Your guide to all the rides at Epcot {2024}
Each of the four Walt Disney World parks is so unique — you’re guaranteed to have a good time no matter where you are! Epcot is no exception. At Epcot, you’ll find classic, iconic rides, new exciting thrills, great entertainment, and some of the best dining and shopping available at Disney.
We find Epcot to be a fairly low stress park, similar to Animal Kingdom, and a good follow-up to a big day at Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. You can easily fit in all the Epcot rides, and you’ll no doubt enjoy at least one leisurely stroll around the World Showcase during your day.
Just like the other parks, planning your day at Epcot is about priorities. Do you want to hit every last ride, or just the big ones? Do you have little ones who want to meet characters? Are you a completist who has to watch every show in the World Showcase? Are you looking forward to browsing the shops in the different country pavilions? Planning to eat or drink around the world?
No matter your goals, you can plan a fun-filled day at Epcot and accomplish what you set out to do!
Read on for our Epcot list of rides, learn more about the entertainment, activities, dining, shopping, and special events, and then start planning your visit!
Epcot Rides
Epcot is essentially divided into two circles, with the front circle (previously known as Future World) comprising three sections: World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature. The back circle includes all of the country pavilions that make up the World Showcase.
Be prepared to WALK at Epcot! It’s a large park, more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom, and the best ride order strategy has you land hopping. But just be sure to schedule plenty of snack stops, and you’ll keep the fun and energy going all day long!
Dominating the front of the park is, of course, the famous sphere known as Spaceship Earth. Yep, there’s a ride in there! We’ll start there and go clockwise around the first circle, then discuss the rides you’ll find in the World Showcase.
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World Celebration
Spaceship Earth
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 1/5
Spaceship Earth is a dark ride inside the classic Epcot ball! You’ll take a journey through time and history, with animatronic scenes that show how people and technology have evolved throughout time.
This ride is also interactive, as riders select options on a touchscreen that generates a video showing what your life could be like in the future.
This ride is perfect if: You want to ride inside the iconic Epcot ball and take an adventure through history!
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 1/5
Journey Into Imagination With Figment is a classic ride that celebrates the senses! Guests take a slow ride through a laboratory of sight, sound, smells, and more.
The ride’s dragon mascot, Figment, makes the ride all the more fun by teaching how to use your imagination.
This ride is perfect if: You want an engaging ride for adults and kids alike!
World Discovery
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Height requirement: 42”
Thrill factor: 5/5
Epcot’s newest ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, is an innovative indoor roller coaster with quick turns and drops. The entire ride experience is immersive, from the queue to the exit.
The Cosmic Rewind ride vehicle itself has the ability to turn side to side, making for a much more thrilling coaster experience. There are six different songs that may play during your ride, so you’ll want to ride multiple times to hear them all.
This ride is perfect if: You love the Guardians movies and want to get the biggest thrill at Epcot!
Mission: SPACE
Height requirement: 40″
Thrill factor: 4/5 (Green Mission), 5/5 (Orange Mission)
Mission: SPACE is a simulator ride, where you go on a mission around the Earth (Green Mission) or to Mars (Orange Mission). Enter the queue for the intensity of your choice, but keep in mind that the Orange Mission is notorious for causing queasy stomachs!
You’ll board in groups of four, and prior to boarding your ship, you’ll be assigned one of four roles. During the ride, you’ll be prompted to engage certain controls to successfully complete your mission.
This ride is perfect if: You want to really feel like you’re going on a mission to space!
Test Track
Height requirement: 40″
Thrill factor: 3/5
If you have the need for speed, run, don’t walk to Test Track! While in the ride queue, you’ll have a chance to digitally design your car and choose its capability, efficiency, power, and responsiveness.
Then, you’ll board a car and drive through a series of tests, culminating in a thrilling outdoor track that reaches speeds of up to 65 mph. At the end, you’ll see how your car stacked up against the creations of your fellow riders.
This ride is perfect if: You enjoy an interactive thrill ride and love to feel the wind rush against your face!
World Nature
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 1/5
New! In late 2023, Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana opened at Epcot. This walk-through exploration allows guests to play and interact with water in a variety of ways, while enjoying a beautiful and serene nature trail.
Don’t want to get wet? Don’t worry! In this experience, you’ll be able to have fun while staying dry — and those who want to get soaked will have the opportunity! You’ll find “dry trails” that allow you to avoid the wetter parts of the attraction.
This attraction is perfect if: you have a variety of ages in your group, love nature, and/or want to cool off by getting wet!
Soarin’ Around the World
Height requirement: 40″
Thrill factor: 2/5
2024 note: For a limited time, instead of Soarin’ Around the World, Epcot has brought back the original Soarin’ Over California. If you missed this version in the past, make sure to get to Epcot soon to catch it!
Soarin’ Around the World is a flight simulator ride that takes its riders on a journey through different wonders of the world. Soarin’ delights all the senses, as you can see, hear, and even smell the various landmarks and landscapes!
Visit the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, and the Eiffel Tower, get up close with whales, polar bears, and elephants, and finish your ride in a familiar favorite destination!
