Epcot World Showcase Kidcot Stations - how long?

[Melissa&Shawn]

We are headed down to WDW for few days and then on a DCL cruise. My daughter will be in 1st grade and I wanted to do a few educational parts of the trip. The kids love the aquarium and I plan to do a morning there and spend the rest of the day at the World Showcase showing her and her 3 yr old brother the countries. They are young so I don't plan on showing them EVERYTHING about the countries, but a tour around the World Showcase and explaining different countries and some cultural information. And doing the Kidcot stations since we never did that before. How long do you think this would take? A few hours?

 

[ajwolfe]

Depends on how busy the kidcot stations are and if you plan on letting them color at each, etc. My boys usually go thru a kidcot station within 5 minutes. They don't spend a lot of time coloring; as in our experience there isn't usually room at the table to do so and they would rather move on then stop and chill for a bit.

 

[nalajms]

Last May, my DS (3 at the time) sat down and colored at the US kidcot. DH and I were able to finish lunch while waiting for him. After that we gave him 5mins at others and skipped a few.

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

Awesome! Thank you both for your reply. We've never done those stations before and had no idea what timing was.

 

[melglnh2o]

We went this past November when my DD was 3.5 years old. Before we left I went to the library and got some kid friendly books on some of the countries to familiarize her with some of them. Then I made her a country flag coloring "book" (it was only 4x6) with how to say hello in each country and a passport that she could get stamped at each kidcot station. I found both of these on the creative forum. We only stayed about 5 minutes at each station and only did about half the countries before she was bored with it.

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

Oh that's a great idea! Thank you!
And yeah, I think my 3 year old will be bored. We haven't really done the countries up to this point. But at 6.5, DD is actually asking about different countries and where they are. Even if it is a geography lesson, I'll take it.

 

[Cinderella909]

We are headed down to WDW for few days and then on a DCL cruise. My daughter will be in 1st grade and I wanted to do a few educational parts of the trip. The kids love the aquarium and I plan to do a morning there and spend the rest of the day at the World Showcase showing her and her 3 yr old brother the countries. They are young so I don't plan on showing them EVERYTHING about the countries, but a tour around the World Showcase and explaining different countries and some cultural information. And doing the Kidcot stations since we never did that before. How long do you think this would take? A few hours?

Here a fun thing to do with young children! My DGD did this at that age and loved visiting all the countries.

Practice saying hello in the WS languages before you go to WDW. It’s fun to go around to each country and talk with a CMs! The CM's seem to be really happy when you greet them in their native language!! So here's a few that I know!

Mexico...Hola (OH-lah)

Norway...god dag (goo-DAHG)

China...Ni hao (nee HOW)

Germany...gutten Tag (GOOT-en tahkh)Good Day

Italy...buon giornio (boo-on JOR-no)Good Day
or ciao (chow)hello or good bye

Japan...ohayo gozaimasu (oh-hi-yoh-goh goh-zy-ee-mahs) Good Morning

Morocco... Salam alekoum (sah-LAHM wah-LAY-koom)

France...Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR)

There's also a place in Innoventions West Side that you can send an e-mail hello back to family and friends at home! Be sure to check out the IBM e-mail postcards while there! The best thing is if you don't like the picture it took you can keep taking one until you get it right!

Journey Into the Imagination also has several computers that you can send a photo and email greeting home. This is really fun because you can "play" with your picture. Turn yourselves into cartoons or animals. Personalize your greeting several different ways.

Enjoy! Karen

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

Here a fun thing to do with young children! My DGD did this at that age and loved visiting all the countries.

Practice saying hello in the WS languages before you go to WDW. It’s fun to go around to each country and talk with a CMs! The CM's seem to be really happy when you greet them in their native language!! So here's a few that I know!

