Drinking Around the World at Epcot
The morning after I was vehemently craving a greasy burger. My Mom asked, “Hungover, huh?”
Yes Mom, I am.
It started off with just one innocent Yuengling tall boy at my friends apartment before heading into Epcot – Disney’s internationally themed park in my hometown of Orlando, Florida. Upon entering the park, an inconspicuous melon drink followed soon after. Then came the margarita in Mexico. Sake in Japan. Then a summertime rum drink and another fruity vodka cocktail. Rounding it off for the day, a few pints in the United Kingdom.
For most of us born and raised in Orlando, Disney is just sorta there. It exists and we nod our head to its looming shadow, but that’s how far most of us are willing to get in adulthood. While the tourist traps have undoubtedly played a vital role in shaping Orlando into an international vacation destination, you won’t see us Orlando folk walking around in Mickey ears. We avoid International Drive like the plague. Yes, most of us have been to Harry Potter World. But no, I’m not “always at the parks.”
But it’s the most magical place on earth! Ha, nah. After welcoming nearly 113 million (MILLION!) sunscreen lathered, fanny pack festooned tourists who cut you off driving their little rental cars virtually every. single. day. the industry that created your home begins to take a toll on the ambiance.
However there was still one thing on the hometown bucketlist I had yet to achieve: drink around the world at Epcot.
BEST TIME TO VISIT EPCOT
If you must visit during the summer…
While Disney is always busy no matter the time of the year, if you can help it, avoid visiting between July and September. It’s mad hot, muggy, humid and the reason why snow birds go back north (both the bird and human and variety). I’d be lying if I said I haven’t seen tourists pass out at the parks. Don’t be that tourist. Drink copious amounts of water, wear sunscreen and stick to the shade as much as you can.
Check for conferences, conventions or special events that might clog up the parks.
However more importantly, try to book your Disney getaway when there are no conventions or special events happening at the parks. When we went there was a Star Wars 5K that morning evident in the Princess Lea’s and various Star War pajama laden park goers we saw (yes there was more than one person dressed in Star Wars jammies). Unless you’re participating in an event, try and avoid these weekends as the lines for rides become unbearably long.
That said, the International Flower & Garden Festival is worth checking out though.
Celebrating the changing of seasons and springtime each year, Epcot hosts the International Flower & Garden Festival from April – June. Unlike the larger International Food & Wine Festival, the focus of this festival is on filling the park with vibrant flowers and topiaries with many of the same food vendors that come out for the Food & Wine Festival. Best of both worlds.
We had some record breaking heat during this particular romp about Epcot (wuddup global warming) so I wasn’t sure how great the festival would be this year. Florida heat and florals don’t necessarily thrive together. But leave it to Disney to always bring it (you should see how quickly they open back up after hurricane visits). The perfectly manicured, colorful flowers and shrubbery pruned into various Disney characters became more and more *magical* with every drink.
Where to eat at EPCOT
Besides the gardens and flowers, additional food stalls pop up around the park offering cheaper alternatives for guests than the traditional sit down restaurants. However, if you happen to be at Epcot during the regular season, I highly suggest booking a reservation at the Coral Reef Restaurant. While expensive, it’s a pretty darn good seafood for a Disney restaurant AND it overlooks a pretty rad aquarium.
LET THE DRINKING FESTIVITIES BEGIN
Drinking around Epcot is not cheap. Expect to spend over $100 on drinks alone. The cheapest one I got was a pint in the English pub for $6. Most liquor drinks were between $9-18. If you love wine you will be disappointed, I spent $8 on the saddest shot glass size of wine I’d ever seen. Every cocktail I got was delicious though, Disney definitely has their liquor drinks on point.
21+ LIBATION TIPS FOR ADULT FIRST TIMERS TO EPCOT:
- You can’t drink around Epcot without getting a margarita in Mexico. Folklore has it that if you start off the loop of countries (Epcot makes a figure 8) with Mexico, you won’t make it to the end. Their margs are known to be a bit lethal. Be forewarned. But when the time does come, get the Hibiscus margarita. Not only does it taste heavenly but it’s the cheapest one they offer. Double win.
- Skip the shot in Norway, expensive and tastes like ass.
- Don’t get beer at the outside food stalls, that $5 beer might look appetizing but once you see the Seven Dwarf sized cup you’ll think otherwise. No fear though beer lovers though, DO get a pint at the pub in England.
- The sparkling filtered sake in Japan was awesome! Plus the sake bar was right inside a gift shop where we modeled kimonos… to ourselves. The alcohol may or may not of had something to do with this. No cultural appropriation here at all folks.
