1st Disney World Trip - Skipping Epcot ok?

[Meeko5]

We didn't stay late at Epcot, but found plenty to do from open to a 5pm dinner with out 6 and 1.5yo kids. They loved the seas pavilion, and using rider swap on soarin and test track with the older on sucked up quite a bit of time. They also loved watching the trains in the world showcase, feeding ducks, and watching the fountains. I wouldn't skip it!

We also found 2 days at MK plenty, but were there from open - 6 or 7 both nights without leaving for a break so that depends on your touring style.

 

[Jonestown000]

I'd say do a half day at Epcot, a few of the rides, see the storytellers, then head back to Poly for marshmallows on the beach and then watch the EWP and Wishes from there later.

My son loved Epcot at age 5. But we didn't stay for illuminations, we were back at Poly by 6:30pm.

Good to know. I don't think we would stay late if we decided to go, so maybe it could be a day where we spent more time at the resort and didn't worry about how long we were in the park.

 

[Jonestown000]

I say book the Epcot day when you make ADRs and FP when the time comes make it somewhere towards the end of the trip. Then after your two MK days if you feel you need another MK day switch things around. You can cancel your ADR and change your FP then. I don't think you can really predict what your kids are going to like. In theory I say visit all the parks (Epcot is my fav!) but if your kids are loving MK and want to go back do it!

Is it bad to skip Epcot not at all, but you may end up wanting to visit it too.

This sounds like a good idea. Basically make Epcot our last day (which is Friday), and if we feel like our boy would like more time at MK (or AK, or HS) we can always audible and just cancel any reservations. But, if we've gotten our fill at the other parks, we can give Epcot a shot and may end up really glad we did.

 

[Jonestown000]

We didn't stay late at Epcot, but found plenty to do from open to a 5pm dinner with out 6 and 1.5yo kids. They loved the seas pavilion, and using rider swap on soarin and test track with the older on sucked up quite a bit of time. They also loved watching the trains in the world showcase, feeding ducks, and watching the fountains. I wouldn't skip it!

We also found 2 days at MK plenty, but were there from open - 6 or 7 both nights without leaving for a break so that depends on your touring style.

Had your older one been to MK before? I'm expecting that the first few hours of the first day at MK will be taken up by our boy just looking around wide-eyed at everything. I don't want to make any reservations for rides or anything too early because I think he'll just end up taking some time to take it all in. Plus, it seems like people generally recommend using the FPs for rides later in the morning when the park starts to get more busy, since the regular lines aren't too bad when the park first opens.

 

[cel_disney]

We enjoy Christmas at Epcot - it's well decorated and there is a lot of fun things to learn about Santa in different countries! We went the first week of December with our kids when they were 4 months and 4 years respectively and my 4 year old really enjoyed all of the stories in addition to the many things that are always there! (We love Turtle Talk, the shark display, living with the land, and , test track, the character options are awesome, and the restaurants and adult drink options are a bonus!

I like the idea of skipping illuminations.

We think 2 days at MK is enough!

 

[Jonestown000]

Epcot has an entirely different vibe. And it was always meant to. It is not "a day at an amusement park" the way the MK and DHS are. It was designed to be more like "a day at the World's Fair". We really enjoy it, but I have to admit, it took a bit of getting used to, and some significant changes along the way to win us over. (I remember going in 1982 when it opened wondering if I would ever go back.) But if you are in the mindset of only wanting days at amusement parks, then by all means skip Epcot. As I said, it is an entirely different kind of day, if you don't want that kind of day this time around, then there is no reason to force the issue. Is it possible for a family with kids age 5 and 1 to have a great day at Epcot? Sure. Do all such families enjoy Epcot? No. Will your family enjoy it? No one here can predict that.

I don't necessarily think that we will be super hardcore about rides or anything, so the vibe you're describing isn't necessarily an issue. I actually suspect my boy will really like AK because of the things like the festivals and stuff like that.

It really is guesswork to a degree, and who knows what he'll be into 6+ months from now? He certainly isn't into the same stuff today that he was last December. Such are the challenges of planning everything out this far (but it's kind of fun too). As someone else said, it's not like there's a wrong choice, all the options are good....

 

[Jonestown000]

There is Candlelight Processional, which is what you're thinking of - a nighttime performance. There are, additionally, storytellers in each country that tell the story of their particular country's Christmas traditions. The storytellers in each country are there throughout the day, and have performance times listed on the Times Guide.

thank you for clearing that up for me!

