Epcot Construction - anyone changing plans for 2020? Changing the way you visit parks?

[Harambe]

We had planned for this December, but with all the SW hoopla, we pushed it out til 2020. It is what it is!! There are so many things to see, we will just do what's available. The only things that would bum us out, is if SE is down, but it isn't the end of the "World".

 

[MakiraMarlena]

if it was going to be my #1, once in a lifetime trip to WDW, I would put it off at least until 2022.

For me, nothing will change as far as WDW visits.

 

[Disneylover99]

It’s business as usual for us.

We may postpone based on work or family demands. But I don’t worry about closures or new rides not being opened on time.

I understand why others feel differently though.

 

[SaintsManiac]

It's affecting our trip this year. No idea when Spaceship Earth is closing. No idea what the new fireworks show will be like. Future World has become a construction zone. Lots of things moved around or shut down. Not sure what to do.

 

[OfCourseTheresAlwaysMyWay]

I bought the ticket where you can't enter until noon because of Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios because I'd like to see Galaxy's Edge but nothing else there has changed. Epcot because so much of the front half of it is under construction.

I plan to eat lunch at the F&W booths, maybe finally take the Behind the Seeds tour, ride Spaceship Earth for the last time in its current incarnation, and then wait for the new nighttime show. Still stuff to do, but not a full day.

 

[sponica]

We only go every 3 years or so, so next year is a tough pill to swallow.

Although when we go in 2023 it will be better.

If I hadn't already told my kid we were going, I might push the Disney trip to 2022 and do the cruise in 2020. But I feel like that would be awful.

 

[ghtx]

I am still planning a summer 2020 trip, mainly to see Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land (plus Avatar, since I've still never been on FoP). I am thinking about skipping Epcot this trip though because of all of the construction/closures. Especially if Ratatouillie not yet open.

 

[firefly_ris]

We don't go every year, more like every 3 years or so. So not planning to be back until 2022 regardless... but since we only go every once in a while, if I had a trip planned for 2020 I'd probably postpone it until 2022. Plenty of other wonderful trips to take and memories to make in the meantime so no big deal. I'd rather they build and improve and just wait that out than stagnate like they did in the 2000s.

 

[kiford]

Epcot is one of our favourites but we won't stop going because of the construction. We found Futureworld to be so lame that we have mostly spent our time in World Showcase. We've hardly been to any of the other attractions for years so I'm quite excited for this do-over. Given that we rarely spent time in that area anyway, we probably won't even notice it. Also very glad that Spaceship Earth is getting a revamp. The ride essentially ended at the 1970's with barely a nod to anything after that so it's been needing upgrades for a long time.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I’m still deciding. ATM, we are booked for both Disneyland and Disney World for the first week of June 2020. We’ve been waiting to see how the opening of SWGE goes in HS before deciding which park we’ll see it in. I’m being enticed by low crowds at Disneyland. That said, it’s my daughter’s senior trip and Epcot is her least favorite park, and it’s going to be a shorter than normal trip anyway, so if we skip Epcot all together she probably wouldn’t be too upset. But it might make a compelling argument for hoppers which I almost never get. Do what we can in Epcot and spend the rest of the day in HS. Jungle Cruise isn’t going to make or break my trip, but I do hope Big Thunder is back Open by June.

 

[billyjobobb]

Deal with construction and a few rides down, or deal with massive crowds and 2 hour lines. To buy $5 water........

 

[DisneyFive]

OP, no personally we wouldn't change plans. Having said that, it is a real bummer. It seems every year we've gone, SOMETHING(s) we love is down. Whether it's Soarin, Splash, BTMRR, Pirates, entire sections of HS, construction fences up all over the place at AK or MK...

Disney is always refurbishing and we've relented to the fact that we can't do ALL of our fav's every trip. On the plus side, it provides more reason to go back.

Dan

 

[Farro]

OP, no personally we wouldn't change plans. Having said that, it is a real bummer. It seems every year we've gone, SOMETHING(s) we love is down. Whether it's Soarin, Splash, BTMRR, Pirates, entire sections of HS, construction fences up all over the place at AK or MK...

Disney is always refurbishing and we've relented to the fact that we can't do ALL of our fav's every trip. On the plus side, it provides more reason to go back.

Dan

Oh for sure. Last trip was October 2017 - to say it didn't go well would be an understatement. Most issues had nothing to do with Disney, but Splash was down for a rare October refurb and we barely spent anytime at Epcot. But I said just the two of us will have a do over in 2020, get on Spaceship Earth, enjoy Epcot and all will be well again.
The best laid plans...

If Thunder Mountain is down, at least Splash will be open!

