Exploring EPCOT Without Overspending
People typically spend the most money on food and souvenirs at EPCOT. This is because the food at EPCOT is truly amazing and all of the countries offer unique items. However, there are ways to enjoy the fantastic food and obtain unique souvenirs without going over budget.
Food
There are a few easy ways to save money on food while visiting EPCOT. First, you will need to do a little shopping before heading for the park. Buy water and snacks for everyone from a grocery store and put them in your backpacks. Include things such as water, snack crackers, pretzels, and granola bars that are easy to eat while walking around. The same items at EPCOT can easily cost two to three times as much as in a store outside of the park. To save even more money you can refill your water bottles for free at any of the abundant water fountains. Not only is the water nice and cold, but it tastes good too! Next, eat a big breakfast before you head to the park. This will ensure you are not hungry when you first encounter the yummy, and often overpriced, food as you enter the park. With the big breakfast and the snacks you will be able to skip purchasing food until late afternoon. A late lunch is the perfect time to splurge on some of the wonderful food at EPCOT. On a budget, lunch is definitely the most economical meal. You get slightly smaller portion sizes but much smaller prices. By eating a late lunch, between 3pm and 4pm, you will miss the majority of the crowds, save money, and enjoy great food.
Souvenirs
When children enter EPCOT they are inundated with merchandise. An inexpensive way to obtain souvenirs from EPCOT while on a budget is to take advantage of Kidcot. At each country in the World Pavilion cast members will help children create a craft from their country. This is a lot of fun for the children and it costs the parents nothing. When the child is done he or she will have souvenirs from each country he visited! Not only will they have their crafts, they can also have their passport stamped.
Another way to keep the cost of souvenirs low is to have the child(ren) bring an autograph book with them. Characters can be found throughout EPCOT and each character will sign his or her autograph happily. This can usually be done when the characters are posing for pictures. Character pictures are another great free souvenir. Autographs can also be requested by cast members in each country. In addition to their name you could request they write a specific phrase in their own language. Help your child choose the phrase before arriving so they will all say the same thing.
