Epcot for Kids: What Parents Need to Know – NerdWallet

So you’ve finally made it to Walt Disney World. You’ve got a week to spend there, but you’re not sure which parks are best for your family. We don’t blame you — Disney World is a massive series of resorts and theme parks with seemingly endless options.

Among the theme parks is Epcot, a Disney park that focuses on future technology and global culture. But is Epcot for kids? While on the surface it may seem oriented toward an older crowd, there are plenty of activities for families. Let’s take a look.

The short answer to whether or not Epcot is for kids is yes — the park is a great place for kids. It’s not as obviously kid-friendly as theme parks such as the Magic Kingdom Park, but Epcot has both attractions and activities that are geared toward children.

Kid-friendly activities at Epcot

Is Epcot good for toddlers? How about young children? Happily, no matter their age, you’ll be able to find attractions to suit your family. Epcot has many different activities available for children of various ages, even as young as infants.

Several rides have no height requirements. These include such attractions as:

• Journey Into Imagination With Figment.

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

• The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

There are also more exciting rides that have stricter requirements, like a 3′4″ height requirement or above. Epcot rides with height requirements include:

• Soarin’ Around the World.

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (3’6″ height requirement).

Since these Epcot rides are more thrilling and have some requirements, they’re good options for older kids.

Other Epcot attractions that appeal to kids of all ages include:

• Shows. There’s a wide variety of non-ride attractions you’ll find scattered around Epcot. At certain times during the day, shows featuring acrobatics, music or drumming take place at different World Showcase pavilions.

• Meet and greets. There are also character meet and greets throughout the park, including the ever popular Frozen characters Anna and Elsa.

• Aquarium. You can visit the area formerly known as Future World — now three neighborhoods called World Nature, World Discovery and World Celebration — which offers an aquarium filled with manta rays, sharks, turtles and colorful fish. It’s both free and easy to access.

• Fireworks. At night, Epcot’s fireworks show takes center stage. Although kids will have the best view near the water, space isn’t limited and you’ll be able to see the show from most of the park.

Epcot also has Kidcot, which has stations throughout the World Showcase and includes attractions from eleven different countries. With Kidcot, kids can collect souvenir cards and complete activities featuring the cultures of each international pavilion.

Does your family enjoy festivals? If so, Epcot is a great place for your adventures. With four separate festivals throughout the year, there’s rarely a time when Epcot isn’t celebrating something.

• From November to December, you’ll be able to enjoy the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, when pop-up kiosks with different foods circle the World Showcase and themed shows take over.

• During spring, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival brings artfully shaped topiaries and another variety of foods to the park, along with activities such as scavenger hunts.

• In January and February, the Epcot International Festival of the Arts lets kids create their own art pieces while showcasing Disney’s Broadway musicals.

• And just when you thought there weren’t enough festivals, you’ll find the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, which happens during summer and focuses on — you guessed it — food and wine. This is one of Epcot’s longest-running festivals, spanning a full four months, and is wildly popular.

While this festival is definitely oriented toward adults, if your children are adventurous eaters, they’ll love getting to try flavors from around the world. If not, all the traditional restaurants in Epcot are still open and happily serving.

Merchandise is a big deal at Walt Disney World and this is true at Epcot as well. You’ll find many types of stores within the parks, including those selling typical merchandise such as T-shirts and bubble wands.

However, since Epcot has an international flair, your family will also be able to explore shops filled with international goods at each pavilion. Ever wanted your kids to try some Pocky? Head to Japan’s pavilion. Can you convince them to eat escargot? Test it out over at the French pavilion.

During festivals, you’ll also be able to purchase specially themed merchandise, which you’ll find in pop-ups around the park.

We’ve already mentioned food a few times — and for good reason. While Epcot is full of rides, shows, festivals and shops, it’s on a whole other level when it comes to food. Its food choices are good enough that at one point it was possible to get an annual pass that provided access exclusively to Epcot after 4 p.m.

Most of the pavilions in the World Showcase have their own restaurants, and you’ll want to look them up before you travel. They range from quick-service options to full-blown white tablecloth dining. You’ll also find themed restaurants with entertainment, such as the German pavilion’s Biergarten or Norway’s Akershus.

If you want to take your kids to Epcot

On the surface, Epcot may not seem especially kid-friendly. However, with a little investigation, you’ll find that there are many activities that are enjoyable for both children and adults.

Sure, if you have very young kids you may need to skip out on the bigger rides, but no matter their age, you’ll all be able to enjoy a full day of fun at this Florida theme park.

(Top photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)