Epcot for a 3 year old?

[mrsjoannh13]

We are trying to decide whether or not to spend any time in Epcot during our November trip. It will be me, hubby, DD (turning 3 during our trip) and my 2 parents (both "slow movers", 1 in an ECV). On our arrival day we'll get in early morning and I'm looking for something to do for a few hours. We don't currently have Epcot planned so I'm wondering if that would be a good use of our time? In looking at the Epcot attractions, I don't see much other than some meet & greets that would appeal to the little princess.

For reference, day 2 will be MK, day 3 HS, day 4 MK again, and day 5 AK.

Any input is appreciated - thanks!

 

[SaintsManiac]

I have a 4 year old and she's very excited about Nemo, Turtle Talk and Akershus, as well as the meets in WS. I think kids of any age would enjoy it.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Most three year olds could spend a half day in two locations....Living Seas with Nemo and Figment. Then the character spot in epcot is a great place to meet the classic characters since wait times are always pretty low there. Then, take them through the world showcase for meet & greets while the adults leisurely stroll. When she gets tired, let her nap in the stroller while you guys continue to see the world showcase.

 

[MrsJD]

We took DD at a young age and she enjoyed Epcot. WS is my favorite place on earth, so there is no way I would skip it. We did the kidcot stations to help entertain her. We let her watch ducks and try on hats and have ice cream. I enjoyed a few cocktails. Each kid will be different but we have always managed to keep DD interested at Epcot.

 

[tlmadden73]

If it is not too much money to get tickets for an additional day, I'd say why not.

Otherwise, just take it easy on Day 1 and go to Downtown Disney and enjoy a nice lunch or dinner there.

 

[disnut8]

We are trying to decide whether or not to spend any time in Epcot during our November trip. It will be me, hubby, DD (turning 3 during our trip) and my 2 parents (both "slow movers", 1 in an ECV). On our arrival day we'll get in early morning and I'm looking for something to do for a few hours. We don't currently have Epcot planned so I'm wondering if that would be a good use of our time? In looking at the Epcot attractions, I don't see much other than some meet & greets that would appeal to the little princess.

For reference, day 2 will be MK, day 3 HS, day 4 MK again, and day 5 AK.

Any input is appreciated - thanks!

I wouldn't count out Epcot just because of the age of your child. Epcot is not all about the things inside attractions. Our new grandchild was five the first time we took her to Disney World and while that's two years older than your child, our granddaughter LOVED Epcot. She loved being able to run around World Showcase (not in a whirlwind but not having queues and lines to stand in), listen and see the entertainment in each country, have a snack if she wanted, she did a mask and talked to the Cast Members. On that first visit to Epcot, she didn't even enter a single building and loved it.

So while your daughter might be a princess, just a few hours at Epcot would be good enough for her to decide if she likes it.

 

[caracarn]

We have journeyed to Epcot with our children at various ages, once with one as young as 18 months. We have never regretted the experience. Certainly they will be less interested in certain things, and some things like the dinosaurs in Universe of Energy can be scary, but you will be fine with a 3 year old IMO.

 

[robndani]

My 5 1/2 year olds have LOVED Epcot from the time they were tiny! They could wander around the aquarium and the Mexico building all day! They love the little shows around WS and taking the boat across the water, and the kidCOT stations, and Test Track, and Soarin, and Turtle Talk and the characters and Akershus and Biergarten, sooooo... yeah!

 

[jsbowl16]

We went there with our two year old last year and I think she was more excited to see the "Big Ball" as she called it than she was to see the Castle. We did the few rides she could do in the front of the park until 11am and then we went to World's Showcase right when it opened at 11am and it was nice to walk around there with smaller crowds and we would stop to see the characters in each location. She was excited to see all of the characters and as we talked about them afterwards, we could explore the countries with her in her stroller.

 

[FallsChurchDad]

We went last November with a 3.5 yr old and an 8 month old. We did one day in Epcot, and it was great, with the caveat that we had low expectations in terms of actually doing anything. We viewed our Epcot day as, "It costs an extra $11 per person to add a park day instead of a rest/resort day, so it's easily worth it at that price."

We started with The Seas with Nemo, which both kids enjoyed. The ride exits into the aquarium, which was fantastic since it was nearly empty (crowd level 3, and Epcot was recommended). The kids loved the aquarium - by itself, it would have been worth the $11/person to turn our 7 day tickets into 8 day tickets. Then we did Turtle Talk with Crush, the Nemo ride again (still no line), met Chip and Dale, and rode Living with the Land before an early lunch at Sunshine Seasons. After lunch, we went over to a splash pad area near Test Track and just hung out, and then to the Mission Space play area. Then we went down and rode Spaceship Earth with a FP, before leaving the park for a mid-day break. Around 5:30 pm, we came back and walked around about half of the World Showcase, including doing the boat ride in Mexico and dinner in Morocco. We never even made it to the Imagination pavilion, and the kids didn't do any of the big rides, but it was still a very fun, low-key day.

