Would I be nuts to skip Epcot?

[StephStanley]

I'm thinking about not even going over there. We have 5 day parkhoppers for Nov, but from teh book i'm reading, i think my kids will be bored to death!
Looks like something DH and I would love but maybe the kids not so much?
What do you think?
they will be 6,6,and 4, all boys.

 

[worm761]

only you know your kids. i know, cheesy but true! i skipped it the first round with my DS. he was 5 at the time. i didnt think he would enjoy it. well the last time around he was 7 and i decided to go because i wanted to and he would just have to deal with it. sounds mean but i do everything for him so this was for me. hey, it's my vacation too!!! turns out to be his favorit park!!! we spent 10 days there and 4 of them were at epcot. and when we weren't at epcot he was asking to go back!!!

 

[pewing]

My boys LOVE Epcot. Our first trip they were 4 and 6...and we did 1/2 day at Epcot (only a three day visit). It wasn't enough. Last trip (they were 7 and 8) we spent a day and half there.

I love MK...it's all the 'magic' of Disney. My boys still love it too. But...my favorite is Epcot and they love it.

Everyone is different...but if you have 5 days...I would definately give Epcot a try. I bet your boys would love the Universe of Energy show (there are dinosaurs). My boys love the World Showcase, but they love learning about different countries and cultures...and are adventurous eaters (Don't worry...chicken fingers are unfortunately a universal food )

IMHO...You should give it a try!

 

[AdventurerKat]

My four year old loves Epcot. I agree to at least give it a try. If they don't like it, hop a monorail to MK or a bus to MGM.

 

[shortbun]

We skipped EPCOT at 4. At 6, DS loved Future World but did not
like WS all that much. This last trip, 8yo DS couldn't get enough
of WS! All kids are different, I'd try it if I were you. You could
always head to MK on the monorail if was a total bust! BTW,
my DS is rough and tough, all boy. He loved the drumming in
Japan-Chinese Acrobats(they're children)-Maelstrom-Test Track
and Mission Space and the 360 degree movies! We got him a
stroller(he'd been sick) and he just rode around loving it.
Depending on what the temps are when you are there-take
bathing suits or a change of clothes-kids love to play in the
fountains in front of Test Track and Mission Space! They get
soaked and it's worth it if it's hot.

 

[kaylajr]

Before we went the first time with our girls 4 and 6 at the time everyone said
"skip epcot it is not a kids park they will be so bored"

We got to WDW and did MK first day then AK
we went to MGM on day three and that park bored my kids at 1/2 a day they wanted to leave so my 6 year old said lets try the other park

well are we GLAD we did

The girls LOVED it and so did we
it is my oldest fave park
she can't wait to get back
the only disappointment now is no more
TON or TOD parade

only you know your kids as the other poster said but i definatly think it is at least worth a try

You have Hoppers right ?
If you get there and really don't like it you can always hop out

 

[bratus913]

When we went in May, 2003, we went with DD's 3 and 5 at the time - and they LOVED it!! Rides I didn't think they would like (Spaceship Earth) they absolutely loved. I didn't think that Epcot would be a park they would like much (granted, their favorite park IS MK ), but I was glad we went - they had a great time.

I say give it a try, as much as I think I know my kids, they always surprise me!!! Besides, if it isn't working out, you can always leave.

 

[MINNIEBOWSER]

If you decide to skip this park which is very beautiful especially at night with spaceship earth glowing, at least try not to miss Illuminations. It is one of our must do's on every trip.

 

[kbkids]

My DD is 6 and has never been crazy about the World Showcase - she is at Disney literally for the rides! But Future World at Epcot is always a must-do on our trips because she loves Test Track. So, we only usually spend a 1/2 day there just because that's what suits our family. With a 5 day PHP, I would definitely give it a try though. You could always leave and take the boatride to MGM or the monorail to MK. What the earlier poster said about Illuminations is true. My kids do love this, and it doesn't happen until the park closes. Our norm is to do Epcot until she's ready to go, then go back to the room and relax, eat dinner and head back for Illuminations.

 

[lentesta]

Hi StephStanley,

I think there's enough in Future World for two DS6s and a DS4 to enjoy. They'd really like Test Track, I think. And there are some decent video games in Mission:Space's post-ride area. Don't forget the hands-on exhibit from Underwriters Labs in Innoventions, where kids get to bust stuff up.

I think a lot of my daughter's impression of Epcot came from how my DW and I reacted to it. We talked her through Spaceship Earth, explaining each scene to her. We did the same for the Living Seas and The Land. That makes the presentations more fun, IMHO.

Good luck!

Len

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Don't forget the KidCot stations in each country of the world showcase. Also, there are characters at the IG frequently (usually Aurora and Snow White, but quite often others) Esmerelda was in France last night, Jasmine and Aladdin have their own special room in Morocco, and there is the character bus that stops in the center of the WS and sometimes Japan.

There are other live acts that children love, like the Mime in France who builds his entire act around children, the candy making woman in Japan, and the living statue most recently, in Italy.

