Hey guys! Back in May, a group of friends and I went to Orlando to take on the Drinking Around the World Challenge at Epcot in Disney World.
So what is this “Drinking Around the World Challenge at Epcot”?
Drinking Around the World at Epcot Challenge in Disney World was designed to showcase countries around the world. There are 11 countries and each country has a stop along the route. The “country” has buildings, plants, decorations, etc. that are genuine to how the actual country would look if you were there. Each country also has food and drinks that are authentic to the country’s culture. The challenge to drink around the world is that you go to each country and order an alcoholic beverage. You have to finish 11 drinks and survive, and then you can say you’ve completed the challenge.
You might think that Disney World is just a place for kids to go and enjoy because it’s “magical”. However, drinking around the world Epcot is a fun way for adults to go to Disney and still find something they can do that doesn’t involve kids.
Tips To Survive the Challenge
In this post, I’ll share 5 tips to survive the challenge and Drinking Around the World Challenge cost.
1. Take your time!
Epcot is open from 11 am to 10 pm daily. Although you should double-check this before you go in case they change the schedule. So you have 11 hours for 11 countries.
So if your goal is to survive, and we know the liver can metabolize a drink an hour, then take the whole day and go slowly!
2. Eat the snacks!
While each country has a signature drink, which is where the challenge came from, they also have snacks! For example, in Germany, we got huge pretzels, and in France, we got ham and cheese croissants. If necessary, eat some of the delicious (albeit, expensive) snacks to soak up some of the alcohol.
Tip: if you don’t want to spend the money on snacks, bring your own. You can bring small snacks such as protein or nut bars at no cost into the park.
3. Share with your friends!
I went with a group of friends and we split drinks in almost every country. I definitely could have handled my own if we had followed the number one tip and taken our time, but this was my first time completing the challenge and I was honestly a little nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, so a friend and I went half and half and shared each drink. Not only did this keep us from drinking too much, but it also helped offset the cost. Some people will say this is cheating, but I value survival more than I value “doing it right”.
4. Start in Mexico!
This one is a preference, but I highly recommend starting in Mexico instead of Canada, although some people say this is backward, but the park is just a big circle so you really can start on either end. The signature drink in Mexico is a margarita, and in Canada, it’s cider or beer. When we went, we wanted to get the hard liquor out of the way first, because after a full day of drinking I wasn’t sure if I could stomach tequila. Also, it was much easier to finish by sipping on a cider. You know what they say: “Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear. Beer before liquor makes you sicker!”
5. Make sure you stay hydrated!
This is always important when you’re drinking, but especially important in the Florida heat. The heat, and sweating buckets on top of that, will exacerbate the feeling of being drunk. Keep a water bottle on hand to make sure you don’t get dehydrated!
Now that you know how to hopefully survive and make it around the world successfully, I’ll go down the list of countries and the Drinking Around the World Challenge cost.
list of countries and the cost
1 . Mexico
Blood Orange Margarita – $17
This one was delicious! I thought it was pretty strong though, so if you consider yourself a lightweight this is one I would share with a friend.
2. Norway
Frozen Viking Coffee – $15
This one was really good but SUPER sweet. It’s coffee, chocolate, and Bailey’s. If your stomach doesn’t handle sweetness well, I would share this one too purely for the sake of not getting sick from the sugar.
3. China
Canto Loopy – $11
This was a cantaloupe flavored vodka drink – I’m not a huge cantaloupe lover so this one wasn’t my favorite, but I will say it was very light and quite easy to drink.
4. Germany
Grapefruit Beer – $10
This one was delicious! In my opinion, it tasted more like a cider than most beers do. If you aren’t a beer drinker they also had some liquor options, but I wanted to try the most authentic drinks at each stop. Germany also has HUGE pretzels and this was our first snack stop – highly recommend if you’re a carb lover like me!
5. Italy
Rossini – $13
This one was one of my favorites! I am a champagne lover, and a Rossini is basically sparkling wine and strawberry puree (comparable to a Bellini, which is peach).
6. America
Frozen Red Stag Lemonade – $15
I was SHOCKED at how much I liked this drink. It’s made with frozen lemonade and bourbon and I absolutely hate bourbon. You really couldn’t taste it at all though – the lemonade was the prominent flavor and it was so refreshing on such a hot day!
7. Japan
Violet Sake – $10
I’ll be the first to say, I do not like sake. If that’s you, I highly encourage you to branch out and try this violet sake! There were multiple flavors, but most people say the violet is the best. I can almost guarantee you’ll be surprised at how much you like this!
8. Morocco
Frozen Citrus Pomegranate Slushy – $15
Much like the frozen lemonade from America – it was really good, not too sweet, and very refreshing on a hot summer day in Florida!
9. France
Citron Slush – $12
Again, a frozen refreshing beverage guaranteed to cool you off in the heat. This one was lemon flavored and it was probably my favorite of the frozen drinks. It was very mild – not too sweet or tart. I shared this one with a friend and we both regretted not getting our own – I could have had three of them all by myself! We also got ham and cheese croissants in a little bakery located at the back of the country. They were so good, and a must have if you’re hungry for a snack.
10. United Kingdom
Pear Cider – $10
This was so good! By this time of the day we were winding down and the cider was a nice drink to sip on while walking through and looking at the sights.
11. Canada
Starcut Cider – $10
This cider was also good, but not quite as good as the pear cider from the UK in my opinion. Still, it was a good drink to end on!
Total Cost: $138 (plus or minus the change, and not including snacks)
So, as you can see it is not cheap to do this! However, it was a full day of entertainment and we had so much fun exploring the park and seeing all that the different countries had to offer. As long as you have the disposable funds, I definitely recommend this activity next time you go to Disney World!
Pro Tip: Each country has a “passport” with a stamp. Find them, collect them all, and turn them in at the end for a fun little scavenger hunt surprise! I went with a group of adults and we loved this, but if you’re going through Epcot with kids this would also be a great way to keep them entertained and engaged.
