Epcot Rookie

Well, the one thing you should know is that WS doesn't open until 11am. The exceptions are dining reservations and Frozen Ever After. So, do your breakfast, then you can do Frozen standyby. Then head to Future World. Do the rides you want, then head back to World Showcase. There is a lot for kids I think. They can easily run around. There are Duffy Masks on a stick that they can color in each country. You can ask cast members to write their name or something else in their language on the back. There are characters and shows in every country. Some of the shows are really neat. There is shopping which I would think your dds would love. If your kids like museum type stuff, then they will like that aspect as well. If not, enjoy what you can based on what they can handle. There is a ride in Mexico and going inside the pyramid is neat.
 
Thanks all. So much great info here. I think we will plan the day around FW and rides and play WS by ear, depending on how the kids are doing.
 
My kids DD10/DS6 LOVE Epcot! They really enjoy watching the performers in many of the countries. Lately we go in early March and they have an Easter egg hunt that my kids love to do (I believe $7.95 for the map and stickers and you get an egg when you turn it in). It made going through the countries a lot of fun.

And I do the wine walk (Italy, France, Germany) which makes it more tolerant for me :)
 
With a 4 and 8 year old, I'd probably do the breakfast, FEA, Characters, and then take a break and go somewhere else. My kids didn't care for EPCOT until the youngest was about 7 or 8.
 


Definitely use a stroller for the 4 yr old. We let my youngest use a stroller at Disney until she turned 6--mostly for Epcot.

World Showcase:
  • Rides: Mexico boat ride, Norway: frozen ever after--FP+ Transportation ferries--there are 2 ferry routes to get you from the 'hub' area to the countries--1 takes you to Italy, the other to Morocco. If you're willing to skip some countries, it's a great way to get over to that area without walking--and it's another 'ride'.
  • Movies: as a warning, the China and Canada ones are Circlevision where you stand for the whole movie. The France one is a sit down.
  • Attraction: American Adventure: while DH and I love it, and my oldest likes it. My youngest always napped through it--so this would be a good air conditioned, dark room for the 4 yr old to have a 20 minute nap.
  • Meet and Greet: Norway: Anna/Elsa. Most countries have a princess to meet and greet. Yes there is a Disney Visa Meet and Greet, not sure where it is located now...I think it is over in the Imagination Pavillion in Future World. Not sure of the times either.
  • Entertainment: China: acrobats; America: Voices of Liberty; music in multiple countries. Check times guide for entertainment, some are only there certain days of the week.
  • Other: United Kingdom: in the back there is a hedge maze around the gazebo--my youngest LOVED this. It is a very short hedge, so you can see over it, but my youngest loved running around it, especially after being in a stroller all day. If there is no entertainment happening at the time, this is a great spot to relax away from people.
  • Agent P--my kids, especially my oldest love this. When you sign up, you're assigned a country to do a 'mission' in. It takes you all around the country, in shops, etc, and magical things will happen. If you do Agent P--put a limit as to how many you will do with them...we once saw a Dad/daughter doing all 7 and that was all they had done that day.
  • Kidcot stations--pick up the figure on a stick, color it at the first station, get 'passport' stamps at each country. Most kidcot stations are near the 'toy' areas of stores in each country.
  • Food!: Don't miss the Karamel Kuche in Germany--fresh caramel treats. And the Patisserie in the back of France with all the yummy pastries!
 
With a 4 and 8 year old, I'd probably do the breakfast, FEA, Characters, and then take a break and go somewhere else. My kids didn't care for EPCOT until the youngest was about 7 or 8.
Wouldn't even give Nemo, The Seas, Turtle Talk and Imagination a chance? They are great for kids that age.
 


Wouldn't even give Nemo, The Seas, Turtle Talk and Imagination a chance? They are great for kids that age.

I was going to say my 4 and 7 year olds loved everything in The Seas building! We had to drag them out. They also liked Figment and the game/play area after the ride, Living with the Land, Soarin, Spaceship Earth and Frozen of course. My 7 yo also thought the Mexico ride was great.
 
