Top 5 Reasons to Love Epcot’s Future World

Epcot is always the first park I visit when I'm at the Walt Disney World Resort. It has earned that honor - despite my unwavering love for the Magic Kingdom - because the park is usually less hectic and because there are so many things that I love about Epcot, specifically in Future World.

What do you love about Future World in Epcot?

Sure, World Showcase is full of many of my favorite things too, but I'm learning to love Future World a bit more every time we visit Epcot. And today I'm going to share the top 5 things I (currently) love about Future World.

Mouse Gear: Let's talk shopping first. One of my all-time favorite places to shop is Mouse Gear. I've been known to spend way too much time (and money) in this store. Whatever you're looking for when it comes to souvenirs, there's a good chance you'll find it at Mouse Gear. The store itself is quite large, so it is easy to lose members of your family - either intentionally or by accident (I speak from experience). We like to stop at Mouse Gear in the morning just to get some ideas of what we might want/need to buy and then we'll stop back in the evening as we head out of the park.

Shop 'til you drop at Mouse Gear

The Land Pavilion: We try to plan our first Epcot FastPass+ for Soarin' Around the World so our first stop is The Land pavilion, which is definitely one of my favorite pavilions in all of Epcot. Breakfast used to be a good idea here at Sunshine Seasons but the menu is seriously lacking of late. (Despite the lack of good eats for breakfast I still recommend Sunshine Seasons for lunch or dinner or snacks!).

After Soarin' Around the World we have to take a boat ride on Living with the Land, which is one of my must-ride attractions. In fact, we usually ride it several times throughout our vacation. Some people think it's boring but I find the boat ride to be relaxing and I love seeing what's growing in the gardens.

Always fun to see what's growing in the garden!

Fountain View and the Fountain of Nations: Another favorite in Future World is the Fountain View for a cup of coffee and maybe a sweet treat. I will freely admit that I love the fact that Starbucks is available in the theme parks. Plus, while I'm enjoying my Starbucks I can gaze at the Fountain of Nations which happens to be my favorite fountain at Disney World. Did you know: back in 1982 during the International Ceremony of Waters and the dedication of the fountain that water from 25 bodies of water representing 29 nations was poured into the fountain? True story.

The Fountain of Nations is captivating

Test Track: My favorite thrill ride at Epcot (because I refuse to even consider Mission: Space) is Test Track. I love creating a car with one of my kids, making it as ridiculous and outlandish as possible of course. I enjoyed the old version of Test Track but the refurbished version is a lot more fun thanks to the interactive queue. Now that Soarin' Around the World, Test Track, AND Frozen Ever After are all "tier 1" or "group A" FastPass+, you'll have to decide where you're running first. ;-)

Love the thrills of Test Track

Spaceship Earth: This attraction and theme park icon has always been, and likely will always be, my favorite thing at Epcot. Every time I'm at Epcot I have to ride Spaceship Earth at least two or three times. In one day. I love the story of the history of communication, I love the smells on the ride, I love finding Hidden Mickeys, and I love the musical score. My favorite scene? The Renaissance - which is also where my favorite Spaceship Earth Hidden Mickey is located.

I also love Spaceship Earth from the outside, especially at night when the 11,324 aluminum facets that make up the outside of the sphere start to reflect all the colorful lights. It gets me every time.

Spaceship Earth at night is perfection

And don't forget: for the second year in a row, the Epcot Food and Wine Festival will spill over into Future World with several booths including The CHEW Collective, The Chocolate Studio, and The Wine and Dine Studio. To learn more about these Marketplace Booths and the rest of the 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival check out the Disney Food Blog's 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival section.

So there it is: five things to love about Future World. We'd love to hear what you love most about Future World! Leave us a comment and let us know.