Epcot’s UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour

My wedding anniversary is rapidly approaching. It’s not a particularly momentous one, at least in terms of big round numbers. We’ll probably celebrate with a high-five and a nice (carry-out) dinner. Seems appropriate for a Tuesday. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to look back over the past year or years and recall some of our favorite memories too. That’s how I got the idea for today’s post: a review of the UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour at Epcot. Although “Undiscovered Future World” could also work as a title for married life, in this case I’m referring to a behind-the-scenes park tour at Epcot. We had the opportunity to take this tour during an anniversary trip to Disney World a few years ago. Talk about happy memories. Today I’m reviewing Epcot’s UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour to see if perhaps it could lead to happy memories for you too.

The UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour at Epcot is one of many tours available at Walt Disney World. I’ve mentioned several times before that you do not need to participate in these type of extra events (meaning not included in the standard price of park admission) to have a good time at Disney World. I stand by that opinion. There’s just so much to do in the parks and the resorts without paying extra that you really won’t miss any of these additional events. However, and you knew this was coming, if you’ve been to Disney several times, you’re celebrating something special or you’re traveling with a companion that may get a little overwhelmed by the massive Disney crowds, then a tour could be perfect for you.

My intention is to share enough about the tour to help you decide if you should add it to your trip. I’m purposely holding back some of the details so it won’t ruin any surprises if you decide to book it for yourself. Disney updates the tours periodically too, so I also don’t want to promise you something that’s no longer included.

Fair enough? Hope you’re wearing comfortable walking shoes.

Here we go.

Overview

Let’s start with the basics. The UnDISCOVERed Future World tour is a behind-the-scenes tour at Epcot. It typically starts in the morning around 8:30 and concludes around 1pm. Each tour includes roughly 15-30 people, depending on the season. For our anniversary trip in late August, we were in a small group of 10.

Each guest receives headsets with adjustable volume controls that are used to hear the tour guide as you make your way around the park. There’s walking involved, obviously, but not much more than you would expect to do while touring the park on your own. Some of that walking involves entry to locations that are typically off-limits to guests, like corporate hospitality suites, back entrances to attractions or Disney cast member areas.

The tour costs about $70 a person in addition to the cost of park admission for the day (so $170 total per person if you purchase a one day Epcot pass). If you have a Disney Visa card you can get a 15% discount while booking. There are also discounts available for Disney annual pass holders and Disney Vacation Club members. Payment for the tour is due at the time of booking, which Disney recommends completing 60-90 days before travel. However, there are usually tour spots available past this time frame.

There are a few other details you should know too. The tour is limited to those that are 16 years of age or older, which is why we took advantage of this experience on our adults-only trip. The tour also takes place regardless of weather, so plan accordingly. Also, Disney prohibits photography in all of the behind-the-scenes areas of the tour. Not a big deal, and totally understandable, but kind of a bummer for writing this type of review.

Perks

There’s a lot to like about the UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour at Epcot, although the unusual use of capitals in the title may not be one of them. Apologies if it constantly feels like I’m SHOUTING at you to DISCOVER! Clearly the benefits of the tour outweigh the quirkiness of the title. I’ve organized them here by content, crowds and extras.

Content

The information on the Epcot tour, and really any of the Disney park tours, is fascinating. Well, at least to those of us that love Disney. If you’re not in this camp (yet?), the content of this particular tour is likely to nudge you in that direction.

You’ll get a lot of history about Walt Disney and his original vision for Epcot as the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” He was an interesting man to put it mildly and I’m continually amazed by the grandeur of his aspirations and the remarkable heights to which he achieved them. His plan was much broader than the Epcot you see today, but you can still see flavors of it throughout. You’ll also hear interesting design details about Spaceship Earth, as well as insights on the creation of Soarin’. Our tour also included coverage of the Land and the Living Seas Pavilions, just to name a few. It’s always fun to learn how much thought goes into every Disney park detail.

