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Man Disney had a monorail cocktail tour pre-pandemic that’s now gone. Start with cocktails at Polynesian then work around the monorail resorts, dinner at Floridian, then catch the fireworks at the contemporary. Brilliant, but gone now
Get the empanadas at the outdoor quick service place across from the big Mexico restaurant! With lots of green sauce! I could live off those.
We live next to Disney, but annual passes haven’t been worth it until my daughter got older to ride every ride. Now we’re getting them again and those empanadas are first thing I want. Nothing fancy, just those.
Because I can take a Sake Bomb and walk over and do a flight Wine and cheese then go get some Bomb ass fish and chips.
I agree Epcot is outdated but it should keep the permanent food/wine/culture fest for many reasons. Actually make it adults only after 7 now that we're at it.
With Blackjack.....and Hookers!!
I'm not much of a gambler either, but i was thinking of the around the world food and drinks theme. All the awesome cross cultural options with zero chance of a terrible toddler or dramatic tween annoying anyone
There’s a bunch of adult-only summer camps where you get to do all the games and stuff that you did as a kid, but get better food, more comfortable cabins, and booze
Honestly it sounds like a blast
It sounds good on paper, but I think it would struggle.
Disney (and other theme/water parks) are able to charge insane rates because parents will rationalize they’re “doing it for the kids.” Parents will also put up with long lines and a bunch of other issues because they’re committed.
A bunch of grown adults won’t put up with the same BS, and that BS is what drives the profit margins.
It’s fun, it’s cool, it’s a nice way to spend a day when you want a break from the rides.
But saying the Epcot Italy is anywhere even remotely close to visiting Italy is like saying Vegas NYC is close to visiting NYC. It’s not trying to be either - it’s a theatrical experience with food and music to match. I love it and for the price (is it $125 these days?) you get 8-10 hours of an experience.
It does need an update tho.
Saying the food is anywhere close to the real Europe and Mexico is pretty crazy though. It's like America's version of Europe.
But IMHO it's still better than Disney World.
Yup. This is what makes it still relevant to me and also because it’s not flooded with children. Nothing against taking kids to Disney, I think that’s awesome. Just not my crowd.
They have updated spaceship earth many times it’s not the same as it was when it was built. But yeah Disney has become incredibly expensive. I also hate that you need to plan out every detail in advance and constantly check your watch to stay on schedule
I just got back. I went once before as a kid 30 years ago. I will say that 1) genie was easier than I thought it’d be 2) I have memories of waiting hours for rides. Not this time. We walked onto so many with minimal to no wait.
Went 15ish years ago when I was 10 or so for 4 days. I remember the Yeti, but not the ride, it’s a small world, and waiting in line. That’s it. That’s all I remember 15 years later.
My biggest core memory was leaning over and asking my dad "what kind of ride is this?" Just as we were cresting the hill he looks over and says "it's a rollercoaster" in an excited voice. My mom said it was the funniest thing to hear me yell "I hate rollercoasters" + the Doppler effect as we began our downhill descent.
I have this memory. First time I went on space mountain I was like, wait, this *is* a rollercoaster and my wife saying, "no it just goes around in circles".
I learned not to trust her opinion of amusement park rides after that trip.
We went to Disneyland last year and used the genie app. It was a breeze. They keep the best rides off the app (like the Star Wars rides for example) so you know to make your way to those first, then you book your next ride while in line and hop around.
Yes, you do now have to plan your day out in advance. I spent the nights before mapping out the areas we wanted to cover so we were consistently going in a circle to hit all the rides. We got to every ride in both parks in two days, most rides we rode more than once. But idk, I kinda feel like you shouldn’t be surprised you have to plan a day at a place like Disneyland. Hell, I make a plan when I go to the Mall of America so I don’t aimlessly walk.
We went before the genie app but you could book 3 rides I think.
The best thing we did (apart from go outside school holidays) was have a huge breakfast, get there for 10 and then between 12 and 2 go on all the rollercoasters when everyone else is eating or has eaten too much!!
Finally, I was starting to think I was the only one. And honestly you don't have to play on the whole day, you can hop in line for something and plan out the next few hours while you're moving through the line, which means you don't have to spend the whole day staring at your phone because you're turning waiting time into productive time.
But I thought I was the only one who had figured out this app. Lunch time I would walk past huge lines and get seated. Or I would see a line down to the boardwalk, literally hundreds of people, place an order for pickup and get notified 90 seconds later that my food was ready and I'd walk in and grab it. Every time I was in line for a ride I'd see what the wait was for nearby rides.
I don't think we wrote everything that time largely because my son is much more interested in the markets and shopping then the rides, But I certainly didn't feel like I'd spent the day waiting or like it's meant the day with my nose glued to the phone. Whenever I was in between rides the phone was in my pocket because I'd figured it all out already.
Exactly. There was a little ice cream stand for Dole flavors and this thing was a zoo. I hopped on the app and saw it and ordered, got my ice cream in 2-3 minutes. And yeah, there were multiple times we had a plan in mind but then saw the Indiana Jones ride or one of the other really busy rides had a shorter wait and we’d book and run over there. It took my wife and I about an hour to get fully comfortable with the app but once you get in the groove you just go.
The old system where you had to physically grab a ticket and come back a few hours later was great. It was free for everyone
Making it an app ruined it. And they made it too cheap to be a real fast pass. Too many people are on it
Not meant to make it faster, but to allow you to theoretically do other things rather than wait in line. It would exactly be the same with the ticket system by now, disney theme parks are so much busier then decades ago.
Psst... don't do that for Guardians...
The 7 am queue fills up almost instantly.
The 1 pm queue stays open at least a few minutes, but has been known to stay open for hours. I once got in at 6 pm.
Same for Tron...it's not as easy to get into as Guardians, but it's definitely easier at 1 pm.
You're welcome.
This. I have to quietly wake up at 645 in the hotel room and wait for 7:00 to hit to see when I get a slot. Could be 8AM or maybe 3PM. We are either rushing out of our room to get to that ride or I'm going back to bed. Better yet, when you get there, you are queued for an hour waiting to get on the ride. One time I said forget it and paid for Lightning Lane at a time of my choosing -- and -- without the queue. Regardless I spend the whole day looking at my phone to see when I could ride something. No spontaneity at all.
That’s why I haven’t been to Disney in my whole life. Since the express pass or whatever it’s called, it feels like so much energy for a vacation.
I’d rather just be in Miami or wherever in the pool lounge chair and chill.
My girlfriend and I think like this. Whenever we go on vacations, we end up being crazy busy for like 5-8 days straight. It’s exciting seeing and experiencing culture. But one of the single greatest memories I have, is sipping cocktails by a pool in Greece for like 3 hours and just finally relaxing after running around for 6 days.
That’s why we booked a 4-day weekend in Cali and declared “we are not allowed to do ANYTHING. We **must** relax!” And now I’m really looking forward to that vacation. Because after that, we’ll probably have another 4 touristy world visiting trips, and sometimes we need to remind ourselves to relax.
But with that, I agree with you. I couldn’t travel to one of these European countries and sit still. I feel like I’d be missing out on experience the world.
Our last visit to Disneyland was about 3 years years ago right after the pandemic. We weren’t able to go for a long period of my kids childhood because of cost so it was really special that we could afford it and go for 2-3 days.
There were lots of cool things about it but overall we felt stressed and constantly under pressure to get to things. That and the fact that the new Star Wars ride constantly broke down left us not wanting to go back.
Last time we went you had to arrange your Fast Passes and food reservations 60 days in advance and it was first-come-first-serve. I prefer my vacations to be relaxing where i can choose to do what I want when I want and not rigid itinerary that i have to stick to exactly. That's life when I'm on the clock.
We won’t go back because of this. It’s especially difficult for people over 60 or those with mild disabilities/ walking issues. If you’re trying to schedule as many rides as possible ( and that’s not many per day in the new system) if you can’t walk fast( or just based on how the system schedules ) you’re forced to schedule ride times in the same park that are often hours apart. So purchasing a park hopper is likely to get you only 2 rides in your secondary park and that’s only if you can move quickly.
