EPCOT is widely considered to be the best, most popular park adults in all of Disney World.
Not because of all the thrilling, heart-pounding rides like Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and Test Track, but because of one of the most popular experiences for adults in all of Disney – drinking around the world.
If you aren’t familiar with this, then I’ll briefly give you a rundown. “Drinking Around The World” is the process of making your way around each of the 11 nations within the World Showcase while stopping for alcoholic drinks in each country.
Although I won’t focus entirely on this, I will however provide you with a simple Epcot itinerary for adults that will help you maximize your time and money without skimping out on all of the delicious eats and strong drinks.
Plus, this is solid itinerary for adults who don’t want to plan their day with Genie+.
EPCOT Itinerary for Adults
Nevertheless, here is my go-to Epcot itinerary for adults who don’t mind having a drink (or 11) and just going with the flow.
Before we begin: This isn’t going to be an EPCOT Genie+ strategy type of post, but instead I will focus on the things you need to eat, drink, and experience during your day. I’m here to keep things light and easy. There’s no need for this day to be stress-free…
11:00 am – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
The first thing you should do to start your day off right, is ride the best ride at Disney World – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Even though you can easily join the virtual queue throughout the day, I find it easier to just buy an Individual Lightning Lane in the morning before you go to the park.
Prices range from $14 to $17 per person, which isn’t too terrible. That’s literally the price of one cocktail in the World Showcase.
11:30 am – Club Cool
I’m a sucker for free stuff so I always stop into Club Cool before I work my way through Epcot.
Club Cool is a nice little air-conditioned spot where you can sample Coca Cola products from around the world. Best of all, it’s all complimentary.
11:45 am – Mexico for Margaritas
Don’t get me wrong, I love the frozen margaritas from Choza de Margarita, located outdoors within the Mexico Pavilion.
But, I personally recommend that you go inside of Mexico Pavilion (the pyramid looking building) and head to Cava del Tequila. There is a great selection of cocktails and tequilas, including my favorite drink in the entire park – the Avocado Margarita.
If you’re looking for a light lunch or even a snack, then you can’t go wrong with the Empanadas con Queso from La Cantina de San Angel.
You can also hop on the Gran Fiesta Tour starring The Three Caballeros for a gentle boat ride through the sites of Mexico.
12:30 pm – Norway for Frozen Ever After
If you like Frozen, or even if you want to escape the heat, then I recommend that you first grab a Frozen Viking Coffee from Kringla Bakeri og Kafe and then head to Frozen Ever After. Generally, you should be able to get through the line within an hour if the park isn’t slammed.
If not, then I would work my way towards China.
1:30 pm – China for Boba Tea
I’m going to be honest, I very rarely get a drink from China. But if I do, it’s usually the non-alcoholic Bubble Milk Tea because I’m a sucker for boba.
1:45 pm – Germany for a Grapefruit Beer and snacks
Germany is when the snacking officially begins!
There are a handful of snacks that I recommend you try:
- Pretzel Bread Pudding (a true hidden gem that’s slowly getting the love it deserves)
- Caramel Popcorn
- Honestly, almost everything is a hit from Karamell Kuche (the caramel-focused snack shop)
I would then grab a German beer, preferably the popular Grapefruit Beer.
2:15 pm – Italy for Pizza and Gelato
If you are ready for a real meal, then Via Napoli is a perfect spot to grab lunch, especially if you love authentic wood-fired pizza.
If you’re in more of a grab and go type of mood, then Pizza al Taglio serves up pizza by the slice. One thing to note though is that this spot has a very sporadic schedule so it’s almost impossible to know if it’s open for the day.
If you’re looking for a drink, then you can’t go wrong with the Italian Margarita which is made from a frozen blend of limoncello and tequila. You’ll find this from the the gelato shop called Geletaria Toscana.
If you need a pick-me-up, then you can get an affogato espresso gelato or go next door to to Joffrey’s for a coffee.
3:00 pm – America for Beers and BBQ
If you decided to skip the pizza, and instead prefer barbecue, then I recommend that you go to Regal Eagle Smokehouse for some American backyard barbecue eats.
The Memphis Dry-rub Pork Ribs or the Kansas City Smoked Half Chicken are great choices paired with the mac and cheese. But my personal favorite is the Loaded Burn End Fries. Fire!
