Children at Epcot

[Jen1984]

Just wondering if you have any tips for keeping children engaged at Epcot? I love it, it's my favourite Park, but the things that appeal to me (the culture, the shopping and the food/drink) obviously do not appeal so much to an 11 year old! Last time we did the Duffy bear thing which he is probably too old for now and tried Kim Possible with little success! How can I make sure we all have a great time?

Thank you!

[BugeyedMuggy]

We started bringing our DD @ 6 years old. She is now 25 and loves Epcot the best to this day. Back when she was younger we pulled her out of school in early May each year. The deal was to do good in school and we will go. She also was given an assignment by her teacher to write a daily log. When we went to Epcot we would focus on one country and in the evening the 3 of us would compare notes and help write that days events. Back then the kidscot were not just about coloring a bear either. The representative from that country really took time with the children ex: spelling their name in that countries language or writing something special to her. Maybe try to get one of the cast members to engage in conversation about themselves might help. Good Luck and take time to smell the flowers with your young one.

[NickD100]

There's always Test Track and Mission Space!!!! But as far as World Showcase, try looking for unique candy or drinks. I know Japan always has unique candy and those drinks with the marble on top (Ramune Soda?). A drink with a challenge!! Tasting candy from different countries might be fun and entertaining. And eating in Japan at Teppan Edo is fun for everyone. I'm a dork and make everyone do the Duffy bear thing. Not necessarily at every country, but I like to get everyone's name written in different languages....Morocco is my favorite. They can do that in china and in Japan as well. And look up your sign in China. And the family's creed in UK.

[AgentC]

Epcot is one of my children's favorite parks. They are 7 and 5.

In Future World, Test Track and Soarin' are always big hits. They also enjoy Living with the Land and checking out the fish in the Living Seas pavilion. Innovation is also always a must do. The Sum of All Thrills is great if he is tall enough. Piggy Bank Adventure is a fun game about saving money . (I don't even mind playing it. :) )

In the World Showcase, Kim Possible has been replaced with Agent P. If he is a Phineas and Ferb fan he may like that better. Also some countries are better to play in than others. Great Britain is fun and has a bit more interaction than some of the pavilions.

It looks like you are going to be there during Food and Wine. Get him the free passport. You take it to all the food stands and get stamps to complete it. Usually during F&W, they will also have the play ground up. Part of it is geared for older kids.

My kids loved the panoramic shows in China, Canada and France. I'd also make sure you get the entertainment schedule. My kids are usually very happy watching the shows. There are acrobats in China, the candy lady and drummers in Japan, a comedy troupe in Italy, and a funny balancing act in France. There are also musical acts in Great Britain, Canada, Morocco and Mexico.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My son loved the passports. It was a good chance for him to interact with the CM and he had a great souvenier from the trip too.

[Kairi_7378]

My 4 year old loves Epcot! In the World Showcase we made a game of eating a snack from each country and we try to let him pick a few performances to see. There are also some unique characters in the World Showcase that may appeal to boys (Beast, Aladdin, etc.) We also bought my son a Fisher Price camera and let him take his own photos for the last trip. We were amazed at the details that he noticed in Epcot.

[rjmdds]

My kids absolutely LOVE Epcot. They are 11 and 7. Since they were toddlers we have been spending full days at Epcot with no problem. For us, the key to World Showcase has been the KidCot stationsl They love them and can't wait to go to the next country. It gives us plenty of time to explore and no one ever complains. Having been there so many times now, there is no debate. We have no trouble filling two full days at that park.

[Donald]

Oh...11 yr. old boys....you got to love them!

I hate to admit this, but I actually sat my son down and yelled at him about being so narrow minded at Epcot. I told him to forget the pool. Forget Magic Kindgom. Open your eyes and really look at what is around you. He tried snacks from different countries, shopped, listened to bands, enjoyed shows, ...