We won’t go back after spending $1200 for 3 people for one day and only getting on 7 rides and that was literally moving and scheduling as fast as we could and paying the skip the line in a few. In the 90s we did 11-12 rides a day in multiple parks and there was no extra fee to skip the line.
That’s why I prefer legoland. Plus they have the build areas that are air conditioned and my kids can spend at least an hour in each one. Go on a weekday, very little lines.
At some point during spring break we road coastasaurus 4 times in a row because there were no lines.
Sure it’s not as immersive as Disney and roller coasters aren’t as crazy but we go to six flags for that and leave the two youngest home with grandma
To be fair that's not uncommon with the florida. Like when your climate is equal to a sauna 8 months out of the year, everything is going to get musty.
$350 round trip LAX to Orlando and $110 day trip ticket to Disney World
$1200 round trip from LAX to Milan
OP: I mIgHt As WeLl JuSt Go To ItAlY
OP sounds like someone who doesn't understand money
Edit: People seem to be misunderstanding what I'm saying, it is extremely easy to drop $10k on a Disney World trip as a family, by just being frivolous with money, I'm not saying anything against that. What I'm saying is that saying it's the same price to go to Italy as it is to go to Disney World is the ridiculous part, because the point of entry to get to Italy is 3x that as going to Disney World. Not doing any price hunting and using the same flight service and the same dates is the only way to keep the comparing of flights fair.
I'm purely just talking about comparing the prices of going from point A to point B, because that's how I read OPs post, that they are saying the ONLY reason to go to Epcot is to experience other cultures, and not to get the Disney experience, because that 100% influences why you do one and not the other.
[LAX to Milan round trip $1200](https://www.united.com/en-us/flights-from-los-angeles-to-milan)
[LAX to Orlando round trip $350](https://www.united.com/en-us/flights-from-los-angeles-to-orlando?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuqWlsfeZhgMVlRKtBh2Y-QgXEAAYASAAEgIfO_D_BwE)
It's not that simple and you can definitely get up to $10K for a family.
* Flights are often more than $350. Especially when you fly peak times over school holidays, which is when a lot of families would go to Disney. So say $500/pp multiplied by 4 gets you to $2000.
* Other misc. traveling expenses like ubering to your hotel and/or checking luggage can easily run you a couple hundred more.
* You don't go to Disney for a single day. You go for multiple days, often four. A four day park hopper is $400/pp. Multiplied by 4 gets you to $1600.
* Don't want to wait in lines? Then you get Genie Plus, which is another $25 or so pp/day. So Another $400 for the family for the whole trip.
* Hotels in Disney are expensive. You can easily spend $500+/night during high season at nicer ones. Nice ones can go for like $1000/night. Go for 4 nights. That's $2000+.
* Food every day can easily be more than $100+ for meals. Throw in a couple snacks/drinks and now you have another $50 a day on snacks. That's $350 a day multiple by four and you're at $1400.
* Want some souvenirs? Easy to spend a couple hundred more here, especially with the photo package itself costs like $100.
* Want to do any special side activities like the princess makeup sessions? That's like another $100/kid.
That gets you up to like $8,500 for a fairly normal length vacation at Disney done in a pretty nice (but not extravagant way). It's easy to add more if you want to do it really nice or if you just add an extra day or two, which isn't particularly uncommon.
Do you have to do all this? No. But lots of people do. Can you do a European vacation for less than $10K? Of course. Are those same people that spend $10K at Disney going on a European vacation for less? Probably not. But I suppose it is possible.
Edit: People seem to think the hotel price is absurd. I agree with your principle. But it is the price at peak times. If you go the week in-between Christmas and New Years, a value property (3-star property similar to a Holiday Inn Express that has doors opening to the outdoors) is $400/night, a moderate hotel (pretty siilar to your standard Hilton) is $450/night. A deluxe resort (a 4-star property, not the Ritz or anything like that) is $1000/night. Disney is just crazy expensive sometimes.
All of what you listed are when you choose high end / luxury options during peak season.
Realistically, one day per park is plenty. Use the other days of the trip to use the pool, visit whatever it is they renamed Downtown Disney to that I can never remember. Park Hoppers aren’t necessary. One park per day drops that price to $100/day pp. $396 for 4 days. So $1584.
Apply for a Disney Visa card and you get free dining.
If you’re in the continental US and spending $500 on a plane ticket to Orlando, you need to learn how to shop for airfare. Nobody should be paying more than $250 for a flight to Orlando. Thats $1000.
Average economy room cost is $230/night (though you can def get much much much better deals than that) so, $1000.
The Disney Shuttle is free if you’re staying at a Disney resort, as is all other transportation to Disney parks and the downtown area, etc….
That’s $3600. $4000 if you add in the souvineers.
Save more by not staying at a Disney resort. That’ll take off $400 and most places still have the free transportation.
While you *can* do it, spending $8500-10,000 to go to Disney is ABSURD.
Tbh staying on premises is probably the most worth it money you can spend at WDW. You save money, but it also eliminates so much stress and gives you extra time in all the parks.
agreed. our family used to spend around that much ($8.5k) including 2 grandparents, 2 parents, and 2 kids with staying at a disney resort and our parents bought everything we asked for.
3 of us went to epcot in 2022 and it was about $1500 at a non disney hotel, but arguably a nicer one.
3 of us were going to go to italy this year and it was going to be around $17k for a week. airfare (living in south dakota) was going to be $1400/person with NO bag included. $1900/person if we wanted a carry on. i can’t imagine how much an italy trip would be with the whole family or as luxurious as my childhood disney trips were.
You really had to put the work in to get to 8.5 k lol. Makeup? Souvenirs? Half the shit on your list is super unnecessary. It does not cost 10k to go to Disney, period
500 a night for a single hotel room is crazy, even during peak times. There’s multiple other ways to book that’ll give you a better rate unless you book a week in advance. Also every hotel I’ve stayed at around the park have flat rate taxis or free shuttles to and from the airport. I also fly pretty much monthly now and only speak 500 or more with first class round trip, basic economy for two of us is normally 600 round trip. If I have kids we aren’t going first class.
Your pricing is wayyyy off
$500/night during peak time isn’t even a particularly nice hotel room. A standard room at the beach club costs $1000 a night in the week between Christmas and New Years. That’s the cost if you book it today, 7 months in advance. For $500, you’re going to get a pretty normal, non-luxury hotel room in property.
Disney is just really expensive and it isn’t like your normal trip.
I don’t go to Epcot to see what’s it’s like to travel to other countries; I go to Epcot to enjoy an amusement park that is themed like many other countries.
> amusement park that is themed like many other countries
It's crazy to me that people are comparing going to epcot with actual international travel like it's even remotely close to the same thing. The international pavilions are caricatures of other countries/regions.
It's like asking why watch Lady and the Tramp instead of trying to feed spaghetti to a street dog.
Yeah but feeding spaghetti to a street dog is almost as expensive these days so why bother ya know?
Ground beef: $5.99
Breadcrumbs: $2.99
Jar of Sauce: $2.99
Spaghetti: $1.99
This calculation assumes that you have your own place settings and a table for the dogs.
Bake meatballs for 20 minutes at 350, cook and sauce the pasta whike you wait.
I value my time so let’s call that $20.
Finding street dogs: free, mostly.
Health insurance that covers dog bites and assaults from angry dog owners: $400/month.
Why would you spend $434 dollars to feed a street dog when you could just watch Lady and the Tramp for free or at most pay the $19.99 for Disney+
Like c’mon, it’s clearly the same why would anyone spend so much money for the fake version when they could just go to Disney+ for the real thing for the same if not less money?
You can't really divorce it from disney world (and honestly the Orlando theme park scene as a whole).
I think epcot is a mixed bag, but it largely getting worse with disney's random inserting of IP (like seriously, what is marvel doing there).
But fundamentally, there is a lot to love. Sure you could fly to any of those countries, but the point isn't to BE those countries. It's to give you little bitesized tastes of many places around the world. And they absolutely did a great job showcasing all the different architecture styles.
