This article with podcast is adapted from my new Amazon book, “Epcot 2018: One Perfect Day in Disney World”. The book is designed as an Epcot 2018 travel guide and day planner to help provide the best use of your time and money while enjoying the Future World and World Showcase attractions and dining at Epcot. Must-see attractions are included in one-fast paced day that can be spread over several days if you have more time or wish to proceed at a slower pace. For more information and more of my personal recommendations, be sure to click on the audio bar at the end of this post to listen to the accompanying podcast.

Tips for before you go:
(1) Decide when you will visit Epcot and Disney World. Consider hotel prices and ticket prices during peak times and Epcot special events for 2018.
Epcot Festival of the Arts
Culinary, visual, and entertainment arts – tastings, art shows, Broadway entertainment, and classes in arts, calligraphy, origami, glass blowing and more are available during Epcot Festival of the Arts. The 2018 dates are January 12 – February 19. New in 2018, the festival will be open daily. Last year, the festival was held on Fridays through Mondays only, but the inaugural festival was so popular that it has been expanded!
Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Special flowers, including floating gardens and topiaries; free Garden Rocks concerts on Fridays through Mondays; weekend appearances by gardening gurus; outdoor kitchen displays; and special dining menus with farm-to-table meals. The 2018 dates are February 28 – May 28.
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

The largest Epcot event of the year, this festival brings in chefs, presenters and guests from throughout the world. Food and wine tastings, concerts, cheese tastings, special dinners prepared by world-renowned chefs, culinary demonstrations, and beverage seminars. The 2018 dates are not yet announced. The 2017 dates were August 31 – November 13, so the dates will likely be approximately in the same range.
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays
This celebration of holidays from around the world highlights the different cultures of the 11 World Showcase nations of Epcot. The 2018 dates are not yet announced. The 2017 dates were November 19 – December 30, so the dates will likely be approximately in the same range.
For hotel prices and considerations, consider hotels that offer walk-in or direct monorail connections to Epcot. These include:
Epcot Walk-in Resorts at Disney World:
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s Beach Club
Disney’s Yacht Club
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
Starwood’s Walt Disney World Dolphin
Starwood’s Walt Disney World Swan
Disney World Magic Kingdom Monorail Resorts:
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Villas
Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Bungalows
Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower Villas
Check out my earlier post and podcast with information and recommendations of over 30 Disney World and Disney World area hotels and resorts here:
Disney World Hotels – Resorts in and near Disney

(2) Get Fast Passes for your selected days at Epcot.
Note: If you stay at a Disney resort or at Starwood’s Walt Disney World Swan or Dolphin, you will have the option of making ride and attraction “reservations” called FastPass+ reservation 60 days in advance. This can be especially helpful if you want to visit some of the more popular attractions or ride some of the more popular rides rather than spend your valuable time waiting. (If you have purchased tickets in advance, but if you do not have a Disney hotel reservation, you can make FastPass+ reservations 30 days in advance.