There comes a point in a full theme park day where you just don’t want to wait anymore. The feet are throbbing, the sweat has had time to dry twice over and all of the phone games have become half as interesting as they were when the day started. Usually this happens in mid-afternoon when the sun is the hottest and the lines are the longest but the longing for no lines can strike at anytime! In this new series, we’ll talk about our favorite attractions that have next to no line regardless of the time. After starting with Magic Kingdom, we’ll move on to Epcot today!

Not to confuse anyone, this series isn’t about the best time to go on popular rides. Refer to our itineraries for that! This post is dedicated to attractions that don’t really ever have a line, outside of waiting for loading or the next show to start. Does that mean there will be a few listed that aren’t exactly the highest quality? You betcha! But others are certainly hidden gems. I’ll be putting my favorites of what’s listed at the top before working our way down to ‘rides that have no lines because they are terrible’.

That said, even the worst rides provide a time to sit in some air conditioning. Your mileage may vary on what’s a good ride and what’s not, don’t just take our word for it. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure unless we’re talking about the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. Even some AC and the broad premise can’t make me recommend that abomination.

Speaking about Epcot in this fashion is a little strange because half of the park (World Showcase) is meant for perusing. Guests are generally meandering in and out of shops, which is essential during the heat of the day. There are a plethora of interesting short films in the parks, with none of them having much of a wait. Where Epcot falls a little short is in actual rides and that’s the case in this list.

A few items that narrowly missed! Living with the Land and Figment (we recommend the former far more than the latter) are rides that have waits every so often so they weren’t eligible. The same goes for Turtle Talk with Crush. Keeping the aquarium in mind, I almost included walking around there but didn’t think it quite fit the criteria. We recommend it nonetheless, far more than the actual Finding Nemo ride. Finally, none of the live entertainment around World Showcase was included but we love most of it and make a point of seeing those shows. To the list!

Impressions de France – Not only is this the best attraction in Epcot without a line, it’s one of the park’s best attractions period! Impressions de France is a beautiful short film offering a taste of what France offers. World Showcase partially exists to inspire people to travel to the actual countries that are represented and this short film is a vestige of that idea. The score is gorgeous and the cinematography holds up, even years later. It’s a quaint experience to go along with the romantic pavilion.

American Adventure – If Impressions de France is quaint, American Adventure is grand. The attraction opened with Epcot 40+ years ago but I’m still wowed by the pulley system and staging. This animatronic stage show is about 30 minutes long and takes guests through American history. While it may be a tad cheesy and over-the-top patriotic, it’s a beautiful attraction that has stood the test of time. The only drawback to this is that guests will have to check the times for the different shows, but the theater is so large that there won’t be much of a line!

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros – I love this attraction more than most people. The Three Caballeros take guests on a zany trip through Mexico, showcasing the country. There are some outstanding animatronics in the attraction and it’s all a weird bit of fun. I’ve seen the queue longer than 5 minutes maybe twice in my life, so it’s a safe bet that you’ll avoid any line here.

Reflections of China – The downside to this short film showcasing China is that there’s no sitting in the theater. The positives? There’s no wait, the film is beautiful and interesting, it’s inside with AC and the exhibit beforehand offers a glimpse into Shanghai Disneyland. While this is no Impressions de France, the film is moving and offers beautiful sights.

Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 – We’re officially in the midst of the short film section of this post. Like the France and China Pavilions, Canada also offers a short film to showcase the country. Narrated by Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy, this new edition of the film is stronger than its predecessor but doesn’t have the heart that China and France’s films puts forth. Like Reflections of China, guests have to stand during this one but it’s still a film worth seeing and there’s never a line!

Awesome Planet – This short film is in the Land Pavilion, housed in a large theater. The conservation message is a bit heavy handed but there’s some pretty imagery and comfortable seats. This is skippable but you might feel differently at 2 PM in July when you can’t tell if the moisture on your back came from the splash zone or is just a third layer of sweat. We all know you didn’t go to the splash zone and it’s just sweat.

Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival – I almost left this off the list because I really wish Disney would do something different with this theater. This is just a showcase of short films that are played before a number of Disney and Pixar features. You could watch most of them on Disney+ or YouTube without much trouble. Still, this is a place to relax and it won’t have a line so it’s on the list!

Where are your favorite places in Epcot without a line? Let us know in the comments below! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our planning guide for help! If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages. You can do both of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!