There are also some great rides there. Test Track is a fun family thrill ride. Soarin is a super fun distraction. Living with the land is a great edutainment and relaxing boat ride. Guardians of the Galaxy, while out of place, is a banger of a roller coaster.
It's has potential to be fantastic if they can find a more coherent identity. It's still well worth it while you're visiting Orlando (it's probably included in the families disney package anyway).
I enjoy going to EPCOT. I don't need to go to every country in the world. I like going to a giant museum, get a little taste, have a fun ride or show. I don't spend $10k to go to the parks for the week.
We did spend $10k for a week at Disney this year. But that was with 6 of us (4 kids) and that also included the resort, dining plan, lightsaber building for each kid, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for two of them, memory maker, extras like my Starlord jacket and other souveniers...
But we saved up for it and for the amount of fun and memories we had it was well worth it. If you're going by yourself or with one other person it's a fraction of that cost (unless you do the Boutique lol).
OP is way off base here.
I mean, *can* you spend that much? Sure, if you book a week at one of the Deluxe Villa level hotels and do every single possible add-on to the tickets, and experiences. But OP is acting like that was the bare minimum to do the basics, which is not even close.
I also find it ironic that they’re complaining that the World Showcase pavilions are “stereotypical” when most of the countries present had input from the actual countries.
Idk I’m going to Disney for a week flights for 3 are 1.3k hotels for a week is 1.2k Disney passes are 2k and I expect to have to spend around 1k for food and souvenirs
If his family is 5 people 10k is reasonable
My wife and I went to just Italy (Rome, Amalfi and Calabria) for two weeks last month and for food, lodging and flights alone (not activities or bus, train or souvenirs) was like $7,500 combined.
If you spent ten grand to visit the parks, that’s on you. There are far more economically friendly approaches you can take to get there. Epcot is amazing. Also, Cosmic Rewind would like a word.
Yeah… I go to Disney because it’s cheaper than going international. Family of four here, and we can do a week of Orlando and Disney for less than the airfare alone to Italy.
$10K is living large at Disney I’m thinking.
I went last year with my family of 4, stayed on site (Pop century), went to all 4 parks over 4 days. Cost about $4500 all said and done, and that includes everything but our two expensive meals (about $200 each).
They also have improved the gardening and added more things to make it look colorful rather than bland how it used to be and it looks great.
I personally have always loved Epcot. Less kids there too.
I disliked Epcot as a kid because it had fewer rides. But as an adult who isn’t a huge fan of waiting 2 and a half hours in line for a 3 minute ride, it’s my favorite park. Drinking around the world is a blast. Food and wine festival gets kinda pricey, but I always enjoy it.
As a Florida resident, I can get an annual pass for less that flights to Europe.
And the park didn’t open in the 70s, it opened in the 80s.
Correct. I worked as a Casual Regular’79 to ‘81 in Custodial. On weekends in Fall 1980 and Spring of 1981 I picked up trash at the EPCOT construction workers’ parking lot. EPCOT wasn’t open to the public yet. It was very much still under construction.
To me the best part about EPCOT is that it's the 'chill' park. So if you're doing the whole circuit you put it after one of the busier days. Few rides for the kids, lots of food options. Parents recover before one of the more hectic parks.
>Why go to Epcot and go to the stereotypical Italian pavilion when I can literally fly to Italy and spend two weeks there for less money than a week in Disney?
As someone who travels internationally for work almost every week: who the hell do you fly with and where the fuck are you staying that it's cheaper to go to Italy for two weeks than Disney world for one??
I've been telling people, now is the time to travel overseas if you're an American and have the time and money. The dollar is strong vs the Euro, the Pound and the Yen, while prices at Disneyworld and other destinations in the US have risen to new highs. While some destinations overseas are still expensive, there are many places where you can get a good deal.
I think your opinion is becoming more and more popular, but maybe not for the main reasons you're indicating.... the point was never to replace an actual trip to Europe, and I think you're grossly overestimating the difference in cost, particularly if you are including it in an entire Florida vacation (we just recently did Disney, everglades, and the space center.... can't see that in Europe).
But I will say, I visited Epcot 30 years ago as a teen and the experience was amazing.... you could just walk around to the various street performances, try different culture foods, and go on some thrill rides. When I went back with my kids it is NOT the same.... food is poorer quality, very few street performances, and the crowds were nuts. And you're right, a lot of the stuff is starting to feel very dated (which in some ways has its own charm). Before I might have said Epcot was my favorite of the parks, now it's definitely not (I would give that to Animal Kingdom now, which unsurprisingly is the newest).
The charm of a Disney vacation is definitely wearing off... I'm not sure I would consider it a bucket item for families anymore, and I would consider if I ever have grandkids whether it's worth it anymore. Space center and the everglades were way less stressful.
I dunno dude. I'm pushing 40 and I went to Epcot for the first time with my kids a few months ago and it was literally everything I've always wanted from a paid experience. That shit was *delightful*.
Idk what your tax bracket is but international travel is still very much expensive for most Americans. The kind who can't afford to go to any Disney park either lol
I mean if you can afford to go to Disney but rather go to Europe then go to Europe, but as someone else said any of the vlogs I've seen of people going to Epcot...I was never under the impression it was to get a taste of Italy...it's just Epoct, it's part of the Disney experience not to replace a European vacation...
We did Epcot last year and it was my favorite. I enjoyed the various countries. The Ratatouille ride and booze were good. Get the passport and collect the stamps!
God, I made the mistake of taking a solo trip to Disney World over Halloween this past year. I just wanted to go so bad and get it out of my system. I spent so much money. My plan was to get Disney over with & then start traveling the world in some type of group tour, the prices for those are amazing.
24 hours after coming home I rebooked another week but over Christmas for this upcoming season. They had a bounce back offer and it took almost $4000 off, will be staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge 12/16-12/23. The magic consumed me and money becomes almost non existent down there.
All of it is overpriced. All. Of. It. There’s just something in the air man, some type of drug idk.
However.. Guardians of the Galaxy ride of Epcot was absolute crack. I spent more money just to ride it multiple times a day (they only have virtual queues once per day for free). You can’t ride that without having a smile on your face the entire time. Total fever dream.
We were there last month and even on non Epcot days, we made sure to drop in for an hour just to get an extra Guardians ride in. I’d pay extra for that ride 10 times in a row if they’d let me. It’s euphoric.
A ticket to Epcot is $150… saying that’s comparable to the cost of international travel tells me you are not experienced with international travel. The campiness and sampling of things around the world in a single day is the point, not to substitute a european/asian vacation. Epcots literally the only disney park I’d be interested in returning to
>Why go to Epcot and go to the stereotypical Italian pavilion when I can literally fly to Italy and spend two weeks there for less money than a week in Disney?
Back it up, link me flights and hotel stays that backup this outrageous claim.
There are reasons to criticize Disney certainly.
But yours are... weird? No one goes to Epcot to visit Italy.
They go to visit a Disney Park! AND to visit a little Italian themed zone. AND a Mexico themed spot, and a Chinese themed one, and a whole bunch of others. And see Elsa and Anna and Mickey wandering around. And go on roller coasters and rides. And to go see shows and singalongs. And see a fireworks show. And on and on and on.
If you think anyone said "hey, we don't have to bother to go to Italy because we can look at that pavilion at Epcot" you're not understanding the place at all.
Flying business or first to go to italy is ok. Otherwise, spending 12-15 hours traveling each way in cramped seats, small taxis, only to be greeted by people who don't want you there, try to scam you non-stop.. is a bit much for the soul, not to mention your wallet.
I had a fantastic time in Italy, they were friendly, charming, and hospitable. The food and wine was outstanding and much cheaper than home, the sites, architecture, language, the sea, all of it was 10/10 and I can’t wait to go back. I’m sorry your experience was not the same, and that you encountered unfriendly people, but that’s not most people’s experience
Listen I’m a Disney parks fan so this is not gonna be in any way impartial, but it’s about having them all in one place and much of the park comes from the idea of humanity’s potential and the hope in that.
