Is EPCOT a fun place for younger kids

[kinghorse]

We always go to Magic Kingdom but now that my daughter is 5 I was wondering if there is enough fun things to do there that would interest her. I haven't been there in years. Thanks

 

[Colinsmom]

On our last trip, that's the only park that our DS5 and DS2 asked to go back to. DS5 loved Test Track, Soarin, and Mission Space. DS2 loved Nemo, the Land ride, the Mexico ride and the fountains. We love how open Epcot feels compared to the other parks, plus all of the food options!!

 

[crisi]

A lot of kids - including mine - like it a lot. My kids at five really enjoyed the Kidcot stations - in fact we had to do a final evening in Epcot so they could finish getting all the dangly stuff for their masks.

 

[ILuvCrush]

all 3 of my kids loved Epcot on their 1st trip DS(11) DD(7) DD(5)
They really got into getting their passports stamped in each of the countries and looking for the pressed penny machine in each country. Even more than the rides!! DS is not a "rider" but he really liked the Seas (the real fish...not so much the Nemo ride) But both DDs loved Test Track, Mission Space (green line), Soarin, Maelstrom. They all loved Imageworks at the end of Figment...we spent a good hour in there during evening EMH...no one else was there and they could play with everything...it was awesome!!

Your DD will find stuff she likes... definattely figure on the passport for WS you can buy a kit w/ passport, a button, and stickers almost anywhere in Epcot. The kids collected all the stamps, then o the way home, they added the stickers into the book. Good times, good times


Paula

 

[sardanem]

Epcot has always been my favorite park and my kids all love it. It has worked out that all three of my kids have been to DW at the age of 5 and they all loved Epcot. It upsets me when I read that these families skip Epcot because they think there is nothing to do there. I highly recommend it. Go and have fun. Now, Animal Kingdom is another story.

Lisa

 

[bartleby1]

We actually spent 3 full days in Epcot on our last trip. It is one of my kids favorite parks. We've always enjoyed it, but now that my 3 year old is over 40 inches, we found it even more enjoyable because she could do everything that my older ones did. Soarin was probably everyone's favorite but there is so much to do in Epcot. My kids loved the new version of the "big ball" (spaceship earth) and had a blast during EMH doing the games and stuff after the ride. They always do the masks at the kidcots and you can find quite a few characters in the countries that have fairly short lines sometimes.

I, too, cannot understand why families with young children feel that they should skip Epcot. Honestly, my kids probably enjoy it almost as much as Magic Kingdom, and so do I! It is such a beautiful park to explore.

 

[vcgirl925]

Epcot is my least favorite park.

With that said we are going to give the ole college try. I think my ds4 will like test track, honey i shrunk the audience, ellens universe of energy, soarin', nemo, turtle talk with crush, kid cot stations, and spaceship earth.

 

[tinkandpan]

It has been my kids favorite parks since they were babes. THey love some of the simpler attractions (they don't like Soarin and Test track yet at 5). They love Nemo, Spacship Earth, The Land, Mexico- etc... the character visits are great as well. It's a nice relaxed day for us and them.

 

[brymolmom]

My kids love it - they are 4 and 6 now but we have loved it for a couple years. Our 'usuals' and favorites (starred) are:
Nemo Ride
Turtle Talk with Crush *
Soarin' ****
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Test Track *
Sending e-postcards with pictures home
Acrobats in China
Norway Princess Breakfast ****
Voices of America ***
Spaceship Earth
Free Visa Meet and Greet and free picture *
Computer games in innovations *
Living with the Land boat ride *
Mexico boat ride
Norway boat ride


We are staying offsite in Nov and likely only going to WDW for 2 days during this trip (staying at Nick hotel for 2 nights and visiting some friends other days) - and my kids are very upset because they LOVE Soarin and Test Track but I don't think this is one of the 2 parks we're going to visit this time around.

 

[kinghorse]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. This year we will try EPOCOT along with the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Fantasmic23]

We always go to Magic Kingdom but now that my daughter is 5 I was wondering if there is enough fun things to do there that would interest her. I haven't been there in years. Thanks

I was kind of angry with my family when we went to Epcot during our second day in WDW (we did MK the first day and everyone loved it).

One would have thought that I had dragged them to an intensive, all-day insurance seminar instead of to the most happiest/magical place on earth. All they did was complain, from DH on down to DS (then 5). DD (then 9) whined: "I feel like I'm on a school field trip!" DH: "This place is too 'Save-the-memorial-oak-tree-society' for me." DS: "I'm bored ... I'm bored!" I think a lot of the kids' negative attitudes came from observing DH. The old saying - Children Learn What They Live.

