What to Do at EPCOT for Kids – Epcot for Kids Guide

What to Do at EPCOT for Kids – Epcot for Kids Guide

epcot-for-young-kids

What to Do at EPCOT for Kids – Epcot for Kids Guide

This article is your complete Epcot for Kids guide! There are plenty of things for kids to do, even rides at Epcot as, one of the parks with more gentler rides! But there are other things to do at Epcot for kids and our guide is going to cover it all.

So, if you want to learn more about things to do with kids at Epcot, keep reading.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Disney World be sure to go straight to our Disney Crowd Calendar!

 Disney Crowd Calendar

Is EPCOT for Kids?

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Yes! We get that question a lot from parents concerned about whether is EPCOT good for toddlers and kids. But Epcot truly is a park for kids of all ages, with activities, rides, shows and more!

Some of the best kid’s rides are in Epcot. We recommend Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Soarin and Frozen Ever After, Journey into Imagination with Figment, Moana World of Water, and Spaceship Earth.

What are the Best EPCOT Rides for Kids?

There are over 10 rides without height requirements, which we think qualify as the best EPCOT kid rides.

Kid rides at Epcot

  • Frozen Ever After
  • Figment: Journey into Imagination
  • Spaceship Earth
  • Living with the Land
  • Gran Fiesta Tour featuring the Three Caballeros
  • The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  • Beauty and the Beast sing-a-long
  • Journey of Water – Moana Walkthrough

Toddler rides at Epcot

  • Living with the Land
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
  • Gran Fiesta Tour
  • The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  • Beauty and the Beast sing-a-long

All of these rides listed do not have height requirements, making them wonderful Epcot rides for toddlers. Some great rides that are great for older kids, but are not Epcot attractions for toddlers are Soarin’ and Test Track. Both rides have a 40-inch height requirement, and could be a little bit too thrilling for Disney Epcot toddlers!

Related post: Best Ways to Avoid Long Lines at Disney World

Frozen Ever After

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Frozen Ever After at the Norway Pavilion is one of the best rides at Epcot for young kids. Hop aboard a boat and float your way through Arendelle on a “Summer Snow Day”. Your little ones will be able to see Elsa’s ice palace and their favorite Frozen friends, including Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven, and even Kristoff’s troll family!

This is mostly a gentle boat ride with a surprising, but smooth drop at the end that will probably get you wet! This is a great ride for kids that love Frozen though, as there are many great scenes and animatronics that are worth the wait on this one.

Tip: Frozen Ever After and Anna and Elsa’s meet and greet are two of the most popular Epcot attractions for kids, and wait times are often significant. Be sure to either rope drop or do some serious ride planning because you do not want to miss this!

Related post: Best Attractions at EPCOT Ranked

Under the Seas with Nemo and Friends

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If you take a left at Spaceship Earth, you’ll find yourself at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at the Seas Pavilion. This entire area is wonderful for kids, as there is more to do that just a ride.

Climb aboard a “clamobile” and take a gentle ride beneath the waves with Nemo, Dory, Marlin, and more undersea friends, featuring music from Animal Kingdom’s “Finding Nemo the Musical”.

Afterward, you can head over to Turtle Talk with Crush for another educational experience. Little ones can ask Crush any question their hearts desire about life under the sea, and Crush will respond with a personalized answer! And when I say any question, I mean any question. The last time I was there, one undersea explorer wanted to know if sea turtles wore underwear, to which a shell-shocked Crush replied, “No”.

Tip: The Seas with Nemo & Friends is also home to a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium! Your kids can marvel at real sharks and manatees while they learn even more about the ‘Big Blue World’.

Related post: Complete Guide to the Best Hotels Near EPCOT Orlando

Journey into Your Imagination with Figment!

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Have you ever really thought about your EXTRA sense? Sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and … IMAGINATION! You and your family get to visit the Institute with a tour with Dr. Nigel Channing to explore all of your senses. That is until a silly, playful dragon named Figment takes over the tour and teaches you all about imagination.

