EPCOT questions

[goofy for fire]

31 days til we're off. :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

We're taking our 6 and 7 year old kids to WDW for the first time and have been reluctant as to whether or not they would enjoy EPCOT at this age.
IF we decide to go, will the kids enjoy it enough for us to try and get there before it closes and how much time should we set aside? We don't have a full day that we can allow for EPCOT, just maybe some afternoon hours here and there and we are planning on getting over there one night for Illuminations. I see that the operating hours have Future World only open until 7 pm while World Showcase is open until 9:30. And exactly what is Future World compared to World Showcase and why do they close at different times? Isn't this one big park?

Thanks for your input. See you at the Castle Nov.27th-Dec.2nd!!!!!!!!

 

[tigger248]

Future world is the front portion which includes rides and attractions such as: SSE, TLS, TT, MS, JII, etc.

World showcase is the back portion which includes the countries and the more cultural side of things.

I think it would definitely be worthwhile to take your kids to Epcot. I love Epcot. My parents took my brother and me when we were 5 and 3, and from what I hear, we enjoyed it. My brother and sister-in-law took my nephews when they were 6 and 8 and they enjoyed it as well. There is a lot for kids to do, even though the park has a rep for being somewhat educational and less thrilling than the others (not my opinion, but the opinion of some). Your kids can get autographs from cm's from the different countries, which is cool because they'll write a little message in their native language. Plus they have the kidcot fun stops where your kids can make little crafts, which I believe are neat little masks. My neighbors just took their 3 and 8 year olds to Epcot for the first time and the 8 year old came back telling us how much fun she had at the "new park" that they'd never been to. Plus, Iluminations is amazing, so you'll definitely want to see that.

Hope this helps! :wave:

and have fun on your trip!

 

[longfamily]

First off, yes kids have a great time at EPCOT
EPCOT is divided into to parts #1 World Showcase & #2 Future world. They are different areas of the same park. future world is made up of several pavillions that are individually dedicated to specific themes. One that is very kid related is the "Journey into Imagination" pavillion. Another fun one is "The Living Seas". Here you go into an "aquavater" (elevator simulator) and go beneath the ocean to a sea lab. Basically it's a huge aquarium with perks. There are more and each building is huge and has multiple activities and attractions for you and your family to enjoy.
An hour after this opens, World Showcase opens. This is an area where specific countries are represented. Of course they are represented in true disney fashion. Each has been built to be a big enough size that you feel as if you just stepped into that country. For example: Mexico is a Mayan Temple. When you walk inside you will be in an exhibition hall. Then you walk through the next set of doors and you are in mexico! The inside of the building is a mexican marketplace at dusk. The Stucco buildings that surround the marketplace look authentic enough. In the back is a candle-lit restuarant that looks over the river of time (a boat ride) and a fuming volcano in the background. Very beautiful and very kid freindly.
The cast members (employees) from each country are actually from that country! A very nice touch. Each country features a restuarant or two, usually a cheap one and an expensive one. They also all have attractions and shows that are native to that particular country. Call it a mini vacation around the world. For children, EPCOT offers a passport game where kids get a passport from any kid station in any country and they go to each country, talk to a cast member and get thier passport stamped. It's fun to see the faces of children when they are speaking to the person who "talks funny". At these kid stations, kids also get to decorate a mask and in each country they get a new thing attatched to the mask for a souvenier. It's a fun game for them.
This is also where we eat everynight. There is so much cusine that is unexplored that it is fun to see what eack country has to offer. In Germany, Oktoberfest goes on year round in the restaurant. VERY kid oriented.

 

[Sharon L]

My son has loved Epcot since the first time he went at age 3. He is now 7 and loves Test Track, Universe of Energy, Spaceship Earth and Mission: Space. He even likes Living With the Land, which was the one ride I thought would bore him (he likes to see the unusual fruits and vegetables they grow in the greenhouse). World Showcase is not that fascinating for him, but he does enjoy the Maelstrom ride at the Norway pavilion and shopping at the Japan pavilion (Yu-Gi-Oh merchandise). There is also live entertainment at the pavilions that the kids can enjoy (he really enjoys Off Kilter).

Definitely make some time for Epcot. Your kids will be missing out if you don't.

On an unrelated note: 10 days until we go!

 

[goofy for fire]

Thanks everyone for your input. I have been viewing posts on here since we started planning a year ago and really value all your information. This certainly is going to make me reconsider. I have been to EPCOT over 20 years ago and I couldn't remember how much fun(if any) I had. We will be adding in some more time so I can re-live the old days and experience the new!!


I think I'm turning into one of you WDW nuts. My wife is already starting to worry about my well-being after the trip because I won't have anything to do on the computer anymore. She thinks I'm gonna go into WDW withdrawals and I think she's right.

