A Free Ride Spreadsheet for Epcot to Help You Plan (By Resorts Gal)
Epcot is a wonderful park to explore with many things to do and see. The park features “neighborhoods” based on various themes like World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery, and the World Showcase. With so much to do, it can be difficult to incorporate everything into a day’s touring plan.
So to help you plan, I created a ride spreadsheet for Epcot. The spreadsheet lists attractions, height requirements, character meet-and-greets, Lightning Lanes, and significant entertainment offerings. It also has tabs containing the same information for the other three theme parks at Walt Disney World. Our spreadsheet was prepared with Google Sheets, so you will need a free Gmail account to access it on your computer or mobile device. You can request a copy toward the end of this article. However, there are a few things you’ll want to know ahead of time.
Getting Started with Our Spreadsheet
When you request a copy, you’ll receive an email with a link to the spreadsheet. You must have a Google account to access the sheet. If you’re using a mobile device, you must download the Google Sheets app and sign in via your Google account (Gmail) to access it. After that, you can open the Google Sheets app and select the sheet.
If you open the link to the spreadsheet on a regular computer, it opens in a Google browser (as long as you use Google as your preferred search engine). It is then automatically saved to your account. To access it later from a desktop computer or laptop, select the waffle icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen. Then, scroll down and select “Sheets” from the list. You should now see the spreadsheet.
Note: This particular spreadsheet is not editable, so please do not request to make a copy of it. When we become aware of park changes, we update the sheet. You’ll also want to be aware of a few things:
- Many changes will occur at Walt Disney World over the next five to ten years. Some rides or areas of certain parks might be under construction or down for refurbishment. If you’re looking forward to a specific ride, we recommend checking Disney’s Ride Refurbishment Calendar before your visit.
- Characters and entertainment are subject to change. We always recommend checking the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit to locate characters. Here’s an excerpt I put together with instructions. (All the character meet-and-greets we’ve included on the spreadsheet meet regularly. But it’s important to stress that things can change.)
How to Locate Characters in the My Disney Experience App
- Open the MDE app and select the pin drop at the bottom of the home screen.
- Select the “Characters” category at the top middle of the screen. (The default is “Wait Times”.)
- After selecting characters, use the park filter to select the park on the top left side of the screen.
- Then, on the top right side of the screen, select “Show List.”
- Scroll through the list of characters with their times and locations.
*As the day passes, you might notice that characters disappear from the app. When their last scheduled time passes, the meet-and-greet automatically disappears. A new schedule won’t be loaded until the following day. It is essential to check the app for meet-and-greets on the day of your visit.
How to Use the Spreadsheet
Once you open the spreadsheet, you’re greeted with a “Start Here” tab that briefly explains how it works. If you’re familiar with spreadsheets, the rest is pretty self-explanatory. But we’ll go over it all the same to help you get your bearings. (If the idea of using a spreadsheet sounds intimidating, don’t worry. I’ve provided step-by-step instructions with screenshots.)
Since we’re focusing on Epcot, we’ll look to the bottom of the spreadsheet and select the tab titled “Epcot.” I’ve placed a red arrow on the screenshot below to help identify where to look.
When we select that tab, our Epcot spreadsheet opens. I’ve color-coded a few things on the spreadsheet to help you differentiate them.
The first column is titled Epcot. I have placed a large red rectangle around most of the column to isolate it in the photo. Below that column, some rows have a dark blue shade. The dark blue row indicates a specific land or park area. For example, you can see World Celebration is the first land, then World Discovery, and World Nature. I am a fan of touring where you’re at so the entire sheet groups rides and character meets by location.
The next column highlights the rides, attractions, and character meet-and-greets. You might notice that we have Mission: SPACE listed twice as orange and green. This particular attraction has two unique experiences. The green mission is mild compared to the orange one. I will ride almost anything, but I wouldn’t touch that one with a ten-foot pole.
Characters are shaded in a light blue color. Mickey and Friends is the new character meet-and-greet that features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy at Epcot.
The next column is for Lightning Lane Multi Pass. This field indicates whether or not an attraction offers a regular Lightning Lane with the Multi Pass Lightning Lane service. It also indicates which tier the ride falls under, but you will only need to know that when planning your initial Lightning Lane choices. If you’re not yet familiar with how Lightning Lanes work, please see our extensive guide below.
Related: The One-Stop Disney World Lightning Lane Guide
You might notice the Epcot spreadsheet has one row highlighted in red. This row indicates a ride that offers Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is an extra cost. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the only Lightning Lane Single Pass attraction at Epcot. If you enjoy thrill rides and roller coasters, we think it’s worth the extra purchase. It’s a pretty incredible ride.
Next, we have a column for Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours. These columns may or may not apply to you. You can check the highlighted articles above to determine your eligibility. If you are eligible, you’ll want to:
- a.) Take advantage of these extra hours in the park.
- b.) Be aware of what attractions are available during these special hours.
*Extended Evening Hours are pretty consistently held at Epcot on Monday evenings and Magic Kingdom on Wednesdays evenings throughout most of the year. They sometimes shift to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom during the Fall.
If you slide over to the last column, I’ve added a few tips and references for each item. These are things that I’ve learned from personal experience that might help you in the planning process. For example, below I mentioned that Journey Into Imagination with Figment is fairly dated, but children tend to adore it. These are not necessarily things that will make or break your vacation, but some of them might be helpful.
Get the Resorts Gal Ride Spreadsheet for Epcot
Sign up below, and we’ll send you a copy of the spreadsheet along with our best resources for planning. You’ll also receive access to the Resorts Gal Ride Selector, one of our most popular planning tools!
*Note: the spreadsheet is for all four parks. We’ve listed the spreadsheet guide for each park below.
Final Thoughts
We hope you find this spreadsheet helpful in your planning process. If you need instructions for the other tabs, here is the list of spreadsheet guides for each one:
- Magic Kingdom Ride Spreadsheet
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios Ride Spreadsheet
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Ride Spreadsheet
Or you might like to preview our Epcot Planning Guide.
In the Comments
What do you think? Did you enjoy this planning spreadsheet for Epcot? We would love to hear your feedback. Let us know below in the comments.
