Disney's Epcot, located near Orlando, Florida, is home to a wide selection of rides and shows. While the Future World attractions are based on big ideas and technology, those located on the World Showcase are themed after specific countries and the Disney characters associated with them. We're here to look at attractions located on both sides of the park to see how they stack up.
While we're not using any official criteria to rank the best experiences located inside of Epcot, we will be taking the excitement, nostalgia, and overall quality of each attraction into account.
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With that said, it's time to head off to lands both near and far; Here are how the attractions at Disney World's Epcot stack up.
10 Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
This boat ride, located on the World Showcase's Mexico, takes guests on a leisurely journey based on Disney's Three Caballeros. Two members of the group, Panchito and José, set out to locate Donald Duck who has run off. This sends them on a wild chase, and you're there to follow.
The entertaining ride is full of colorful props and dolls, festive music, and animated screens. Though this attraction is leisurely, it is also bursting with life.
9 Journey Into Imagination With Figment
This dark ride is one of Epcot's most iconic. Journey into Imagination with Figment follows Dr. Nigel Channing and Epcot's famous little purple dragon on a trip through the Imagination Institute, which is based on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. While the trip could go smoothly, it never does, as Figment pops in to mix things up with his big imagination.
The 6-minute ride is bright, entertaining, and a whole lot of fun.
8 The American Adventure
This show, located inside the American pavilion on the World Showcase, features a cast of audio-animatronics that retell the history of the United States.
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The show is narrated by animatronic Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain figures, who cover the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the American industrialization, and the Great Depression. It all ends with a musical film montage that continues the American story from after World War II to the present day.
The nearly 30-minute show is just as heartstring-pulling as it is nostalgic.
7 The Seas With Nemo & Friends
This dark ride sends guests under the sea into the world of Pixar's Finding Nemo.
Riders board clam-shaped vehicles that take them on a journey to track down the titular little clownfish who has become lost yet again. As this happens, they're whisked through various locations from the Pixar film, encountering animated characters and special effects as they go.
Surrounded by real aquariums, actual fish are visible during certain portions of the track. This only adds to the ride's overall coolness.
6 Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
This 18-minute movie attraction should not be overlooked.
The Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival has guests piling into a theater to enjoy a round of Disney's finest animated shorts. While the lineup various, the attraction currently features the shorts Get A Horse, Feast, and Piper.
Though you can enjoy all of these movies through other means, there's nothing quite like watching them on a huge screen with special effects and 3D glasses. Their full charm is brought to fruition.
5 Living With The Land
This relaxing 20-minute boat ride teaches visitors about agriculture technology.
Soon after boarding, guests are sent into a dark-ride portion filled with various animals, landscapes, and vegetation. The second part of the cruise has guests exploring the Living Laboratory where Disney grows flowers and vegetables to be used in their restaurants. A recorded narration explains their innovative growing processes.
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Though not the most thrilling ride in Epcot, it is one of the most interesting. Being that it contains that special Disney touch, its entertainment value remains high.
4 Test Track
This high-speed slot car ride lets guests be the test dummies for futuristic vehicles they design. To do this, visitors are first ushered into a room where they create their dream car on a screen in front of them. They then load their designs onto cards and board cars that see how their virtual vehicles would stack up against those designed by other riders.
The indoor portion of the ride is full of fast stops, quick starts, neon lights, and jerky turns. The outdoor portion is even more exciting, sending guests on a loop around a track at speeds of up to 65 mph.
3 Frozen Ever After
In 2014, the beloved Malestrom log flume ride located in the Norway Pavilion closed down to make way for an attraction themed after Disney's hit animated movie Frozen. Though no other ride could live up to the nostalgia of this original attraction, Frozen After Ever still managed to come out impressively.
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Using the same track as Malstrom, riders are loaded onto Viking boats for a slow-moving cruise through Arendelle's Official Summer Snow Day. Featuring beautiful scenery, lifelike animatronics, and the unforgettable music from the animated film, this boat ride turned out to be one of Epcot's best.
2 Spaceship Earth
Though Spaceship Earth is due to get another update in the near future, the ride in its current condition remains one of the most impressive in the park. Taking place inside of Epcot's golf-ball shaped icon, this ride takes guests on a 15-minute, slow-moving journey through the history of communication.
The attraction is both informative and entertaining, featuring on-board narration, historical animatronics, and immersive rooms. The finale features a giant area filled with stars, and guests get to plan out their own future via touchscreens on their ride vehicles.
1 Soarin’ Around The World
Topping off the list is Epcot's famous Soarin' attractions, which takes guests on a trip through the sky via hang-glider. When the ride first opened it took visitors on a tour over California, however now, it takes them on a journey past famous world locations.
The flight motion simulator lifts guests in front of a giant screen for a nearly 5-minute adventure. The gorgeous scenery combined with the refreshing scents and gusts of wind make this ride one that's too immersive to miss.