Mexico...Hola (OH-lah)

Norway...god dag (goo-DAHG)

China...Ni hao (nee HOW)

Germany...gutten Tag (GOOT-en tahkh)Good Day

Italy...buon giornio (boo-on JOR-no)Good Day
or ciao (chow)hello or good bye

Japan...ohayo gozaimasu (oh-hi-yoh-goh goh-zy-ee-mahs) Good Morning

Morocco... Salam alekoum (sah-LAHM wah-LAY-koom)

France...Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR)

There's also a place in Innoventions West Side that you can send an e-mail hello back to family and friends at home! Be sure to check out the IBM e-mail postcards while there! The best thing is if you don't like the picture it took you can keep taking one until you get it right!

Journey Into the Imagination also has several computers that you can send a photo and email greeting home. This is really fun because you can "play" with your picture. Turn yourselves into cartoons or animals. Personalize your greeting several different ways.

Enjoy! Karen

Oh I love those ideas!!!! Thank you!!!

 

[Cinderella909]

Here's another fun idea that my DGD loves to do in Epcot. I've made a Epcot passport for her using the great DISsign ideas on their thread. The passport has a place for each country stamp and a page for the CM to write a personal message in their language. Just be sure to write down the translation or you'll forget what the CM wrote. You can buy an Epcot passport or make one.. they are easy and the folks on the DISsign thread are so creative and nice.

I also take a picture of the CM signing the book and then one with my DGD with the CM showing the book.

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Enjoy! Karen

 

[luvmy2babies]

My daughter is 10. We were there in early June 2013. She colored Perry (you could choose between Perry and Duffy) completely at the Mexico stop (our first one). She got the stamp and we went forward. Some CMs drew the country's flag and some wrote her name in their native language.

We stopped the longest in China and Japan because there was the most to see there in the ones we got to. I think we were in Japan at least 30 minutes.

We had 3 more to go when unfortunately she declared she was done. She was enjoying it, but she got tired. She said she wants to make it all the way around next time, so we probably won't make any long stops to help. I'm thinking of making her a book like another poster had and having her learn a phrase in each language. I was considering Thank you or hello.

 

[ChitownFamily]

I'm surprised no one has mention the Agent p adventure game. I think this is the ticket to success with kids in world showcase. http://touringplans.com/epcot/attractions/agent-ps-world-showcase-adventure

During the adventure the kids will learn about each country along the way. It was definitely the highlight of my 5 yr old son & husbands trip

 

[tina.tina]

Next time we go, we definitely plan to do the Agent P mission. My kids got Duffy bears and I told them we couldn't buy an outfit until they had looked at the outfit for each country. Looking for the Duffy outfit in each country gave them a purpose and then they were excited about looking at other things they found. DS(5 then) loved having his picture taken with his Duffy at the picture spots all around the WS. In fact, if he saw a spot, he insisted that they needed their picture taken! They only stopped at one Kidcot station and they weren't interested in sitting still any more. The only thing they complained about was the film in France (the only one we watched). We got snacks to share in several of the countries and they enjoyed that, too. We went during the F&G Festival and they enjoyed the topiaries tremendously.

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

I'm surprised no one has mention the Agent p adventure game. I think this is the ticket to success with kids in world showcase. http://touringplans.com/epcot/attractions/agent-ps-world-showcase-adventure

During the adventure the kids will learn about each country along the way. It was definitely the highlight of my 5 yr old son & husbands trip

Wow, I heard of this but never looked into it. Looks amazing!!! How long did this take? I think we would love to do this!

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

Next time we go, we definitely plan to do the Agent P mission. My kids got Duffy bears and I told them we couldn't buy an outfit until they had looked at the outfit for each country. Looking for the Duffy outfit in each country gave them a purpose and then they were excited about looking at other things they found. DS(5 then) loved having his picture taken with his Duffy at the picture spots all around the WS. In fact, if he saw a spot, he insisted that they needed their picture taken! They only stopped at one Kidcot station and they weren't interested in sitting still any more. The only thing they complained about was the film in France (the only one we watched). We got snacks to share in several of the countries and they enjoyed that, too. We went during the F&G Festival and they enjoyed the topiaries tremendously.

Oh that's a great idea as well! My kids wanted Duffy last time we were there and maybe this is a good incentive as well.