This ride is perfect if: You want a pleasant and soothing ride with breathtaking views!
Living with the Land
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 1/5
Living with the Land is an educational, slow-moving boat ride that teaches riders about Disney’s efforts in farming, nature, and agriculture. You’ll ride through real, working gardens and greenhouses whose produce is used in nearby Epcot restaurants! It’s a scenic experience, a learning opportunity, and a relaxing break from your hectic day.
This ride is perfect if: You would enjoy learning about Disney’s environmental efforts and seeing how they grow their own plants, fruits, and vegetables.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 1/5
The Seas with Nemo & Friends is a truly unique ride experience, in that it combines real marine exhibits with the animated sea creatures from the movie Finding Nemo.
You’ll board a “clamobile” and ride through colorful coral reefs, sunken ships, and vibrant marine life on an underwater adventure.
This ride is perfect if: You enjoy a calm ride and love watching sea creatures (real and animated)!
World Showcase
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 1/5
Join Donald Duck and his amigos on a boat cruise through the vibrant sights and sounds of Mexico. This family-friendly dark ride takes you on a journey alongside Panchito and José Carioca as they search for Donald before their big performance. Enjoy the catchy music, colorful scenes, and whimsical charm that celebrate the rich culture and folklore of Mexico.
This ride is perfect if: You have little ones or need a cool, relaxing break from walking the World Showcase.
Frozen Ever After
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 2/5
In the Norway pavilion, you’ll find Frozen Ever After, a magical boat ride through the enchanting world of Frozen! As you set sail through the kingdom of Arendelle, you’ll encounter beloved characters like Anna, Elsa, and Olaf, and sing along with your favorite songs on the way.
This ride is great fun for the whole family — calm enough for the youngest ones, with just enough excitement for the thrill-lovers. You’ll also appreciate some of Disney’s newest animatronic technology that brings the characters to life.
This ride is perfect if: You love the world of Frozen, especially the music.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Height requirement: n/a
Thrill factor: 2/5
At Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, you’ll shrink down to the size of a rat and take a spin through Gusteau’s restaurant!
This trackless 3D ride has guests boarding rat-shaped vehicles that race through bustling kitchens, dazzling dining areas, and even the rooftops of Paris as you help Remy search for the ingredients to make his famous ratatouille.
We got to ride Remy’s at Disneyland Paris, which was a fun experience!
This ride is perfect if: Your group includes all ages, especially aspiring chefs!
The best order to ride Epcot rides
Below you’ll find the order we suggest hitting the Epcot rides, but keep in mind you’ll need to adjust based on any Lightning Lane passes you have, ride operation status (sometimes rides close for a period of time during the day), current wait times, and of course, your own priorities.
Can I ride every ride at Epcot in one day?
The good news is you should have no problem getting on to all the rides at Epcot in one day. However, it might mean some land hopping and possibly a couple of longer wait times.
You’ll have the best chance of maximizing your ride time if you visit during a less busy time of year (January, September, and the first half of November are our picks), go on a weekday, go on a day when the park is open early and closes late, and go early!
Arrive an hour before the posted opening time, at least. You’ll wait a little bit at the park entrance, but once you’re inside you’ll be able to get right on your first few rides, and you’ll be ahead of everyone else piling into the park a little later in the morning. If you are staying onsite and can get into the park an hour early, that’s a huge advantage so take it!
Go to the most popular rides first. Those lines will get long quickly and usually stay long throughout the rest of the day.
Sometimes it’s a good strategy to go to a big ride right at the end of the day, because Disney will let you get into line right up until closing time, which means you could be in the park (in line and on the ride) well after the official close time. But I like to save this tactic for reriding a favorite ride. That way, if it doesn’t work out, we still got to ride it.
If you’re okay with your group being split up, try the single rider line when available.
FastPass, Genie+, Lightning Lanes, & Virtual Queue
Oh my.
Disney has changed up their ride reservation system a lot over the past few years, and it’s hard to keep up! I’ll explain what I know and do my best to keep this updated, but I strongly recommend researching the latest offerings and procedures directly from the Mouse’s mouth (a.k.a. check the WDW website).
FastPass and FastPass+ are gone. Kiss ‘em goodbye. Unlearn those words.
Disney Genie is a virtual planner in the My Disney Experience app that helps you schedule your day and ideally do everything you want to do with minimum wait times. It’s free, but it doesn’t allow you to schedule any ride reservations. That’s where Disney Genie+ comes in.
Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows you to schedule reservations for certain rides and attractions throughout the parks. When you arrive at your reservation time, you’ll use the Lightning Lane to get on the ride quickly.
Not every ride has a Lightning Lane, but many do. You can book additional reservations after you’ve redeemed your most recent reservation, or 120 minutes after you’ve scheduled your most recent reservation.
Some of the most popular rides open up a Virtual Queue on the My Disney Experience app at certain times of day. This allows you to secure a spot in a boarding group that will get called to ride the ride at some point that day. These are free, but you have to have fast fingers to snag one!
At Walt Disney World in January 2024, there are two rides using Virtual Queue: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot and TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom Park.
