Solo Time at EPCOT

    Hello everyone and welcome to the Shark N' Mouse Connection! Today's blog is going to be my personal experience on a solo day at EPCOT. To many people the thought of going to Walt Disney World by yourself can be extremely intimidating. From being around thousands of families and couples having a great time to not having someone to share the experiences with, it's understandable how it can be difficult. I'm a perfect example of those difficulties. Last year I ended up taking a solo trip to Walt Disney World. I saw a couple of friends and went to a wedding (my best friends actually and shout-out to him and his wife on their anniversary today), but the majority of the time in the parks I was as solo as solo could be. My hope with tonight's blog is that I may be able to help anyone out  who is thinking about spending some time at EPCOT by themselves. 

    I'll start off by saying that I am an incredibly socially awkward person. I don't do well in crowds and I don't do well with random conversations. When it comes to Disney though I am really comfortable just letting loose a bit and it all started with this trip. In particular when I do a blog like this for Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom I'll get into why. By the trip's end I felt like a pretty new person with a ton of experience I never thought I'd gain.

    While EPCOT is currently a construction zone, I'm sure many of these ideas and thoughts still remain the same for the parts of the park that are still open. That said, the most enjoyable thing for me while solo at EPCOT was actually exploring The Living Seas. The aquarium isn't exactly large, but me being an ocean lover and working in an aquarium I felt right at home. It's a place that I was able to relate to my home life a bit and it was really relaxing to just look into the large exhibit and watch the sharks and fish swimming around. It was really great to be able to go at my own pace in there and not worry about what anyone with me thought as far as how long I was spending at any given exhibit. It was also great for photographing some animals I don't get to work with too. 

    Perhaps the biggest thing I did in EPCOT was exploring World Showcase. I don't mean just going around and looking at all the Flower and Garden stuff that was going on at the time, I mean looking at all kinds of stuff within the pavilions ranging from decorations to the buildings themselves to whatever movies may be playing in a particular pavilion. I learned more about World Showcase's pavilions on this trip than any other due to being able to take everything at my own pace. I rode The Grand Fiesta Tour three times in a row just to look for things I missed on each ride through. I even got into a conversation on the last ride through with a family who knew Donald, but were very confused as to who Panchito and Jose were. Perhaps the most awesome part of this exploration was talking to a ton of cast members from different countries. Of course all cast members have a story to them, but with how unique EPCOT is with cast members from their respective countries working the various pavilions, it was truly amazing to hear so many different stories from around the world. The best part was that they were all eager to tell those stories and even if they had to help another guest, returned to finish the story.

    Of course it wouldn't be a visit to the parks without rides. I already mentioned the Grand Fiesta Tour, but there was more ride fun to be had. Another fun fact about me is though I enjoy flying, I have a fear of heights and had never requested to be on the top row of Soarin because of that. Well this time I challenged myself and got the top row and didn't regret it an ounce though I admit I was gripping the bars a little bit at the start. On Test Track I made the absolute worst looking car I have ever made and made use of the single rider line. When my car won the handling category, no one in the car could understand why... Neither could I... Man that single rider line was a life saver since I had Soarin as my fast pass. The wait time was 70 minutes and I got on in under a half hour. Man it was great. Spaceship Earth was even a bunch of fun as I threw on a ridiculous face for the camera. The person next to me sure didn't judge. Thank the Phoenicians for that! I skipped out on Frozen Ever After on this trip though. Too long of a wait for me, even by myself.

    The best thing I can say about EPCOT solo is that there is just so much to focus on and take in that it really feels like you are taking a trip around the world. It was a completely different feeling than going with someone and trying to match their pace or skip things they don't like. Even talking while walking distracts from the beauty of everything around you in World Showcase. The detail is so incredible, yet at the same time, it is so easy to miss. Places to stop and sit and just take everything are endless too. If characters are your thing, meet your favorite. Who cares what the person next in line thinks of you for it. Even solo, seeing Mickey, Belle, Snow White, Baymax, etc. can bring a massive smile to a face. At the time Illuminations: Reflections of Earth was still showing so when I wrapped up the day I decided to try something new and wait out the crowd. Looking across a mostly vacant World Showcase at night is truly beautiful. All in all my solo time at EPCOT was a lot of fun and very full of sight seeing and talking with cast members.