Drinking Around the World at Epcot

Disney World. It’s the most magical place on Earth, right?

Damn right.

Little known fact: I actually worked a short stint at Disneyland in my college days. Yes, that’s right folks. I’m a Disney nerd. So it may come as a shock that before last month, I had never visited this magical place we call Disney WORLD.

Long story short, I was able to convince my man to tack on a few days hanging out with the mouse at the end of our Caribbean cruise in August. One of the incentives I used?

“Babe, not only are we going to Disney World…we’re going to DRINK AROUND THE WORLD at Epcot!”

That was all the convincing he needed, and soon we were on our way north from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando.

(Side note: When I was a kid I thought Orlando was this magical, special place because Disney World was there, PLUS it’s where all the old Nickelodeon shows were filmed in front of a live studio audience. In my little kid mind, Orlando sounded like THE SH*T! Turns out…it pretty meh and there are alligators and there are not live TV shows being filmed all around you. Go figure).

SO, what is DRINKING AROUND THE WORLD AT EPCOT, you ask? Well, if you’ve never been to Epcot, it features a magical land called the World Showcase. The Showcase is comprised of 11 different “countries,” all situated around a big lake. The countries feature facades, merchandise and food from each inspiration country, and of course…adult beverages from each country.

Naturally, humans have gotten creative with this concept and gave birth to a seriously brilliant brain child: Let’s make it a challenge to have an adult beverage in EVERY. FAKE. COUNTRY.

Thus, “Drinking Around the World” was born.

I could spend time walking you through what we drank in each country, but honestly, I could never do the experience justice with the written word.

So here it is — “Drinking Around the World at Epcot.” AKA “Tami and JT get tipsy at Disney World and get a little feisty.”

Since this is a challenge, we got all strategic and went into it with a game plan. (This shouldn’t shock anybody…I don’t even go to Starbucks without a game plan!).

All eleven countries are arranged in a circle around the lake, so it’s best to pick one side or the other and work your way around the lake. We HIGHLY recommend ending on the East side in Mexico for one big reason: The San Angel Inn. 

What’s better after a long day of drinking than Mexican food? And what’s better when you’re eating Mexican food, than to eat it in front of a Mayan Temple and an erupting volcano? That’s exactly the experience you’ll get at the San Angel Inn. It was recommended to me by other bloggers as the “Blue Bayou” of Disney World, because it’s low-lit, romantic, and situated INSIDE a ride. So there are little boats constantly floating by as stuff your face with their delicious food.

Another reason to end in Mexico? Tequila. It’s simply not acceptable to select any other libation for this challenge stop, and let’s be serious — if you drink tequila shots first thing in the morning, you run the risk of not finishing the challenge. Start easy with the beers in Canada and the UK, and then save the best (tequila, of course!) for last.

Here’s the route we took:

Country #1: Canada
Country #2: United Kingdom
Country #3: France
Country #4: Morocco
Country #5: Japan
Country #6: America
Country #7: Italy
Country #8: Germany
Country #9: China
Country #10: Norway
Country #11: Mexico

As you’ll learn in this video…this challenge is no easy task! Here are some pro tips for those that attempt the challenge, from a couple of total non-pros:
  • Start early. You’ve got 11 stops to make! We didn’t start until around noon and found ourselves rushing through drinks. We all know that’s a recipe for disaster!
  • Eat a big breakfast. We also recommend lots of bread-y treats throughout the day — the croissants and sandwiches in France are on-point, but the pretzels in Germany can be skipped.
  • Do your little tummy a favor and do lunch in Morocco. The Tangierine Cafe features some AMAZING Mediterranean-inspired dishes. It is way above the quality of some of the other quick-service options in the parks. (The Mediterranean Chicken Pita was wow).
  • Make reservations for dinner in advance. The best restaurants book up, and there’s nothing worse than being tipsy and having to wait an hour for a table. Like I said, we highly recommend the San Angel Inn for a fantastic dining experience and delicious food. We booked about three days out and got one of the last time slots listed online for that day.
  • Break up the day by walking over to Future World, Epcot’s other showcase, and checking out some rides. Although you may not want to attempt Mission: Space after three drinks + a Moroccan Mahia. It’s a spinning, Gravatron-style ride, and all I could think as I was spinning off into oblivion was, “This is it…this is how I’m going to die. Drunk at Epcot.”
  • Don’t cheat! I’ll be honest…some of the drinks you’ll try will be out of your flavor comfort zone. Roll with it – it’s part of the experience!
  • Remember that you love each other. You’ll forget around Country #9. 🙂
Now, go forth and sip, dear ones.
Cheers!