The tour also takes you beyond the typical guest areas. There’s a brief walk beneath the outdoor track of Test Track that’s very cool. You may also get to see where all those 3D glasses go for cleaning and how Disney maneuvers the equipment required for the nightly Illuminations! show. The corporate hospitality suites are swanky and perhaps a little dated in areas, but still fun to see if only because you never knew they were there. If you’re lucky, you may even get to go through uninteresting doors that somehow place you at the front of the line for popular attractions. Score!

Part of the reason the content of the tour is so impressive is the overall knowledge of the tour guides. These cast members tend to be long-term Disney employees that have served the company in several capacities. In other words, they are very good at answering all types of burning questions you may have such as: “How much longer until the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction opens?” or “What’s the best dessert in World Showplace?” Our tour guide seemed genuinely interested in whatever questions our group could string together, even the silly ones.

Crowds

Another aspect to love about the UnDISCOVERed Future World at Epcot is the ability to navigate the crowds with ease. I mentioned previously that if you have a travel partner that hates the idea of Disney World crowds, this could be your ticket to get them into the park with you. Literally. Tour guests are typically asked to arrive at 8:00AM. That means on most days you’ll get to enter Epcot before everybody else. This is a wonderful perk, because it enables you to wander around an abandoned Future World before the masses arrive and zoom their way to Test Track.

Plus, it makes you feel like a rock star when the Disney associate checks your name on the clip-boarded list and politely directs you through your own gate. At least it does for me, I usually don’t get that kind of special treatment.

Of course you’ll still encounter some crowds as you make your way through the park. Fortunately, it’s not too distracting. Your adjustable headsets allow you to hear the guide over any background noise. The guides are also very good at pausing and corralling guests as needed. I don’t know if it was the seasonality or the overall lower popularity of the Epcot tours, but we had a much easier time listening to the tour guide and keeping pace with the group then we did on the popular Keys to the Kingdom Tour at Magic Kingdom. We often felt like we had a personal concierge leading us around the park, rather than a traditional tour guide.

Extras

The UnDISCOVERed Future World tour at Epcot also offers thoughtful “extras” to add to the experience. According to Disney you’re guaranteed to receive a commemorative pin. I’ve included a photo of the one we received above. You may also receive food discounts, additional Fast Passes and access to a special viewing area for Illuminations! I can’t say your experience will be exactly the same as mine. It is likely, however, that you’ll have unexpected delights because Disney is awesome at this type of entertainment. Well, and they also want you take more tours and tell your friends to take tours, but it’s mostly because they are awesome.

Since the UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour ends mid-day, you’ll also have “extra” time to explore the rest of the park on your own. That means you can return to sections of the park that peaked your interest during the tour. Or, more importantly, you can check to see if that best-dessert advice you received was legit. You can also still use the FastPasses you received with your standard admission, as long as you remembered to book them for later in the day. Even if you didn’t, you may still be able to snag a FastPass from whatever is left for the day.

Conclusion

So that’s it. Sound good? Maybe not? I tend to like Disney Park tours in general because I love learning the details behind the Disney magic. It gives me a better appreciation for just how much work it takes to make Disney World so incredible. I also understand, however, that some would prefer to believe the magic is fueled entirely by pixie dust. If you’re part of Team Tinkerbell, no worries. There are plenty of other entertainment options to delight you throughout Disney World. Seventy dollars buys a lot of Dole Whip.

But if you’re looking for something extra for your trip, consider taking Epcot’s UnDISCOVERed Future World Tour.  It’s a fun, insightful way to tour the park with minimal crowds and tons of extras. Odds are good you’ll learn something new and discover (lower caps) special details throughout the park. These details can add to your enjoyment of Epcot the day of your tour and on any future visits as well.

What do you think? Have you tried any of the Disney World tours? Please let me know your thoughts or comments in the space below!

Add a little (touring) magic to your world!