Sooooo........... what else is there to do except start planning for next year!!!:hammer:

 

[PixiePower]

My girls (6 and 8) have just started to really like EPCOT. They have always liked to go to ride Test Track, Mission Space, Figment(and play in the lab after the ride...you can send an email pic there for free). Spaceship Earth is a winner also. They HATED Living with the Land and I don't blame them. I have yet to figure out why the line is always long there! Ellens Universe of Energy is good but it is a long ride! Over 30 mins. If they like 3d movies Honey I Shrunk the audiencs is fun but can be a little scary for the younger ones in a few parts.Ice Station Cool is a great fun stop, the Living Seas are dissapointing if you have gone to any other aquarium recently. But the latest hit in Future World is Innoventions. They will spend hours there. But it is only fun on a not crowded day.

In World Showcase they didn't care for the ride in Mexico (they say it is boring) but they liked the Norway one and the show in America. They always want to stop in Germany and buy candy!

Illuminations is wonderful. It is worth a night there to watch.
The last couple of trips there they have had a lot of Future World open until nine...the big rides like TT, MS,SSE,etc.

We usually do Epcot highlights in a half day. That includes, for us, TT,MS,Figment,SSE, a walk to the back of world showcase to buy candy in Germany and then to Mexico for dineer and to watch Illuminations.

Hope this helps!

 

[Yellow Shoes]

It seemed that we always skipped Innoventions on our trips to Epcot.

Last month we made a special effort to go there.

I literally had to drag my 10 year old out of there.

There are lots of computers set up with different games, there is a kid-sized tunnel with an ant farm inside it. There is a Segway demonstration.

About 2 days after we left a firefighting exhibit opened. I find it somewhat annoying that people equate "educational" with "boring". Interactive exhibits are FUN for kids. We spent quite a bit of time at a torture test for consumer products--we twisted an electrical cord, slammed doors (they made a LOT of noise), smashed television screens, etc.

But the absolute most fun thing we did at Innoventions was part of an exhibit on plastics--specifically about recycling. There was a brief presentation on the importance of recycling and samples of post-recycled products. THEN you went to the next room where everyone designed a robot on the computer. After everyone chose heads, bodies, legs, etc., they raced each other. The controls were on the floor--the kids had to hop and run in place to get the robot to move through the obstacle course. After the race, you went to a room full of robot parts and made your own souvenir.

All of this was completely free.

For us, Epcot takes at least 2-days.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

We don't have a full day that we can allow for EPCOT, just maybe some afternoon hours here and there and we are planning on getting over there one night for Illuminations.

Firstly EPCOT is one big park - but its divided into two sections. Future World is the front part of the park (the science bit with most of the rides) and World Showcase is a stroll around the big lagoon where you can sample lifestyles from 13(?) countries around the world.
Both are suitable for kids, and they will have fun.
Might I suggest (as you don't have a full day) taking a morning to do Future World, do the rides before the lines get too long. Then on a second visit arrive for the afternoon and evening, take a stroll around the Showcase and select your spot (early) for Illuminations.

 

[swimmom]

We usually spend two days in Epcot. My daughter is now a teen-ager, but her first visit to Epcot she was 9 and loved it. We bought her a passport for the World Showcase that she got stamped in each country. The CM's also wrote her messages in their language and translated them for her. Also don't forget the entertainment like Candy Making in Japan, Living Statue in Italy, Off Kilter in Canada & Chinese Acrobats.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

I'm surprised it took so long for someone to mention Innoventions. Kids could easily spend almost a whole day there. Aside from what Yellow Shoes mentioned, there is also a little "dome" inside the innoventions to your right (West?) that houses three "Dance Dance Revolutions". If anyone dosen't know what DDR is, it's basically a video game for your body. You stand on mats and jump and tap your feet on the arrows in beat with the music, and according to what the video screen tells you to do. You keep progressing through the levels, which get faster and faster, until you fail. At the end, it tells you how many calories you burned. They sell it in stores for an astronomical price, and there are a bunch of DDR's on the Boardwalk in NJ, but it's like $2 a piece to play, and in Epcot, it's free. My sister and I could have spent all day there.
Link to DDR: http://www.ddrfreak.com/aboutddr.php

I also recommend getting the passports. It includes the passport, a button, and stickers for each country. I've seen kids dragging their parents from country to country instead of vice versa.
Link to Passport: http://fly.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/pportex.jpg
http://fly.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/pportjp1.jpg
http://www.mainstreetmegastore.com/prod_images_large/TPAAAZZZZZZ1001247.jpg

In the Imagination pavillion, Space Pavillion and Innoventions, you can send a 15 second video email to yourself or friends. Each one has a differnet theme, ie, Space: you are an astronaut, Innoventions: you get a Spaceship Earth background, and Imagination: you get to dress yourself up with clipart features) We always send one to ourselves so we have something waiting at home to remember our vacation by. We usually say what we did, or what we plan to do that day, and include the date. It's really fun.

