The evolution of EPCOT’s former Future World is accelerating with the recent opening of the newly relocated Club Cool, and today we’re sharing our first sips from inside the much-missed Coca-Cola experience.
Walt Disney World guests can once again enjoy free samples of Coca-Cola soft drinks from around the world inside Club Cool, the long-running store/attraction that was originally located in Epcot’s Future World West, until the park’s Innoventions buildings were demolished last year.
Now, Club Cool has reawakened on EPCOT’s east side, adjacent to the brand-new Creations Shop that replaced MouseGear as the park’s main retail location.
Like any cool club, there’s likely to be a queue for Club Cool, and we waited about 20 minutes to enter during the experience’s opening week.
Once through the doors, you can have one member of your party wait in line for the soda fountain while the others explore the branded Coca-Cola merchandise on offer.
Here’s a quick look around EPCOT’s new Club Cool:
If you only want to purchase merchandise or an ice-cream float, ask if you can bypass the line and head to the counter in the rear of Club Cool.
Club Cool’s queueing system means each party is able to have a drink-dispensing station all to themselves once their turn finally arrives. That means no more bumping elbows with strangers as you try to fill your complimentary shot-glass-size cardboard cups.
Unfortunately, while the new line organization is well-intentioned, it also makes for a more time-consuming process. Furthermore, there are no tables to stand at or trays to carry your cups—just a couple of trash cans to hover over. And once you step away from the fountains you are expected to exit, making it difficult to sample all eight available flavors. Perhaps if guests were handed paper trays with cupholders (as used for beverage flights at the park’s food festivals) the whole experience would feel less pressured.
As for the drinks themselves, aside from the aforementioned bitter Beverly, all the foreign Coke products are brand-new to EPCOT.
Our favorites were the Sprite with Cucumber from Russia; Royal Wattamelon from the Philippines; and Joy Apple Lychee from Korea.
Our least favorite by a wide margin was Smart Sour Plum from China, which has the distinctive savory tang of barbecue potato chips. Several of the other offerings had intriguing flavors but were far too sweet to sample more than once. And, of course, Beverly remains the best way to prank your unwitting companions into doing a spit-take.
As big fans of anything free, we give the new Club Cool two thumbs up, and we hope that its wonderfully non-sticky floors stay that way (unlike its predecessor). Be sure to check it out next time you are visiting EPCOT with a relaxed touring agenda.
For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, or to plan your family’s trip to Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids.
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