Kidcot Fun Stops...details, please

[ngb2w]

You will need to forgive me, I have been "out of the loop" for quite awhile...and have just recently gotten back to reading the boards.

What exactly is Explore Epcot and the Kidcot Fun Stops? I recently read someone's post about some rude adults in line for the mask. (?) Are these stations in each country that one (preferably a child) stops to make a mask? Please tell me this does not get competitive even for the adults. Is there more to it than that? Is there a passport or something that you get stamped? Can this be completed over several days? We are staying at Boardwalk so will probably be in Epcot the most.

 

[TiffanyK]

We were there last week. Our kids did make masks. There are stations set up for them with the masks and markers, etc. The CM's will stamp the stick of the mask with the country stamp and also give the child something from that country to add to the mask. In Japan it was a headband for the mask.

You can also buy a passport in Epcot for around $10 and get those signed and stamped in each country.

 

[slp87]

This something my DD looks forward to! We set aside one afternoon to walk through each of the countries, stopping to work on the mask. And the best part is that it is actually FREE!!

 

[melk]

They will also sign autograph books and write something about their native country which is pretty neat for the kids (at least they did last year). Last year it was wonderful. I think not many people knew about it and the kids could go and take their time with it. Last month we went again and there was a line at every station. Also there were adults in line which was okay, but I kind of like the fact that before it was just kind of "kids only." I would try it anyway, see how you like it.

 

[sters]

Many of those adults you see in line are there for their kids, not because they have any particular intersest in decorating a mask. I have more than one kid, and my youngest might be in a snit or napping, so I'd stand in line with my older ones to get hers stamped. Or worse, we had left the masks behind one day and then had to start over and were running out of time. It was our last day, so I was trying to get some of the countries we'd done while they watched the drummers in Japan. One little girl was wondering why I was standing in line with my kids' masks, and was greatly annoyed with me. I understood where she was coming from so I kept my amusement to myself. It's hard to wait when you're a kid!

I was there earlier this month and the lines weren't really that bad. If they were, we'd skip it and come back. The woman in Mexico was the greatest! She was so kind and good with the kids. The lady in China would also stamp the year you were born.. My son was The Year of the Rat! And in Morocco, they wrote the kids' names in that language. It was a nice experience for the kids.

Transporting the masks home was another story! They got all tangled together and didn't fit well into our suitcase, so they became carry on luggage.

 

[Terry S]

My kids love making a mask every trip. This last time the lines were pretty long. I don't mind the adults in line weather they are there for thier kids or themselves. Hey, adults can be kids at heart. What I do mind is the line cutters, yes they do it at the kidcots stations as well. Several times we would be waiting in line and someone would just go around to the backside of the table and ask for the stamp.

 

[webprinter]

Is there a maximum age limit? I have a 12 year old daughter and am wondering if she is too old for it? Thanks. Debby

 

[sters]

There is no age limit. Anyone can do it, or have their "passport" stamped. As the last poster said, there is not a good system at ALL for managing lines and it can be a free-for-all. Most people have a good sense of who was there before them and respect that, but let's face it.. little eager kids just race up to the table and thrust thier mask at the attendant. They don't know or are too excited to care. Or they kind of wander off and lose their place in line. So, it's a good idea to help manage the line for your kids if you want to get in and out of there in a reasonable amount of time. There wasn't too many problems when we went, espcially later in the evenning. By the way, the Kidcot stations are open all the way until 9pm.

 

[DianaPrincessofWales]

We did this last week, my 6 year old daughter really enjoyed this. Most attendants were perfectly nice...........except at France.......I watched from a distance, the two of them neither looked or spoke to my child. Excuse me, I wonder if they knew how bad they looked. Pardon me?