Bonjour, Amy! Welcome to planDisney! I'm so glad that you've stopped by with such a great vacation planning question. I just love chatting Disney with my friends,
mon ami!
Well, it sounds as if your
EPCOT planning is off to a practically perfect start! My top tip for everyone visiting
Walt Disney World Resort theme parks is to rope drop the parks (arrive before park opening), have a game plan for which attractions you want to hit first, and know that it is okay to just throw the plan right out of the window! The planner in me is so happy to hear you making a plan of how to start your day. But just remember that you're about to be on a magical adventure, so, sometimes, you just have to let the pixie dust guide you. Today, I'm more than happy to guide you so that you can have the BEST. DAY. EVER!
On our pixie-dusted adventure to The Most Magical Place on Earth two weeks ago, my family and I rope-dropped EPCOT from the International Gateway entrance, which is where you will enter if you take the Disney Skyliner, and went straight to the France Pavilion to ride Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. It worked out perfectly, and we rode the oh-so-fun,
fantastique attraction with very little wait, so, I think that is a great way to start your day! After you ride, you can absolutely walk around the entire World Showcase that early. At park opening, World Showcase isn't crowded and is a very peaceful and lovely walk! However, since most of the World Showcase Pavilions, shops, restaurants and Festival kiosks don't open until 11 a.m. EST, I suggest heading clockwise to the Norway Pavilion to ride Frozen Ever After next, before the line really begins to build.
Since World Showcase opens at 11 a.m., before that time, I suggest going to the Pavilions that have headliner attractions in them, since in those Pavilions, some shops and even dining locations will be open when EPCOT opens. For instance, if you'd like to have breakfast, stay in France to eat at the fabulous
Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie, which usually opens at 9 a.m. If you do take my advice and head to Norway to ride Frozen Ever After following Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, you can also grab breakfast or a delicious snack at
Kringla Bakery Og Kafe (I recommend the School Bread. YUM!) before doing a little shopping in the Norway Pavilion.
Once World Showcase opens at 11 a.m., all of the shops, restaurants and kiosks will be open for you to enjoy. Since you will be visiting during the
EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, there will be so much to do, see and taste! I suggest visiting multiple times if you can. If you don't have two EPCOT days planned, be sure to add the Park Hopper Option to your tickets to hop to the Festival after 2 p.m. each day! See? BEST. DAY. EVER!
I hope this was helpful, Amy, and I hope you have the most magical and memorable visit to EPCOT! Please stop by any time with any vacation planning questions you may have along the way. You've got a friend in me!
Au revoir!I hope to see ya real soon,
Mandy