Last week, my 3 children and my niece stepped into EPCOT to experience all the amazing features Disney’s 2nd theme park in Florida brings to millions of visitors. If you remember from last week, we asked the kids certain questions about what they thought they would enjoy prior to going. Were they mostly right? Were they really off in their predictions? Guess it’s time to find out in today’s article…
Welcome to Believe Vacations’ Weekly Post where today, we have the second of two articles where we will discuss EPCOT with kids. My own 3 children, Addison, Luke and Sam (13, 11, 8) and my niece Ellison (6) went to EPCOT and even though some may have been in the past, this really will be the first experience they had at EPCOT. They had their own preconceived thoughts and opinions on the park and we thought it would be fun to ask the same 5 questions pre-trip to see if EPCOT changed any of their minds. After they answer each question, I’ll provide my own thoughts on what happened and what your own children might expect when you take them in the future.
1) What will be your favorite food?
Addison-Original Answer: Anything from Lotus Blossom Cafe. New Answer: Coconut Tres Leches was amazing!
Luke – Original Answer: Pizza in Italy. New Answer: Frushee it was sweet and fruity.
Sam – Original Answer: Pizza in Italy. New Answer: Dirt dessert because it had gummy worms in a chocolate milkshake.
Ellison – Original Answer: Croissants in France. New Answer: Trying the cokes at Club Cool. Not Beverly, but the Fanta one.
Thoughts – No doubt, the food options are all over the place and there truly is something for everyone, including kids. Festivals throughout the year provide large crowds and various choices so do your research before you go and narrow it down to 2-3 things you want to try. For my kids, it was 2 items they never knew of prior to the trip. So don’t be afraid to try something new. But on the flip side, don’t force anything your children won’t eat. Sometimes just a fun dessert and a Coke is fine.
2) What topiary will be your favorite?
Addison -Original Answer: Lumiere and Cogsworth. New Answer: Woody and Bo Peep because of the extra details and Toy Story theming.
Luke – Original Answer: Lady and the Tramp. New Answer: Snow White and Seven Dwarfs were extremely detailed.
Sam – Original Answer: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie. New Answer: Lady and the Tramp because they were in a cute formation.
Ellison – Original Answer: Anna and Elsa. New Answer: Rafiki and Simba because my cousin held me up like Simba.
Thoughts – It truly is an art form and kudos to the designers and creators who put tireless hours in to create these incredible sculptures. It does add a charm to the park, especially on a gorgeous spring day. Make sure you see as many as you can.
3) What country will you like the most?
Addison – Original Answer: France. New Answer: Morocco was very detailed and felt you were actually in a different country.
Luke – Original Answer: Italy. New Answer: France because of the croissant smell.
Sam – Original Answer: Italy. New Answer: France because of the music and the fountain.
Ellison – Original Answer: Japan. New Answer: Mexico because it was dark and inside.
Thoughts – The biggest lesson we learned was don’t just walk by a country and say you are in that country. Go off the main loop and actually go back into the pavilion. You may discover hidden stores, characters, special photo spots etc. I appreciated doing that this time which gave us all a better perspective of the countries. However, it just doesn’t feel right without the actual native cast members working inside the countries.
4) Favorite Non-Attraction
Addison – Original Answer: Fireworks. New Answer: Garden Graze scavenger hunt and trying different foods.
Luke – Original Answer: Looking at the topiaries. New Answer: Garden Rocks because the music could be heard in many countries.
Sam – Original Answer: The Easter egg scavenger hunt. New Answer: KidCot because we got to go all around to different countries.
Ellison – Original Answer: The fireworks. New Answer: Sitting on Aunt Mattea’s shoulder and wiggling to the good music of the fireworks.
Thoughts – The most surreal part of this vacation was running 3 kids from country to country trying to collect our KidCot stickers, all while we were jamming to Boston from the Garden Rocks concert series. Nothing beats hitting up Japan nodding your head to “More than a Feeling.” But as we always say, if you only go for the rides, you are missing the point of EPCOT. It’s an overall immersive experience. Slow down and enjoy the non-attractions for all ages.
5) Favorite Attraction
Addison – Original Answer: Journey into Imagination with Figment. New Answer: Frozen Ever After because it goes fast and slow, forwards and backwards.
Luke – Original Answer: Test Track. New Answer: Remy’s because the 3D was amazing and most fun.
Sam – Original Answer: Test Track. New Answer: Remy’s because it was indoors and 3D.
Ellison – Original Answer: Frozen Ever After. New Answer: Remy’s because of the 3D effects.
Thoughts – Remy’s really was so good, we had to do it twice. And if you have the time (sometimes cash), you should do it twice as well. Totally harmless, good fun and great gag effects that will have children of all ages in smiles and rushing back up the queue to wait 120 minutes to ride it again!
Overall thoughts – EPCOT can be for kids if you slowly take your time and enjoy all it has to offer. Bouncing from attraction to attraction will result in a lot of steps, possible backtracking, and long days. But to slowly enjoy the immersion of the World Showcase via KidCot, stopping and enjoying multiple goodies, enjoying the tamer attractions and taking photos, EPCOT may quickly become a family favorite for all ages!