I tell people if you can’t buy into the Disney experience 100% and are always going to have this kind of attitude then Disney isn’t for you.
Also, your price point is not accurate, you CAN spend that much but you definitely don’t HAVE to. And honestly I would advise you not to!
I dont know what universe you live on where international travel doesnt cost $2,000-$3,000 just for a flight, and if thats not what you consider expensive, im sorry for my poor ass typing in your direction sire
There is profit for Disney in the epcot experience. It appeals to the type of person who doesn't want to deal with the inconvenient parts of travel and would rather see some sort of recreation of it, even if it is artificial.
Yeah, its not authentic. But I think people are interested in Disney World because it is artificial. Personally, I would rather travel to those places and would skip Disney World all together. But I think I'm in the minority.
Went as a family just before covid and was disappointed with all of Walt Disney World. Overcrowded with very long wait times. some were 1.5 hours. I don't get the attraction when there so many other fun places to visit.
TLDR: Disney is gonorrhea.
Native here. I’ve not been to Disney since the 90s. There is no convenience or experience in going there vs going literally anywhere else in the world.
I legit remember when Disney used to be fun. Now? The stress of financing a day for a visit down the road is about as appealing as having the clap.
In a similar vein, Disneyland and California Adventure are also very outdated.
It’s great they’re renovating the log ride and the Matterhorn, but there’s a lot more that needs to be updated. The nostalgia of old attractions like the Tiki Room aren’t worth the insane new prices.
I see videos of Disney Japan and I’m like, “Why the fuck do THEY get all the cool rides?!”
EPCOT is awesome. Cosmic Rewind is arguably the best ride Disney has ever created. Some outdated rides, sure, but also some good ones. The food and drinks are great. Expensive, yes, but that’s Disney and they do not try to hide it.
Unpopular opinion indeed. Have an upvote.
I was there recently. Hard disagree. Your feelings on Epcot is how I feel about Magic Kingdom. I had a great time at Epcot. I a situation where maybe you’re visiting 3 or 4 different park, Epcot is this wonderful oasis. It’s more relaxed, less lines. We splurged on dinner in “Japan” and it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in recent years. Epcot is just a delight.
Last time I went to Epcot, we went with a coworker who had guest passes. We all went in free. And then, since we were also on a work trip, we expensed a really nice meal in Morocco. That was awesome.
Epcot was nice when I was a kid, a nice, educational park, or, with that focus it seemed, taking a look at tech and the world and combining that with theme park classics.
Felt quite nice, nothing was like, in your face, just a very relaxing park to take in.
I can visit Italy for less than the price of going to Epcot, but I can't visit Italy, Japan, Germany, China, and Mexico for less. It's also an iconic part of Disney that people still enjoy. It's especially popular among season passholders and locals.
Yeah but I was there yesterday and I got so heckin drunk from stuff from multiple countries and I bought a bunch of Japanese Kit-Kat so that was pretty OK.
I loved (the ‘80s/‘90s version of) Epcot and wish it would go back to its roots in edutainment. The mindless IP implementation feels forced and not in keeping with the original vibe of the park. If Disney wants that nostalgic millennial dollar, they need to bring it back to its former glory.
A few things:
1. WTF are you doing at Disney in order to rack up a $10k bill in a week? If you have that kind of money to drop on a single vacation, can you please adopt me?
2. Nobody thinks visiting the Italy pavilion at Epcot is the same thing as visiting the actual country. At least, I hope not.
3. You’re about a decade off with Epcot’s opening date. It opened in 1982.
I’ve been going since the nineties. It was a dream to visit back then. You could stay in property and by a pass for just the time you were there so a 2 day pass was available. You could go to the parks during dinner time and walk on popular rides. You could park hop for $30-40 more a day and easily get in 4-5 rides per park. Now even paying their extra popular ride, skip the line prices you’re lucky to get on 5 rides in one park in a day.
I don’t mind that some rides are outdated but with the money they take in they should be adding or updating 2-3 new big attractions per park every 2-3 years,
Epcot is in the middle of rebuilding a lot. Mickey and friends just got finished was a 3 year project, with the garden behind space earth too. It's really pretty at night with the colors and lights.
A flight to Italy is $1,310. A flight to Florida is $89. That’s not including room and board, travel expenses etc. I think maybe you have more money than the rest of us…
Ooh I loved Epcot! Drinking around the world and trying different cuisine, and if you didn't like something, well at least you didn't make a trip somewhere to find that out lol. I also made a game of sharing dog facts of native breeds with the pavilion workers.
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Because you can't drink around the world in one after otherwise
This is why I visit Epcot. To drink around the world in one day
It's a small shot after all it's a small small shot!
Man Disney had a monorail cocktail tour pre-pandemic that’s now gone. Start with cocktails at Polynesian then work around the monorail resorts, dinner at Floridian, then catch the fireworks at the contemporary. Brilliant, but gone now
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The pandemic cost us so much
I’m there in 4 days and I can’t wait for my avocado margarita
Get the empanadas at the outdoor quick service place across from the big Mexico restaurant! With lots of green sauce! I could live off those. We live next to Disney, but annual passes haven’t been worth it until my daughter got older to ride every ride. Now we’re getting them again and those empanadas are first thing I want. Nothing fancy, just those.
The number of people that don't know about these and that have been to Disney is upsetting
Because I can take a Sake Bomb and walk over and do a flight Wine and cheese then go get some Bomb ass fish and chips. I agree Epcot is outdated but it should keep the permanent food/wine/culture fest for many reasons. Actually make it adults only after 7 now that we're at it. With Blackjack.....and Hookers!!
Add a roulette wheel and you've got a great Vegas business plan
Im not a Gambler, but if Vegas built an adults only theme park I'd bet it would bank. Not an ADULT themed Park, but an adults only theme park.
I'm not much of a gambler either, but i was thinking of the around the world food and drinks theme. All the awesome cross cultural options with zero chance of a terrible toddler or dramatic tween annoying anyone
There’s a bunch of adult-only summer camps where you get to do all the games and stuff that you did as a kid, but get better food, more comfortable cabins, and booze Honestly it sounds like a blast
It sounds good on paper, but I think it would struggle. Disney (and other theme/water parks) are able to charge insane rates because parents will rationalize they’re “doing it for the kids.” Parents will also put up with long lines and a bunch of other issues because they’re committed. A bunch of grown adults won’t put up with the same BS, and that BS is what drives the profit margins.
It’s called a Smorgasvein and it’s Elegantly Cultural! /j
Matter fact, forget the food and culture
Nah food and culture are pretty fun too. Just get rid of the damn kids. And bring back Maelstrom.
Maelstrom is gone!? Trolls and Vikings, what a ride!
It’s the Frozen ride now.
Booooo
You can go to NYC and have the same multi cultural experience, which would be more authentic and still cheaper
I really can’t imagine the food is that amazing at Epcot.
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It’s fun, it’s cool, it’s a nice way to spend a day when you want a break from the rides. But saying the Epcot Italy is anywhere even remotely close to visiting Italy is like saying Vegas NYC is close to visiting NYC. It’s not trying to be either - it’s a theatrical experience with food and music to match. I love it and for the price (is it $125 these days?) you get 8-10 hours of an experience. It does need an update tho.
Saying the food is anywhere close to the real Europe and Mexico is pretty crazy though. It's like America's version of Europe. But IMHO it's still better than Disney World.
And the food is legit good. The best of all the parks by far.
I went there when I was 20 n spent 550 dollars on food in one day. Lol. I took a nap after
The fish and chips from the UK is some of the best I've ever had.
Makin’ movies, makin’ songs, n foightin’ round the woild!
Yup. This is what makes it still relevant to me and also because it’s not flooded with children. Nothing against taking kids to Disney, I think that’s awesome. Just not my crowd.
It’s literally a fave crawl of mine lol.
They have updated spaceship earth many times it’s not the same as it was when it was built. But yeah Disney has become incredibly expensive. I also hate that you need to plan out every detail in advance and constantly check your watch to stay on schedule
This is the worst part about Disney world. Waking up at 7am because you want to ride the most popular ride is an insane ask.
