As an impish little fellow with a vegetable nose and snow for a body has been known to randomly belt out, “it’s summer!!!”. And thanks to all the wonderful, meticulous planning going on behind the scenes at Walt Disney World, one thing has been on my mind for weeks months now…. finding a way back (insert devious Haunted Mansion voice over here)! Okay, so maybe it isn’t quite summer yet, but it’s close enough. And as summer approaches, I can hardly contain myself from recreating Olaf’s happy little jig as I count off all the wonderful things coming to EPCOT alone. Ready? Here goes!
(photo courtesy Disney Parks blog)
5 Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious reasons to make EPCOT a MUST DO this summer!
- Premiering June 17th, the new Soarin’ Around the World will debut along with a third theater to help relieve the long queue lines that have become synonymous with the attraction itself. It will also be premiering in Disneyland this day and as Soarin’ Over the Horizons at Shanghai Disneyland
- Then, just a few days later on June 21st, Frozen Ever After and the Royal Sommerhus will open for the plethora of folks still holding onto winter over at the Norway pavilion. Frozen Ever After will be a water ride taking guests on a journey through Arendelle while the Royal Sommerhus will give guests the opportunity to meet Anna and Elsa in person. Prepare for the above long queue lines to now become synonymous with this pavilion giving us all plenty of time to ponder whether Odin in his infinite wisdom knew what he was paving the way for all those years ago…
- Turtle Talk with Crush will continue to give guests a reason to keep swimming over to its corner with the addition of several characters from Disney/Pixar’s upcoming ‘Finding Dory’ film. We’ll see Dory and several of her big picture friends join Crush in the tank and for the first time, Squirt will be swimming along as well!
- On June 6th Disney Vacation Club members will get their own private retreat featuring air conditioning on the second floor of the Imagination pavilion as a part of the 25th anniversary of the club. Okay, so the Member Lounge will include Coco-Cola Freestyle machines, wi-fi and other features but we all know the real joy will be stepping away from the crowds to indulge in the creature comforts of basking in cool temperatures while staring out at the melting family caricatures doddering by on the sidewalks below.
- And finally, the latest perk rounding out this list (because admit it, it needed a fifth item to seal the deal) is that guests can now use their personal smartphones to play Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure throughout the park. You’ll still need to stop by the Odyssey Bridge or the International Gateway to begin recruitment but it’s still a welcome advancement for this wonderful activity within the park.
And so there you have it folks! I can only imagine that later this fall I’ll be begging to stroll through Disney Springs and that next summer I’ll be ready for explore Pandora but right now, EPCOT is where it’s at.
(image courtesy of Disney)
Take me to Main Street! 