A complete plus-sized guide for Disney World attractions: EPCOT

Welcome back, my friends, to another plus-sized guide for Disney World! About two years ago we, we dove into all the attractions at the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom. And now, we’re continuing our rounds and jumping into EPCOT! While EPCOT doesn’t have as many attractions as the other parks, there are still a few rides that I felt were worth creating a post about.

I wanted to make this guide because as we planned our trip, I found that the one thing that gave me the most anxiety was how all the attractions would feel being a plus-sized person. So I hope this guide helps my fellow plus-sized friends feel more confident when visiting Disney World!

So you can all gauge how the attractions fit me and how your experience will compare, here are my body details:

As many of you know, there is a lot to do at every park, and it’s tough to do every ride and show. However, even though we didn’t get around to seeing and doing everything, I included every attraction in this guide. The attractions that I didn’t personally go on are marked with an asterisk (*) so you know that the experiences I share are not my own. And to add a cherry on top of this post, I color-coded each ride for easy scanning!

Green is for plus-size friendly attractions
Yellow is for tighter attractions
Red is for attractions that aren’t size-inclusive

And now that all the details are out of the way let’s jump into the Animal Kingdom guide!

quick navigation

World Celebration

Rides

• Spaceship Earth: Let’s just headfirst into the star of the park, the EPCOT ball! Within this iconic ball is a ride called Spaceship Earth. This ride is a slow moving dark ride that lasts around 15 minutes. The ride takes you through the development of communication and technology. As far as the ride vehicle goes, it is a slow moving line of individual cars that seat up to four people, two per row.
  
  Each row has an outline of two seats and is a fairly easy step up into the vehicle. I found no issue with getting into the vehicle and even found the seats to be comfortable. There are no lap bars to worry about but you might want to sit with a smaller party member is you have wider hips like I do. Otherwise, this attraction is an easy, fun classic that everyone should get to enjoy!

World Discovery

Rides

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind*: When our family took our trip to Disney, they were preparing to open this attraction for the first time so unfortunately I did not get to ride and test it out. However, according to Theme Park Express, the ride seems to be very size-inclusive. Each vehicle has two rows with two seats per row. Each seat has it’s own lap bar so there is no worry for individuals with bigger bellies.
  
  The seats look to have plenty of space width and length for my friends with taller legs and wider hips. The only concern is that the lap bar has to stay in place, otherwise you can’t ride. According to sources online, the lap bar doesn’t click but once pulled down it should stay in place, then you know you’re good to go! Overall, it seems like this ride is a winner in the size-inclusive department.

• Mission: SPACE*: This is a simulation ride that takes you on a NASA-style adventure to Mars. Each vehicle is it’s own pod with four different seats that have an over the head shoulder restraints. I’ll be fully honest, even if I was the thinnest person in the world, I still wouldn’t ride this attraction. I have a pretty big fear of enclosed spaces so the claustrophobia hits hard with this ride.
  
  However, if you don’t mind enclosed spaces, according to Pammie Plus Parks, this attraction seems to be very size-inclusive as each person has their own shoulder restraint that doesn’t have a certain number of clicks as it locks as you pull it down. The vehicle opening also looks to have a decent amount of space to get in an out of, making it easier for my fellow plus-sized individuals.

• Test Track: Test Track is one of those rides that I love with all my heart but it does not share the same sentiment as it broke down multiple times while we visited. But, on a happier note, I can confirm that the ride is comfortable for us plus-size baddies, especially for long periods of time since our ride broke down for an hour while we were on it!
  
  The Test Track vehicle has two rows of seats, three seats in each row. Each seat is perfectly spacious and each has a seatbelt that has plenty of length to spare. Like other attractions that have seatbelts, I highly recommend grabbing the seatbelt and pulling it out before taking a seat. This way you aren’t trying to reach down by your hip to drag it around your body. Personally, I recommend sitting in the middle seat at the seatbelt only goes across your lap whereas the two end seats go over the body which can be uncomfortable if you’re like me and have a bigger belly and chest!
  
  The only stipulation for this ride is that there is not a lot of leg room within the ride vehicle. This wasn’t too much of an issue for me since I am on the shorter side but if you’re a taller, you might find the bending of your legs to fit into the vehicle might be a bit uncomfortable around the hips and stomach of your body.

World Nature

Rides

• Soarin’ Around the World: Looking at the images of the Soarin’ vehicle seating, one would assume that it is a bit of a no go for us plus-size folks but I am here to tell you that I thankfully had absolutely no issue with riding this attraction. Each vehicle has ten seats per row and I found that each seat was about the same size. There are two metal handlebars that are on either side of each seat and my hips did squish into them while riding but it wasn’t enough that it deterred or ruined the ride due to being uncomfortable.
  
  Like other rides that are belted, they have a long yellow tab to making it easy to grab and unlatch the seatbelt. I highly recommend grabbing the seatbelt and pulling it out before taking a seat. This way you aren’t trying to reach down by your hip to drag it around your body. But otherwise, I had no issues with the amount of length that the seatbelt had, I was perfectly comfortable and was able to enjoy this attraction with my family!

• Living with the Land: This one is another slow moving attraction that has plenty of space and wiggle room. Living with the Land is a slow moving boat ride that takes you through the relationship between people and land/agriculture. The boat itself is a very simple ride to get in and out of, it’s a step down to get in and a step up to get out.
  
  The boat itself has several rows which can fit a couple of people. There are no lap bars or seat belts so seating is spacious and comfortable. This attraction isn’t the most exciting but it’s a great ride that allows you to sit back and take a breather.