(By the way, our older son was literally 39.9 inches with shoes on during our trip, which was a bit of a bummer. We assumed he was not going to be tall enough to ride 40 inch rides, but then he had a small growth spurt just before the trip. We tried him at one ride, and he flipped out when he did not make the cut off, so we didn't push it after that.)

 

[Dr.Mickey]

We took our oldest when he was 3 and he loved Epcot - but I've got a theory that he (and most kids that age) like anything "unstructured" like Epcot. He honestly didn't seem to care if something was an attraction or just a nice place to walk or run. He liked Epcot better than MK on that trip for that reason. He was much easier to please at 3 than at 5 to 7 years old when he was fully aware that a day in world showcase was a day NOT riding rides.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

...and I would also say this: Plan the trip mostly for you and your interests and your three year old will have fun. Ask them too many questions about what they want to do next and it may not go so well. Remember a 3 yo doesn't know that It's A Small World is just around the corner.

 

[Ava]

Reiterating what the others have said - a lot of younger kids like the unstructured parts of Epcot. The Seas pavilion (Nemo ride, Turtle Talk w/ Crush, & the aquariums) is great for that age, as is the Figment ride and Imagination pavilion. When my older DD was 2, we rode Figment at least 3 times in a row and then spent a good amount of time playing in the play area.

If the adults in your group want to see World Showcase, I think you'll find enough there to entertain a 3-year-old as well. Lots of street performers to watch and places to explore. There are also lots of characters in WS - Mulan, Belle in her blue dress, Mary Poppins, Alice. Pooh & Tigger meet in the toy shop in the UK and usually have a short wait.

 

[Baptist]

I agree with everyone! A big yes to 1/2 day at Epcot with a 3 year old. How about Akershus for lunch?

 

[luvpooh]

We took our oldest when he was 3 and he loved Epcot - but I've got a theory that he (and most kids that age) like anything "unstructured" like Epcot. He honestly didn't seem to care if something was an attraction or just a nice place to walk or run. He liked Epcot better than MK on that trip for that reason. He was much easier to please at 3 than at 5 to 7 years old when he was fully aware that a day in world showcase was a day NOT riding rides.

Reiterating what the others have said - a lot of younger kids like the unstructured parts of Epcot. The Seas pavilion (Nemo ride, Turtle Talk w/ Crush, & the aquariums) is great for that age, as is the Figment ride and Imagination pavilion. When my older DD was 2, we rode Figment at least 3 times in a row and then spent a good amount of time playing in the play area.

If the adults in your group want to see World Showcase, I think you'll find enough there to entertain a 3-year-old as well. Lots of street performers to watch and places to explore. There are also lots of characters in WS - Mulan, Belle in her blue dress, Mary Poppins, Alice. Pooh & Tigger meet in the toy shop in the UK and usually have a short wait.

We haven't been yet, but I have a strong suspicion that my son is going to prefer this type of park visit vs the line, ride, line, ride touring of MK, for example. Running around the water areas, visiting the aquarium and Imagination areas, and just cruising in his stroller around WS watching the performers (and having snacks!) is going to be more his speed, I think.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

My 3yo shocked me with how much he loved Epcot. In fact we had planned a second DHS day, but he insisted we go back so he could "talk to Crush again before we go home"

Best part was he crashed in his stroller right as we entered the world showcase, so his mom and I were able to enjoy some adult beverages and just relax at our own pace

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We went last fall the week my son turned 3. He loved Epcot. Turtle Time with Crush may be his favorite WDW experience. He also liked Nemo and we had to eventually drag him away from the aquarium area. He also liked Soarin, playing in the area when you exit Spaceship Earth, Journey into Imagination and the play area when you exit there, Innoventions, seeing the characters, etc.. We headed over to the World Showcase for lunch and then he fell asleep in the stroller and we strolled around the countries.

 

[Mainemama]

I like the sound of Epcot for your arrival day with your family, because there is more space and a more relaxed feel. You can wander a bit, just take a few things in without rushing. Plus I just love Epcot, it is my favorite! If you do it first, your dd won't know there is anything more exciting going on, she will be amazed. It is a great park to arrive late to, I find.

 

[jormom1030]

I think there is more for a three year old at Epcot than HS.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

YES! For reference, think of all the places people bring toddlers just to get them out of the house - malls, playgrounds, historical sites, beaches, museums and aquariums - if you have the $ for the tickets, go for it. He will love the fountains, lights, Turtle Crush, The Seas, running around and seeing characters.

My children loved EPCOT way back when and our guests' toddlers had a ball last year.

You deserve some fun on your vacation, too. There are no gold stars for missing out of the things you would enjoy. Get that glass of wine; visit a 'country' or two. Wishing you a magical time.