Opening in 1982, Epcot was Walt'd dream Experiemental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and one of the projects he was most excited building within the Walt Disney World Resort. Unfortunately, Walt never lived to see it opened. And, also possibly unfortunately, Walt's original vision as a place where people could actually live in an ideal city that provided a blueprint for future urban living centers, never materialized.

What the park became is a bit bipolar. In the front is Future World, comprised of a number of pavilions that highlights one aspect of humanity or technology. In the back is The World Showcase, which is currently made up of eleven different countries that give a glimpse into cultures other than our own.

As with Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom, Future World faced an uphill battle from the beginning to stay relevant as modern life sped forward. What was innovative in 1982 was no longer innovative by 1990, let alone today. The World Showcase faces a similar issue as our connection to other cultures increases and the distance becomes smaller with advances in global communication technologies, and is often derided because it focuses nearly primarily on North American and Western European countries.

Does it sound like I'm suggesting you skip this park? Well, maybe. Only because that means there will be less people there when I go, because Epcot is straight up my favorite park.

You can walk or boat (via the International Gateway) from:

• Beach Club;
• Yacht Club;
• BoardWalk Inn;
• The Swan and Dolphin Resorts; and
• Hollywood Studios.

You can monorail (via a transver at the TTC) from:

• Magic Kingdom;
• Contemporary Resort;
• Grand Floridian Resort;
• Polynesian Resort; and
• Shades of Green Resort (via bus to the TTC; and
• The TTC.

You can bus from:

• All other Disney resorts; and
• All other Disney theme parks.

As with all Disney Parks, you will go through Bag Check (and possibly a randomly selected metal detector check as well), and then scan your Magic Band or ticket to enter the park.

If you have arrived via monorail or bus, you will enter the main gates at the beginning of Future World, where the view is dominated by Spaceship Earth, affectionately known (in my house, at least) as The Golf Ball.

If you have walked or arrived by boat you will enter through the International Gateway, between the France and United Kingdom Pavilions.

Pro Tip: The majority of The World Showcase, with the exception of the quick service bakery in France and parts of the Mexico and Norway pavilions, do not open until 11am, at least two hours after Future World. This is a super good excuse to pick up some French pastries for breakfast with minimal wait!

Your first stop on the way in should be to pick up a Guidemap and Times Guide. The map will help you get around (although I find Epcot the easiest to navigate - think of the park as an "8" with Future World in the bottom cirle and The World Showcase pavilions, as the top, ringing the World Showcase Lagoon), and the Times Guide will give that day's schedule for parades, nighttime shows, other entertainment, and character meet and greets.

Epcot has a tiered FP+ system. This means that, in advance, you may choose one attraction from Tier One, and two attractions from Tier Two.

This is a small list of attractions, true. And loading Tier One with literally all of th headline attractions (Soarin', Test Track, and Frozen Ever After) makes it all but guaranteed that, if you want to ride all three in the same day, you will do some waiting in longer lines. Like all of the parks, there are a few additional attractions that don't have FP+, such as the Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros in the Mexico pavilion, which was my favorite ride in Epcot until Soarin' opened!

But, as with all Disney theme parks, there is so much beyond the attractions. Epcot is teeming with street performers and musicians throughout the World Showcase (and don't miss the JAMMitors in Future World!). I could do nothing all day in Epcot but watch all of the shows, and I'd feel like I'd gotten more than my money's worth. Don't skip the shows!

Eating is also a major component of the Epcot experience. In addition to the Coral Reef table service restaurant and numerous quick service locations in Future World, each World Showcase has at least two, if not more, culinary locations, each specializing in the food (and drink) of that particular country.

In recent years Epcot has become the home for two major festivals: in the Spring (March-May) the International Flower and Garden Show takes over, with special food and drink vendors, topiaries of your favorite Disney characters, and incredible floral displays. The Food and Wine Festival comes to town mid September through mid November, and is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Both of these extravaganzas have become very, very popular, bringing in multitudes of vacationers and local crowds alike, making weekends during these events very, very busy.

Pro Tip: If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, you can use snack credits at all of the additional food vendors. Cool!

You want to know about drinking around the world? What's there to say? You raise a glass and take a drink. Works the same everywhere.

Oh, you mean the rite of passage, or maybe the rite of puking, that has recently given Epcot the reputation as the "adult" park.

In Disney speak, Drinking Around The World (DATW) simply means visitng each of the elelven (some make a case for a twelfth at the Refreshment Outpost) pavilions around the World Showcase Lagoon, and having a drink.

Think about that for a minute. Eleven or twelve drinks, which some people do in one super humid Florida July day. While I make no secret about enjoying a good beer or cocktail, the mere idea of completing DATW in one day makes me ill. This is not to say don't do it! It's super fun, the drinks are really good, and it's a fun excuse to slow down and people watch and take in the street performers.

Here are my DATW tips:

• Do it over multiple days. If you have a park hopper ticket, spending each afternoon or early evening in Epcot is a great way to unwind. I usually complete DATW over four days.
• Skip the frozen slushy drinks. Not only are they often more expensive, but they are sugary and go down way too easy. Before you know it, you're already woozy and have only gotten from Mexico to China. Plus, while a vodka orange slushie is really good, is it really French?
• Split drinks with someone else. You're going to DATW with a friend anyways, right? Stretch your budget and your consumption limit!
• Snack around the world. Not big into drinking at all, or are you a lightweight? The food at each country is equally as good. Plus, it will also stretch your consumption limit.
• Don't climb the pyramid in Mexico. Someone actually did that during the 2015 Food and Wine Festival. Don't be that guy.