Lets just say, we are planning a trip next year, and he wants to stay near Epcot-for convienience sake!:thumbsup:

[Mickey'sGirl]

My son loved the passports. It was a good chance for him to interact with the CM and he had a great souvenier from the trip too.
The Passports are such a great way to engage kids. ... including the sometimes difficult tween set.

Epcot continues to be the park where we spend the most time.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

The Passports are such a great way to engage kids. ... including the sometimes difficult tween set.

Epcot continues to be the park where we spend the most time.

The passport was amazing. It filled the "gap" between DD doing the masks/Duffy's and being able to enjoy Epcot on her own. She LOVED it, loved getting it all filled in. She also liked P&F, which again gave us more time to explore.

But, what really grabbed DD was the performers. She loved watching them and even got to be involved a couple of times.

[MargaretMessler]

Perhaps you could come up with something to engaged him in WS that caters to his likes. For instance, if he showed an interest in photography, an assignment to take a unique photo in each country. Make sure you hit up all the street performers in each country in between all the culture type things. And definitely take in Innoventions, we never do, and I hear it's got some neat techie stuff in it, might appeal to a pre teen.

[GAN]

I'd also make sure you get the entertainment schedule. My kids are usually very happy watching the shows. There are acrobats in China, the candy lady and drummers in Japan, a comedy troupe in Italy, and a funny balancing act in France. There are also musical acts in Great Britain, Canada, Morocco and Mexico.

Absolutely! And don't forget the Jammitors in Future World.

[Opus X]

My son 7 and daughter 5 both LOVED Epcot Center.
Yes, lets call it Epcot Center..:mickey:
I will say though, A child needs an imagination and awe..to really love Epcot Center.
Thankfully, our kids love it. Even the world showcase.

[Terra]

I can't really add any better information that already has been shared :) My boys, 5 and 6 years old, have been raised on Disney! Going BEFORE birth! ;)
They both LOVE EPCOT. I agree about the passports. My oldest loves his book. We do a few countries every time we are there. Put the stickers in, get it stamped, learn about the message they write. They love the KidCot stations as well.

I often find that people over look Innovations as well, but it is full of fun for the whole family!
My boys love doing the Sodas around the world too and learning about that. They love the movies. Often those 360 Circle Visions are overlooked, but they are wonderful IMHO.

Hope you have a wonderful time :)

[Jen1984]

Wow! I'm overwhelmed by all the responses! Thank you all so much for your advice, I'm really glad to hear that other people had a similar issues and have found ways to keep children interested (and happy, which is obviously the most important thing!) The passport sounds like a definite one to try, and he does like trying new foods so allowing him to experiment with the different snacks around WS also sounds like a plan. Unfortunately we won't be there during food & wine (one day!) but we will be there this week- so excited!

[lightyearfan]

Inovations for sure will keep kids occupied, it keeps me and dw occupied b4 we head over to World Showcase

VIctor

[ANG]

While I never actually stopped at them, all the KidCot stations all looked like you were coloring a Duffy bear on a stick. Am I wrong?

When our kids are old enough, they will do Agent P and the passports. And also snack around the world. Future has tons to hold interest

[Arielfan98]

I was your child's age 5 years ago. I've always been a huge Disney fan so I was honestly just amused at the themes of the different countries and seeing all the country shows/rides. Does your child like meeting up with characters? He/she could meet up with them along the way. I also enjoyed looking at the different cultures and what they had to offer in gift shops, etc. I always found the train set at Germany entertaining and in Norway the ride was fun then we'd finish off with the bakery they have there. It's really about bringing out what your child finds interesting. I was always happy just to be there.

[JerseyDad]

....both my daughters love EPCOT ...and we started going to WDW when they were 7 and 14 yrs old. Although the Future World might have attracted a child to a greater degree ...both daughters were immediately drawn to the World Showcase area to a greater degree instead. I think it was the different cultures and architecture that would draw them in ...and they loved to learn (not a bad thing I must say).

...it's still their favorite park.