I was lucky enough to get to spend a half day at Epcot on my last business trip to Orlando. It was such a great day that I wanted to share with you how it went in hopes it would help you make the most of your own half-day at Epcot!
My work sent me to Orlando for a work trip. I had never been, I was so excited to be so close to Disney World! Since I was there for work, however, I didn’t have a lot of time to myself. But how could I be a stone’s throw away and not visit?! I could even see a bit of the park from my hotel room window! Talk about a tease.
After debating all day I decided I had to visit at least one of the parks. I knew I had a half day before my flight left and decided it would have to be enough. So I looked up the different parks and decided I had my best chance of seeing the most by going to Epcot. I also heard the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride was amazing. So I headed to the concierge and bought a ticket. I had an AMAZING day! I wanted to
Tips for a Half Day at Epcot:
Plan ahead!
Get the Disney World app and take a look at the maps. You can also see current wait times so you have an idea of what is most popular. You can also click on a ride and it will show you historically when the ride is the busiest. Have a plan on which rides are more important and get to those first.
Check the weather!
If it is going to be a hot day, consider Fast Passes for rides that have long lines or are outdoors. Fast passes also save you time to see other things. It also rains randomly in Orlando, fortunately, it’s warm rain but best to be prepared with a rain poncho or at least a hat.
Start early!
I got into the park when it opened and was able to see so much before the crowds started to come in. The lines to the more popular attractions were still pretty short. I left just after lunchtime and beat most of the afternoon crowd. I also beat the worst of the heat and had plenty of time to get back to my hotel and get to the airport.
Take advantage of single-rider lines!
If you don’t mind riding alone or with a stranger then you can take advantage of these shorter lines! It helped me a lot in getting on more rides. I was visiting the park solo so I was automatically a single rider! I was able to jump to the front of the line for the Test Track. It can really save you a lot of time! This is important when you only have a half day.
Use Virtual Queues!
Not all rides have these but they are awesome. It is basically like the old fast passes but you can join them from your phone. These queues open at 7 am the day you are visiting and fill up fast so it’s best to set an alarm and be on there right at 7 to get your spot.
This is the only way to ride Guardians on the Galaxy right now (as of September 2022) and it fills up so fast. I was on at 7 on the dot and was still group 57. Also note, that you will need to check back often as your estimated boarding time will change as the day goes on. My initial estimated time was 5 pm and I was actually called at 10:30! Don’t want to miss your boarding time!
Use Lighting Lanes!
These are essentially the same as the virtual queues except they also let you cut the line and cost money. I have seen these range at the different parks from $10 to $30 dollars. It can be a little steep but if you have a must-see ride it may be worth it to pay a little extra to cut the line.
My Half Day at Epcot Itinerary:
Set an alarm for 7 am to get on the Guardians of the Galaxy virtual queue.
Arrive right at open
Head straight to the Frozen ride in Norway.
grab a small snack
Head directly to France and ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
(at this point my Guardians group was called, so this may be slightly different on your visit)
Ride the Guardians of the Galaxy ride, which was incredible, and definitely one of my new favorite Disney rides.
Stop at the misters if it’s hot out.
(note I had only been in the park for an hour and a half at this point!)
Head over to the Test Track and take advantage of the single rider line.
Head back to the World Showcase and take a boat ride with the 3 amigos in Mexico.
Then loop back to check out the different counties in the World Showcase you missed earlier.
The Food and Wine festival was happening during my visit so I used this time to try some of the tasty things from around the world.
Then head back to the World of Celebration and visit Figment at the Journey of Imagination.
On the way out head to Spaceship Earth and take a ride inside the iconic Epcot ball.
If you have time between visiting Figment and Spaceship earth you will pass Soarin around the world (which is introducing a single rider line!) and The Finding Nemo ride.
Have fun and enjoy your half Day at Epcot experience!
You can definitely see Epcot in a half day depending on when you visit. I went on Labor day, I was surprised to find it wasn’t as busy as I expected for a holiday.
Even if you don’t get to do everything you wanted, or it feels like you are rushed, remember that you are at Disney World! It is still an amazing experience.
I hope these tips help you in planning your own half day at Epcot! If you have any other tips, please share them below in the comments! Thanks for reading and have a magical day!
