Spanning over 300 acres, EPCOT, or Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, is a theme park at Walt Disney World Resort dedicated to the celebration of technological innovation and international culture. In this post, I’ll share tips and advice for visiting EPCOT with preschoolers.
There are two sections to explore at EPCOT park: Future World, featuring popular experiences such as the Test Track and Mission: SPACE, and the World Showcase, made up of pavilions themed to 11 countries with restaurants and entertainment. There is plenty to see and do at EPCOT for all ages, with a combination of fun rides, cultural performances and educational experiences.
We planned our family visit to EPCOT for during the late afternoon and evening, so we could have dinner and watch the fireworks at 9pm. I’d recommend spending an evening at the parks to experience the nighttime shows, dining out and fireworks. For our family with a toddler, EPCOT was a great choice for the selection of restaurants in the World Showcase and a brilliant fireworks display.
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EPCOT Disney Character Spot
Our EPCOT visit began with a stop at the Disney Character Spot. Little T, who was 3/12 years old at the time, was thrilled to meet Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Minnie Mouse. The wait at the Character Spot was 30+ minutes.
It was well worth visiting the EPCOT Character Spot, and we had plenty of time for photos and autographs with each of the characters.
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EPCOT Spaceship Earth Attraction
We also went on the Spaceship Earth attraction, located within the iconic EPCOT sphere. Spaceship Earth is a fascinating and enjoyable ride that takes you through the technological advances of mankind through the centuries. The ride goes about 2 mph, fine for all ages including toddlers and preschoolers and safe for expectant mothers.
Other EPCOT rides and attractions that preschoolers would love include Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros and The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
During May, EPCOT celebrates its annual International Flower & Garden Festival with fun character topiaries and beautiful flower installations set up throughout the park.
The amazing topiaries featuring many popular Disney characters including Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Mickey Mouse.
One of my favourite topiaries in the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival featured Beauty and the Beast in the France Pavilion section of the World Showcase.
EPCOT World Showcase
One of the highlights of visiting EPCOT with kids is seeing its fantastic World Showcase. The EPCOT World Showcase is split up into pavilions representing 11 countries: Mexico, Norway, England, China, Germany, France, USA, Italy, Canada, Morocco and Japan. Each pavilion features shops, restaurants, entertainment and activities based on each country.
Tip: Keep an eye out for character appearances at each country, for example Elsa and Anna at Norway, Donald Duck at Mexico, Mulan at China. You can check for these appearances on the My Disney Experience app or website.
The World Showcase is well done and fun to explore. We also loved seeing the character topiaries and flower displays for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. Overall, we had a wonderful time at Epcot, and as it was also our last evening, it turned out to be a great way to end a memorable family holiday in Orlando.
Tip: Check Walt Disney World EPCOT for the latest information on special events and festivals, including the annual Food and Wine Festival and Festival of the Holidays.
San Angel Inn Restaurante
For dinner, we booked a table at San Angel Inn, in the Mexico pavilion. The restaurant is designed as a 17th-century hacienda at the base of Mayan ruins, dimly lit and overlooking boats going by in the small lagoon at the foot of the ruins. Our dinner was at 8:30PM and the restaurant wasn’t crowded at all.
San Angel Inn has a unique atmosphere, but to be honest, we were somewhat disappointed with the food. While my carne asada was tender and pretty tasty, the rest of my meal, including the rice and empanada, was dry and tasteless.
EPCOT Forever Fireworks Display
The fantastic nighttime spectacular at EPCOT features dazzling fireworks and stunning laser effects set the music that has become a theme park favourite.
Tip: Bring along glow sticks or light-up wands for the kids to wave around at the evening events. There are Disney bubble wands available to purchase at the theme park kiosks for $30.
Overall, we had a wonderful time at EPCOT, and as it was also our last evening, it turned out to be a great way to end a memorable family holiday in Orlando.
Visiting EPCOT with Preschoolers
I would recommend EPCOT for the fun and educational rides and other experiences that showcase the environment, innovation and world culture. EPCOT is definitely a Walt Disney World theme park I would love to go back to, especially since more attractions and festivals have been added in the past few years.
I originally thought EPCOT was a park geared mainly to older children and adults, however, I found that there is plenty for younger children to enjoy too. Highlights from visiting EPCOT with preschoolers were the Character Spot with Mickey and Friends, the Spaceship Earth ride and exploring the World Showcase.
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I hope you have found this post helpful for tips and inspiration in planning your own family holiday in Orlando.
Read on for more details on visiting the Orlando theme parks, booking Walt Disney World character meals and a resort review for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge;
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https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/destinations/epcot/
This post was updated on 9 October 2023 with more photos and updated information about visiting EPCOT theme park at Walt Disney World Orlando Resort.
Pin for Later – Visiting Epcot with Preschoolers