I would pair that with a Golden Road Mango Cart beer.
This is also the only pavilion in Epcot that sells turkey legs too.
3:30 pm – Japan for some Sake
The Japan Pavilion is strictly for drinking. Yes, you can get a kakigori if you need something cold and refreshing, but for me, the star of the pavilion is the Violet Sake. It’s a refreshing balance of sake, purple pear, and lime juice.
It’s also fun to pop into Mitsukoshi Department Store and browse around for a bit.
4:00 pm – France for all the sweets
I don’t really find much to eat or drink in the Morocco pavilion, so I usually will skip this and instead save some room in my stomach for some insanely good desserts in France.
The only drink you should be getting from the France Pavilion is the Grand Marnier Orange Slush. So good!
When it comes to eats, I have 5 solid recommendatins:
- Croque Glace (warm pressed brioche ice cream sandwich)
- Butter and Sugar Crepe
- Fraises (strawberry tarte)
- Baguette
- Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich
You literally can’t go wrong with either of these. I recommend that you pop into Les Halles Boulangeria e Patisserie to see all of the delicious french desserts that they have.
I would then also take the time and go ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. If you liked Ratatouille and don’t mind 3D rides, then this is a cute and mild ride that’s worth experiencing at least once.
5:15 pm – United Kingdom for a Snake Bite
No trip around the world would be complete without a stop into the Rose & Crown Pub for a Snake Bite. This drink is half harp lager and half cider.
If you wan’t a cocktail, then the Welsh Dragon is also a solid choice.
And if for some reason, you are still hungry, like I normally would be, I would grab some fish and chips from Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
5:45 pm – Canada for some maple popcorn
There’s probably no way that you’re still hungry, but if you are looking for a solid grab-and-go snack, then you won’t be disappointed with the maple popcorn.
Popular alcohol drink choices include the Ottawa Apple and the Moosehead Draft.
6:00 pm – Go to The Land
Around this time, Soarin’ Around the World will be at one of its lowest wait times for the day, making it the perfect time to go on the ride.
Plus, it’s a great spot to cool down!
6:40 pm – Knock out some more rides
At this point, you have a few options. You can either go on Living with the Land or head next door to The Seas with Nemo and Friends or Journey Into Imagination with Figment. If these two rides don’t interest you, then I would head to the other side of the park and hop on Test Track.
Mission Space will also have a short wait time if that’s something that interests you. But, if you’ve been drinking and eating all day, I would absolutely steer clear from the Orange mission unless you have a strong stomach.
8:00 pm – Keep the fun rolling
At this point, your wallet might be asking for a bailout after all of those overpriced drinks, but if you want the fun to keep on coming, then you can either head back into the World Showcase for a couple more drinks and snacks, or you can head to Space 220 and see if they are allowing any walk-ins for their lounge which has some “atmospheric sprits.”
9:00 pm – Watch the Fireworks
If you love nighttime shows and fireworks, then I would stick around until 9 pm and watch the fireworks on World Showcase Lagoon.
If this doesn’t interest you, then this is a perfect time to hop onto any rides that you didn’t get to go on as wait times will be pretty low.
You can also use this time to make a quick escape back to your car or your Disney hotel to beat the exit crowds.
Full Epcot Itinerary
So to sum things up, here’s my simple Epcot itinerary for adults that’s packed with eats, sweets, and a whole lot of drinks.
- 11:00 am – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- 11:30 am – Club Cool
- 11:45 am – Mexico for Margaritas
- 12:30 pm – Norway for Frozen Ever After
- 1:30 pm – China for Boba Tea
- 1:45 pm – Germany for a Grapefruit Beer and Snacks
- 2:15 pm – Italy for Pizza and Gelato
- 3:00 pm – America for Beers and BBQ
- 3:30 pm – Japan for some Sake
- 4:00 pm – France for all the sweets
- 5:15 pm – United Kingdom for a Snake Bite
- 5:45 pm – Canada for some maple popcorn
- 6:00 pm – Go to The Land
- 6:40 pm – Knock out some more rides
- 8:00 pm – Keep the fun rolling (drinks or a ride)
- 9:00 pm – Watch the Fireworks (or beat the exit crowds and leave)
I hope you give this a shot!
Just note that this is a great itinerary during those periods when there’s no concerts or food festivals going on.
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