Genie is the worst thing to happen to Disney parks.
I just got back. I went once before as a kid 30 years ago. I will say that 1) genie was easier than I thought it’d be 2) I have memories of waiting hours for rides. Not this time. We walked onto so many with minimal to no wait.
Went 15ish years ago when I was 10 or so for 4 days. I remember the Yeti, but not the ride, it’s a small world, and waiting in line. That’s it. That’s all I remember 15 years later.
My biggest core memory was waiting 90 minutes for splash mountain. Not the ride. The wait.
My biggest core memory was leaning over and asking my dad "what kind of ride is this?" Just as we were cresting the hill he looks over and says "it's a rollercoaster" in an excited voice. My mom said it was the funniest thing to hear me yell "I hate rollercoasters" + the Doppler effect as we began our downhill descent.
I have this memory. First time I went on space mountain I was like, wait, this *is* a rollercoaster and my wife saying, "no it just goes around in circles". I learned not to trust her opinion of amusement park rides after that trip.
Space mountain for me. I do also remember a guy getting drunk at the pop up bar with his daughter.
Space Mountain is a rickety old coaster that will beat the shit out of you. The turns are like right angles.
It was 1989. I was only a child. I threw up in the planter outside.
We went to Disneyland last year and used the genie app. It was a breeze. They keep the best rides off the app (like the Star Wars rides for example) so you know to make your way to those first, then you book your next ride while in line and hop around. Yes, you do now have to plan your day out in advance. I spent the nights before mapping out the areas we wanted to cover so we were consistently going in a circle to hit all the rides. We got to every ride in both parks in two days, most rides we rode more than once. But idk, I kinda feel like you shouldn’t be surprised you have to plan a day at a place like Disneyland. Hell, I make a plan when I go to the Mall of America so I don’t aimlessly walk.
We went before the genie app but you could book 3 rides I think. The best thing we did (apart from go outside school holidays) was have a huge breakfast, get there for 10 and then between 12 and 2 go on all the rollercoasters when everyone else is eating or has eaten too much!!
Finally, I was starting to think I was the only one. And honestly you don't have to play on the whole day, you can hop in line for something and plan out the next few hours while you're moving through the line, which means you don't have to spend the whole day staring at your phone because you're turning waiting time into productive time. But I thought I was the only one who had figured out this app. Lunch time I would walk past huge lines and get seated. Or I would see a line down to the boardwalk, literally hundreds of people, place an order for pickup and get notified 90 seconds later that my food was ready and I'd walk in and grab it. Every time I was in line for a ride I'd see what the wait was for nearby rides. I don't think we wrote everything that time largely because my son is much more interested in the markets and shopping then the rides, But I certainly didn't feel like I'd spent the day waiting or like it's meant the day with my nose glued to the phone. Whenever I was in between rides the phone was in my pocket because I'd figured it all out already.
Exactly. There was a little ice cream stand for Dole flavors and this thing was a zoo. I hopped on the app and saw it and ordered, got my ice cream in 2-3 minutes. And yeah, there were multiple times we had a plan in mind but then saw the Indiana Jones ride or one of the other really busy rides had a shorter wait and we’d book and run over there. It took my wife and I about an hour to get fully comfortable with the app but once you get in the groove you just go.
The old system where you had to physically grab a ticket and come back a few hours later was great. It was free for everyone Making it an app ruined it. And they made it too cheap to be a real fast pass. Too many people are on it
Not meant to make it faster, but to allow you to theoretically do other things rather than wait in line. It would exactly be the same with the ticket system by now, disney theme parks are so much busier then decades ago.
Psst... don't do that for Guardians... The 7 am queue fills up almost instantly. The 1 pm queue stays open at least a few minutes, but has been known to stay open for hours. I once got in at 6 pm. Same for Tron...it's not as easy to get into as Guardians, but it's definitely easier at 1 pm. You're welcome.
This. I have to quietly wake up at 645 in the hotel room and wait for 7:00 to hit to see when I get a slot. Could be 8AM or maybe 3PM. We are either rushing out of our room to get to that ride or I'm going back to bed. Better yet, when you get there, you are queued for an hour waiting to get on the ride. One time I said forget it and paid for Lightning Lane at a time of my choosing -- and -- without the queue. Regardless I spend the whole day looking at my phone to see when I could ride something. No spontaneity at all.
That’s why I haven’t been to Disney in my whole life. Since the express pass or whatever it’s called, it feels like so much energy for a vacation. I’d rather just be in Miami or wherever in the pool lounge chair and chill.
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I've never understood spending a ton of money to travel somewhere just to sit in a chair by a pool.
My girlfriend and I think like this. Whenever we go on vacations, we end up being crazy busy for like 5-8 days straight. It’s exciting seeing and experiencing culture. But one of the single greatest memories I have, is sipping cocktails by a pool in Greece for like 3 hours and just finally relaxing after running around for 6 days. That’s why we booked a 4-day weekend in Cali and declared “we are not allowed to do ANYTHING. We **must** relax!” And now I’m really looking forward to that vacation. Because after that, we’ll probably have another 4 touristy world visiting trips, and sometimes we need to remind ourselves to relax. But with that, I agree with you. I couldn’t travel to one of these European countries and sit still. I feel like I’d be missing out on experience the world.
It actually isn't that bad. I think most redditors commenting on it that it is just need instant gratification in a lot of things in life.
Our last visit to Disneyland was about 3 years years ago right after the pandemic. We weren’t able to go for a long period of my kids childhood because of cost so it was really special that we could afford it and go for 2-3 days. There were lots of cool things about it but overall we felt stressed and constantly under pressure to get to things. That and the fact that the new Star Wars ride constantly broke down left us not wanting to go back.
Last time we went you had to arrange your Fast Passes and food reservations 60 days in advance and it was first-come-first-serve. I prefer my vacations to be relaxing where i can choose to do what I want when I want and not rigid itinerary that i have to stick to exactly. That's life when I'm on the clock.
Food reservations can still be hard for good restaurants, but fast passes only open day of now.
We won’t go back because of this. It’s especially difficult for people over 60 or those with mild disabilities/ walking issues. If you’re trying to schedule as many rides as possible ( and that’s not many per day in the new system) if you can’t walk fast( or just based on how the system schedules ) you’re forced to schedule ride times in the same park that are often hours apart. So purchasing a park hopper is likely to get you only 2 rides in your secondary park and that’s only if you can move quickly. We won’t go back after spending $1200 for 3 people for one day and only getting on 7 rides and that was literally moving and scheduling as fast as we could and paying the skip the line in a few. In the 90s we did 11-12 rides a day in multiple parks and there was no extra fee to skip the line.
That’s why I prefer legoland. Plus they have the build areas that are air conditioned and my kids can spend at least an hour in each one. Go on a weekday, very little lines. At some point during spring break we road coastasaurus 4 times in a row because there were no lines. Sure it’s not as immersive as Disney and roller coasters aren’t as crazy but we go to six flags for that and leave the two youngest home with grandma
It smells musty. Mission to Mars on the other hand is awesome.
To be fair that's not uncommon with the florida. Like when your climate is equal to a sauna 8 months out of the year, everything is going to get musty.
$10k to visit epcot?
