Visiting EPCOT with Kids

Are you visiting EPCOT with kids on your next Walt Disney World vacation? I hope so! Many guests think they should skip it…that there is not enough for kids at EPCOT. But that is so not true! Your family will love this Walt Disney World park, and I have all the tips you need for visiting EPCOT with kids!

EPCOT is the Disney park that allows guests to visit the world in one day, spring forward into the future, and enjoy an exclusive festival all year long.   EPCOT is also a park that a lot of families with young children shy away from. They think it is geared toward adults, there are not enough attractions for kids, and their family will be bored.  On the contrary, EPCOT is fantastic for families, and one of the Disney parks where I feel as if there is truly something for EVERYONE! Let’s dive into all the reasons why you need to visit EPCOT with kids!

Whether you enter EPCOT from World Showcase and find yourself in France, or through the main entrance with Spaceship Earth welcoming you, you are immediately taken into another time and place. Guests who stay at one of the EPCOT or Skyliner Resorts are wise to use the World Showcase entrance, located just past the Skyliner station. 

Guests who arrive from offsite, one of the other Walt Disney World Resorts, or who choose to bus over instead of Skyline will use the front entrance.  This brings you into the front of the park, with the beautiful Spaceship Earth waiting for you! From here, you walk through World Celebration, and then eventually make your way to World Showcase.

Where Can I Find Great Dining Options for My Family at EPCOT? 

Garden Grill. While EPCOT only has two character dining options, Garden Grill is the best, in my opinion. Guests will find Chip and Dale, along with Mickey and Pluto at this experience. The food is amazing.  The restaurant is so nice, and quiet.  And it slowly revolves around the Living with the Land attraction, so guests dining can see those who are riding the attraction, and vice versa.  It is so much fun!  Garden Grill is wonderful for meeting classic characters, and the food is very family friendly!

Via Napoli.  You will find Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion in World Showcase.  This is a great location to enjoy with your family because the portions are large and you can share entrees.  This also makes it budget friendly! Most kids love pasta and pizza, and adults have many good menu selections here as well.  The atmosphere is very classic Italian, and it is fun to watch the food in the huge, wood fire ovens.  If you do not have adventurous eaters, but still want a nice meal, this is a solid option.

EPCOT is not very strong in the Quick Service location options. So as an alternative, we tend to snack a lot in World Showcase, enjoying the Germany pretzels, some ice cream from L’Artisans de Glace, or even an Apple Strudel from Sommerfest in Germany.  Beaches and Cream, located at the Yacht and Beach Club is a quick walk from the International Gateway, and serves yummy burgers, fries, and other family favorites.  It is considered Table Service, but it is economical if paying out of pocket and has good “diner” type food.

Similarly, EPCOT has a festival in World Showcase all year long. These change with the seasons:

• Festival of the Arts in January / February
• Flower and Garden Festival occurs March-June
• Food and Wine Festival occurs July-November
• Festival of the Holidays occurs most of December.

Enjoying the exclusive food and drink offerings during this time in World Showcase is a great way to enjoy some food that everyone will like, try something new, and stay within a decent food budget.

What Characters Can We Find at EPCOT?

EPCOT is a great park to find unique characters.  One thing we LOVE is finding the princesses in their World Showcase pavilions.  For example, we can find Mulan in the China Pavilion, which is a huge treat because she is not found anywhere else.  Another fun character is Belle in France. We have seen her in both her yellow ball gown and her blue “commoner” clothes.  Rarely, but sometimes, Beast will be with her as well.   EPCOT is also the home to the Anna and Elsa meet and greet in the Norway Pavilion.

World Showcase is also home to Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and sometimes even Marie from the Aristocats!  Finding characters unique to their country is so much fun in World Showcase. And while he’s not a princess, sometimes you can find Donald Duck in Mexico with his sombrero on! 

Aside from World Showcase, you can also find classic and some more contemporary characters in Future World.  For example, EPCOT is the only place you can meet your Inside Out friends, Joy and Sadness.  Baymax is also in the same building.  Plus, guests can find Wreck it Ralph and Vanellope after enjoying the Figment attraction.

Guests who want to find their classic favorites can enjoy the EPCOT Character Spot.  This is where you are able to move from one classic character to another, and see several at once!  Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto are often found here.   That is one thing I really appreciate about EPCOT’s meet and greets…the fact that they often house three or four in one place and you can meet several one after the other, instead of going all over the park to do so.

What are the Best Attractions for Kids at EPCOT?

At the top of my list for attractions in EPCOT are Frozen Ever After and The Seas with Nemo and Friends. These are my absolute favorites!  However, there are quite a few others your family will enjoy.

Frozen Ever After is located in the Norway Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase. Themed after Disney’s super popular FROZEN film, this attraction is so much fun for all the people in your family!  You take a ride on a ship, journeying through Anna and Elsa’s story, and you get to see your film favorites along the way. 

The Seas with Nemo and Friends is located in The World Nature area in World Celebration.  Guests can climb aboard a super cute clam shell and ride the waves with Nemo and his friend on their adventure.  The characters are projected on a real aquarium, adding an extra magical touch.  Then, when you disembark, you can even see some live sea animals in the tanks.  We love spending time here, wandering around and seeing our favorite sea animals.  It is a nice break from the heat!

Another great attraction for kids is Journey Through Imagination with Figment.  This attraction is like THE classic attraction at EPCOT.  It is a must do, no matter what your age! This attraction begins as a lab tour, exploring the five senses. Soon, Figment himself starts to make appearances, throwing the story off course.  So cute!   Younger kiddos will enjoy the cute purple dragon, and older kids may enjoy the sarcastic humor along the way!   

Soarin’ is my favorite attraction at EPCOT.  This is definitely geared toward older kiddos, think about age 8 and up.  But, they do have smaller, child friendly harnesses for those on the shorter side who meet the height requirement and still want to feel safe riding.  This attraction takes guests “soaring” over the world.  You’ll see famous landmarks, historical sites, and take in all the views and smells ~ literally ~ along the way!  

EPCOT is home to many attractions and experiences for your whole family, but those are my favorites!

Overall, EPCOT is a well rounded park for families with kids of all ages.  Learning experiences in World Showcase, classic characters in Future World, and fantastic attractions all work together to make this park awesome for everyone! 

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