 

[DisLiss]

No. We purposely chose 2020, even though Epcot is our favorite. And we're sticking to it. We are hoping for a lull between the opening of SWGE this year and the anniversary celebration in 2021.

We've got Food & Wine and all of World Showcase (which we love), so we're fine. We have our expectations scaled waaay back and we'll be excited talking about how everything will be different when we come back a few years later.

 

[VegasVic14]

It’s business as usual for us.

We may postpone based on work or family demands. But I don’t worry about closures or new rides not being opened on time.

I understand why others feel differently though.

Same here. Scheduled for Feb 2020 and we (family group of 6 adults, 2 grands) won't let a few construction walls take away all the anticipation build up and the actual experience of finally being there. If the grands are disappointed in any way, it's just another life lesson. I don't think they will be. There's too much else going on to keep them stimulated Disney-style.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We are going in late Jan/early Feb. 2020.

Our trip dates will remain the same, but we are planning to spend less time in Epcot than usual. It actually works out because we are also planning to spend more time in HS than usual due to SWGE & TSL. Also, my oldest is now tall enough for Star Tours & TOT and she really wants to do Jedi Training Academy (fingers crossed they still have that when we go.) We haven’t seen TSL yet because it opened shortly after our 2018 trip and we didn’t go to HS on our quick 2 night visit this year.

My biggest Epcot priority on this trip will be seeing Epcot Forever. I have such a soft spot for vintage Epcot attractions and music.

We plan to spend one morning until early afternoon in Epcot and a few hours on another evening to just have dinner and see Epcot Forever. We usually spend at least a day and a half at Epcot, often more than that. We may hop back there for a couple hours just to see Epcot Forever again if we love it, but it will still be less time than we are used to spending there.

I just wish I could see Spaceship Earth once more before it goes down for refurb

 

[Farro]

My biggest Epcot priority on this trip will be seeing Epcot Forever. I have such a soft spot for vintage Epcot attractions and music.

I want to see it too, but I'm laughing because it's scheduled to end in May 2020 and I'm not sure if new one starts right after?

So either I'll be really lucky and be there to see both, or have my usual luck and I'll be there for the time period there's no show!

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I want to see it too, but I'm laughing because it's scheduled to end in May 2020 and I'm not sure if new one starts right after?

So either I'll be really lucky and be there to see both, or have my usual luck and I'll be there for the time period there's no show!

I hope you get to see both! That’d be amazing!

 

[JonathonW]

We are going in late Jan/early Feb. 2020.

Our trip dates will remain the same, but we are planning to spend less time in Epcot than usual. It actually works out because we are also planning to spend more time in HS than usual due to SWGE & TSL. Also, my oldest is now tall enough for Star Tours & TOT and she really wants to do Jedi Training Academy (fingers crossed they still have that when we go.) We haven’t seen TSL yet because it opened shortly after our 2018 trip and we didn’t go to HS on our quick 2 night visit this year.

My biggest Epcot priority on this trip will be seeing Epcot Forever. I have such a soft spot for vintage Epcot attractions and music.

We plan to spend one morning until early afternoon in Epcot and a few hours on another evening to just have dinner and see Epcot Forever. We usually spend at least a day and a half at Epcot, often more than that. We may hop back there for a couple hours just to see Epcot Forever again if we love it, but it will still be less time than we are used to spending there.

I just wish I could see Spaceship Earth once more before it goes down for refurb

Going around the same time and I still have my fingers crossed that SSE won't close until after I'm there... or at least that they'll announce the closure after I schedule FastPasses and I get a freebie out of the deal like I did back when GMR closed

Even with that closed, though, I don't really see any of the announced construction really making much of an impact on how I tour Epcot, aside from cutting out Spaceship Earth. I've never done any of the Epcot Meet and Greets; Club Cool's an unfortunate loss but only about five minutes of my day... but, otherwise, most of the stuff that takes up all of my time at Epcot's still open. Gotta get a couple rides on Soarin' in and ride Living with the Land an embarrassing number of times, watch the fish for a while at The Seas, grumble at the unfortunate husk that is Imagination, get at least a ride or two each in on Test Track and Mission Space... then, I can easily spend the rest of my time meandering around the World Showcase, looking into all the little shops and checking out shows if they're timed right.

I think last trip I ended up spending about two park days total there (spread across four actual days; I typically end up back in my room for a midday cool-off/nap then park hop somewhere else for the afternoon/evening). I don't really see how I spend significantly less time there just because of central hub construction.

 

[_19disnA]

Something is always under construction at Disney. I wouldn't change any planned visits due to construction.