• Journey into Imagination with Figment*: This was another ride that unfortunately did not make the list when we visited but from videos and images I have researched online, this attraction is a slow moving vehicle, very similar to Spaceship Earth. Each vehicle has two rows that can hold 2-4 people and is very easy to get in and out of.
  
  The vehicle also doesn’t have any seat belts or lap bars, making it a more comfortable ride and size-inclusive. Like other vehicles though, the actual row itself doesn’t have a ton of leg room for my taller friends so be aware of that if you find yourself on the taller side.

• The Seas with Nemo & Friends: Here we have another slow moving vehicle ride. Each vehicle is in the shape of clamshell that has two “clamshell” gates that open up to let riders in. It’s a pretty easy ride to get into as all you have to do is step up and into the vehicle. Depending on your side and if you have wider hips, I recommend stepping in at an angle as the clamshell gates don’t open up a ton and can be restricting.
  
  Just turn to the side as you step up and you should be good to go! Like the other slow moving vehicles in EPCOT, this ride doesn’t have any belts or lap bars so it’s a pretty comfortable attraction with each clamshell fitting 2-4 people, depending on your sized. I was able to fit comfortable with my teenage daughter and enjoy the ride fully!

Shows

• Turtle Talk with Crush: This show is a fun one for the entire family. During this show, kids and adults alike get the opportunity to converse with Crush and all of the other sea creatures from Finding Nemo. The theater room is an easy one as it features many different seating benches for the adults while the kiddos can take a seat on the floor near the screen. Overall, if you’re looking to have a conversation with the best sea turtle around, this show is a must and is a absolutely size-inclusive!

• Awesome Planet: This attraction is a ten minute theater show that showcases the beauty of planet Earth. This attraction features theater style seats with padded pull down chairs in long rows. I personally didn’t attend this show but like most theater seating, they aren’t typically friendly for plus-sized individuals who carry a lot of weight in their hips and thighs. Because of these seats, this attraction could be a tight squeeze, making it uncomfortable and not size-inclusive.

World Showcase

Rides

• Mexico: Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros*: Similarly to It’s a Small World, this attraction features a slow moving boat ride that takes riders through the Three Caballeros getting into mischief. Each boat has several rows where you can sit and doesn’t feature seat belts or lap bars, making it easy and comfortable for plus-sized individuals. Getting in and out of the boats are easy enough as well, just step down onto the seat, then onto the floor of the boat and vice versa for getting out. Easy peasy!

• Norway: Frozen Ever After: I have mixed feelings about this ride because it used to be one of my favorites when it was Maelstrom and I was firmly on the “don’t fix it if it ain’t broken” sides when they changed it over to Frozen. Despite the theming not being my favorite, it’s still your very standard boat ride attraction that is very size-inclusive.
  
  Just like It’s a Small World, each boast features a couple of rows that can fit 3-4 people per row. The rows don’t have seat belts or lap bars and getting in and out is easy as long as you step down onto the seat, then the flooring and vice versa for getting out! Overall, a fun ride for the family that is comfortable for all shapes and sizes.

• France: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: This attraction takes you on an adventure through the eyes of Remy and pals with the help of 3D. Very much like Test Track, this ride was a fun one but was constantly closing because the mice vehicles could just not keep up. However, when this attraction is up and running, it’s a lot of fun.
  
  Similarly to Imagination with Figment, these vehicles have two rows that can fit 2-4 people. Each row is very spacious and the vehicle was an easy one to get in and out of. Each row does have it’s own lap bar though so just know that you are sharing the lap bar with everyone else in the vehicle. To play it safe, it might be best to fit your smaller part members in another row or to put an arm around them so they don’t move all over the place!

Shows

• Canada & China: Canada Far and Wide & Reflections of China*: I am combining both the Canada and China show as both feature the same type of display. Both of these shows feature a standing room that have a 360 screen that goes around the circular room.
  
  Both of these shows are attractions that you stand to view so there is no need to worry about fitting in any specific type of seating! The theater rooms do have standing bars throughout the room if you need something to hang onto, otherwise these attractions are a simple walk on and walk off.

• The American Adventure*: This attraction is in the form of a theater show that features 35 audio-animatronics and takes guests through the history of America. This show has padded pulldown chairs in long theater row style seats. While I didn’t personally try these seats myself, I am going to say that while you could fit in these chairs, they are not going to be comfortable for my fellow wide hip friends.
  
  However, according to the images on the Touring Plans blog, it does seem like there are seats on some of the end rows that only have an armrest on one side. If you have your heart set on seeing this show, definitely aim for one of these end chairs to make the experience more comfortable!

• France: Beauty and the Beast: Sing-Along, Impressions de France*: This attraction is another theater show that is 15 minutes long and features songs from the animated movie, Beauty & the Beast. This attraction has padded pull down chairs in long rows and just like the other theater style shows, these chairs are not going to be size-inclusive.
  
  These theater style chairs are unfortunately not going to be a winner for individuals who carry a lot of weight in their hips and thighs. While you could try and make the seats works, they would be a very tight squeeze and ultimately create an uncomfortable experience.

And there you have it, my little personal guide to Disney World’s EPCOT park attractions. I hope this guide was informative and helped you with your trip planning. If you’d like to see any visuals of attraction seats, check out the attraction vehicle photo gallery from touring plans!

What were your experiences at EPCOT? Do you have plans to visit Disney World this year?

Wants to see my other plus-size guides for? Check out the guides for the other Disney World parks!

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