Visiting Epcot with young children can be challenging if you aren't prepared. In this guide we will break down how to make the most of Epcot with your kids.
Parents often ask "should we skip Epcot with our kids"? Some people will say it's a skip but at Hooray Travel Day we feel if you have the right plan in place Epcot can be one of you and your children's favorite Walt Disney World parks. Our travel curators are always available for a complimentary consultation for your perfect Disney World vacation, our customized service will include detailed touring plans for you and your family but here we will start to outline our best tips for fun for the whole family when visiting Epcot.
Kidcot Fun Stops
Okay, we will admit this is the easy one but we would be remiss to talk about Epcot with kids and not mention the Kidcot Fun Stops. This is a great way to give parents the opportunity to explore the World Showcase, with a stop at every international pavilion your family gets the opportunity to absorb the food and culture at each with a fun stop for the kids along the way. Begin your journey at any stop and you can obtain your Ziploc brand plastic bag "suitcase" and your first travelers card. Each card will feature fun facts about the country and a scene from the country featuring Disney characters. Collect these cards as you visit each country around the World Showcase.
Tip: pack crayons and these make for a great activity while you enjoy food booths or a table-service meal.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends Aquarium
The Seas with Nemo and friends offers so much to explore your family could spend an entire morning there. Home to a 5.7 million gallon saltwater aquarium it is the second largest in the United States, just behind the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Over 1,200 animals and 42 species call The Seas at Epcot their home. The Seas offer beautiful views, hidden Mickey's, hands-on interactive engagement and even a scavenger hunt.
Beyond the aquarium this area also offers two attractions that are enjoyable for all ages and heights. The first, Seas with Nemo & Friends, you'll board a "clam-mobile" where you adventure below the surface to help find Nemo and see all his friends along the way.
In addition to the Seas with Nemo your family can enjoy a 15 minute interactive chat with Crush the turtle at Turtle Talk with Crush, this show is sure to get laughs from the kids and adults as the audience gets to ask Crush questions, improvised every time you can visit again and again and always be surprised.
Tip: If you plan to visit the park during the heat of the day the aquarium and its associated attractions are a great break from the heat but can be crowded.
Play Areas
Epcot has no shortage of play areas for kids, both indoor and outdoor. These interactive play areas are a great space for your kids to reenergize from other experiences where waiting in line may exhaust them. They also often allow parents an opportunity to take a moment in a shady spot and relax.
1. Along the Imagination Pathway is a fun playground currently sponsored by AdventHealth called Health Full Trail this play area features plenty of fun for kids and shaded seating for adults to take a break and recaffeinate.
2. At Green Landing Family Play Zone- just outside of the Creations shop and across from Test Track you'll find one of the best outdoor playgrounds. Often rebranded through sponsorship it typically changes with each Epcot festival.
3. As previously mentioned, the aquarium offers a variety of activities including one of our favorite indoor play areas Bruce's Shark World. Here fun interactive toys geared for children and cute photo ops make this a favorite stop for everyone.
4. Space Base: located at the Mission Space exit, but available even if you are not choosing to ride the attraction (and we don't recommend it for most kids under 8), this area offers an interactive indoor playground for kids and a great break from the heat. Featuring an indoor playground space as well as interactive computer based games you can find for a wide age group to enjoy here.
5. Imageworks The "What If" Labs: another indoor play area located at the exit to a ride, this one is located at the Journey Into Imagination with Figment ride. While this ride is more appropriate for young kids than Mission Space you can still access the play area without riding. Full of sensory activities this spot is perfect for little ones with many interactive play areas including create your own figment and making music via stepping stones.
Rides and Attractions
When you travel to Walt Disney World you obviously plan to ride some rides and see some shows. Beyond height requirements some attractions may have elements that just aren't ideal for young children, so let's break down what we do and do not recommend for the 8 years old and younger group at Epcot.
Rides and Attractions your young children will love:
First we will cover the World Celebration area, this is the section closest to the front of the park. As previously mentioned the aquarium area has two attractions that young children will love; The Seas with Nemo and Turtle Talk with Crush also typically have lower wait times making them incredibly young children friendly.
Walking towards the World Showcase you'll find The Land building, inside you'll find one attraction we recommend for kids (but this is likely the 5-8 year old age group) and one we don't (more on it later). Soarin' Around the World does have a 40 inch height requirement and while it may not be suitable for those with a fear of heights, it is a favorite for many including us. You'll feel as though you are floating through the clouds via the 180-degree, 80-foot IMAX digital projection dome from your suspended seat. The beautiful views, lovely scents and delightful musical score make the experience an immersive one you'll never forget.
