Epcot for a 4 year old???

[Mickey'sCrew4]

Hi. We will be at WDW with a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 year old. Are there things to do at Epcot for them over on the side that is not the World Showcase. I think there is plenty; dh isn't so sure. Has anyone spent a day/days there with these age children? Thanks so much

 

[720L]

My kids (6 and 4) loved Epcot. Spaceship Earth, Soaring, The Land were favorites. We are going in December and usually the 1st park we go to is Magic Kingdom--the kids want Epcot first this time!

 

[cleo]

Yes! Turtle Talk with Crush and Dory is perfectly suited to her age, Spaceship Earth's message goes over pre-schoolers heads but they do enjoy all the different scenes and the gentleness of the ride, Living Seas aquarium holds endless fascination for youngsters, Living with the Land is a lovely boat ride when you're 4.....and so on. Perhaps make Epcot your '3rd Day Park', when everyone needs to move at a little bit slower pace. The attractions (with the exceptions of Test Track and Mission:Space) are very family friendly even if the 'message' goes over tot's heads.

 

[pointandshoot]

Hi!

Your best bet is Crush Talk and exploring the Livings Seas. I would also suggest Innoventions where they can touch and play with different things. Figment ride is good. The Universe of Energy is fun and takes about 45 minutes. World Showcase has food stuff for children. Check out the acrobats in China, Malstrom, or the movie in Canada.

It is different than MK but still tons of fun with kids. Enjoy.

 

[mrzrich]

When my now 5 year old was four he was forty inches tall enough for Test Track, Mission, Space and Soarin'

My 2 year old DS rides Journey into the imagination, Spaceship Earth, And the Universe of Energy (Loves Dinosaurs) Turtle Talk with Crush at the Living Seas was cool too and should re-open this week I think

If they tolerate the other 3-d movies in the other parks then try Honey I shrunk the audience

In World Showcase my boys loved The rides in Mexico and Norway

 

[LaLa]

We love Epcot. Our kids are 7 & 4 and Epcot is their 2nd favorite park. You'd be surprised at just how much there is to do there with that age group. Test Track is my DD4's favorite ride anywhere. I agree that Spaceship Earth is great and you can all ride that together with the 2 1/2 year old. Don't miss Journey into Imagination with Figment. Your kids will love it. We haven't been able to stop singing the song since we came back!
When you exit the ride, you walk into this really cool high tech playground for kids. Or adults. There is tons of really cool stuff for them to do, including making music with a wave of their hand.

Living with the Seas is great. It's a humongous aquarium and you can find Nemo there. Living with the Land is a nice gentle boat ride and then you can bake cookies at Jr. Chef in the Land. Soarin was awesome, but your smallest one will probably not meet the height requirement. You could baby swap on that one, but make sure you don't miss it. It's amazing.

Long story short, yes, there is tons for your kids to do at Epcot. They will love it. Have a blast!

 

[allshookup]

Don't forget the kidcot stations where little ones can decorate masks & get stamps from each country. My kids have always loved that. Plus my DN (age 3) loves El Rio Del Tiempo in Mexico but calls it the Mexican IASW.

 

[BabyMo]

I don't have any kids, but I spend 8 hours a day with 3,4, and 5 year old children as a pre-k teacher.

There is a ton to do in the World Showcase. Other posters have already mentioned a lot of them, but also, Pooh and friends can usually be found in England and I've seen Aladdin and Jasmine in Morocco.

Oh! And you can do the pick-a-pearl thing in Japan, or just watch while other people do it.

 

[palmtreegirl]

My kids have always loved Epcot even when they were little, they even love World Showcase.

With little ones I'd defiitely avoid the American Adventure.

 

[CamColt]

My kids are now 5 &8 and have been going to WDW at least once a year pretty much their whole lives. They both love Epcot...moreso than MGM. They love all the interactive stuff in Innoventions, and the Imagination Pavillion. They could spend hours playing around there. They like Soarin(only done it in DL so far). Baking cookies in the Land is fun for them (they used to love Food Rocks too). Universe of Energy is fun for them because of the dinosaurs (this is also a good place for a nap for the little one) . Again, Turtle Talk they only saw at DL so far, but the do like that. They also enjoy making the masks at each country around WS, and riding El Rio Del Tiempo and Maelstrom.

 

[Wendy1953]

I'm surprised you asked if there was anything for them other then in the World Showcase...that is where most people have a problem....the Future World area hosts many child oriented things....innoventions, figment, the land (Nestle has a tollhouse cooking session for kids),,,the world showcase has the mask/charm stations set up in every country (sort of like them getting there passport stamped in every country), mexico has the boat ride, norway has Malestrom ride... think the kids will do great there!

 

[susykt4]

Our last trip was in April with DD4 and DS2 1/2. They both loved Epcot.

DS loved The Living Seas, Living with the land, Figment, the play area after Figment, Spaceship Earth, the fountains, the characters, O Canada and the Norway ride. We spent the whole day and he slept through most of World Showcase.

DD enjoyed all the stuff above, plus she was tall enough for Test Track and Soarin'. She did all the World Showcase Kidcot stops and really enjoyed that. We also did the princess lunch in Norway which was a big hit with both kids. DD wants to go to Epcot first on our next trip.

The previous time we went to Epcot was when DD was 18 months. We had no idea where anything was and ended up wasting most of our day wandering around and looking at the coots on a pond. We were so overwhelmed by the size of the place we ended up regretting wasting our day there. I think the key to Epcot fun is really researching what your family wants to do and then looking at maps to figure out where everything is. I couldn't believe what a wonderfully different experience Epcot was after we educated ourselves.

 

[flminivanmama]

my three boys all say EPCOT is their favorite park

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

We were there in May with 18 mos. and 4 year old. We are going back in December and the youngest will just be two. We loved Epcot especially the world showcase. We plan on spending more time there. The performers at each counrty were a big hit with kids. Chinese acrobats, mimes, band in England, etc. My four year old is scared of most rides but she loved Soarin. She also loved Illuminations the past trip and when she was there at 2 1/2. The only down side was we could not shop much in the World Showcase, so much is breakable one of us would stay outside while the other looked in shops. It is a great park to just slow down and wander without feeling rushed between showtimes and attractions.

 

[mrzrich]

My kids are now 5 &8 and have been going to WDW at least once a year pretty much their whole lives. They both love Epcot...moreso than MGM.

Yeah I was gonna say this...My 2 and a half year old DS can't do much at MGM. The great movie ride is the only ride for him and he doesn't do that well at shows, so he has a lot more to do at Epcot than MGM!

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

There are a lot of things for kids at Epcot, but sometimes they do get more bored with it than the other parks. My best recommendation to keep them happy at Epcot is to save Magic Kingdom for the very last. That way there isn't as many fun rides to compare it to. My experience has been that they miss all of the fun rides if they do MK first and then go to Epcot. This is certainly not MY preference, but that of all of my children and even my grandson.

 

[tinkerbela]

there are so many hands on experience things for children to do in Future World in Epcot. i think your 4 year old will have a great time. also, The Living Seas is a great place for kids. to see all the fish in such a HUGE tank and to also check out the little Nemo exhibit that they have. let's not forget Turtle Talk with Crush! can't miss that. i think Soarin' will be suitable for a 4 year old. it's not scary at all. overall, I think Epcot is a good park for a 4 year old to go to.