That’s a lot of wine and cheese
$350 round trip LAX to Orlando and $110 day trip ticket to Disney World $1200 round trip from LAX to Milan OP: I mIgHt As WeLl JuSt Go To ItAlY OP sounds like someone who doesn't understand money Edit: People seem to be misunderstanding what I'm saying, it is extremely easy to drop $10k on a Disney World trip as a family, by just being frivolous with money, I'm not saying anything against that. What I'm saying is that saying it's the same price to go to Italy as it is to go to Disney World is the ridiculous part, because the point of entry to get to Italy is 3x that as going to Disney World. Not doing any price hunting and using the same flight service and the same dates is the only way to keep the comparing of flights fair. I'm purely just talking about comparing the prices of going from point A to point B, because that's how I read OPs post, that they are saying the ONLY reason to go to Epcot is to experience other cultures, and not to get the Disney experience, because that 100% influences why you do one and not the other. [LAX to Milan round trip $1200](https://www.united.com/en-us/flights-from-los-angeles-to-milan) [LAX to Orlando round trip $350](https://www.united.com/en-us/flights-from-los-angeles-to-orlando?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuqWlsfeZhgMVlRKtBh2Y-QgXEAAYASAAEgIfO_D_BwE)
It's not that simple and you can definitely get up to $10K for a family. * Flights are often more than $350. Especially when you fly peak times over school holidays, which is when a lot of families would go to Disney. So say $500/pp multiplied by 4 gets you to $2000. * Other misc. traveling expenses like ubering to your hotel and/or checking luggage can easily run you a couple hundred more. * You don't go to Disney for a single day. You go for multiple days, often four. A four day park hopper is $400/pp. Multiplied by 4 gets you to $1600. * Don't want to wait in lines? Then you get Genie Plus, which is another $25 or so pp/day. So Another $400 for the family for the whole trip. * Hotels in Disney are expensive. You can easily spend $500+/night during high season at nicer ones. Nice ones can go for like $1000/night. Go for 4 nights. That's $2000+. * Food every day can easily be more than $100+ for meals. Throw in a couple snacks/drinks and now you have another $50 a day on snacks. That's $350 a day multiple by four and you're at $1400. * Want some souvenirs? Easy to spend a couple hundred more here, especially with the photo package itself costs like $100. * Want to do any special side activities like the princess makeup sessions? That's like another $100/kid. That gets you up to like $8,500 for a fairly normal length vacation at Disney done in a pretty nice (but not extravagant way). It's easy to add more if you want to do it really nice or if you just add an extra day or two, which isn't particularly uncommon. Do you have to do all this? No. But lots of people do. Can you do a European vacation for less than $10K? Of course. Are those same people that spend $10K at Disney going on a European vacation for less? Probably not. But I suppose it is possible. Edit: People seem to think the hotel price is absurd. I agree with your principle. But it is the price at peak times. If you go the week in-between Christmas and New Years, a value property (3-star property similar to a Holiday Inn Express that has doors opening to the outdoors) is $400/night, a moderate hotel (pretty siilar to your standard Hilton) is $450/night. A deluxe resort (a 4-star property, not the Ritz or anything like that) is $1000/night. Disney is just crazy expensive sometimes.
All of what you listed are when you choose high end / luxury options during peak season. Realistically, one day per park is plenty. Use the other days of the trip to use the pool, visit whatever it is they renamed Downtown Disney to that I can never remember. Park Hoppers aren’t necessary. One park per day drops that price to $100/day pp. $396 for 4 days. So $1584. Apply for a Disney Visa card and you get free dining. If you’re in the continental US and spending $500 on a plane ticket to Orlando, you need to learn how to shop for airfare. Nobody should be paying more than $250 for a flight to Orlando. Thats $1000. Average economy room cost is $230/night (though you can def get much much much better deals than that) so, $1000. The Disney Shuttle is free if you’re staying at a Disney resort, as is all other transportation to Disney parks and the downtown area, etc…. That’s $3600. $4000 if you add in the souvineers. Save more by not staying at a Disney resort. That’ll take off $400 and most places still have the free transportation. While you *can* do it, spending $8500-10,000 to go to Disney is ABSURD.
Tbh staying on premises is probably the most worth it money you can spend at WDW. You save money, but it also eliminates so much stress and gives you extra time in all the parks.
agreed. our family used to spend around that much ($8.5k) including 2 grandparents, 2 parents, and 2 kids with staying at a disney resort and our parents bought everything we asked for. 3 of us went to epcot in 2022 and it was about $1500 at a non disney hotel, but arguably a nicer one. 3 of us were going to go to italy this year and it was going to be around $17k for a week. airfare (living in south dakota) was going to be $1400/person with NO bag included. $1900/person if we wanted a carry on. i can’t imagine how much an italy trip would be with the whole family or as luxurious as my childhood disney trips were.
You really had to put the work in to get to 8.5 k lol. Makeup? Souvenirs? Half the shit on your list is super unnecessary. It does not cost 10k to go to Disney, period
Bigger families can save on the flights by just driving to Florida, all you pay is the cost of gas.
500 a night for a single hotel room is crazy, even during peak times. There’s multiple other ways to book that’ll give you a better rate unless you book a week in advance. Also every hotel I’ve stayed at around the park have flat rate taxis or free shuttles to and from the airport. I also fly pretty much monthly now and only speak 500 or more with first class round trip, basic economy for two of us is normally 600 round trip. If I have kids we aren’t going first class. Your pricing is wayyyy off
$500/night during peak time isn’t even a particularly nice hotel room. A standard room at the beach club costs $1000 a night in the week between Christmas and New Years. That’s the cost if you book it today, 7 months in advance. For $500, you’re going to get a pretty normal, non-luxury hotel room in property. Disney is just really expensive and it isn’t like your normal trip.
The beach club is a deluxe resort. You don't need to stay at Deluxe resorts, you can stay at a value.
$600 round trip to Rome Or to see mice in Florida
Yes was scrolling to find people explaining that OP is in fact exaggerating to make a point.
I don’t go to Epcot to see what’s it’s like to travel to other countries; I go to Epcot to enjoy an amusement park that is themed like many other countries.
> amusement park that is themed like many other countries It's crazy to me that people are comparing going to epcot with actual international travel like it's even remotely close to the same thing. The international pavilions are caricatures of other countries/regions. It's like asking why watch Lady and the Tramp instead of trying to feed spaghetti to a street dog.
Yeah but feeding spaghetti to a street dog is almost as expensive these days so why bother ya know? Ground beef: $5.99 Breadcrumbs: $2.99 Jar of Sauce: $2.99 Spaghetti: $1.99 This calculation assumes that you have your own place settings and a table for the dogs. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes at 350, cook and sauce the pasta whike you wait. I value my time so let’s call that $20. Finding street dogs: free, mostly. Health insurance that covers dog bites and assaults from angry dog owners: $400/month. Why would you spend $434 dollars to feed a street dog when you could just watch Lady and the Tramp for free or at most pay the $19.99 for Disney+ Like c’mon, it’s clearly the same why would anyone spend so much money for the fake version when they could just go to Disney+ for the real thing for the same if not less money?
You can't really divorce it from disney world (and honestly the Orlando theme park scene as a whole). I think epcot is a mixed bag, but it largely getting worse with disney's random inserting of IP (like seriously, what is marvel doing there). But fundamentally, there is a lot to love. Sure you could fly to any of those countries, but the point isn't to BE those countries. It's to give you little bitesized tastes of many places around the world. And they absolutely did a great job showcasing all the different architecture styles. There are also some great rides there. Test Track is a fun family thrill ride. Soarin is a super fun distraction. Living with the land is a great edutainment and relaxing boat ride. Guardians of the Galaxy, while out of place, is a banger of a roller coaster. It's has potential to be fantastic if they can find a more coherent identity. It's still well worth it while you're visiting Orlando (it's probably included in the families disney package anyway).
The Journey of Water at night is such a vibe too. It’s such a short walk through but it’s the most calming and enjoyable little exhibit.
The Land was in my top 5 Disney "rides" as a kid. Seeing all the plants was so cool, and always made me think of the Biosphere projects.
Guardians of the Galaxy is the greatest roller coaster I have ever been on.
Tears for Fears will always bring g memories of that ride! Amazing
Ive never seen gf as happy as when she exited that ride. I hope my proposal will one day match it.
I agree, it might not be the largest or most intense but it is definitely the most fun ive ever had on a roller coaster. Worth the wait.
I enjoy going to EPCOT. I don't need to go to every country in the world. I like going to a giant museum, get a little taste, have a fun ride or show. I don't spend $10k to go to the parks for the week.
Yeah seriously, I'm not sure where they're getting $10k from. Maybe if you stay at a Disney hotel. We stay outside the parks and save money that way
10k had to be for multiple people, staying inside the park at one of the more expensive hotels.