Have you read any of the responses? Majority of them demonstrate that many young kids find lots of fun things to do in the World Showcase.
But some just don't. And it's not necessarily because of the way it's "presented" to the kids. Mine tolerate it; they never request to go there. Lots of people think AK is a half day park, but we do rope drop to close; it's our fave behind MK. YMMV.
 
But some just don't. And it's not necessarily because of the way it's "presented" to the kids. Mine tolerate it; they never request to go there. Lots of people think AK is a half day park, but we do rope drop to close; it's our fave behind MK. YMMV.

I agree with you. The poster i was reacting to said kids "hate World Showcase" and that is just not true. We'll disagree on the "presentation" part. As a teacher I promise you presentation makes a huge difference!
 
I guess we were horrible parents because my boys have been going to Epcot since they were small and we ditched the stroller when they were 3! We only stayed in a park until they couldn't walk anymore and we took a break/nap and went back at dinner time and stayed until their bedtime.

They thought it was a cool adventure and they loved trying new foods, learning about the countries, and going on the rides or watching the movies. I will never forget my older son's reaction to the Candlelight Processional. He was mesmerized by the orchestra. He loved the different acts around WS. My other son was mesmerized by the outdoor train in Germany. I would definitely take them, you may be surprised at what they like!
 
I guess I'm lucky that my kids always loved Epcot.

We could spend hours in the Living Seas alone.

In the World Showcase, we could hit every movie (China, France, Canada) and attraction (Mexico, Maelstrom, American Adventure). We loved looking at the koi ponds in Japan and getting kakigori's there. We enjoyed looking at the trains in Germany and the clay army in China.

We could watch some of the live entertainment and visit with characters.

We always had full and fun days there. It surprises me that kids could "hate" Epcot. IMO, you're doing it wrong if they don't at least like it.
 
My boys have always loved Epcot - both Future World and World Showcase.
 
I am starting to put together a plan for Epcot for Jan 30. I am a little overwhelmed just because of how spread out it is. I'll be with my 4 yo and 8 yo DDs and DH. We have Akershus reservations at 8:30am and Rose & Crown dinner at 7:50pm.

1) How/when to best do WS for the kids- I'm expecting some whining about the walking and lack of rides, etc.

2) Are there any specific parts of WS we need to hit? I'm thinking the adults would enjoy some adult beverages and snacking but anything we need to hit for the kids?

3) Logistically, what is the best route to take? We are starting in Norway for breakfast, then thinking of heading to FW.

4) Any character meet & greets we should not miss? The kids will def want to do Joy & Sadness. Any others? Is there a special Disney Visa character meeting?

5) Should I plan on a stroller for the 4 year old?

Sorry for the lengthy post. TIA!
1. World Showcase is something I didn't enjoy as a kid. I would aim for the characters if they kids are into that, or use the many many snacks as an incentive to go all the way around.

2. There same as the first part - if your kids are into the characters there's that. The shops are really neat so if they have their own spending money they might find something they want to buy. Japan in particular has lots of fun stuff, and they have the pick a pearl too. They also have a drum show that I like to stop and watch. France has a show with mimes(?) where they do crazy balancing things, and China has acrobats.

3. I personally always go left (towards Mexico) when going around WS, but people will fight you on that. There's no one right way to go. Norway will be to the left so that's the way you'll want to go for your ADR.

4. There is a Disney Visa character spot, I believe they recently moved it over by Figment & the characters vary. Last time I did it, they had Joy & Sadness. I asked a CM last week and they said it varies so I'm not sure who you'd get. You can also meet Belle (France), Alice and Mary Poppins (England). Check MDE for the list of character meet & greets.

5. I only have dogs so I can't really help you on this one, but when I was 4 I wanted a stroller, haha. It's a lot of walking.
 
My kids (then ages 4, 4, and 6) liked all the acts around WS like the drummers in Japan, the terra-cotta soldiers in China, the trains in Germany, walking around the Mexico pavilion and going on the boat ride, watching people pick pearls in Japan, and eating everything everywhere.

They only minimally liked the passports and kidcot stations.

We didn't even do Agent P, but I am planning on it next trip.
 