 

[tar heel]

Each of my sons made his first WDW trip at the age of 5. Oldest was pre AK and the year MGM opened. Epcot, not MK, was his favorite park. Middle child was pre AK and MGM was well established -- MK was his favorite park and he wasn't wild about Epcot. Third child was much later and all four parks were there -- he liked MK best and Epcot second best. So, two of my three LOVED Epcot when they were the ages of your children. My oldest will be 20 tomorrow and Epcot has remained his favorite park.

Our family loves Epcot and wouldn't dream of skipping it. We also like science museums, live performances and interesting food. We have twice in the past couple years been on short trips that necessitated skipping a park, and our unanimous family vote was for AK.

If you decide to do Epcot, you might consider going there first. We did that with one of our children.

 

[PandyPaws]

Both of my DS's enjoy Epcot very much. They are 11 and 6 yrs now, however I've been bringing them since they were very small. Test Track is DS 6's favorite ride in all of WDW. They also enjoy Spaceship Earth, the Land Boat Ride and Maelstrom.
I find that for kids, bringing their attention to the smaller details makes for a more memorable visit to Epcot, such as Ice Station Cool and the sidewalks that sparkle at night.
Visit each Kidcot station around the World Showcase to make a mask or pick up the Passport stamp kits. Another thing DS's always look forward to is playing on the Viking ship for about a half hour just before Illuminations.

Now that I live here and work at WDW I thought maybe they would tire of it, but they still ask to go to Epcot more than any of the other Disney parks.
You'll never know unless you give it a try and you may be pleasantly suprised

 

[KarenB]

If you have 5 day park hoppers, I would try to get there at least once. The monorail ride is a nice way to just sit and relax for a few minutes.

We go in stages as to what parks to visit. A few years ago, we would not dream of skipping Epcot. Now our kids interests are more towards MGM, (boys 15 and 14) which is where we spend the most time.

Karen

 

[disney4us2002]

As pointed out already every kid is different, lol. My boys were just a bit older than yours on our last trip (5 & 8 - the oldest was 12 but I didn't ask his opinion) and I asked them what park they liked least and both said AK. They thought it was really dull. They are not animal lovers obviously. There was such a hype here about the Kilamanjaro Safari ride that I really talked it up to the boys and they thought it was boring and they saw more animals at our zoo.

They did like Future World in Epcot, the fountains out front, some of the live acts we saw, and they really want to return to the aquarium restaurant (Coral Reef). We went for lunch and they were so fascinated by the fish they barely ate (a bit expensive even for lunch but amazing inside). My kids LOVED the Honey I shrunk the Audience movie and want to see that again for sure. I think it's worth a try but remember it is huge and involves a ton of walking - hence the nickname Every Person Comes Out Tired - so try maybe FW one morning and then if they like it okay, try WS one night and see the fireworks/light show. Yes, I know what it's called but if you tell the kids the name it won't mean a thing to them, lol.

Depending on what part of November you go, you could see some Christmas decorating starting.

 

[kevind65]

another vote for EPCOT with children....my dd5 loved this park....she is now turning 13 and it still our favorite park....my daughter loves WS with all the different shows in the different countries and she loved the kidcot stations as well.....ws used to be a great place for meeting characters as well.....you must see the chinese acrobats, the living statues and Myuki(sp?) the candy lady in Japan...can't see too many children of any age that wouldn't like these acts....

 

[Mortlives]

Don't miss Epcot. It's one of our favourite parks (how can you pick one?). Even if you don't think the kids will enjoy it (and I think they'll surprise you), it's your vacation too. Some of the guidebooks recommend you do Epcot before MK, so the kids won't have the comparison, but I don't think it pales by comparison, of course YMMV. They're different experiences. You might want to check ride height requirements in advance, because anyone who's tall enough will probably want to enjoy TestTrack and Mission:Space. If the 4yo isn't tall enough, you might want to schedule a different activity for him so he doesn't feel he's missing out. I'm sure folks around here can give you lots of suggestions. Have a great time, but, don't deprive yourself of the wonders of Epcot (especially Illuminations).

Ciao,
Mort.

 

[4greatboys]

My boys were 7 and 10 on our first Disney visit and they didnt really care for it to much. Now they are 16 and 13 (and now we also have a 4 yr old and 20 month old) and they do enjoy a few things at Epcot like MS, TT, HISTA (for the little ones) but it is still our least favorite park. To give you an idea of their (and our) fav parks we like them in this order of favorites
MK/MGM we love both the same
Ak
Epcot
But if they havent been to Epcot I wouldnt skip it, it migh turn out to be one of their fav's. You just never know til you try it.

 

[Vavasmon]

When we wnet for our first trip in Dec 2001 DD had just turned 6. I thought she would be somewhat bored at EPCOT (thats what all the books said). She also got sick our second day at WDW - so DH and I decided to rent a stroller and push her around (she has always been tall so we rented a double).

That was one of the best days of our trip. She ended up loving the park. She enjoyed making the mask, seeing the countries (due to the crowds we skipped Malestrom and the Mexico ride that trip), the fountains and sparkling sidewalk, and seeing the "street" performers. The seasonal holiday characters were also excellent. Also, you see fewer characters but they were less mobbed (it was Christmas week).

We also enjoyed Innovations and Spaceship Earth. On our last trip we spent almost 2 days at EPCOT.

 

[pewing]

I second the vote for Illuminations. That is a MUST SEE in my book!!