Figment is a wonderful Epcot attraction for kids because afterward, you can play along in the Imagination Institute with interactive games!

Tip: Figment has been meeting guests in the Imagination Pavilion as an actual character meet and greet! So, you can step of the ride and then right into line to meet the little purple dragon.

Related post: A Complete Guide to the Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT

Living with the Land

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While this may not be the most entertaining Epcot ride for kids, it certainly is an Epcot favorite among all Disney fans. Float along on a gentle journey through EPCOT’s greenhouses, where you learn all about Disney food production. We learn the story of the Earth and how food plays such a major role in our everyday lives.

This is a wonderful Disney Epcot ride for toddlers, because there are no drops or surprises, and your boat moves at a gentle pace. The boat flows through Epcot’s greenhouses after a few calming scenes, which is just the perfect ride to relax.

Tip: If you head to Disney World during the holidays, this ride gets an incredible layover with Christmas lights and scenes.

Related post: Complete Guide to the  Epcot’s Festival of the Arts

Gran Fiesta Tour featuring Los Caballeros

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Join Panchito and Jose as they search for Donald Duck among all of Mexico’s most beautiful sights and sounds on the Gran Fiesta Tour in the Mexico pavilion. The Gran Fiesta Tour is a great Epcot ride for toddlers due to its slow pace and bright and colorful theming.

This is also a perfect Epcot attraction for kids because of the catchy music and silly antics Donald is put through while trying to find his friends. The Mexico pavilion is also a must-see with how gorgeous the theming is.

After the ride, you can even stop over at San Angel Inn Restaurant and dine right next to the boats floating by from the ride!

Related post: Complete List of EPCOT Events

Best Rides at Epcot for Older Kids

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But what if your kids are old enough to enjoy some more exciting rides? Are there other rides at Epcot for older kids? Of course! There are also a handful of rides for kids at EPCOT who are looking for a little bit more thrill.

What are the best kid rides at EPCOT for older kids?

  • Soarin’ Around the World
  • Test Track
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Go “Soarin Around the World” at the Land Pavilion

Perhaps Epcot’s most well-known attraction, Soarin is a must-do for fans of adventure and heights.

Kids 40 inches and up can climb aboard a hang glider and take a breezy trip across the world’s most scenic locations, including the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. Although it’s often touted as a thrill ride, Soarin is gentle as far as flight simulators go. It’s complete with soothing scents and an epic musical score by an Academy award-winning composer.

Test Track

Kids 40 inches and taller can meet their need for speed at Test Track, another of Epcot’s signature attractions. Somewhere between a dark ride and a thrill ride, your kids will be able to design their vehicle and test it out! This attraction does speed up to 60 mph and does have some rough and jerky turns.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Help the Guardians save the planet again on this rotating coaster ride through space. This is EPCOT’s newest ride for kids and adults, located in World Discovery in the Xandar Pavilion. This ride is pretty intense and can trigger motion sickness, so keep that in mind if you’re wanting to blast off into the galaxy. There is also a rather intense backward launch, but kids tend to enjoy this attraction!

Related post: The Best Disney World Park By Age Group

Other Things to Do at EPCOT for Kids

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  • Seasonal International Festival activities
  • KIDCOT Fun Stops
  • Interactive playgrounds

Any International Epcot festival is bound to draw crowds of adults for a full day of eating, drinking, and an interactive cultural experience. What a lot of people don’t know is that these EPCOT festivals are geared toward families too! Every single festival has Epcot for young kids themed activities, games, and more! Next, we are going to talk about the best Epcot attractions for toddlers and kids at festivals.

