first trip need help

[cyndibelle]

ok..we have 5 days to hit the parks....now my question is this...is epcot going to take us a whole day with a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old...i assume we will spend alot of time in magic kingdom....help me here..i am trying to figure out where i time is going to be spent..

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Hi.....it depends on how much you want to do at Epcot.. you could spend a whole day there and not see it all... maybe spend the morning in Future World and then the afternoon in World Showcase.............your little ones, I am not sure they will love Epcot as much as they will Magic Kingdom.. You have only 5 days...I would do what you want in Epcot and then head to where the children will be the happiest.....You also want to see MGM as well and hit Animal Kingdom.....maybe just devote a morning to Epcot and do what you can then head to AK for the afternoon and do what you can there... then I would devote my time with little ones to Magic Kingdom and then fill in with what you have not seen with whatever time you have left.. Does that make any sense?? I tried..

 

[Tink&Belle's Mom]

All kids are diferent of course, but my 2 DDs (3yrs and 7yrs at the time) loved Epcot. They enjoyed doing the masks at the Kidcot stations, and getting the passport signed and stamped. Lots of fun entertainment in each country that they enjoyed, too. In fact, we all enjoyed our time at Epcot more than MGM. The things that everyone enjoys so much there (RRC and ToT) are too much for my girls yet; the shows were good, but difficult to coordinate seeing more than just a few in the few hours we spent there. I would heartily suggest giving Epcot a try, and if they don't seem to be enjoying it, you can always go somewhere else!

 

[nonnymouse]

My 2.5 year old granddaughter thinks that Disney World is ONLY the MK, even though we have exposed her to all of it. Our strategy this time (we just got back) was to do EPCOT, MGM, or AK in the AM, go back for a nap (adults need naps, too!), and do MK in the afternoon. Some days we turned it around, but the idea was the same. That gave her the fun and rides she needed, and also exposed her to the other parks. She loved Figment, Spaceship Earth, Muppets 3D, Kilimanjaro Safari, Triceratops Spin, Beauty and the Beast, and Tarzan Rocks. All of these are non MK and were perfect for her. She didn't enjoy World Showcase much but loved Illuminations. You give a little and take a little - as long as you leave a bit of time for a ride here and there, it will be good! Just take your time and enjoy - we saw too many parents and children who seemed stressed and angry. Can you imagine this, in the HAPPIEST place on earth? Have fun

 

[tjkraz]

If this is your first trip and you only have five days, my impression is that you probably won't have the patience to find the "magic" at Epcot. Yes, there is a lot to do. But it terms of excitement it often pales in comparison to the other parks.

Unless you wan't to plan out every single minute of your trip, here is what I would suggest. Plan an afteroon / evening at Epcot during one of your first couple of days. Visit another park in the morning, break for lunch or just a rest back at the hotel, and then go over to Epcot. That will give you pleanty of time for the key attractions (Test Track, M:S, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, etc.), and make sure you stay for Illuminations.

But try to get there on your first or second day. The longer you wait to experience Epcot, the more it is likely to pale in comparison to the other parks.

A half-day will give you pleanty of time to get a taste for Epcot. If you find yourselves wanting more, you will still have 3-4 days left in your trip to shift the schedule.

 

[DaveH]

When my sons were little, I was the this place we need to do everything now type. The best advice I can give you and no one could give me years ago is take it easy. The MK is great and so are all the other parks. Make sure you take a break in every day for you and the kids. The melt downs are usually by both sides. The kids start and parents join in. In EPCOT there is alot for them to do. Besides the stuff in Future world there are the Kids stations in the countrys. The passport Disney sells for the kids to get stamped and such. If you make it sound like fun and get excited with them they will have a blast. I took me going solo several times to learn to slow down and take a break every day. We are empty nesters and have a blast watching the little ones and we chat with them on busses. We know sometimes this helps the parents get settled too. If you are all stressed out the kids feel it too. I would suggest get an idea what is everywhere in genearal and make a list of must do and then be relaxed and have a great trip. If you do the autograph thing it does take time from other things but is fun. I am rambling, sorry. Have a great trip.

 

[sters]

My kids loved Epcot, and they are little. My littlest ones (ages 3 and 5) thoroughly enjoyed roaming in the Space Base, which is right outside the exit of Mission Space. It's a McDonalds-type play area, only all space-aged and Disneyfied. They loved romping in the fountains, that "Cool" place (can't remember the name), the fountains, espeically the one that goes "upside down." They loved the Wonders of Life pavillion and Illuminations was a ride without compare to them... and they liked the play area outside the ride. Spaceship Earh we did every night we exited the park. There are characters to see, the minature train station in Germany, the playground in Norway and some of the shows, especially the drums in Japan and the little show in Great Britain that was silly and cute. They liked nearly as much as the Magic Kindom and much better than ANimal Kingdom or MGM, so for people to say it's boring for kids is just ludicrous.