What type of kid likes/dislikes Epcot?

[KrisM]

It seems that here people say their kids love Epcot or find it incredibly boring. I'm trying to guess which we'll be.

Any stereotypes for the kids that could help me?

[DrSally]

I loved it when we went when I was a kid. I was a bookworm/studious type, and I found the "educational" elements much more entertaining than the actual Disneyworld theme park stuff.

[kbud]

My dd is 6 and she loves it there. Although we are passholders and live about an hour away so we are at Disney about 20 plus times a year. She loves to make the masks at the different stations. She also loves to roll play and we pretend we are from the countries when we there (ie, a Mexican, visiting Belle in France, etc). She loves Turtle Talk w/Crush. She loves the activities at Innovations. Her favorite is the one teaching kids how to get out of a house on fire. She just loves role playing and pretending.

[DebbieJ]

There are so many varied things at Epcot that I think it's hard to make a generalization.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that Epcot was our favorite park of the four when we went in June.

[Momof3Labs]

DS1 loves Mission Space and Test Track. DS2 loves Nemo and the Mexico ride. There is a definite science slant to Future World, but in a very fun way.

[egoldber]

I don't think you can generalize because there is so much there and most kids like at least something.

Epcot has several rides and experiences that many kids like: Test Track, Soarin, Mission Space. There are also a couple tame boat roads (Mexico and Norway). There is a boat ride in The Land pavilion that is pseudo educational. ;)

I think my younger DD would have lived on the Nemo ride our last trip LOL! We must have gone on it about 20 times. I mean that literally. She did not enjoy Turtle Talk with Crush, but my older DD loves it.

One thing both kids had a BLAST doing last trip was the Kim Possible Missions. You go to a location and get a "cell phone" that takes you on a mission all over the World Showcase. It is really fun!!!

Here they are with their phone:

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u117/egoldber/DSCN0228.jpg

My kids also like to make the masks. Just be aware that they give the kids Sharpies (!!!) to color with.

There are many characters to see and meet throughout Epcot, especially in the World Showcase. There are various "street performers" throughout Epcot that most kids really like as well.

My kids also just like looking in the shops. Here they are in "Germany":

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u117/egoldber/DSCN0103.jpg

There is so much to do there and so many different things I really just can't imagine not enjoying it. It is a VERY large park, and there is a lot of walking.

[Puddy73]

My kids (5 & 3 last time we went) loved doing a Kim Possible mission. Heck, DH and I loved it, too! They also liked Turtle Talk with Crush and the ride at the Norway pavilion. EPCOT is also a good place to meet characters.

[KrisM]

Thanks. I think my kids would really like it. I am sure the older ones would love the rides, but worry that DS2 will be under 40" still (just turned 3 when we go) and it'll be tough to manage to get us all doing things. It seems like Epcot more than MK have rides that one kids will like but DS2 won't be able to.

My BIL and family are going this year and their kids are a bit older, but they're planning on only half a day at Epcot. My brother will be going with us and his kids are also a bit older and they are also planning on only half a day. Basically they're riding the big rides and leaving. It just got me wondering if I was off by thinking my kids would really like it!

[egoldber]

I think a lot of people just do the big rides and go. But Epcot is a park worth savoring. :) There are a lot of little delights all over. It also has the best beer in all of WDW, something that the MK tragically lacks. ;)

At Epcot, Mission Space, Soarin and Test Track have height restrictions.

At the MK, BTMRR, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain have height restrictions. And Goofy's Barnstormer is only 38", but I don't know if that is currently still open?

[KrisM]

I think a lot of people just do the big rides and go. But Epcot is a park worth savoring. :) There are a lot of little delights all over. It also has the best beer in all of WDW, something that the MK tragically lacks. ;)

At Epcot, Mission Space, Soarin and Test Track have height restrictions.

At the MK, BTMRR, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain have height restrictions. And Goofy's Barnstormer is only 38", but I don't know if that is currently still open?

I walked a marathon for the Leukemia Sociiety in 2000. I picked Dublin for the beer :). I'm planning on a lunch at Biergarten already!

DS2 is short - only 33 at age 2. I'm not sure he'd be 36 in a year.

[fivi2]

We planned two days for EP - a future world morning and a world showcase afternoon/evening. Honestly, my girls pretty much hated future world (I was surprised). If it hadn't been Flower and Garden we would have been in trouble. They HATED nemo and turtle talk and imagination was lame. They did like the Land boat ride (which they rode twice so dh and I could take turns on Soarin - which was great). Spaceship earth was okay. (they were 4.5)

The afternoon WS day - we loved innoventions (it is in future world, but we did it this day because it had a/c and it was hot out). We enjoyed the countries - especially the boat rides. (I was worried norway would scare them, but it didn't really. They still ask about the trolls on occasion, but it wasn't bad). They loved the characters and the street performers - especially the acrobats. Kim Possible was a HUGE hit. They really think we were secret spies. They still whisper when talking about it 3 months later.

So, I think you will find something your kids will enjoy. The problem, imo, is that it is hard to guess ahead of time. And if you choose wrong, you end up with tired, bored kids who don't want to give anything else a chance. especially if the waits are long.

[Tinkerbell313]

We went to Disney for the first time a year ago last June and the kids were 5 and 3. The kids loved Future World. DS was two short to go on TT and Soarin but loved going on the Land ride, Spaceship Earth, Nemo, Imagination. DS especially loved Imagination...probably because he is a creative kid and uses his mind lots. DD loved all the rides;TT and Soarin were her favorites. Both kids loved the activities at the end of the rides as well. They loved playing the pretend musical instruments, etc.

I think the best part was Innovations...both East and West. The loved creating velcro frogs and princesses...I still bring them to restuarants with them and still mix up the outfits and create new ones. They also both liked the AllieWaste recycling truck game where you bring the truck around to various docking stations and play games which teach about recycling. The also liked the Piggy Bank game which teaches about savings...you bring the pig to different docking stations and you play games which teach about making decisions about spending and saving. The three year old loved it!!

Both kids enjoyed going on the Maelstorm in Norway. They loved the movie in Canada as well. We also got a lot of character autographs in World Showcase including the Beast!!

This was probably their favorite park...and ours as well. We ended one of the days in Epcot with dinner at GG. We enjoyed it...the food wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst either. The restaurant rotated and we were on the bottom level. The kids thought it was cool that we could see parts of the land ride from our table. The best part was the character interaction...we saw the characters a minimum of 4 times...and they stayed and played with the kids for a long time.