I, however, was in my glory at Epcot and I tried hard to ignore the whines, moans and groans that surrounded me that day. I made them go on Spaceship Earth, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, the Circle of Life movie (oh, was the complaining ever bad after this!), the Living With the Land boat ride, Under the Sea with Nemo (That's the name, right? The Nemo ride, right?), etc., etc. Much to my dismay, we did not do Mission Space, Test Track or Soarin'. Let's face it: There were MANY things that we did not do. Attitudes improved slightly while walking through France (I needed strong coffee by then), but only slightly. DS vomitted in the car on the way back to the condo that night. Just perfect. Maybe that was the trouble (with DS anyway) all along. The consensus was that on our next WDW trip (February 2009), no one wanted to go back to Epcot.

Of course, now DS and DD claim that they really enjoyed Epcot. HUH? You know, now that we're home and WDW is a fond but distant memory. Suddenly DD wants to do Soarin' more than anything and all DS seems to talk about it Test Track (I know it's because they've heard their friends talking. Of course, I've been showing them what they missed out on, courtesy of YouTube).

When and if we go back to WDW (It's kind of up in the air now due to financial things ) , I think I'll go to Epcot ALONE.

 

[WDWMaiselFamilyWDW]

My DS's, who were 5 and 3 last trip, love Epcot. In fact, we usually end up visiting it more often than we do MK!

Boys are probably more inclined to like it -- Test Track and Mission: Space are favorites of my older son. My youngest likes the Nemo ride, and we all adore Soarin'. That has to be one of my favorite WDW attractions. Turtle Talk is really great as well and is specifically for little ones.

The World Showcase is a lot of fun for kids if you know where to look! My 3-yr-old could have spent all day at Germany's train garden. And there are character meet-n-greets in various countries too.

I would NEVER skip Epcot on a trip to WDW.

 

[herodrx1]

EPCOT is by far my families favorite park. Everyone loves it. It has enough "thrill" rides for my 13y/o son but enough slow rides for my chicken 9y/o daugher. The kids love playing the "games" in future world. The mask make the back half fun for the kids too.

Please don't skip EPCOT!!

 

[PixieDustLove]

i think the best thing about Epcot is that there are barely any lines for the character greeting spots!! you also see more characters walking about the park ready to say hello or sign an autograph

 

[delmar411]

my kids all love Epcot although it is a lot of walking in the direct sun so it is where I hear the most complaints...mine included!

 

[Camno's Mama]

We really didn't enjoy most of Epcot last year. Some parts of it were great...ds LOVED Soarin'. I think he would have liked Test Track, but the loudness of the cars as you get close scared him. We also loved the character meet and greet. Definitely worth the wait to see all of them! And the Nemo ride was pretty awesome as well as Turtle Talk with Crush.

The World Showcase was not a hit. We did do the Kidcot Fun Station things, but WE were bored with that stuff by the end. We felt like it was all we really did in WS! If we were to do WS again next year, we would wait until they are sleeping in the stroller and take a walk through. Or do it close to the end of the day right before the show.

We are going back, but with better planning. We will stay most of the time in the Futureworld part. And while the mask was pretty cool, I think we may "forget" it's there. (Let's just say, my son likes to take his time, and WDW is too expensive to just sit there and color with permanant markers!)

If your kids are big enough to ride the rides, it will be immensely more fun than if you have even one that is too small!

 

[LauraP22]

we just got back Monday and both my kiddos ages 2 and 3 loved Epcot

 

[SmallWorld71]

My kids love Epcot! I think a lot of it is how you approach the park. You really have to "hurry up and slow down" to enjoy Epcot. As in, grab a FP, go on a few headliners and then just enjoy.
Anyway, here is DD5's list of things she enjoyed on our trip a few weeks ago:
-Mission Space (non-spinning side)
-Spaceship Earth
- The Where's the Fire? exhibit/ game in Innoventions
-Soarin
-Living with the Land
- The play area after the Imagination Ride
-The Kidcot stops
-The Chinese acrobats in WS
-The Seas with Nemo and Friends
-Turtle Talk with Crush
-Exploring the seas "fish tanks"
-Meeting the characters in WS (lines are so much better than any other park)
-The boat ride in Mexico
-Illuminations
- If it is hot, Epcot has the best water play fountains but the kids get soaked!

Have fun!

 

[Corbin's Mom]

Epcot has always been my favorite park and my kids all love it. It has worked out that all three of my kids have been to DW at the age of 5 and they all loved Epcot. It upsets me when I read that these families skip Epcot because they think there is nothing to do there. I highly recommend it. Go and have fun. Now, Animal Kingdom is another story.

Lisa

If I had to choose between Animal Kingdom and Epcot, I would definitely choose Epcot. Our 3-year old loves the Kidcot Fun Stops, Turtle Talk with Crush, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, and Journey into the Imagination with Figment. We also never miss Mission Space, Soarin, Test Track, and Maelstrom. I love the World Showcase at night time. It would be hard for us to pick a favorite park, but I would say Epcot and Magic Kingdom are tied for first place.

 

[5 for WDW]

Epcot is our family's favorite park. My kids are 11,8 and almost 5. They want to spend more time there then at MK.
They love the rides but, they also really enjoy World Showcase.