn my big-bellied fans, though: Epcot is huge.  The Word Showcase surrounds a very large lagoon and you will spend a lot of your day tracking the miles at Epcot.  Fear not, the food’s worth it!
            In every Disney park, there is one very large attraction that represents the park.  At Magic Kingdom, it is the castle.  In Epcot, it’s the large golf ball.  As soon as you turn into the Epcot parking lot, you will see it.  And it is the first attraction you will encounter once you get past the front gate turnstiles.  Inside of the ball is an awesome ride that will take you up into the sphere, called Spaceship Earth.  However, here is a tip: come back to this ride later!  Everyone gets in line for this ride as soon as they get in the park because it is literally in your line of vision.  By about 4:00 in the afternoon, however, there is no longer a line for it, so you can ride it multiple times in a row with no problems.  Why wait in line if you don’t have to?
            By the way, here is an interesting fact about the geometric designs on the ball: those shapes actually serve a purpose.  Whenever it rains in Florida (which, if you remember, I told you this will probably happen daily), the triangles direct the rainwater to holes in between the shapes.  That water is then routed back to the lagoon, which the World Showcase surrounds.  Self-containing community, remember?

Close-up of the entrance to get insde of the Golf Ball

Close-up of the triangles.  Note the holes in between the triangles: they direct the water to the lagoon.

Next time, I will work on some parts of Future World.