10 Tips to Drink Around The World

Drinking around the World in Epcot’s World Showcase is a Disney Bucket List item for many and a regular routine for others. There are many things you can learn about each pavilion before you start drinking, but what else do you need to know? Here are some tips you should know before you drink around the world.

Pack a water bottle

I say this in almost any Disney post, that you should bring an empty water bottle in the parks, but this is especially important if you plan to drink around the world. It is 11 countries (or 12 if you are including the African outpost) which means 11 drinks, you need to stay hydrated. This is even more important if you are attempting this in the Florida summer heat. Any quick service location will give you cups of ice water for free. I highly recommend bringing one that is a 24-hour cool water bottle so it remains nice a cold and doesn’t drip from condensation in your bag. At the very least, try and stop at every other country to refill your water bottle. Your head will thank you in the morning.

Plan a food break

We planned ahead and stopped at Via Napoli for a late lunch (hello carb heaven) which was perfect for us since the best food to accompany a day of drinking is clearly delicious pizza. If you don’t want to stick to a strict schedule and make a reservation, there are a few quick service locations you can pop into as well. We liked that our stop was inside since it was incredibly hot that day. You can also challenge yourself to snack around the world so you are sampling a different type of food and drink in each country!

Know your limits

If you are not a big drinker consider alternating a snack at each country and a drink at another. You still adventure around the world, but won’t need to be carried out by your friends at the end of the night. A lot of people also choose to split drinks among friends so they aren’t drinking 11 drinks, but roughly 5.5 drinks. Some people decide to do this, not because of the alcohol, but because of the cost, which brings me to my next point.

It gets expensive

You are essentially going to 11 different bars and having a drink. Unless you were in a college town at happy hour, that is going to be expensive anywhere, and Disney is no different. If you are planning on drinking an assortment of liquor, wine, and beer, assume you are spending anywhere between $10-$12 on each drink. Some will be less, and others will be much more (looking at you delicious margaritas at La Cava del Tequila). If you have your heart set on drinking in each country and not splitting them, consider doing some different side hustles before vacation to save up for that day. Anytime you are on vacation the quickest way to stop relaxing is to suddenly have to figure out what happened to your budget.

Make it a long day

The best way to complete this is to start when the World Showcase opens. Depending on the time of year you are visiting you will have more time than some, but you want to allow plenty of time to finish. Grab a drink at each country and explore! The World Showcase is huge and always has things going on, so you can easily wander with a drink in hand. We spent at least 30 minutes in each country (probably closer to an hour for some) so we could take our time and make sure we weren’t chugging rapidly. Exploring the pavilions is especially helpful to beat the heat in Florida as well.

Eat breakfast

This seems like an obvious statement, but you are on vacation and sometimes get really excited about what you are about to do you forget to prep. This is a marathon, not a spring situation so get a nice big breakfast for the day. Grab a reservation at one of the table service restaurants in Epcot or the Boardwalk area, so you are ready to go!

Try the local beverages

The best part about drinking around the world is trying things from around the world. Clearly, when you go to America you can have a classic beverage like Budweiser (you shouldn’t, you should always get the red stag slushy, it is heaven and amazing), but try to branch out at the other pavilions. The hardest one is going to be Norway because the only real drink it is known for is a very disgusting shot which you should more than likely skip. Don’t simply order a beverage that looks interesting that you can get anywhere else in WDW (looking at you magical star cocktail). Sure, it is an awesome drink and you get a light up ice cube, but it is sold at almost every table restaurant on property. Sample something new!

Make the next day a slow one

You might be one of the super lucky people who never get hangovers, but chances are someone in your group will get one. Don’t plan to be at rope drop the next morning and run over to Space Mountain. Plan to do something low key like lounging by the pool for the day or take a stroll through Disney Springs.

Keep track of your drinks

You can keep track of your drinks by taking a photo, adding a note to your phone, or getting a drink around the world lanyard. Whatever method you would like, the reason I highly suggest doing this so sober you can remember the drinks you liked or hated the day after. By the time you hit country 11, you might not remember the name of the drink you fell in love with at country 4.

You don’t have to prep that much

This seems silly considering if you are already reading this you want to know as much as you can before embarking on this crazy adventure, but it also isn’t that crazy. You absolutely can look up what to order at each bar or even more specifically which bar to even go to in the first place. Some countries have multiple locations and they are not all created equal (looking at you Mexico pavilion and your slushy margs). As long as you drink responsibly and are aware of your group and surroundings, it can be an excellent day.