EPCOT Festival of the Arts Kids Activities

  • Kid’s Chalk Art sections
  • Animation Academy – learn how to draw a Disney character!
  • Figment’s Brush with the Master’s Scavenger Hunt – $9.99 with a prize
  • Paint by Numbers Mural – Just like regular paint by numbers, but bigger!
  • Chalk Full of Character – Look for famous Disney characters hiding around the World Showcase

EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Kids Activities

  • Disney character topiary viewing – all around the World Showcase look for these living works of art
  • Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration Scavenger Hunt – $9.99 with special prize
  • Health Full Trail presented by Advent Health – Find fun ways to stay active and creative with the whole family
  • Garden Graze – Collect stamps along your fresh-tasting journey and get a free prize at the end

International EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Kids Activities

  • Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak Scavenger Hunt – $9.99 look for Remy and get a prize!
  • Cheese Crawl – Emile’s Fromage Montage – Eat 5 cheesy dishes at festival kitchens and get a free tasty prize
  • Try kid-friendly specialty foods and drinks – this festival has the most options

Festival of the Holidays Kids Activities

  • Holiday Cookie Stroll – try 5 different holiday cookies and get one free!
  • Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt – $9.99 – find all the Olaf’s and get a free prize!

Meet Santa Claus, Father Christmas or learn about other culture’s holiday experiences!

What is Kidcot?

Located at World Showcase pavilion, Kidcot is one of Epcot’s signature attractions for little ones. Kids can collect stamps at the Epcot Kidcot Stations and decorate a (free!) cardstock Duffy the Bear with the help of a Disney cast member. It is a mini-game of discovery, where you can learn about different cultures and countries as you make your way around the World Showcase. This is a great EPCOT activity for kids, and typically isn’t too crowded around each station either!

Related post: Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Guide

Are there Character Meet and Greets for Kids at EPCOT?

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Yes, there are! With shorter wait times than the Magic Kingdom, Epcot is a prime location to meet and greet your favorite Disney characters. Say ‘Bonjour’ to princesses like Belle and Aurora in their native France or ‘hola’ to Donald Duck in the Mexico Pavilion. Epcot is also ideal for meeting hard-to-find characters at Disney World, such as Figment and Joy from Inside Out.

Epcot is also one of the best places to eat at Disney World with kids. But you might be wondering, is there character dining for families with kids visiting EPCOT?

There are two character dinners at Epcot:

  • Garden Grill’s Chip & Dale’s Harvest Feast at The Land pavilion – Meet Chip, Dale, Mickey Mouse and Pluto in their farming best
  • Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway pavilion with the Disney Princesses

Often hailed as an easier-to-get-into alternative to Cinderella’s Royal Table, Akershus is one of the best kid-friendly restaurants in Disney World. This Epcot princess character dining is an excellent way for your little ones to meet all their favorite princesses in one spot.

Tip: if you make an 8 am reservation at Akershus for an Epcot princess breakfast, you can get into the park before it opens to other guests! This is ideal if you can’t get to Frozen Ever After or the Royal Summerhaus, since you’ll already be at the Norway Pavilion when the rest of the crowd is just getting in.

Related post: Top 10 Best Disney World Restaurants

EPCOT for Kids FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is EPCOT good for kids?

A: Yes, EPCOT is a great park for kids, which is often overlooked. There are many attractions suited for little ones, as well as, activities around the parks like playgrounds and scavenger hunts that kids will enjoy.

Q: Is EPCOT good for 6 year olds?

A: Yes, EPCOT is good for 6-year-olds. Many of the attractions at EPCOT are perfect for kids between the ages of 5-9, as they are themed after kid favorites like Frozen and Ratatouille. If you need breaks, there are indoor interactive areas for kids and even outdoor playgrounds.

When is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Our Disney  World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets.

Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well

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Michael Belmont

Michael Belmont is the owner at Theparkprodigy.com, an authorized Disney and Universal travel agent. He specializes in Disney and Universal theme park tickets and vacation packages, as well as daily park plans to help optimize vacation time. Michael and The Park Prodigy have been featured on ABC’s Florida affiliate, WTFV, as well as over 10 Disney focused blogs. As owner, Michael manages The Park Prodigy blog and social media, a Disney themed podcast, and a Disney and Universal focused YouTube channel. Prior to starting The Park Prodigy, Michael was a long time Disney and Universal enthusiast, frequent visitor of the parks, and even served as a Walt Disney World Cast Member in Orlando, Florida!