By Ashley McKellar
For families traveling to Walt Disney World with small children there are often some questions about which parks to visit. The Magic Kingdom is an obvious must-do with young children. It by far has the largest number of attractions without a height requirement. We suggest that families spend two full days at the Magic Kingdom to experience all it has to offer. Some people are drawn to the Animal Kingdom if their children love animals or Hollywood Studios if their children love Toy Story. But often I hear people say that they will probably skip EPCOT since their children are too young to appreciate it. There is a misconception out there that EPCOT is a park for adults or older children. But I think EPCOT is a very toddler friendly park that should not be skipped!
It may surprise some to learn that, after the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT is the park with the largest number of rides without a height requirement! The headliners are Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. But there are several other slow moving rides that often don’t have very long waits. These include Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Living with the Land, Journey Into Imagination With Figment, and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. The entire Seas Pavilion is a destination in and of itself for small children. Many don’t realize that EPCOT is home to a standalone aquarium with 4,000 sea creatures and over 60 species including reef fish, manatees, sea turtles, sharks and rays! The aquarium is also home to an attraction called Turtle Talk with Crush, where children can engage in conversation with Crush and a play area called Bruce’s Shark World where children can burn off some energy and pose for a photo from inside Bruce’s mouth.
Last year Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, opened at EPCOT and it has been a wonderful addition to the park for all ages but is particularly appealing to young children. The attraction is a self-guided exploration trail with many interactive water elements. While there is a dry path, young children will love playing with the water and can get very wet! My advice is to embrace it and bring a pair of waterproof shoes and a change of clothes into the park so children can fully enjoy this attraction!
For children who love meeting characters EPCOT is home to many characters who can be found within their home countries in the World Showcase. You can find Alice and Winnie the Pooh in the UK, Belle and Aurora in France, Jasmine in Morocco, Snow White in Germany, Mulan in China, and Anna and Elsa in Norway. You can also meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Moana who meets near the entrance to her attraction. There are also two characters dining experiences at EPCOT including Garden Grill with Chip ‘n’ Dale and princess dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway.
In addition to character dining there are several other child friendly dining options in EPCOT. San Angel Inn Restaurante is located inside the pyramid in Mexico under a perpetual twilight “sky” with a view of a glowing volcano and the boats for Gran Fiesta Tour ride. Biergarten in the Germany pavilion features a live polka-band and at Space 220 diners have panoramic views of outer space while they dine.
With all that EPCOT has to offer you can easily spend a full day there! An ideal itinerary for families would include five park days – two at the Magic Kingdom and one at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Families may want to consider adding a sixth or seventh day if they would also like to explore the water parks, Disney Springs, mini golf, or dedicate a rest day to enjoy their resort pool. Please contact us at Royal Carriage Vacations about planning your magical Disney vacation!
