Walt Disney World – 5 Things for Under 5s at Epcot

Finally another Walt Disney World post, I bet you were all missing them, right? My life has just been a bit busier than usual of late and i really do like to put my heart and soul into a post about my favourite place on earth. But finally I have a day free to get on with one. And today I’m sharing my 5 Things for the Under 5 Crowd at Epcot.

Growing up, Epcot was my least favourite park. There just didn’t seem to be anything magical about it. I enjoyed meeting the characters at World Showcase and that was it. The worst part is my parents used to make us do two days there, usually the last two days of our trip when I’m pining to go back to Magic Kingdom, how cruel? So when I was taking LM for the first time last year I was really apprehensive. I thought she’d be bored the whole time and I had no idea how I was going to fill a whole day with her! It was hard, the park is huge and there is a lot of walking in the sun especially around World Showcase, but we finally have the park down and she actually enjoys visiting, now we know there are actually some great fun things to do.

Little Miss has visited Epcot at both 3 & 4, so here are her favourite things.

The Rides
Unlike Magic Kingdom there isn’t a huge selection of rides but in order of her favourite she likes Journey into the Imagination, The Seas with Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Gran Fiesta Tour & Turtle Talk with Crush. Come the beginning of summer there will also be Frozen Ever After in Norway which I already know she’s going to love but I bet FPs will be a nightmare to come by! Her favourite thing about the rides is that all the ones in Future World have interactive things to do after you’ve finished the ride. LM is very hands on and learns through play so these really appeal. The best part for me though is the aircon! It’s so nice to just let her run around and not only do I know she’s learning, but she’s also staying cool. If your child is tall for an under 5, remember to hit up Test Track too, the height limit is 40″ and as of yet, LM hasn’t hit it.

Character Spot
Lets face it, we all know LM’s favourite thing to do at any park is character meet and at Epcot we always get a FP for Character Spot. At the Epcot Character Spot you can meet 3 of the fab 5, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie all in their original outfits (the best in my opinion). They’re all on the one FP too and it’s indoors. Not only that but it’s there park open to park close! We have had some really magical interactions in there and I love it. The queue does move fast if you don’t get a FP but it’s one of those things I know appeals to LM so we always do. Opposite the character spot you can FP there is a second one that has Baymax along with Joy & Sadness from Inside Out. You cannot FP these but if you get there at park opening you won’t have to queue too long for them. I hear Joy & Sadness are big in demand at the moment though, fingers crossed the wait time has reduced by October!

Splash Pads
Being a normal 4 year old, Little Miss can sniff out water from a mile away. Which in the UK sucks but it’s usually welcomed in Florida with the heat at the height of the day being a lot more than we’re used to. At Epcot if you make your way through the central plaza towards World Showcase, on the right there are some splash pads that Little Miss loves to play in! I always bring spare clothes and a towel so she can cool off there. It’s a great way to ensure she behaves herself in the morning with the promise of an hour getting soaked. The ground is really soft so I don’t even worry she’s going to slip and hurt herself. I just sit back, sometimes facetime home or sometimes I just get myself a drink and soak up the atmosphere. All parks apart from Hollywood Studios have somewhere like this where your little one can cool off.

Kidcot Fun Stops
As of yet, we haven’t fully embraced the Kidcot stations around World Showcase, but what we have, Little Miss has really enjoyed. The Kidcot Fun Stops are situated in each on of the 11 countries around World Showcase and I think they’re a great way to break up the long walk around the countries, especially for pre-schoolers! Your child gets to make a cardboard Duffy (Mickey’s bear) which they can colour and decorate. They then go around to each stop and get a stamp. The cast member usually has loads of fun facts about the country you’re visiting and some of them even can write the little ones name in the language of the country. It’s a great way for your kids to interact with other small ones, and just to take five. They fun stops are all indoors and in the aircon too. These have been around for years, when I was a kid you made a mask but Duffy definitely appeals more to the under 5 crowd.

Character Dining
It’s no secret just how much we love to character dine. Epcot offers two character dining options, The Garden Grill which is hosted by Chip and Dale, usually with Mickey, Goofy and Pluto in attendance. This is in The Land pavilion in Future World and as of yet we’ve never been (however we’re booked for October). The food is supposed to be amazing. The other option is Akershus Princess Storybook dining in Norway in World Showcase. In March we ate there for the second time and every time I go I seem to enjoy it more. So far we’ve only done lunch, but in October we’ll be doing breakfast. It does what it says on the tin.. you go in and first meet Belle before taking your seat then four princesses will visit your table (one at a time of course). So far we’ve only met Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora, but I have seen Mulan and Rapunzel there on occasion! There will be a full review of our experience coming soon. The food is great and it’s a nice way to break up the long day at the park. There is also the Coral Reef restaurant which will appeal to children who want to feel like they’re eating in an aquarium!

There are character meets all over the park, including a lot of the countries around World Showcase and 90% of the time they have the nicest meeting spots rather than seeing them in another park. I love meeting Snow White by her wishing well, and Donald is so much fun to meet in Mexico.. and lets now forget that this summer you’ll be able to meet Anna and Elsa in Norway! Also, if you go during one of the festivals such as Flower and Garden (Spring) or Food and Wine (Autumn) there will be additional things to keep your little ones busy.

Yes, on first glance, Epcot looks like a half day park if you have small children but every time I visit I final myself enjoying it more!