- So this is one I wrote in my notes yet can’t actually remember. But if you’re trusting me enough to read this far, get a Canta Loop at the food stall in China. If I wrote it down you know it has to be good.
- Get a classic hard root beer float in America.
- Order an Orange Grand Marnier with Grey Goose in France. As I quote my friend, “It’s the titties.”
Final thoughts on drinking around the world at Epcot…
It was hot, it was sweaty, the lines were long. But it was a damn good time. Granted, my park ticket for the day was free from a friend who worked there (thanks Kylie!), making the experience even sweeter. Overall though, I’d probably do it again even if I had to buy my own ticket. I mean where else can you hit up Africa, Germany and China in one afternoon?
P.S.: Shout out to the random person I gave my number to, please stop texting me.
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I’ve accompanied friends on this adventure a couple of times, but can’t stomach that much booze in one day myself. We even had group t-shirts made one time.
Oh man walking away from that day with a group T-shirt would have been pearler and I definitely don’t blame you for sticking that one out, I felt it the next day for sure haha
I’ve been wanting to do another trip to Disney! Bookmarking this ?
I grew up in Tampa so I feel like Disney is just around the corner from me haha. I’ve been to Harry Potter World 3 times when I was home from school on breaks. I’ve only been to Epcot twice when I was younger but I would LOVE to go back. I have a friend down there with an annual pass and I feel like she’s always there!
Although it lacks the amount of rides as the other parks, Epcot is a great time! We used to have Universal passes back in the high school days and we’d go straight to the parks right after school… ah those were the days 🙂
This looks fun. I don’t know if I could drink so much, my body has had enough from when I was a student. I love the way you write 😀 and it is true that a shot in Norway is not worth it , too expensive xD
Thank you so much! I still do cocktails fine still but it’s always, always the shots that get me in the end
Ha, I had NEVER realized that people went to Epcot to do this for such a long time, despite visiting it so many times. Looks like such a blast and love your outfits! I need to go back to Disney soon.
I had always heard about it but could never justify paying the ridiculous ticket price just to “drink around the world” after drinking around the actual world LOL. But after getting in for free it was worth it, had such a blast with my gal pals 🙂
I used to work at WDW and I’ve done this too many times but you just can’t help yourself. I think my personal fav is the margaritas and sangrias in Mexico. Great post!
I completely agree with you on the margarita in Mexico, easily one of the best I’ve ever had 🙂
🙂
I have to admit I am not one for making drinking/getting drunk the main event of my day.But your account sounds like a great excuse to go explore the tourist traps in my hometown (Berlin)…
Happy continued travels!
C
Ah I’m seriously so jealous of your hometown, I fell head over heels during my time in Berlin. I was only there for 5 days but hoping to make it back this summer for a music festival 🙂
This is definitely the way I would want to take on Disney! (Or… maybe doing lots of handstand on top of things until they throw me out!)
Also.. I love that gingham romper!
Hahaha it was truly a different type of Disney experience
I do not mind the heat that much. I have visited Disneyland in Hongkong.
It was so hot and I got sunburn. It was a rainy season when we went there.
We got lucky because it was sunny all day. I’d love to Walt Disney World in Florida someday. Btw, I love your outfits.
When I lived in Las Vegas I had the same opinion of tourists and how they would alwayscut us off. You would never find me on the strip unless I had to be there. They went all out for the flower festival, Holy Cow!
Looks like a perfect day out full of fun with friends. The Garden festival looks gorgeous with all those flowers in so many vivid colors.
Such a fun post! I love the colorful photos as well! 🙂
Interesting post. I haven’t been to Epcot. Flower festival sounds and looks appealing. It would be great to visit some day. Thanks for sharing.
Nice post… Quite a misconception I had of disney land! I was thinking of Minnie and mickey ???. The alcohol prices though… Will share this post with some friends…it will tickle their fantasy!
Oh don’t worry there is a far share of Mickey and Minnie but mostly at the other Disney parks. Epcot is more for an older crowd, hence “drinking around the world” haha.
I can imagine living in Orlando near the Disney parks would get a bit old like you said. That’s an interesting idea to do a tour of the countries at epcot like that. Of all the parks I’d imagine that locals would be most likely to go to Epcot more than once.
Sparkling filtered sake would totally be up my alley on any given day! Glad you finally go this bucketlist moment checked off, I love hometown bucketlists! It’s crazy what goes undetected right under our noses!