Epcot Top 10 Teen Favorites

Are you like me?  Do you find that your park favorites change over time??  As the seasons of life shift, so do the parks we gravitate towards; what is most appealing to honeymooners may not instinctively attract a family with toddlers, and so on.  BUT, if you know where to look for the Disney magic that sometimes sits below the surface, there are elements of universal appeal in all of the Disney Parks.  Perhaps that is why I chose “Epcot for Teens”- all too often I’ve heard visitors say that their teenagers are bored to tears here.  How can that be I ask?  Yes, Test Track, Mission: SPACE and Soarin’ may be obvious lures, but oh, there’s so much more!  I’d like to share with them my Epcot Top 10 Teen Favorites:

1.  Chevrolet Design Studio  Yes, of course Test Track is a winner.  But the re-imagined Chevrolet Design Studio is a teen magnet; the ability to create your own interactive ride vehicle based on the metrics of capability, responsiveness, efficiency and power is too cool for school.  (Right, they would never say that.)  The video game generation eats this up!!  Gone is the virtual race, here and now is their very own racer going head-to-head against the competition; the 5 other passengers in the vehicle.  Better yet?  If the matchup happens to include their parents, and they hand them a whooping.  Oh, the bragging rights!  (Listen to Disney Imagineers describe the many interactive choices in the Design Studio.)  And don’t forget to spend some quality time here post-ride to produce a commercial for your design, and give it a spin in additional virtual testing grounds.

2.  Mission: SPACE Advanced Training Lab  Likewise, once you return from the Red Planet, teens adept at the keyboard and monitor will want to plant their Nikes at Mission: SPACE Race, where up to 56 “cadets” compete in adeptness and speed to send their rocket from Mars to Earth.  (2 lucky teams of 4 will compete with a joystick and jet-pack button to get the job done!) Need I say more?

3.  Club Cool   Well, it IS cool, after all.  This Coca-Cola sponsored stop will be sure to delight a teen’s taste buds.  Let them try the free samples of soft drinks from around the world, and after their fill of goodies such as the Lychee Mello from Thailand or the Smart Watermelon from China, buy them a frozen Coke and they might actually smile at you!!

Create your own ride!

4.  Innoventions  Whether East or West, teenagers are intrigued by the cutting edge technology that is often showcased here.  Interactivity is the name of the game, with The Sum of All Thrills™- presented by Raytheon (have them create their own wild ride, as shown above.)  You may want to give them their independence- and a nice chunk of time- to explore this teen playground.  (Just don’t tell them they’ll be getting a concurrent science and engineering lesson!)

7.  Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future  Not only does the weenie that is Spaceship Earth attract all of us like moths to the light, it gives young people wide-ranging perspective of the history of communications; well beyond their smartphones.  For my teens, knowing that they will create a video postcard that they will send to their friends, “Greetings From Your Future”, provides added jocularity and incentive to ride.  (And yes, sometimes the immature parents get in on the action.)  Beyond the ride lie more interactive and challenging exhibits for them to sample.

8.  Ellen DeGeneres   Any of the teenagers I have toured Epcot with think Ellen is hysterical and so do I.  Be sure Ellen’s Energy Adventure is part of your touring plan.

9.  Music  Especially of the rock variety.  A teen’s taste ranges from “psychedelic to punk”, so the British Revolution (United Kingdom) is made for them.  If they will tolerate the “oldies”, and you are lucky enough to visiting during “Sounds Like Summer”, Flower Power Weekends or Eat to the Beat concert series, they may be willing to sit through a set or two…

10.  Eats  A growing teenager needs to refuel, sometimes constantly!    I’ve not met a youngster who does not like pizza; Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion specializes in Build-Your-Own-Pizzas, and offers a nice variety of salads in case your young lady prefers.  Another favorite among my sons and their peers is Teppan Edo in the Japan Pavilion.  If your teen likes hibachi and the idea of dinner and a show, this is a crowd pleaser!

Fear not,” the teens” don’t last forever, though you may actually miss them once they do.  Enjoy the Epcot Top 10 Teen Favorites while you can.  Just remember, if your teen ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!!!

Thank you for joining Magical Blogorail Yellow this month.  We will be back Friday, May 3rd with an all new theme.  Keep checking in with our blogs in between loops to keep up to date with our Disney info, photos and stories.  If you are looking for more Disney magic, you can make your way over to The Magical Blogorail to see all our members and their blogs, as well as all our previous loops.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop~     Delightfully Disney
2nd Stop~    Magical Mouse Schoolhouse
3rd Stop~     Return to Disney
4th Stop~     Magik Mouse
Final Stop~  DIStherapy  (You are here.)