Planning Your Day at Epcot with Young Children

Today, we are excited to welcome Katie Miller on our blog for our Where To Wednesday series.  Katie & I were high school friends & I am excited to reconnect with her in the blogging world!  She is super knowledgable about Disney & is now a travel agent with Mouse World Travel.  We are excited for her to share her wisdom and tips with you today in the post below!  

Thank you to The Chirping Moms for having me as a guest writer today! My name is Katie, and I’m a travel agent with Mouse World Travel. I specialize in planning vacations to Disney Destinations around the world. I’ve spent the better part of 15+ years traveling to Disney World and on the Disney Cruise Line, and in the coming months I’ll be sharing with you tips and information on how you and your families can have the most magical Disney vacation ever!

Today I wanted to share with you some tips for planning your day at the Epcot theme park with small children. I often find that families with young children either don’t know much about Epcot, or don’t plan on spending time there during their Disney World vacation because they think it’s boring (gasp!) or only for adults. This is such a missed opportunity – Epcot has many wonderful fun AND educational attractions that are fun for both kids and adults.

So as Mickey says, Let’s Get On With The Show! Here are my Top 5 Must Do’s for Families with Small Children. (And – they’re all FREE and included with your park admission!)

* Kidcot Fun Stops

Each of the eleven countries around the World Showcase at Epcot has a Kidcot Fun Stop; consult your park map guide for specific locations. At these Fun Stops, kids are able to create a craft item that they can decorate and take home with them. Cast Members at the Fun Stops are native to the country they’re working in (this is true across the World Showcase) and they interact with the children, sharing stories and information about where they’re from. Ask the Cast Member if they can teach your kids to say “Hello” or “Goodbye” in their native language!

You can also collect a special Duffy the Bear stamp in each country, which is a fun way to commemorate your trip. If you’re looking for a more permanent keepsake, you can purchase a World Showcase Passport at Epcot, and use that to hold the stamps!  This is not only a fun memory from your trip, it’s an educational resource that you can use to continue teaching your children what they learned at Epcot.

* Performers around World Showcase

Where else can you see lumberjacks, Chinese acrobats, AND a mariachi band, all in one place? Only at Epcot! Each country in the World Showcase offers its own special entertainment that will enchant children and adults. Be sure to pick up a Times Guide when you enter the parks for times and locations of performers.

Be sure not to miss Voices of Liberty, which is one of my favorite attractions in all of Walt Disney World. A small group of fantastic vocalists sings American standards and classics, acapella, under the rotunda in the American pavilion. A truly magnificent experience that is not to be missed!

* Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure

Who has kids who are fans of Phineas and Ferb? (Adults, we know you like it, too!) You and your little ones can become a secret agent and using a special device, help Agent P thwart the evil Dr. Doofenschmirtz! You’ll use a handheld communicator to follow clues around the World Showcase and help Agent P complete his mission.

Each mission lasts about 45 minutes, and up to four agents of any age can share a communicator. If your little secret agents really enjoy this – be sure and sign up for a mission at each of the different headquarters around the World Showcase, as 7 countries (Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan, France, and the UK) have their own unique mission.

* Character Spot

You can meet characters all around the World Showcase at Epcot, but one of my favorite places in all of Walt Disney World to meet Mickey, Minnie and the gang is at the Character Spot. Located in Future World (at the front of Epcot), I’ve found that this character meet and greet spot has some of the shortest wait times at Disney World.

* Turtle Talk with Crush

Dude, it’s like, Totally Wicked – you have to stop by and see Turtle Talk with Crush!  If your kids have ever wanted to ask Crush what it’s like to swim the EAC, or about any of his friends from Finding Nemo, now’s the time! Using some pretty incredible technology, your children will sit in front of a giant screen and Crush himself will swim up to them, addressing them by name and answering their questions. (If you’ve been on the Disney Cruise Line, this is similar to what you experience at Animator’s Palette restaurant on the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Magic.) A must-do for any Finding Nemo aficionado!

If you’ve been to Epcot – – what are your favorite things to do with your family?

Katie Miller runs The Most Delightful Place, a blog where she shares her love of Disney theme parks and the Disney Cruise Line. She is also an agent with Mouse World Travel, and would love to help you plan your family vacations to some of the most magical places on Earth! Check out her Facebook page here and email her at katie@mouseworldtravel.com for a no-obligation travel quote!