The Wonderful World of Epcot

Orlando '06

Epcot is like the nerdy cousin of the Disney family; it's not as popular, it doesn't have as many traditional rides, and (God-forbid) it's educational. The House of Mouse has a thing about creating parks that shoot to envision the future. They have a section called "Tomorrowland" in the Magic Kingdom, and then they have almost half a park devoted to it with Epcot. Of course, since most of these parks were created decades ago, their visions of the future can, at times, seem a little outdated. But despite that, Epcot remains great for three reasons.

Firstly, it's not as popular as the other parks. This means that there are less people to bob and weave through, and shorter lines. Sure it's less popular for obvious reasons (not as many thrill rides, steeped in education, filled with that 1970's sci-fi motif), but that's also why it's so charming. When Epcot was first created, it wasn't intended to be a park all to its own--rather, it was just an expansion to the Magic Kingdom. They had that big golf ball and that was about it. Now, they not only have sections about science and technology, but they also offer a trip around the world (or at least a baker's dozen of countries).

Epcot has always held a special place in my heart because it has offered me a peek into the future of technology. It's as if someone turned Wired Magazine into a theme park. The first time I visited, I tried my first Wacom digital tablet, which I promptly purchased some six months later and still use today. This year, I got to try something very special: I was able to drive a Segway scooter. Ever since I watched them unceremoniously unveil the Segway one early school day years ago, I had hoped to ride one. Well, much to my surprise, Disney had a whole fleet of them to try out in their Innoventions section. So, my entire family signed waivers and hopped on to take them around the test track!

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, half of Epcot features recreations of over a dozen countries from around the world. You can basically walk from Mexico to Norway to Morocco in just about twenty minutes, while making sure to stop at each one to sample some food or ride a "visit our country" promotional ride. Some of the countries are noticeably more enjoyable than others (just like in real life!) and others just make me question their presence (seriously, they chose Morocco over Ireland?) While it's all very fun and interesting, I think Epcot did a fine job in giving me the opportunity to make fun of an entire league of nations in one afternoon. Thanks, Epcot!