EPCOT for Kids – Top Picks for a Fun-Filled Day

Epcot is my son Johnny’s favorite park. This may seem unusual as it’s generally known for drinking around the world and the festivals that are more geared to adults. And while Epcot is the perfect park for grownups, there’s also a surprising amount of things to do for the younger members of your family. From making your own Figment to collecting postcards around World Showcase, Epcot is full of experiences for little ones. Let’s take a look at Johnny’s Epcot Must-Do List, rides not included! This ride-free list of kid-approved activities is the perfect Kickstarter for making sure everyone in your party enjoys their day at EPCOT, no matter their age.

Future World at Epcot has been divided into three zones and renamed to World Discovery, World Celebration, and World Nature. And while this area may seem like a sea of construction walls right now, there are still spaces and places for a kid to be a kid. 

World Celebration

World Celebration is home to the iconic Spaceship Earth. But there is so much more than just the ride within. In the exit area, you will not find your typical gift shop. Instead, there are games and activities to keep everyone in the family busy. Try your hand at building human skeletons or powering a community, there are 4 different games to play in all.

Journey into Imagination with Figment is a fun family ride, but even if you skip the ride, the exit area is full of imaginative entertainment. conduct music, create your own Figment, light a colorful path, imagination is best when it’s set free!

Next to the Creations Shop you can find a playground. While the play structure itself stays the same, the theme changes throughout the year. Featuring Toy Story, Wreck-It Ralph, Ratatouille, and other kid-approved movies, this is a great outdoor area to let the kids exert some energy while the adults relax on nearby benches or Adirondack chairs.

The playground offers many unique features that make this one of Johnny’s favorite places to hang out at Epcot.

World Nature

The Living Seas is home to more than just The Seas with Nemo and Friends ride. There are multiple aquariums, Turtle Talk with Crush, and a shark awareness learning area featuring Bruce and friends.

Johnny likes to explore the aquarium with Dory. Finding Dory’s Friends is a scavenger hunt that takes you on a trip through the aquarium learning about dolphins, manatees, stingrays, and other sea life.

In Bruce’s Shark World you can learn all about sharks and shark safety. You can even take a picture with Bruce!

Be careful, while Bruce’s club motto may be “Fish are friends, not food” you might just end up as a snack.

Who doesn’t want to talk with a sea turtle? At Turtle Talk With Crush, you can visit with Crush, Dory, and other friends. If you’re lucky, you may even get to ask Crush a question. This is a “totally sweet” experience and Johnny loves to come up with questions to ask Crush.

The Land Pavilion may seem lacking in kids’ entertainment, but your budding environmentalists and explorers will love it! Awesome Planet is a movie experience about our planet’s creation and conservation. If you’ve ever been to Epcot with Johnny, you know why this is one of his not-to-miss, in his words: “Because, it’s awesome!”.

World Discovery

The Mission: Space exit area has the Advanced Training Lab with games and an indoor play area. It’s a great spot to wait out those Florida rain showers or explore the games and exhibits.

Did you know that you don’t need to ride Test Track to create your own concept car? In the exit area, you will find the same consoles available in line for the ride. Will you go for power, responsiveness, capability, or efficiency?

While Johnny loves to create his cars and try them out on Test Track, he also likes to take them for a race against others on the virtual racetrack.

World Showcase

Kidcot Fun Stops are located throughout the World Showcase. Fill your Ziploc suitcase with postcards and stickers from each country you visit. In the past, Johnny liked to talk with the International Cast Members about their countries. While this activity is currently available, the international cast members haven’t returned yet. We’re really looking forward to the International cast members returning in the future!

In Germany, stop and check out the miniature train village. This is an area Johnny never gets tired of, watching all the different types of trains going by.

Many countries have small museum displays. Johnny has two favorites, but there are many other exhibits in different countries. In Norway, you can learn about the Nordic gods, the original Thor and Loki among others (no, they’re not the same ones in the Marvel movies, but their stories are just as entertaining).

And in China, there are displays of Shanghai Disney’s rides, merchandise, and costumes.

Finally, I mentioned how the Epcot festivals are mainly intended for an older audience. But the scavenger hunts are one thing that Johnny looks forward to each festival. Going around the different countries and finding Figment, Olaf, Chip ‘n’ Dale and others is a favorite activity for younger party members.

What We Are (Not So) Patiently Waiting For To Return (Or Open)

While we’ve shared some of Johnny’s favorite non-ride activities in the park, there are also a few more things that haven’t returned to Epcot just quite yet. We’re holding out hope that they return soon since they really add a bit more to hold kiddos’ attention.

Askerhus Princess dining has yet to return. When the parks initially reopened, Askerhus was used as an indoor Relaxation Station and then a lounge for Florida Blue members. Now it sits waiting for the princesses to return.

Character Meet and Greets have returned in a modified form. While completely understandable, we look forward to more personal interactions.

Agent P World Showcase Adventure (previously Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure) closed in February 2020 to make way for an updated experience. Johnny loved taking control of our World Showcase experience leading me through different countries to defeat Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans. Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure was announced as the replacement, however, there has been no word on the status since the park’s reopening and no signs of any work being done.

Let’s Hear From You

The future looks bright for World Discovery with the eventual opening of a new PLAY pavilion (which was previously Wonders of Life) and a whole new section of World Nature including a water playground. While we wait, there is still plenty of fun to be had, even if you skip the rides for a day. Did you know about all these activities available at Epcot? Are there any other kid-friendly activities around Epcot you’d suggest? What are your favorites and what would you like to see the park add in the future? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.