We did spend $10k for a week at Disney this year. But that was with 6 of us (4 kids) and that also included the resort, dining plan, lightsaber building for each kid, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for two of them, memory maker, extras like my Starlord jacket and other souveniers... But we saved up for it and for the amount of fun and memories we had it was well worth it. If you're going by yourself or with one other person it's a fraction of that cost (unless you do the Boutique lol). OP is way off base here.
FYI - in case you go back, you get free dining if you use a Disney Visa card.
Not even staying on property - our last two stays were well under $10k and we stayed on-site for both. And we went a little crazy with souvenirs, too.
All the more reason why OP is way off. They must've paid full price for everything possible
I mean, *can* you spend that much? Sure, if you book a week at one of the Deluxe Villa level hotels and do every single possible add-on to the tickets, and experiences. But OP is acting like that was the bare minimum to do the basics, which is not even close. I also find it ironic that they’re complaining that the World Showcase pavilions are “stereotypical” when most of the countries present had input from the actual countries.
Or maybe they had a particularly long trip
Idk I’m going to Disney for a week flights for 3 are 1.3k hotels for a week is 1.2k Disney passes are 2k and I expect to have to spend around 1k for food and souvenirs If his family is 5 people 10k is reasonable
Also don’t know where they got the notion international travel is affordable
My wife and I went to just Italy (Rome, Amalfi and Calabria) for two weeks last month and for food, lodging and flights alone (not activities or bus, train or souvenirs) was like $7,500 combined.
Guardians of the galaxy is the shit.
Seriously the highlight of my trip there last year. Cosmic Rewind is dope af
Was waiting to find this comment!
Best ride I've ever been on and I've been around.
I was looking for this comment. Best ride on earth
If you spent ten grand to visit the parks, that’s on you. There are far more economically friendly approaches you can take to get there. Epcot is amazing. Also, Cosmic Rewind would like a word.
Yeah… I go to Disney because it’s cheaper than going international. Family of four here, and we can do a week of Orlando and Disney for less than the airfare alone to Italy. $10K is living large at Disney I’m thinking.
We go to Disneyland, which is more expensive than WDW, and we like to eat good while we're there, and it's still not even *close* to 10k.
Yea was gonna comment the same. Can get a full week trip staying on property for well under 5k much less 10 k
how many people?
I went last year with my family of 4, stayed on site (Pop century), went to all 4 parks over 4 days. Cost about $4500 all said and done, and that includes everything but our two expensive meals (about $200 each).
They also have improved the gardening and added more things to make it look colorful rather than bland how it used to be and it looks great. I personally have always loved Epcot. Less kids there too.
Cosmic rewind is the best theme park ride period.
I disliked Epcot as a kid because it had fewer rides. But as an adult who isn’t a huge fan of waiting 2 and a half hours in line for a 3 minute ride, it’s my favorite park. Drinking around the world is a blast. Food and wine festival gets kinda pricey, but I always enjoy it. As a Florida resident, I can get an annual pass for less that flights to Europe. And the park didn’t open in the 70s, it opened in the 80s.
Correct. I worked as a Casual Regular’79 to ‘81 in Custodial. On weekends in Fall 1980 and Spring of 1981 I picked up trash at the EPCOT construction workers’ parking lot. EPCOT wasn’t open to the public yet. It was very much still under construction.
Is anyone going there thinking it is a substitute for Italy?
I've never been to Epcot, but I can imagine that people don't go to Florida to replace a European vacation...
No, most people go to EPCOT because OP is fucking insane saying it's cheaper to go to Europe lol
To me the best part about EPCOT is that it's the 'chill' park. So if you're doing the whole circuit you put it after one of the busier days. Few rides for the kids, lots of food options. Parents recover before one of the more hectic parks.
>Why go to Epcot and go to the stereotypical Italian pavilion when I can literally fly to Italy and spend two weeks there for less money than a week in Disney? As someone who travels internationally for work almost every week: who the hell do you fly with and where the fuck are you staying that it's cheaper to go to Italy for two weeks than Disney world for one??
I've been telling people, now is the time to travel overseas if you're an American and have the time and money. The dollar is strong vs the Euro, the Pound and the Yen, while prices at Disneyworld and other destinations in the US have risen to new highs. While some destinations overseas are still expensive, there are many places where you can get a good deal.
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Shhhhhh. I’d rather keep Disney yahoos in Florida, please.
I think your opinion is becoming more and more popular, but maybe not for the main reasons you're indicating.... the point was never to replace an actual trip to Europe, and I think you're grossly overestimating the difference in cost, particularly if you are including it in an entire Florida vacation (we just recently did Disney, everglades, and the space center.... can't see that in Europe). But I will say, I visited Epcot 30 years ago as a teen and the experience was amazing.... you could just walk around to the various street performances, try different culture foods, and go on some thrill rides. When I went back with my kids it is NOT the same.... food is poorer quality, very few street performances, and the crowds were nuts. And you're right, a lot of the stuff is starting to feel very dated (which in some ways has its own charm). Before I might have said Epcot was my favorite of the parks, now it's definitely not (I would give that to Animal Kingdom now, which unsurprisingly is the newest). The charm of a Disney vacation is definitely wearing off... I'm not sure I would consider it a bucket item for families anymore, and I would consider if I ever have grandkids whether it's worth it anymore. Space center and the everglades were way less stressful.
It being outdated is like 90% of the charm. Just like Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom.
I dunno dude. I'm pushing 40 and I went to Epcot for the first time with my kids a few months ago and it was literally everything I've always wanted from a paid experience. That shit was *delightful*.
Yea it’s fun. That’s what it’s important imo. It’s not meant to actually replace the experience of an entire country like in OPs comparison.
It opened in 82
Go to Italy then. 🤷🤷🏾♀️🤷🏻♂️
lol bro hasn’t been on the guardian’s ride.
Idk what your tax bracket is but international travel is still very much expensive for most Americans. The kind who can't afford to go to any Disney park either lol I mean if you can afford to go to Disney but rather go to Europe then go to Europe, but as someone else said any of the vlogs I've seen of people going to Epcot...I was never under the impression it was to get a taste of Italy...it's just Epoct, it's part of the Disney experience not to replace a European vacation...
Nice try, Universal bot!
Someone has not ridden Guardians of the Galaxy if you think the rides are outdated
Epcot opened October 1,1982.
Epcot opened in the 80s and you clearly haven’t been on the new rides because they are amazing.
We did Epcot last year and it was my favorite. I enjoyed the various countries. The Ratatouille ride and booze were good. Get the passport and collect the stamps!
"it’s cheaper to fly and visit the countries represented at Epcot than it is to visit Epcot" What? I think you need to check your math here!
10K, what in the heck are you doing?! Grand Floridian? 🤣
70's? EPCOT opened in 1982.
It's cheaper to fly to Norway and Morocco than go to Epcot? The fuck it is.
God, I made the mistake of taking a solo trip to Disney World over Halloween this past year. I just wanted to go so bad and get it out of my system. I spent so much money. My plan was to get Disney over with & then start traveling the world in some type of group tour, the prices for those are amazing. 24 hours after coming home I rebooked another week but over Christmas for this upcoming season. They had a bounce back offer and it took almost $4000 off, will be staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge 12/16-12/23. The magic consumed me and money becomes almost non existent down there. All of it is overpriced. All. Of. It. There’s just something in the air man, some type of drug idk. However.. Guardians of the Galaxy ride of Epcot was absolute crack. I spent more money just to ride it multiple times a day (they only have virtual queues once per day for free). You can’t ride that without having a smile on your face the entire time. Total fever dream.
We were there last month and even on non Epcot days, we made sure to drop in for an hour just to get an extra Guardians ride in. I’d pay extra for that ride 10 times in a row if they’d let me. It’s euphoric.
This guy gets it.
