How to Get Into the Space 220 Bar Without a Reservation: Our Standby Strategy

You do not always need a hard-to-get dining reservation to enjoy Space 220. After six bar visits, my preferred strategy is often simply to ask for bar standby — as long as the quoted wait fits the kind of EPCOT day I am having.

Where to check in

Go to the regular Space 220 check-in desk, tucked along the side of Mission: SPACE. Tell the host you want to sit at the bar. When we have done this, we have waited along the wall until our party was called.

My 45-minute rule

If Space 220 is not the main reason I came to EPCOT, 45 minutes is my personal cutoff. I love the bar, but I do not want to burn a huge chunk of a park day standing around when I could be doing something else.

The quoted time can also be conservative. I have been told 45 minutes and gotten seated in about 20.

When I would wait longer

If I specifically came to EPCOT because I wanted to do Space 220, my threshold changes. In that situation, I would wait more than an hour — roughly up to 75 minutes — because the experience itself was already part of the plan.

Party size

I have gone with groups of two through five and have always been able to sit together at the bar.

Best time for families

Children can sit at the bar, but if you are bringing kids I would aim for the afternoon. At night the bar has a more adult lounge feel, and that is when I personally prefer it.

The verdict

If the standby quote is 45 minutes or less, I think the bar is absolutely worth considering during a normal EPCOT day. If the wait is longer, I would only do it when Space 220 is one of the main reasons you came.