My daughter has loved world showcase since she was seven. I could skip it every trip, but we spend at least a full afternoon/evening (usually 2, if we are there long enough) there for her. She loves experiencing everything they have to offer. She insist on eating in France every trip (real Paris nut), getting gelato in Italy, and the flavored ice in Japan (I love those too, especially in June). She loves the Chinese acrobats and the performers in Italy. I love the train in Germany for some reason. She could explore the shops and building styles for hours. My boys (both older than her) hated world showcase and rode the bus to another park the last time we were there. I am looking more forward to Epcot on our Christmas trip this year and have 4 partial days planned in Epcot to experience all of the Christmas offerings.

I would expose your kids to at least part of it, with a positive, exciting attitude. You never know what they may become fascinated by. Every kid (and adult) is different so it just depends on the person. You don't have to spend an hour in every country the first time they go, but they may appreciate exploring for a little while, especially if it is slower paced than the other parks.
 
Have you read any of the responses? Majority of them demonstrate that many young kids find lots of fun things to do in the World Showcase.

Yes, I read all of the responses prior to posting. Does that mean that my answer must agree with the previous ones? Sorry, I didn't realize forums worked like that. :rolleyes:

Since I live here and spend a lot of time in the parks, just thought I would share what I witness regularly. Older kids seem to enjoy it more. Citing from memory, I believe the kids in question are 4 & 8 years old. Typically the ages I see in WS, having a less than stellar time, are 8 and under.

I have read quite a few people here referring to attractions that are located in EPCOT, but not World Showcase, which is the location that I was under the impression the OP wished to discuss.
 
Yes, I read all of the responses prior to posting. Does that mean that my answer must agree with the previous ones? Sorry, I didn't realize forums worked like that. :rolleyes:

No, but you said “Kids hate WS.” That’s an absurd generalization and not true for every kid. There are kids who don’t like WS. And (gasp!) there are kids who like WS. I was one of them. And many of our friends and family who have small children have a great time in World Showcase. And on every trip we see little kids enjoying the entertainment, rides, food, characters, etc. And we see kids having meltdowns too (which happen everywhere at WDW.)

Everyone is different and that mass generalization that “kids hate WS” is just not accurate. Some kids don’t. And some kids do.
 
No, but you said “Kids hate WS.” That’s an absurd generalization and not true for every kid. There are kids who don’t like WS. And (gasp!) there are kids who like WS. I was one of them. And many of our friends and family who have small children have a great time in World Showcase. And on every trip we see little kids enjoying the entertainment, rides, food, characters, etc. And we see kids having meltdowns too (which happen everywhere at WDW.)

Everyone is different and that mass generalization that “kids hate WS” is just not accurate. Some kids don’t. And some kids do.

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You are welcome to state your opinion. I am welcome to state mine. What a great country we live in.

Go find another cause to be offended over. What I say on a an internet forum has no bearing on your life, or any others. Simmer down and realize I'm not changing my mind, so you're wasting your emotions. Would it make you feel better if I changed it to "most young kids hate WS?" Not sure why my opinion is so meaningful to you, but this does make less inclusive so you will hopefully be able to move on from the trauma this thread has caused you.
 
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You are welcome to state your opinion. I am welcome to state mine. What a great country we live in.

Go find another cause to be offended over. What I say on a an internet forum has no bearing on your life, or any others. Simmer down and realize I'm not changing my mind, so you're wasting your emotions. Would it make you feel better if I changed it to "most young kids hate WS?" Not sure why my opinion is so meaningful to you, but this does make less inclusive so you will hopefully be able to move on from the trauma this thread has caused you.

I shouldn’t even respond to this but yeesh! This is not a big deal at all. No need to get all worked up. I was clarifying why people were responding negatively to your post. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You stated yours as a fact. Yes, wording it as an opinion rather than a blanket statement would be helpful particularly for people who have never been there before.

Many people who haven’t ever been or haven’t been recently really rely on this forum as a valuable resource and I thought the way the statement was generalized could be misleading for those people and construed as fact not opinion.

No, I did not experience any emotional trauma from your original post and no simmering down needed over here! I’m good :). Moving along on my merry way!
 

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