There are characters in Epcot. They go with their respective countries. Beauty and the Beast in France, Aladdin in Morrocco, Winnie the Pooh in UK (or canada?) Mary Poppins, etc. Norway also hosts the princess breakfast which, if you have a daughter, would love. And, it's easier to get PS's for then Cinderellas Royal Table.

Each country has live entertainment. Off Kilter (!!!) in Canada, British Invastion (who sound EXACTLY like the Beatles) in UK, Mimes in France, "Mikuki", who creates works of art out of rice candy for the children for FREE!!!!!!!! in Japan, Belly Dancer in Morroco, Oktoberfest in Germany, Living Statues (which are the best) in I think Italy, Chinese acrobats in china, etc etc. The live entertainment is one of the best parts of Epcot, and I think your children would love it. Also, look out for the Garbage Can guys in Future World. They are amazing.

Look for "Push" the talking trashcan in the Electric Umbrella (I won't give away his secret here, but look for a garbage can with wires attached, and then throw something away and listen carefully)

Get free Coca Cola products by visiting Ice Station Cool in Epcot's Future World. As you come into the park, it's on your right side across from the Fountain of Nations. Go through the igloo and come out in a Coca Cola store and a place to sample Coca Cola products from all over the world! I'm sure everyone in your group can find something they like to drink, and best of all it's free for all the samples you and your family want. Give Beverly a shot...it's wonderful :hammer:

And (I promise this is it) There is something new called Goofy's scavanger hunt, and you get a free signed poster of the characters when you complete it. I'm not sure what it is, maybe someone can elaborate for me.

Oh, and I would say do this park first so your kids aren't comparing it to the MK or Studios. It can be fun in it's own way.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Also dont forget that EPCOT has some of the best live entertainment in all of the parks within World Showcase. I like watching most of the live musical acts in the different countries and of course my own personal favorite is Off Kilter!!! Like Bagpipes? Like Rock & Roll?? How about combining the two!!!! THAT is Off Kilter!! to get a schedule of the events in EPCOT check out Steve Sores website at :
http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm
Click on each country and you can get a complete listing of all of the ongoing events. Hope this helps!! Belle

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Do Go!

Folks have already explained a number of major points. As for timing, Futureworld opens first, and there are rushes to Test Track and Mission Space. Get Fastpass for Test Track and see some of the other offerings so you don' waste time unnessarily.

World showcase usually opens at 11:00, and on normal nights stays open until Illuminations at 9. Some of Futureworld closes at 6-7.

Now with that said, your hours will be different as the holiday celebrations will have begun in the parks during your stay. Epcot has some of the biggest holiday celebrations that will make it even nicer for your kids (and you as well). (I'm amazed no-one else caught this yet)

Check out the following information from allearsnet summarizing the festivities. Also check out the differences at the other parks, including a new parade at AK, MVMCP at MK and Osborne lights at MGM. This will put an entire different perspective on your Disney visit...and I truly envy you! :xmas:

http://www.allearsnet.com/tp/holiday.htm

 

[Sledge]

I hated going to EPCOT with my parents when I was that age. The rides are fun but I am not one for a bunch of walking and just looking at stuff. I'm sure I will appreciate all the cool stuff they have when I am older, but now I feel like it's wasting my precious PotC time.

I haven't actually been into the World Showcase (except to ride the two rides there) since I was like 11. Now we just go to the front of the park and make EPCOT a half day and head over to Animal Kingdom for the other half and get as much in as we can there. Maybe I am weird but when I go to Disney I don't really care for looking at animals or going to the World Showcase so we just do the rides and the big elaborate Disneyish shows. To me the shows in World Showcase are nothing too spectacular... for kids anyway.

If your kids don't mind walking around a lot then it will be ok, but I had the mindset of "why walk around looking at stuff all day when you could be at MGM or MK." If your kids get bored easily you will be hearing "Can we go now? How much longer? Can we go NOW? How long is this going to take? Will you leave me at the Haunted Mansion then come back?" The best part of Epcot as far as stuff you don't ride is all the free coke from around the world. I always sneak in with water bottles and fill them up. :lol:

I should also mention that when I lived in Orlando, my 2nd grade class went there for a field trip thinking we would learn about different countries and cultures... out of the whole school only one group didn't leave SSE, Body Wars, The Land or JIYI and actually went to WS. EPCOT was by far my least favorite at that age. But now... well, it probably still is my least favorite, especially since JIYI is gone. :'( I'm not trying to bash Epcot because it has some of the best rides. A majority of it really won't keep a kid interests for very long, especially now days where they have a lot of cool things to choose from and would rather see more Disney characters. Be careful...lol.