Lastly, some attractions have Individual Lightning Lanes. These are popular rides that are not included in the Genie+ reservation system. Instead, you have to purchase an a la carte Lightning Lane reservation, and you’re limited to two per day.
The good news here is that if you aren’t able to get a Virtual Queue boarding pass for the ride you were just dying to experience, you might be able to buy your way on.
Exhausted yet? Well now you just have to remember that there are even more rules for when and where you can purchase/reserve these various ride reservations. For some you have to be in the park, some require the park to be officially open first, others you can book in the early morning before the park opens… It takes some research, but if you want to do all the things, it’s worth spending the time. You just read this overview, so you’re well on your way!
Okay, on to the Epcot ride order!
Epcot ride order 2024
One big caveat here: if you are staying onsite and entering Epcot from the back entrance, into the World Showcase, go straight to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, then continue with the ride order below. You’ll be closer to Remy’s and will be able to check off one of the most popular rides with hardly any wait.
Here’s our order recommendation:
Popular rides first:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is only accessible by Virtual Queue, so make sure to get a boarding group and then return whenever your group is called! If you miss out on the Virtual Queue, you can purchase an individual Lightning Lane pass.
- Test Track
If you have a boarding group for Cosmic Rewind for later in the day, head straight here when the rope drops.
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Living with the Land (hit this one while you’re already in the building or save it for later)
- Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana (walk through this attraction while you’re nearby, or return when you have time in your schedule)
Lunchtime:
We recommend taking a spin around the World Showcase, finding some good food, and maybe taking in a few of the shows. It’s also a good time to do some shopping!
- Gran Fiesta Tour (ride whenever you’re in the Mexico pavilion)
Afternoon/Evening:
- Mission: SPACE
- Spaceship Earth
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Journey Into Imagination With Figment
What to do other than rides at Epcot
The only reason you might not get to ride all the rides at Epcot is simply because there are so many other things to do in this park! There are shows, art galleries, interactive games, and live animal exhibits to enjoy. You can meet characters like Alice, Mulan, and Snow White. And of course, there’s great shopping and food.
Epcot entertainment
Throughout the World Showcase, you’ll run into live musicians and street performers in just about every pavilion. You can also catch the video & animatronic show The American Adventure, as well as films Impressions de France, Reflections of China, and Canada Far and Wide in their respective country pavilions.
If you love the music from Beauty and the Beast, be sure to catch the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along in the France pavilion.
Watch the 10-minute Awesome Planet film in World Nature (in the Soarin’ & Living with the Land building).
After you ride The Seas with Nemo and Friends, head next door and catch Turtle Talk with Crush where everyone’s favorite sea turtle chats with members of the audience. If you have little ones, prep them with a question to ask Crush!
Near Journey Into Imagination, you can watch the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival.
And be sure to end your day with the fireworks show Luminous The Symphony of Us!
Epcot play areas & games
Interact with high-tech science at Project Tomorrow after riding Spaceship Earth, at ImageWorks – The “What If” Labs after riding Journey Into Imagination, and the Advanced Training Lab after riding Mission: SPACE.
Truth be told, these exhibits seemed a lot more high-tech when they were first installed but today they seem a lot more like “Project Yesterday.” But if this is your thing (or your kids’ thing) they can still be a lot of fun!
Snap a pic inside a shark’s mouth at Bruce’s Shark World and explore the marine life at SeaBase, both near The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure is a digital and real-life treasure hunt around the World Showcase. Download the Play Disney Parks app to participate.
Lastly, kids can collect activity cards and mementos in every country pavilion around the World Showcase at the Kidcot Fun Stops.
Epcot special events
It always seems like there is a festival happening at Epcot! In January and February, you can enjoy the Epcot International Festival of the Arts.
From March-July you can stop and smell the roses at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
From late July into November, you can score great eats and drinks at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
And from approximately Thanksgiving to New Year’s, you can celebrate at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.
Check the official Walt Disney World website for exact dates.
Epcot food
And finally, let’s talk about food!
If you’re fortunate to visit during a festival, which isn’t hard to do at Epcot, look for festival-specific food and drink booths. You’re bound to find something interesting and delicious that you wouldn’t normally get to try.
In Epcot, you get the unique experience of being able to eat and drink around the world at the World Showcase. Start with nachos in Mexico, grab a bratwurst and a beer in Germany, and savor a pastry for dessert in France!
Because of all the international dishes available, we prefer to grab quick eats at Epcot versus sitting down for table service, but there are also plenty of incredible restaurants for those of you who prefer a more upscale dining experience. Try Chefs de France (best for couples) or Garden Grill Restaurant (best for families).
For a quick lunch or a heartier snack, we love the fish & chips at the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. Another favorite is the aforementioned nachos at La Cantina de San Angel where you can enjoy your food (with or without a margarita!) by the World Showcase Lagoon.
Epcot is nothing less than iconic, and we hope that with these tips in hand you’ll have a truly magical day discovering the worlds of experiences waiting there for you!
Check out our other theme park posts!
Your guide to all the rides at:
- Walt Disney World Resort:
- Universal Orlando Resort:
- SeaWorld Orlando
- Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida
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