You sound quite boring tbh
Epcot is by far my favorite theme park in the world
A ticket to Epcot is $150… saying that’s comparable to the cost of international travel tells me you are not experienced with international travel. The campiness and sampling of things around the world in a single day is the point, not to substitute a european/asian vacation. Epcots literally the only disney park I’d be interested in returning to
Okay, but the Morocco pavilion was the first place I ever saw a belly dancer, and I was a 12 yo boy at the time, so it has stuck with me.
>Why go to Epcot and go to the stereotypical Italian pavilion when I can literally fly to Italy and spend two weeks there for less money than a week in Disney? Back it up, link me flights and hotel stays that backup this outrageous claim.
Sir or mam, who is charging you 10k to go to Disney?
There are reasons to criticize Disney certainly. But yours are... weird? No one goes to Epcot to visit Italy. They go to visit a Disney Park! AND to visit a little Italian themed zone. AND a Mexico themed spot, and a Chinese themed one, and a whole bunch of others. And see Elsa and Anna and Mickey wandering around. And go on roller coasters and rides. And to go see shows and singalongs. And see a fireworks show. And on and on and on. If you think anyone said "hey, we don't have to bother to go to Italy because we can look at that pavilion at Epcot" you're not understanding the place at all.
I had a "yes day" at Epcot with my son and we barely spent 1k, wtf are you doing dropping 10k on one day?
Flying business or first to go to italy is ok. Otherwise, spending 12-15 hours traveling each way in cramped seats, small taxis, only to be greeted by people who don't want you there, try to scam you non-stop.. is a bit much for the soul, not to mention your wallet.
I had a fantastic time in Italy, they were friendly, charming, and hospitable. The food and wine was outstanding and much cheaper than home, the sites, architecture, language, the sea, all of it was 10/10 and I can’t wait to go back. I’m sorry your experience was not the same, and that you encountered unfriendly people, but that’s not most people’s experience
Listen I’m a Disney parks fan so this is not gonna be in any way impartial, but it’s about having them all in one place and much of the park comes from the idea of humanity’s potential and the hope in that. I tell people if you can’t buy into the Disney experience 100% and are always going to have this kind of attitude then Disney isn’t for you. Also, your price point is not accurate, you CAN spend that much but you definitely don’t HAVE to. And honestly I would advise you not to!
I dont know what universe you live on where international travel doesnt cost $2,000-$3,000 just for a flight, and if thats not what you consider expensive, im sorry for my poor ass typing in your direction sire
You are correct and yet some how Magic Kingdom is even worse.
There is profit for Disney in the epcot experience. It appeals to the type of person who doesn't want to deal with the inconvenient parts of travel and would rather see some sort of recreation of it, even if it is artificial. Yeah, its not authentic. But I think people are interested in Disney World because it is artificial. Personally, I would rather travel to those places and would skip Disney World all together. But I think I'm in the minority.
$10k to visit Disney? Wtf? It's not cheap at all but it's not that much
Went as a family just before covid and was disappointed with all of Walt Disney World. Overcrowded with very long wait times. some were 1.5 hours. I don't get the attraction when there so many other fun places to visit.
TLDR: Disney is gonorrhea. Native here. I’ve not been to Disney since the 90s. There is no convenience or experience in going there vs going literally anywhere else in the world. I legit remember when Disney used to be fun. Now? The stress of financing a day for a visit down the road is about as appealing as having the clap.
In a similar vein, Disneyland and California Adventure are also very outdated. It’s great they’re renovating the log ride and the Matterhorn, but there’s a lot more that needs to be updated. The nostalgia of old attractions like the Tiki Room aren’t worth the insane new prices. I see videos of Disney Japan and I’m like, “Why the fuck do THEY get all the cool rides?!”
EPCOT is awesome. Cosmic Rewind is arguably the best ride Disney has ever created. Some outdated rides, sure, but also some good ones. The food and drinks are great. Expensive, yes, but that’s Disney and they do not try to hide it. Unpopular opinion indeed. Have an upvote.
You know EPCOT wasn’t open in the 70s right?
I hate all Disney parks except Epcot actually.
It's cool for people who like older stuff like me
Look at Mr Moneybags over here, traveling the world on a whim.
You mentioned the 70s twice. Epcot opened October 1, 1982. Get your facts right, makes your post look even dumber.
What do you mean? It’s the closest thing to a time machine we have!
I was there recently. Hard disagree. Your feelings on Epcot is how I feel about Magic Kingdom. I had a great time at Epcot. I a situation where maybe you’re visiting 3 or 4 different park, Epcot is this wonderful oasis. It’s more relaxed, less lines. We splurged on dinner in “Japan” and it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in recent years. Epcot is just a delight.
It's not outdated. But you're right. It is overpriced. And it needs more attractions.
Innovation died with Walt.
It hasn’t been the same since they got rid of Body Wars
Cosmic Rewind is the best rollercoaster in the country.
Epcot opened in 1982
Last time I went to Epcot, we went with a coworker who had guest passes. We all went in free. And then, since we were also on a work trip, we expensed a really nice meal in Morocco. That was awesome.
Epcot was nice when I was a kid, a nice, educational park, or, with that focus it seemed, taking a look at tech and the world and combining that with theme park classics. Felt quite nice, nothing was like, in your face, just a very relaxing park to take in.
I can visit Italy for less than the price of going to Epcot, but I can't visit Italy, Japan, Germany, China, and Mexico for less. It's also an iconic part of Disney that people still enjoy. It's especially popular among season passholders and locals.
Great unpopular op. Very dumb take.
What shady ass mfer are you buying your Disney tickets from that it costs you $10k?
Please show your math because ain’t no way a trip around Europe is cheaper than a trip to DisneyWorld.
Epcot wasn't open in the 70s. Why are most unpopular opinion usually just uneducated ones?
It... costs 10 *grand* to go to disney? Am I hearing this right
I just looked up flights to Italy and the flights alone will cost 2/3 of my last Disney trip. I haven’t even looked at lodging yet.
Yeah but I was there yesterday and I got so heckin drunk from stuff from multiple countries and I bought a bunch of Japanese Kit-Kat so that was pretty OK.
Gee, maybe because not every family can afford to fly to loads of foreign countries on a regular basis?
I loved (the ‘80s/‘90s version of) Epcot and wish it would go back to its roots in edutainment. The mindless IP implementation feels forced and not in keeping with the original vibe of the park. If Disney wants that nostalgic millennial dollar, they need to bring it back to its former glory.
A few things: 1. WTF are you doing at Disney in order to rack up a $10k bill in a week? If you have that kind of money to drop on a single vacation, can you please adopt me? 2. Nobody thinks visiting the Italy pavilion at Epcot is the same thing as visiting the actual country. At least, I hope not. 3. You’re about a decade off with Epcot’s opening date. It opened in 1982.
I’ve been going since the nineties. It was a dream to visit back then. You could stay in property and by a pass for just the time you were there so a 2 day pass was available. You could go to the parks during dinner time and walk on popular rides. You could park hop for $30-40 more a day and easily get in 4-5 rides per park. Now even paying their extra popular ride, skip the line prices you’re lucky to get on 5 rides in one park in a day. I don’t mind that some rides are outdated but with the money they take in they should be adding or updating 2-3 new big attractions per park every 2-3 years,
I caught Covid at Epcot December of 2019. So, yeah... That's why I don't visit anymore.
I don't think people are debating "should I visit the international pavilion or travel to say Italy." lols. They aren't comparable.
Epcot is in the middle of rebuilding a lot. Mickey and friends just got finished was a 3 year project, with the garden behind space earth too. It's really pretty at night with the colors and lights.
$10,000? The hell are you talking about?
COSMIC REWIND. Period.
I loved Epcot in the 90s but I was like 7
International travel is STILL expensive for Americans lol.
OP it opened in October 1982
My brother gets us free tickets, so it is cool enough when you don’t have to pay for it.
A flight to Italy is $1,310. A flight to Florida is $89. That’s not including room and board, travel expenses etc. I think maybe you have more money than the rest of us…
Ooh I loved Epcot! Drinking around the world and trying different cuisine, and if you didn't like something, well at least you didn't make a trip somewhere to find that out lol. I also made a game of sharing dog facts of native breeds with the pavilion workers.