Nearby you'll find Journey Into Imagination with Figment, on this slow ride you'll learn about the five senses with a curious dragon, Figment, and Dr. Nigel Channing your goofy but lovable guide.
Opposite from your fun with Figment in the World Celebration pavilion you'll find Test Track, this ride is also better for the 5-8 year old group and has a 40" height requirement as well. Your kiddos will love designing their own race car in the interactive design center. After the design process you'll board a 6 seat car and test the track with speeds up to 65mph this is a fast and fun ride.
Onto the World Showcase we go! When it comes to the World Showcase we already shared how Kidcot gives you a great opportunity to explore with your children but there are also some attractions within the pavilions your kids are sure to love. We'll start in Mexico, you can't miss the Mexico Pavilion pyramid, modeled after the Aztec Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the God of life) at Teotihuacan. Inside you'll find a festive marketplace to explore and the entrance to Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. On this boat ride you'll cruise down the Rio Grande and take in views of famous sites in Mexico in search of Donald Duck with the help of his two caballeros, Panchito (a rooster) and José (a parrot).
Next up you'll find the Norway Pavilion and one of the most popular rides in Epcot, Frozen Ever After. Venture to Elsa's ice castle in a boat and see all her friends along the way, the songs and visual colors in this ride will have your kids (and many adults) wanting to do it again and again!
The last World Showcase stop we will highlight with favorite rides is France. Admittedly we may be biased, France is our favorite for the music, food and entertainment. Here your family can enjoy the Beauty and the Beast Singalong, in a charming French styled cinema this 15 minute singalong will tell the tale as old as time with a bit of a fun twist. Last, but certainly not least is one of the newest rides at Epcot, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. Sacré bleu! On this ride you'll shrink down to the size of Chef Remy for a fast paced 4D adventure through Gusteau’s famous Paris restaurant.
Rides and Attractions we don't recommend:
Now that we've reviewed the rides we think your whole family (including the little ones) will love let's talk through a few we don't recommend.
First up, Mission Space. Honestly, not only do we not recommend this ride for children we don't recommend it at all. While you can avoid some motion sickness via the more mild green version this ride simulates a journey to Mars we would rather not take.
Potentially an unpopular opinion, we also would steer clear of Spaceship Earth with little ones. While we could admire Spaceship Earth for hours, particularly at night for the Beacon of Magic light show, this slow moving, dark journey through time is not likely to entertain your young children and some may find portions scary.
Next on our list that could upset the die hard Epcot crowd, Living with the Land is likely not going to be a favorite with the younger crowd. This 15 minute slow moving boat ride has some beautiful scenery but likely not enough entertainment for most young children.
Entertainment
Entertainment at Epcot is abundant. Throughout the world showcase you'll find a variety of musical performances and character appearances. The My Disney Experience app will show you when and where characters will appear throughout the day, though be warned as meet and greets have returned to traditional hands-on interactions some lines can be long.
When it comes to entertainment at Epcot there are three must's on our list; Club Cool, Epcot Beacon of Magic and Harmonious.
We will start with Club Cool, a great break from the heat, here you can enjoy tasting a variety of Coca Cola products from around the world free of charge. From the tropical flavors of Dominican Republics Country Club Merengue to bitter Beverly from Italy you can try it all!
Introduced with Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary but here to stay Beacons of Magic light up each parks iconic symbol and Spaceship Earth steals the show! Watch the coordinated light show every evening and take in the beauty of Epcot before the fireworks. Ahh the fireworks, we've saved the best for last! Harmonious is Epcot's new nightly fireworks show and it is our favorite of all the parks. Available to view from all around the World Showcase this fireworks, light and water show will take your breath away with its music and inspiration from around the world. Your kids will recognize unique versions of some of their favorite Disney songs and be in awe as they sing and dance along, we can't think of a more perfect way to end your day at Epcot.
Summary
By now we hope we've illustrated just how much there is for young children to enjoy at Epcot. Here is the crazy part, this just scratches the surface! Inside country pavilions you'll find exhibits and shops abound to explore. Epcot is known for amazing festivals year round and depending on when you visit you may have an opportunity enjoy interactive art exhibits geared for every age, live concerts, and food booths with inventive snacks like fruit loop topped milkshakes or flavorful flatbreads. We feel confident with the right plan in place and guidance from our family focused travel curators your entire family with make memories at Epcot you'll never forget.
Ready to get your visit to Epcot or any other Walt Disney World theme park started? Our travel curators take the work out of vacation planning and put joy in family travel. You can request a free consultation to get your planning process started and let us handle all the details.
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