 

[Gina Starr]

I vote for skipping Epcot. I have only been to WDW three times so I'm not an expert. The first two times we skipped it and the third time we went but left after only a few hours, didn't even venture into the world showcase. I agree with pp, it is definitely not a normal theme park and it's very big and spread out (at least in my opinion) As an adult who doesn't even travel with kids I would go to MK every single day if I could so I don't think a 3rd day at MK is too much.

 

[Meeko5]

Had your older one been to MK before? I'm expecting that the first few hours of the first day at MK will be taken up by our boy just looking around wide-eyed at everything. I don't want to make any reservations for rides or anything too early because I think he'll just end up taking some time to take it all in. Plus, it seems like people generally recommend using the FPs for rides later in the morning when the park starts to get more busy, since the regular lines aren't too bad when the park first opens.

No, that was our first trip. And while he did enjoy looking at everything he was mostly on a mission to ride everything as fast as possible. We had never been to any theme park before so he was eager to ride everything over doing anything else!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

EP has always been my DS's favorite park (he is now 8, but has been traveling to WDW yearly since he was 1). EP has so many hands-on activities for children and he would much rather interact with something than simply sit in a ride vehicle. He absolutely loves the games after Spaceship Earth, the aquarium, Innoventions, KidCot, Agent P, designing the Test Track car, etc. He once spent an entire hour just in the aquarium. Two days is plenty in MK. I would definitely give EP a try - you may be pleasantly surprised!

 

[Angel Ariel]

thank you for clearing that up for me!

You're welcome! The storytellers are lot of fun...if you go, definitely check a few of them out! I remember France and Norway being my favorites

 

[JimmyV]

I don't necessarily think that we will be super hardcore about rides or anything, so the vibe you're describing isn't necessarily an issue.

Then it sounds as if Epcot might be right up your alley.

 

[NJlauren]

This sounds like a good idea. Basically make Epcot our last day (which is Friday), and if we feel like our boy would like more time at MK (or AK, or HS) we can always audible and just cancel any reservations. But, if we've gotten our fill at the other parks, we can give Epcot a shot and may end up really glad we did.

Exactly! I do feel like sometimes people think we booked FP and a ADR and I'm stuck with this plan. It is the mentality you do all this planning and spend all this time mapping it out, I can't have any spontaneity! But I do feel like a longer trip you can leave some room for spontaneity and doing what the kids want.

A great piece of advice is don't feel like you have to stick to your schedule. For me we always use it as a lose time line, kids as I'm sure you know aren't predictable. They could end up spending hours playing in Casey splash station, and that's ok, and you could end up not getting to do everything and that's ok. For us it's about the experience together regardless of what exactly we are doing.

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

If I had to skip one park with young kids it would be HS not epcot. My kids love epcot.
HS aside from the playhouse Disney show which we only found okay...really only has toy story mania for kids. Other then that it's more scary or thrill seeking rides especially now with all the construction.

 

[Loopster]

Depends on your kids! Mine are 10 and 5 and both voted to skip Epcot for an extra day at MK on our upcoming trip (we will have 3.5 MK days, plus days at HS and AK). They love going on their favorite rides multiple times and frankly, so do I That being said, we've been to Epcot many times before and don't mind skipping it every now and then. I know my kids and it will make for a much more pleasant experience if we skip it this time around, especially with my 5 year old son.

 

[Jonestown000]

If I had to skip one park with young kids it would be HS not epcot. My kids love epcot.
HS aside from the playhouse Disney show which we only found okay...really only has toy story mania for kids. Other then that it's more scary or thrill seeking rides especially now with all the construction.

The Star Wars stuff is the main thing pulling us to HS. My boy is obsessed right now. I'm actually a little nervous about how he'll do with the Star Tours ride, if it might be too intense for him. If it's not too intense though, I can see him just loving it. I also heard good things from a co-worker about the Indiana Jones show, he has a boy about the same age and they really like that one. Lots of people are making strong cases for Epcot though, so I'm definitely re-thinking things.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

As others have said - we would not miss EPCOT. We love everything about EPCOT. Depending on the crowds - MK can get too much - and we love being in EPCOT - it can get crowded - but I have yet to see it as bad as MK. Our kids love the M&Gs - even now as they are older. You also can beat the food. We love eating in EPCOT.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Epcot is wonderful for children your son's age. Especially at Christmas.

The story tellers were mostly outside the last time we went. So a fussy baby wouldn't have bothered them at all.

And we can't visit Epcot without a trip to see Crush. "Dude," you can't miss it.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

EPCOT is by far my favorite park. DHS and DAK are nice, but not must do. EPCOT is the first place I usually go when I get to WDW.

 

[DOOM1001]

Epcot is considered the second best park at WDW,no way I would skip it in favor of a 3rd day at MK.