“Will my young kids enjoy Epcot® or should we just skip it?”
I get asked this question all the time, and it’s always shocking that people view such an amazing park this way! Epcot® has so much to offer, not only for the adults but for the kids as well. It just so happens to be one of my family’s favorite parks to visit. We have taken our kids to Epcot® from infancy and they have loved every minute of it!
True, there are some aspects of Epcot® that kids might not find as appealing as Fantasyland® at the Magic Kingdom® but if you plan accordingly and know in advance what attractions and activities are offered, Epcot® can be a fun and full day for kids of all ages!
So what does Epcot® offer for young children? Below, I’ve listed out my top 10 favorite things to do with kids.
Frozen! If you have a Frozen fanatic in your family, Epcot® is a must do! The Frozen Ever After ride is cute and fun and has no height restrictions so everyone in your family can enjoy it together. Once you get off the ride you can head over to the Royal Sommerhus and get in line to meet Anna and Elsa, who by the way, you can only meet at Epcot®!
Characters! Besides Anna and Elsa, there are some other great characters who exclusively meet at Epcot® as well! Does your child love Baymax or Joy & Sadness from Inside Out? Those characters can also only be seen at Epcot®! In addition to those, there are a slew of other great characters to meet as well such as Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, Chip & Dale, Snow White, Mulan, Belle, Jasmine, Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland!
Aquarium! We love to start our time out here by taking a ride on The Seas with Nemo & Friends®. The exit for this ride filters into the SeaBase Undersea Observation Deck where my family can quite literally spend hours watching the fish, sharks, manatees and turtles and counting how many “Nemo” and “Dory” fish we can find during each visit. There are many interactive activities for kids to do here as well! Also housed in the aquarium is Turtle Talk with Crush, which is a fun interactive show for kids that allows them to sit up front and have direct conversations with Crush. They even have an opportunity to ask him questions that he will answer.
Photo Credit: Nicole Jennings, Key to the World Travel®
Kidcot! True, World Showcase can become boring for young children at times, but Disney knows that so they’ve added a Kidcot Fun Stop in each world for kids to visit, craft and create. For added fun, purchase a Passport for them to get stamped at each stop!
Festival! If you’re headed to Disney in the spring, usually March-May, Epcot® has a beautiful display of flowers at the Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival. Along with the flowers, Disney character shaped topiaries will appear throughout the park that are true works of art and kids will love spotting their favorite characters as you walk around.
Photo Credit: Cheryl Koren, Key to the World Travel®
Fireworks! Disney fireworks and nighttime shows never disappoint, and that remains true for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. If your younger ones can make it until nightfall, be sure to hang around for this amazing show.
Dining! Some of our favorite Disney restaurants are at Epcot®, and there are a few great options that kids will especially love. You can dine while watching fish swim in a floor to ceiling aquarium at Coral Reef, or have fun with Farmer Mickey and friends while eating in the slow rotating Garden Grill Restaurant. If you have a Princess fan, Storybook Dining at Akershus in Norway is a great way to meet a few princesses without having to wait in any lines!
Photo Credit: Erin Jensen, Key to the World Travel®
Play! There are some great interactive play areas around Epcot®. To beat the heat, kids can enjoy running through the splash zone area or trying to catch the leaping fountains. If you’re waiting for bigger kids or adults to finish up on a ride, there are some fun interactive areas at the exits of Mission: Space, Test Track®, and Spaceship Earth. The miniature train set display in Germany is another kid favorite spot to stop and watch the trains go around. To add to the fun, try to see how many Hidden Mickey’s you can find throughout the display! Kids will also enjoy playing Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure!
Rides! Both Soarin’ Around the World and Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet® have a height requirement of 40”, but are great options for slightly taller children. My 3-year-old can ride both and loves them!
My personal favorite aspect of doing Epcot® with kids though is that it is a great park to have a low key day without constantly feeling the need to go-go-go! You can ride a few rides, meet a few characters, eat some authentic ethnic foods and do some shopping without feeling the need to run between rides and attractions to fit it all in!
Disney has done a GREAT job of making sure all four of the parks have something fun to offer everyone and Epcot® is not an exception! So my advice? If at all possible, make time to visit all four parks on your next Walt Disney World® trip, no matter the age of your children, and watch their faces light up with the magic of Disney with each new experience!
All Key to the World Travel® planners are experts and offer the highest level of exemplary customer service. Contact your travel planner to book your vacation, or click here ) to request a quote today!
Megan Ross
Travel Planner
Contact Megan today, using the links below!