Nothing makes me sadder than people who say that Epcot is too boring for kids, or not "Disney enough."

Dude. Epcot was Walt's big dream. And it might not match what he originally envisioned, but to say that Epcot isn't Disney is super, duper wrong.

Is it filled with characters like Magic Kingdom? It might be shockin to find out that...yes, it nearly is! Not only is there the Epcot Character Spot that features Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy, but you can also currently meet Baymax and both Joy and Sadness from Inside Out - currently the only park in Walt Disney World to meet these three.

Over in World Showcase, nearly every country has at least one character that may be hard to locate elsewhere, whether it's Snow White in Germany, or Alice in United Kingdom.

Beyond character meets, there is so much more. For the smallest set, there is the Seas with Nemo and Friends, a fantastic slow ride through one of the largest saltwater aquariums in the world as well as two play areas - one in the Imagination Pavilion, and another in the Mission: SPACE pavilion. Over in The World Showcase, each country has a Kidcot Station, where kids can decorate a Duffy the Bear and talk to cast members from each country.

Also, DID I MENTION THE STREET PERFORMERS? They're everywhere.

And parents: let's be real. Do you honestly have issues with your child learning things on vacation, whether it be the history of technology at Spaceship Earth, looks at advances in farming and agriculture practices at Living With The Land, or how to say hello in a bunch of foreign languages? You do? Then you should probably go check out another Disney planning site, 'cause if you honestly don't think that any new experience is a brain building opportunity, and also that Disney needs to be shrouded in cartoon characters, then you probably don't belong on my site.

In all seriousness (actually, that last paragraph was serious, too), Epcot was my 13 month old's favorite park because it wasn't as crowded so she could run a little bit more, she loved all the music, and devoured all of the different foods (we have a toddler foodie. If I let her eat nothing but tamarind chutney and dill pickles dipped in sriracha all day, she'd be super happy). Epcot is big and slower than the other parks. Perfect for everyone.

My Epcot day begins by strolling over to the International Gateway, walking from either my resort or by bussing to Hollywood Studios and walking from there, aiming to be there roughly 30 minutes before rope drop. Don't underestimate the loveliness of an early morning walk around Crescent Lake!

After a very quick stop to pick up breakfast at Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in the French pavilion, I'll walk quickly to the Land Pavilion and get in line for Soarin', my favorite ride in all of Walt Disney World. Then it's across Future World to ride Test Track utilizing the single rider line. Yes, this is quite a bit of walking between these two, but because I have my Tier One FP+ reserved elsewhere for later, this is the best way to avoid the larger lines that these two attractions will garner soon.

After Test Track I'll head to use my first Tier Two FP+ reservation at Spaceship Earth, and then take a stroll through The Art of Disney store near Spaceship Earth's exit.

Then it's onto my second Tier Two FP+ reservation, The Seas With Nemo and Friends, and some time checking out the fish in the aquarium.

My last attraction in Future World is back at The Land pavilion, Living With The Land. Depending on the time, I may pick up an early lunch of Mongolian Beef at Sunshine Seasons.

After a swing near Test Track to see The JAMMitors perform, it's time to head to The World Showcase! First stop is Mexico to ride Gran Fiesta Tour and enjoy a margarita at La Cava Del Tequila where, because I follow them on Twitter, I'll also get a free order of chips and salsa.

Next stop: Norway! I'll use my Tier One FP+ reservation to ride Frozen Ever After, and then hit up Kringla Bakeri og Kafe for a Troll Horn and Schoolbread, because neither escapes getting stuffed in my face each time I'm in Epcot.

Then it's off to China to see Reflections of China, a somewhat outdated but cool movie filmed in 360 Circlevision. If I've timed it right I'll watch the Chinese Acrobats before heading to Germany for a Schöfferhofer and a side of cold potato salad at Sommerfest. Then it's on to Italy to see Sbandieratori Di Sansepolcro (flag throwers), followed closely by Matsuriza (taiko drummers) in Japan.

At this point I'm ready for real food, and will swing into the Tangierine Cafe in Morocco for a chicken/lamb shwarma combo platter. Then back to France (it's been so many hours since I was here!) to see Impressions de France, a super excellent 18-minute film in an air conditioned theater with lovely music and scenery.

Next stop: more beer! Specifically, a Boddingtons at the Rose and Crown Pub in the United Kingdom.

If it's before 7:30pm I'll dip back into Future World to the Imagination Pavilion to see The Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, before doubling back to some place along the World Showcase Lagoon to watch Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. It doesn't really matter where I watch from, but I'm personally partial to the area between Norway and Italy, grabbing a beer somewhere along the way. After the show if I'm staying at a resort on Crescent Lake (Yacht Club, Beach Club, BoardwalkInn, or Swan and Dolphin) I'll head out through the International Gateway and walk back to the hotel. If not, I'll take my time finishing my drink and admiring the lights of Epcot while I wait out the masses headed to the exit, and then meander my way back to the front of the park to catch the bus back to my resort.

Note: my perfect day does not include any character meet and greets. This, for me, is not a priority. But if I did want to meet characters, I would be sure to stop and see Baymax, Joy and Sadness (both in the ancillary Epcot Character Spot, across from the main one) as well as the princesses in World Showcase. Be sure to check your Times Guide for that day's character schedule.

It also does not include Mission: SPACE, because I am a chicken. These I suggest using one of your Tier Two FP+ reservations for Mission: SPACE, timed to ride after Test Track, instead of The Seas with Nemo and Friends (which can be picked up as an additional FP+ during the day).